Photo: Escape from the all inclusive resort

On a short boat ride in the middle of a day-long, resort sponsored excursion, I had a window into the spirit of the Dominican Republic, if only for a few moments. Long gone were the sounds of amplified pop music, pool water splashing, and generous staff members attending to your every desire. All this was gone and it had been replaced by the calm breeze through the palms and the percussive sputtering of the small outboard engine. In this moment, on a slow ride down a lazy river, I truly relaxed and fell in love with the Dominican Republic.