For someone escaping an English winter, arriving in downtown Puerto Plata is quite an experience.
Its hot, its noisy, its chaotic and ramshackle, its busy and best of all its very much alive.
For those of you willing to escape the confines of the hotel complexes there is an exciting and vibrant town to be discovered.
It is, of course, necessary to have a safe haven to retreat to when the intoxicating Latin pulse threatens to overwhelm, and this is where the Hotel Castilla and its associated Sams Bar and Grill comes in.
Run by Joanne, this Victorian built institution offers the warmest of welcomes to the many travellers who cross its door.
Like some surrogate mother, she quietly dispenses advice on all things local ,aided and abetted by a host of regulars who congregate at the bar including Martha and Kari.
The accommodation itself is basic but for £3-5 a night it represents amazing value.Joanne will happily keep any valuables in her safe and the breakfast of eggs and bacon with potatoes, toast and jam is delicious and enough to last until the evening.
If Carlos is working in the kitchen, he'll probably be happy to take you round the local bars and clubs after work. Just buy his drinks and you've got yourself a local guide.
To all my new friends at Sams, thanks for the welcome, thanks for the memories and I hope to see you all again

Take care