White-hair Point, at least, that’s what the signs all said. I can only assume
the eastern terminus of the Dominican Republic used to be Punta Caña (Sugar Cane
Point), since there are lots of similarly-named places across Latin America, and
the N was dropped to fare better in English-language databases and profiles. If
so, it’s an apt metaphor for the place itself, which is only marginally a part
of the Dominican Republic and instead caters to a foreign clientele unwilling to
figure out how to say a word with an Ñ in it.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the place. White sand, turquoise waters, the salt
tang of the Caribbean in the air, seafood, tropical fruit, air conditioned
rooms, and latina waitstaff in satin skirts. But the more you think about it,
the stranger it gets.
I’m fairly sure I remember a time when Punta Cana, the Dominican Republic’s
tourist mecca, was still just a plan. Amazing to see how successfully it was
executed. Punta Cana competes favorably with Cancún in Mexico, drawing a steady
crowd of international beachgoers. It’s got its own international airport (a
nice one!), bus service direct to all-inclusive hotels, and non-stop
entertainment. And it clearly employs thousands across the whole tourism
ecosystem. Staff are bused in from elsewhere. I’m told their salary is low but
they earn bonuses based on the hotel’s yearly profits, and unemployment being
one of Latin America’s biggest challenges, it’s great to see jobs being created.
My biggest joy was talking about merengue music with a taxidriver who, like so
many others, was curious to know why I spoke perfect Spanish. I wasn’t far down
the island from San Pedro de Macorís, the home of Juan Luis Guerra, a musical
genius and hero whose music underpinned my romance and even my wedding.
My biggest disappointment was that I left feeling I’d seen Punta Cana but not
the Dominican Republic itself, which is something different altogether. I can
think of other reasons to complain, but why be a curmudgeon? It’s called
White-haired Point, after all, so maybe the place was custom-created for people
like me. And I never did see any sugar cane after all.
