Sanctuary Cap Cana Golf & Spa Punta Cana

... much that I will definately return in my next trip in January 2010.
How I can describe Saona??White beach, blue and warm water, a lot of music and drinks.
It is like the paradise island of your dreams.
I woke up little bit early...7.00am on vacation it IS early, but I was expecting a great day and so it was.
The bus till Bayahibe, then the Catamaran and a lot of Dolphin swimming around...then Saona ...

... island...also fantastic.

So we head off down the trail (which is a big loop) with me in the lead. We are quick to find out that there are spiders the size of your palm everywhere...including over the trail. When I say everywhere, I mean that one makes a giant web over the trail about every 10 yards or say...and there are ones to the left and right in the trees about every 2 feet. Also among the creatures are Anoles (little lizards) everywhere ...

... as much as I did. Then they slide you through a line to pay $10 USD for a "tourist" tax. After which a very bored looking woman stamps your passport and takes your Customs slip and voila! You're livin la vida loca in the DR.

So I grab my bag and find myself hustled by one of literally 40 guys waiting to carry tourists to their hotels. Thank god I had set up for a driver from the airport through the Ecological Foundation ...

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.

... friendly...they tried to make you feel at home ...I was quite impressed with their "Oscar Night" - on the night of February 22nd they made a big celebration on the beach - complete with buffet dinner, tables and chairs on the sand, colorful lights, makeshift red carpet, live Oscar statues covered in gold ("played" by the members of the stuff), huge screen which was transmitting the ceremony...so - we were sipping cocktails and watching Oscars on ...

Just a few weeks after we got back from Europe, we took another drip down to the Dominican Republic. We stayed in Punta Cana for a few days and, in a complete departure from our Europe trip, did essentially nothing. We went scuba diving, enjoyed the beautiful beaches, and ...

... the small ampitheatre next to the Bar Flamboyan. Roaring shouts of Italia! Italia! broke out each time the Italians did something good versus groans (each time Germany got a free kick) and claps or sighs of relief (each time Germany shot at goal and missed). What an incredibly pro-Italian crowd. Well, the bar was dispensing the local Presidente beer like no tomorrow, and since food and drinks are free with your all-inclusive bracelet (put on the moment you check in), life was good ...

... keep myself entertained with them - but my roommate didn't and the spanish speaking television wasn't working for her.

Needless to say, the remainder of the week turned out to be a bust - and it was a long week. Now I do my research ahead of time to make sure I'm going to a place in the appropriate season. I also know to check out hotel and resort information to ...

On our first full day at the resort the weather was gorgeous - our soul intentions for this trip was to sit pool side and not move...utter relaxation...we managed to do a full day of this!

The pool was nice and it was the off season so it wasn't very crowded at all. Overall it was a great day and we enjoyed it very much.

We had dinner at the restaurant and this is ...

... a car to take her the airport we were meeting at. I don't remember the airport but I know it wasn't too far, it was only supposed to be a quick flight for her!

I was getting really anxious as I waited for her - flying by myself out of the country wasn't really in my plan and I was uncomfortable with the idea as I wasn't really a savvy traveler at this point, and I didn't really want to go by myself for any length of time. The plan had ...