After returning from an amazing trip to the Dominican
Republic today, I wanted to blog about my experience while it’s all still fresh
in my memory and before I go back to work and school and get swamped yet again.
I also want to do a few blogs on packing for traveling since I now consider myself
to be a pro… so look out for that shortly.
First off, let me start by filling you in on what my
perspective was BEFORE this trip. I have been to the Dominican Republic before
and I have a strong appreciation for the people and culture after growing up
around Dominicans all my life. However I am a critic of the “all inclusive
resort” as I have never been a fan or had a spectacular experience. I would
much rather rent something in a real neighborhood and get the “real” feel of
the country or city I’m in than to stay in some Americanized hotel or resort
where I am just another tourist. So this is what I usually do. Last time I was
in DR in 2010, I stayed in a beach town in the popular city of Puerto Plata on
the north coast and also visited a nearby town called Sosua during my stay
there. It was amazing. Since then, I’ve been dying to visit Santiago and the
capital Santo Domingo to experience more Dominican culture. After all, they
know how to party more than anyone else on earth and this is an undebated fact.
I never really had the urge to visit Punta Cana since it is only a tourist
area, although it is known for having some of the best beaches in the
Caribbean. Usually I would much rather go somewhere with both good beaches and
real culture.
But when a best friend of mine is being sent to Punta Cana
for a work conference and invites me on an all-expenses paid vacation, who am I
to be picky? I immediately did a little research on the “Hard Rock Hotel and
Casino Punta Cana” where we’d be staying and also asked a friend who’s been. It
sounded amazing, but I was still a bit skeptical. Either way I would enjoy it
of course.
When we arrived, I was just in awe of the grandeur that is
this hotel. It is simply stunning in every way. The aesthetics and atmosphere of
the lobby, rooms, restaurants, grounds, pools, beach plus everything in between
are nothing less than total luxury and sophistication. Our room especially was
wonderful, especially the most comfortable hotel beds I have ever experienced
in my life. The food was mostly good but nothing that wowed me, which is what I
have come to expect from all-inclusive resorts so no surprise there. Luckily when
I would ask the waiters in Spanish about REAL Dominican food, they would
usually bring me something not on the menus from the kitchen and totally made my
day. I was also pleased with the generosity of the bartenders because unlike
other all-inclusive places, the drinks are far from watered down or weak here.
The mamajuana (an infamous Dominican cocktail of very strong rum and wine poured
into a bottle of wooden barks and herbs that were supposedly used by the
ancient Taino tribes that occupied the northern Caribbean islands… this also
used as an aphrodisiac BTW) is poured freely at every bar and restaurant, much
to my enjoyment. Every Dominican will make you stand up and chant this drinking
salute before you take the shot though, which absolutely tickled me each time.
I couldn’t get enough.
Now the best part of the hotel by far was the beach and the
countless pools. I mean I honestly couldn’t tell you how many pools there were.
I would have needed weeks to try them all. The resort was so huge that you had
to catch a ride on the shuttle to get around. There were pools with swim-up
bars, a lazy river, a kids pool, an adults only pool, a pool with live
entertainment and DJ, pools with jets and seats, some pools only for show, and then
most of them had pool chairs IN the pool. The water in the pools was so clean
too. Plus they bring you drinks and food, all for free. I mean…. Does it get
any better than this? Actually, dumb question. Yes. It did get better. The
beach. I am a sucker for a good beach. It is the one thing in life that brings
me the most joy. And Punta Cana definitely lives up to its reputation when it
comes to beaches. The powder-like sand was so soft, fine and clean. The water was
so crystal clear and refreshing. The only other beach I have been to so far
that can compare was Flamenco Beach in Culebra, Puerto Rico. From what I have
heard, HRH’s beach may be one of the best in Punta Cana and it definitely makes
my top 2 list. And that says a lot!
Now with all this in mind, the biggest highlight of this
getaway for me was still nothing I listed above. A usual, for me, the biggest delight
was from the people I encountered. Being able to communicate in Spanish with
the locals pleased them very much and they usually opened up to me real quick.
Telling me about their lives, their perspectives. I learned that having a job
in tourism in DR is like “making it big time” because this is by far its
largest industry. The 10 million people in this country depend on tourism to
support their economic growth, which has made it the most visited country in
the entire Caribbean. So many people from all over the country move to the
local town of Higuey to maintain their hospitality jobs in Punta Cana. But some
staff members at HRH told me they lived far away in Santo Domingo or even 8
hours away in Puerto Plata and still traveled to Punta Cana for the majority of
the week to work. But they were happy to do so…. Because they were just
grateful to work.
Wow talk about perspective. It hit me like a ton of bricks.
In America, we are picky about jobs and even when we do have good jobs, we still
sit there and complain about them. Our benefits suck, or we want more paid time
off, or our pay isn’t high enough, and our bosses and coworkers get on our
nerves, etc. In other countries so many are just so happy to work. Hell even in
our country many immigrants share that attitude. We parade around while on
vacation, while these people will never take a vacation in their lives yet serve with a smile on their faces. It
really just blows me away. I felt guilty in a way and I tried to tip everyone I
could as much as I could. Maybe I was a little too generous in most cases but I
still never felt it was enough compared to how hard they worked and how much joy
they brought me. They were sweet and kind, which goes a long way for me. And to
think these people have hardly anything. They live so much more humble than us
tourists can imagine while we live lavishly on vacation. Because believe me the
real DR outside of Punta Cana is NOTHING like HRH. UGH. So it means everything
to me to support and give back to people like that who genuinely need and deserve
it. I only wish I could do more.
And despite how obnoxious, arrogant and ethnocentric
Americans are in our travels abroad, somehow Dominicans don’t hate us like
other countries do, amazingly enough. They are the most warm and hospitable
people I have encountered so far. They are fiercely passionate about their
beautiful culture, and rightfully so. Because as everyone knows, there is NO
party like a Dominican party. Hearing all the merengue and bachata was another
huge highlight for me, and even getting to dance to it several times. I love me
a man who can dance, and I honestly do not believe a single Dominican has ever
lived that cannot dance. Those men are not only the most gorgeous and flirtatious
on the planet, they are the best freaking dancers. Ever. I just can’t stress
how much fun this was and how much I enjoyed my time with the people. I mean…
Most of them. Some of the men were a little overbearing. But my friend and I definitely
got some good laughs out of that and have stories to tell for years to come.
Overall I was pleasantly surprised by the Hard Rock Hotel.
It wasn’t as disgustingly Americanized and touristy as I expected. I mean, in
general the “rock star” theme did hold true. It was kind of cool having all the
memorabilia and relics from famous rock stars everywhere. And I love rock music
so I was enjoying some of the rock music played (although I think it was
overkill most of the time). But you definitely did get some Dominican flavor in
there. Maybe more so for me since I was specifically seeking it and
aggressively asking the locals where to find it LOL.I mean I knew it would be
different than Puerto Plata but I was determined to still salvage the real DR
even in Punta Cana and I think I did pretty darn good. In fact, I feel that I
made so many new friends that I am already slightly depressed in how much I
miss it.
One of the only down sides to traveling a lot is you end up
encountering so many places you love that you vow to return to and then you
feel overwhelmed in picking a favorite or in frequenting one place too much (as
I have with Puerto Rico). Well I now feel that way about DR. I always loved it
from the first time I visited Puerto Plata but something about this trip really
made me fall in love with Dominican culture all over again.
So I expected to return annoyed by a lack of habichuelas and
perico ripiao, but rather I am quite content. I can make the most out of
anywhere I go and DR is one place that is pretty much impossible not to enjoy.
I have changed my mind about dreading resorts and tourist traps. These people
depend on our tourism dollars and they bust their butts to make us happy so we
will return. Most are PROUD to work there in fact. Every person I talked to was
so truly honored by how much an American like me could appreciate their culture.
So that goes to show that even a place that is shunned for “not being the real
DR” has plenty of the real DR after all. If it didn’t, I doubt so many
Dominicans themselves, as well as other Hispanics, would frequent this town as
one of the top destinations one earth.
Overall, I had the time of my life. The weather was perfect,
my tan is pretty damn good for only a few days, I have some of the most
beautiful pictures I have ever taken that look like freaking Hallmark post
cards, and I got my dose of cultura Dominicana that already leaves me fiending
for my next visit to the beautiful Quisqueya… Or at least up to Washington
Heights in NYC until I can make it back down to the Motherland itself.
