The last day in tropical paradise
Trip Start
Jan 01, 2008
1
8
Trip End
Jan 08, 2008
Where I stayed
Sosua, Dominican Republic
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
So we had some time to frolick in the waves, and yes, although it was starting to clear up, the water was still very wavy/choppy, as it had been most of this time this past week. The only day it wasn't was our first day in the water where it was so calm and flat! The surf was still there, but I noted that during the day they changed the red flag to a yellow flag, so it wasn't just my imagination that the winds were calming down. Still, though, the waves were really rough on us. Tony, my dad and I had a good time testing our luck with them. If you were at the breakwater - where the waves hit the beach - that was the worst place to be, because you'd get totally creamed by some of the bigger waves, which totally crashed into you and made you topple over in somersaults into the sand and then get totally disoriented as to which way you were facing while you tried to get the salt water out of your face and hopefuly not be hit by another menacing wave in the process! This happened to me many times! It would have made for some great video footage (would have been funny to laugh at myself afterwards), but unfortunately, my documentarian, Leanna, had left early as she absolutely needed 3 hours to go back to the room to pack! Plus, she had decided that she didn't want to get sand in her clogs, so there was to be no more beach activity for her. I, on the other hand, wanted to leave and pack as late as possible. When my dad came out, he encouraged me to go out past the breakwater so that we would be safe from (most of) the crashing waves. I had tried that previously, but had gotten creamed, but this time I tried again (you have to strategically run in before getting smashed with a big wave) and succeeded. So we were "way out there", but really, my feet were still touching the bottom. It was better in this area because we could actually float around in the water, and most of the time when the waves came, you'd be part of them so you'd just float on top of them. However, sometimes the waves would still come crashing on you and then you'd be toast. Jonathan took a good video of his dad, which humouristically illustrated this! I stayed in the water for a long time, then sat on the sand and got a sunburn, and then went back into the ocean again, teasing the waves with my presence until finally one really big one that I couldn't escape totally creamed me, and there I was, totally disoriented and blinded by the salt in my eyes, with my bathing suit top flipped up to expose my boob, and I finally conceded and gave in to the sea. I decided then that this was God's way of telling me that my time in the Dominican ocean was over, and that, yes, it was sadly time to call it to an end. <sigh>
I went back to the room and showered and packed in a jiffy. Then Leanna and I went to check out and there was still time to spare, so we walked around the resort and took photos for one last time. We met up with our dad at one point and sat down with him and had a drink. Then it was time to go.
We got to the airport with plenty of waiting time. I was only still wearing my shorts, tank top and flip flops, and was determined to stay that way on the plane because it was HOT(!), but then at the gate waiting area it was suddenly freezing cold (I think the idea was to climatise us for Canada) so I put on the only other clothes that I had with me (and discovered that wearing socks with flip flops doesn't exactly work well).
I was happy to be actually awake for this time on the plane and there were actually some half decent movies that they were showing: Ratatouille (which turned out to be really, really good!), and Rush Hour 3 (which was okay, but kind of stupid). I want to talk a bit about Ratatouille, which has now become one of my new favourite films. I can't stop thinking about it - it was THAT good! Ratatouille is the story of the lives of rats in Paris, and one rat, in particular, named Remy, who is immersed into the world of humans. I identified particularly with this little guy, because we happen to share the same passion: of food and cooking! Yes, Remy has a passion for food and is endowed with the gift of fine cooking - something not commonly known among the rodent variety, and this makes for an endearing and heartwarming story, as we see the "little chef" living among humans in his quest to fulfill his love for creating delicious food. We root for the little guy during the course of his travails and cheer for him at the end of the story, which we hope - and want to believe - could really, actually happen in real life. He is such a lovable and dear creature - he reminded me of Anthony - and his example shows that even a rat must not be regarded lightly, because you never know... the next rat you see might be a talented individual, just like Remy. And even if he's not, he still has a place in the world and must be appreciated as such. I encourage children and adults alike to watch this film, if even for the entertainment value alone, but hopefully also to open their eyes to a world less known to us humans so that we may place a respect and value for all creatures, great and small.
The flight back home was very long (9 hours) and seemed to go forever, but finally we did get back to rainy Vancouver. Upon hitting the ground, no one cheered this time as everyone on the plane had when we had reached the ground of the DR. I guess there was no cheering to be had as we thought of getting back to our activities in Canada that seem so dreary and mundane compared to, say, having fun at the beach, or swimming with the dolphins, or working on your tan as you sip on a strawberry slushie.
Comments
I USED IT.AND LOVE IT.....
Bathmate
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