The flight there was around 6 hours. Not bad. When we landed in Punta Cana there was some delay in our getting off the airplane. We all had to remain seated for about a half hour. Once we got into the terminal we were in a queue with, what appeared to be, 3 other plane loads of people. The line was moving very slowly. We found out we had to pay an entry tax of $10 US each. Not so bad, except there were only 2 people selling the tax slips – for 4 plane loads of people. Once we got the tax slip, we made our way to the immigration booth to get our passports stamped. By the time we got to the luggage carousel all the luggage had been stacked to the side. We quickly found our funky duct tape marked bags. Then we were in yet another queue to have our bags x rayed before departing the terminal. There were only 2 x- ray machines for all those people with all their luggage. It took us two and a half hours just to get out of the terminal.
Then we sat and waited on a bus for another 45 minutes. Then we had a 2 hour bus ride. Considering we had to be up at 2:00 am to catch our flight, we were a bit tired and cranky by the time we reached the resort – Emotions by Hodelpa in Juan Dolio, near Santo Domingo. We just wanted to check in, find some food and relax. There was only one desk clerk on duty. It took a while for others to check in before us. The clerk said to wait outside and a bellboy would escort us to our room. There was only one bellboy and he was already behind with the other guests who had checked in before us. We didn't get to our room for another 30 minutes.
The room was lovely. Large and spacious with a king bed, couch, huge walk-in shower, and a balcony. We overlooked the pool that was turning all colors of the rainbow thanks to their underwater lights.
Just past the pool was the stage for the evening entertainment. This later proved to be very loud and annoying and we should have switched rooms, but Ed said it didn't bother him. The safe in our room was broken so when we went past the lobby on our way to the dining area, we told them about it.
The buffet was not overly huge but had ample food and variety. Dinner that night was lobster. We ate outside and could hear the waves lapping at the night hidden shore.
Since we were both very tired, we headed to bed early. There was only one top sheet and no blanket to be found in the room. We tried to turn down the air conditioning but could not find the remote control. We ended up piling our clothes onto the bed to keep warm that night. So much for a restful sleep....
The next day we had to remind the lobby 3 times to fix the safe, give us an A/C remote, and request a blanket. Someone finally came late in the afternoon to fix the safe, with Ed waiting impatiently in the room rather than enjoying the sunshine. The remote appeared while we were having dinner. Irene had asked the housekeeper for a blanket and she said they had none. What!? She gave us 3 extra sheets to pile onto the bed. It helped immensely. We were also able to turn the A/C down, so that also helped. A few days later, the housekeeper did bring us a blanket. We noticed she had a stack on her cart, so maybe they were finally distributing them to all the rooms. Chilly rooms was one of the popular complaints on TripAdvisor.
Finally, able to relax, we sat by the pool outside our building and read our books. The pool area ended up being a bit too hot with the sun reflecting off the cement and not a breath of breeze. We ended up spending more time at the beach.
There were ample lounge chairs but I got the feeling of being in an outdoor arena. Hundreds of lounge chairs, all facing the ocean – the headlining act. We all sat there as if in anticipation for something that never arrived. Every now and then someone would get up to go into the water, almost as if to check behind the curtain – is the main attraction back there warming up – but more likely to cool off or pee. Or they would wander to the bar for a drink. Occasionally but not often, the bar staff would come around to see if anyone needed more alcohol. Appeasing the crowd while they still faced forward, waiting for the main attraction. Lunch time had people wandering into the dining hall, eating their meal on the outside deck, mostly looking lost with an expression of 'I may as well eat while waiting for the main act'. Some people were looking happy and having fun, but for the most part there seemed to be a sense of tiredness.
Not so with the French from Quebec! They were loud and made sure everyone around knew they were there. I admire their sense of joyeux and comradery. We just didn't appreciate it so much when we were in the a la carte and had to yell across the table because they were so loud.
Overall, the resort was like every other resort. Once we got the subtleties taken care of we laid about and read our books, had a few drinks, and generally enjoyed doing nothing. We took a walk into town to get some local currency from the bank. There was not much to see or do in the town, as it was very small, so we didn't go back.
Someone had made some really nice sand sculptures on the beach one day. Unfortunately they were gone the next day.
Irene bought some funky seashell jewelry from a beach vendor. They would wander up and down the beach all day selling jewelry, sarongs, hats, wooden sculptures, and conch shells. They had an invisible barrier they could not cross to get too near the resort, so one had to approach them.
The Sunwing rep tried very hard to sell us some excursions, but they seemed a bit overpriced. Irene inquired about scuba diving and was told there was a dive shop on the beach. It turned out they were merely booking for a dive shop and really had no knowledge of diving at all. We spotted a dive shop down the beach from our hotel and Irene booked 5 dives with them. The Sunwing rep was selling packages to Catalina Island for $100 per person. If we wanted to dive, it was extra. This dive shop had her all in for $75.
Irene went alone and took a bus to some small town and from there transferred to a catamaran to get to the island. The boat ride was uneventful. We could see some processing plant belching out black smoke. It was not clear if this was a sugar cane processing facility or a power station. It was mentioned that with all the sunshine and wind on this island, there is not one solar panel or wind turbine.
The diving at Catlina Island was nice, not spectacular considering it is a marine park. The snorkelers and divers feed the fish at Catalina Island, so the fish would swim up to you – really close. That was amazing! After two dives Irene joined the snorkelers, already on the island, for a lovely beach lunch before heading back to the mainland. She later did one wreck dive, which was nice but not her favorite kind of dive; but the water was clear. The other two dives would have been very nice had it not been windy and that had a lot of silt stirred up. There were lots of trumpet-fish, porcupine-fish, box-fish, burr-fish, and the beautiful but over populated lion-fish. These dives also had her seeing a sea worm and stone-fish.
The boat staff put on a really nice dancing show for us on the way back to the mainland.
When were were taking our morning hour long walk along the beach a man popped out of the bushes and asked if we wanted to book some tours with him. We booked a tour to Santo Domingo with him only after he promised us the guide spoke good English. We had heard from people who went on the Sunwing tour that the guide didn't speak very good English. Two days later we were picked up in front of the lobby, along with the Sunwing people who paid $15 per person more, and we all went on the exact same tour. The guide spoke good English, Spanish, and French.
Always check your prices. The reps are convenient and reliable, but if you look around you can usually find cheaper and just as reliable.
Santo Domingo
We were picked up at our resort at 9:00 am sharp. However, the old Russian lady (that was part of the Sunwing group) did not show up until 9:30.
Our first stop was at Los Tres Ojos (The Three Eyes) in the Mirador del Este park, just outside Santo Domingo. It is a large limestone cave that holds a series of three lakes. It was originally one lake, but an earthquake caused the roof to cave in and it created three smaller lakes. They are crystal clear. You can see right to the bottom of them. There is a stone staircase to take you down into the cave and access to the lakes. Years ago the locals used to go down there to swim in the crystal clear and cool waters, but today it is strictly a tourist spot. No swimming allowed.
Our next stop was the National Palace in Santo Domingo. It was built in 1944 and stands on the grounds of the former Presidential Mansion built during the United States military occupation in 1916-1924. The president's office is located within the palace, but he does not live there. The dome is 34 meters high and has a diameter of 18 meters. We were only allowed to take pictures from outside the gates. Many people were posing for pictures with the decorative guards, with their fake guns, while the drab looking guards with the real guns watched closely from behind.
We then stopped at a shop selling amber and larimar jewelry. Irene bought a pair of larimar earrings.
The shop was directly across the street from the Cathedral of Santa María la Menor. Built from 1512-1540, it was the first Catholic diocese established in the New World. It has a gold-tinted coral limestone facade and contains a high alter chiseled out of silver. Interestingly, there are a lot of sea shell designs within the church. Columbus sailed from Spain. Spain has a history of St. James the apostle and the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage. The symbol of the pilgrim is the sea shell. Although there was not reference to any of that, Irene was left wondering if it was a coincidence. Also within the church was an old wooden cross, dating back to the early 1500's.
Just outside the cathedral is a statue of Christopher Columbus, pointing out towards the new horizons. Below the statue a topless Taino woman appears to be writing his name onto the base. It makes one wonder if the locals were that impressed with this stranger showing up and taking over their land, stealing their resources and giving them diseases. Just a thought.....
There is a street called Calle las Damas (Ladies Street) where, in true Spanish tradition, the wives of the nobles would take an evening stroll. It is very wide, supposedly to accommodate their wide dresses.
We then went to the Panteón Nacional (National Pantheon). It was originally a Jesuit church built in 1746. It served many functions throughout the years, even a warehouse and theater. Today, it is a shrine for illustrious Dominicans to be interned. Some spots remain vacant in anticipation of righteous persons. There is a massive chandelier in the center. While we were there, we were privileged to witness the changing of the guard. The changing of the guard is always filled with a lot of pomp and showy maneuvers, but this one was particularly impressive for their gun handling maneuvers.
We then carried on to the Museo de las Casas Reales (Royal Palaces). It was built under the orders of the Spanish Crown in 1511 and was the Royal Court of the New World. It was also home to important meetings and parties of the colonial society of the time. Today it is a museum showcasing life in colonial times. Our tour did not have us going inside.
In the courtyard of the Royal Palace is North America's oldest sundial. Built in 1753 to keep the official time for the Spanish. It is made of metal, mortar and rock and continues to keep time perfectly.
The group then made a stop at a large market selling all sorts of souvenirs. We came away with 2 local paintings and two bottles of rum.
We then made our way past Alcazar de Colon. It was built in 1509 by Diego Columbus - christopher's son. It was built as a family home and governor's mansion. It was sacked by Francis Drake in 1586 and mostly fell to ruin. In the 1950's it was restored and filled with period artwork and furniture and now is a museum. Again, our tour did not allow us to go in.
On the way back to the resort we past the Columbus Lighthouse. Built to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the discovery of America it cost approximately $70 million US. It is built in the shape of a cross to represent the Christianization of America. It projects beams of light, forming a cross shape, which are so powerful they can be seen from Puerto Rico. It purports to house the remains of Columbus. It also houses a museum. It is 210 meters long and 59 meters wide.
It would have been nice to take a day or two to explore the city and actually go into the museums, but such is the nature of a guided tour. I will take this opportunity to say that this is why I prefer self guided travel to the all inclusive holiday. And that's all I have to say about that.
