A few months prior to the New Year holiday, we thought it would be nice to get away from the cold weather and go somewhere warm and tropical. We decided on the Dominican Republic.
The weather fit the bill, and the DR was somewhere neither of us had been. Phase 1 of relaxation… try the local cerveza.
This trip was also our first time trying out a resort. We found a place in the Bayahibe area. Here, lisa is posing with a salchicha (sausage) tree fruit growing on the resort grounds.
We quickly became stir crazy in the resort and booked a couple of outings. The first was to Santo Domingo.
This was a walking tour around the colonial zone of Santo Domingo.
The Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor,
Inside the Cathedral of Santa Maria la Menor,
Getting ready for dinner. For all of its flaws, our resort did have very nice grounds.
Our next outing was a day-long boat trip down the coast to a national park, Parque Nacional Cotubanama.
The first stop was the most picturesque water/beach either of us had ever seen. The spot is aptly named, the Piscina Natural, or the Natural Pool. There were starfish everywhere here as well.
From the Natural Pool, the boat traveled just down the coast to a beach where lunch was setup (grilled prawns).
The beach is accessible by boat only within the national park.
The boat ride there was a large catamaran, with a party vibe the whole time. It was a blast. The boat ride back was a high speed boat.
Arriving back in Bayahibe after our day trip.
Yes, that’s both a monkey and an iguana on Lisa.
Getting ready for dinner on New Years Eve.
The resort had a fireworks show for the New Year.
New years day was a lazy beach day… not a bad way to spend a day in January.
This peacock really wanted to get into the gym.
We tried parasailing for the first time.
Our last sunset of the trip.
The next day, we had a long ride back to Santo Domingo for our flight back.
