Final Day

Today the rain started early. It was raining when I woke up, and kind of nice to open the curtains and see a gray sky beginning to clear. My weather app said that was it. Sunny for the rest of the day, and so far, it has been gorgeous.

I am feeling a lot better though I'm not 100% out of the woods. I like having a big mug and the fixings for tea in my room. My room comes with a mini coffee maker that I've been using to make tea. They provide two styrofoam cups, tea bags or coffee in a filter, sugar, etc. I didn't like using the styrofoam cups, so one day after my morning room service, I kept a coffee mug and a teaspoon, but the coffee mug was not as big as my Starbucks cup. I'd usually have a cup of tea in my room, and then go down to the coffee shop and get another along with a pannini.

Today, I wanted something different, so I went to the restaurant on the first floor.

It doesn't look like much from the lobby, but from inside, it was quite nice.

They had a breakfast buffet that was something like 900 pesos (I didn't have my hearing aids in so I wasn't sure), but I wasn't feeling super hungry, so instead I ordered pumpkin pancakes and tea. They were really good. My sense of taste is back and I really enjoyed them - probably one of the best things I've eaten here. Tomorrow, I may do the buffet since I'll be traveling and will need some sustenance.

When I came back to my room, it was already clean.

I've been feeling guilty about not tipping the maid. I don't really understand the custom. Sometimes, there will be an envelope and you can leave money, but is tipping the maid a universal thing? I was sure she is not getting paid a whole lot and I changed more money than I needed since I wasn't going out of the hotel much. She was in the next room so I went over there and said, "Excuse me, I don't know the customs about tipping in hotels..." and she immediately cut me off and said, "Oh, you can tip me if you want." So I gave her 4,000 pesos (about $70). I hope it was enough. I don't know if it was "too much" but she has been great, down to finding me toothpaste, and it's the holidays, and I'm sure she needs the money, and what am I going to do with that extra money anyway?

Then I got changed and went to the pool. It was kind of humid because it had rained and I was bored, so I didn't stay long. I came back, got changed and walked to Adrian Tropical, a restaurant on the water that is a short walk from here. They have mofongo and other traditional Dominican things.

I was contemplating going back to El Conuco, but there were mosquitoes and the music was loud. I looked at some malls that had Starbucks, because I wanted to get another Starbucks cup for my sister from the Dominican Republic, but mall restaurants seemed like mostly chains, so I settled on Adrian Tropical. It was such a good choice. I wish I'd gone there sooner.

Most people sit outside, and you are literally on the water. In addition to mofongo, which I had last time, they had a lot of other things on the menu. I got the parrillada, which had beef, a rib, chicken and chorizo, with corn and tostones, and a passionfruit juice. It was hot, but there was a nice breeze from the sea. And the place was filled with Dominicans. They really are a good-looking people. The women were beautiful, and the men were very handsome, and most people were dressed very nicely. I was wearing camo cargo shorts and a green t-shirt (the t-shirt looked nice, I thought).

Service was good, though kind of hard to get at times, but I was very happy with the lunch.

From there, I got an Uber to Starbucks at Downtown Center again.

First, I went to a pharmacy to buy more nighttime cold medicine and then I went to Starbucks. There were only three cups left! I wonder what happened to all of the ones that were there yesterday.

The line was slow and I am not sure if it was the customer in front of me or the cashier. When it was my turn, he again charged me separately for the cup and for my refresher, but he didn't really explain like the cashier yesterday.

I sat and enjoyed my dragonfruit/strawberry/lemonade refresher, watching the customers and again thinking of how good-looking Dominicans are.

I got an Uber back to my room, had some tea, took a nap, and now I'm up again, still feeling full, drinking another cup of tea, feeling the healthiest I have since I arrived, and ready for my flight home tomorrow.

I was sick and it rained every day I've been here, but this was a really good vacation. It was not what I thought it would be, but I needed a break, I wanted to get away from the cold and rain, and this was the perfect place to be sick.

I will definitely come back in the hopes that the next time I won't be sick and I can do more than just hang out in my room, but if I can only hang out in a hotel room, this hotel room is definitely a room to be hung out in.