Parents sure know how to treat a girl right.
They arrived in Santiago late last Thursday. I took them for a spin around the Monument (the only truly touristic place in Santiago) and a lovely Dominican meal of pinchos, casabe, and yucca, and then sent them to bed so that we could get up bright and early to tour the city on Friday.
Our Friday city tour started off with a walk into the city center to do a little Larimar shopping (the famous blue stone that's only found here in the Dominican Republic), and ended with a nice meal at Square One (my favorite lunch time spot) and a tour of the PUCMM campus. Then it was back home (by concho, of course. I couldn´t let them leave without experiencing the Dominican Republic´s infamous transportation system) to pack our bags and catch a taxi to Javilla tours for a $3 bus ride to our all-inclusive resort in Puerto Plata.
They arrived in Santiago late last Thursday. I took them for a spin around the Monument (the only truly touristic place in Santiago) and a lovely Dominican meal of pinchos, casabe, and yucca, and then sent them to bed so that we could get up bright and early to tour the city on Friday.
Our Friday city tour started off with a walk into the city center to do a little Larimar shopping (the famous blue stone that's only found here in the Dominican Republic), and ended with a nice meal at Square One (my favorite lunch time spot) and a tour of the PUCMM campus. Then it was back home (by concho, of course. I couldn´t let them leave without experiencing the Dominican Republic´s infamous transportation system) to pack our bags and catch a taxi to Javilla tours for a $3 bus ride to our all-inclusive resort in Puerto Plata.
The view from the lobby of our resort, Be Live Marien. Doesn't that just look like paradise on earth??
The weekend was a blur of beach and pool, blue skies and white-capped waves, buffets and piña coladas, beach volleyball and sunburns.
Not a bad way to spend a couple days if I do say so myself.
Not a bad way to spend a couple days if I do say so myself.
We eventually made our way down the beach to the city market. It´s probably safe to say that one of Mom´s favorite pastimes is shopping...and bartering over prices seems to be right up her ally.
Larimar
Mom, fighting for a good deal. .
We came away a few pesos shorter and a few souvenirs richer. Everybody was happy. But this guy in particular sure was glad we stopped by his shop.
I spent my evenings by the pool, sipping wine and grading exams. Not exactly thrilling, but surprisingly relaxing and maybe even a little restorative. Plus, the bartender kindly stopped by to give me some M&M Peanuts one night. Chocolate and wine? What could make a girl happier?
Dinner Saturday night was quite the affair-- a traditional Dominican smorgasbord, if you will. Complete with tamales, langoniza (Dominican sausage), and fried batatas to start off.
The main event was spit-fire roasted hog
Although the chiva (goat) wasn't bad either.
Criolle style seafood and rice, along with fried zucchini and tostones also made an appearance.
For dessert? Dulce de mani (a type of peanut brittle), rice pudding, a pudding made out of batatas (sweet potatoes), flan, and stewed fruit.
Free entertainment was also provided every evening....although I can't say that I was super impressed. The dances and moves seemed a bit outdated to me.
But there also happened to be a casino located just outside the resort, which kept me well and entertained for a night. I had never gambled at a casino before, but I managed to turn my Dad's $20 into $45! Apparently I was having a little beginner's luck at the black jack table. $25 dollars worth of winnings was plenty for me though. And not coincidentally, it was exactly enough to pay for 25 hours worth of internet at the resort (yes, the all-inclusive resort charged for internet, isn't that ridiculous?!). But in any case, I left feeling pretty proud of myself.
But there also happened to be a casino located just outside the resort, which kept me well and entertained for a night. I had never gambled at a casino before, but I managed to turn my Dad's $20 into $45! Apparently I was having a little beginner's luck at the black jack table. $25 dollars worth of winnings was plenty for me though. And not coincidentally, it was exactly enough to pay for 25 hours worth of internet at the resort (yes, the all-inclusive resort charged for internet, isn't that ridiculous?!). But in any case, I left feeling pretty proud of myself.
On Sunday we started out with an early breakfast: fresh-squeezed juices above, and traditional Dominican-style salami, mangú (mashed plaintains), and roasted pineapple below.
Mom and Dad opted for more standard American fare: omelettes.
A hearty breakfast was just the ticket to fortify us for our trip off the resort. I couldn´t let my parents do too much relaxing after all. So we finished are food and made our way out to the street to hail a taxi to take us to the Teleferico...but more on that in the next post.
As it turns out...two and a half days at a resort is just the right amount of time for me. Don't get me wrong, the resort we stayed in was lovely, but after a few days, I start itching to get off and explore the local culture. Not to mention I love cooking my own meals or trying new things from local restaurants, so generic buffet style food loses its appeal for me after a day or two. If you are looking for a hands-free, relaxation vacation, an all-inclusive is perfect; but if you're more of an adventurous soul, it's probably not the right route for you.
Sunday night I left my padres at the resort for the rest of the week while I caught a bus back to Santiago in order to head back to work in the morning. Overall, I was thrilled to spend some quality one-on-one time with my parents and just wish I could have spent more of it with them!
As it turns out...two and a half days at a resort is just the right amount of time for me. Don't get me wrong, the resort we stayed in was lovely, but after a few days, I start itching to get off and explore the local culture. Not to mention I love cooking my own meals or trying new things from local restaurants, so generic buffet style food loses its appeal for me after a day or two. If you are looking for a hands-free, relaxation vacation, an all-inclusive is perfect; but if you're more of an adventurous soul, it's probably not the right route for you.
Sunday night I left my padres at the resort for the rest of the week while I caught a bus back to Santiago in order to head back to work in the morning. Overall, I was thrilled to spend some quality one-on-one time with my parents and just wish I could have spent more of it with them!
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