My new teaching job has required me to work extra long and extra hard lately, and I fear I may be neglecting my new husband. He's been supportive, though, and he honestly doesn't seem to mind quietly playing his X-Box games while I diligently plan my lessons.
Still, we've been missing chances to have some real, quality time together; and today, Brandon wasn't going to let an opportunity pass us by. (Plus, he has that new truck, so he really wanted to go somewhere!)
So we headed back to Miami.
Now, let me just say that, in the four years Brandon and I have lived here together, I can think of only three times that we've gone to Miami. And now, here we are, nearly doubling that in a matter of two days!
A while back, Brandon had been researching fun and interesting things to do around here, and he stumbled upon the Venetian Pool in Coral Gables. You can see more, if you're intersted, at http://www.coralgablesvenetianpool.com/; but basically, this is a pool that used to be a quarry and is now fed by natural springs. You may know that Brandon and I have a pool at our house, and that may cause you to wonder why we would drive an hour south of the town we live in to swim. Well, all I can say is 1) our pool is not fed by natural springs and is therefore often dirty and always too hot in the summer and 2) we wanted to drive our new truck!
So off to Miami we went (well, Coral Gables, actually - a swanky suburb of Miami). We found the Venetian Pool easily, and we spent about two hours there. It was truly refreshing - the water was cool (but not too cool!), and it was free of chemicals (but still clean!). We had a great time.
After we were all wrinkly and refreshed, we decided to just drive around. We went into downtown Miami and through some of its other well-known neighborhoods. In the end, we found ourselves back in Little Havana. I don't know whether the truck was being pulled toward its dealership or we were being pulled toward our favorite kind of food, but we did get a good dinner out of it!
We got home around 8 pm, and Brandon immediately fell asleep on the couch. Now, there he is, snoring away, while I wait for the sheets to dry so I can put them back on the bed and get in it.
Sure, it's early for a Saturday. But I don't need to take anymore from it. This has been the perfect day with the perfect husband.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
Day 58: New Truck
Brandon and I bought a new truck last night. I was hoping we could put this purchase off at least until I officially change my name, but the old van's air conditioning went out last week; and, well, it was just time.
I got home from school as quickly as I could, and we headed straight to Miami. Brandon had been researching used Honda Ridgelines on the internet for months, and he'd finally stumbled upon what he thought might be the one. But, as I mentioned, it was in Miami.
We figured we could get a good meal out of it, though; and, as luck would have it, our dealership was located in Little Havana. Cuban food is my favorite, so I was all for this trip, whether we were going to leave Miami in a new truck or not!
We got down there and ate our Cuban food (it was essential that I eat before car shopping!), and then we headed down the street to the dealership. We found the car on the lot that Brandon had found online, and we liked it!
Four hours later, we were back home. We didn't officially have our truck (it needed a few things done), but we did own it! How exciting - our fist big purchase as a married couple!
Of course, Brandon and I have made big purchases together before (a house, for one, and another vehicle). I laugh when I look back about four years, to the day when we bought an 800 dollar mattress. At that point in our lives, neither of us had ever spent that kind of money; and we certainly hadn't done it as a couple. It was daunting at the time; but now, after the purchase of two vehicles, a home, and all the stuff that goes in it, that 800 dollars seems so insignificant.
But it wasn't at the time; it was our first big purchase as a couple. And this truck is our first big purchase as a married couple. I can't express how good it felt when the salesman came out to introduce himself, and I hear Brandon say, "Hi, I'm Brandon, and this if my wife, Charlotte."
I just felt so darn special! And it didn't have anything to do with the new truck.
I got home from school as quickly as I could, and we headed straight to Miami. Brandon had been researching used Honda Ridgelines on the internet for months, and he'd finally stumbled upon what he thought might be the one. But, as I mentioned, it was in Miami.
We figured we could get a good meal out of it, though; and, as luck would have it, our dealership was located in Little Havana. Cuban food is my favorite, so I was all for this trip, whether we were going to leave Miami in a new truck or not!
We got down there and ate our Cuban food (it was essential that I eat before car shopping!), and then we headed down the street to the dealership. We found the car on the lot that Brandon had found online, and we liked it!
Four hours later, we were back home. We didn't officially have our truck (it needed a few things done), but we did own it! How exciting - our fist big purchase as a married couple!
Of course, Brandon and I have made big purchases together before (a house, for one, and another vehicle). I laugh when I look back about four years, to the day when we bought an 800 dollar mattress. At that point in our lives, neither of us had ever spent that kind of money; and we certainly hadn't done it as a couple. It was daunting at the time; but now, after the purchase of two vehicles, a home, and all the stuff that goes in it, that 800 dollars seems so insignificant.
But it wasn't at the time; it was our first big purchase as a couple. And this truck is our first big purchase as a married couple. I can't express how good it felt when the salesman came out to introduce himself, and I hear Brandon say, "Hi, I'm Brandon, and this if my wife, Charlotte."
I just felt so darn special! And it didn't have anything to do with the new truck.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Day 54: A New Reality
It was difficult to leave Punta Cana...over a week ago now. What a lovely time it was, and also the perfect ending to our hectic summer of wedding festivities.
Reality hit hard when we got back home on Saturday night. We were able to spend much of Sunday resting (I guess we were tired from all that relaxation!), but Monday came all too soon and it was back to work! And, for me, although I began my new job over the summer, Monday was a whole new ball game - teaching!
The students didn't actually come until Wednesday, but I had an awful lot to do before that. I did manage to get much of it done, although I was at school until 7 pm on most days. I loved every minute of it, though - planning, preparing, putting up posters in my classroom! And when the kids finally came later in the week, well, that was exciting too!
A lot has changed in the past 54 days, and it's been overwhelming. I'm still thrilled every single day with the thought that I recently married the man of my dreams and my very best friend. But that poor guy hasn't gotten much of my attention lately!
He is taking it in stride, though, and I guess it's all part of the balance we must find between enjoying our life as a family and providing for each other. So we go to work, and sometimes we have to stay later than we want to. But at the end of each day, we still come home to each other. And I love it!
Reality hit hard when we got back home on Saturday night. We were able to spend much of Sunday resting (I guess we were tired from all that relaxation!), but Monday came all too soon and it was back to work! And, for me, although I began my new job over the summer, Monday was a whole new ball game - teaching!
The students didn't actually come until Wednesday, but I had an awful lot to do before that. I did manage to get much of it done, although I was at school until 7 pm on most days. I loved every minute of it, though - planning, preparing, putting up posters in my classroom! And when the kids finally came later in the week, well, that was exciting too!
A lot has changed in the past 54 days, and it's been overwhelming. I'm still thrilled every single day with the thought that I recently married the man of my dreams and my very best friend. But that poor guy hasn't gotten much of my attention lately!
He is taking it in stride, though, and I guess it's all part of the balance we must find between enjoying our life as a family and providing for each other. So we go to work, and sometimes we have to stay later than we want to. But at the end of each day, we still come home to each other. And I love it!
Friday, August 13, 2010
Day 44: Day 7 of Our Honeymoon at Moon Palace Casino, Golf & Spa Resort, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Today was our last full day here at Moon Palace, and we managed to stay in bed till noon! We probably should have forced ourselves to get up and really take in our last moments, but we couldn't think of anything we'd rather do than sleep! I actually woke up around 10 and got a good couple hours of reading in before Brandon finally woke up.
Since it was already lunch time, we immediately ordered room service. Boy, am I going to miss room service!
After that, we went to Sun Bar, mainly because we wanted to see Alfonsa. I didn't mention this yesterday, but she's just so darn cute. And when she sees us, she gets really happy. We've truly made a friend. I don't know how easy it will be to stay in touch, but we have made a friend.
So we were at Sun Bar until she left at four, and then we went out to the pool for a while. We haven't really spent as much time at the pools here as I had envisioned when looking forward to this vacation; but I guess, since we have a pool at home but not a pool table, it makese sense for us to spend so much time in Sun Bar. Still, we don't have a swim-up bar in Florida. So we got as much out of that as we could this afternoon.
I haven't said much about the weather yet, but now I will say that it has been perfect. Punta Cana is at the east edge of the Eastern time zone, so it gets brighter and hotter here earlier than it does in Florida. By 11 or noon, it is usually as hot as it is going to get (although we think it's a tiny bit cooler than it was at home when we left, which is nice). By mid- to late-afternoon, we usually get a good amount of cloud cover, which makes it a pretty perfect time to lie by the pool. It's warm enough still, but there's not as much of a worry about sunburns and such. By six, when the pool bars are closing, the air is cooling off enough that it's as good a time as any to get out and go to dinner, although the pools themselves stay open till 11.
So that's pretty much what we did today - enjoyed the pool from about four to six, then got out to head to first dinner. We had not yet eaten at the Brazilian restaurant, Samba, so we tried that tonight. It was typical Brazilian style, where the waiters bring meat around on a stick and slice you off a piece. The meat was very, very good, although I have to admit I was disappointed in the salad bar. Still, there was enough good food that I left stuffed, as usual!
So the perfect thing to do after that was go sit in the jacuzzi for a while. We got a bottle of champagne from the bar in Samba and enjoyed that while sitting in the warm watter. I finished my latest vampire book (I'm on Sookie Stackhouse now), and Brandon watched a hunting show. I found this a very strange thing for him to be doing in Punta Cana, but he said he thought it was strange that I read so much about vampires. Fair enough - we were both doing what we wanted, and I have to say that I truly don't know how I'll ever be able to go back to a life where doing just what I want to do isn't always an option. Sigh...
I don't know how long we sat in the water, but soon enough, it was getting late; and, as it was our last night, we couldn't even consider skipping second dinner. So we went back out and back to the pizza place for a relatively light meal. We'd seen something on the menu the night before that we really wanted to try, and we were even more delighted than the first time we ate at the pizza place.
When we were done there, we weren't really sure what to do. We were tired, but we really didn't want to go to bed; we weren't looking forward to leaving the next day, so we were trying to take in every last moment. We ended up walking around again, and we finally found the disco! It was quite a disappointment, and we didn't even stay inside for 30 seconds. But right when we got outside, there was one of the trolleys that runs around the resort picking people up here and dropping them off there. We decided to take a ride.
We rode around the whole resort, which didn't take all that long, now that we were in a motorized vehicle! And when we got back to our starting point, well, guess what we did - we went to Sun Bar!
We didn't play long, though; we were too tired. We finally gave in to the fatigue and came back to the room, to spend our last night here at Moon Palace, Punta Cana. It hasn't been a perfect trip, but it's been everything I could have hoped for in a honeymoon.
Since it was already lunch time, we immediately ordered room service. Boy, am I going to miss room service!
After that, we went to Sun Bar, mainly because we wanted to see Alfonsa. I didn't mention this yesterday, but she's just so darn cute. And when she sees us, she gets really happy. We've truly made a friend. I don't know how easy it will be to stay in touch, but we have made a friend.
So we were at Sun Bar until she left at four, and then we went out to the pool for a while. We haven't really spent as much time at the pools here as I had envisioned when looking forward to this vacation; but I guess, since we have a pool at home but not a pool table, it makese sense for us to spend so much time in Sun Bar. Still, we don't have a swim-up bar in Florida. So we got as much out of that as we could this afternoon.
I haven't said much about the weather yet, but now I will say that it has been perfect. Punta Cana is at the east edge of the Eastern time zone, so it gets brighter and hotter here earlier than it does in Florida. By 11 or noon, it is usually as hot as it is going to get (although we think it's a tiny bit cooler than it was at home when we left, which is nice). By mid- to late-afternoon, we usually get a good amount of cloud cover, which makes it a pretty perfect time to lie by the pool. It's warm enough still, but there's not as much of a worry about sunburns and such. By six, when the pool bars are closing, the air is cooling off enough that it's as good a time as any to get out and go to dinner, although the pools themselves stay open till 11.
So that's pretty much what we did today - enjoyed the pool from about four to six, then got out to head to first dinner. We had not yet eaten at the Brazilian restaurant, Samba, so we tried that tonight. It was typical Brazilian style, where the waiters bring meat around on a stick and slice you off a piece. The meat was very, very good, although I have to admit I was disappointed in the salad bar. Still, there was enough good food that I left stuffed, as usual!
So the perfect thing to do after that was go sit in the jacuzzi for a while. We got a bottle of champagne from the bar in Samba and enjoyed that while sitting in the warm watter. I finished my latest vampire book (I'm on Sookie Stackhouse now), and Brandon watched a hunting show. I found this a very strange thing for him to be doing in Punta Cana, but he said he thought it was strange that I read so much about vampires. Fair enough - we were both doing what we wanted, and I have to say that I truly don't know how I'll ever be able to go back to a life where doing just what I want to do isn't always an option. Sigh...
I don't know how long we sat in the water, but soon enough, it was getting late; and, as it was our last night, we couldn't even consider skipping second dinner. So we went back out and back to the pizza place for a relatively light meal. We'd seen something on the menu the night before that we really wanted to try, and we were even more delighted than the first time we ate at the pizza place.
When we were done there, we weren't really sure what to do. We were tired, but we really didn't want to go to bed; we weren't looking forward to leaving the next day, so we were trying to take in every last moment. We ended up walking around again, and we finally found the disco! It was quite a disappointment, and we didn't even stay inside for 30 seconds. But right when we got outside, there was one of the trolleys that runs around the resort picking people up here and dropping them off there. We decided to take a ride.
We rode around the whole resort, which didn't take all that long, now that we were in a motorized vehicle! And when we got back to our starting point, well, guess what we did - we went to Sun Bar!
We didn't play long, though; we were too tired. We finally gave in to the fatigue and came back to the room, to spend our last night here at Moon Palace, Punta Cana. It hasn't been a perfect trip, but it's been everything I could have hoped for in a honeymoon.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Day 43: Day 6 of Our Honeymoon at Moon Palace Casino, Golf & Spa Resort, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
We had another fairly relaxing day. Actually, that makes it sound like we've had days here that were something other than relaxing, and that's certainly not true.
We slept in, till maybe 10, and when we finally woke up, we actually considered staying in bed all day. We have enough books and magazines, and room service is just a call away, after all. But I didn't want room service right then. I wanted a ham and cheese croissant from Must. And would you believe that my wonderful husband - the same one who spent all of yesterday (his birthday!) taking cafe of me after my little incident in the restaurant on Tuesday night - actually got up, got dressed, and went and got me a ham and cheese croissant from Must? He brought it back, just like room service! And I ate my breakfast in bed.
But after that, we did decide to go out and explore some more. In fact, we were looking for the disco. Obviously, it wasn't going to be open this morning, but we hadn't even figured out where it was yet. We never did find it, but our mission did lead us on a nice little walk around the resort. And when we were all hot and sweaty from that, we made our way to Sun Bar. It was probably noon at the time, and we stayed there all day.
We switched between the pool tables and the bar shuffleboard. We ordered Jim Beam and Coke (only because they were out of Jack Daniel's!). We took turns going across the hall to a little deli called Lime, where we got sushi to bring back into Sun Bar with us. We saw a lot of people come and go, and we just stayed there, watching people come and go, challenging each other to this game and that game, listening to their play list, which we realized after a couple hours, was made up mainly of Phil Collins/Genesis, Sting/The Police, and Elton John. We heard the same songs over and over; fortunately, we like that music quite a bit!
We also became friends with Alfonsa today. She was our waitress for the early part of the afternoon (she goes home at four), and we got to talking to her. Now, we don't speak very much Spanish, and Alfonsa speaks even less English; but, working with the words we do know and some hand motions here and there, we were able to carry on quite a conversation with her. And she even taught us a bit of Spanish.
Well, like I said, she left at four, and we left at five for first dinner. We decided to try out the pizza place, which was just down the hall. We ordered one with shrimp and pesto, and it was absolutely delicious.
Having nothing better to do after dinner, back into Sun Bar we went. And we were there until just before 10, when we decided to go to Prime Steak House for second dinner. Prime is one of the restaurants out toward the pools and beach, and it was quite a hike over there - this resort is huge! But it was so worth it!
This was a very nice restaurant (although still casual-dress), and it was decorated in a very modern style - very different from the other two restaurants (Samba and Marina) that are also by the beach. It is also inside. Thank you, A/C! We did not have to worry about fainting in this place!
Right after we sat down, they brought us a sort of sampler platter, complete with stuffed mussels, fried cheese, spicy shrimp, and little chicken wraps. We loved some of it so much, we ordred more appetizers! They were out of the mussels, but we got the spicy shrimp and the chicken wraps; and we must have looked a lot hungrier than we were because both Brandon and I got a plate of both of these items to ourselves. And then we still had to eat dinner!
Brandon ordered a steak, and I ordered lamb chops. Both meals were delicious (as usual!), and they were served on these really cool skillet-type things. We were so, so, so full, but we just kept right on eating. Such gluttons, we are!
When the meal had been cleared, they brought us dessert - they didn't even ask; they just brought it right out! It was a little tray with five little shot glasses, each full of a different flavor of custard - apple, creme brulee, meringue, and two chocolates. Yum!
When dinner was over, we went out to the beach. The waiter had told us to take our bottle of wine and our glasses with us, and we thought it would be nice to drink it out there under the stars. We found some lounge chairs, and we just rested there. The night was clear, and there were so many stars. The ocean was loud, but it was peaceful. I could have slept there.
But instead, as the fatigue crept up on us, we began to make our way back to our room. We're tired, but we don't want to go to bed. Tomorrow is our last full day, and I don't think we're quite ready for that to be here.
We slept in, till maybe 10, and when we finally woke up, we actually considered staying in bed all day. We have enough books and magazines, and room service is just a call away, after all. But I didn't want room service right then. I wanted a ham and cheese croissant from Must. And would you believe that my wonderful husband - the same one who spent all of yesterday (his birthday!) taking cafe of me after my little incident in the restaurant on Tuesday night - actually got up, got dressed, and went and got me a ham and cheese croissant from Must? He brought it back, just like room service! And I ate my breakfast in bed.
But after that, we did decide to go out and explore some more. In fact, we were looking for the disco. Obviously, it wasn't going to be open this morning, but we hadn't even figured out where it was yet. We never did find it, but our mission did lead us on a nice little walk around the resort. And when we were all hot and sweaty from that, we made our way to Sun Bar. It was probably noon at the time, and we stayed there all day.
We switched between the pool tables and the bar shuffleboard. We ordered Jim Beam and Coke (only because they were out of Jack Daniel's!). We took turns going across the hall to a little deli called Lime, where we got sushi to bring back into Sun Bar with us. We saw a lot of people come and go, and we just stayed there, watching people come and go, challenging each other to this game and that game, listening to their play list, which we realized after a couple hours, was made up mainly of Phil Collins/Genesis, Sting/The Police, and Elton John. We heard the same songs over and over; fortunately, we like that music quite a bit!
We also became friends with Alfonsa today. She was our waitress for the early part of the afternoon (she goes home at four), and we got to talking to her. Now, we don't speak very much Spanish, and Alfonsa speaks even less English; but, working with the words we do know and some hand motions here and there, we were able to carry on quite a conversation with her. And she even taught us a bit of Spanish.
Well, like I said, she left at four, and we left at five for first dinner. We decided to try out the pizza place, which was just down the hall. We ordered one with shrimp and pesto, and it was absolutely delicious.
Having nothing better to do after dinner, back into Sun Bar we went. And we were there until just before 10, when we decided to go to Prime Steak House for second dinner. Prime is one of the restaurants out toward the pools and beach, and it was quite a hike over there - this resort is huge! But it was so worth it!
This was a very nice restaurant (although still casual-dress), and it was decorated in a very modern style - very different from the other two restaurants (Samba and Marina) that are also by the beach. It is also inside. Thank you, A/C! We did not have to worry about fainting in this place!
Right after we sat down, they brought us a sort of sampler platter, complete with stuffed mussels, fried cheese, spicy shrimp, and little chicken wraps. We loved some of it so much, we ordred more appetizers! They were out of the mussels, but we got the spicy shrimp and the chicken wraps; and we must have looked a lot hungrier than we were because both Brandon and I got a plate of both of these items to ourselves. And then we still had to eat dinner!
Brandon ordered a steak, and I ordered lamb chops. Both meals were delicious (as usual!), and they were served on these really cool skillet-type things. We were so, so, so full, but we just kept right on eating. Such gluttons, we are!
When the meal had been cleared, they brought us dessert - they didn't even ask; they just brought it right out! It was a little tray with five little shot glasses, each full of a different flavor of custard - apple, creme brulee, meringue, and two chocolates. Yum!
When dinner was over, we went out to the beach. The waiter had told us to take our bottle of wine and our glasses with us, and we thought it would be nice to drink it out there under the stars. We found some lounge chairs, and we just rested there. The night was clear, and there were so many stars. The ocean was loud, but it was peaceful. I could have slept there.
But instead, as the fatigue crept up on us, we began to make our way back to our room. We're tired, but we don't want to go to bed. Tomorrow is our last full day, and I don't think we're quite ready for that to be here.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Day 42: Day 5 of Our Honeymoon at Moon Palace Casino, Golf & Spa Resort, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
After all of yesterday's excitement, we took it easy today. I was tired this morning, even after sleeping soundly last night, and Brandon was concerned about me overdoing it. I was trying to be a sport because it is, after all, his birthday. But neither of us wanted me fainting again, birthday or otherwise, so we figured our best bet would be to keep things low-key.
We tried a new place for breakfast. It's a little coffee/pastry shop that we walk by every time we go between our room and the main lobby, but we have never stopped there before. We'd thought they only had little cakes and things, but it turns out they have ham and cheese croissants and other goodies of that nature. It seemed like the perfect way to start the day.
From there, we found our way to one of our favorite spots, Sun Bar. This is such a cool little place. It's a bar on one side, a sitting area in the middle, and pool tables and other bar games on the other side. We love how it's decorated, and we love the music they play in there; but mostly we just love how easy it is to kill time in there. So that's what we did in Sun Bar, until we decided it was time to go out into the real sun.
We chose a different pool today - a quieter one. None of them really get too rowdy, but this one was ultra peaceful. We just relaxed in the water for probably three hours, and there was hardly anyone else around. We ordered snacks and water from one of the adorable waitresses. As the afternoon went on, we did give in to the call of the bar a time or two; but we continued to keep things low-key. And we continued to order water, alongside our drinks (see? I learned my lesson!).
At 6 we had a dinner reservation at Tao. Tao is the only restaurant at this resort that requires a reservation. It is hibachi-style, where they cook the food on a big grill in front of you, and it was amazing! The chef was so skilled - not just at making the food, but at making us laugh throughout the meal. He kept trying to tell us he was Japanese, even though he was very clearly Dominican, and he called the shrimp baby lobster. We loved him!
By dinner time, I was feeling quite a bit better; I continued to take things easy, but I was able to really enjoy myself for the first time since about 10 pm yesterday. I ate a lot, which I needed to do - chicken, beef, "baby lobster," and calamari, as well as fried rice and veggies. It was probably the best meal we've had yet - and we have had some good meals!
Now dinner is over, and Brandon is spending his birthday money at the casino. We both called home and talked to our moms a while ago. I mean, how could we not when the international calls are part of our all-inclusive package? And now I'm just winding down, hoping to get another really good night's rest, so tomorrow I can begin to enjoy my last two days here.
Only two more days...sigh...
We tried a new place for breakfast. It's a little coffee/pastry shop that we walk by every time we go between our room and the main lobby, but we have never stopped there before. We'd thought they only had little cakes and things, but it turns out they have ham and cheese croissants and other goodies of that nature. It seemed like the perfect way to start the day.
From there, we found our way to one of our favorite spots, Sun Bar. This is such a cool little place. It's a bar on one side, a sitting area in the middle, and pool tables and other bar games on the other side. We love how it's decorated, and we love the music they play in there; but mostly we just love how easy it is to kill time in there. So that's what we did in Sun Bar, until we decided it was time to go out into the real sun.
We chose a different pool today - a quieter one. None of them really get too rowdy, but this one was ultra peaceful. We just relaxed in the water for probably three hours, and there was hardly anyone else around. We ordered snacks and water from one of the adorable waitresses. As the afternoon went on, we did give in to the call of the bar a time or two; but we continued to keep things low-key. And we continued to order water, alongside our drinks (see? I learned my lesson!).
At 6 we had a dinner reservation at Tao. Tao is the only restaurant at this resort that requires a reservation. It is hibachi-style, where they cook the food on a big grill in front of you, and it was amazing! The chef was so skilled - not just at making the food, but at making us laugh throughout the meal. He kept trying to tell us he was Japanese, even though he was very clearly Dominican, and he called the shrimp baby lobster. We loved him!
By dinner time, I was feeling quite a bit better; I continued to take things easy, but I was able to really enjoy myself for the first time since about 10 pm yesterday. I ate a lot, which I needed to do - chicken, beef, "baby lobster," and calamari, as well as fried rice and veggies. It was probably the best meal we've had yet - and we have had some good meals!
Now dinner is over, and Brandon is spending his birthday money at the casino. We both called home and talked to our moms a while ago. I mean, how could we not when the international calls are part of our all-inclusive package? And now I'm just winding down, hoping to get another really good night's rest, so tomorrow I can begin to enjoy my last two days here.
Only two more days...sigh...
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Day 41: Day 4 of Our Honeymoon at Moon Palace Casino, Golf & Spa Resort, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
It's Tuesday, and we are nearing the halfway point of our week here at Moon Palace. We are still having an amazing time, and, in fact, we had quite a bit of excitement today. I'll start at the beginning.
We woke up around 9 and headed to Lucca for their breakfast buffet. There were lots of things to try - eggs, potatoes, yogurt, fruit, and chicken fingers. Oh yes, chicken fingers for breakfast...yum!
We spent the next hour or so just hanging out, and around noon, we started our "Moon Rocker" tour. This was really, really neat. We got into a vehicle that was similar in many ways to a four-wheeler. It differed in that Brandon and I sat side-by-side, rather than one behind the other, in it, it was covered, and it had a small bed behind the bench seat. But, like a four-wheeler, it was made for off-roading! And to simplify things, I'm just going to call it a four-wheeler from now on.
For about two hours, we followed a guide in a caravan of about 10 of these vehicles, traveling through a palm tree jungle. We were within a mile or two of the resort, but the world around us was wild and uncivilized. And it was beautiful. Brandon navigated bumps, ruts, muddy puddles, and fallen coconuts with ease. I hung on for dear life with one hand and snapped picture after picture with the other. Several times I thought our four-wheeler was going to flip over or that I was simply going to fall out of it. But we made it through the jungle in one piece.
Well, I guess we would be two pieces, as there are two of us...but you get it!
At one point along our course, the guide stopped and began collecting ripe coconuts. Then he whipped out a machete (from where?) and began hacking off the tops of them so we could all have a drink of coconut water. If you have never drunk directly from a coconut, please make it a point to do so sometime in your life. I learned in India that the water inside a coconut is the purest water on the planet. And it's delicious too; it's a little sweet, and it feels good on your tongue on a hot day, even if it isn't ice cold!
When we had all taken turns taking pictures of each other drinking from coconuts, we hopped back into our four-wheelers and took off. We ended up on the beach, where we rode around in circles for a while, putting on quite a show for the people who had previously been trying to relax.
When we finally got back inside, we were hot, dirty, and starving! I had barely remembered what hunger felt like, but I felt it then. We quickly cleaned up, put on our bathing suits, and found ourselves at the nearest pool, where we ordered a simple lunch of sandwiches and French fries from one of those cute waitresses. We hung out in the pool till the swim-up bar closed at 6, then headed to our room to continue our afternoon of relaxation.
A while later, we began to get ready for our romantic dinner on the beach. Now this is where things start to get REALLY exciting - and there's more to it than good food and lots of drinks this time. Keep reading...
With those credits that I talked about a few posts ago, we had booked this "romantic dinner." Now, this was different than the "romantic dinner" we'd gotten in our honeymoon package - this one was supposed to be steak, lobster, and real Champagne; and it was supposed to be out on the beach. However, when we got to our meeting place, which was one of the other restaurants, we were told that we'd have to eat inside, as there was some potential weather that was making our host nervous.
Well, so much for a romantic dinner on the beach. But we did still get the steak, lobster, and Champagne!
But it was hot in that restaurant. And it was way too much food. And I'd spent all day drinking (pretty much anything but water) out in the hot Dominican sun. So, it shouldn't have come as a surprise to me when, as dessert came out, I began to feel quite ill. In fact, I thought I was going to throw up. And I certainly didn't want to do that in the middle of this restaurant.
So I quietly but firmly told Brandon that I needed to leave right now. We were finished anyway, so he got up and began to walk me out. I remember feeling even worse after I stood up, but I just thought I was getting closer and closer to puking up all that delicious food I'd just eaten. I was practically running toward the restaurant's entrance, and as I approached it I saw one of the waiters standing near an employee entrance.
"Bathroom!" I screamed, more of a demand than a request, and when he pointed to the other side of the restaurant, I knew for a fact I wasn't going to make it. So I just kept heading for the door.
This is the part where I tell you that I did not make it to that door.
But I also didn't puke right there in the middle of the restaurant.
Oh no...
Instead, I fainted. Right there in the middle of the restaurant.
Now, please don't be too alarmed. Let me take this moment to say that this is not the first time this has happened to me, and I have discovered, over the past few years, that I am simply prone to this type of reaction when I am overheated or underhydrated. I was at an extreme of both tonight, and my body simply succumbed to it. Not that it's not a big deal, but it's not that big of a deal.
The bigger deal for me, once I came to, was that I had just fainted in the middle of this very nice restaurant at this very nice resort. Brandon told me later that I had gotten several steps ahead of him (because I was trying to rush out of the restaurant to puke) and that, when I first started to go down, he thought I was just bending over to do that! He realized there was more to it when I hit the first in a row of four chairs that had been set against a wall and sent the rest of them flying. But I was too far ahead of him, and he couldn't reach me in time to catch me. I ended up on my back on the floor, and about 20 seconds later, I opened my eyes and said, "What happened?" very calmly and curiously.
Before long I realized where I was and what, exactly, had happened; and I was very, very upset. Not only was I more embarrassed than I had ever been in my life, but I was also in a lot of pain and I was worried that I had just ruined our honeymoon! Of course, the latter was not true at all. But as for the pain, well, that was real. That is real.
I have a pretty nasty bruise on the bottom of my chin (which I believe I got from the arm or a chair that I fell onto), a huge red scrape across my right elbow (that I cannot see because I don't bend that way, but sure can feel), and a scuffed-up right knee (that may prevent me from wearing sundresses for the rest of the week).
The good news is that I am fine, that Brandon has been taking great care of me, and that our honeymoon isn't even close to ruined...even if I can't show my face in that particular restaurant again.
Fortunately, there are eight more!
We woke up around 9 and headed to Lucca for their breakfast buffet. There were lots of things to try - eggs, potatoes, yogurt, fruit, and chicken fingers. Oh yes, chicken fingers for breakfast...yum!
We spent the next hour or so just hanging out, and around noon, we started our "Moon Rocker" tour. This was really, really neat. We got into a vehicle that was similar in many ways to a four-wheeler. It differed in that Brandon and I sat side-by-side, rather than one behind the other, in it, it was covered, and it had a small bed behind the bench seat. But, like a four-wheeler, it was made for off-roading! And to simplify things, I'm just going to call it a four-wheeler from now on.
For about two hours, we followed a guide in a caravan of about 10 of these vehicles, traveling through a palm tree jungle. We were within a mile or two of the resort, but the world around us was wild and uncivilized. And it was beautiful. Brandon navigated bumps, ruts, muddy puddles, and fallen coconuts with ease. I hung on for dear life with one hand and snapped picture after picture with the other. Several times I thought our four-wheeler was going to flip over or that I was simply going to fall out of it. But we made it through the jungle in one piece.
Well, I guess we would be two pieces, as there are two of us...but you get it!
At one point along our course, the guide stopped and began collecting ripe coconuts. Then he whipped out a machete (from where?) and began hacking off the tops of them so we could all have a drink of coconut water. If you have never drunk directly from a coconut, please make it a point to do so sometime in your life. I learned in India that the water inside a coconut is the purest water on the planet. And it's delicious too; it's a little sweet, and it feels good on your tongue on a hot day, even if it isn't ice cold!
When we had all taken turns taking pictures of each other drinking from coconuts, we hopped back into our four-wheelers and took off. We ended up on the beach, where we rode around in circles for a while, putting on quite a show for the people who had previously been trying to relax.
When we finally got back inside, we were hot, dirty, and starving! I had barely remembered what hunger felt like, but I felt it then. We quickly cleaned up, put on our bathing suits, and found ourselves at the nearest pool, where we ordered a simple lunch of sandwiches and French fries from one of those cute waitresses. We hung out in the pool till the swim-up bar closed at 6, then headed to our room to continue our afternoon of relaxation.
A while later, we began to get ready for our romantic dinner on the beach. Now this is where things start to get REALLY exciting - and there's more to it than good food and lots of drinks this time. Keep reading...
With those credits that I talked about a few posts ago, we had booked this "romantic dinner." Now, this was different than the "romantic dinner" we'd gotten in our honeymoon package - this one was supposed to be steak, lobster, and real Champagne; and it was supposed to be out on the beach. However, when we got to our meeting place, which was one of the other restaurants, we were told that we'd have to eat inside, as there was some potential weather that was making our host nervous.
Well, so much for a romantic dinner on the beach. But we did still get the steak, lobster, and Champagne!
But it was hot in that restaurant. And it was way too much food. And I'd spent all day drinking (pretty much anything but water) out in the hot Dominican sun. So, it shouldn't have come as a surprise to me when, as dessert came out, I began to feel quite ill. In fact, I thought I was going to throw up. And I certainly didn't want to do that in the middle of this restaurant.
So I quietly but firmly told Brandon that I needed to leave right now. We were finished anyway, so he got up and began to walk me out. I remember feeling even worse after I stood up, but I just thought I was getting closer and closer to puking up all that delicious food I'd just eaten. I was practically running toward the restaurant's entrance, and as I approached it I saw one of the waiters standing near an employee entrance.
"Bathroom!" I screamed, more of a demand than a request, and when he pointed to the other side of the restaurant, I knew for a fact I wasn't going to make it. So I just kept heading for the door.
This is the part where I tell you that I did not make it to that door.
But I also didn't puke right there in the middle of the restaurant.
Oh no...
Instead, I fainted. Right there in the middle of the restaurant.
Now, please don't be too alarmed. Let me take this moment to say that this is not the first time this has happened to me, and I have discovered, over the past few years, that I am simply prone to this type of reaction when I am overheated or underhydrated. I was at an extreme of both tonight, and my body simply succumbed to it. Not that it's not a big deal, but it's not that big of a deal.
The bigger deal for me, once I came to, was that I had just fainted in the middle of this very nice restaurant at this very nice resort. Brandon told me later that I had gotten several steps ahead of him (because I was trying to rush out of the restaurant to puke) and that, when I first started to go down, he thought I was just bending over to do that! He realized there was more to it when I hit the first in a row of four chairs that had been set against a wall and sent the rest of them flying. But I was too far ahead of him, and he couldn't reach me in time to catch me. I ended up on my back on the floor, and about 20 seconds later, I opened my eyes and said, "What happened?" very calmly and curiously.
Before long I realized where I was and what, exactly, had happened; and I was very, very upset. Not only was I more embarrassed than I had ever been in my life, but I was also in a lot of pain and I was worried that I had just ruined our honeymoon! Of course, the latter was not true at all. But as for the pain, well, that was real. That is real.
I have a pretty nasty bruise on the bottom of my chin (which I believe I got from the arm or a chair that I fell onto), a huge red scrape across my right elbow (that I cannot see because I don't bend that way, but sure can feel), and a scuffed-up right knee (that may prevent me from wearing sundresses for the rest of the week).
The good news is that I am fine, that Brandon has been taking great care of me, and that our honeymoon isn't even close to ruined...even if I can't show my face in that particular restaurant again.
Fortunately, there are eight more!
Monday, August 9, 2010
Day 40: Day 3 of Our Honeymoon at Moon Palace Casino, Golf & Spa Resort, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
I'm not sure how we slept in till almost 9 this morning, after having gone to bed so early last night. Something about this place makes me very tired. Or maybe I'm just ultra relaxed, and so it's easy to sleep.
Anyway, we had to get up at 9, so that we could have our special honeymooners' breakfast in bed. This was actually breakfast served on the little table in our room, which we found amusing, but it was truly delicious. I realize I keep saying this about the meals we are having; I do hate to be so redundant, but it's simply the truth!
They had given us a few menu options, and we had chosen eggs benedict and apple waffles. We were both served one plate of each of these things, but, since Brandon doesn't eat eggs (don't ask), I ended up with four eggs benedict and he ended up with two plates of apple waffles. There was also a fruit plate, a pastry basket, orange juice, and papaya mimosas. This was quite a breakfast!
Had we known we were going to be so ridiculously full (how we didn't know this, I'm not sure, as we always seem to be ridiculously full at this place), we might have allowed ourselves more time to get ready for the spa. But, as it was, we had an appointment for a couple's massage at 10.
Now let me just pause the story for a moment to say that, if I didn't think I was classy enough for this resort before, I have absolutly confirmed it by having gone to their ultra-classy spa. It was immaculate and serene and beautiful and just...amazing. And, like so much that goes on at this resort, there were numerous men and women standing around just waiting to serve us. And every time I tried to thank someone, she said "It is our pleasure to serve you, miss." This kind of royal treatment is just not something I'm used to, and I have to admit that it makes me feel a little bit awkward. It doesn't mean I don't love it, though!
So let me tell you about our spa treatment because it was truly something.
For the first hour, we enjoyed a couple's massage in this little hut right outside the spa. This was wonderful in so many ways. First of all, it was the best massage I've ever had. Secondly, we were outside in this sweet little hut, and I found it so peaceful to be that close to nature while this was going on. Also, did I mention that this was the best massage I've ever had? Because it was.
But the massage was not all. When that hour was over, we went back to our respective locker rooms for hydrotherapy. Now, before I describe this treatment to you, I have to admit that I didn't enjoy all of it. It was incredibly interesting and I don't regret for even half a second having spent the time to do it; but I did spend at least half of the time in misery. I think you will see why...
The therapy started with 10 minutes in a steam room. This was nice for about 30 seconds. But after that, the cold cloth they'd given me was warm, and all I could do for the next nine and a half minutes was sit there and wish the girl would come back for me. It wasn't as much the heat and humidity, though, as it was the fact that I could hardly breathe. Not only was the steam in the room so thick that I couldn't see the other side of it, but there was a very strong smell that my nose couldn't quite take. Don't get me wrong - it was a good smell. But there was just too much of it. I tried to enjoy the 10 minutes as best I could, but I was really, really relieved when I was told my 10 minutes were up.
From there, I went to the shower. Now this was cool. The girl said to me, "Now you will shower slowly," and then she left. I stood there for a moment not understanding what I was supposed to do, but then the shower started on its own. At my feet! Water shot out from the walls onto my feet and lower legs from five or six different directions. It was cool, then warm, then cool again. I loved it, and it only got better as the water hit my thighs, my stomach, and, finally, my head and face. Cool, warm, cool, warm, cool. This felt very, very good. Of course, it didn't last 10 minutes, but maybe about three.
And then it was time for the sauna. This was not quite as unbearable to me as the steam room had been, but I still didn't love my 10 minutes in there. It was totally worth it, though, because the next room was the ice room. As I approached it, I worried that I was going from one extreme to the other; and if there is one thing I hate more than being hot and sweaty, it's being cold. But it turns out, the ice room iss kept at a comfortable 75 degrees. It felt wonderful. But even better? The girl gave me a small bowl of ice and told me to just sit there and rub it on my body. It felt so good, and she came back to get me way too fast.
The last room was the clay room. This was another hot place and probably the strangest of all the rooms. The girl gave me a small bowl of liquid clay and told me to rub it all over my body, except my face. I did, and then I just sat there while the clay dripped to the floor with my sweat. When the girl came back a few minutes later, she seemed surprised that I hadn't showered. I must not have looked as awkward as I felt, if she assumed I knew what I was doing. So I showered the clay off my body and then went to sit in the whipper pools. Yes, that's right - whipper pools!
In the locker room itself, there were four different pools, all different temperatures. I tried each one for a few minutes and then found my way to the large pool in the main section of the spa. They would have let me sit in there all day long, and I could have; but eventually I wondered what had happened to Brandon. I found him in the lobby of the spa, and by this point we'd been there for nearly three hours. It was time for lunch!
The rest of the day went like this: buffet lunch, pool, buffet dinner, sleep. You've heard all this before, so I won't go into great detail. I will say that our buffet dinner was a Dominican theme, and that was really, really neat. They have so much food here, but it's all Mexican or Italian or American or French. None of it is Dominican! So we had to take advantage of the themed dinner while we had the chance. And we loved it!
This was supposed to be first dinner. But it ended up being only dinner because we slept right through the second one. (In case you were wondering, they don't actually call them first and second dinner - those are our terms for the dinner we eat around 6 or 7 and the one we eat around 9 or 10!)
But as I said, we missed second dinner tonight (not that we can't go without it!) because we slept from about 7 to 10. I woke up to write this blog, but now that it's going on midnight, I think I'll find my way back to bed.
It's been a really wonderful third day. The only thing I'm truly disappointed about is that the ants got to our special honeymooners' cake before we did. Still, there's more champagne in the fridge, so I think we'll be ok!
Anyway, we had to get up at 9, so that we could have our special honeymooners' breakfast in bed. This was actually breakfast served on the little table in our room, which we found amusing, but it was truly delicious. I realize I keep saying this about the meals we are having; I do hate to be so redundant, but it's simply the truth!
They had given us a few menu options, and we had chosen eggs benedict and apple waffles. We were both served one plate of each of these things, but, since Brandon doesn't eat eggs (don't ask), I ended up with four eggs benedict and he ended up with two plates of apple waffles. There was also a fruit plate, a pastry basket, orange juice, and papaya mimosas. This was quite a breakfast!
Had we known we were going to be so ridiculously full (how we didn't know this, I'm not sure, as we always seem to be ridiculously full at this place), we might have allowed ourselves more time to get ready for the spa. But, as it was, we had an appointment for a couple's massage at 10.
Now let me just pause the story for a moment to say that, if I didn't think I was classy enough for this resort before, I have absolutly confirmed it by having gone to their ultra-classy spa. It was immaculate and serene and beautiful and just...amazing. And, like so much that goes on at this resort, there were numerous men and women standing around just waiting to serve us. And every time I tried to thank someone, she said "It is our pleasure to serve you, miss." This kind of royal treatment is just not something I'm used to, and I have to admit that it makes me feel a little bit awkward. It doesn't mean I don't love it, though!
So let me tell you about our spa treatment because it was truly something.
For the first hour, we enjoyed a couple's massage in this little hut right outside the spa. This was wonderful in so many ways. First of all, it was the best massage I've ever had. Secondly, we were outside in this sweet little hut, and I found it so peaceful to be that close to nature while this was going on. Also, did I mention that this was the best massage I've ever had? Because it was.
But the massage was not all. When that hour was over, we went back to our respective locker rooms for hydrotherapy. Now, before I describe this treatment to you, I have to admit that I didn't enjoy all of it. It was incredibly interesting and I don't regret for even half a second having spent the time to do it; but I did spend at least half of the time in misery. I think you will see why...
The therapy started with 10 minutes in a steam room. This was nice for about 30 seconds. But after that, the cold cloth they'd given me was warm, and all I could do for the next nine and a half minutes was sit there and wish the girl would come back for me. It wasn't as much the heat and humidity, though, as it was the fact that I could hardly breathe. Not only was the steam in the room so thick that I couldn't see the other side of it, but there was a very strong smell that my nose couldn't quite take. Don't get me wrong - it was a good smell. But there was just too much of it. I tried to enjoy the 10 minutes as best I could, but I was really, really relieved when I was told my 10 minutes were up.
From there, I went to the shower. Now this was cool. The girl said to me, "Now you will shower slowly," and then she left. I stood there for a moment not understanding what I was supposed to do, but then the shower started on its own. At my feet! Water shot out from the walls onto my feet and lower legs from five or six different directions. It was cool, then warm, then cool again. I loved it, and it only got better as the water hit my thighs, my stomach, and, finally, my head and face. Cool, warm, cool, warm, cool. This felt very, very good. Of course, it didn't last 10 minutes, but maybe about three.
And then it was time for the sauna. This was not quite as unbearable to me as the steam room had been, but I still didn't love my 10 minutes in there. It was totally worth it, though, because the next room was the ice room. As I approached it, I worried that I was going from one extreme to the other; and if there is one thing I hate more than being hot and sweaty, it's being cold. But it turns out, the ice room iss kept at a comfortable 75 degrees. It felt wonderful. But even better? The girl gave me a small bowl of ice and told me to just sit there and rub it on my body. It felt so good, and she came back to get me way too fast.
The last room was the clay room. This was another hot place and probably the strangest of all the rooms. The girl gave me a small bowl of liquid clay and told me to rub it all over my body, except my face. I did, and then I just sat there while the clay dripped to the floor with my sweat. When the girl came back a few minutes later, she seemed surprised that I hadn't showered. I must not have looked as awkward as I felt, if she assumed I knew what I was doing. So I showered the clay off my body and then went to sit in the whipper pools. Yes, that's right - whipper pools!
In the locker room itself, there were four different pools, all different temperatures. I tried each one for a few minutes and then found my way to the large pool in the main section of the spa. They would have let me sit in there all day long, and I could have; but eventually I wondered what had happened to Brandon. I found him in the lobby of the spa, and by this point we'd been there for nearly three hours. It was time for lunch!
The rest of the day went like this: buffet lunch, pool, buffet dinner, sleep. You've heard all this before, so I won't go into great detail. I will say that our buffet dinner was a Dominican theme, and that was really, really neat. They have so much food here, but it's all Mexican or Italian or American or French. None of it is Dominican! So we had to take advantage of the themed dinner while we had the chance. And we loved it!
This was supposed to be first dinner. But it ended up being only dinner because we slept right through the second one. (In case you were wondering, they don't actually call them first and second dinner - those are our terms for the dinner we eat around 6 or 7 and the one we eat around 9 or 10!)
But as I said, we missed second dinner tonight (not that we can't go without it!) because we slept from about 7 to 10. I woke up to write this blog, but now that it's going on midnight, I think I'll find my way back to bed.
It's been a really wonderful third day. The only thing I'm truly disappointed about is that the ants got to our special honeymooners' cake before we did. Still, there's more champagne in the fridge, so I think we'll be ok!
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Day 39: Day 2 of Our Honeymoon at Moon Palace Casino, Golf & Spa Resort, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Today I woke up early, around 7:00. Brandon stayed out late at the casino last night, so I let him sleep while I drank coffee on the patio and soaked in that huge jacuzzi in the middle of our room.
When he woke up a couple hours later, we went to breakfast at El Cafetto, a small restaurant that they describe as American a la carte. Brandon had pancakes and sausage, and I had an omelette with asparagus and shrimp - yum!
When breakfast was over, we went to the honeymoon office - oh yes, there is an entire office here devoted to serving those on their honeymoon. As honeymooners, we get a few special thing while we're here: a romantic dinner, breakfast in bed, a special cake and champagne sent to the room, and, of course, t-shirts! We booked our romantic dinner for this evening and our breakfast in bed for tomorrow morning.
From there, we had to go to what they call "PVP" or "Palace Vacation Planners." This is where we can set up appointments for the spa, sign up for tours, and, well, plan out our whole Palace vacation! When we arrived here, they gave us $1500 credits that we can use in various ways. For instance, we can get $100 dollars in match play at the casino, use $300 toward the spa, and book various tours, until we've reached $1500. The problem was, all of the "PVP" representatives were really busy! So, we went into one of our favorite places - Sun Bar - to play games and get a couple beers.
After I lost two games of some sort of bar-style table shuffleboard, I had had enough. And luckily, there was a "PVP" rep ready for us. We sat with him for a while and booked a spa appointment for tomorrow morning, a tour for Tuesday afternoon, and a second romantic dinner (lobster and champagne on the beach) for Tuesday evening. All of this will cost us nine dollars out of our own pockets! Obviously, we left happy.
And hot! We were ready for some pool time. Can you believe we were at this resort for nearly 24 hours before we went into the pools? I guess we're spending too much time eating; and, in fact, we did stop for a buffet lunch at Marina Grill before we finally got out in the sunshine! But once we did, we spent the entire rest of the day out there. There are at least 10 pools here (I think I mentioned that yesterday). Three of them have swim-up bars, several of them have snack bars, and all of them have waitresses walking around and asking you if they can get you anything (you know, in case you can't get off your lounge chair to order something for yourself from the bar!).
Yes, we spent the entire rest of the day out there, and it was lovely. I could seriously do this every day.
Around 7, we figured it was time for first dinner, and we were intrigued by the French theme at Lucca, one of the buffets. This particular restaurant features a different themed dinner buffet every night of the week, and the French theme was really good. I can't tell you everything we had (not so much because I don't remember, but because there was simply too much of it!). I can tell you that we were awfully full, and that does seem like the trend around here.
But we had a "romantic dinner" to attend at 9. So, as full as we were, two hours later, we found ourselves at Los Gallos. This is the same restaurant we ate at last night, but the romantic dinner is special. We did not order off the menu but were served shrimp and steak, along with some veggies and potatoes. It was so delicious, I didn't care that my dress no longer fit! For dessert, they brought us a little heart-shaped mousse. Adorable.
It is now going on 11, and I am exhausted. I just asked Brandon if it would be lame for me to go to bed at such an early hour and he reminded me of the one rule we have this week: we can do absolutely whatever we want. So it's bedtime for me! There are more adventures to be had tomorrow...
When he woke up a couple hours later, we went to breakfast at El Cafetto, a small restaurant that they describe as American a la carte. Brandon had pancakes and sausage, and I had an omelette with asparagus and shrimp - yum!
When breakfast was over, we went to the honeymoon office - oh yes, there is an entire office here devoted to serving those on their honeymoon. As honeymooners, we get a few special thing while we're here: a romantic dinner, breakfast in bed, a special cake and champagne sent to the room, and, of course, t-shirts! We booked our romantic dinner for this evening and our breakfast in bed for tomorrow morning.
From there, we had to go to what they call "PVP" or "Palace Vacation Planners." This is where we can set up appointments for the spa, sign up for tours, and, well, plan out our whole Palace vacation! When we arrived here, they gave us $1500 credits that we can use in various ways. For instance, we can get $100 dollars in match play at the casino, use $300 toward the spa, and book various tours, until we've reached $1500. The problem was, all of the "PVP" representatives were really busy! So, we went into one of our favorite places - Sun Bar - to play games and get a couple beers.
After I lost two games of some sort of bar-style table shuffleboard, I had had enough. And luckily, there was a "PVP" rep ready for us. We sat with him for a while and booked a spa appointment for tomorrow morning, a tour for Tuesday afternoon, and a second romantic dinner (lobster and champagne on the beach) for Tuesday evening. All of this will cost us nine dollars out of our own pockets! Obviously, we left happy.
And hot! We were ready for some pool time. Can you believe we were at this resort for nearly 24 hours before we went into the pools? I guess we're spending too much time eating; and, in fact, we did stop for a buffet lunch at Marina Grill before we finally got out in the sunshine! But once we did, we spent the entire rest of the day out there. There are at least 10 pools here (I think I mentioned that yesterday). Three of them have swim-up bars, several of them have snack bars, and all of them have waitresses walking around and asking you if they can get you anything (you know, in case you can't get off your lounge chair to order something for yourself from the bar!).
Yes, we spent the entire rest of the day out there, and it was lovely. I could seriously do this every day.
Around 7, we figured it was time for first dinner, and we were intrigued by the French theme at Lucca, one of the buffets. This particular restaurant features a different themed dinner buffet every night of the week, and the French theme was really good. I can't tell you everything we had (not so much because I don't remember, but because there was simply too much of it!). I can tell you that we were awfully full, and that does seem like the trend around here.
But we had a "romantic dinner" to attend at 9. So, as full as we were, two hours later, we found ourselves at Los Gallos. This is the same restaurant we ate at last night, but the romantic dinner is special. We did not order off the menu but were served shrimp and steak, along with some veggies and potatoes. It was so delicious, I didn't care that my dress no longer fit! For dessert, they brought us a little heart-shaped mousse. Adorable.
It is now going on 11, and I am exhausted. I just asked Brandon if it would be lame for me to go to bed at such an early hour and he reminded me of the one rule we have this week: we can do absolutely whatever we want. So it's bedtime for me! There are more adventures to be had tomorrow...
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Day 38: Day 1 of Our Honeymoon at Moon Palace Casino, Golf & Spa Resort, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
We arrived in Punta Cana this afternoon, and we have been having the time of our lives ever since! This honeymoon is unbelievable. (And the only reason I have time to write about it for you is that Brandon has found his way to the casino!)
But let's begin at the beginning - 5:00 this morning, when the alarm clock rang!!!
Yesterday was a long day. We had to unpack from our trip to Illinois and then repack for our trip to Punta Cana. We also had to pick up our car from the body shop (yup, that's finally done), pick up some books and magazines from Borders (beach reading), and make sure all of our bills are paid (it's hard to keep track of these things when you are away for so long!).
But as exhausting as this all was, we didn't make it to bed until it was quite late; and, after only about three hour of sleep, the alarm clock's shrill ring was not a welcome sound. Honeymoon, or no honeymoon, I just wanted to sleep.
But there was a plane to catch. My friend Lauren picked us up at our house at 5:45 and took us to the Miami airport, where we caught a 10:00 flight. We arrived in Punta Cana about two hours later, and, from the moment we set eyes on this place, we were in awe.
The resort is amazing, but before I get into that, I have to talk about the airport! Yes, the airport was fantastic - it was all open air, with no walls, just a lovely grass roof. It was beautiful! It was chaotic too. There were no distinct lines, and the signage was lacking. As we moved with the mass of people, I was a bit stressed out by the immense disorganization. But it turns out there is a method to Punta Cana's madness, because we made it through all of the lines and checkpoints with no trouble at all; and it didn't even take that long.
We found our shuttle to Moon Palace, and 30 minutes later, we had entered what I can only describe as my own personal version of heaven.
It is so beautiful and luxurious here that I often don't feel that I belong; but then a nice young Dominican concierge will come along, smiling and practicing his most recent English lesson, and I will feel right at home. The people here are so friendly. It truly seems that their number one goal in life is to ensure that I have a great week. And, with or without them, I'm sure I would!
Did I mention this place is like heaven? Where to even begin...
Our room: It's huge. It has steps. And it has a bathroom bigger than the first apartment Brandon and I shared - with two sinks and two shower heads. The king bed is the most comfortable one I've ever had the pleasure of lying on. And, not three steps from it, is a jacuzzi - IN. OUR. ROOM.
A jacuzzi...IN. OUR. ROOM!!!!!
We also have a patio that rivals the bathroom in size, and it comes with an incredible view of the rest of the resort. Oh, but there's so much to do back inside that I can't stay out there long. We have a mini bar with liquor dispensers, right next to the bed. There's Smirnoff, Bacardi, and Jose Cuervo in there, and then there are sodas and juices in the fridge! There is 24-hour room service, you know, just in case you didn't get enough to eat at the nine restaurants on the property.
There is a bottle of wine on the table next to the jacuzzi.
This place is nuts!
And for the first few hours we were here, we just walked around, claiming how nuts it was! We saw all nine restaurants, as well as a coffee shop, an ice cream parlor, and a pool bar (not like a bar next to a pool, but a bar where you can play pool!!!). But speaking of pools, we saw them too - all 10 of them! And then we saw the lazy river. Did you hear me? I said that there is a lazy river at my resort! A LAZY RIVER!!!!!
And I don't think I've mentioned this yet, but this place is all-inclusive. So, from the snacks by the pools to the nine restaurants to the room service to the liquor dispensers and the wine on our table, we don't have to give anyone a dime!
And so, with that in mind, we plan to eat way more than three times a day. We arrived here shortly after lunch time today, and we have already eaten four times. First, we ordered room service (cheese quesadilla for me and combo steak and chicken fajitas for Brandon - very, very good!). Then, we got some chips, chili, and cheese by one of the pools. After that, we went to the ice cream parlor. And finally, about five hours after this whole charade started, we went out for dinner at Los Gallos - the Mexican restaurant (I guess we had a bit of a Mexican theme today, but tomorrow anything goes!).
Needless to say, I am stuffed. I am also tired (it's really hard work to eat this much, and I didn't even mention what I've had to drink!). But I'm incredibly happy.
I'm sure there will be much, much, much more to tell (like, Brandon's been in the casino for over an hour, so that must mean he's winning!!!). For now, suffice it to say that I'm having a lovely time in heaven.
And now I'm going to go see about that husband of mine!
But let's begin at the beginning - 5:00 this morning, when the alarm clock rang!!!
Yesterday was a long day. We had to unpack from our trip to Illinois and then repack for our trip to Punta Cana. We also had to pick up our car from the body shop (yup, that's finally done), pick up some books and magazines from Borders (beach reading), and make sure all of our bills are paid (it's hard to keep track of these things when you are away for so long!).
But as exhausting as this all was, we didn't make it to bed until it was quite late; and, after only about three hour of sleep, the alarm clock's shrill ring was not a welcome sound. Honeymoon, or no honeymoon, I just wanted to sleep.
But there was a plane to catch. My friend Lauren picked us up at our house at 5:45 and took us to the Miami airport, where we caught a 10:00 flight. We arrived in Punta Cana about two hours later, and, from the moment we set eyes on this place, we were in awe.
The resort is amazing, but before I get into that, I have to talk about the airport! Yes, the airport was fantastic - it was all open air, with no walls, just a lovely grass roof. It was beautiful! It was chaotic too. There were no distinct lines, and the signage was lacking. As we moved with the mass of people, I was a bit stressed out by the immense disorganization. But it turns out there is a method to Punta Cana's madness, because we made it through all of the lines and checkpoints with no trouble at all; and it didn't even take that long.
We found our shuttle to Moon Palace, and 30 minutes later, we had entered what I can only describe as my own personal version of heaven.
It is so beautiful and luxurious here that I often don't feel that I belong; but then a nice young Dominican concierge will come along, smiling and practicing his most recent English lesson, and I will feel right at home. The people here are so friendly. It truly seems that their number one goal in life is to ensure that I have a great week. And, with or without them, I'm sure I would!
Did I mention this place is like heaven? Where to even begin...
Our room: It's huge. It has steps. And it has a bathroom bigger than the first apartment Brandon and I shared - with two sinks and two shower heads. The king bed is the most comfortable one I've ever had the pleasure of lying on. And, not three steps from it, is a jacuzzi - IN. OUR. ROOM.
A jacuzzi...IN. OUR. ROOM!!!!!
We also have a patio that rivals the bathroom in size, and it comes with an incredible view of the rest of the resort. Oh, but there's so much to do back inside that I can't stay out there long. We have a mini bar with liquor dispensers, right next to the bed. There's Smirnoff, Bacardi, and Jose Cuervo in there, and then there are sodas and juices in the fridge! There is 24-hour room service, you know, just in case you didn't get enough to eat at the nine restaurants on the property.
There is a bottle of wine on the table next to the jacuzzi.
This place is nuts!
And for the first few hours we were here, we just walked around, claiming how nuts it was! We saw all nine restaurants, as well as a coffee shop, an ice cream parlor, and a pool bar (not like a bar next to a pool, but a bar where you can play pool!!!). But speaking of pools, we saw them too - all 10 of them! And then we saw the lazy river. Did you hear me? I said that there is a lazy river at my resort! A LAZY RIVER!!!!!
And I don't think I've mentioned this yet, but this place is all-inclusive. So, from the snacks by the pools to the nine restaurants to the room service to the liquor dispensers and the wine on our table, we don't have to give anyone a dime!
And so, with that in mind, we plan to eat way more than three times a day. We arrived here shortly after lunch time today, and we have already eaten four times. First, we ordered room service (cheese quesadilla for me and combo steak and chicken fajitas for Brandon - very, very good!). Then, we got some chips, chili, and cheese by one of the pools. After that, we went to the ice cream parlor. And finally, about five hours after this whole charade started, we went out for dinner at Los Gallos - the Mexican restaurant (I guess we had a bit of a Mexican theme today, but tomorrow anything goes!).
Needless to say, I am stuffed. I am also tired (it's really hard work to eat this much, and I didn't even mention what I've had to drink!). But I'm incredibly happy.
I'm sure there will be much, much, much more to tell (like, Brandon's been in the casino for over an hour, so that must mean he's winning!!!). For now, suffice it to say that I'm having a lovely time in heaven.
And now I'm going to go see about that husband of mine!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Day 36: Home from Home
We are now back in our home in Florida after a wonderful week at home in Illinois. As you can see, I still have trouble deciding where, exactly, my home is; but I'm happy enough for it to be both places.
We left Mendota just after six yesterday evening, and we arrived back here just after nine this evening. Accounting for the loss of one hour, it took us 26 hours to make the trip. This did include a couple stops - first in Champaign, Illinois, for what my mother-in-law claims (correctly, I have determined) is the best pizza on the planet; then in Metropolis, Illinois, for another run at the casino (Brandon came out even, but I won 25 dollars in a slot machine) and to see Superman lit up in the night; and finally in Valdosta, Georgia, for what Uncle Daryl (wow, he's sure making a lot of appearances here lately) believes is the best BBQ on the planet (and yes, he too, believes correctly).
It was a long trip, with little sleep and lots of miles to drive without cruise control. But we made it! We had a wonderful time, but, as is so normal for us lately, we are absolutely beat. So the blog is short tonight, but do stay tuned...I'll be back in a few days with stories from our honeymoon!
That's right - there's still one wedding event left!
We left Mendota just after six yesterday evening, and we arrived back here just after nine this evening. Accounting for the loss of one hour, it took us 26 hours to make the trip. This did include a couple stops - first in Champaign, Illinois, for what my mother-in-law claims (correctly, I have determined) is the best pizza on the planet; then in Metropolis, Illinois, for another run at the casino (Brandon came out even, but I won 25 dollars in a slot machine) and to see Superman lit up in the night; and finally in Valdosta, Georgia, for what Uncle Daryl (wow, he's sure making a lot of appearances here lately) believes is the best BBQ on the planet (and yes, he too, believes correctly).
It was a long trip, with little sleep and lots of miles to drive without cruise control. But we made it! We had a wonderful time, but, as is so normal for us lately, we are absolutely beat. So the blog is short tonight, but do stay tuned...I'll be back in a few days with stories from our honeymoon!
That's right - there's still one wedding event left!
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Day 32: Gift Opening or Too Many Tea Kettles or Silly Uncle, the Joke is on You!
Today was our gift opening. It was not all that eventful because most people, probably considering the fact that we had to take everything back to Florida with us, simply gave us cards with cash in them, and we opened those late last night. Still, there were a fair amount of bags and boxes to rip into.
I can't mention everything here, but we got our fondue pot, our last set of wine glasses, and lots of red things for our kitchen.
Now, speaking of red things for our kitchen...
Way back when, we had registered for a red tea kettle. There has been a running joke in our family now since late April, when, between my two bridal showers, I received four - yes, four - red tea kettles! Of course, I was able to take all of the extras back to Target, and ever since, my kitchen has contained only one red tea kettle. But the joke remains.
And Uncle Daryl (yes, the same one that so kindly served as head chef at our reception only the day before) thought it would be just hilarious if the joke continued.
And so, at our gift opening, we ripped into bag after bag after bag, only to find tea kettle after tea kettle after tea kettle, until we reached the magic number of 10! Yes, 10 more tea kettles! And, as these are garage sale finds, this time I can't take any of them back to Target. But I'm also not taking all of them back to Florida. (I'll take a few of them - for instance, the blue Le Creuset can probably be sold on Ebay for a decent profit, and there is one that actually turned out to be an electric French coffee press! HA! Joke's on you, Uncle Daryl!!!)
But what to do with the rest? Hmmm...I guess we have Christmas gifts for this year!
I can't mention everything here, but we got our fondue pot, our last set of wine glasses, and lots of red things for our kitchen.
Now, speaking of red things for our kitchen...
Way back when, we had registered for a red tea kettle. There has been a running joke in our family now since late April, when, between my two bridal showers, I received four - yes, four - red tea kettles! Of course, I was able to take all of the extras back to Target, and ever since, my kitchen has contained only one red tea kettle. But the joke remains.
And Uncle Daryl (yes, the same one that so kindly served as head chef at our reception only the day before) thought it would be just hilarious if the joke continued.
And so, at our gift opening, we ripped into bag after bag after bag, only to find tea kettle after tea kettle after tea kettle, until we reached the magic number of 10! Yes, 10 more tea kettles! And, as these are garage sale finds, this time I can't take any of them back to Target. But I'm also not taking all of them back to Florida. (I'll take a few of them - for instance, the blue Le Creuset can probably be sold on Ebay for a decent profit, and there is one that actually turned out to be an electric French coffee press! HA! Joke's on you, Uncle Daryl!!!)
But what to do with the rest? Hmmm...I guess we have Christmas gifts for this year!
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