Morning Sun and Riu Palace Punta Cana

I'm spending another morning poolside and waiting for Chris.
To be fair, she is generally still awake and reading long after I've gone to sleep.
And I'm more of a morning person than she is.

I thought I'd write a little bit about the Riu Palace Punta Cana.
I've been using the full name because there are 5 different Riu resorts on this complex.
This resort has a little bit of age to it, but it is well maintained. Actual door keys and keys to the in room safe are a telltale sign that it was built quite some time ago. Having to keep track of keys and keep them safe while on the beach or in the pool is a bit of a pain.
Also, only one pool is a little unusual for a resort this size.

The ocean here (Atlantic) is relatively calm and so it may be that more guests opt for the ocean than the pool. We are on the north side of the eastern point of the Dominican Republic. The resorts on the south side of the point are on the Caribbean Ocean.

The resort staff is very good.
If you are looking for a Dominican resort that has everything you need and aren't looking to be able to walk into the town or city, I'd recommend it. It was a $30 roundtrip taxi fare for us to ride the few miles to the nearest shopping center. The fare seemed a little high, but with gas at close to $2 per liter ...

The evening specialty restaurants have been good and reservations are not required.
There are five.
The first night we went to a French restaurant. I had a sea bass dish that was quite tasty! I don't know how authentic it was to a true French establishment, but since the Italian place didn't seem like a traditional Italian restaurant...
In any case, both were wonderful dining experiences.

The Japanese restaurant was also good. I can honestly say that I don't remember what I ordered, only that I enjoyed it.

The Brazilian restaurant (How many are in a brazilian?) had a salad bar to start with and a dessert bar to finish. In between the two, they came around with the traditional meat skewers. They also brought a sizzling skillet of fried potatoes, onions and bacon wrapped banana.

I don't know if we will return to one of these tonight or go to the one remaining specialty restaurant -- the steakhouse. I like steak, but let's face it -- we live in cattle country! I doubt they will have better cuts of steak than are found in Southwest Missouri.
Perhaps, we'll see.

Now to struggle through the day trying to find the balance between sun and shade, activity and rest, and the need to stay properly hydrated.

John <><