HOLA, SAMANÁ !

Becky, Jeff, Maya, and Genna, Cayo Levantado; Exit Strategy in background.

    The crew of Exit Strategy just completed a week long tour in the Dominican Republic with four guest crewmen, namely our daughter Becky's family. They traveled all day from Kalamazoo, MI and arrived in time for a late supper of Creamy Conch Chowder and Shrimp Spring Rolls on board the vessel.  Afterward, we snuck into the hotel's second floor infinity pool so our grand daughters, Maya and Genna, could have a swim before bed.

Seaside infinity pool at Puerto Bahia Marina.

Examining a sea star 

Day One- We used a slip at Puerto Bahia Marina as a base for our exploration. The first morning was spent lazing around at the seaside infinity pool and snorkeling off the wall.  Sea stars in a variety of shades were scattered along the sea bottom and a few were attached to the wall. While snorkeling, I pointed out a cluster of empty shells to Maya and explained that the spent shells usually indicate that an octopus lives nearby. She immediately screamed and said one had touched her foot.  Oh MY!

Hiking the trail to El Salto de Limon.

                                                                                                                                                                                   

        After lunch we drove northward up and over the mountain ridge to hike to El Salto de Limón, a waterfall and popular tourist attraction of Samaná.  Everyone except Becky and Maya swam in the pool there, but Jeff was the only one of us that was a strong enough to swim behind and under the falls.
        We drove into Santa Barbara de Samaná for dinner and enjoyed the local specialty of Arroz y Pescado Con Coco (Rice and Fish in Coconut Sauce).

Purposeful graffiti in the tourist section of Santa Barbara.

Day Two- The authorities advised us that we couldn't take our boat to go whale watching without a permit, so we took the long way to Caya Levantado and craned our necks for awhile.  Just as we were about to give up, we began seeing a few whales jump out of the water near a tourist boat (that probably had a permit, ha-ha!). I can't include any pictures to prove our sightings because it was difficult to time it right to get a shot. 
        Next we anchored off the sandy shore of Cayo Levantado, a small cay that is also known by the locals as Bacardi Island because a rum commercial was filmed there.
        During the two hour motor-sail to Los Haitises National Park, the Captain was the sole person on duty, as the rest of the crew napped or relaxed watching a movie below deck.  Another cruiser was anchored in the bay when we arrived and radioed us with kind info on the area.  For dinner that night, we gobbled down the Burgers on Excessively Seedy Buns and Becky's Grilled Potato Wedges.

Cayo Levantado Beach

Day Three- Off we dinghied toward the clearing in the mangroves that lead to the larger caves in Los Haitises National Park.  Thankfully, the cruisers we met reminded us to take flashlights, so we were able to observe many paintings done by the Taino Indians hundreds of years ago and watch our step more carefully as we wandered through the various parts of the caves. (Photos were not allowed to be taken inside the caves.) 
        That afternoon, Becky spied a beach across the bay at the point of entry. Being off the tourist track, it was somewhat littered, but our family still ventured along the shore.  We found more sea stars, lots of shell fish, some crabs, coconuts, and JELLYFISH!  But the no-see-ums found Jeff big time, so he stayed in the water up to his neck for the most part.  Genna played with quite a few beached jellyfish blobs without ill effect.  And Maya discovered a note in a bottle on the shore that read, "Whoever finds my treasure will have good luck.  A.B. "  About thirty feet away, the girls found driftwood in the shape of an X and began digging.  The treasure box had over 1,000 pesos and some candy.  What good luck!
        Maya and Genna played "Restaurant" during dinner and acted as waitresses for their Momma and Papa who dined in the cockpit.  The menu included Tropical Juice, Yellow Rice, Cucumber Salad, and Captain Dan's Secret Pan Fried Fish Recipe.


          

 Day Four- We pulled up anchor and again motor-sailed out across the bay.  Along the way, the girls sat on the foredeck with me and tried to teach me some hand clapping games/songs.  We laughed a lot, but I couldn't remember half the lyrics and my hand movements always seemed to be one beat off. Soon we were pulling back into the slip at Puerto Bahia Marina. 
        After lunch, we drove northeastward up and over the mountain to Las Terrenas, a recommended beach area.  The girls were thrilled with the surf and sand, while Papa and Grandpa loved the French pastry shop.  Back on the boat for dinner we savored a new recipe of One Pot Cajun Pasta.

I had no intention of getting all wet, but the surf was powerful.

Day Five- Everyone packed up to leave Samaná in the morning. Then we drove the two and a half hours to Santo Domingo, the capitol city of the Dominican Republic. Once we entered the city limits the traffic got heavier and there appeared to be frequent forks in the road. Thank goodness for GPS! 
         We checked into El Dona Elvira Hotel, a lovely old inn in the historic section of the city. We wandered through El Conde tourist shopping area that was a few blocks away. Then the girls and I had to try out the pool that was just outside their room under a huge mango tree.  In fact, a couple of nearly ripe mangos fell into the courtyard while we were there which we happily retrieved. 
         A few years ago, Jeff became well-acquainted with a Dominican named Jose in Kalamazoo, so Jose insisted that we meet his parents who live in Santo Domingo during the trip.  That evening, Rafael and Fior picked us up and took us to one of their favorite restaurants. BIG SURPRISE!  It was ITALIAN with superbly seasoned dishes that were priced quite affordably.  

One gate to the city near the grand plaza; vendor in foreground.

Twins in the hotel courtyard; pool in background.

Day Six-  Santo Domingo has a rich history, so we decided to hire a guide, Roberto, to take us on a walking tour.  The most interesting tidbits that I gleaned from the tour were: 1. It is said that the local police earn 'onion wages' because when they see their pay, they cry. 2. Historically, the bodies of Dominican heroes were cut in half to safeguard against loosing the hero when shipped back to Spain. 3. An early Spanish missionary priest is credited with starting the first lottery! 

       We had a scant breakfast before leaving and the girls were in favor of the tour only because it promised a stop for something more to eat.  Alas, there were no food stands along the route, but an ice cream vendor caught our eye near the grand plaza, so Becky let us have ICE CREAM for breakfast! 

          Raphael was due to pick us up at 1 AM and take us to his casa for a lunch of REAL DOMINICAN FOOD.  Fior met us at the door and they showed us around their spacious, brightly decorated place.  The table was filled with tureens hot soup laden with chicken, smoked pork, green bananas, plantain dumplings, and squash.  There also were avocados, rice, and flat breads.  We ate our fill and then Fior dished out more!  WOW!
         Later that evening Becky and Jeff were once again whisked away to party with Rafael and Fior while Dan and I were very happy to tuck the girls into bed at the hotel at a reasonable hour. Rafael and Fior were gracious hosts and we wished we knew more Spanish to adequately express our sincere gratitude.

Ice cream for breakfast

Genna just had to buy these hoops.

Day Seven- We said our "good-byes" at the bus terminal and Dan and I road back to Samaná in relative comfort for 2.5 hours.   Meanwhile, Becky's family took in two more attractions near Santo Domingo- Los Tres Ojos and the Aquarium- before heading to the airport.

Our luncheon at Rafael and Fior's