Dominican Republic
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Time to Fly
Construction and angry ticketing agents threatened to end our journey before it even started but we made it! This is it. This is the moment we take off from Miami to cross international waters. Our journey lies ahead in the Dominican Republic.
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Dreaming Among the Clouds
The whirlwind of anxious excitement, standard with any trip to the airport, slowly subsides. Gazing out across blue waters and oceans of clouds. Sleepy thoughts of what lies ahead float across my mind.
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Santiago
Flying in to Santiago one quickly realizes that this part of the Dominican Republic is a busy place. In fact the DR has the second largest economy in the Caribbean and an estimated population of 10 million. Upon exiting the airport we were enthusiastically greated by Efrain, Francelys' uncle.
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Home in Bonao
Francelys' family home in Bonao. This is where will call home for the majority of our stay in the Dominican Republic. A welcoming breeze meanders through the house keeping residents cool. Many homes have glassless windows open to the outside all year round and there is no need for heating.
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Morning in Bonao
Waking up after a long day of travel, the house is flooded with beautiful light. Lucy is in the kitchen preparing rice to be used for lunch, the most important meal of the day.
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100 Pesos
A truck drives through the streets with a loud speaker attached to the front, announcing,"Huevos a 100 Pesos!"
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Down the Block
Brightly colored homes are common place in the DR. You may find some blocks where there are no two houses of the same color.
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River Crossing
Horses are still a common form of transportation in parts of the Dominican Republic. Many horses have crossed this part of the river in Los Quemados.
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Rio Yuna
Rio Yuna flows from the lush mountains of Central Republica Dominicana. Rivers supply many families in the central regions with fresh drinking water. However; in some regions this life supporting water supply is threatened by companies seeking to exploit the mountains for their rich supply of Nickel and Gold.
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River Floating
Spending the afternoon with new friends. Saul and I battle our way against the current so that we could leisurely float back down river.
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Above Rio Yuna
Riding a pasola (motor scooter) along dirt roads into the mountains brought us to this spectacular overlook.
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Mariposa
A painful lesson in botany was learned while taking this photograph. Before chasing after butterflies ensure you aren't tromping through a patch of Stinging Nettles.
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Horse in the Mountains
This beautiful creature came to greet us as we made our way a long the dirt road in the mountains. At this point we were walking by foot as the terrain got too treacherous for our little pasola.
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Laborer's Hut
Structures like this one are used as temporary housing for people working in the mountains. The mountains offer better growing conditions for certain crops such as tomatoes and corn.
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Mountain Forests of the Dominican Republic
Sounds of buzzing and chirping fill the air. The smell of spice and sweet decay greats you with every breath. You are surrounded by life and off in the distance the next peak can be seen.
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Scooter Down
The dirt roads were not kind to the pasola which stalled out. Jofrany pushes his dad home.
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Tiny Lizard
Back home in Bonao, I managed to persuade one of the lizards scurrying across the porch to climb onto my hand
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Mini the Family Dog
Mini helps watch the house in Bonao. She may not be intimidating but she always lets you know when someone is at the gate.
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Budding Entrepeneurs
We met these three while visiting a small public grove near where we were staying in Bonao. They were busy climbing trees and making colorful balls by cutting up shopping bags and sinching them together with the rings that are used to seal beverage bottles. They were selling the balls for 15 pesos each.
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Resting in the Trees
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Zen Stories
A tree in the grove strongly grips this stone. Once placed there by one of the children.
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Catching Some Oms
Francelys meditating under the cool shade of the grove.
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Welcome The Rain
A storm passes over; the winds blowing pigeons across the dark sky. It is not uncommon for homes to go without water when dry spells hit. During our stay some folks in Bonao had been without running water for a week.
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Temo Presidente 2016
100 lb. rice bags filled with stones have been used to create a campaign sign high upon the mountain side.
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Flamboyán Tree
It is said that when the orange flowers of the Flamboyán are in bloom that most of the single women leave home to live with their lovers.
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A Dangerous Profession
Fatal accidents are common a long the fast moving autopista. A men selling chicharones (fried meats) recounts his own tragic story. One day his wife crossed the busy highway to bring him water. On her return she and her sister were hit by a truck and killed right in front of him and their only son. He continues to work there as it is the only way he can put food on the table.
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The Fountain of Youth
Francelys hiking the trail to the waterfall, Salto de Jima, located in the mountains near Bonao. The top sign reads "Fountain of Youth".
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Land of the Taino
The Taino indians were one of the major native inhabitants of the Caribbean at the time of European contact in the late 15th century. At the time of Columbus' arrival in 1492, there were five TaÃno chiefdoms and territories on Hispaniola (modern-day Dominican Republic and Haiti).
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Taking a Dip
The air is hot and humid. The brisk water flowing down Salto de Jima invites all to cool off. There is not one unhappy face to be found.
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Salto de Jima
A risky photo to take. Wading through 5 feet of water with my trusty camera raised high above my head was required in order to get this shot.
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Home in the Jungle
A long the road to the falls we passed many homes similar to the one photographed here.
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Bonao, View from the Street
Time to head to Salinas, the home village of Francelys' Mother and Grandmother. Salinas is mainly a fishing and salt producing community located on a small southern peninsula.
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Stopping in Bani
On our way to Salinas we stopped in Bani, a town on the Southern coast of the island. Francelys' grandmother Carmen enjoys a visit with another of the families grandmothers, Nidia.
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Happy Family
Efrain stands cheerfully with his mother Carmen (In Pink) and Nidia.
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Visiting A Sister
Family members sit a top one another at their final resting place in Salinas. We have come here to pay respects to Carmen's sister Betania.
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Roses
Efrain prepares roses to place in the tomb.
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Sisters
A photograph bears the striking resemblance between the two sisters.
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A Message from the Navy
The sign reads "Dominican Republic Navy, an Honorable Profession." Carmen recalls her husband constructing this sign from white stones collected completely by hand.
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Dunas de las Calderas
Entrance to the Dunes of Las Calderas. The Dominican Republic is home to the largest sand dunes in the Caribbean.
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Gnarled
Bushes grow, sand blasted and gnarled. baking in the hot sun, thier roots seeking nutrients in the salty sand.
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Dunas de Arena
Perhaps it is the vast empty spaces with little to distract, but I have always found dunes and deserts to be the perfect place for peaceful reflection.
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Waiting Patiently
I had a difficult time leaving the sand dunes so quickly, but Efain informs me that it's time to go. We are almost to the ocean!
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Mountain of Salt
Huge mounds of salt tower along side evaporation pools in the town of Salinas.
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