Travel Tuesday: Punta Cana, Domincan Republic

the island that stole my shorts.

Guys. I need a vacation. Trying to graduate is pretty much miserable and right now I'd like nothing better than to hang out on a beach drinking fruity drinks for a few days. At this point I've been a beast to live with, so I'm pretty sure Tony would like me to go on a vacation (far away), too. In 2007 I took an impromptu week long vacation with my most oldest friend, Julia, to the Dominican Republic. We stayed in Punta Cana at a Riu hotel, an all inclusive resort where you are greeted with a Bahama Mama upon arrival. Awesome.

It's hard to say what my favorite thing about the Caribbean is.  The sunshine? Yes. The Beaches? Yes. The drinks? Kind of, I'm not particularly attached to alcohol, though. The food? HELL YES. I think my favorite thing about a Caribbean vacation is the ability to relax in the sun (something we lack here most of the year in New York) and enjoy fresh fruit and delicious food. Absolutely paradise. And yes, strawberry daiquiris and Cuba Libres. I'm also one of those boring people who likes to recharge their batteries on vacation - meaning I am totally happy to go to bed early, wake up early, and spend a day absorbing Vitamin D and reading on the beach.

Yeah, I'm an old lady.

anyone with an addiction to coconut water will appreciate this sight.

Julia and I stayed in Punta Cana for a week, most of the time at the resort. We also signed up for a couple day trips, both of which were awesome. We were going to go SCUBA diving, but Julia ended up with an ear infection so we went snorkling instead. It was great, mostly because we were the only people who were physically in shape and actually interested in snorkeling instead of just day drinking. As a result our guide, Jorge, was very enthusiastic, and even though we faced a language barrier, we had a great time and saw a lot of great sea life - although I have to say, it was so disappointing to see all the dead coral. Jorge said that this was because the temperature of the ocean had risen over the past several years and was killing off the sensitive coral. I don't think of myself as much of a treehugger, but apparently I am because I am pretty displeased by this. We also took a catamaran out to Isla Saona, a national park. Although this trip resulted in me leaving my favorite pair of shorts on a beach in a National Park, it was still a good time. The shorts were sorely missed.

All inclusive resorts are great - they include all your meals and drinks, and there is often hotel entertainment in the evening. The Riu also included non-motorized ocean excursions and had a whole bunch of activities going on. I especially enjoyed the Riu because they had a network of several hotels next to one another and you could eat at any of the restaurants.

wishing that this was the view i was looking at right now.

So yeah, what I'm saying, is that I'd really like to be on a beach in Punta Cana right now.

By the way, don't drink the water, even to brush your teeth. You've been warned.