It was raining.

We ducked from the steps of the plane to the waiting shuttle bus to ride to the airport at Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.  The humidity hit us like a wall.  We were dressed in long pants, socks and shoes and hoodies.  After all, we were coming from Winnipeg, via Toronto, where it is definitely winter.

Our first sight on arriving there was a huge thatched roof building, open air, that was the airport.  We were directed by dark-skinned gentlemen along the roped corridor to reach the person collecting “Tourist Cards” and then submit our declaration of purpose for our visit to the island.  Quickly, we were met by a young man in a white shirt who grabbed our luggage and said “WestJet?  Follow me.”

Being the trusting Canadian tourists that we were, we looked doubtfully at him and each other and tried to protest but he was already a few paces ahead of us.  We half-jogged to catch up with our luggage and soon we were bypassing a table where officials were searching someone’s bags.  The fellow brought us directly to the WestJet booth and we were relieved to see an English-speaking, white guy with a clipboard.  Our names were on the list.  I think we all were relieved! 

We were led to an air-conditioned van and waited for several other Canadians on their way to various resorts on our route.  We were the last to be dropped off after about a twenty minute to half hour drive along well-paved highways.  Then we turned onto a narrower side road, lined by twenty foot trees and bush, until we drove by a village-we later learned is San Juan- where little shops with hand-painted signs in English or Spanish were situated close to the road. Older men and a couple women sat on resin lawn chairs in the shade.  I noticed one sign on a shop – “Good prices-cheaper than Walmart”!  I pointed and giggled before my eyes caught another sight.  Across from them was a huge, modern stucco hotel/resort.  Stark contrast from the average Dominican to the foreigners on the island.

As we approached the gate to our resort, “Blau Natura Park Hotel”, a gatekeeper sat in the shade of a little shack, and undid the rope that held the single slat of wood to secure the resort.  Compared to the other elaborate wrought iron gates, this looked flimsy.  But we drove through and around a winding paved road through lovely palms and various other trees until we arrived up a ramp to the hotel’s main entrance.

Another open-aired, thatch-roofed edifice stood there, with the main lobby and staff waiting for us.  A bellboy brought our suitcases up for us and we got registered.  A waitress brought us a fruity drink with a pineapple wedge on the edge of the glass.  I was still leery to drink anything not in a bottle, but how could it not be safe!  We were taken by the bellboy to our room – Patio V - and stepped inside the door.

A waft of cool air rushed at us as we entered the room behind the bellboy.  The room was painted a light pink, with long blue drapes along one whole wall.  The dresser, sofa, coffee table and bed were in reddish-brown wood and rattan.  We stepped onto beige and pink tile floor,  taking in the sight and feel of the room while the young man was asking in a heavily accented English if everything was okay.  We tipped him and set down our things.  I spotted the fresh fruit platter on the table and we dug in.  Then I walked into the two part bathroom – the first had a bathtub/shower with a vanity and sink opposite.  The second was separated by a sliding, slatted door that housed the commode.  Simple but clean.  I washed my hands, sticky with fruit juice, and noticed the red hibiscus blossoms tucked into the fancy folded hand towels.   Everything seemed so foreign and tropical. 

The next thing we did was get out of our winter duds and get comfortable in shorts and light tops.  I dug out sandals from my luggage and then we were ready to explore.

First stop was back at the front desk to get a lock and key for a safe.  Then we located the office for internet access-$3 for 15 minutes, $6 for 30 minutes and $60 for a week’s worth of 24-hour access.  We spent the $3 and posted our safe arrival on Facebook and messaged our contact information to family only.  With no texting or cell phone or regular internet connection, we could truly be on vacation!

Next, we strolled along the paved paths that wandered between the lobby and the hotel accommodations.  We found lovely bridges beneath overhanging foliage, saw ducks, flamingos, peacocks and some white water birds that resembled herons (egret?).  A couple outdoor restaurants and bars stood just off the main walkway.  We came to a crossroads with a booth for towels and booking a swim with dolphins.  We followed the left path and it took us to the beach.

White sand, swaying palm trees and a blue expanse of ocean drew us…this is what we came for, what we dreamed of and why we took two weeks in January to get away!  The beach did not disappoint us.  I slipped off my sandals and let my toes curl into the lovely clean sand.  We walked hand in hand towards the shore.  I went in and felt the cool waters slide over my feet.  It was late afternoon by this time so the beach was over half empty.  Hundreds of white and blue beach lounge chairs were spread over what seemed like acres of beachfront.  A man in a shack offered us a hot dog or hamburger.  Dinner wasn’t until 6:30 so I took a burger.  We walked the other direction to see an activity shack, a bar and more lounge chairs, some under thatched shelters.

This was a lot to take in and we must have looked like Saskatchewan prairie hicks, gawking at everything and impressed by it all.  Surreal - that was how we described the view, the experience when we talked later.  The breeze off the ocean was warm as the sun was setting quickly behind the palm trees and resort hotel.  We stared awhile before winding our way back to Patio V.

We made our way to the main buffet area, Restaurant La Cana, and were seated by a hostess.  The place was busy with people milling from one food group to another.  Servers with trays of beer, wine and coffee expertly maneuvered the crowd.  Seated at a small table set for two, we waited while the server offered us drinks before we got up to hunt and gather. 

The choices were overwhelming: pastas and sauces in one area, several meat and vegetable dishes in the centre, a featured roast meat in another corner and two lovely salad bars with assorted fruit, vegetables, cold meats and cheeses.  Of course, I took note of the dessert  section and knew I’d be back there as soon as possible.

By the end of our first day, we could hardly keep our eyes open past 9 pm local time.  That’s okay, we had been up since 3:30 am to fly out of Winnipeg, so we gave in to sleep early.  There were two glorious weeks to discover what Blau Natura  Park had to offer.