Dominican Republic Continued

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Unlike our previous trips, the Dominican Republic didn't offer much in the way of sight-seeing. While we were able to walk around New York to window shop or Europe to enjoy the historic alleys, this country didn't have the means for us to do that. Instead, this island provided natural beauty not found on its storefronts or cobbled roads. If you truly wanted to engulf yourself in this culture, you'd have to get your hands dirty and feet wet (literally). You'd have to ride in crowded minivans, barter your way through every sale, and sweat the pollution out your skin. If you didn't pack good shoes and a ton of hand sanitizer, you're S.O.L.

But if you're indeed prepared, get ready for the most exotic landscape on this side of the Meridian because white-sand beaches are renown in this part of the Caribbean. And that's exactly where we went for our next excursion to the appropriately named, Paradise Island. The day started early for it was over an hour-long bus ride through the hilly terrain of the Dominican countryside. The tour group was dropped off on a sandy shore where locals whisked us away on speed boats to the island. Along the way, the guides presented us the opportunity to jump into the crystal clear water blue enough to be used as food coloring. Once on the island, we were given--in true Dominican style--some coconut and rum, then a briefing before they unleashed us to do as we wished. The island has the best snorkeling on the northern coast so we snapped on our flippers and dove into the shallow waters. No need for life jackets here because the water was so dense and salty we floated with minimal effort. If you want a perfect picture, grab some bread crumbs and the fish that will mob you for a meal. We then dug our feet in the powdery sand, sprawled out on our backs, and carried a conversation with other tourists from around the world as we sipped on fresh juice. We met a nice couple from Copenhagen who offered us a place to stay if we ever found ourselves in Denmark, which we hope to take advantage of someday. As for now, we bid farewell and returned to the boat to tour the nearby mangroves before boarding the bus to get a fried chicken and pasta lunch. Afterwards, we headed back to Puerto Plata. Paradise Island was such a picturesque setting and certainly worth the long ride out of town. This marked the end of Day 3 in the D.R. Up next was CountryWorld Adventure Park.

This park was located southwest of Puerto Plata and required a long commute, but reservations included transportation. After a slight misunderstanding that left us stranded at the resort, we found a way to the park and began our day with some horseback riding. Our two guides were very knowledgeable and acquainted us to the horses (Rubio and Samantha) very quickly. We galloped through the hillside, getting a lesson on the the local fauna and vegetation, even tasting some guava that we picked while riding. Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate and poured on us, but that didn't dampen our mood. Once we dried up, we proceeded to the petting zoo where we held a snake, parrots, and a spider monkey. It was lunchtime by this point so we sat down for what was the most authentic and delicious meal we had in the D.R. The meal consisted of local ingredients like fried plantains (the best I've ever had), fried eggplant, ground meat on white rice, and a home-made hot sauce to die for.

After lunch, we buckled up and jumped on the ziplines. While most ziplines in the States depend on height to gain speed, these used distance; instead of going fast, you travel longer, but what's nice about these lines was that we could freestyle in any position rather than remaining upright the entire ride. We took advantage and hung upside down, laid forward, and on our backs. By the end of the lines, we had contorted our bodies in every way possible. But that didn't prevent us from putting our bodies through more awkward positions because the last attraction we did at the park was the gyroscope. This contraption was developed during the Space Age to train astronauts for weightlessness, but for us, it just felt like spinning in a blender. When our brains were rattled enough, we ended our excursion and hopped on the bus to go back to the hotel where we rested up so we could catch our flight back to the States the next day.

This trip opened our eyes to a culture very different from our own. Deodorant here is a luxury and waving your hand can flag down a cab from 10 lanes over. In the D.R., earning a living means doing whatever it takes to get by. As travelers, it required some acclamation but we were getting the hang of local customs. However, as proficient as we were becoming at acting like natives, we were glad to head back and return to our daily lives. The value of a good vacation abroad is that it teaches us to appreciate everything we have at home, which ultimately, is why traveling is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.

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