Knowledge is FUN!

    We love to visit sunny, warm Punta Cana.  We have an even deeper level of understanding and enjoyment when we learn more about the history behind the people and their culture.  This is the island that Christopher Columbus first landed upon.  All those lessons in fourth grade were referring to where you are standing right now!
    It is always advisable to know what is indigenous to the region you are discovering.  If not for the knowledge base, how about to just be able order what's cheaper and tastier?  There is less shipping and, therefore, less cost in regional cuisine.  Also, do you want the beer that sat on a hot ship for three weeks or the one brewed a few miles away?  There's even more of a difference in quality with vegetables, fruits and fish. 
    In addition, there is fascinating history throughout the island.  If you gaze out to sea and your eyes meet a ship wreck, who's boat is this?  How did it get here?  Were pirates involved or was it merely an overbooked 18th century cruise?  "We told you six lira will only get you near the island!"
    Actually, the ship wreck off the coast of Punta Cana is a Russian freighter built in France in 1957 with the name, "Astron".  It was delivering corn to Cuba and ran aground during a storm in 1978.  In this case, perhaps, ignorance is bliss and your own imagination may have weaved a more exhilarating tale, but still.
    It is interesting to know more about where you are visiting and it can also result in a more rewarding adventure.