It's been pinned on the travel map, but we didn't expect to visit it so soon: the Dominican Republic.
This beautiful place in the Caribbean is known for its all inclusive tourism, which, as you might know, it not "our thing".
Travel blogs and videos of individual travelers were rather scarce. The few people who had experience had nothing good to say. We still decided to go and give it a try. With a positive attitude, my Spanish knowledge and travel experience and some luck, we crossed our fingers and simply hoped that all would go well.
It took us two days to get accustomed. The heat, the fact that we were the obvious gringos, the traffic, authorities armed with machine guns, prices being offered in USD... it felt strange.
The one thing that never got any better: the exhausting traffic conditions. Not so much the quantity of road users but the pure fact that ANYTHING is possible at any time:
... passing on the side strip, left or right lane. Passing even though there is oncoming traffic. Passing in blind curves or hilltops.
... there is no TÜV, so the quality of vehicles varies enormously, even more when it comes to scooters and motor bikes. That means no lights, no indicators, wobbly wheels, ...
... road conditions in general: from speed bumps to pot holes of up to 20 cm, water draines that had to be crossed diagonal in order to not get stuck.
... besides the motorized road users there were dogs, cats, horses, cows and chicken.
... transportation of items was probably the most ridiculous, often shocking, everyday occurrence:
- a circular saw on a quad
- long tubes with an overhang of two meters front and back
- up to 4 people on scooters or motorbikes, rarely anyone wearing a helmet. Babies being carried on the mother's arm, small kids sitting or standing in front of the driver
- transportation of gas bottles on the lap of the second person on the scooter
- people sitting or standing on the truck bed or on top of whatever was being transported on the truck bed. On a rainy day, we were driving behind a truck where the load was covered by a large dark plastic tarp. Being curious, we wondered what it could possibly be that was covered underneath. My guess was vegetables. But when the rain stopped the cover was lifted and removed...by a family! 4 adults, 2 kids of about 8 years which continued standing and 2 kids of about 4 years which stayed sitting on the truck bed. Their maximum speed reached 80 km/h not to mention that the road conditions did not contribute positively to the situation.
Even as a co-driver, I constantly felt the need to watch out for any potential dangers.
Oh, and not to forget, the surrounding sound effects! Stores playing loud music, the speakers pointing towards the road. Or even better, enormous speakers on top of truck beds with a bass beat that causes the heart rate to beat irregularly.
Ok, enough of the traumatizing driving experiences. Thanks to my significant other, we arrived everywhere safe and sound. Even if a gravel road of 5 km took us 40 minutes of driving.
Fun fact: throughout our 3 week trip, the price for regular gas was the same at each and every gas station (272,5 DOP/gallon).
On our road trip, we had a total of 9 different apartments/rooms. Thanks to online booking platforms, they were easy to find and fulfilled their purpose, some exceeded such as Corales in Punta Rucia, Xiomara in Puerto Plata and Cocotal in Dominicus.
Ok, let's move on to the highlights:
... Cueva de Chicho: underground cenote with fresh, clear water. Swimming in it with a flash light had a "Lara Croft feel" to it.
... Waterfalls in Jarabacoa
... Sunset in Punta Rucia
... Boat trip to Cayo Arena. Incredible water and nice snorkeling, wild ride through the mangroves.
...Visiting Cafe Monte Alto: Melvin taking us around the premises and explaining everything from plating to roasting and exporting coffee.
... Snorkeling at Sosúa Beach where a school of blue tangs (Doris) passed by like floating elves.
... Pedicure: Studio at a private home giving insight into average living conditions. 45 minutes for 500 DOP.
... Playa Grande near Cabrera: Awesome waves.
... Fireflies near Playa Grande
... Playa Los Cocos near Cabrera: endless, white soft sand, turquoise, tranquil waters.
... jungle walk to Playa Fronton near Las Galeras: butterflies, lizards, birds.
.. Playa Coson near Las Terrenas: picture perfect palm trees, sand dollars, waves, pizza on the beach.
Bottom line:
People were friendly and helpful. To be honest, I feel like it's a shame that prejudice and safety precautions prevented us from making more contact with locals.
Most beaches were simply stunning! In sunshine, the shades of blue, turquoise and green were fantastic! Simply picture-perfect!
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