Punta Cana was a unique experience for me simply for the fact that I was staying on a resort. Every trip preceding this one meant staying at an Airbnb or hostel to immerse myself into the culture of the place I was visiting. A resort meant I was completely disconnected from the Dominican culture. It had more of a vacation than an exploratory vibe. This only happened because I was there with 6 friends, two of which were celebrating birthdays.
This was the most I’d ever spent on any trip and I didn’t understand why until I arrived at the resort. I was instantly greeted by friendly staff that helped me check in and escorted me to my room. I had a personal butler, yes my own butler, that I could call any time if I needed anything. The fridge in my room was completely stocked with juice, water, and alcohol. I laid down for a few minutes taking in the extravagance of my bedroom. My friends arrived hours prior so I eventually decided to meet up with them at the pool. Everything that happened after this is a blur. The next thing I remember is drinking on a boat and hearing that I was signed up to do karaoke. I picked one of my favorite Luther Vandross songs, which happened to be 7 minutes long. The moment I was called on stage was when the alcohol I was consuming hit me hard. Obviously this affected my singing but I didn’t care. In my mind I sounded amazing. I sang my heart out and felt great about it. After I got off stage I assumed the moment was over, never to be spoken of again. I couldn’t have been more wrong. This performance made me famous for the remainder of my trip with both the staff and guests. People knew who I was everywhere I went on the resort. I felt like a black William Hung. My fame didn’t end there though. The next day I entered a bowling competition with 30 other people and won! I was given a shiny gold medal which I wore every single day to be obnoxious.
Later my friends and I went on an excursion which involved driving dune buggies through the countryside and stopping at different points. Through this I learned more about the coffee industry and the indigenous history. As we drove through the neighborhoods there were children standing on the corners waiting to greet us. Some waved, some ran alongside us, others put their hands out to touch us. There was so much excitement by our presence. During this excursion I made two terrible decisions, allowing my drunk friend to drive and letting her hold my phone. She crashed twice, once into a tree and another time into a ditch. The employees in charge were so upset they demanded that we switch places so that I could drive. Next, we arrived at a beautiful beach and I was taking it all in. Then I watched this same friend run into the ocean with my phone on her waist. I stopped her before she went too far but she still instantly fumbled and dropped it into the ocean. I put it in rice for 2 days but to no avail. The salt of the ocean made recovery impossible. I was so distraught I couldn’t be connected to social media or communicate with my girlfriend at the time. I was convinced the world had to know how much fun I was having and now I had no way of communicating that. It was at that moment that I realized how attached I was to my phone. I was so sad that day but in hindsight it was a blessing in disguise because it forced me to disconnect and enjoy the moment without distractions.
Back at the resort I had the opportunity to learn more about the lives of the people serving me. This is when I learned the ugly truth about the resort industry. Most of the employees work as much as 14 hours a day for low wages with little time off so they seldom see their families. I remember one employee telling me he hasn’t seen his kids in 2 years because he isn’t given the time to. They all migrated from other parts of the island, hours away by car for this job opportunity. As I sat on the beach eating lobster and drinking my strawberry daiquiri, I felt terrible that I was contributing to the ruthless exploitation of these beautiful people. Still, they were always upbeat and worked hard everyday with smiles on their faces, grateful to have employment.
The last night of the trip we went out to a nightclub in the city. I loved leaving the resort because it allowed me to see more of what it’s like to live as a local. We danced to reggaeton and hip-hop, drank, and people watched. It was a good time. Upon leaving the nightclub I felt something tugging at my feet. I looked down to see a boy, not older than 12, begging to clean my shoes in exchange for money because he was hungry. He was persistent and didn’t bother anyone else in my group which I assume is because of my dark skin I looked the most like him compared to my friends. I will never forget the look of desperation and pain in his eyes as he knelt in front of me tugging on my pants hoping I would help him. As I put my hands in my pockets to see how much cash I had on me, he was quickly shooed away. In an instant he was gone. I still think about him sometimes wishing I would’ve done more in that moment.
Punta Cana was a much needed relaxing time away from home. I learned, made new friends, and built a closer bond with those I came with. I will never forget the hospitality and kindness of the Dominican people.
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