Miami July 2012
Well the time has finally arrived for the beginning of my 9 week oddessy in North and South America. Started off well with a points upgrade to business class with Qantas plus a 24 hour notification which was great as it meant that I could rearrange my suitcases. With business now you can take 3 cases of 32 kgs! I don't possess that many clothes taking into account winter and summer. I managed 1 case of 25 kg and could barely lift it into the car, imagine lugging 3 of them around!!
So first leg excellent apart from the 90 minute delay as the toilets down the right hand side of the pane weren't functioning! Issue sorted with plenty of keeping us up to date and we set off. We did make up 40 minutes but lost it again when we landed and the plane sat for an age before a gate was free for us. Panic for a lot of people and at this stage I had 45 minutes to get my bags, get through security and immigration, who I might add, in the USA were surprisingly accommodating and helpful. Ran like crazy, arrived at the gate to discover the flight had been delayed by an hour.
Got the same seat in the exit aisle which is a bonus for leg room but make note to self, avoid exit row on American airlines, big draft, numb feet and shivering body for 5 and a half hours. Was given another blanket by a kind fellow traveller who gave up theirs for me as she saw how cold I was. When we got off the plane my feet were white and I couldn't feel the ground they were so numb! What a crap flight that one was!
Finally hit Miami and was picked up by my friends and checked into hotel. Nice spot, good rooms, close to good restaurants and had its own private section of South Beach! Get supplied loungers umbrella, covers and big towels. Very nice!
Spent the 4 days catching up with friends, eating, swimming in pool and at beach, jacuzzi, couldn't ask for a more relaxing time. The Sunday brought with it a tropical storm so there was a lot of rain dodging, sadly no more time at the beach but an afternoon watching DVDs.
Sunday was going to be my photo opportunity day, no chance with the weather, never put off for tomorrow what you can do today! Missed my chance of great views from hotel and down the beach. The big plus was that we ate at 4 different restaurants that nobody had eaten at before and hit the jackpot every time. That doesn't happen too often by chance.
Discovered a frozen yogurt which sounds disgusting, caramel and pretzel!!! Try a salty caramel with toasted pecans on top, delicious!!!!! Healthy though, it was low fat yogurt!
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic July 23rd.
I can't believe that we had to be at the airport 3 hours before departure, that being bad enough, the meeting time was 4 a.m. Hideous!
The flight was a charter arranged by a travel agent that Yara has used for the same holiday for the past 8 years but a different resort every time. The plane was full of very excited, mainly Cubans. I have reconsidered my opinion of the way they are sometimes with their noise and clamor and put it down to a massive zest for life and fun. Who else would clap and cheer at a successful take off and landing of a plane, they are just congratulating the pilot for a job well done ( even though I did think that on landing my face was going to be embedded in the seat in front of me, could have hit the runway a tad late me thinks)!!
So 200 of us are sent through security, cough up $10 for the "entry visa" serenaded by some local musicians that added to the festive air and herded back onto several buses to be transported to the Melia Caribe Tropical. I have never seen such a massive resort in my life, I actually find it overwhelming, I have been lost twice already, had a drunk try to get into my room swearing at me for not answering the door ( the problem with all inclusive alcohol from dawn to stumps). I did actually have to force the door closed on him and call security and spent the first night eating on my own. This is Joeys fault!!! Poor Joey, 11 year old delightful grandson of Yara and Jesus, slipped at the pool and after several hours ended up with a plaster of Paris on his foot and lower leg due to a dislocated ankle, luckily no fractures but buggered the rest of his week up hence they were with him and I had no idea how to find them so ate alone. The rest of the group we were with we're doing their own thing and I came across them as I was finishing my meal.
The food here is pretty good, good selection and fresh, pool is enormous, beach white fine sand and not too rough water at a perfect temperature, complex too big for my liking as it is too far to walk to the lobby or for dinner, a good 20 minutes. Not usually an issue walking but as I said, directionally challenged!
The locals who work at the resort are lovely, happy, obliging, smiling folks and happy to assist. Actually Joeys ankle came In handy tonight as one of the staff in a golf buggy dropped us back to our rooms, usually a 60 seater, 2 carriage, " train" . Much quicker!!
Apart from the massive pool there is also a reasonably deep rectangular pool that will be perfect for early morning laps and that is a 30 second walk from our rooms. The beach is also very close by so that is a positive. Probably better that I am removed from the food!
Am annoyed with myself as I left my card connector at home and can't download photos onto the iPad until I get back to Miami and get to the apple store next week but there will be plenty to come!!
Adios amigos , puedo escribar les pronto!!
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