Villa Baya Aparta-Hotel Bayahibe

... mini-project/assessing the situation here, we started to plan a multi-phased project to span the next few years, and will include food sustainability (which is the phase we will begin this February), community literacy, and transportation methods to Consuelo or other nearby centres. A multi-faceted project like this requires a lot of planning and preparation, and a commitment from the Rotary club of Consuelo, which we do have. However, as the club ...

... we walked through their lush tropical garden, ducking lines of drying clothes along the path.

Although Bayahibe is not terribly remote, we had a hard time finding food. We've both been excited for some beans and rice, but we have yet to see a bean here. The veg options have all been variations of white bread and cheese: Cheese pizza, cheese & crackers, grilled cheese sandwiches, cheese quesadillas. Ugh ...

Fui en el autobus a el Parque Nacional del Este. Fui a acampar en el parque y fui a pescar en el agua. Fui a subir en las arboles. Fue a estar fenomenal. Fui a ver los animales. Muchos iguanas en la Republica de Dominicana. La Republica de Dominicana tiene muchos animales. En el Parque Nacional del Este, fui a comer bocadillos.

Fui a ir en el autobus a la Romana. Fui a ver los edificios de viejo. Fui a comprar en la comercial de la Romana. Fui a comer en los restaurantes bien. Fui a comer chuleta al carbon. Fue muy bien. Fui a quidar en Hotel Casa del Mar. Fui a sacar muchos fotos por el ciudad.

... worked for the Obama campaign, but she'd also been a teacher for many years and was currently working as a caregiver for an elderly woman. Shockingly, she was 61 years old. She looked like she was in her late 30s, early 40s to me! Would that I'll be so well-preserved! I finished Haruki Murakami's Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman. Several of the short stories were very moving. Started listening to Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility.

I slept until 10AM today, which felt heavenly. The breakfast buffet was about as impressive as the dinner last night, except for the wonderful omelet station. There”¦s really not much to report from most of the day. I figured out where to get beach towels (something I never sorted out yesterday), lathered on the sunscreen, and spent some time lying on a lounge chair at the beach listening to Beethoven”¦s symphonies (the Fifth and Ninth ...

... sure I will not feel out of place again...I learned a lot of lessons after this trip - I'd say that is the only savings grace...

I know I won't stay at another Club Med - very disappointed in it. And despite my horrible time I cannot really blame DR for the bad time, as I didn't even leave the resort - but the bad taste has been left and I will just never go back!

... things really started to bother me. The hotel really tries to get you to interact with staff and other guests - which just really isn't my style. I don't like to make small talk and I don't like to be put into these situations...Well, at club med they sit you at large tables with guests and their staff also comes to sit with you as well.

We were the only guests there in our ...

... so I was ill prepared.

My roommate suggested that we try a club med - she had heard about them before and people seemed really happy going to them - she also liked the all-inclusive idea, which lets face it, I did too.

I flew out of Newark International and my roommate flew out of Charlotte...we were going to meet at another airport and then take the same flight to Dominican Republic. Her flight got delayed and the airline ...

Well our RTW trip is over and we have a gorgeous little baby boy. I wanted to add the rest of our trips (for posterity) to my travelogue. Some are quite recent but others are memories of halcyon days. Dominican Republic: In 1997 I had started work as a junior doctor and after a couple of months I was totally ready for a break. Jane and I went to the travel agent and asked for something a little alternative and ended up paying just £470 for a late deal:- 8 days ...