In Lieu of Running...

... I'm going to reminisce - Dominican style.

Ok, not really Dominican style, there will be a lot less meringue music involved here.

Alright, as you should now know, Hubband and I went on a vacation, purchased through livingsocial.com.

Four nights, six days, for $500 for the two of us at an all inclusive resort.  Plus, a historical tour of Santo Domingo and a couple of resort upgrades.

It was an awesome deal.  We'll definitely be purchasing vacations through living social and groupon again.  Though, I will add the caveat that we did do and will do research about that particular deal before purchasing.


Anyway, onto the good stuff.
(Yes, Lonely Island's "Captain Jack Sparrow" did just start playing in my head.)

Part 1:

The grounds on the first morning.

 Part of our deal was a tour of Santo Domingo.  We started out in the historical part, with a tour of Christopher Columbus' house.

What? You don't have full armor in your foyer? 

The first balcony of CC's house. Designed and positioned so that he could keep an eye out for
that scoundrel, Francis Drake. 

A special stone, that starts out as coral? (Some facts are fading...)
It's super strong, and holds up amazingly in the damp climate of the Dominican.
I've never really seen anything like it. 

Loved the floors throughout. 

The bishop's bedroom, with an elephant skin trunk.  

"Mark, would you just learn to take a good picture of me?" 

The English speakers finished up their remote control tour, and waited in the
heat.
We were amused, can't you tell? 

The "Royal Ladies" walking road.  No men allowed. 

The "governator's" palace.  (Our tour guide couldn't actually say governor, so it came out
Govenator.  Which, made us giggle inappropriately. 

The honor guard in the hall or heroes.
[Hall of heroes: Big giant mausoleum that one of the dictators had built during his reign,
had a whole bunch of dead important guys moved into it, then made his wish to be buried here when he died.
Peoples didn't listen, and dumped his body off the side of a boat instead.]

Painting of "Birth to death".  

Just in case you forgot...

The first Cathedral built in the Americas.  Very gorgeous.
Built in like... 1540? 

Hey, little guy! 

Tour guide: Lady drivers all over the world are terrible.
It's a real problem.
Half the tour van: [if looks could kill...]

Cuevas de la Tres Ojos.
Well... one of the Ojos. I would have loved to have spent more time here.
I would have loved to take the raft to the back lake, that's completely in a cave. Sadly, there was not time.

National monument: "Kiss of the Stalagmite".
Geology rules. 

On the tour bus back.
Hello, neck veins... 

And then we came back to the resort.

Him: Piña Colada
Me: Drink of the day... something fruity with Rum 

And didn't watch the sun go down...

Ooooh la la...