We soaked in the sunshine and sweet tropical breezes in this lovely resort at the Westin. The service was impeccable and the grounds were lovely.
We started our day having a light breakfast at the on site restaurant. They do have a full buffet but I’m trying to eat less and Bruce doesn’t eat that much so we just ordered ala carte. I had an omelet and he had pancakes.
We spent a few hours walking the beach, swimming in the salty Caribbean Sea and taking in the beauty that surrounded us.
I thought when I came here I’d want to be zip lining and doing all kinds of action packed stuff. But I think with all the moving and renovating over the last six months, we are just happy to rest and relax.
We spent some time in the pool and even enjoyed drinking a virgin Pina Colada.
We did take the bikes out for a short lived bike ride. My tires were flat and Bruce’s handlebars were not locked in. We probably rode a good mile but it was not safe or fun so we headed back.
Our dinner reservations were for La Yola, a fantastic restaurant.
I had a shrimp dish and Bruce had linguini with seafood. For dessert we shared sweet coconut.
It was a wonderful, relaxing day. It ended with Bruce stopping by the cigar bar to have his after dinner cigar.
Today we woke to stormy skies and torrential downpours. Noting that, we closed the drapes and slept in. I made coffee today. Unfortunately they only have powdered milk. But it will suffice. Bruce and I shared a little lunch, tuna tartar and ceviche.
We also had a lovely view of the beach and it was no longer raining.
This afternoon we went for a hike with a guide through an Ecological Park and Reserve. It was a great walk and our guide was very knowledgeable. She’s a college student studying ecology.
The plant that looks like a fern is actually not. Our guide told us they used to use the root of it in baking bread but they had to grind it and leave it in the sun to bake to release the poison in it. She said it really isn’t used anymore.
There were several cenotes and we could have swam in them but did not wear our bathing suits.
In some of them there were lots of turtles. I actually think people must feed them and the fish because they came when they sensed us.
We also spotted a couple of birds, one a woodpecker.
One particular tree had signs in front of it saying do not touch. She said because it can cause allergic reactions in people.
It’s been a wonderful day even with the rain and clouds. We are really enjoying our short visit to this fascinating island.
#LaYola #westinpuntacana #DominicanRepublic
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