Tuesday, August, 29, 2006, 18:13 UTC
Samana Part II. We spend a couple of relaxing days in Samana walking the town even though it is really hot. Starting to think about leaving for Puerto Rico, but the system that will eventually become hurricane Ernesto begins to move in our general direction so all we can do is wait and see what happens. Fortunately, it passes south of us and all we get is a bit of wind and numerous squalls. As Ernesto passes, we learn that there are similar conditions in the Mona Passage between the DR and PR which are even now giving us a lot of rain and squalls so it looks like we will have to wait a few more days for things to clear.
Since I am just sitting in bed watching the rain pour down, I thought I would go ahead and bore anyone actually reading this with a description of a trip we took Friday. Mark and I decided to play tourist Friday afternoon and visit a mountain waterfall, one of the noted attractions in the area. We had one of the local guys who hangs around the dock make arrangements and off we went. First, we took a rather unique contraption (have not seen one anyplace else) which I can only describe as a metal framed rickshaw attached to an underpowered 125 cc motorcycle to the local flea market. This is the staging area for guaguas (small vans that run between cities and stop whenever they are hailed by someone at the roadside), pick-up trucks which provide a similar function and the ubiquitous motor conches. We shift to a van and head up into the mountains. I am certain we will die on the way. Driving anywhere with a Dominican at the wheel is life threatening, but a guagua driver on a mountain road multiplies that by at least 1,000. To my surprise and delight we actually reach our destination alive. From here we will have to go by horseback to the falls. We mount up and accompanied by our 2 experienced guides (aged 10 and 12) hit the trail. The trail is generally about 6 ft wide, completely covered in large rocks and mud and has a barbed wire fence on one side and a river bank on the other. I think Mark had blocked out the fact that we were going to have to get on horses, because he clearly would prefer to be someplace else. His horse figures this out quickly and spends most of the time trying to rub him off on the barbed wire fence or trees along the riverbank. The trail involves steep climbs and descents on nothing but bare rocks and I am wondering if surviving the guagua ride was necessarily a positive, because I am sure the horse will never make it. Of course, it does. We end up at another staging area from which we proceed on foot through more up and down jungle trails to the falls. The falls are nice and we get to catch our breaths before heading back. I really wanted to get a picture of Mark on the horse for his friends and family to see, but he kept coming up with the lame excuse of there being no more room on the disk. His expression was clearly one of 'why in hell am I here'. Arrive back at the starting point to have a beer and a nice chat with the fellow who runs the excursions. Turns out he is also the descendant of slaves and his family names are Kelley and Green as those of Joe from the Port Authority.
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