Historical Study of the Dominican Republic

I know very little history of the Caribbean Islands, other than it's exploration by the European Conquistadors. Of course I enjoyed the movie series of Pirates of the Caribbean, yet this is a fictional account of captain Jack Sparrow's adventures around the islands. It was only a few years ago I made me first academic dive on this region after playing the video game Assassins' Creed 4: Black Flag. The game was set in the early 1700s during the Golden Age of Piracy. The map consisted of Cuba, Jamaica, and the Bahamas with port cities of Nassau, Kingston, and Havana. I was very inspired by the historical context and made several posts regarding The Golden Age of Piracy and the Age of Exploration. However both these posts were probably more so from a European perspective driving the change, rather than the local indigenous perspective. 

This recent fascination is of course brought on from my trip to the Dominican Republic. I can honestly say I was never really drawn to Dominican (or even Caribbean culture) and hardly had it on my bucket list other than maybe a tropical getaway. It was my mom's idea to visit this Latin country fluent in Spanish. After a week at the Punta Cana resort and a visit to Santo Domingo I left the island so inspired by it's history. I came to the understanding that the Dominican Republic was the headquarters of the age of exploration. Santo Domingo became the staging ground for European trade, civilization, and further exploration into Central and South America. 

Before I move my focus entirely on the Dominican Republic, I'd like to briefly touch upon the full map of the Caribbean Islands. There's about 6 main islands and the rest are much smaller reefs part of the Lesser Antilles. This main islands include Cuba, Bahamas, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, and Hispaniola (which consists of Haiti and the Dominican Republic). Other smaller islands consist of Antigua, Cayman Islands, Aruba, and Barbados to name a few. Each of these islands were settled by one of the European nations during the Age of Exploration. Jamaica and Bahamas were settled by the English dominion, Haiti was settled by the French, and the Spanish settled Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic. Over time these indigenous people were assimilated to speak the language, practice the Christian religion, and take on the customs of the Europeans. But who were they before the conquest?

The Taino

Similar to the Aztecs, Mayans, and Incas the Caribbean Islands were also inhabited by an indigenous people. They were known as the Taino, an off branch of the Arawak people that had migrated from the Amazons of northern South America. These people spread across the main islands of the Caribbean all with different branches and leadership. Their chiefs were known as caciques and their word was law over the society. Below them were the nobles (known as nitainos) and the common folk (known as naborias). Like most indigenous tribes they also had their spiritual healers known as Bohiques. 

The Taino tribes lived in settlements throughout the islands known as yucayeques. The largest of these tribes were based in Puerto Rico and Hispaniola. Some of their larger buildings were known as bohios and could house10 to 15 families in them. Most the men and women were naked until marriage at which point they would wear aprons and jewelry. Their most popular sport was batey, juggling a ball in the air with players, in a round court made of stones. While they were mostly a peaceful people they often wore war paint on their face and their weapon of choice was the war club known as macanas. Some of the most famous words to come from the Taino are hammock, canoe, barbecue, savanna, and hurricane. 

The ancient religion of the Taino was worshiping their deities known as the Zemi. This was practiced thru sculptural objects often made of wood depicting monstrous/ other-worldly creatures. The spirit of the Zemi dwelled in these sculptures and served as powerful totems. Their creator god was known as Yucahu who governs the land and food while his wife Attabeira governs the waters, river, and sea. Some of the sub deities pertain to the weather, much necessary for growing crops in those days such as the rain god known as Boinayel. Even famous Taino caciques and warriors took on the role of spiritiual Zemi's after their death. The Zemi relics were often housed in shrines and very important part of the bohiques spiritual healing practices. 

Arrival of Christopher Columbus

On his first voyage in 1492 Christopher Columbus first arrived to San Salvador, Bahamas, then journeyed along the eastern coast of Cuba, and to the northern coast of Hispanoila before returning to Europe. During his visits to the mainland he encountered the local tribes of Taino, Lucayan, and Arawek people. He quickly noticed they possessed primitive weapons and would be easy to conquer, and thus took some as prisoners to help guide him along the islands. On Christmas Day in western Hispaniola (present day Haiti) Columbus established the settlement of La Navidad and left 39 of his men with the locals. The fort was later destroyed by the local Taino. Columbus continued exploring the coastline of eastern Hispaniola then returned to Europe. 

On Columbus' second voyage in 1493 he first explored the islands of the Lesser Antilles, then discovered Puerto Rico, explored the western coast of Cuba, and completely encircled the Hispaniola island. He founded the city of La Isabela, named after Queen Isabelle of Spain, located on the northeastern coast of Hispaniola, which became the new European stronghold replacing La Navidad. However this city underwent disease and hunger and quickly collapsed a couple years later. The settlement of Santo Domingo was later established in 1496 in the southeastern coast, by Christopher's brother Bartholomew Columbus. This replaced La Isabela as the new central hub for European settlement in the New World. To this day it stands as the oldest European settlements in the Americas.

European Settlement

Following Columbus' discovery of the New World more and more European explorers began arriving to conquer the land full of wealth. Santo Domingo became the main governing colony of the Spanish Empire. The primitive Tainos were easily subdued into slavery mining for gold for the Europeans. During the 1500-1530s they were quickly eliminated due to disease, harsh labor, and mass executions by the conquistadors. The local native slaves were later replaced by African slaves to work the fields of sugar cane. Many of these African slaves escaped outside the city to live freely in the rural mountain ranges of Hispaniola. They became known as cimarrons, "wild animals". Throughout the 1520-1540s Santo Domingo became assaulted by numerous slave uprisings and pirate attacks. By 1560 Santo Domingo had lost it's central trading hub to the rising influence of Havana in Cuba.

Soon after Mexico, Central America, and South America became more sought after by the European explorers seeking to cash in on the undiscovered wealth. The island of Hispaniola quickly became one of anarchy, piracy, and poverty. In 1586 the city of Santo Domingo was captured by the British pirate Sir Francis Drake of England who collected a ransom from Spain. Even more damaging to the Spanish colony was increasing trade with their enemy the Dutch. By the 1600s the Spanish Empire put stricter regulations on Santo Domingo to root out the contraband and piracy that was occurring throughout the island. This inquest referred to as the Devastations of Osorios led to much death and ruin throughout the southeastern region of Hispaniola. 

By 1629 French pirates began settling in present day Haiti, particularly the island of Tortuga. Ten years later the French made the island it's colony and began settling further into the western region of Hispaniola. By 1697 at the end of the Nine Years War, Spain handed over the western region of the island to French control in the Treaty of Ryswick. This thus became a new colony of France, present day Haiti, separate from the Spanish colony of Hispaniola. Spain continued to defend numerous assaults on their capital of Santo Domingo from Oliver Cromwell in 1655 and many pirate raids throughout the early 1700s. The conflict over territory in the Caribbean between Spain and England reached a boiling point at the War of Jenkins Ear from 1739-1748. This naval conflict took place in many Caribbean locations and islands, however no major change come of it.

During the 1800s at the onset of Napoleon's mighty French Empire, the Haitian general Toussaint Louverture began the Haitian Revolution. Napoleon sent a fleet to not only quell the Haitian island but also conquer Santo Domingo. The Haitian rebel army under the leadership of Toussaint were able to acheive their independence in 1804 which drove the French army to the eastern region of Hispaniola. They remained there holding influence over Santo Domingo until 1809 when they were driven out by the Spanish armies. This brought upon the final age of Spanish colonization in Santo Domingo known as their foolish dominion. The government quickly lost it's influence to the local inhabitants that were now a mix of Taino, former black slaves, and Spanish settlers. It was only a matter of time until Santo Domingo followed the example of the other ongoing revolutions of the United States, Mexico, and  Simon Bolivar in South America. 

War of Independence

The fervor of independence was spreading all throughout the Americas during the late 1700s early 1800s (and even France). This included the Caribbean islands where Haiti became the first to be recognized as an independent nation free from France in 1804. The Spanish colony of Santo Domingo began it's movement for independence shortly after this. Under the leadership of Jose Nunez de Caceres their first independence was achieved with the establishment of the Republic of Spanish Haiti in 1821. Knowing that Spain and Haiti still posed a threat however they attempted to align themselves with the newly established Gran Colombia. However it was too little too late, and the Republic of Spanish Haiti was short-lived for no more than year and conquered by Haiti in 1822. This lead to a brutal 20 year period of persecution and forced assimilation into Haitian policy and customs. 

In 1838 a new independence movement arose from the underground led by Juan Pablo Duarte known as La Trinitaria. Backed by wealthy ranchers, they coordinated their declaration of independence at the same time that Haiti was going thru a contentious presidential election in 1844. The land of Santo Domingo was now known as the Dominican Republic. The Haitian president responded shortly by sending an army of 40,000 to restore authority, however they were repelled by the Dominican militia. Several more attempts were made by the Haitian government to restore it's territory but all attempts were defended by the newly established Dominican Republic. 

The First Republic lasted from 1844 until 1861 when it was once again occupied by Spanish Imperial forces. This lead to the National War of Restoration in 1863 which essentially became a guerilla war against the Spanish army. The occupancy quickly became unpopular throughout Spain, due to their withering funds and the rising concerns of yellow fever in the region. By 1865 they completely withdrew their forces and the Dominican Republic was restored. This time it lasted until 1916 during WWI when the United States occupied the island in fears that Germany would take it. In 1924 the US withdrew their occupancy and authority was restored to the Dominican Republic for a third time.

From 1931 to 1961 President Rafael Trujillo established a strong political and economic system. Although he had a similar authoritarian personality as Francis Franco or even Hitler, he chose to welcome Spanish refugees and Jews fleeing Europe. He even sided with the Allies when Pearl Harbor was bombed by the Japanese. Although he was able to boost the Dominican economy and infrastructure he made many political enemies including with the United States and was eventually assassinated. Following his death there was a period of instability and a civil war that broke out in 1965. By 1966 the Civil war came to an end and order was once again restored in the nation. A fourth republic was established with the election of Joaquin Balaguer in 1966 which still exists today. 

Punta Cana Trip 2023

This past week I spent an incredibly relaxing week with family at an all inclusive resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. This was the first time I've ever had such an experience where all drinks and foods were included with the hotel. The plan was brought on about a year ago, by my mom, who had heard great things about this location. Normally our vacations consist of a lot of sightseeing, but this would be quite a different one. It would be a much needed vacation of purely rest and relaxation. Plus I had never been to the Caribbean islands. I made our bookings several months ago at the Majestic Colonial Resort which included the flight, hotel, food, and drinks. Going on the trip would be my parents, Ofelia, Gabriel, Andres, and myself. This was an adventurous and relaxing experience that I will now detail, while it is still all fresh in my mind. 

Thursday-Friday

After I finished work on Thursday, I drove home to pickup Cochie and Mugsy then drove straight to Fort Wayne. I dropped Cochie and Mugsy off at my parents house, where Gily and Natalia would be watching them for the week. We then left that evening to Chicago, where my dad had arranged a hotel/shuttle/parking for the week near the O'hare Airport. The hotel was a very shady one at a Red Roof Inn, and we didn't feel all that safe. Gabriel also met us that evening at the hotel while Andres stayed with friends and planned to meet us the next day. We woke up early at around 5am, and caught the shuttle to the airport. Our shuttle driver was a very energetic and organized person and got us to the airport on time. 

We hit a bit of a problem checking into our flight due to the DR's requirement of E-tickets. My mom had warned me of this, but I had never heard of it and was caught a bit off guard. At the check-in desk I had to fill out everyone's passport info on my phone to send to the DR. From that point on we got our boarding passes and everything went smoothly. Andres eventually met us and we boarded the plane and took off by 8:30am. The flight wasn't too bad and I watched Wedding Singer and No Hard Feelings. We arrived in Punta Cana by around 2:30pm. I had arranged a taxi pickup thru Expedia and they were awaiting us. The guy was very friendly, named Domingo, and gave us some quick tips about the DR. Which included not drinking the water. The drive from the airport to the resort took about 30 minutes. 

We were welcomed to the Majestic Colonial Resort like kings and queens. Our bags were collected and we were escorted to the VIP lounge (which I had arranged thru my Expedia membership). There was fresh tasty espresso coffee and snacks waiting for us. After we completed the check-in process we were introduced to our butler, David who gave us a quick tour of the resort and showed us to our rooms. We spent a little extra to get ocean view rooms, however quickly noticed one of the rooms had a poor view due to a towel shack. We requested to swap out this room the next day. Once we were finished checking into our rooms we did not waste time to get some food. This was probably around 4pm and we went to the beach buffet. The spread had a lot of unique Dominican food, seafood, meats, and salad. I had a beer, known as Presidente, and a passion fruit Margarita. The servers were very friendly.

After we ate, we rested a bit more in the hotel, then got our bathing suits on and went to the beach. We ordered some pina coladas at the beach bar. The water was very warm, refreshing, and of course quite salty. However there was one major disappointment with the ocean, and that was the very rocky surface. I had expected super soft sand but the ground was covered in very unbalancing rocks. Sometimes it was easy to scrape your feet on these rocks as the waves pushed you around. I also often found myself falling into deeper rock holes in the ground. After a little bit of adjustment however I got use to avoiding the ground, or touching it very lightly. Another annoyance was the many vendors along the beach. We still however made an effort to spend some time at the beach everyday. I preferred it much more than the pool.

That evening we showered up, dressed up, and got some drinks at the plaza bar. There was some live music there, a rather chubby guy who couldn't quite hit the high notes. I ordered my first cocktail, a rather strong concoction of blue-syrupy rum. I wasn't quite up on my mixed drinks so just asked the bartender to make me something special, and he made me something quite strong. I finished it nonetheless with a decent buzz. For dinner we ate at the Masuri Japanese Grill. This included a sushi bar as well as a hibachi grill. We were all quite filled-up after the sushi bar, but then came the stir-fried rice, chicken, steak, shrimp, and salmon. I enjoyed the food very much, and we were all beyond full after that dinner. 

For dessert we walked over to the Supreme Buffet and I remember being shocked at how much food was still sitting there to be thrown away. As full as I was I still had a loaded donut. After this we briefly caught some live entertainment at the Theatre, which was a classic rock show. Andres and I played some ping pong, then Gabriel and I played some pool. We stayed at the theatre for maybe an hour or so, then called it a night by around 10ish. I was quite wiped out and fell fast asleep. 

Saturday

I knew I had to do some running on this vacation as I am still training for the Monumental Half Marathon. So I got up, had some tasty espresso coffee, then searched for the gym. It was quite rainy that morning and took me a little bit to find the gym, since it was not connected to the main lobby. Once there I ran 4 miles on the treadmill. This was one of those treadmills that annoyingly shuts down after about 20 minutes (which interrupts my flow). After I finished my run I went back to my room, quite sweaty, skipped breakfast, and took a shower. Unfortunately there was no breakfast spot close to our room, since the main lobby was a good 5-minute walk. It continued to rain all morning, so we hung out at our room outside the patio. Gabriel took a bath outside and popped open a bottle of champagne. 

For lunch we went to the Beach Buffet, and I was very hungry having skipped breakfast. The waitress was very friendly with us and kept the drinks coming. I ordered a very tasty Miami Vice which was a mixture of a Pina Colada and Strawberry Daquiri. We then relaxed at the beach for most the afternoon. My mom and I bought some trinkets from one of the vendors. That evening we went to the 5 o'clock church service at the chapel. It was quite an interactive mass, as the pastor recruited me to do the reading and my mom to translate his service. I had not done a reading since high school, but think I did quite well, including the responsorial psalm as well. After mass we all took a photo with the priest and the small congregation. 

For dinner we went to the Taino Restaurant, near the lobby, which specialized in Caribbean and Mexican food. We had the option to either order from the menu or go to the buffet, which we all decided the latter. After this we went to the plaza bar for a little bit, where the same chubby guy was singing. Gabriel danced with one of the local girls. That evening we went back to the theatre to catch the Disco Show. This was a much better performance than the night before, with a full backup band and some great vocalists performing the most popular disco hits of the 70s-80s. We stayed for the entire show and think all of us really enjoyed it, especially Gabriel. 

Sunday

That morning I got up and went back to the gym first thing to get my run over with. I once again did a 4-miler on the treadmill, then scouted out the nearby Legends Sports Bar. It appeared the sports bar did not open until evening, which would have been disappointing for the big Lions game. I later found out from David however that the bar would be open by afternoon. After a shower, I was luckily able to catch my parents finishing breakfast at the Supreme Buffett. I had some very tasty donuts, pastries, and tropical juices there.  

After breakfast we ventured to the lobby to make arrangements for an excursion to Santo Domingo and reservations to the French restaurant. This was quite a time consuming process however as we waited maybe 10 minutes to finally get service and even longer to work things out. We made our plans to leave Monday morning with a driver and tour guide to get a full tour of the biggest city in DR. The drive itself was going to be about 3 hours, but we all agreed we needed some sort of adventure. After we worked things out we spent another 10 minutes with a different person making reservations for the French Restaurant. We didn't understand why it took so long, other then poor organization. After we left the guest services, another person tried to flag us down to re-arrange our plans but we told him we just didn't want to waste the time. 

For lunch I was able to get dad to join me to watch the Lions game. We ventured to the Legends Sports Bar, but right away I was quite disappointment with the setup. This included three big theatre style screens, one of which was not even working. We asked the host if he could get the Lions game on, but he seemed to pre-occupied with other issues. I highly doubt he even had access to the game. We ordered a round of drinks there, then left after about 10 minutes. I think I also came to the realization that even if we had the game on TV, watching a football game was not something to be done at a tropical location. So my dad and I rejoined the group at the lunch buffet. Our waitress was especially friendly to me and kept the Presidente beers rolling. 

After this we hung out at the beach for most the afternoon. I ordered a very tasty strawberry daiquiri and got some reading done in my book, the Secrets of the Immortal Nicolas Flamel. That evening we went to El Rodeo for dinner which was at the beach plaza. I ordered a beer and the lobster. I honestly was not all that impressed with the food there, but still ate so much as I finished mine and helped Ofelia finish her steak. That evening dad and I took a late night swim in the pool, which I thought was lit up so nicely at night. We managed to get from our end of the hotel all the way to the plaza and got to watch some of the entertainment from the pool. However one of the managers warned us that the pool was very heavy with chlorine in the evenings, although he did not tell us to get out. After this late night swim, dad and I walked over to the beach where they were having a dance party. We stayed for maybe 15 minutes hoping to meet up with Gabriel, but then returned to the hotel for the night.

Monday

That morning we got room service at around 7am, arranged by our butler David. The food was quite cold but still this made our morning easier before we set off to Santo Domingo. We met our taxi driver, Roberto, at the front of the lobby he was very kind and showed us to his van. The trip was a good 3 hours, but still very interesting to observe the DR countryside. It really reminded me of Venezuela or Costa Rica. My mom and Ofelia talked in Spanish with the guy the whole way, while I got some reading done in my book. We stopped at a rest area half way to get some coffee and go to the bathroom. 

Once there our first stop was at the famous national park known as Los Tres Ojos (which means the three eyes). This is a reference to three (actually four) underground lakes that dwell in caves. We met our tour guide there, who was loaded with information. The trip to get to the lakes consisted of many stairs thru beautiful caves. Each of the lakes had a crystal blue color to them with superstitious ties pertaining to luck, wealth, and love. The guide informed us that many Hollywood movies were filmed in these caves such as Jurassic Park III, Anaconda, and Pirates of the Caribbean (where Jack Sparrow and Barbosa have their final confrontation). After this we went to a giant mausoleum dedicated to Christopher Columbus known as Columbus Lighthouse (erected in 1992). It is believe that some of Columbus' bones are kept at the central tomb of the giant building. The site was also host to Pope John Paul II's visit in 1992, commemorated by his pope mobile outside the building. While the building I thought was a rather impressive site, it was unfortunately poorly managed and already showing signs of wear.    

After this we got lunch downtown near the Cuidad Colonial (the Old European Town of Santo Domingo). We ate at a tasty buffet, where our driver Roberto was able to get us a discount. After this we explored the beautiful colonial city that was established by the conquistadors of the 1500s. Our tour guide showed us the many churches, palaces, and homes of the famous conquistadors such as Columbus, Cortez, and Pizzaro. I was quite inspired by the trip and learned that Santo Domingo was at one point the main city of the New World in the early 1500s. It was named after Saint Dominique, and considered the gateway to the Caribbean where many other conquistadors staged their operations from.  

As we continued to walk thru old town, our guide also showed us the famous street where a scene in Godfather 2 was filmed. This is when Michael Corleone witnesses a suicide bomber take out some local soldiers. While the movie takes place in Cuba, much of it was filmed in the DR due to political reasons. We dropped in on several souvenir shops, who were all friendly and treated us to their local Mamajuana drinks. After a couple hours in the city, Ofelia and dad started getting quite tired so we decided to call it a day. I did a little bit more reading on the way home, but also fell asleep for a little bit. We paid our driver in pesos and got back to the hotel around 5pm. 

For dinner we went to the Supreme Buffet, then dad and I walked around for a bit exploring the resort. We ventured off to the neighboring resorts which included the Elegance and Mirage for adult/club members. We found the Elegance to be quite empty and without any restaurants at all (I believe the Mirage does have some however). After this we got back to the hotel early and rested up for a bit as I planned to go to the disco that night at 11pm. Gabriel however decided to bail so I just went with Andres. I really wasn't sure what to expect, but had a couple pre-game drinks to loosen up. Surprisingly it was actually a fun night, and right from the get-go we got pulled to the dance floor by some older attractive blond ladies. There were many pretty girls on the dance floor, however no more than about 20 or so. We stayed until about 12:30 when we felt the dancefloor was thinning out.

Tuesday

That morning I intended to go for a run but didn't sleep too well and felt a little hungover. So instead I joined mom and dad for breakfast at the Supreme Buffet. After this we spent the entire morning at the beach. I got some good reading, relaxing, and swim in. Mom and Andres got their hair done in braids that morning. I mustered up some energy to play volleyball with Gabriel. It was very hot and sunny that day, and while it was fun, it was also very exhausting. For lunch we once again went to the Supreme Buffet, then back to the hotel to rest a bit. Gabriel continued to get drunk at the pool bar. 

That evening we walked around for a bit by the beach then had some drinks near the lobby bar. For dinner we went back to the Taino Caribbean Restaurant and this time decided to get the Mexican food. I was getting quite burnt out on the Caribbean seafood, so decided to order a hamburger with fries (dad did the same). Our waitress brought us some bonus drinks which included a tasty sangria and group shots of mamajuana. After this we went to the souvenir shops on Caribbean street where I bought some trinkets. We then went to the Circus show for a little bit, but mom was getting sleepy so we called it an early night.

Wednesday

That morning I slept much better and started my dad off with another 4 mile run at the gym. Luckily I was able to ask Andres to bring me some donuts from the buffet, since I knew I would be too sweaty to enter. After a shower we briefly went to the beach but then back to the room to get some things ready for our journey home. At 11 o'clock Gabriel and I had a massage booked at the spa. This was my first ever massage and while it was not included in the all-inclusive package, I decided to treat myself. Before the massage there was a spa bathing process, which included the sauna, some cold and vibrating showers, a Turkish bath, a dip in the pool. The Spa pool was incredible with it's cold tub, hot tub, and jet fountains all of which we got to enjoy with some mimosas. 

After the bath we met our masseuses, disrobed, and sat on our bed. I shared a room with Gabriel, so decided to keep my swim shorts on. At first we laid face down and it took me a little bit too get comfortable, especially due to my runny nose. I eventually let go though, and really enjoyed the thorough deep tissue massage that pretty much covered every part of our body. It went by very quick. My only complaint was I had wished it was a more personal experience to perhaps root out some soreness from running. We tipped our masseuses then joined everyone for our last lunch at the Beach Buffett. Mom made a complaint after witnesses one of the employees get berated by their manager. 

After lunch we spent some good time lounging and swimming at the beach. I went on a long walk with Andres to see some of the other resorts. After this I took a very long swim in the ocean, knowing it would be my last one there. That evening we dressed up nicely since we had reservations at the French restaurant and pants were required. Before dinner we went to the lobby bar, and listened to some live piano. One of the songs the guy played was Never Enough from the Greatest Showman. I decided to order white wine for a change. We took some more photos by the lobby bar and sat outside for a little bit before dinner. 

The French restaurant was called Le Gourmet, and I found it to be hands down the best quality at the resort. For appetizer I ordered a unique asparagus/egg soup which I found to be quite tasty and some mushroom ravioli. Gabriel and Andres ordered the Mango soup which they also enjoyed. For dinner mom, dad, and myself ordered the NY steak prime rib, while Gabriel and Andres ordered some lamb chops, and Ofelia ordered some fish. Everyone enjoyed their food except Ofelia. It was a very enjoyable evening and we had some engaging conversation about woke culture and the Israel-Palestine conflict. The dessert was a bit sub-par, but everything else was quite good. I left the restaurant feeling quite tipsy from all the wine I had drank.

After dinner we got to the theatre early to get good seats for the Michael Jackson show. Gabriel and I played several more games of pool. Before the show started Andres was recruited to come up on stage and compete in a Michael Jackson dance off. He actually did pretty well, but finished second. The show was incredible with the lead performer who danced and looked just like MJ and had some incredible acrobatic back-up dancers. The songs performed were Jam, Smooth Criminal, Bad, Beat it, Thriller, and Heal the World. It was hands down the best show of the week and the perfect ending to the perfect trip. 

Thursday

We scheduled taxi pickup to the airport at around 12pm so had a little bit of time to kill in the hotel before we left. I slept in a little extra and joined everyone for breakfast around 8:30am (even though I thought we should have breakfast much later). Mom and dad were up early however as they got up to watch the sunrise. After breakfast we walked around the hotel one last time and took lots of pictures. We then got back to our rooms, packed up, met the bell boy, and checked out of the hotel. Our taxi driver was once again very talkative and spoke in Spanish with mom and Ofelia the whole trip. This time checking in was much easier since I filled out the E-tickets correctly and we got our boarding passes.

We got some pizza for lunch at the airport, then boarded and left by around 3pm. I watched a couple movies on the flight, Chevalier and Waterboy. We landed by around 7:30pm and parted ways with Andres and Gabriel. We then caught our shuttle back to the hotel, and then began our late night drive from Chicago to Fort Wayne. We had dinner at Taco Bell in Valparaiso, and arrived to Fort Wayne by around 1am. The next morning I headed back home to Zionsville. It was a very relaxing trip and the week just flew by. I also think it was a great value considering how much we drank and ate each day. I would certainly want to do this resort experience again sometime. 

Video Game Review: Hogwarts Legacy

I've been a huge Harry Potter fan, ever since the books came out during my teenage years. They're probably the first books I ever really truly emerged myself into. The author JK Rowling created an incredibly original story in the 7 part book series, and even more so a very detailed universe. In the likes of Stars Wars or Lord of the Rings, this Wizarding World has the potential for countless spin-off stories. That was the case for Rowling's short stories, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, The History of Quidditch, the Tales of Beedle the Bard, and The Cursed Child. The Fantastic Beasts movie series was also released as a prequel to the Harry Potter story. 

The video game Hogwarts Legacy had a lot of hype to it, being the first game in the series to offer an open world format. I for one have had this one on my radar for over a year and finally zipped thru it at the onset of fall. Accompanied by a full on Harry Potter phase of some books and of course the movies. It took me maybe a couple months and around 40 hours to finish this one. (not much compared to Zelda). The setting is also in it's own right an entirely original story that exists in the same universe as the Harry Potter story. It actually takes place about 100 years before the events of Harry Potter, during the late 1890s. Since I love history pieces, I think this older setting gave it an even more magical gameplay experience. 

The Story and Gameplay

The game is quite different from other open world games I have mostly played such as Zelda or Assassin's Creed. For starters you get to create your own character, give them a name, and dress them in the wizarding fashion. This was quite reminiscent of Skyrim for me. I of course gave the character my name and made him look as close to myself as possible. The facial design features were quite impressive, and to think there could be so many varieties to building the main character. I think creating your own character right away builds an attachment to the game, especially if you put some thought and time into it. Right away my protagonist was thrust into a story around the iconic school of magic known as Hogwarts. 

He is a new transfer 5th year student that is accompanied on his journey to Hogwarts by Professor Fig. On their way they are attacked by a massive dragon and escape thru a Portkey that takes them into a vault in Gringotts. There they learn of an ancient magic before they are confronted by the main antagonist, Ranrok, a wicked goblin who seeks to harness the power of this ancient magic. The protagonist and Fig are able to escape and join the school's sorting ceremony. I was quite excited for this part and did my best to answer honestly. Surprisingly I was sorted in Gryffindor (and not Slytherin) because I favored adventure over ambition. 

What was quite special about this game is the very detailed map of Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, and the surrounding Scottish highlands. (I actually just found out Hogwarts was in Scotland and not in  England). The protagonist must learn magical spells from the various teachers at Hogwarts. There are also quests required to learn and unlock new spells. There were over 20 spells that could be learned, equipped, and used during combat or other various needs. I'll elaborate on the spells more below. Once the spells were learned it actually made for very unique and exhilarating combat. Of course the dodge feature was also a must to parry oncoming attacks. I ultimately found the combat to be very easy in this game, and I actually only died a handful of times. 

There was also many puzzles, secrets, and side quests aside from the main plot of uncovering this ancient magic and defeating Ranrok. Like most open world games, the more side quests and secrets you find, the faster you can improve your character's level. I always enjoy the wardrobe in open world games, and this one was especially unique with it's wizarding fashion of pointy hats, glasses, gloves, and robes. As the game progresses you can also equip a broom to ride around, and even other magical creatures such as a hippogriff. 

This game also had one of my favorite features of open-world games, a home base to build and collect items. In this case it was the Room of Requirement, where the protagonist could grow plants, brew potions, and enhance his wardrobe. He could also add various decorations, paintings, chairs, rugs, lights, and so forth to add a personal touch to the room. What was especially unique was the collection of magical animals that he could store in a vivarium. By rescuing this creatures from the wild from poachers, he could store the animals, feed them, brush them, collect resources from them, and even breed them. The proper care of these animals are essential to collect enhancements for your gear such as feathers or fur. 

The main villains in the game consist of goblins, trolls, and evil witches and wizards such as poachers and ashwinders. The main character is often accompanied by his classmates or even teachers to fight off various threats. Aside from the vast size and detail of the Hogwarts castle, there is actually a big map outside of the castle to explore. This includes Hogsmeade that has around ten different stores for buying seeds, potions, plants, wardrobe, broom enhancements, magical creatures, and so forth. I always enjoy a game that a business component to it, and this one certainly offers that. The moonstones are the magical currency required to add more to your room of requirement. 

The magical spells

• Alohomora: Grants the ability to unlock locks. Even after casting the spell, there is still a puzzle to open the lock. This skills is learned from a professor by collecting demiguises throughout the map. There are 3 levels of this skill.
• 
  Petrificus Totalus: Will freeze an enemy in place for a short period
• Protego: Will create a brief protective shield
• Revelio: Will reveal any secrets that lay within a close proximity. This is especially helpful for finding secrets and treasures, or main quest puzzles
• Stupefy: This is a counterattack spell that follows the use of Protego. It is basically a general cast that can bring damage and break thru shields.
• Beast Capture: This is a magical bag that can vacuum up an animal in the wild. This is not so easy however and often takes some patience
• Beast Feed and Pet: This is required to feed and pet the magical creatures in order to collect their resources
  
• Disillusionment: The ability to make one's self invisible. Ideal for stealth missions
• Lumos: Casts a flash light in dark areas. Also useful for attracting magical butterflies
• Reparo: Repairs damaged structures
• Wingardium Leviosa: Levitates an object
• 
  Levioso: Levitates a person or enemy
  
• Arresto Momento: Slows an object or person down. This is helpful for collecting animals
• Glacius: Temporarily freezes an enemy
• Transformation: Transforms an enemy into an object temporarily. 
• Accio: Summons an object or even an enemy. This is ideal for puzzles or even collecting the flying field guides throughout the map. 
• Descendo: Brings an enemy crashing to the ground several times
• Depulso: Provides a forceful shock wave 
• Flipendo: Flips an enemy around, causing damage
• Bombarda: A strong cast that can break thru rubble, spiderwebs, and damage to enemies
• Diffindo: Another strong cast that can slash enemies and bring damage
• Expelliarmus: This spell will de-wand someone leaving them temporarily without a weapon
• Incendio: This will cast a blast of fire, necessary for puzzles, breaking thru spiderwebs, or figting enemies
• Avada Kadavra: The unforgivable killing curse.
• Crucio: The unforgivable torture curse
• Imperio: The unforgivable control curse

The Review

I am very partial to the Harry Potter universe, so ultimately I really enjoyed the magical setting of this game. It pretty much offered everything I was looking for, a full on immersive experience into Hogwarts and it's surrounding terrain. The detail within the castle was quite surreal; from it's sheer complex floorplan, to the classical style of it all, the moving paintings, the winding staircases, wandering students, flying ghosts, flying books, astronomical and mythological designs, and so many secrets. I just loved exploring the castle, and probably only uncovered maybe half of it's secrets. I also enjoyed exploring Hogsmeade, with it's very quaint village setting, and shops you could explore and do business in. 

While I enjoyed the game, more so for it's content matter, the game didn't quite compare to my experiences with Zelda, Assassin's Creed, The Witcher, or Red Dead Redemption. While it was open-world per say, there was still some very limited motion within and outside the castle. I was not too crazy about the limitations of the broom flying, with there being regions you simply could not fly or land. But what was especially disappointing in this game was the glitches, unlike any I've seen in recent video games. There were one instance where it seemed I had entered a magical portal on a broom, flying thru the unfinished animation of Hogwarts. There was also a moment in the final quest where a goblin seemed to apparate into a stone, and could not remove himself. And I could not move on, until the goblin was defeated, so I had to frustratingly start the quest from the beginning. This was just two major examples of many other minor glitches throughout my experience. 

I probably wouldn't have the game in my top 25, but still it was very fun to explore the Wizarding World. I put in around 40 enjoyable hours, and still hope to maybe take on a few more side quests the next couple days. It was also quite refreshing to zip thru the quests and puzzles, maybe only a few times was I truly challenged. Although it is good to be challenged it's also a nice feeling to beat bosses on your first try. Even after beating the game there is still so many challenges and secrets to uncover. The game has a very autumn-fallsy (almost macabre) feel to it, which is another reason I've always enjoyed Harry Potter. I believe anyone who enjoys Harry Potter would not be disappointed in this interactive video gaming experience.  

Book Review: All Quiet on the Western Front

As I continue my WWI phase, I decided to take on the classic book, All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque. I've known of the classic 1930 film for some time, often regarded as one of the greatest war films of all time. Last year Netflix released a remake of this film which won quite a lot of accolades (nominated for 9 Oscars). The first time I saw the film, I was impressed by the scenery but not really pulled in to the story. The 2nd time I watched it in Kansas City with my dad I was a little more drawn into the story. The general premise is a group of young teenagers' experiences during the horrors of the war. I'd argue no film or story quite documents the sheer brutality of the WWI trench warfare then this story does. 

The author of the story Erich Maria Remarque was actually a WWI veteran who just barely survived the final years of the war. He provides a very real perspective of the soldier's mental capacity during bombardments and enemy engagements. Surprisingly the writing is quite easy to read, plain and to the point, with some great poetic moments as well. While the story is not a biography, it surely details events that unfolded for the author himself. He tells the story of a group of young men, just barely 18 years old. They enter the war with resounding pride however are later transformed by internal conflict and psychological trauma. During the 1940s the book was banned by the Nazi Party, as a tale of cowardice, however years later is has been celebrated as a masterwork of historical war. 

The Premise

The story is really quite simple, merely bringing detail and events to a soldier's mental journey from the beginning to the end of WWI. The main character is Paul Baumer, a passionate and popular German boy who decides to volunteer for imperial army with his friends at the onset of war. At the time they consider the act an honorable and courageous thing to do for a country they are very proud of. They believe they will have a quick victory thanks to their superior weapons and machinery. Paul befriends an older soldier nicknamed Kat, who teaches him the tricks of warfare. 

Paul and his group of classmates become good soldiers, better then most of the peasants and laborers, however they are quickly discouraged by the horrendous conditions of trench warfare. They find their youthful passion has suddenly transformed to mature misery as if they have aged 20 years in the last 2 years. At the western front they suffer from all manners of sickness and disease, sleep depravation, starvation, and very low morale. Paul witnesses fellow soldiers go thru horrific sudden deaths, shots to the head or exploded by shrapnel. He also witnesses soldiers die slowly succumbing to their wounds. He maintains his sanity however by following orders and taking cover when he can. 

At one point Paul leave the frontlines to visit his family in his German town. He finds himself a changed man, very disinterested in the mundane affairs of civilization. He is saddened to see his mother sick and dying. He is frustrated to converse with his father who has unending questions about the war. He is even bored at the town beerfest, where he asks a friend why do they have to talk and have these social events. Why can't they just enjoy their own quiet existence. It's clear at this point that Paul is shell shocked by the daily intensity of war and finds it hard to adapt to the civility. He is glad to leave his town and return to the warfront. 

During one of his engagements he is forced to take cover in a crater and kill a French soldier in hand-to-hand combat. Trapped inside the crater, Paul watches the soldier die a painful death and begins to feel remorse for him. He begs the dead man for forgiveness and promises to one day send money to his family. Paul is quite shaken by this event, but later finds solace with his friends who understand it is the nasty part of war. They do briefly share some good moments protecting a French village, stealing a goose, and chasing after the local girls. 

However by the end of the war as the German army begins to retreat, many of Paul's friends have died. The final straw is when he sees his friend Kat hit by shrapnel and carries him to the medic tent. He has a conversation with Kat about what they will do after the war. To Paul's surprise Kat dies just as he arrives to the tent. From this point on Paul accepts that his fate will be the same. He understands that his generation will forever be deemed as losers and failures, and it's not a life worth living. At the end of the war Paul reaches his end on the final day before the armistice. The book does not describe how he died, but only that he died peacefully. The book closes with it's title, that all was now quiet on the western front.      

The Review

I often find that most classic books are often difficult to read and comprehend due to their aged vocabulary. However this book was rather easy and very much to the point. It did not overwhelm the reader with too much unnecessary detail or backstory, yet rather concise events. We were taken inside the thoughts and reactions of the protagonist as he endured the harshest of environments. It is very apparent that the author himself was once a soldier, as he provides a vivid account and description of the battlefield. It is however also very poetically written with deeper themes touching upon the horrors of war. Remarque describes how the solider in those days considered war as adventurous and patriotic when in reality it was only a waste of life. And even if you survived the horrors of the war, civilian life could never be the same. 

This is regarded as one of the greatest war books of all time, and to be fair is actually an anti-war book. That's because of it's no nonsense approach, where there is no fluff or heroism yet rather sheer trauma. This is undoubtedly the majority perspective of those who fought in WWI, and Remarque gives one of the best written accounts of it. Hemingway once said it is best to write about what you know, and that was clearly the case for Remarque. He made a fortune of this book that was later produced into two very successful films in 1930 and 2022. He also wrote various other books pertaining to the Great War. I am surprised I have not read this book sooner and am glad to have bought it and read thru it. It's one of the rare books I would consider reading thru again.       

Video Game Review: Tears of the Kingdom

The sequel to Breath of the Wild was anticipated for quite some time. I remember finishing the game in 2020 (although it came out in 2017) and already was hearing the talk about the sequel. I believe it was first going to be called BOTW 2, but was later changed to Tears of the Kingdom. I wasted no time on this one and pre-ordered it so it would arrive as soon as it was on the market, on May 12. Aside from FIFA, this was the first game I've really immersed myself into in a while (especially in my new gaming zone in the basement). And unlike previous open world games, I decided to really take my time on the main quest and do as much side quests and exploring before finishing the game. 

I really enjoyed this game, which was basically a continuation of the format established in Breath of the Wild. The mainland map was the same, however there was a whole new addition of a sky world and an underground world to explore. I easily put over 100 hours in this game exploring, and still am only at about 46% uncovered. There's still so much to do, and I might play a little here and there, but for the most part am ready to move on. So as per usual I gotta make a thorough review to close out the gaming experience. I would most definitely put this game in my Top 25, but would still put BOTW ahead of it only because it was that game that established this incredible format. 

The Story

The story takes place several years after the events of Breath of the Wild. Princess Zelda and Link are exploring an underground cave, under the Hyrule castle, when they discover some ancient writings. They travel further and find a demon frozen, who awakens and kidnaps Princess Zelda. He uses all his power to withstand the demon, and is nearly killed, until the demon vanishes with Zelda. Link is later awakened in the sky islands, by the spirit of Rauru, an ancient Zona who was once the king of Hyrule. Rauru helps heal Link with a magical mechanical arm and informs him of the chaotic upheaval that has brought gloom and chasms to land of Hyrule. Link leaves the sky islands and begins his quest to find Zelda. 

Link begins his quest at the Hyrule Castle and eventually arrives to Lookout Landing where he gathers information from Purah and the Zonai Survey Team. As per usual Zelda format, Link must travel to the headquarters of the main species of Hyrule; the Zoras, the Gorons, the Geruda, and the Rito. What's nice however is the freedom to choose which region you want to explore first. Each of the civilizations have information on Zelda, but are stricken with their own issues brought on by the Upheaval. Link must help Price Sidon of the Zora, Tulin of the Rito, Yunobo of the Goron, and Riji the chief of the Gerudo. With each civilization he must journey into a temple to release the scourge of their land and uncover a magical stone. These stones are used by his new companions to unleash their magical powers. 

While Links recruits his new four companions, he also learns of the ancient history of the Zonai and how the Demon King came to be. He also discovers that Zelda has traveled back into this time to assist the Zonai. Ruled by King Rauru and Queen Sonia the Zonai were once a very technological civilization but were later deceived by Ganondorf. In an effort to stop Ganondorf, Rauru recruits heroes from each civilization to use their magical powers against him. However this is still not enough and Rauru must sacrifice himself to freeze Ganondorf. It is there Ganondorf stays until he is awakened by princess Zelda and Link, thus bringing about the Upheaval. Once Link acquires enough information he journey's to the castle where he discovers an imposter of Zelda, the phantom Gannon.

After defeating the Phantom Gannon Link must continue his quest to find more information on where the real Zelda might be. He learns of a fifth sage, known as Mineru, who was once a Zonai and the sister of Rauru. Mineru's physical embodiment comes in the shape of a cyborg who can fuse with various objects. Link also learns that Zelda swallowed her magical stone, to become an immortal dragon, protecting the Master Sword for Link to recover. Link then frees the Deku Tree from the gloom, and from there is able to locate Zelda, who is in the form of a dragon. 

With the master sword now in his possession, Link understands the only way to free Zelda is to defeat Ganondorf. He thus journey's with his five companions to the bottoms depths of the world to confront him. Link must first face an army of monsters, and then face Ganondorf, following by the phantom Gannon. In his last act of defeat Ganondorf swallows the magical stone to became a dragon. At this point Zelda comes to Link's aid where the two dragons must fight in the sky. Link is able to give the finishing blow to Gannon, by striking at the magical stone. With Gannon defeated, Hyrule is free from the gloom, and Zelda returns to her former self. 

The Game Play

The gameplay is just as enjoyable as it was in Breath of Wild, with some great new additional features. The first big one is an extension of the map with a sky world and an underground world. The sky world can mostly be accessed by watchtowers that launch Link high up in the air. From the sky islands Link can skydive or use the paraglider for a safe landing. The skydiving feature is perhaps my favorite new addition to this game, where it truly opens up the landscape. On the flipside of this is the underground that can be accessed thru chasms. This underground is also quite unique since it is covered in darkness, gloom, and all forms of monsters. Link must use various lighting tools to uncover light roots that help unveil the darkness. 

Another impressive new feature to this game is the new Purah Pad skills which encourage building. Link is able to use these magical skills thru his mechanical arm, which allows him to levitate objects, rewind time, ascend thru solid platforms, fuse weapons with miscellaneous objects, and auto-build machines and vehicles from previous designs. The ability to build is a very important feature in the game, especially solving puzzles such as in the Shrines. Link must often build bridges, ramps, or vehicles powered by fans, fire, or batteries. There are many tools and items Link can manipulate with his mechanical arm to build things. These items known as Zonai devices include; hot-air balloons, rockets, wheels, batteries, lights, flame-throwers, beam-shooters, water-hydrants, floating platforms, wing-gliders, mirrors, stakes, springboards, carts, and so forth. 

Just as in previous games Link can continue to improve his health and his stamina thru unlocking shrines. Stamina is very important for climbing, para-gliding, swimming, and running. The mobility in this game is just as liberating as it was before, however it does offer a realistic limit thru the stamina gauge. Link's combat style is the same as it was before with the additional abilities to flip, parry, and flurry-rush. These are especially important moves when fighting the more challenging bosses such as Ganondrof. However the true key element to Link's power is his weapon forging. This is essential to stand a better chance in combat. While swords are rare, sticks can be fused with Zonai blades to enhance their strength. Same goes for shields and arrows can be equipped with just about any item. Bomb-arrows are always the most effective tool in my opinion. 

Another different feature in combat, is Link's spiritual companions. Each of his companions has a special power that can be unleashed at Link's calling. The Rito Tulin can release a gush of air which is very helpful when paragliding; Yunobo can turn himself into a cannon which is very helpful for blasting thru rocks and stones; Sidon can provide a water shield as well as a blast of water (probably the least helpful of the group); and Riji can create an electrical forcefield that will cause significant damage when in enemy is struck by an arrow. Mineru's cyborg is also helpful as a vehicle when needed to climb over gloom. 

The game returns with it's vital survival feature, which was perhaps the biggest appeal of Breath of the Wild. Once again Link must acquire resources, hunt, scavenge, and cook meals to support his health. He can also cook elixirs by mixing bug parts with monster parts. The elixirs can give him many temporary boosts such as heat-cold-electrical resistance, glowing power, endurance power, slip-resistance, and just better general strength. Fire-making is a very helpful feature not only for cooking, but for passing time, or getting launched up in the sky. Sleeping is a great way to recover Link's full health. Link also has a collection of horses that can be tamed, named, and boarded in various stables. A bonus feature in this game (just as in BOTW) is to build a home for Link where he can collect his favorite weapons, board his favorite horse, cook his meals, and sleep at no charge.