After two years, we eventually found a suitable 4-day weekend and went to Hillbilly's favorite place, Punta Rucia. The opportunity to go came at a moment's notice and bundling a few swim suits and towels in the car, off we went. We did not have our 4 wheel drive vehicle (in for repairs) so, we travelled from Sosua in a little rental skoda through Villa Elisa -and not the Luperon road - and the road is looong! and the Skoda is smaalll - but boy was it worth it. Possibly the best seafood I've had in a long time (Cabarete and Sosua fancy and not so fancy restaurants cannot hold a candle to beer and lobster at Elsa's Comedor in Ensenada bay). OK, we had to battle the gringo factor but whenever we waged fair and brave battle, and waved some permanent residency cards around, and stomped our feet and let fly a couple of choice words, the prices magically dropped a few hundred pesos...
We found a couple of rooms at one of the places down the village - owned by a German - that is why this is not a trip report, I have no idea what his name is, or what the name is of his place, but it has a sign out front advertising boat tours. You'd never know he had a few rooms - very comfortable, very clean (well, the tiles were just a tad grimy) just normal Dominican style with the electrical plugs kinda hanging off the wall and very little toilet paper in the bathroom. You find him by asking for the German who rents rooms when you enter the village. But, he had a planta with sufficient power to give us lights at night and sufficient cold water in the shower. Who needed any more than this - the clean sheets were the cherry on the cake. The beaches are indeed lovely - we relaxed, enjoyed, swam for miles and throughout the weekend had the feeling that the twilight zone was not very far off. My granddaughter loved the beaches that are really bays or inlets, the waters are so calm.
On Sunday, the whole of the Dominican Republic turned up at Ensenada and it looked like Cabarete on a holiday weekend. We met some friends on Sunday and his take on the whole thing was that this bay is so popular because so few Dominicans can actually swim, which was a new one for me. Sunday evening entertainment was interesting. The motoconchos in the town ride down the main drag a few times with the express purpose of getting the street dogs to fight with one another. Once a dogfight is in full swing, a couple of residents appear to cheer on the proceedings.
Dinner on Sunday evening was non-existent, but we did manage to find a restaurant with a big 'for sale' sign out front. They kindly agreed to grill a big fish for the four of us and cut some tomato for salad and piled on some rice for good measure. With lots of beer, this made a meal for a king.
After a last and final swim this morning, we took to the road to drive back, warm, sweaty, still full of sand and in terms of "headspace", totally zoned out.
This little village of Punta Rucia will become a favorite hangout!
We found a couple of rooms at one of the places down the village - owned by a German - that is why this is not a trip report, I have no idea what his name is, or what the name is of his place, but it has a sign out front advertising boat tours. You'd never know he had a few rooms - very comfortable, very clean (well, the tiles were just a tad grimy) just normal Dominican style with the electrical plugs kinda hanging off the wall and very little toilet paper in the bathroom. You find him by asking for the German who rents rooms when you enter the village. But, he had a planta with sufficient power to give us lights at night and sufficient cold water in the shower. Who needed any more than this - the clean sheets were the cherry on the cake. The beaches are indeed lovely - we relaxed, enjoyed, swam for miles and throughout the weekend had the feeling that the twilight zone was not very far off. My granddaughter loved the beaches that are really bays or inlets, the waters are so calm.
On Sunday, the whole of the Dominican Republic turned up at Ensenada and it looked like Cabarete on a holiday weekend. We met some friends on Sunday and his take on the whole thing was that this bay is so popular because so few Dominicans can actually swim, which was a new one for me. Sunday evening entertainment was interesting. The motoconchos in the town ride down the main drag a few times with the express purpose of getting the street dogs to fight with one another. Once a dogfight is in full swing, a couple of residents appear to cheer on the proceedings.
Dinner on Sunday evening was non-existent, but we did manage to find a restaurant with a big 'for sale' sign out front. They kindly agreed to grill a big fish for the four of us and cut some tomato for salad and piled on some rice for good measure. With lots of beer, this made a meal for a king.
After a last and final swim this morning, we took to the road to drive back, warm, sweaty, still full of sand and in terms of "headspace", totally zoned out.
This little village of Punta Rucia will become a favorite hangout!