I Went On My Honeymoon and Only got Shot at ONCE, then punched in the face!

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Have you ever been some place where you expected to be totally safe and secure only to have that delusion shattered by a catastrophic event like someone getting badly injured or guns being fired in your general direction? I guess when you are told "DON'T LEAVE THE RESORT", it is wise to listen to those that know better. But not me. What fun would there have been in that? So my husband and I gave up the sanctuary of our tropical paradise and the armed security guards and check points and ventured out into Punta Cana's country side to go horseback riding down the beach. The man who signed me up for the excursion told me it would be 2 hours. I didn't know he meant it would take 2 hours to drive there! And vehicles down there are unlike any I have ever seen. A beat up, dented up, old pick up truck pulled up in front of our resort that had seats bolted down into the bed of the truck and some roll bars applied to hang onto for dear life, oh and a ripped up tarp thrown over the top to "keep us safe". We huddle into this truck, my husband and I being the only 2 english speaking people, along with 3 Europeans who only spoke French and who obviously had never ridden horses before ever, judging by how they were dressed. Really, who rides horses and heels, and ballet slippers? And our driver who only spoke spanish. As we are driving on roads with no lines, and pot holes big enough to swallow up compact made american cars, like Cavaliers, through dense palm tree lined "urban" areas, we come across a truck that looked similar to the one we are riding in. Three men were standing in the back of it around what looked to be plenty of freshly cut marijuana plants. Our driver had to slow down to go past him because there was traffic coming the other direction but he too had to have seen what was in the truck because as soon as the other car had passed he slammed on the gas to take off. But not before one of the men in the pulled over truck pulled out a rifle and fired in our direction. I ducked, the Europeans dang near peed their pants and shrieked in a way only the French can do, and my husband started b!tch!ng because he wasn't allowed to bring any of his guns with him. We finally got to the horse ranch and the experience was well worth the danger. There is nothing that can compare to galloping full speed down the beach at the edge of the surf with the water and the wind in your hair. Exhilarating doesn't even begin to cover it! We did learn out lesson about booking excursions through the locals so the next day we went out on a snorkeling trip through a commercial industry on the island. They piled 100 of us onto a duel deck glass bottom boat and took us out to the middle of the ocean where they have fenced off a beautiful section of a very healthy coral reed, complete with nurse sharks and sting rays. The guides on the boat tell you 5 times in 5 different languages DO NOT TOUCH THE CORAL! DO NOT TOUCH THE ANIMALS! And if you are a poor swimmer or get tired easily stay in a designated section so a guide can assist you. 5 times in 5 different languages. We weren't in the water for 5 minutes before people were WALKING over the coral reef, grabbing the nurse sharks by their tails, and trying to pull the sting rays up out of the water. I was mortified. I got so angry that I was about to leave the water and get back on the boat when this fist comes out of nowhere and punches me so hard in my right cheek that I had an imprint of my goggles left for over an hour. I cursed at him in english. He said "Pardon" in french then fisted his way elsewhere. WHO SWIMS USING FISTS?! I didn't know Mike Tyson got a job as a swimming instructor! No more excursions for us. The next day we got boogie boards from the hotel and after about the fifth time I got stuffed into the sand I said screw it and went back to my chair, but not before bruising the insides of my upper arms to make it look like I had been held down and beaten. Oh and when they say "Don't drink the water", they mean don't bathe or brush your teeth with it either. I got an infection in my eye, and spent 3 days staying within 5 feet of the bathroom. Lessons to be learned....Never vacation in the Dominican Republic, and when you are told not to do something, DON'T! So have any of you ever had a horrible experience in a beautiful setting, or am I in the minority on this one?