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| Welcome to Casa Bonita, Barahona, DR |
What
a wonderful weekend away from Haiti. A group of seven of us in two
vehicles drove to the Domican Republic for a long weekend. Leaving
Port-au-Prince after work on a Thursday afternoon, this part of the
drive was the most difficult. Traffic is apparently always hideous
so it took us nearly 2 1/2 hours to drive the 30 or so miles to the
border. A really harrowing and treacherous drive on mostly unpaved
roads. The “highway” between the two countries was the most
aweful being unpaved, narrow, along a lake (with some parts of the road falling into said lake), with cars and trucks
going every which way. The border closed at 6pm and we arrived
around 5:45 with masses of others trying to make the deadline. It
was quite an experience and likely typical of 3rd-world crossings
with truckloads of people and goods piled picariously high on rickety
tap-taps and various vehicles which did not appear particularly
road-worthy.
Once
inside the DR, things changed quickly. First and foremost, the roads
were paved. They did have random speed bumps which threw our poor
car a couple of times. The bumps were not marked or warned and were
especially difficult to see once it got dark.
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| Our Room - 112 |
All
in all, it took us around 4 hours and 40 minutes and just about 100 miles to
reach our destination. Finally we drove up a hill to Casa Bonita
just outside Barahona. Even though it was dark when we arrived, we
loved it instantly. The reception area as well as the bar and
restaurant were outside, lanai style, beside a beautiful pool. Our
rooms were gorgeous, especially Room 114, which another couple chose.
That one was exceptionally huge and had its own private infinity
pool. But all of our rooms were quite nice: lovely decor, quiet,
comfortable. And when the sun came up, we saw that all the rooms had
beautiful views of the sea.
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| The Outdoor Spa |
Some
in our group went horseback riding, zip lining, biking, and running,
though Baboo and I stuck mostly to the pool and restaurant area. We
did enjoy wonderful massages outdoors beside a babbling brook.
Honestly it was, I think, the best massage I have ever had.
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| Relaxing in the Lounge |
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| Poolside Dining |
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| Organic Gardens |
Each
night we dined al fresco by the pool. The food was wonderful and the
staff very attentive and friendly. The hotel maintains its own
organic gardens for the kitchen.
We
loved it and look forward to returning. Even the horrible drive was
worth it. The ride home was not quite so harrowing, maybe because we
knew what to expect, maybe because it was Sunday midday. That took
us about 4 hours. (I tried unsuccessfully to upload the video I took of the border crossing.)
