When we woke up the day after the hike, we felt like we had been body-slammed and then run over by a semi-trailer…….which then hit reverse to run back over us to make sure that we were totally crushed! I can categorically say that I have never felt that kind of pain before in my life, and I have participated in several other walks and hikes. When I got up, the pain in my calves was unbearable, and it took a couple of days of R ‘n’ R (rest and relaxation) to start feeling human again. Needless to say, these two days, were filled with eating, watching TV and seriously short distance walking.

We lived to tell the tale, however, and on day 3, we felt human again, and capable of venturing out into the world! A couple of days earlier we had chatted to “Negro”a moto-concho (motor bike) driver who told us that he did tours to the local waterfalls, so we took him up on it. That day was pleasantly spent visiting Jimenoa Waterfall 1, Jimenoa Waterfall 2 and Baiguate Waterfall. They were all pretty, but our favourite was Jimenoa Waterfall 1, which was a bit of a walk to get to, but with rewarding views. We actually had to cross a series of suspension bridges to get to Jimenoa Waterfall 2, before the climb to the first one.

It was time to move on, so after our day of relaxing amongst several waterfalls, we made our way to Constanza, also in the country’s interior and not far from Jarabacoa. Here we stayed at a beautiful little hotel called “Vista del Valle” (View of the Valley) for a couple of days, and simply observed local life. We met a terrific Dominican in the hotel called Hugo, who was there for work, and we spent several hours sitting on the balcony chatting.

Finally, it was time to go back to Santo Domingo, as we had a plane to catch to Miami. We spent a night in the capital before flying out. Hugo, the guy we met in Constanza, had a few days work in the capital, so he swung by with his family to say hello! Luckily our flight was at 2.40pm in the afternoon, so we were able to look for an alternative to the USD $26.00 – $30.00 taxi ride to the airport. After a bit of investigation, we were able to catch two local buses and a moto -concho each! The Ombi and Alex total coming to about USD $5.50, and that was including tipping the moto- concho drivers! OK so we were a little crammed in the bus, a little sweaty too, and they really made far too many stops. But what a feeling to ride a motorbike, with back packs on our backs, hair blowing in the wind, ocean views surrounding us……. and then pull into the airport like this! Ahhhhh, this is the simple life! Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton got it all wrong!

Until next time, Ombi.

“Falling in love with the Earth is one of life´s geatest adventures”…….Steve Van Matre

(Photos: 1. View of Jarabacoa 2. “Negro”, Ombi & Alex riding towards the falls 3. Jimenoa Waterfall No.One 4. Our ride towards Abanico, going back to Santo Domingo 5. Hugo with wife Fatima, and children Chantal & Hugo in Santo Domingo.)

After an amazing few sun drenched days on the coast of Samana, relaxing on some of the Caribbean’s most beautiful beaches, we decided that we would go to the country’s interior. Indeed the Dominican Republic is known for its beaches, but we wanted to also experience the Republic’s less famous but, as we would later find out, equally beautiful sites.

So, we decided on Jarabacoa. At 88 metres above sea level, it has a mountain setting, and coolish climate….well certainly cool compared to the rest of the country, which is decidedly hot and humid!

As usual, we had to take a couple of local mini-vans (gua-guas) to get to our final destintion. Although this usually consists of being crammed in with other people and objects, it truly is the perfect way to experience the local people and culture. I cannot reiterate how affable and warm Dominicans are, and although we have usually been the only foreigners on the local transport, they are always willing to chat.

As we neared our final destination, really only hours away from our original starting point, we could see the topography changing: more trees, lusher, and (I thought I would never hear myself saying this!) cooler! Upon arrival, we did the usual hotel search, and finally found one close to the city centre, with sweeping balcony views of the mountains!

Our intention was to chill out for a few days, see a couple of waterfalls and make our way back to the capital. Somehow, in a matter of hours we had organised to climb the country’s highest peak leaving the very next day! A man had approached us and told us that he was leaving the next day with a couple of Spaniards, and as a last minute deal he would give us a good price, USD $125.00 each for two days including food, water, transport to the beginning of the trail, accommodation in a refuge, tour guide, and mules (used for carrying both provisions, and people when necessary). The deal was to pay 50% upfront and the other 50% upon our return. Seeing that the other two had paid considerably more (we know that for a fact, as we would later ask them), we felt that this was not only a good deal…..but a challenge! Hey, this is what our trip’s all about!

And so, at 5.00am the next morning the adventure began. We were driven to the starting point, where we would begin our ascent with a young “guide”, an older local guide, whose main job really was to look after the mules, and the mules themselves.

What would you say to hiking 48 kilometres in 2 days! The walk was spectacular, the final view rewarding, and the feeling of accomplishment immense, but (there is always a but!!!)………it was badly organised, not enough food or water, and the guide really was not a guide, in that he provided no information at all on the surrounding area. I must say that it was really hard work, and we are fit! Alex walked it all, and I walked almost all of it….upon our descent, I spent an hour on a mule….and I must say that it felt good!

We almost did not make it to the top, as the conditions were not that great, and the surface very muddy and slippery in places. But we were all determined….despite our night being spent in a rat-infested refuge! Well, perhaps not infested, but I certainly was not going to sleep in a sleeping bag on the floor, and took advantage of a dome tent that we popped up inside the refuge! Yes, that at least was provided!

After climbing some 19 kilometres the first day, on the second day, we got up early to climb the last 5 kilometres to the peak….to later only have to climb a total of 29 kilometres back to the base on that very same day! At 3175 metres Pico Duarte is the highest point in the Caribbean! We later found out that it would have been better done in 3 days than 2, but we did it! Upon reaching the summit (not that cold, I was in shorts), it was quite cloudy and foggy, but we did get a very brief glimpse of the surrounding mountains. They say that on a clear day both the Atlantic and Caribbean are visible.

Mission accomplished! It was hard yakka on the way back down, and we did not get back until a little after 7.00pm. Although the guide had been useless, the local guide, Chan, was very helpful and resourceful, so we gave him a good tip.

In a nutshell, the hike was tiring but worth it! When we were picked up by the guy who had originally offered us the tour, I basically told him what I thought and explained why we were unable to pay the ensuing 50% for services not rendered! Needless to say, on reaching our hotel room, we showered and went to bed….hungry but too exhausted to eat!

Cabarete? Sosua? Puerto Plata? Las Terrenas? Punta Cana? No thanks, no thanks and no thanks again! All the above mentioned places are highly touristy, and mostly filled with resorts. As Alex once said to me not long after arriving in Australia, “It’s not your cup of coffee, is it Ombs?” No, it isn’t actually! Lets say that neither of us are into resorts and hanging out with our own, on the other side of the world. It kind of defeats the traveller’s motto of experiencing the country and it’s people!

Our first point of call after Santo Domingo was the Samana Peninsula, in the north-east of the country. We arrived there via Caribe Tours, one of the country’s two national and public bus systems. After finding a place to sleep……Alex guards the backpacks whilst I go and “explore”, we were free to wander around. I should mention the two “must haves” in any room we choose – a clean bathroom, and a bed which is comfortable and has clean sheets!

The town of Samana is quite tranquil, yet dotted with either bright or pastel coloured wooden houses……a look which has so definitely come to depict anything Caribbean. It is mostly and justafiably famous as it is one of the top places in the world to observe humpback whales. They visit the region, between January and March of each year. We did not get to see the whales, as we were a little early, but we did get to see the Los Haitises National Park.

In the language of the Taino Indians (sorry, none left, eradicated by the Spaniards!), the primitive settlers of the islands, the word Haiti meant high or mountainous earth. The park is reached by boat, and rather than being a solid land mass, it is dotted with several jungly type islands and thick mangrove forests. The entire park is of coralline origin, having emerged from the sea millions of years ago as the earth’s plates thrust them upwards. What an exciting place to explore………we stopped at several of the islands, and wandered through caves, saw stalagmites, as well as some of the paintings, or pictographs, left by the Taino Indians. I felt like an extra on “Gilligan’s Island”!

Although we only stayed a couple of nights, we managed to get to a very non-touristy nightclub called ” El Cielito” (The Little Sky), thanks to a local we met. Here, we were very much the only tourists, and I must say that as I watched those women slowly move and gyrate to the beat of bachata, I felt very inadequate! Not only were they brilliant dancers….I must admit to feeling a little jealous…. I want to come back in my next life with one of those butts!

Next was Las Galeras, only a 45 minute “gua-gua” ride away. A gua-gua is effectively a minivan, in which the aim seems to be to cram in as many persons as humanely possible! No….actually, more!

The ride took us through lush rainforest, and several small “pueblitos”, or towns, where the people obviously live very simple lives. Everyone had a big smile on their face and many waved, in the fashion that I now know to be so Dominican. And of course the road side was dotted with those brightly painted houses! Las Galeras is indeed small, but it has a multitude of mind-blowingly spectacular beaches. We hung out with Mel Gibson (aka John) the yank and Audrey from France, who were managing Paradise Bungalows. both had been to Australia, so I suppose I was aptly named “Sheila”. An extremely friendly couple who made sure that I had good coffee and plenty of “mamahuana”, the local brew. Another beautiful family was Wolfgang (originally from Germany), his gorgeous Dominican wife Yanett, and their delightful daughter Camilla. C’mon, look at that photo and tell me she isn’t stunning! May I add with a personality to match!

We spent a few days here, just resting and exploring the beaches, including La Playita and Playa Rincon. The latter has been named one of the best beaches in the Caribbean, and with its multihued water, gorgeous stretch of white sand, and fringed by continuous rows of white sand, I can totally understand why!

Add fresh sea food on the beach (that’s forAlex!), and locals cracking open coconuts for us, I am sure that you can understand how we could be forgiven for assuming that we had found paradise!

Next: Our grueling ascent of Pico Duarte, the nation’s highest peak.

(Photos: 1. Ombi & Alex , Haitises National Park 2. Playa Rincon (Rincon Beach) 3. Caribbean home 4. Haitis National Park. 5. The locals. 6. Ombi, Camila & Yanett. 6. La Playita. 7. The locals with the photographer.)

Exotic, hot, humid, passionate, breathtaking and heart wrenching! These are only some of the adjectives that I could use to describe the right side of the island of Hispaniola, known as the Dominican Republic! It is a land of beauty and of contrasts; a place where the beats of bachata or merengue can be heard anywhere; where men play dominoes on any table they can find; where cockfights are the norm rather than the exception! A place where you can see more four wheel drives than in Toorak, and only metres away see people begging for food! Amongst the beaty and the pain, however, rises the crown jewel of this fascinating country……and that crown jewel is……the people! And this has undoubtedly made this country one of my favourite places on earth!

What is the country best known for? Cigars that rival Cuba, and Amber and Larimar; two semi-precious stones, the latter which can only be found in the Dominican Republic. Most people are surprised to find that Amber exists here, thinking that it is only from Poland and the Baltic countries.

The single thing that has had the biggest impact on both Alex and I, in this country of juxtapositions, has been the human face of the nation. Friendly, exuberant, life-loving and always smiling, despite the hardships we know so many of them must try and surpass on a daily basis. Dominicans are predominantly of Hispanic- African extraction. Africans were brought over as slaves; the Spanish “colonised”, and the rest is proverbial history. Physically they are a beautiful looking race, with their dark skin and Spanish features, often including blue or green eyes. I have looked at many of them and wondered why most of the world wants to be white….why,when you can look THIS beautiful! ( A discussion for another day).

We had an amazing time in Santo Domingo, the country’s capital. The city’s Old Colonial Centre is not only the oldest in the “New World” (Carribean) and has been declared patrimonial heritage by UNESCO, but we were also privy to a free one week concert. A series of concerts, involving artists from the Carribean, Africa and the Pacific Nations, were being held in the central plaza, “Plaza Espana”, each night. It was exuberating to hear the reverberating beats of Jamaica, the melodic and spine tingling melodies from Mauritania and the blood pumping bongo beats from Burundi, amongst so many other fascinating sounds. The world suddenly felt so very small, as everybody jammed to the beats of the world! If only this could translate to how ALL human beings of all nations could treat each other.

I want to mention Santa, Johanni, Patricia and Annie. These four ladies were employed by Hotel La Danae, the place where Alex and I stayed. Four lovely ladies who always had the time to chat, and even offer us coffee. Santa had a particularly happy disposition, and was always smiling. One day she hugged me, and told me that she had never met tourists like Alex and I who were so humble and gracious. What a compliment! The reality is that it is really natural for both of us to be able to talk so easily to anyone and everyone!

We spent four wonderful days in Santo Domingo. Apart from the free concerts, there was so much to explore. We found watching how they made and rolled cigars fascinating, but often we could not stay in the shop for long, as clients happily tried out the product. After some investigating, we found out that the Dominican Republic has some top notch cigars……Cuba has the name you see! As non-smokers, neither of us are able to give you any type of evaluation!

It was fun to walk around the “Zona Colonial”, and just get lost in the tangle of cobble stone streets, and alleyways. This is where the real people live and do business. Whenever eye contact was made (which in my case, as you would know, was often), we were always greeted with a “Buenos dias” (hello) and a big smile!

Next: Our travels in the north east of the Dominican Republic.

(Photos: 1. Gate to the old city Independence Park. 2. Osama fortress. 3. Colonial Santo Domingo. 4. Traditional drummers. 5. The shop comes to your door. 6. Making cigars….)

As soon as we landed in the Dominican Republic we knew we would love it. It has a totally different feel to Puerto Rico. The people are laid back, easy-going, friendly and I feel, very beautiful, both inside and out. They possess a certain joie de vive that simply has put a constant smile on my face since our arrival.

We spent our first two days just wandering around the Colonial City Centre, not going in any particular direction, and just trying to absorb some of the culture and way of life.

Yes, people are very happy and most greet you with a smile on their face, but then there has been the side that has already made me cry several times……the little old man who was selling bottles of honey, who almost fell over with ecstacy when he thought we was going to buy all the bottles he had….only to watch the look of total despair on his face, when he realised that we were not! My heart sank to my feet – what he was asking for was less than what a meal would cost us! I felt sick to the stomach as well as deeply saddened as I walked away, and I wondered why I had been blessed with such an “easy life” when others had it so hard.

On another three occasions, I have bought food and given it to people who were hungry. And NO they have not asked for money, and YES they have come straight out and asked for food because they were hungry! Yesterday, a little boy of about 8 years of age walked into a bakery where Alex and I were having a snack, and told us that he was hungry. As I looked into his tiny face and big chocolate eyes, I felt overwhelmed…..how could I deny him one of life´s most primal necessities! As I handed him over some bread, I asked him his name……Miguel was this little boy´s name…not a non-identity, but a little boy with a name like all of us……but a life…NOT like all of us! Before he walked away, I also gave him a key-ring – he thanked me, and smiled at me, in a way which we both understood. To think that so little can actually mean so much! That night, I went back to my hotel room, and cried both openly and silently!

On another occasion, a young man came to the window of another place where we were snacking and asked if he could have some food as he was hungry. He lifted his t-shirt to show his protruding belly, and then pointed to a small plate that he was holding, telling us that he had gotten the food from a rubbish bin. I once again found myself sick to the core, as I realised that although such a basic necessity as food should be a right, not a privelege, this is not true for all. Of course I bought him some food, and gave it to him. As he walked away, we both watched as he shoved it into his mouth with vigour, after which he threw the paper bag in the bin. As he turned around, he caught our eye, and waved and smiled in a way that we will never forget. Part of the irony was that this very person who obviously did not have some of the basic necessities in life was still able to do what I have seen so many ¨”educated” people not do, which is throw his rubbish in the bin. Food for thought!

I have felt very touched by the very real poverty I have seen here. For some it only exists on TV, but to others it is a way of life. I have no answer as to why some of us will experience it in this lifetime, whilst others will not, but I will say this:

Please be conscious of those around you, and those that are less fortunate than you. Please do not take for granted what you have. Please consider how fortunate you are, and please do not cry over all the things you could have. If you have a roof over your head, and food in your mouth it is already so much more than so many other people.

Alex has a new phrase which we are using often these days, “The more we see, the less we want!” When your eyes have been opened up to so many other people and places, it is hard to place any real importance on the new four wheel drive, designer shoes, or flashy houses in flashy neighbourhoods. When we die, we leave with what we entered with….nothing! Well, except our hearts, our souls, and our memories! Anything physical ceases to matter.

My plea to all of you, is to give as well as receive. This is the law and order of our universe which transcends race, culture and creed. Don´t look down on others who are less fortunate than you, but rather if you can take a moment out of your busy day to help them out, do so. What goes around comes around! And when you give………even if it is only a smile, you will realise that you have received a gift more valuable than gold!

Dedication: I dedicate this entry to my beautiful friend Laura Vascon, and her equally beautiful daughter Isabella. Alex and I know how much you will relate to what I have written Laura, and I can hear you saying, ” We are on the same page baby!!” We love you both and cannot wait to see you in Europe next year!