Before today, my knowledge of the Dominican Republic was basically: baseball comes from here; also baseball; did I mention baseball? ⚾ (Which, to be fair, isn't wrong — over 10% of MLB players are Dominican, and the country basically breathes baseball the way most people breathe oxygen.) But stepping outside changed everything.
Welcome to Jurassic Park (but with Better Wi-Fi)
First impressions: jaw-dropping. The place looks like someone ripped a page out of Jurassic Park — lush green mountains, dramatic cliffs, rainforest mist drifting across the hills. If a velociraptor had run by, I'd have said, "Yeah, this tracks." I even played the Jurassic Park theme out loud to set the mood. 🦕 Giant windmills spun across the horizon and a huge rainbow stretched across the sky like nature decided to brag. Hard to believe 11.5 million people live here — it feels wild and untouched, yet bustling and alive at the same time. We had room service breakfast (the true vacation flex), then headed out.
Ocean World: Dolphins, Evolution & a Tiny Identity Crisis
This was the VIP experience, which translates to: "No waiting, no chaos — straight to dolphin hugs." And honestly… incredible. The first dolphin we met found a rock and threw it at us, clearly ready to play catch. Or to test our reflexes. Hard to say. I tossed it back, and it retrieved it like a dog with a PhD. Once the trainers joined us, things got real: we touched them, hugged them, one gave me a kiss in my ear (unexpected… yet oddly flattering), we danced the merengue together (they're better dancers than I am), we held flippers like we were on a dolphin date — and then the big one: a dolphin-powered boogie-board push. 💨🌊 Those dolphins LAUNCHED us across the lagoon. I'm pretty sure I hit speeds that violate maritime law.
I liked dolphins before. Now? I'm convinced aliens will talk to them first when they land. Smart, coordinated, emotionally aware, and honestly probably better conversationalists than most humans. 👽🐬 Afterward we wandered the aviary — flamingos sleeping with their necks folded up like origami, toucans that look like they were designed by a committee of children using leftover crayons — and caught the sea lion show, which was very cool but let's be honest: the dolphins stole the spotlight hours earlier.
Amber Cove is named for — shockingly — amber. The Dominican Republic is home to some of the world's rarest, including the famous blue amber. It forms from a prehistoric tree, Hymenaea protera, and glows bright blue in sunlight due to aromatic hydrocarbons. Basically: fossilized tree sap that hit the genetic lottery. 💙🪨 We found an earthcache about it, answered the questions (nerd victory unlocked), and celebrated with a cold Presidente, the national beer of the DR.
DR Is a Vibe
We've barely scratched the surface, but it's already climbing the list of "places we want to know more about." Beautiful, friendly, culturally rich, and apparently full of dolphins smarter than all of us. We're already talking about learning more — and yes, saying "Hello Duolingo!" because Spanish class starts… eventually. 🦉 Back onboard, beer in hand, sun on my face, and a mind full of dolphins. Perfect day. 🌴😎
Dolphins: hugged, danced with, launched by. Sea turtles: still theoretical. We met the geniuses of the sea today — but the reptile we seek remains elusive.