Okay, so the beds are awful. So it’s a good thing that we’ve been buzzed enough when we fall asleep that it doesn’t matter so much. But to say that I’m missing my bed is a major understatement. Regardless, everything else these past couple days have been pretty great, starting with a wonderful catamaran ride in the Caribbean.
Happy Fish with a lot of happy fish
Rafael, Krispy, and Daniel took us on a great adventure on board a catamaran ride through the shallow waters along a nature preserve on the Dominican coastline. If there’s any advice I can offer about catamaran excursions, make sure it’s the right kind of boat, as “catamaran” can mean different things. After some research, we made sure we were on the type that has netting that we could lay on, as opposed to a big commercial boat. As soon as we got comfortable, Krispy made us the special “Happy Fish” cocktail of rum, vodka, mango and passion juice. It was even better than it sounds.
After a wonderful, 45-minute ride through the insanely gorgeous aqua blue water, we stopped at a reef and went snorkeling where we saw parrot fish, sea cucumbers, balahoos, sea urchins, sea anemones, brain coral, and so much more. I’ve done a lot of snorkeling in my day, and this was definitely one of the better experiences, despite there being a lot of waves from the nearby break.
It was when we made our way to a sandbar that I had a “wow, this is paradise” moment. The aqua blue water, white sandy beaches, and palm trees … it really is amazing. We eventually got to the sandbar, where several other “catamarans” stopped to let people wade in the water and enjoy cocktails at the floating bars. With the music pumping and the endless shots of Mama Juana (a homemade concoction of Dominican rum, red wine, honey, and various spices like cinnamon, ginger, and more), we were … happy, to say the least.
Continuing with the shenanigans
Maybe it was just one of those days, but the party continued at our otherwise quiet resort. The younger people (people in their 30s) came out of the woodwork and were at the poolside bar enjoying the day by the time we got back. That’s when I finally met “Gucci,” an absolutely gorgeous man I’ve been ogling the past few days. He’s basically a Dominican version of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Seriously. Since he can’t remember my name, he just calls me his guapa and his wife, so having this new member of the Cecilia Fan Club has been … FUN. We were supposed to meet up last night, but after a long day of drinking in the sun, the three of us … had an embarrassingly early night.
More fun in the sun
We took in a lot of sun yesterday on the catamaran, so we’ve had a pretty lazy day in the shade, full of naps, reading, and the occasional check-ins from Gucci.
One of the best things about the resort is that it’s right on a beach and there are a TON of things to do. The even better part: it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. The three of us enjoyed a lazy parasailing ride where we got to see the massive five-resort Riu complex and stunning views of the water and coral reefs. It was only $120 total for the three of us. After a nap, Kristen and I headed back to take a banana boat ride. Since it was her birthday and we already did the parasailing, it was only $10/person. The water was really wavy, so it was a bouncy, crazy fun ride. I haven’t laughed that much in a really long time.
Tonight, we’ll enjoy a nice dinner before making it a late night out to celebrate Kristen’s 37th year around the sun. Apparently, Gucci will be watching for me.
Cecilia the TravelGurl 