Yesterday was filled with lots of fun in the sun.  I slathered myself in SPF 50 and am happy to report that I'm as pasty white as ever!!  Some people's goal is to come back from the beach with a nice golden brown tan...however, for some of us who only burn, a tan is a mere pipedream unless it's from a bottle.  And I tried that once and I just looked splotchy and dirty...so white it is!

I did some snorkeling and saw a few different types of tropical fish, none of which I know the names of.  My favorite was a fish that was about 3 inches long and was electric blue.  I hung out under a thatched roof hut on the beach afterwards and did a little bit of reading but mostly was just relaxing and enjoying my surroundings.  I know there are music cd's out there with the sounds of the crashing of the ocean, but nothing beats the real deal.

Being somewhat of adventure seeker, I found myself wanting to see more of Puerto Plata than what was within the walls of Hotel Barcelo...no offense Hotel Barcelo.  So I took my life into my own hands and flagged down a motorscooter dude and hopped on the back and got a ride into the city of Puerto Plata.  The ride there wasn't bad at all.  The driver was a bit older and stayed around 40-50 kilometers per hour.  The ride back was a different story.  The driver was maybe 20 years old and drove 75 kilometers per hour.  Mind you neither of us was wearing a helmet and we're weaving in and out of traffic and passing other automobiles and motorcycles as oncoming traffic is still coming.  Guess there's an unwritten rule that its ok to pass and just ride the center line even if traffic is coming.  Now this may have horrified some people but I was actually smiling and enjoying it.  I sorta like flying down an open road.  I definitely got home faster so I could go to the VIP lounge and stuff my face. haha 

Last night in the snack bar of the Premium lounge, they once again had mango (my favorite!) and even had caviar.  I had never had caviar before so I thought I'd do my part as a high rolling VIP guest and partake in the caviar.  It was good!!  The first bite I was a little hesitant thinking, "Hmmm...fish eggs.  Hope it's not nasty."  But it wasn't nasty or fishy tasting at all.  And the mango is some of the best I've ever had.  Sometimes the flavor of a mango is good but its all thready or tough.  This mango is "like buttah." (as Linda Richmond from SNL would say)

I found out too that in the Premium area they are also more than happy to make you any sort of fresh juice you want.  As I type this I am enjoying a glass of cantaloupe juice and a glass of watermelon juice.  The watermelon juice...yum.  The cantaloupe juice...not so much.  I'm finishing them both off for their nutritional value but I definitely wouldn't order cantaloupe juice again.  Foodwise, Im being spoiled absolutely rotten.  They have chocolate covered strawberries, chocolate cake, cheeses, and several buffets with all sorts of different cuisine.  I went out for Mexican food at the restaurant last night and am going to have Italian tonight.  It's kind of funny because for the Italian Restaurant, they require long pants and close toed shoes.  The lady at reception emphasized that even sneakers and jeans are ok but no shorts or flip flops.  So I'll be rolling up to dinner in jeans and sneakers since everything else I brought was shorts, swim trunks, and beach foot wear.  Gringo tourist fashion nightmare...party of one, por favor!

Today I woke up in time to sign up for horseback riding.  The free ride that came with my all-inclusive package was only a 20 minute ride but it was plenty.  The weather is blazing hot once again today.  The drive to the horse ranch from the Barcelo Hotel is about 15 minutes...so basically I was back to the hotel 1 hour after I left.   

I also walked down the beach for about an hour, took a few nice pics, and then walked back to the resort area.  I sat for a few minutes and just enjoyed being alone with nothing else but the sun, the surf, and the crashing of the waves.  Pure bliss.