leslie(nova scotia)
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- Sep 22, 2006
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It has often been said that the finds are secondary to the adventures and sometimes the misadventures of a digaholic. This trip to the island nation was about the 10th that Marie and I had taken to the Dominican Republic and by far the one that offered the least amount of finds and the greatest number of misadventures that one can have while on a vacation. Some folks just like to see the coins and rings that are found. There are a few photos of these in this post but is a trip that I wish to share with you and a few "pitfalls" that can happen while spending money for your vacation.
The trip with Air Transit started off with our sister-in-law Linda dropping us off at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport. A place where I had worked for a dozen years on the security end. Um....overweight bag so Marie and I unpacked and split the load bringing us to an acceptable level ergo not having to pay the additional $100 over weight tax. No problem...only solutions. Going threw the security scan this nutbar forgot to take out the knife in the carry on that held my meds and such. This bag they were in was the one I use for work in my lunch bag. I had taken out the fork and spoon...nutbar move! Of course my new knee also set alarms off...no problem only solutions.
Praise the Lord the flight to the Dominican Rep. was smooth and uneventful. Going through customs, ground transfer and signing in at the Marien Resort in Puerto Plata....no problem. Our travel agent had indicated that we had a v.i.p. suite with a garden view which in fact our balcony faced the staff parking lot....no problem only solution as we kept the blinds closed most of the day. First dive into the resorts buffet was like eating out of a cattle trough as the food was horrid. No problem only solution as both Marie and I found a few things that we could palate and stuck with those dishes for basically the whole time we were there. Having visited this stretch of resorts many times expectations were not high!
Day 2 rain. Day 3 rain. Day 4 rain. Day 5 rain. Day 6 rain. Day 7 rain. No problem only solutions as Marie and I amused ourselves watching tv...didn't work properly. No problem only solution as the front desk had the repair man hook up a new one.
Day 2 we had 4 trips to the front desk as our key card did not work. Stairs were a killer as both knees were knackered. No problem only solutions as the 4th time after going to the front desk Larry, Curly and Mo arrived and replaced the appliance on the door, tried it a few times and it worked. Of course when Marie and I came back from the cattle trough at the buffet guess what? You got it ..... locked out. Back comes the repairman who takes the door apart again and finds that the battery is dead!
Day 3 saw the tv go on the blink again. No problem only solution. Repairman replaced the tv leaving us wondering who won the hockey game. At this point I was beginning to wonder if Hunny Bunny was having fun with "Tim the Tool Man."
Day 4 room 6204 was host to the WWF as I slipped on the wet floor and did a full back body slam on the floor. Praise the Lord that I only bent one wrist and did not crack my head nor the floor which I am sure they would have charged me to repair before I left. No problem only solution.....told the maids about this and they nodded. Not sure to this day if they understood or were just trained to nod! By this time this digaholic was suffering from severe withdrawal. Pictures will be added after post completed.
Day 5 was wet both outside and in. Getting into the shower was an invigorating experience as the ice cold water skimmed over my body shrinking any great expectations Hunny Bunny had in mind. Too boot when I tried to turn the tap off the handle broke with no way to turn off the water. No problem.....only solutions as the handy man reappeared replacing the whole fixture but not addressing the cold water issue. personally at that time I was thinking of going outside to finish my shower!
Day 6 and no sun in sight. Marie and I passed the time playing Yahtzee and cards. Became an "ace" that night as another pass time was knocking off the mosquitoes in the room that were feasting on Marie. Of course this digaholic was also going up the walls being unable to get a fix with Aqua and Zen Guru. On the uptake Hunny Bunny seemed to be enjoying the attention I was giving here bug bites with cream and vinegar.
Day 7 and the local started coming into the resort with the rain letting up a tad. The heavy rains had left the beaches on the resorts with deep cuts that I exploited uncovering a cornucopia of coins, dewies, junkers (non precious metal rings) and Jesus! "Big Guy" finds by the way are my favorite to find. The evening was like a fashion show as all the ladies whether local of visitors to the country dolled up. A phantasmagoria of colors graced the main dining hall which sadly was encased in knee high water. Was a tad jealous of the sweeping long eye lashes that adjourned the ladies. Mister Man if I had ones that long I would back comb them to cover my chrome dome! At the buffet it was like a vulture convention gathered around a desert carcass. No problem.....only solution which is to go native.The rest of the vacation was spent bussing it to Puerto Plata City, Sousa Beach and Caberetti. Local buses cost roughly one tenth of a cab. Fun getting on a small Volkswagen van with 20 othe people. Talk about up close and personal. Each trip added to the coffers of this digaholic but no ora or Plata was to be found. Being brave one trip I took a motor cycle taxi managing to burn my leg on the exhaust when dismounting.....no problem only solutions as I had a pack of Dominican dingoes follow me around the beach keeping me safe or waiting till I dropped for a quick meal. The food was starting to take effect with both Marie and I merrily "running along." We knew from past trips what to expect from the Dominican dining experience with both of us finding a few palatable food stuffs that we ate daily. The beds were like construction sites. With the mattress like a slab of concrete and the pillows like bricks. Amazing how a single bed is too small when you first meet your bo and then after 25 years together a king size bed is too small. Of course three times a day i had to ice my knees...............no problem only solutions!
The trip home went smooth save for getting dinged by Air Transit for $75 USA for over weight luggage when the fact of the matter was I had left a big bundle of shoes, clothes and such in the resort room for the maids. To add insult to this upon arriving home Marie noticed that here suitcase had the lock broken off with a blue official looking not in it explaining that the security had done it. Marie was not called to report to security when she had exited to the departure area as we awaited our flight. Friggers got you. On a previous trip to the D.R. my suitcase had been opened by security who helped themselves to 3 gold rings I had found on that trip. Marie's luggage only contained clothes. POINT....NEVER PUT VALUABLES IN YOUR CHECKED IN LUGGAGE! Always a safe bet too to get a twin rex shot, travel insurance and cancellation insurance.
So after many visits to the D.R. the saga of the Peso Pirate of Puerto Plata concludes. Look forward this coming season to the "Adventures of the Jackal of Jamaica."
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