1/13- 9:15 AM scheduled flight out of Atlanta. I drove there the previous night. There was a bit of a SNAFU that morning. I went to the International terminal only to find that I was supposed to check in at the Domestic terminal for a Frontier Airlines flight. Fortunately, I allowed myself extra time and I made the flight. In the end, it didn't matter because the flight was delayed by an hour. Can't say that I recommend this airline. Though the price looked like a bargain, it really wasn't with the bag fees. It was $104 each way just for a carry-on bag. At any rate, we landed after 3 hours, and it was on to Immigration. No hassle there. My passport was checked and stamped. The only question was where I was going. I didn't even have to show proof of a hotel reservation or a return flight as I did in Costa Rica.
Another nice touch was a free shuttle from the airport to my resort. Yes, I used my Spanish. Several people were impressed and asked me where I learned. The answer is mostly Duolingo, but I was not a raw beginner because I took Spanish in high school. Still with the delay, I didn't have much time. I only took a brief dip and walk on the beach. I did have a drink at the swim up bar just before it closed. That was where most of the action took place at the resort. I really don't understand that with the beautiful beach. Sure, the swim up bar was nice but nothing otherworldly. There was one at my hotel in Wildwood, New Jersey and aside from the palm trees, this one wasn't much different. Dinner was a rather mediocre hot dog and hamburger at a sports bar in the resort. I met a couple drunk guys from Indiana and Wisconsin and a nice woman from Germany while I watched some football.
1/14- This was an all-inclusive resort with the expected pros and cons. It's got convenience but lacks authenticity. I could have gone to Jamaica and had a similar experience at the same resort. Not surprisingly, the food was mediocre. It was better than what you will find at a college campus but a notch below Shoney's or Golden Corral. I suspect that the drinks were a bit watered down, but I had no interest in getting stupid drunk, so I didn't really care. There were a couple of restaurants that appeared to have some dishes that looked pretty good, but they required reservations. I stuck to the buffet and had no real complaints.
My room did not have a view of the ocean. It was about a quarter mile walk on a tile path lined with tall tropical palm trees. Today was a full day on the beach. Every day was sunny to partly cloudy with an air temperature of 85 and a water temperature of 81. It was on a beach called Arena Gorda. That proved to be a good call. The surf wasn't as strong as Macao, a bit further north and the water wasn't as blue as Bavaro, which has calm waters. However, it did provide the best of both worlds with beautiful blue water and some pretty good surf. Macao may have actually been too strong. Here, the waves were close to perfect. I got plenty of great rides on the board and though it was never dangerous, I did go down a couple times on wipeouts. Again, I was there for the beach and the surf, not the high-class accommodations or the food. I must say that the Dominican Republic shines in this regard.
1/15- Excursion. I can't truly say that I experienced the country if I didn't leave the resort. I considered Santo Domingo and even simply a visit to a shopping mall in downtown Punta Cana but opted for Saona Island in the Carribean. I'm glad that I did it but wish it didn't take so long to get there. We did make a couple of stops but with the bus and the boat ride, it took 5 hours to arrive. Thanks to the speed boat, the return trip was only 3 hours. I enjoyed talking to a couple from Texas and another from Scotland. Cool.
After lunch, we only had about 2-2.5 hours at the beach itself. That's just not enough time. Here, the water was an even lighter shade of blue that I had never seen before. I expected it to be dead flat, but it was surprisingly wavy today. Nothing threatened to take me down but yes, I caught a few good rides even without the board. It was almost 6 PM when we got back to the resort. On the final leg back, I enjoyed a Spanish conversation with a girl from San Diego who said that my southern accent is "beautiful" and I should not lose it when speaking another language. I had about 30 minutes until darkness and yes, I did squeeze in a quick surf session back at the resort.
1/16- Another full day at the beach. Pretty much a carbon copy of 1/14. Today, the surf kicked up a notch and it was really awesome. Again, Macao probably would have been too strong. I did get some pretty good jerk chicken just outside the beach, which I was allowed to bring into the swim up bar. Once again, dinner was just okay at the buffet. I met a guy from Poland at the swim up bar and another from Colombia over an after-dinner drink. Pretty cool to meet people from all over the world. Though I am a bit on the introverted side, I find it fairly easy to talk to people on road trips. Chances are, I have either been where you are from or have looked into a trip there.
1/17- After breakfast, I had almost 2 hours to take a dip before I would have to get ready to leave. Yes, I took advantage of it. Again, I had a free shuttle to the airport. This time, it was a little nerve racking. The bus was 15 minutes late and the lines at the airport were pretty long. My flight began the boarding process just as I arrived at the gate. Another 20-25 minutes and I would have missed the flight. No harm, no foul but that's a little too close for comfort. We were actually a little early with the arrival in Atlanta. It was a long 15-minute walk to Customs but once I got there, it was painless. The drive back to Birmingham also went without a hitch. Yes, I did meet a woman from Alabama at the airport.
Final thought:
Yes, I'd rank this as an all-time great trip. I'd go back in a few years and take the excursion to Santo Domingo. Not sure where I am going next, but my next international trip will probably be Canada as Newfoundland is the only province that I have yet to visit.
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