wildlife at Paradisus Resort, Dominican Republic

Egret checks out the fish in the pool in the front lobby.

Flamingos hang out in the pool by at the front lobby.

When I wasn't being dazzled by the plants at Paradisus Resort, the wildlife peeped out at me during unexpected times.  Along with spying common mourning doves that were smaller than at home in Canada, the birds that sang the loudest were plain black.
The most exciting thing I spied was this:

a pencil-thin black snake about 50 cm long trying to find a place to bask in the sun can't catch a break with people like me trying to get a picture.

Moorhens are small swimmers who competed with the turtles for handouts from the tourists.

Turtles gather under the bridge, hoping we will throw them some tidbits.

plants at Paradisus Resort, Dominican Republic

The grounds at Paradisus Resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic are lush and well maintained.  Love that crooked palm!  What a sight for sore eyes after all that white snow at home on Prince Edward Island!

Plants that in Canada are confined to pots inside grow huge here.  This is a croton, with lots of waxy, colourful leaves.

Crown of thorns as a houseplant is about 30 cm tall.
These guys are more than a metre tall with huge flowers.

Bourganvillia:  The true flowers are actually tiny and white.  The bright pink bracts are actually colourful leaves.

 Bromeliads in the open-air lobby

Perfect conditions for orchids:  warm and humid.

hibiscus are so plentiful, they are used to decorate the bathroom.  At home, every flower is a treasure!

The agave are truly huge, and so spiky I got caught and had to carefully unlatch myself before my shirt got ripped.

A freshly planted tiny palm has time to grow into a giant.

A regular pothos houseplant at home in Canada shows its true origins with huge leaves and the ability to climb straight up a tree.





Hedges of this lovely plant with shiny green leaves and scarlet flowers were everywhere.