Excelente

I’ve been sitting here off and on for three days trying to think of my opening sentence for this blog. I was going to begin with the passport saga that almost prevented this trip but that isn’t the story here. I thought about some brief introduction discussing how all-inclusive resorts aren’t necessarily my favorite way to experience a place but that felt off, too. So instead, here I am explaining my labyrinth-like thought process because my brain operates more like a pinball machine than a bowling lane. But, as is tradition, I digress.

Punta Cana was never really described to me by past visitors in any other language than one related to pools, cocktails, beaches, and the ability to eat and drink all you want, whenever you want. No one has ever shared with me their conversations with resort employees or what the drive to “Resort Row” looked like through their eyes. It’s very possible that no one ever thought those things were important or interesting. Realistically, most people only want to know about accommodations and pricing. If that’s what you’re here for, a review of Majestic Elegance in Punta Cana, please find my soon to be written reviews on TripAdvisor and Yelp. But the towel softness and noise levels are not why we’re here today. 

Depending on how speedy your transportation from the airport is to your resort, you might blink and miss some of the local sights. I am a notorious window seat grabber and need to see the world pass me by so I can take in as much of a city as I can. En route to our resort I saw a fruit stand, a juice bar, a restaurant that I wish we could have stopped into, and a spot that appeared to be a small, open air bar with bottles of rum lining the interior. Sadly, I didn’t get to experience any of those local spots, but I hope Future Jen will get that chance.

All-inclusive resorts are not necessarily my first pick for a vacation. I like to experience a  city for the local culture rather than a sterile piece of paradise. But somewhere between the buffets and poolside cocktails, I found the joyous employees and shared conversations about work-life balance and even became friends with one of them on Facebook. 

Judit was our energetic poolside cocktail waitress who would sing as she walked around checking in with guests; she even got to know us by name. She would be visibly disappointed when we were done drinking for the day and was especially sad to see us go as our trip came to a close and shared the kindest words, “You’re all so fun. A lot of people here are cranky even though they’re on vacation.” Friends, if you’re in a bad mood in a land of nonstop cocktails and Caribbean sunsets, it may be time to reevaluate some things. Judit lives two hours away in a city called San Pedro de Macoris and is the mother of two beautiful children. Rather than commute two hours each way, she shares a rented space with a few other women. Judit comes into Punta Cana and stays near the resort for 12 days and then is able to go home for 2 or 3 days. Yes, 12 days in a row of work and only 2-3 days off. And in between those working hours, which are very long days, she isn’t going home to her own bed or to see her children. And yet here was Judit - happy, smiling, singing. I can say with complete certainty that I would not be quite so full of cheer if that was my work schedule. I also recall when she stopped by to say, “I’m going to eat lunch quick. I’ll be right back,” and we told her to take all the time she needs and not to rush. Judit was back with her drink tray walking by the poolside beds within 20 minutes, still smiling and singing. It made me feel weak in the best way possible for all the times I’ve complained about a long commute or proudly stated that I was taking my full lunch hour on a given day. Sometimes a little perspective goes a long way.

One night for dinner we were able to get a reservation at Limited Gourmand, a restaurant on premises with rotating cuisine options. The menu selections during our trip were French inspired. We were seated in a lovely dining space with white linens and understated elegance. We began to peruse the wine list and Deivy, the sommelier, came by to provide some insight. We shared what we typically drink at home and without even a moment of hesitation, he provided one red and one white recommendation; we loved both. I enjoyed the lamb and we all indulged in dessert.

My husband and I later had an opportunity to have a private wine tasting experience with Deivy at the steakhouse in the wine room. This was a wonderfully intimate experience with a table for two, rose petals, wine picks selected by Deivy himself, and several courses of food including sushi, cheeses, and a dessert trio. Deivy would ask us to guess what region some wines were from before revealing the answer, and I’m proud(?) to say I was right for 3. We ended up trying (having about half of a bottle of) six wines as well as three shots of liquor. During the tasting we got to chat with Deivy a bit. He has two sons, ages 1 and 3. He told us that he “never sleeps” and we laughed, realizing some truths are simply universal across cultures and oceans: if you have young kids, you are likely sleep deprived. I asked about his favorite Dominican food and he said it was sancocho to which I replied that we will have to come over for dinner next time we visit. He was more than happy but also shared that he lives about an hour from the resort. Unlike Judit, Deivy does head into work every day and home each night. Deivy has been with the resort for 10 years and said he is very happy to be there. He paid for all of his training to become a sommelier and his passion for wine and connecting with guests was absolutely evident. Franklin, who assisted with the wine tasting, also worked at the steakhouse and his vibrant personality was infectious. It was completely impossible not to smile if Franklin was there, dancing as he poured your water.

Santiago, Eddy, Junior, Luisa, Orlando, and Mirurgia were other members of the Majestic Elegance team who made our experience so incredible. Eddy would always ask how we were and if we replied, “good” he would say, “No. ¡Excelente!” To be fair, I don’t feel excelente on most days but since returning home I have tried to respond with more honesty to the query of “How are you?” with responses like, “A little tired today” or “Good but it’s been a busy morning.” I’ll have to keep working toward excelente. 

I had the pleasure of practicing my Spanish with several staff members and enjoyed digging into my high school brain to remember verb conjugations. And friends, that’s certainly a tip I have for you wherever you travel: Try to bring some of the language of the land with you wherever you go. I witnessed far too many people appearing aggravated when employees didn’t speak fluent, flawless English in a country whose native language is Spanish. No, that Eurocentrist BS won’t fly with me. It is respectful and honorable to at least learn some basics like thank you, please, good morning, and how to order a drink. There are way too many free language learning apps out there for you to go to another country and assume they speak your language. Oh, and please tip when you go to these resorts. While you’re relaxing these employees are working hard in hot, humid weather and some extra gratitude in the form of dinero will go a long way in their lives (and let’s be honest, for the service you receive). 

An all-inclusive vacation is whatever you make of it. It can be relaxing by the pool or on the beach and only speaking to resort employees for the sake of ordering drinks or it can be an opportunity to connect with new people and seek your own adventure. I sit here and reflect fondly on the smiles enjoyed between myself and the Dominican people I got to share space with for a week. I hope to return one day and perhaps enjoy a chance to experience life off of the resort and try some authentic sancocho with Deivy. But until that day I will carry these memories with me and look to encourage you to open up and connect with people on your next journey, whether it be an all-inclusive resort or chatting with the bartender at your local pub. People have stories and stories bring us closer to bridging the gap between cultures and countries. Let’s all use our voices to find commonalities with one another and embrace the differences we learn about through these conversations. I hope your next conversation with someone new is excelente.