We can't really call it a detour when we intended to go to this beautiful place but if you look at the charts from David's blog about passages, it was a premature dip to the south if we were to stay inline with our general southeasterly direction. I have wanted to visit the island of Hispaniola (part Haiti and part Dominican Republic) for years and it has always eluded me. So, I wasn't going to pass right by it without stopping on this trip. David spent two weeks here in 2011 on a mission. He helped build an orphanage in the town of San Pedro de Macoris. He had a wonderful experience and was happy to revisit especially when we were stopping in the north which he had not seen and the promise of cold Presidentes! Just kidding! We can get those beers almost anywhere! They are good, though!
The sail to Luperon was very enjoyable. We left French Cay midday and arrived late the next morning. We ran out of wind off the coast but that was OK because it was an easy motor sail to the bay which we would have done anyway heading east. What we found was a narrow channel between mountains into the anchorage that was somewhat marked and two areas full of boats on moorings. Quite unexpectedly, we met Don Quijote at the entrance. That was the same yacht moored to the detached dock across from us at Blue Haven in Provo. They are storing their yacht for hurricane season in a shipyard in Luperon, we were informed when we met for some beers and a meal, while they spend time back home in Australia. It is entirely possible that we meet again in Panama around the first of next year as they are headed to the South Pacific also.
As we were looking for a place to anchor, a weathered old man in a skiff with two younger fellows pulled alongside and offered us a mooring for the night for $3. His name is Papo and he proved to be very helpful during our stay. When all the boats are moored in a field, it is better to do the same as anchoring puts a boat out of sync with the swing radius of everyone else. Once India was secure, we were instructed in the customs clearance procedures and given some useful introductory information by Papo, who also had a Dominican Republic courtesy flag available for sale (convenient for us and smart business for him). We gathered our documents, launched tuk-tuk and were quickly on our way to town.
Customs and Immigration in Luperon is hilarious. It just makes me smile out loud thinking about it. There are five bureaus which need clearance with varying degrees of formality and an antiquated system, which I find charming although many people are probably exasperated by it. It does become tedious because it is necessary to repeat the process in and outbound for each port. That’s right. Each and every port of call while in the country. First there is customs for the boat and it’s contents. Then there is immigration for the master, crew, and passengers. Followed by Department of Agriculture for any plants and animals we might carry and bureau of tourism for our visitors cards. And then, and this is the hilarious part even though all of these other offices had their moments, one is obligated to pay a visit to the commandant of the local military up the road in the barracks! Most of the documents are replicated in carbon paper and there are lots of stamps and questions and required signatures and it is all done in Spanish, of course. Good thing it is one of the languages I speak, although they will use a translation app on their phones if there is any confusion. Dominican Republic is a militarized country and the sight of fully armed soldiers in uniform is common but not particularly threatening. The officers we dealt with were serious but friendly and one has the impression that they keep track of the movements of visiting tourists here.
Once we were finished with all that we went straight to a local cantina for a refreshing cerveza nacional - Presidente! We were tired and hungry but happy to be there. We joined up with the Don Quijote owners and had a lovely meal together at a small restaurante familial. We noticed right away how gracious and friendly the locals were. They are extremely humble and so are the prices of their goods and services.
Luperon is a pleasant northern town that has become quite popular with cruising boats because of its protected bay. It is known somewhat as a hurricane hole although it has never had a direct hit by one. The mountains to the south are said to be wind breakers. Consequently, the locals refer to the harbour as Gracias de Dios (Thanks to God). Because it is so protected from winds, it is hot! Dead calm, airless, sweltering, oppressive heat. For the first time ever and on both of the nights we stayed there, we slept outside on the trampolines. It was very cool sleeping under the stars and fortunately it didn't rain. But when I say cool, I mean enchanting views and a novelty sleeping arrangement, it was only marginally cooler at night.
Given the heat, we charged up the mountains the next day to the 27 Charcos of Rio Damajagua (27 'puddles'), as recommended by Papo. Conveniently his son Francis took us to the starting point of the guided hiking tour but we were only able to do 12 of the 27 Waterfalls, Jumps, Pools and Slides back down the mountain due to the severe lack of rainfall. We were fitted out with helmets and life-vests (uncomfortable, we looked look a bunch of turtles, but better to be safe) and a bottle of water and off we trekked through the many trails and stairs and bridges to the first and highest jump of 25 feet! From that point on it was an exhilarating and refreshing afternoon out of the heat and a yummy buffet afterwards in the cool hills. Please endure our video below!
Luperon was a great place to start our DR Detour. It has a nice local vibe, not touristic at all. We were able to stock up on coffee (4$ per lb) and beer and the small marina had a very good restaurant with WiFi. Everyone was very friendly and happy to see us. We were greeted by everyone we passed in the streets and by the time we cleared out of the port three days later, all the faces were somewhat familiar. I know that the DR has a questionable reputation for tourism and in fact some very suspicious deaths were reported while we were there, but we felt completely safe and well taken care of the whole time. Mind you, we didn't venture out much after dark in town.
Our next port of call was Ocean World Marina near Puerta Plata. This is a tourist area and an interesting comparison. Once tied to the dock, this full service marina bought all the amenities to us. Within the hour we were cleared through customs and hooked up with power and water. They even took care of our laundry - very nice job on our sheets and towels! There was a casino, a couple of restaurants, and a liquor store with snacks and it was in walking distance of Cofresi Beach. The beach is named after a famous Pirate and was really hopping on the Sunday we were there. People in the water, families on the sand, loud Merengue music playing from parked cars nearby. A real hot mess! Everybody happy! David and I chose a Mexican Caribbean restaurant where we could watch the action from afar and had one of the best meals we've had in some time. I had multiple Sangrias which were delicately concocted with a special spice blend and chicken enchiladas with mole sauce. Absolutely the best mole I have ever had! David's beef tacos were also very good! Afterwards, we UBER-ed into town to walk around the Fort and spend time at the nearby arena right on the coast. A really great day.
We wanted to spend more time in the DR but admit that the clearance process was a deterrent for any further stops on this trip. We even ran out of time to go to the Ocean World Marine Park. The local super market had complementary transportation so we took advantage of some inexpensive produce and beers and a tour through Puerta Plata and by the time we got our exit documents it was time to go. Dominican Republic is not a country to be experienced in a couple of days. Its a large country with lots to offer in terms of natural wonders, historical and cultural sights, along with restaurants, resorts, beaches and eco and sports excursions. It really has it all and as a less developed economy is extremely affordable. I am grateful to have had an opportunity to finally see it, but it was just a taste of what the DR has to offer, that's why I refer to this trip as the Dominican Detour.
The sail to Luperon was very enjoyable. We left French Cay midday and arrived late the next morning. We ran out of wind off the coast but that was OK because it was an easy motor sail to the bay which we would have done anyway heading east. What we found was a narrow channel between mountains into the anchorage that was somewhat marked and two areas full of boats on moorings. Quite unexpectedly, we met Don Quijote at the entrance. That was the same yacht moored to the detached dock across from us at Blue Haven in Provo. They are storing their yacht for hurricane season in a shipyard in Luperon, we were informed when we met for some beers and a meal, while they spend time back home in Australia. It is entirely possible that we meet again in Panama around the first of next year as they are headed to the South Pacific also.
As we were looking for a place to anchor, a weathered old man in a skiff with two younger fellows pulled alongside and offered us a mooring for the night for $3. His name is Papo and he proved to be very helpful during our stay. When all the boats are moored in a field, it is better to do the same as anchoring puts a boat out of sync with the swing radius of everyone else. Once India was secure, we were instructed in the customs clearance procedures and given some useful introductory information by Papo, who also had a Dominican Republic courtesy flag available for sale (convenient for us and smart business for him). We gathered our documents, launched tuk-tuk and were quickly on our way to town.
Customs and Immigration in Luperon is hilarious. It just makes me smile out loud thinking about it. There are five bureaus which need clearance with varying degrees of formality and an antiquated system, which I find charming although many people are probably exasperated by it. It does become tedious because it is necessary to repeat the process in and outbound for each port. That’s right. Each and every port of call while in the country. First there is customs for the boat and it’s contents. Then there is immigration for the master, crew, and passengers. Followed by Department of Agriculture for any plants and animals we might carry and bureau of tourism for our visitors cards. And then, and this is the hilarious part even though all of these other offices had their moments, one is obligated to pay a visit to the commandant of the local military up the road in the barracks! Most of the documents are replicated in carbon paper and there are lots of stamps and questions and required signatures and it is all done in Spanish, of course. Good thing it is one of the languages I speak, although they will use a translation app on their phones if there is any confusion. Dominican Republic is a militarized country and the sight of fully armed soldiers in uniform is common but not particularly threatening. The officers we dealt with were serious but friendly and one has the impression that they keep track of the movements of visiting tourists here.
Once we were finished with all that we went straight to a local cantina for a refreshing cerveza nacional - Presidente! We were tired and hungry but happy to be there. We joined up with the Don Quijote owners and had a lovely meal together at a small restaurante familial. We noticed right away how gracious and friendly the locals were. They are extremely humble and so are the prices of their goods and services.
Luperon is a pleasant northern town that has become quite popular with cruising boats because of its protected bay. It is known somewhat as a hurricane hole although it has never had a direct hit by one. The mountains to the south are said to be wind breakers. Consequently, the locals refer to the harbour as Gracias de Dios (Thanks to God). Because it is so protected from winds, it is hot! Dead calm, airless, sweltering, oppressive heat. For the first time ever and on both of the nights we stayed there, we slept outside on the trampolines. It was very cool sleeping under the stars and fortunately it didn't rain. But when I say cool, I mean enchanting views and a novelty sleeping arrangement, it was only marginally cooler at night.
Given the heat, we charged up the mountains the next day to the 27 Charcos of Rio Damajagua (27 'puddles'), as recommended by Papo. Conveniently his son Francis took us to the starting point of the guided hiking tour but we were only able to do 12 of the 27 Waterfalls, Jumps, Pools and Slides back down the mountain due to the severe lack of rainfall. We were fitted out with helmets and life-vests (uncomfortable, we looked look a bunch of turtles, but better to be safe) and a bottle of water and off we trekked through the many trails and stairs and bridges to the first and highest jump of 25 feet! From that point on it was an exhilarating and refreshing afternoon out of the heat and a yummy buffet afterwards in the cool hills. Please endure our video below!
Luperon was a great place to start our DR Detour. It has a nice local vibe, not touristic at all. We were able to stock up on coffee (4$ per lb) and beer and the small marina had a very good restaurant with WiFi. Everyone was very friendly and happy to see us. We were greeted by everyone we passed in the streets and by the time we cleared out of the port three days later, all the faces were somewhat familiar. I know that the DR has a questionable reputation for tourism and in fact some very suspicious deaths were reported while we were there, but we felt completely safe and well taken care of the whole time. Mind you, we didn't venture out much after dark in town.
Our next port of call was Ocean World Marina near Puerta Plata. This is a tourist area and an interesting comparison. Once tied to the dock, this full service marina bought all the amenities to us. Within the hour we were cleared through customs and hooked up with power and water. They even took care of our laundry - very nice job on our sheets and towels! There was a casino, a couple of restaurants, and a liquor store with snacks and it was in walking distance of Cofresi Beach. The beach is named after a famous Pirate and was really hopping on the Sunday we were there. People in the water, families on the sand, loud Merengue music playing from parked cars nearby. A real hot mess! Everybody happy! David and I chose a Mexican Caribbean restaurant where we could watch the action from afar and had one of the best meals we've had in some time. I had multiple Sangrias which were delicately concocted with a special spice blend and chicken enchiladas with mole sauce. Absolutely the best mole I have ever had! David's beef tacos were also very good! Afterwards, we UBER-ed into town to walk around the Fort and spend time at the nearby arena right on the coast. A really great day.
We wanted to spend more time in the DR but admit that the clearance process was a deterrent for any further stops on this trip. We even ran out of time to go to the Ocean World Marine Park. The local super market had complementary transportation so we took advantage of some inexpensive produce and beers and a tour through Puerta Plata and by the time we got our exit documents it was time to go. Dominican Republic is not a country to be experienced in a couple of days. Its a large country with lots to offer in terms of natural wonders, historical and cultural sights, along with restaurants, resorts, beaches and eco and sports excursions. It really has it all and as a less developed economy is extremely affordable. I am grateful to have had an opportunity to finally see it, but it was just a taste of what the DR has to offer, that's why I refer to this trip as the Dominican Detour.
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| A real Indian Tuk-Tuk in Luperon! |
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| Local cantina and ice cold cervezas nacionales! |
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| Some local food....sabrosa! |
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| Fortaleza San Felipe |
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| No words for this caption. Maybe 'David's big cannon'...! |
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| Dramatic skies |
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| View from offshore as we were leaving |
What an incredible adventure. You guys are living the dream and making great memories! I loved the video with all the waterfalls, pools, etc. I would have loved it! The Sambrosa dishes looked divine. I googled Cofresi Beach. What a beautiful resort! I'm going to have to look up the story of the famous pirate. I was a bit worried when I heard about tourists dying over there but know that you are an accomplished sailor. You guys know what you are doing. You write with such beautiful detail I can picture it in my mind. I'm so happy you are sharing such a wonderful experience. Love you guys!
ReplyDeleteCindy wrote a beautiful comment on your blog (yes, I recognized the beautiful Cindy's effervescent personality)and I wish I were as eloquent. Having said that, THAT VIDEO WAS THE BOMB. I would have been scared to death but I LOVED watching you guys have so much fun jumping and sliding the cascading water. Absolutely unbelievable. xoxoxo
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