Day 15 - El Dia Final

Since our last day was mostly travel - Santo Domingo to Miami, a layover and then Miami to LA - we figured our last post should feature our final thoughts on the trip along with a few of our favorite photos. 

GARRETT:

Thinking back on every major trip I've ever taken, there are always a handful of memories or experiences that stand out. They are the stories that you find yourself telling over and over when people ask you about one vacation or another. This trip had a lot of those: from standing next to one of my best friends as a groomsman while he got married in Mexico, to off-roading to some of the most beautiful (and deserted) beaches I've ever seen in Puerto Rico, to playing golf on a course that rivals pretty much any other in terms of ocean views and breathtaking holes in the Dominican Republic.  But at the risk of sounding cheesy, what I'll remember most about this trip is that I got to spend it with Lauren and three of our closest pals.

For me, traveling with friends makes a trip even more fun.  Five people equals five times the laughs and goofy experiences that inevitably come up on a trip to strange places.  A waitress of ours in Cabarete put it best when we asked her where we should go one evening to have fun.  She said (in shaky English), "You are five. You bring your own ambiance wherever you go."  And she was right. Even when it was just us, we had the best of times, building up a mountain of inside jokes that we'll be able to laugh about forever. ("In esta area...!")

As Mark Twain said, "there ain't no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them."  Well, el Caribe Cinco, I like you guys, and I look forward to our next adventure...

LAUREN:

It was an honor to be the first "official" female Travel in Sandals companion, although I'd like to think the first REAL Travel in Sandals adventure was Thailand in 2005.  While the obvious highlight of the trip was the Hanniston wedding, I have to say all of the pool and beach time topped my list. We really lucked-out with the weather this time of year - every time we departed a city, we took the sunshine with us and made it rain behind us. I enjoyed spending time relaxing with friends, playing Hearts, eating some delicious meals, taking my first real dip in the ocean (in a long time), and drinking 'Ron Punch.'  Low points for me would have to be Montezuma's revenge and roughing it at the Bananas guesthouse, but I got past it.  It was an adventure, as always, and I hope our readers enjoyed following us along the way.

MO:

As the fourth chapter of Travel in Sandals has come to a close, I am once again thankful for the memories, experiences, discoveries and laughs we had along the way. This trip was made even more memorable as we kicked off the trip with the wedding festivities of two very special friends, Dustin and Hannah! Thank you so much for letting me be part of your special day. It was perfect in every way!  From there, our adventures were highlighted by private beaches, off-road exploring, sunny skies, bioluminescent bays, new cultures, amazing food, new friends, shiny shoes, historical sites, incredible waterfalls and an unbelievable golf experience! Thanks again to all my Travel in Sandals pals who were there to make the trip another great one! I look forward to our next adventures! Boom!

GREG:
Another Travel In Sandals trip is in the books, and once again it was a great success. The weather held up throughout the trip and no one would have ever known it was hurricane season.  Despite my extensive travel experience, this trip included my first ever destination wedding, and I must say, spending fourdays at an all inclusive resort with a bunch of your friends and seeing two great people get married is pretty awesome.  Some other highlights of the trip included kayaking and playing with the water in the bioluminescent bay, which needs to be seen in person to be fully appreciated, and exploring deserted beaches and a rain forest. But perhaps the greatest discovery of the trip was finding out that casinos in Puerto Rico and the Dominican serve free food as well as free drinks at the tables.  It really brought my gambling experience to a whole new level.  Thanks to the rest of the TIS crew and everyone else who contributed to another amazing experience.  I can’t wait for the next trip!

MATT:

I enjoy listing things so here are a couple thoughts...

- Weather - Talk about lucky...in the 15 days we were in the Caribbean during "hurricane season," it rained a total of 2-3 days and most of that was at night after we'd gone to bed. Hurricane season my ass!

- Off-season v. In-season - The cost in the off-season is significantly cheaper but the amount of activity and people in restaurants, bars and beaches is also greatly reduced. We enjoyed the exclusivity and the pampering but I think I'd prefer visiting when the towns and beaches are really bustling.

- Adapting - Plans change, cultures vary and things can always go wrong so you must be able to adapt.   We were constantly discussing changes in itinerary and different options and everyone was always more than willing to go with the flow.  Having a group that is so willing to adapt makes a trip much easier.

- Accepting - The people you travel with can be as different as the countries you visit so you have to keep an open mind and be accepting of other people's ways.  It's ironic that the things that irritate you at first end up being the things you like about a person...most of the time.

- Adventurous - Taking the traditional path is essential for experiencing the basics but I'm a believer in testing the boundaries and exploring a bit further.  Whether it's a dirt road to a secret beach, a club in the heart of a supposedly all-local area, scarfing down a whole fish head to tail, a night-time kayak tour, or accepting a round of golf from a stranger, willing to go outside your norm is the only way to travel.

- Family - I think we've reached a point that we're beyond friends, we're family.  Only family members argue and get on each others nerves one second and are right back to laughing and having fun the next.  Only family make fun of each other and point out each other's flaws but love them because of those flaws - snoring, picky eating, mispelling, bathroom breaks and always needing snacks.  Only family can spend two weeks with each other nonstop and within 36 hrs of being home be excited to hang out again.

Like with all great things, you can't be sad that they’re over, you have to be happy that they happened.

Thanks for following along on our Caribbean journey and for chiming in with comments, e-mails, suggestions and support. We'll do this all again on our next trip so be sure to log back in when Travel In Sandals hits the road in 2012!

Until next time, travel whenever possible, and if you do, travel in sandals!

A few of our favorite photos:

Day 14 – Exploring Santo Domingo & Dining in a Cave

Santo Domingo is dubbed "The First City of the New World," so as you can imagine, there is a lot of history.   Our hotel was located in the heart of the Zona Colonial so we were walking distance to the various markets, cathedrals, plazas, shops and any other worthwhile site.
 

We had high expectations for Mercado Modelo but unfortunately it was filled with mass produced generic souvenirs

El Conde is a popular walk street with shops and cafes

Plaza Colon, which is built around a statue of Christopher Columbus, is the central area of the Colonial Zone

Lauren strikes a pose in the Plaza Colon 

 

Greg stands alongside one of the towns many cannons - Santo Domingo is on the water and needed to fend off invaders coming across the Atlantic

The Cathedral, where Christopher Columbus is said to be buried, is the town's main attraction

Garrett taking part in the Dominican national past time of sitting

We worked up a strong sweat walking around sightseeing so we stopped for lunch and some air conditioning at Angelo, the neighbor restaurant to Pat’e Palo.

Enjoying the air conditioning at Angelo

By the late afternoon, we had our share of sightseeing so we headed back to the hotel to rest up for the last night of the trip.  Mo and Matt stopped off to get a few beers and mingle with the locals at a nearby café overlooking the Plaza Colon.

Weekeday afternoon beers is a common tradition in the Dominican, one that Mo and Matt fully supported

We wanted to do something special for our last dinner so we did a bit of research and found EL MESON DE LA CAVA, a high-end dinner joint that is about 100-feet below ground in a cave.  The place proved to be more than just a gimmick as the unique location and ambience was matched by its delicious cuisine.

Garrett and Greg descend into the dining area of La Cava

The dining area was a massive room surrounded by the rock walls of the cave

A delicious final feast

It's not a proper meal unless it ends with a hot hot fudge sundae

After dinner we bounced around a few bars in the Zona Colonial and wound down around 2am.  A fitting last evening to a whirlwind of a trip.

We were close friends before the trip but even closer by the end

Day 15 is our final day and it's mainly a travel day.  We fly Santo Domingo to Miami and then Miami to LA.

Day 13 – Travel to Santo Domingo and Out & About in the Capital

After the morning golf round, we hit the road for a three and half hour drive across the middle of the country to Santo Domingo on the south coast.  We arrived at the HOTEL PALACIO in the Zona Colonial, the historical area of the city, around 5pm.  We settled in, changed and headed to dinner at PAT’E PALO, one of the highest rated restaurants in the city.



Cuddle up - Matt and Mo crashed out on the drive to Santo Domingo



Mo fell asleep in the most awkward position, thankfully he's mastered various yoga poses

Joselito drops off 'La Familia' at Hotel Palacio in Santo Domingo

Before becoming a hotel, Hotel Palacio was a palace of a former Dominican President 

Mo checks out the view of the Palacio's garden patio

Around every corner of Zona Colonial was a historical site of some sort – cathedrals, plazas, museums, pantheons, etc.  On our walk to dinner alone we came across the palace of Christopher Columbus’ son Diego and the cathedral where Christopher Columbus himself is supposedly buried.  Even the restaurant we were going to was located in a block of 16^th century warehouses that were converted into restaurants and shops. 

We walked by the Las Cosas Reales, a16th-century  mansion that housed the supreme court

Alcazar de Colon, the former palace of Diego Columbus, son of Christopher Columbus

Pat'e Palo did not disappoint.  The setting, the view of the Plaza Espana, the music and of course the food were all spectacular.  It was easily among the best meals of the trip. 

Pat'e Palo overlooked the Plaza Espana, an open area that often hosts live music

Lauren with our waiter Junior - the waiters wore pirate getups

Short Ribs - You couldn't go wrong on the Pat'e Palo menu

Lots of smiles and full bellies 

After dinner we bounced around ‘the Zona’ looking for some action but we had to venture out of the area to find anything worthwhile.  Based on a few local recommendations, we made our way across the river to Avenida de Venezuela, a local area popular for merengue dancing.   Our first stop was House Drink, a club-like spot with lots of packed tables and thumping merengue tunes.  Stop two was La Barrica, which also featured meringue but the place had a bit more of a country bar vibe. 

Lauren and Matt gave merengue a try at House Drink

Dominican beer is served so cold that often times it's partially frozen

The boys sitting bar top at House Drink

Matt's vodka with olive juice always proved an adventure - at La Barrica they served a  glass of vodka with a side of olives

Lauren and Garrett enjoying the local vibe at House Drink

Greg wasn't too fond of the Charlie Chaplin photo at La Barrica so he gave it the bird



Around 2am we had our fill of merengue so the boys headed to the casino while Garrett and Lauren headed back to the hotel.  It was a brief stay, but just long enough for us to take advantage of the free table-side food.  

 

Greg enjoyed some fried chicken, vegetables and plantains at the blackjack table

Day 14 is a Santo Domingo site-seeing and exploration day and with so much history around the city we will have our work cut out for us.