In spite of the early start and ridiculously limited baggage restrictions; what could've been a depressing start to the trip turned out rather more positively.  The check-in chap said that there weren't any more seats left together…. unless we upgraded to premium class for £130.  Despite being ever so tempted by this very generous offer we promptly declined.  All was not lost though as he, being black, instantly had an affinity with Rachael that moved him to go above & beyond his call of mundane duty.  A few phone calls and an hour or so later we were sipping wine whilst fully stretched out sitting very comfortably in leather chairs at the front of the plane!  The front of the plane - a place we've only ever walked through before, became our sacred haven for the next 9 hours.  Very quickly we lost all sympathy for the cattle class - the group to which we've maintained a strict alliance for the whole of our lives and were soon snorting our noses up at their vulgar and uncivilised ways.

Arrival

After queuing up to pay a girl in a booth $10 for a tourist card we then had to queue up to give the tourist card to a guy in a booth who scanned it for authentication and then queued up to have our passport 'checked'.  The efficiency of this country is already blowing my mind.

Eric, an amiable Americano from Texas collected us in his Japanese imported Yaris and brought us the 2.5 hrs back home.  Driving of course is something most Dominicans can do, be it on a scooter or a heavily laden truck but driving well is something that few Dominicans can do.  Just on the initial journey back from the airport there were many examples of reckless ridiculousness; coaches overtaking a series of cars and trucks, cars just stopping in the middle of the highway for no apparent reason, cars undertaking you and pulling in front of you only to stop dead.