I think I come off as a little bit of a wussy traveler in this one, whining about the heat and how everyone speaks Spanish. In real life, I wasn’t a bit disappointed that people spoke Spanish; I was disappointed with myself for not speaking it better. Or at all, almost. I thought I would be able to get by, having taken a year at U.C. Berkeley Extension and done respectably well. But I was rusty, and Dominican Spanish is different from Mexican Spanish, and to my chagrin, I struggled with basic conversations.
Consequently, I found my hotel to be an oasis and a safety zone. I’m not proud of this, and I assure you, I did leave the property and venture out into the real country. But I sure appreciated the comfort when I was there. Here is my review of the hotel I stayed in, the Renaissance Santo Domingo Jaragua Hotel & Casino.
(Spoiler: I liked it. I’m going to like most places with exotic cocktails.)
