Close your eyes. Imagine that idyllic
picture-perfect beach with the white sand, the overhanging palm trees, the
turquoise water...the one in the vacation ads...that’s the Dominican Republic.
At least that’s the beach we have in front of us at the moment. Amy’s internet-accommodation
sleuthing skills have paid off once again, and we are now sitting pretty in the
middle of paradise. Una mas cerveza por
favor!
It was a bit of a haul from Santiago Chile,
connecting flight in Bogota Colombia, then touch-down in Santo Domingo – DR’s
capital city – followed by a 2.5-hr shuttle ride to our rental house near the
town of Las Terrenas on DR’s Samaná Penninsula. All in all about 17 hrs of
travelling. Our first frosty Presidente
– DR’s #1 cerveza – followed by our first night swim in the deliciously
warm waters of the Caribbean was...well...AMAZING! Yep, feels like we’ve come
full circle from our initial touch-down in Cartagena on Colombia’s Caribbean
coast last August – and that initial WHAM of hot steamy tropical air upon
stepping off the plane – to our return to the sand and palm trees of the
Caribbean here in the DR. As the cabin doors opened and we filled our lungs for
the first time, we looked at each other and smiled. We’re back.
Although, the journey back was not
without its epics. Arriving at the Santiago airport at 4:30 am for a 7:30
flight, we were asking ourselves what we were going to do for 3 hours. However,
after all was said and done, we had to run for the gate. It all started upon
stepping up to the Avianca – Colombia’s Air Canada – check-in counter and
Arturo, a nice man afterall, but who seemingly had the air-transport rule
booked shoved up his %@^%$#. First hurdle was our bikes, which, nicely packed
into bike boxes, were going to cost us $300 U.S., as casually informed by
Arturo. Not so, we said. Check your website (which we had done previously),
bikes go free on international Avianca flights. Well, no less than 1 hour of
deliberation between us, Arturo, an adjacent colleague, and perhaps every
Avianca manager on his speed-dial list, finally got the bikes through for
no-charge. OK, phew, let’s go, right? Wrong.
Arturo then casually begins our seat
assignments and notices we have a one-way ticket. Oh, I cannot check you in unless
you have a return flight reservation, he says calmly and staring into my eyes
without expression. At this point, missing our flight had become a serious
possibility. After a minute or so of “what?”, “excuse me”, “can you please
repeat that?”, “are you serious?”, “uhhh, er, huh?”, “WHAT EXACTLY DOES THIS
MEAN ARTURO!!!???”. It means you have to go to that counter over there and buy
a return ticket, then come back here and show me the receipt before I can check
you in. OMFG! At this point, I had one nerve left, and Arturo was twisting it
with a pair of pliers. Option 1: do as Arturo says, or Option 2: there was no
option 2 (well, other than applying for Chilean residency). Digging out my AMEX
card, I run to the ticket counter. I need 2 one-way tickets out of DR any time
in the next month, I say to the guy. After a very tense 5 or 10 minutes (the
“going to miss our flight” thing) the guy calmly states “you have 2 seats from
DR to Lima Peru (Lima!??...whatever) on June 15”. And, here is your receipt for
$2800. OMFG!! CAN WE PLEASE LEAVE THIS FFING COUNTRY NOW?! We did. (I’m still
working on cancelling the reservation and getting a refund. Fingers crossed).
Ahh, you aren’t really travelling unless you’re dealing with airline check-in
epics J
So DR! What a beautiful place. At least
the part we have seen. It really is that image of Caribbean perfection that
snaps into your mind when someone says “tropical vacation”. We’re renting a
2-bedroom house/villa, surrounded by palm trees and steps from the sand, for a
month. It’s the vacation within our vacation (we need to relax!). Las Terranes
is a formerly small fishing village on the north coast of the Samaná
Penninsula, that is now home to a couple thousand French and Italian expats.
It’s that interesting mix of Dominican locals and expats that gives the place
its charm. A small Dominican town, on the most beautiful Caribbean coastline
you could ask for, complete with French bakeries, mojito bars, and kite surfing
shops.
Daily routines thus far include
early-morning swims, coffees on the beach, breakfast in the sun, mid-morning
swims, lunch in the shade, mid-afternoon swims, cocktails, pre-dinner swim,
sunset drinkie-poos, candlelight dinner amongst the palms, post-dinner
drinkie-poos followed by moonlight swims. So far, life in the DR ain’t too shab!
J
So we’re digging in for the month.
Visitors, taking different shifts and including our mothers, sisters, and our
good friend Robyn from Nelson (who is here now) are part of the plan. Amy’s big
objective is to stay in one place for a while and enjoy the exclusive use of
our own kitchen. It’s a nice break from the hostel circuit of S.A. and sharing
kitchens, bathrooms, and every other living space with 20 other people,
particularly where the average age is early 20s (were we like that?). But
really, the main objectives for the month include beach time, snorkelling, and
blender drinks. Oh, and, I will hopefully learn to kite surf (apparently Las
Terranes is one of the best places in the world for it), and Amy will find our
retirement home lost in the endless real estate listings. Gotta keep the dream
alive! More on life in the DR soon. Chau
babe.
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