Well, I am back from another great trip to the DR . Warning – really long.
This time we stayed at Eddy’s Condos Dominicano, which I highly recommend. It was perfect for us… perfect price and perfect size (if not bigger than what we needed). Having our own totally equipped kitchen helped us save money from eating out constantly and prompted my bf to make me a surprise candlelight dinner which is always nice
. Eddy’s pool is great if you don’t want to go to the beach and it is really central so you could walk anywhere you wanted to in town if you needed to.
Luckily my bf just purchased a car… as much as I complained about the whole idea in the beginning I will admit it was really great for us to have on the trip and for his daily commute to Santiago, so I relented a little bit.
The first few days we just relaxed and did lots of nothing, as the best vacations should be. He had just finished exams and I was tired from the trip, and anyways we hadn’t seen each other in a while (wink wink). The first day we headed straight for the beach – Casa Marina. As usual, I tanned my blanquita self while my bf hid under a sombrilla. It was pretty hot, but the water was so great. I didn’t remember that the water was that beautiful there. We went to Sosua beach on Sat., just to stroll around, and of course ran into a ton of people that he knew along the way. I got great pictures of people that were around, most without knowing I was taking them. We played pool that night at the Billar club, and we were the only people there! Downtown Sosua was pretty much dead, but everything was open.
Sunday, after a few failed attemps, we met up with Hillbilly at Eddy’s and chatted with a bunch of Presidentes. Lots of fun to finally meet the guy, turns out it’s a very small world because we know a lot of the same places well here in the US… freaky coincidences.
Monday we went to Puerto Plata, both for some business my bf had to do and to go to the teleférico. The view was fabulous, and the top of the mountain had beautiful gardens, a restaurant, and souvenir shop, natch. We walked through the gardens and got a little lost… argued about who knew which way we were going best… turned out neither of us actually did and we finally made it back. It was a hot and sticky time, but fun nonetheless. I got more good pics (I say that before I develop them to be optimistic) and saw these cool flowers that looked just like Birds of Paradise, but were more orange all over.
Later on in the week we went into Santiago a few days in a row. We did lots of family visiting, especially with a couple of my bf’s brothers who I really wanted to spend time with, which was great. And I comsumed all of the pineapple batidas (con carnation) that I could possibly have, as I do in every trip. The craving is already back. I also saw my life flash before my eyes numerous times due to Santiago driving, but that was to be expected. Doesn’t stop me from screaming though. One day we had lunch with none other than AZB at his house, which was very beautiful. He even gave me one of his aguacates from these great trees he has in the backyard. We also had dinner at Hillbilly’s one day, were able to meet all of his lovely family and sample his good cooking. Both very hospitable guys.
Friday we took advantage of the fact that one of my bf’s family members is going to the States and needed to go into SD for the medical appt. We took him in and while he was there we went downtown for some sight seeing. He had already taken me to aquarium once before so we didn’t go there again but I do highly recommend it. This time we got a tour guide and went through Alcázar de Colón (I knew a little bit more than the guide about Spanish history there, but that’s OK he was good anyway), Museo de las Casas Reales, La Catedral, Panteon Nacional, and all monuments in between. We also went to the Museo de Larimar, which was one of my favorite parts because I thought it was really well done and I am pretty much obsessed with that stone. Plus they gave us free soda inside, even though it didn’t cost anything to get in. I was really good and didn’t buy anything, though I was very tempted. (I bought some stuff cheaper somewhere else later
) We ate chicharrones with yucca and tostones at a nice place on the malecon. Con batida de piña, claro.
Saturday was my last day and we did the glass bottom boat in Sosua in the morning, which was very cool. I had intended to try snorkeling this trip, but it didn’t happen, but this was a good substitute. You wouldn’t believe the stuff that was out there. Later we had nothing planned so we decided to stay on Sosua beach. I was in and out of the water, and tanning for a while. Later my bf said he was going to run back to the Condos to get his suit, and a towel for me too. No sooner did he leave but a large black cloud formed over the area and your basic tropical torrential downpour began. I huddled under a handy Presidente umbrella, while noticing it was metal and the lightning was close. While laughing to myself and hoping to live to see 22, two thoroughly obnoxious men approximately 3 times my age decided it was time to chat with me.
They were Dominican New Yorkers, who thought I didn’t speak any Spanish and was there alone (hehe). After urging me to swim with them in the rain “to make sure I was happy” and offering me drinks and their “typical Dominican!” food, my Dominican Wicked Witch who thought he was going to melt in the rain finally showed up to take me home.
The rain never let up much, and we spent the afternoon and evening inside. Our plans had been a romantic last night dinner on the terrace of the Pier Giorgio Hotel, which we had taken a tour of earlier that week. He wanted a tour of the honeymoon suite (was there a hint in there?) and it was pretty unbelievable up there, I must say. We ate at Pier Giorgio anyway, though under the tent. We had filet mignon and lobster and it was delicious. The view of the lightning over the water was nice, and it was a nice goodbye present for me, despite the weather. That place is really beautiful.
So that was my trip, here I am packing to go back to VT for school… anything exciting that I remember, I will post.
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Bugsey's Vacation Report
