Isla de Encanta - Day one

"Arriving in a foreign country by the dark of night is a disconcerting experience.  It's as if no time, no space has passed.  As we taxied to a stop over ground that glittered like snow I laboured under the delusion that we had not moved at all, we'd merely been hovering for the last four hours only to land where we started." - Vacation journal 01/28/11

Well as promised, over the next few days I'm going to give a run down of the happenings of my trip to the Dominican with two of my besties.  I should just interject here that although I use the word 'Bestie' I invariably want to punch myself in the face when I do.  Yet, I insist on using this term.  That, dear folks, is friendship. 

Having dropped my ladies off to school in the morning last Friday I decided a haircut and an eyebrow wax were in order before I left for the airport.  My flight was leaving at 4:30, which meant to get to the airport for the recommended three hours previous, I had a good four-hour window in which to make an hour-and-a-drive to Pearson International.  Needless to say, I was leisurely.

One Eyebrow wax, One haircut and a last-ditch, failed attempt to find a reasonably priced, attractive one piece swimsuit in the dead of winter later I was on my way, this time managing to not get too lost on the way to the airport.  After getting my luggage checked and making my way through security I tried texting my friend Jay, a self-described baggage monkey for the airline we were taking, to see if he wanted to hook up for a coffee since it'd been a good two years since I've seen the guy.  I got a response to my text this past Saturday morning.  Such is life.  So not to be thwarted, I started looking around for the special lounge that they were promoting but trying to find the lounge in such a huge airport is a little like trying to make your way through Hogwart's.  So I eventually gave up, and wandered some bookstores before getting a rather delicious fish and chip meal from one of the restaurants.

Does no one outside of specialty shops actually sell comic books anymore?  I found myself really craving a good one to read but none of the magazine shops had any.  Lame.

After eating I made my way to my gate, and killed some time people watching.  As I observed the folks lining up for my flight, I texted Kaylee and Mindy:

There's about a dozen 20-something guys getting on my flight to Puerto Plata.  This is going to be a good vacation.

The film playing on the flight was Eat Pray Love, which was ironic in a way, although in retrospect, mine would be more like "Eat, Drink, Lust".  Not a whole lot of prayer involved.  Except maybe negotiating the Dominican traffic on our day trips, but that's another story for another day.

"The airport is dark and the air is fragrant.  Although the night is cool there is a humidity that sneaks under my jeans within minutes, rendering them heavy and oppressive.  I am still wearing my winter boots." - Vacation Journal 01-28-11

 I felt awkward on the bus to the resort from the airport.  At this time, I was there by myself as due to previous engagements I had left a day earlier so I could depart a day earlier.  By the time I got to the hotel and settled into my room I only wanted to have a bath and go to bed.  Vacation could start the next morning.  This meant I missed out on karaoke, which was unfortunate, but at that point I had not quite reached the comfort level to venture out by myself. I would wait until daylight.

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