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As I get older and realize how much there is in the world to see, laying around on vacation, just doesn’t do it for me anymore.
Recently, I read an article written by a journalist who was sent to enjoy an all-inclusive resort. Having traveled all over the world, the writer was apprehensive about having nothing to do but eat, drink and work on his tan. In the end, he learned that his body needed to unwind and he loved the laziness of his days.
I wish that I could say that I reveled in laziness and walked away from my most recent trip to an all-inclusive resort feeling relaxed and revitalized. Truth is, I can’t sit still for that long…that’s just me.
I finished that book I had placed on the back burner and after losing thirty pounds, finally dared to wear a bikini and bronze up my stomach to match my legs. My husband hadn’t been able to accompany us and my teenage sons really didn’t want mom hanging around while they were trying to impress the ladies. What else was there to do?
Having spent a lot more money on two jacuzzi suites than I had planned, I originally told my boys that there wasn’t going to be any excursions away from the resort.
That vow lasted about two days.
Laying in my lounge chair, shaded by a broad blue umbrella, pina colada in hand, I perused the internet, attempting to find something that we could all enjoy that didn’t drain the last of my recent paycheck.
Dune buggies.
As we were driven from the airport to the resort, I had noticed a group of dune buggies crossing the road a few miles prior to our turnoff.
This could be fun.
Arriving at the departure point and signing the obligatory waivers, we were asked to step outside so that our buggies could be assigned. I was told that we were waiting for another family, however, we could leave promptly if we paid extra for a private tour…only fifty dollars…per buggy (we had two).
“No thanks.” We opted to wait.
Our wait was short lived and with the other participants’ arrival a few minutes later, we were strapping on helmets, buckling in, forming a single line and soaring down Dominican back roads.
One of the selling points of this tour was how muddy everyone was going to get…it was recommended that you not do the tour if you can’t give yourself to the idea of being covered in muck! They went on to elaborate on how refreshing the cave swim would be after the spattered adventure. I guess it hadn’t rained in a while, because the only mud puddles I saw were near the shower area at the starting point. The real problem was the dust. Bandannas or something to cover your nose and mouth was recommended (they even sell them if you forget), but what you really need are goggles. As a contact lens wearer, I spent most of the ride squinting as I tried to keep the dust of my eyes or wiping the tears flowing down my cheeks from the pain of the dust abrading my cornea under my lenses. Thankfully, I had relinquished all driving rights to my oldest son.
Driving along the country roads, through colorful villages, we passed grazing cows and children who gleefully ran along side our buggies. The roads were bumpy and narrow and we traveled together in succession. Finally, we pulled up next to a small hut and shut down our buggies. Here, we were educated on the production of cacao, coffee, tobacco and Mamajuana (a Dominican aphrodisiac elixir) and were given a choice to sample the coffee or hot chocolate. These products were available for sale as well as other Dominican handicrafts.
Once the presentation was complete, more driving ensued until we arrived at the part of the tour that promised a swim in a picturesque cave. A large grouping of buildings hawking food and souvenirs lined either side of the stairs to the cave and many buggies were parked here. By the different types of vehicles, it was quite evident that many different companies come to this location.
As we approached the stairway, we were taken aback by how many other people were trying to make their way to the cave. Finally reaching the entry to the small body of water, we noticed that people were being instructed to jump into the cool water and immediately make their way to the guide rope leading to the water’s exit.
That’s it.
No languishing in the water.
No swimming.
No enjoyment.
Get in. Get out.
Then, fight your way up the stairway and get ready to go.
Not really what was advertised.
I am guessing that they don’t make money while you are swimming…why swim when you can peruse the cheap souvenirs at Dominican Walmart or Dominican JCPenney?
Let’s just say, I’m glad I stayed out of the water and kept an eye on the boys’ belongings. That was really not worth getting wet.
Back to the roads. The longest stretch of our drive was before us, retracing our steps back to the road past the starting point. It was now our turn to hold up traffic and cross the highway on our way to Macao Beach. As disappointed as I was with the cave stop, this picturesque location made up for it. One of the last ‘resort free’ coastal stretches in Punta Cana, Macao Beach offers an idealistic shore with amber sands, coconut trees and beautiful, seaweed-free, blue water! This time, I was getting wet!
Placing our belongings behind a log, we waded into the azure waters and attempted to enjoy the brief stretch of time allotted for this stop. Hard to do…there were so many people on the beach, we had to keep a close eye on our end of the log so as no one attempted to walk away with our stuff.
Finally, noticing our guide’s summons, we reluctantly toweled off and jumped back into our buggies. Crossing the highway once again, we made our way back to the companies headquarters.
Instead of immediately jumping into the safari-style truck which was to take us back to our resorts, we were herded to a small area in order to view pictures that were taken during our ordeal. I had noticed someone taking photos a couple of times during our tour, yet, apparently, everyone else had “gotten the memo” about the photographer. There were only a couple of shots of me and my boys, yet there were countless images of other families posed at the cave, the beach, holding parrots…where were the parrots? I even heard another family negotiated the $50 price tag, yet, when I pointed out that we were only featured twice, never briefed on the photo opportunities and I would pay $20, I was rudely shut down.
Time to go.
While it was nice to be able to enjoy a different aspect of Punta Cana, there are many other companies which offer Buggy adventures. Our dune buggies were in poor working order, seatbelts not connected, bald tires and buggies being hot-wired in order to start them. While parked at the cave location, I was able to inspect other company’s vehicles and while in short supply, there were others in much better condition. Still, while I was happy to venture out from our resort for a while, I would think twice about partaking in this type of adventure.
Take my advice. Go ziplining, book a tour to Santo Domingo or take a cab to Macao Beach.
You will be much safer.
Next time, I while reading my book under my umbrella at my all-inclusive resort, I may have to remind myself about Buggies Extreme…only then might I truly appreciate laziness and relaxation!
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