Wednesday morning we arrived at Amber Cove just outside Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. We opted for an excursion run by a third party instead of of the cruise line. Our tour “Eat Drink and Be Merry” was hosted by Iguana Momma and our tour guides were Alexander and Freddie.

Our first stop was a tram ride to the top of Mount Isabel, 2555 feet above sea level. This is the only tram in the Caribbean and is actually a fairly short ride to the top. They have dual trams that hold up to 20 people. At the top is a smaller replica of the Christ the Redeemer statue that is in Brazil. The peak is home to a variety of lush tropical plants and a spectacular view of the city and the Atlantic Ocean.

After a quick descent from Mount Isabel, we toured the Ron Macorix House of Rum. Rum is a product made from sugar cane which was brought to the island by Columbus on his second voyage in 1494. Their rum is aged in wooden bourbon barrels. As part of the tour, they had on display some of the old equipment used in the process.

We sampled eight (8) of their rum products, including a dark rum aged 8 years, a rum aged 4 years, their spiced rum named Rebel, their blanco rum, and four of their flavored rums – pineapple, apple, coconut, and a mixture with coconut water. We came home with the 4 year old rum, a bottle of Rebel and the coconut rum.

Outside, I kicked back in the oversized lounge chairs (think Lily Tomlin’s Edith Ann) and conned the boy into a picture on Columbus’s ship.

We made a quick stop at the San Felipe Fort which was a stronghold for former dictators as they defended against rebellions from the north.

Lunch was an authentic meal of Dominican Fried Chicken (DFC!), rice and beans at a local caffe. The restaurant was actually an old house that had been converted to a restaurant. The food, especially the rice and beans, was awesome!

Just a block or two away from the caffe, we walked to Independence Park where they celebrate their country’s independence from various factions. Just off the square is the San Felipe Cathedral, a Roman Catholic Church.

Our final stop in the city, and Phil’s focus of the excursion, was the cigar factory. We learned how cigars are rolled, which includes a step where they are pressed for several hours. We each also had an opportunity to roll the wrapper on a cigar which we got to bring back with us. Apparently we are all naturals at wrapping cigars!

The kids worn out, we came back to the pier, got our passports stamped (can’t have empty passports!), and boarded the ship with a couple hours to spare. Our towel animal was waiting for us–I think he’s a dog today.

The others fell asleep while I showered and found a spot on the pool’s mezzanine to blog and drink. Phil and I had dinner at our assigned time in the Northern Lights Restaurant while the kids went elsewhere.

Today’s drinks included a Tequila Sunrise, a way too sweet Berry Blast, a margarita (not pictured) and an Island Martini.