Punta Cana

This was the first vacation we've taken with all three kids in three years. Everyone was happy to be there and to spend time together. Dozens of shehechiyanus would not have been enough. We had a fabulous time.

The foggy special effect in the first picture came courtesy of the humidity, which caused the camera lens to fog up:

 

 

 

Something is a little strange in the perspective below. The man is not as small in comparison to the trees as it appears - he's actually much further away:

I was a little disappointed that there weren't more colorful flowers in the Dominican Republic, but I did find these interesting looking ones: 

 

 

 

 

No words could describe this sight, which the picture does not do justice.  The moon was full and shining very brightly.  It would have been a better picture if I'd remembered to bring along a tri-pod:

 

 

 

The sun shows up after a fast moving rainstorm:

Horseback riding on the beach:

 

Sailing to Saona Island on a catamaran.  Saona Island is on the Caribbean side of the Dominican Republic.  The water is warmer, very calm and clear aqua.  At Punta Cana (the main resort area of the country), the Atlantic Ocean meets with the Caribbean and the water is darker green and has bigger waves.

 

 

 

 

Sunset through the window of the bus on the way back to the hotel.  I took several very bad pictures as we lurched and bounced around the many potholes that dot the roads in the DR.  They make driving anywhere a roller coaster-like adventure:

 

Really enjoyed the trip.  The people are very friendly, have a good sense of humor, are proud of their country and happy that Americans want to visit. The food was just ok - lots of pork is served, which I don't eat. There were many American Jews were there over Christmas - also a lot of Brits, a few Aussies, Germans, Japanese and French. Our sons said the Brits were a lot of fun at the bar late at night. One took over as bartender, apologizing because he couldn't serve the beer at the proper temperature - it was too cold.

We were all introduced to the DR national drink, mamajuana. Everyone does a double-take at the name.  Eldest son brought some of the tree bark and herbs home to give to friends (we were totally ignorant of the fact that it is advertised as an aphrodisiac until we got home and looked it up on the internet - just thought it was an interesting and tasty aperitif) and got stopped going through customs.  Fortunately, we had a souvenir bottle of rum (photographers are everywhere taking pics of folks and pasting them on things.  we bought one on a bottle of rum) and the customs agent opened it and poured it over the mamajuana fixins.  Apparently, you can't take the stuff into the states dry.

Everything is just a bit on the edge of wild in the DR. It hasn't turned into Disneyland yet which is what makes it so much fun.   

Comments

[Shirl]

Oh Gail. What you do with a camera! Awesome!

[Gail]

Gosh Shirl, thanks. I'd love to take credit but really it's all a matter of the scenery and the camera. I just push the button and voila, it's there!