...That sentence about sums up my wonderful 6-night, all inclusive vacation at a tropical resort in the Dominican Republic. Not only was I able to check off one of my goals for 2011, I was able to travel out of the United States for my first time. It was great to walk through customs and get my passport stamped. It was a rough adjustment back to reality, but my time off was well worth it!
Let's start off my story by saying there's not much that will get me up before the sun rises EXCEPT for knowing that I'll be on a beach in less than 6 hours. Before the night of my flight, I had everything packed and ready to go and I was in bed by 9 pm. I barely slept a wink because of my excitement but I managed to rest my eyes here and there. My alarm went off at 3:15 am, I hopped up, got in the shower, and got ready. The cab picked Callie and I up at about 5:30 am and we headed straight for the airport. I want to exaggerate how we left a blizzard back home to head to 85 degree weather and palm trees. Made our upcoming trip all that more wonderful.
We flew from DC to Miami to Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic (so from 22 degree weather to 90 degree weather). Flying over the Caribbean Islands was beautiful, so picturesque. We landed in the afternoon and I instantly felt the change in pace, the easy going way of life, and I was going to adopt that carefree spirit from the very moment we stepped out of the plane. Callie and I got in the resort bus and drove about 30 minutes to the resort in Puerta Plata. Talk about a day and night situation - driving through the poverty and the slums of the town made tears fall from my eyes. There were kids as young as 6 and 7 walking along the dirt roads and major highways, groups of highschoolers sitting on a corner watching cars go by, and women carrying boxes of fruit on their head trying to make some money. It was all really sad; here I am able to take a trip to a 5-star resort and just twenty minutes outside the resort, there is so much poverty and run-down institution.
On a positive note, there's a reason why they call it a vacation; I truly think for 7 straight days I did not stress about one thing in my life - I didn't think about anything other than what SPF I was going to wear and what cocktail I was going to order by the beach. I was so relaxed and didn't have a care in the world. We got out of the bus and from that moment on, I felt like I didn't have to lift a finger. We were greeted with a cocktail and our luggage was taken to our room for us. Upon receiving our VIP wrist band, we settled into our cottage-style room and headed for the beach. I have to say one of my favorite little parts about this trip was my room - it was little-cottage type room, nothing over the top, just a calm, simple room (of course, the refrigerator was loaded with adult beverages!).
The VIP beach was awesome - there were cabana beds, hot tubs, and two bars fully loaded with anything you could possible want. There were multiple pools that surrounded the resort, again fully loaded with swim-up bars and restaurants located in every corner of the resort. They had a place called the casablanca - an all day buffet that was opened for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We predominately ate breakfast and lunch at the buffet everyday - filled with SO many options. For breakfast, I could choose between omelets with fresh veggies, french toast, oatmeal, sausage, scrambled eggs, pastries, fruit, breads, cereals, juices, you name it and they had it. There were a variety of restaurants that we ate at, as well. We tried an Italian, Chinese, and Seafood restaurant on various nights. Needless to say, we were never at a lack for food or drinks.
Speaking of the alcoholic beverages, there was no shortage of those around. From sunrise to sunrise you could drink all day and night long and there's never a cutoff. My drink of choice for the week was a toss up between a "Happy Happy" and a "Hector Special". During the hours of laying out on the beach, our waiter, Hector, would bring us these fabulous fruity pink drinks that were SO delicious. I have no idea what was in them, but they were perfect for a hot, crisp day on the beach. Additionally, by night, the drink of choice was the "Happy Happy" or "Happy Lifestyle". I realize why they titled the drink that - because it does make you happy :). The Happy Happy was a combination of orange juice, triple sec, vodka, and white rum 151. Phew, they were good! Don't get me wrong, Callie and I weren't lushes every night, but we were opportunists, as I like to call it! When you pay for an all-inclusive, you take full advantage of every opportunity to have fun.
I will say that coming from a big city where I tend to go out all the time, the nightlife at the resort was average. Every night they put on these shows at the theater on the resort. They were very cool and gave us a real glimpse into their culture, teaching and showing all sorts of dances and interpreting their version of American music. Additionally, there was a club called Vibe on the resort that was super fun. Definitely good music and good times dancing through the night. The last thing I'll talk about is the people. We met great folks from all walks of life and of all ages. Callie had a couple of marriage proposals. She was a hot commodity down in the DR with her blonde hair and blue eyes :). We met quite a few young couples who where easy-going and a wonderful family from Canada that we hung out with for most of the week. Everyone was there with one motto - what happens on vacation, stays on vacation AND our one goal was to truly enjoy what it means to be on a vacation. Like I said, I didn't stress once about anything. My mind was completely free from any thought concerning my life back at home.
All in all, I'd rate this trip about 4 stars out of 5. It was GREAT service, good food, and it was totally awesome never lifting a finger and not paying for a thing. Callie and I made the most of every opportunity and I feel so blessed to be given the opportunity to afford the time and money to take a vacation like this.
Cheers to planning my next getaway.... !!
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