CARRIBEANS, A DREAM CAME TRUE

 

THE START

Finally me, Luisa, and my best friend Rita are able to make a trip that until recently was only a dream.
Indeed, we dreamt a trip to the Caribbean but for a number of reasons we have never tried to make the dream come reality, then tired of seeing those beautiful places only on TV and full of stress, One evening, in a pizzeria I said "Why don't we leave for Santo Domingo?" everyone in less than a second said "Yes of course"; in the beginning we have not given weight to what we said because it has been the umpteenth time we said it, then out of curiosity I caught a catalog and called Rita for checking it out; prices were bargain, we could do it and what else? Let's begin to organize our much desired trip.
We passed Check at 03/05/04, hours 17:15 from Malpensa, with an awful weather, direct flight with Blue Panorama (travelled badly) for La Romana, arrival at 21:15 local time; at BAYAHIBE we transfer to the village Viva Dominicus Palace (beautiful and very organized that we recommend).
As soon as we finished practices for the allocation of the room, we are going to try the pizzeria, as we smell it in the air.....
I must say that to be the Caribbean pizza it was not so evil... finished dinner we went directly at bed because of the stress.

FIRST DAY OF VACATION

At 05:00 we are watching at the balcony the daylight ... bloody jet lag ...., we prepare the backpack with sun creams and let's have breakfast, then meeting with the operator for the usual infos on the village and excursions etc ...
Finally that's the wonderful sea of Santo Domingo and we expect the sun .. the sun? Truly after five minutes, time to put our feet in the sand, we get a tropical shower ... Fortunately they last only a little time.
In fact, the period was not the best because there is a transition period rainy weather in May ..
Sun, sea, relaxation, mind relieves the problems ... lying down we look at the place where we are, and it doesn't seem to be true we managed to make the holiday so much we talked.
We decide to do at least two trips to see what offers us the place, the excursions we planned are to sea and to land to see the villages.

SAONA ISLAND

Starting with boats which are driven by crazy people, no, they are very good but must too much fast in our opinion... we stop to see the starfishes, along the Eastern National Park and then we come at Saona Island where the landscape is truly tropical ... white sand, palm trees and turquoise sea.
Then we head to the fishing village for lunch, after we ate something it's time to look at their shops filled with colorful paintings, people is very happy and we are all called to enter for a look.
As usuak tourists we have always camera in hand and while we return to the beach we make friendship with a girl of about four years that watches us smiling with his black eyes, there is so much tenderness in her and we wonder if it wants to make a photo with us. She says yes and after that we start to play with her, she's so tender, her mom calls her back but she is behind us... the guide calls us and we must go...

DOMINIBUS

Leaving the village with a very characteristic coach... that does not have the all windows opening, colorful and with the roof in palm leaves .. there's a corner bar with music, because after a while we begin to hear CDs of salsa and merengue.
The first step is to sugar cane plantations, we stop at the edge of a field and some cutters approach us, and we try a piece of cane offered, sweet.. The guide explains that the cutters are not Haitians and Dominicans and are paid $2 per ton...
There's a lot of poverty, they live in shacks of tin, but nevertheless are always cheerful; children when hear the noise of the buses run out to get candy or pencils or anything else, but it is dangerous to run trough them while we are marching, then we stop and distribute them some pastels, pens and candies ... When we start Rita and we are no longer very cheerful, it very touched us to see that village... But knowing the likely effect, the guide begins to sing and dance to try to make us return cheerful...
We see other villages, then do a lap with the boats on the river Yuna.
It's time we stop and have lunch in an Italian restaurant, only lunch time and we must now restart again ..
There is much traffic because it is the last day of the election campaign, then there are parades of cars, people on the streets, almost does not seem to be in the Caribbean.... The next step is a fruit plantation, the owner is very courteous and invites us to come there and see the plants of cocoa, coffee, pineapple, passion fruit, etc..... of course we try them.
Start to go into a drugstore to buy U.S. dollars with few pure cocoa and Vitamin A... the Ron.
Before returning we do a lap through the streets of La Romana.

END OF HOLIDAY

Our vacation is over, we must return to Italy but before making the bags we do one last lap on the beach to immerse ourselves once again in this beautiful sea ....

Greetings to all