maandag 27 juli 2009

The first few days on DR

Hello people,

Here I am again with my sight on the first few days. First I want to tell you that from now on all the times mentioned in the blogs are local time DR, unless noted otherwise.

The next morning we woke up early, before 6 a.m. we were up and running. Well… Cyn and Geo were. I just did not want to get out of bed. Geo was trying to get his internet connection up and running while Cyn smsed Wimpy. Not much later the phone rang and I took it (I needed to get out of bed for that hihi). It was Wimpy. He told me that he would be at our resort around 7.15 a.m. and he asked us to wait for him at the reception. So Geo did some real clothes on and we went for the reception. We had to wait for a while but then there he was. The famous Belgium guy haha. We agreed to talk with each other on Wednesday again. We had all the time of the world since we are staying 3 weeks (ok that makes it not “all the time of the world” but more “3 weeks”). When Wimpy left we almost ran to the breakfast area. We were really, really, really hungry (not that weird because in the Netherlands it was over 12 O’clock). We enjoyed our first breakfast. After breakfast we investigated our resort. Walked around and tried to find the playa (beach). When we finally found the beach Cyn and I went into the water to check how hot it was. It was really lovely and warm.

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After a while we walked back to our room to collect the swim stuff. We went to the swimming pool closest to the reception. It has a poolbar. Our resort has 4 pools. the first one is closest to the SPA. There is no bar, only some chairs and a little pool. The second one is the one where we were at the moment. the one with the poolbar and close to the snack place with the name “Pikalo”. Here you can get pizza, frites, hamburgers, cheese soufflĂ© and kipnuggets. The 3rd pool is a lot bigger and above the water is a big round building which is the bar. the 4th (and last) isn’t a pool actually but it’s a bar with 4 jacuzzi’s around it. Normally it’s very quiet over there (not when there are some Frensh fishes around). But back to the story. After some time resting, chilling and drinking at the poolbar it was time to go to the reception again for our Neckermann meeting with Laurent. He is our travel agent these 3 weeks. He told us a bit about the country, about the leaving details (far, far away) and he told us again and again not to book any tours with other operators. After the meeting we walked back to our seats. We went in the pool for a while en enjoyed the sun until we were feeling a bit hungry. We walked over to Pikalo for some frites and pizza. It tasted great. Back at our seats we enjoyed the sun some more. Not much later we took our towels and stuff and walked over to the jaccuzi’s.

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Usually it’s quiet over there but not this time. There were some Frensh girls who were talking like a group of chickens. Man! what a noise. We sat there for almost the rest of the afternoon. When we got back to the room the maid was cleaning our room. So Cyn and I waited outside. Geo walked in to use the toilet (which wasn’t working ok, there is a lot of paper stuck in there). When the maid was ready we walked in to change clothes and put the towels down. Cyn and I still needed a toilet visit but we couldn’t use our own. 5 minutes told Geo us. But after 30 minutes it was still 5 minutes. Finally he was ready. When we were outside and 5meters away from our room Geo found out he forgot his camera. Aaaaaaah. Cyn and I walked over to the toilet and he walked back to get his camera. There was only 1 toilet working so I waited for Cyn to finish so I could use it. When I came out of the toilet only Geo was standing there. No Cyn. What the heck happened this time. We walked back to the room but Cyn was not there. I told Geo to wait at the room and went to look for Cyn. Geo gave me the key card. I did not find her and when I wanted to enter the room the card wasn’t working. Geo had given me a towelcard instead of the room card. What a ****. Cyn was not far away from me and not much later she entered the room as well. In the end it was all about the key card. There was a crack in it and Geo was blaming Cyn. But Cyn did not do it. The card was just old. After all this Cyn and I ended up reading in front of the room. Around 6p.m. we walked over to the place where we had dinner. But you can eat after 6.30p.m. so we waited at Pikalo with a drink. We also watched some Spanisch guys who were trying to build a pyramid of people.

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Not long after that it was time for dinner. We really enjoyed it. Back at the room we took a shower. After that we did some chill out and then it was sleeping time. We were still not getting used to the time difference. Geo took so much place in bed that Cyn slept on the other bed. That night he was pushing me out of the bed so I told myself to take the other side of the bed Cyn was sleeping in next night. In the middle of the night Geo his phone began ringing. Somebody in the Netherlands was calling him (it was 7-8 O’clock in the morning in the Netherlands). Grrrrrrrrr. He switched his phone off after that. The next morning we woke up at 6.30a.m. After changing clothes and collecting our beach/swim stuff we headed for breakfast. On our way to breakfast we jumped on a car which brought us to our destination. After breakfast, Cyn and I headed for the toilet and Geo for the towelservice. When we were finished it was time to go to the beach. We looked for a shadowplace and walked over to the water again. Geo was doing his so called “salted-water-therapy” and Cyn and I were playing with the bal she brought along. Back at our seats we had to move our seats again because of the turning of the sun we were in the sun again. In the shadow again Cyn and I got our books and read some pages. Geo had his “siesta”. After a while Cyn and Geo went to the sea again and when they got back Cyn and I got us something to drink at the beach house: Club del Playa. In the afternoon we headed for the swimmingpools. At the shower was a long (read very, very long) line so we thought: we will take the next one. On our barefoot we walked on the hot, hot, very hot tiles. Now we know why there was such a line at the first shower. Never making that mistake again. At the swimmingpool we dumped our towels and headed for lunch. Cyn was talking to a German girl and later with an English guy while she was waiting for her pasta. We will be seeing the German girl again later on that day. But more about that later. After the lunch we found out that it was very hot at the pool so we went to the 4 jaccuzi’s. Here we enjoyed the bubbles, a drink and a good book. The bartender (Manuel) got bored and served us with drinks a lot of times just to have something to do. Cyn her guts told her to go to the toilet so we asked me for the keycard and after half an hour she was back again. She took a shower as well because the sand was itchy. Later on we headed back to the pool at the snackbar. Here, Geo found back his water shoes which he lost before we left for the jaccuzi’s. We played with the ball in the water. The German girl and her (girl)friend we also in the pool. At the bar they were drinking and dancing on the bar stool. The bartender put a piece of ice in the friends short which made both girls jump over the bar for revenge. Later on they were kissing and 1 of the 2 lost her top which ended in 1 of the guys hands (and over his nippels….) At the end of the afternoon we changed clothes at our room and headed for dinner. My stomach did not like the food so Cyn got me some salad (so sweet). After dinner we walked a bit over the beach. On our way to the beach we saw the German girls again. The one Cyn had a talk with was still very nice (and drunk) the other one was snapping at us (will not repeat what she was calling us) which made the nice one say: I’m zowwy… (I’m sorry). After a nice walk we headed back to our room for some relax time and sleep.

The next morning Geo got up early for some fitness. Cyn and I got our books and were sitting in front of the room with our books. When Geo was gone Wimpy called and asked if we were joining him on the Carabic tour. That’s a BIG YES. The next morning we will be picked up around 6.20.

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When Geo got back he took a shower and than it was time for some food. After breakfast we stayed at the pool closest by for a while. Later on Cyn and I ate some pizza and fries. After a while we went for the jaccuzi’s again where our bartender of the last day was working again. Here we relaxed some more and in the afternoon we went for the pool at the theater. Here we swum a bit and played with the ball. Around 5pm we went for our room again. All 3 we took a shower and when it was time for dinners we walked to the dinnerplace. After dinner we went to bed very soon.

The next morning it was early (take early and than a bit earlier). We packed our stuff the night before so it was putting some other clothes on and heading for the reception. The car was there at 6.30. The weather was dark but at the Dominican Republic that is not telling you a thing. The sun could be shinning fully within 10 minutes. We were the first ones. After we picked up 2 other couples we had to wait for Wimpy and with him some bad news. We were not doing the tour today. The captain of his boat had called and the weather was so bad that they could not board. So around 7am we were back at our hotel and we headed for some breakfast because that was something we did not do before we left. We had agreed to do the tour on Friday now if the weather was ok. After breakfast be brought our stuff back to the room and went back to the reception because at 9am Laurent of Neckermann would be there again. We wanted to buy some post cards and we wanted to pay a visit at the cigar factory. The weather was even worse than earlier that day. It was raining hard now. There was also a bar with a roof over it. Here we sat down to drink something and write our cards. Three for me (mother and sisters), 2 for Cyn (parents and work) and Geo one (Steph). Before it was 11 am we got some other stuff at our room. With a small van we were taken to the cigar factory. It’s owned by a German family. They showed us how they handmade the cigars. It was very small but nice to see.

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I also bought a souvenir at the shop. Back at the resort we ate some fries, pizza and nuggets at Pikalo. Again it started to rain so we got our internet stuff and headed for the internetcafe. Here we posted the first pictures on Photobucket.com, mailed some people and posted a small blog at our blogs. After our internet adventure we went for the bar above the swimmingpool. Close by the theater. Here we enjoyed a drink and a game. When I needed to go to the toilet my point finger got stuck. It was bleeding and it hurts alot. Cyn told me to get some ice so I did but is was not stopping the bleeding. So we headed for the room so we could bandage it with a plaster. We sat at the bar till 17.15. Then we changed clothes at our room and headed for dinner. But they we still closed so we got ourselves something to drink at Pikalo. After dinner we went for a walk on the beach again. Cyn wanted some pictures of the undergoing sun.

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Back at our room we again relaxed a bit. Later than usually we closed our eyes. Up to the next day which will be remembered for a long, long (read very long) time. But more about that in my Next blog…. Yes I know, I am mean.

xxx

Joyce

Shame on me...

Hello everybody,

I just wanted you to know that I am still working on the vacation diary. But the last few weeks were a bit hard for me. Still no work and I had only 1 interview after the vacation. It's so damn hard but I try to manage.

There is also a good thing happening for Cyn but I will be posting about that later on. When I am sure that it worked out for her.

Chance is doing fine too. Brutus is here now for 3 weeks so she has her playmate for 3 whole weeks. They are downstairs and I will be joining them soon. Geo is in Oeffelt and Cyn is working. I will put the clean clothes in the closet and will head downstairs to clean there and then... maybe... I have the time to finish my second post of the vacation. I also want to do the garden this afternoon so I have to put this puzzle together.

See ya all later

xxx

Joyce

maandag 6 juli 2009

Back Home – Trip to DR

Hello Blogreaders,

We are back!!!!!! It was a long, long day yesterday and I am stil a little bit tired. I slept 1 whole hour in the plane which gave me some pain in my neck. But beyond that we had a great flight and landed in 1 piece on Schiphol. But this is the end of the vacation. Let’s start with the beginning.

 

We started our vacation with going to Nijmegen with Geo his van. From there Cyn her mom dropped us at Nijmegen Central Station where we took the train to Schiphol. This is a lot cheaper than going there with the car and keeping it parked there.

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When we arrived at Schiphol we could almost check in immediately. We checked in on Departure 3 – Check in 20. When we were in the TAX-free area it was time for our usual place: the MacDo. We ate something and sat there for a while.

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After that we walked around a bit before it was time to go to our gate which was gate D04. After the metal detector (and Cyn’s body check) we had to wait a little bit more before we could enter the plane. Finally in the plane. Finally our real trip to DR started with a flight of +/- 9 hours. When we sat down there entered 2 boys who took place behind us. The guy behind me did not know whether he liked to put his bag or his legs under my chair. dumb ass. First he asked me if I could remove my back so he could place his bag there. But there was space under his chair so I told him that. He told me I had to place my back in front of me because it was the rule and blahblahblah. After the instructions move (which showed that I had to put my back in front of me) he tried again. but THIS time it was because he did not have enough leg space. What the hell does he want. Well, my back ended in front of me and I was damn annoyed with this little man. After a lot of hours we first landed on Puerto Plata. Here we unloaded some people and loaded some people an kerosene. Than it was time to fly to Punta Cana. Here it was our stop. 

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Now we had to collect our baggage and check in with Neckermann, Who brought us to our resort: IFA Villas Bavaro Resort and SPA. After we checked in by the hotel they brought us to our room with a little car. (see the picture).

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Finally in our room we were so tired. We went to bed immediately. After a long day we fell asleep like a little kid.

This was our first day. I will post more later.

Cheers,

Joyce