An ongoing adventure of travel and living while using a wheelchair. Tim has been disabled from birth. Darryl is his father and caregiver who travels with him.
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Showing posts with label Dominican Republic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dominican Republic. Show all posts
(Please read our Covid 19 Statement first - Ed) Here's how we found access in the Dominican Republic in 2011...
ON ARRIVAL: Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) does not have jetways. All passengers board and deplane via stairs. Four men carried Tim down the stairs (and back up when we left) in the plane aisle chair. An airport chair awaited us at the bottom.
Wheelchair users are escorted though the entire arrival process, including through immigration and customs all the way through to your ground transportation. Our gate checked chair was provided to us at baggage claim.
The airport, other than the boarding stairs, is very accessible and nicely ramped throughout. The restrooms have handicapped stalls and there is also a family restroom available.
GROUND TRANSPORTATION: Since it was our first time, we decided to use a manual chair instead of the power chair.
We used Dominican Airport Transfers, where we were able to book a private van for the three of us, round trip, for less than $100. They were on time (actually a little early), safe, courteous, and comfortable. Since we've been to the DR, they have aquired a lift equipped van that you can book with advance notice.
AT THE HOTEL:We picked the Riu Palace Punta Cana because it was the only hotel we could find that would block an accessible room for us. Several resorts in the area purport to have accessible rooms and facilities, but we could not find any other that would guarantee it.
Watch the Video!
See the video above for a tour of the accessible features of the hotel. There are step-free rooms with roll-in showers which are very nice junior suites but they are not located in the prime area of the hotel. They are very close to the ramp which leads to the restaurants, pools, and beach. Other step-free rooms with bathtubs are available closer to the beach.
There are six lifts...two on each side of the lobby and one in each wing closer to the pool and beach...four ramps, located at the bottom level of each lift, that will provide access to the plaza, restaurants, shops, pool, and beach.
The grounds are very nicely ramped throughout. A paved path runs along the beach starting at the Colonial Street shopping area adjacent to the pool. About 200 yards south on the path, it jogs pretty close to the water where you can transfer to lounge chairs on the sand.
(Please read our Covid 19 Statement first - Ed) Quandary - you have an unlimited bar tab at a tropical resort. How to you make the most of it?
Watch the Video!
Coming to you from Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, this week's Cocktail Hour tries to make a dent in it. Watch as we go from lobby bar to plaza bar and swim up bar to sample the bartenders talents.
Trying to not get too lit up (yeah, right) while keeping the sunburn to a minimum, it's all rum, tequila, and vodka by by the pool in this week's on-location Cocktail Hour video. Enjoy!
(Please read our Covid 19 Statement first - Ed) It’s a balmy 80 degrees. A meringue duo is playing in the plaza’s gazebo. Cocktails are being served to the guests at the tables spread across the square. At 9:30, the resort’s guests make their way into the adjacent theater. It’s showtime at the Riu.
After the winners of the day’s activities are given their certificates and the entertainment staff has prepped and the cocktails served, the show begins. An army of bodyguards marches to the stage and Michael Jackson…or at least a reasonable facsimile…takes the stage for an hour of dancing and lip-synching.
Watch the Video!
If you’ve read part 1 of this report (and if you haven’t, click on that link now to get caught up…don’t worry…we’ll be here when you get back) you might have gotten an inkling of all the food, alcohol, activities available here. I should note that at the Riu (and most Punta Cana resorts) all of this is included in the price of your room. All you can eat and drink, watersports, and endless entertainment and activities. You never have to pay another dime. (Full Disclosure: The Riu is an affiliate advertiser on this blog - please see our Disclaimer policy)
A good night’s sleep in our room and we start the cycle all over again…
It’s a bit cloudy as we hit our time to go to the pool. We head in and as the sprinkles start the guests run away. Hell, a little sprinkle isn’t going to stop us so we get our spot, put out the inner tube, insert Tim and jump into the pool.
The rain lets up but a few minutes later it starts again. Tim and I head to the swim up bar. Letty joins us.
Once there, the sprinkle turns to a downpour as we take refuge under the small overhang of the bar. As the deluge continues on, the unneeded extra bartenders are called to relocate to the lobby bar, fashioning trash bags as raincoats to run across the open area.
After a half hour riding the storm out and seeing the heavy clouds offshore, we decide that the next break in the weather, we’re getting out.
An easing of the rain to a steady sprinkle gives us our chance. Usually, there is a strong man nearby that we can draft to help me lift Tim out of the pool. Not today…we’re the last ones there. It’s mainly just me, with a little help from Letty.
It’s tough, but we manage to do it.
Back in the room, we decide this is a good time for Tim’s shower as we have given up on the pool for the day. After dressing, we decide to explore.
Next to the hotel’s spa is Colonial Street, a small shopping area. While Letty looks at bikinis, the cigar seller strikes up a conversation with me. I ask if he sells Cuban cigars and he does. He clips one, hands it to me, and lights it up…it’s my sample.
Of course, next comes the hard sell, trying to sell me boxes of Habanos to take home but I keep telling him I can’t. Not Cubans at least with the embargo in place.
It’s a tough back and forth for a few minutes, then Letty comes over with her fluent Spanish to help me out. I finally get through to him that I just wanted to try a Cuban and we settle on some local Domincan cigars to take home. The large Cuban is my gift to keep smoking so I don’t have to worry about breaking any laws.
We have dinner at the Italian restaurant tonight. White fish and creamy chicken are our entrees but the appetizer bar ahead of time can be a meal in itself.
Salad, pizza, lasagna, spaghetti, cheese, are just a few of the items spread out there.
The next day, it’s time to hit the beach. We wander next door to the Riu Palace Macao where the paved beach path takes a detour close the water where we can get some lounge chairs and swim in the warm, Caribbean waters.
It’s not long before a waiter comes by and plies us with drinks from the beach bar.
There’s an old shipwreck just offshore, I ask him what the story is. He doesn’t know the whole saga except that the ship crashed about 30 years ago and has been slowly breaking up on the reef every since. (A quick search reveals the fact that it was a Russian freighter called the Astron that crashed in a storm in 1978.)
We’re in front of the Macao, which holds the area’s casino. Tim wants to go see it. It’s a small place, surrounded by ongoing construction, and we’re the only 3 people in there aside from the staff. Tim and I wouldn’t mind playing some roulette but we’re told the tables don’t open until the evening. Oh well, it’s not the most lively place so we leave and head back to our hotel.
This evening would be spent in the Riu’s sports bar where we watch local Dominican League baseball (or beisbol, as it is here) on the large flat screen cheering on the action with the bartenders. Want to make instant friends with any local here? If you’re a baseball fan, just start talking about the sport…they love it here as Europeans do soccer.
The next night was a fabulous show featuring a lot of Dominican folk music and dancing.
Alas, the time has come to go home. One last drink in the lobby bar with our bags and our taxi driver finds us. It’s back to Punta Cana International Airport where one of the workers escorts us through all the necessary checkpoints before boarding our plane to Atlanta.
It’s Thanksgiving Day and both planes home are half-full. We are able to upgrade to business class and stretch out, looking back on a great week on that melancholy flight home.
(Please read our Covid 19 Statement first - Ed) "You know I really miss going to Puerto Vallarta." Letty said to me...for about the tenth time.
"I know, hon," I replied "but you know that it's just too inaccessible for us now that Tim is grown up."
"I know, but I'd really like to go on a beach vacation," she finishes.
I really want to make her wish come true, but where can we go with the wheelchair?
Watch the Video!
Okay, PV is out. Much research time is spent trying to find another Mexican destination that would serve up a more accessible destination. Cancun and Cabo just seem to overdeveloped and overrun to me. Ixtapa comes very close until we're finally able to contact the hotel that looked fantastic but ended up having "only" 234 steps to the beach.
We need something a little flatter, a lot tropical, and a little less Hawaii. Here is where we ended up...
The little green gecko is not trying to sell me insurance. Instead, he’s being impatient as my wife tries to get him to pose for a picture. The little guy is on the door of our room. Soon, after my wife snaps the pic, he runs to the edge of the balcony and jumps off like superman, landing gently on the leaves three floors down.
The marble floor of the junior suite cools our bare feet as we enter from the hot, sticky humidity of the Dominican autumn. Our bedding consists of two full beds pushed together making a super-size king bed. The management has put in an extra twin bed because there are three of us. My wife likes the feel of that bed better so Tim and I sleep in the large bed.
A big flat screen keeps my son occupied during spells in the room between activities with American sports programing. A full slate of local Dominican programs are also on, which comes in handy to watch the local Dominical Baseball league in full swing.
Our assigned room came with a big, roll-in shower and step-free access for the wheelchair. It was also in the very back of the gigantic Riu Palace Punta Cana resort and came with its own set of maintenance and noise issues. It was obvious that the hotel rarely rented out this accessible room and it seemed like the ugly redheaded step child of the resort. (Full Disclosure: The Riu used to be an affiliate advertiser on this blog - please see our Disclaimer policy)
After an almost sleepless first night, a visit to the front desk was in order. We were unhappy. Fortunately at the Riu, if you’re unhappy, you better be made happy or there will be hell to pay.
Another step-free room was found for us…closer to the beach…in a quiet area of the hotel with a nice terrace overlooking the main courtyard plaza of the hotel. Alas, this room only had a bathtub, but a shower chair was installed and it worked for us.
An extensive array of delicious breakfast foods awaited us in the morning. French toast, a couple of scoops of soft scrambled eggs, fruit, and a croissant fortified us for the day.
A quick stop by the reservations center located in the lobby of the Riu’s Italian restaurant secured us dinner for the next four nights in each of the hotel’s a la carte restaurants for dinner. Tonight would be Brazilian Churriasca followed by Japanese fare, Italian specialties, finishing up with a hearty dinner in beachfront steakhouse.
The last night of our stay would find us browsing in the casual buffet where we wouldn’t have to adhere to the a la carte restaurants dress code of long pants and sleeved shirts…it’s kind of a bitch to redress Tim multiple times a day but it’d be worth it to get the full resort experience.
After a change into swim gear, we head to the heart of the resort…the large pool located at the edge of Bavaro Beach. We get to know Carlos, a pool boy, who provides us with towels and finds the perfect spot to decamp into some lounge chairs steps away from the pool, the beach, and the bar separating the two. He quickly got to know us and would make sure that those two lounge chairs, with the space for the wheelchair, and the umbrella would be “ours” from now until we checked out.
We bring an inflatable inner tube for Tim to float in when we go swimming. Carlos took it for a minute, disappeared to some unknown location where there was an air compressor, and returned with a fully inflated tube.
For the next few hours, Tim and I would float around the large pool getting to know Jim, Heather, and their baby Lucas from Chicago; Roger and Ivy from Ontario, Canada, Simo, Elisa, and their disabled daughter Nailia, from Argentina; and Tom and Vanessa from Flint. When Letty would get too hot from sunbathing and join us in the pool, we’d float over to the swim up bar and get to know the extensive bar menu provided by Juan the bartender.
Steps away from the pool, La Altigracia…the resort’s steakhouse…would lay out a spread for the swimmers and beach goers consisting of steak, pork, chicken, seafood, and a giso of rice topped with saucy spare ribs and black beans…a delicious local specialty. Kids missing home could also have their fill of burgers, hot dogs and pizza.
After every meal was the extensive dessert and ice cream bar.
A little time in the sun was in order after the meal where our biggest concern was whether we’d lathered on the sunscreen thick enough.
Animacion…the resort’s entertainment team…would lead dances by the pool, set up archery and ping pong tournaments, and keep the guests involved in the experience. We’d take the afternoon and head over to the beach.
An accessible, paved beach path connects all the Riu resorts along the beach. When it gets over to the neighboring Palace Macao resort, the path takes a nice detour towards the water where it’s only about 30 feet from the water. Here we can get the wheelchair onto the sand, grab a couple of lounge chairs and relax on the sand.
Nearby is Scuba Caribe which serves as the resort’s watersports activity center. Snorkeling gear, boogie boards, wind surfers, and much more are available at no charge (a refundable cash deposit is required).
The lounge chair are on runners like skis, so it’d be easy to drag Tim to the water, put a mask and snorkel on him, swim out and watch the fish. Unfortunately this week the water is just too rough with some strong offshore winds kicking up the murkiness. I’ll just have to be content with a boogie board, a little body surfing, and drinking rum in the sun on the sand.
A first for the Cocktail Hour today...our first frozen drink! When one goes on a tropical beach vacation, one gets a tropical drink - probably frozen and preferably blue for some reason.
Watch the video!
Today's recipe fits that bill. It's a drink that we found on our recent trip to the Dominican Republic and seems to be a specialty of the Riu chain of hotels. It's called the Blue Coral.
On arrival back home, we decided to see if we could make this drink. No recipe book or online site had a recipe, so we had to wing it. I think we got it.
Watch the video above to see our attempt. It's almost a blooper reel...pretty amazing we were able to complete this with everything going wrong around us during the shoot.
Here's the recipe...
INGREDIENTS (two drinks)
2 oz. dark rum 1.5 oz. blue curacao 3 oz. coconut syrup juice of 2 small limes
In a blender 1/3 full of ice, pour all ingredients. Blend on high until frothy. Serve in an old fashioned glass.
Two mad scientists, four liquor dispensers, a hotel mini bar at our disposal. What good can come of this?
Watch the Video!
From our hotel room in the Dominican Republic, Tim and I explore the possibilities in our new video and come up with a new cocktail, the Bavaro (named for the beach in front of the hotel.
Here's the final recipe:
INGREDIENTS (two drinks): 3 oz. dark rum 1 oz. brandy 4 oz. orange soda 1 oz. 7UP
Fill two highball glasses with ice. Split rum and brandy evenly between the two. Fill within an inch of the top with orange soda. Top off with 7UP.
Over the past few years, we've been focusing on tropical destinations in the Caribbean, Central America, Mexico, and more. For now, we're turning the chapter on that particular kind of trip but have come to some conclusions as to our favorites among the destinations we experienced.
Here is our list of tropical beach destinations, from our least favorite to the best.
NASSAU, BAHAMAS - Run down, very little wheelchair accessibility, about the only thing we could do is visit the bars. As the late, great Merle Haggard said, "I think I'll just sit here and drink.
JAMAICA - Yes, it's beautiful and has some amazing beaches. The nightlife is wonderful as can be the food. Wheelchair access at the hotel was extensive but away from it, hardly existed.
Over a quarter century ago, my wife and I went and had a grand time but that was also before we became so wheelchair aware. This time, it stood out in relief as we went to attractions that promised to be accessible but were not when we arrived.
Add to this the incredible knot of trying to navigate immigration and customs upon arrival and the hotel not giving us near what we paid for of what was promised turns us off of the Island of Irie.
Twice was nice but a third time is not in the cards for us.
MAUI - On the other hand, I am willing to go to Hawaii again it's just not high on our list right now. Since it's in the U.S., access is good (not great). Scenery is wonderful as are the many beaches.
What keeps it placing higher is the exreme high prices you have to pay for basics when you get there and a 'barely tolerated' attitude towards visitors when you're there. It's a beautiful place but I can't really call it too friendly. Several trips have re-inforced that feeling though there are a few friendly faces here and there, enough to make me not strike it off the revisit list completely.
COSTA RICA - I want to like this verdant Central American destination better but something's just keeping it from rating higher.
It has wonderful access (better that Hawaii in some cases), enough that wheelchair users can actually take part in some of the eco adventures like zip lining and canopy tours. Public buses and many taxis are also wheelchair friendly and accessible rooms are not hard to find.
On the down side, the beaches on the Pacific side are not at all what you'd expect from a tropical beach paradise...the water's muddy and the sand more like wet dirt. While the vast majority of the people are friendly, helpful, and honest, there's a pretty big slice of people who live to rip you off from car rental counters, zoos, and dishonest tour operators.
The buyer really has to be aware in Costa Rica.
Would I go back? I wouldn't rule it out but instead of a beach vacation, I'd rather go there for the volcanoes and rain forest experiences.
PUERTO VALLARTA, MEXICO - Ah, Puerto Vallarta! Lovely city, great beaches, miles of jungle, wonderful food, a great variety of nightlife, incredible hotels...what's not to like?
Nothing, actually. It's a perfect destination...if you can walk. If you're in a wheelchair, obstacles abound.
We came here almost every year when Tim was young and it was not as big a deal to lift him over the obstacles but he's grown bigger and heavier, and I'm older and more decrepit. It's just not possible anymore.
I hear PV is getting more accessible but from what I can see, it's just not quite where it needs to be to get us to come back, yet. I would really love to go back. It is almost perfect, otherwise.
PUNTA CANA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - This one could be technically a tie between the next entry. Wonderful place, extremely friendly people, gorgeous beaches, excellent service, great food, drink, and nightlife. Accessible where it needs to be.
The only downside is that Punta Cana is rather far from any other parts of the Dominican. Would love to be able to visit the historic sites and go to a few baseball games without having to spend hundreds on a taxi to get there.
ST. CROIX, U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS - My personal favorite on this list. What's not to like? Friendly people, outstanding accomodations (especially the Buccaneer Hotel), good (but not great) access...it is part of the USA, after all, and the ADA applies...great food and drink, spectacular beaches, and fun, accessible attractions. While access could be a bit better...we could not find a boat that could accomodate us no matter how much we and the concierge tried and the old Cruzan distillery couldn't be done in a wheelchair...we did find more than at other destinations as far as attractions go. Cruzan couldn't be done but Captain Morgan allowed full access at their facility. The waterfront in Christiansted...the main town...is fully accessible and even the jungle bar with the beer-drinking pigs had an access ramp. The accessible room at the Buccaneer was nothing short of fabulous. There's still a way to go, transit is very spotty and there are very few accessible taxis, but from the incredibly warm people, outstanding service and stunning beauty make this a great destination. And with that, we close out our latest tropical chapter here at The World on Wheels. We're going to point our spotlight at other destinations for awhile but I'm sure we'll be back to a couple of spots on this list at least. Darryl Copyright 2016 - Darryl Musick All Rights Reserved
2011 saw us tackle some new, on location happy hours. Click the links below to see them...
DENVER - May found us in the mile-high city where we had a massive pub crawl. Beer, beer, and more beer is the theme of this trip...with a little wine, sherry, and tequila thrown in for good measure.
Traveling with a wheelchair poses many logistical barriers to overcome. One of the biggest is getting a proper room to sleep in. The needs can be different for every traveler. Some absolutely need a roll-in shower, for instance. We can get by with a tub and a shower chair as long as there's enough space to lift Tim through.
Watch the Video!
In the U.S. and developed countries such as you'd find in Europe, this is getting easier. Third World countries are still quite an adventure...the boundaries of the ADA have long since been crossed.
Before we get into the actual report of our trip to the Dominican Republic, I'd like to share this little room adventure with you.
First, out of around 20 resorts contacted, only one...the Riu Palace Punta Cana...would guarantee an accessible room for us. Others would just say "make the reservation and we'll see what's available when you get here."
Next, we give our travel agent our specifications. While a roll-in shower would be nice, it is not absolutely necessary for us. More important is step-free access to, and within the room with doors wide enough to fit a standard wheelchair through. It's this second part that many people we contact just don't get and can cause problems.
We don't want a roll-in shower if it's the worst room in the hotel.
The maid left this for us on our bed. Yeah, I know what it looks like but I think she was going for a heart.
On arrival, the hotel did indeed have a room with a roll-in reserved for us. The room itself was actually pretty nice, two double beds pushed together to make a super-sized king bed, a sitting area with a sofa (not a sofabed as we'd learn to our dismay), a nice little patio, great mini bar with four bottle liquor dispenser.
There were a few minor problems right away...no place for Tim to sleep, no remote for the TV, a barely hanging shower curtain, and a very loose toilet seat.
Complaints to the management secured us an extra bed (not a rollaway, an actual third bed), and a new TV and remote. The toilet seat and curtain were not fixed.
Major problems arose the first night. The location of our room was way, way in the back of the hotel...about as far away from the beach and pool as you could get. It was also right next door to another room that the staff were using as storage and right around the corner from the main work room of housekeeping. It was noisy all night long but they did quiet down a bit after I went outside and asked them to keep it down.
The next morning, I took my bloodshot eyes along with Tim and Letty to the front desk to complain. We were moved to a much nicer room, albeit without the roll-in shower, with step free access in a quieter, nicer location.
To their credit, management at the Riu were very accommodating in making us happy and after the move we had a very, very good time.
Looking back, if we had needed to keep the roll-in room, I'm sure that they would have taken care of all our concerns but on the first day when we didn't know how well they respond to complaints, we had no idea if they would or wouldn't. Since we could do without it, it was time to make that move.
Just one of the many adventures that await you as a wheelchair traveler...remember to always pack your sense of humor and be willing to roll with the punches. You'll have a great time.
-Darryl Copyright 2011 - Darryl Musick All Rights Reserved
