Pilot of the Caribbean

Airborne for the first time in 2024, I'm spending a fortnight in Santo Domingo. Not to be confused with Dominica, it's the Spanish-speaking part of Hispaniola island. Punta Cana is the only place with direct flights from the London area, and the journey is comfortable and seamless. Apart from a scare at Gatwick, that is, which nearly finishes my journey before it's started. I've forgotten to complete the return half of the immigration form! Fortunately a helpful airline staff member completes it and I'm on my way.

Arrival at Punta Cana is seamless as well. The hotel booking agency have arranged a taxi for the 20 km. drive to my hotel. They prefer US dollars cash but the local banknotes (about 55 to the US$) are attractive and portray characters in local history. Next morning, the view from the hotel balcony reveals what is typical of Punta Cana: a mass tourist destination, like Cancun in Mexico, which satisfies desires for sun, sea and sand but for me is a jumping-off point for more typical experiences.

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