La fin de semana...

My apologies for the delay with this one! I will of course blame it on my internet connection (which has actually been perfect this past week...teehee) I just HAD to report back on my insanely fun weekend with the Siegle clan here - this would be the weekend before last..oh man I'm way behind with my blogging! In any case, this involved my dad, Aunt Jerri - who is living in nearby Sosua -, Aunt Janet and Uncle Paul...that's all the Siegle siblings, plus everyone's favorite daughter/niece reunited for some glorious antics in the DR.

After hearing much hype, we decided to travel to the 27 Waterfalls on Saturday, near the town of Imbert, which is somewhere near Puerta Plata, though we seemed to get off course a few times...though did see some of downtown Puerta Plata, which is definitely a legit city. Complete with a two-lane highway, which I certainly hadn't laid eyes on since leaving the states. Not that a two-lane highway prompts drivers here to be any less reckless or observant of basic traffic laws, but....annnnnnnnnyway...

After a delish Dominican lunch at a little comedor in downtown Imbert (small, typical Dominican town) we finally made it to the 27 Waterfalls...this means we followed a dirt road off the side of the highway down to a visitor center where we were told virtually nothing about what we were about to do, beyond seeing some waterfalls, perhaps doing some hiking, and perhaps swimming in some natural spring pools - nothing in regards to what the physical requirements might be, what to expect, etc...The brochure was shockingly vague, and pretty much all the information we got was that there were three options - to see waterfalls 1-7, 1-12, or 1-27...except since it was early afternoon we didn't have time to do all 27 so it was either option a or b...My dad and I, being the loco ones, enthusiastically opted for 12, the others set to do 1-7.

We were fitted with helmets and life jackets, and set off on a flat path through some farmland, and across a few shallow streams; at this point the helmets and life jackets of course seeming far too conservative.

About 10 minutes into our walk, we arrived at the first waterfall, which ended in a beautiful pool - our guide told us to go ahead and jump in, and then we were to swim through the pool and beyond that through a cavern-like channel into which the waterfall fed...at this point we realized that we would not be hiking alongside the waterfalls, but would be essentially rock climbing UP the waterfalls (with what was probably hundreds of gallons of water shooting at our bodies) with the help of our guides who would help to hoist us up the rock faces (no ropes, no security aside from the arm strength of our guides). This was pretty much completely unsafe for anyone with shoulder issues, or really any medical issues at all, and thus a few members of our group opted to stay safe near the first waterfalls and meet my dad and I on our way back from being crazy people.

On to waterfall 12 we went...this included hoisting ourselves up a fairly large rock face with the help of a rope and our own arm strength alone...again, no security measure if we were to fall! We kept swimming through natural pools and caverns, walking on paths, through streams, and climbing up the falls until we reached number 12 - then the real fun began. On the way down we would be sliding down the natural waterslides formed by the waterfalls, and occasionally jumping off fairly high ledges (i.e. certainly the highest thing I have ever jumped off...probably 25-30 feet? It felt like about 100, but I'm just trying to be realistic).

In any case, our guide basically just led us to the edge of a ledge as if it was nothing and instructed us to just jump off of it by pretty much walking off the side of it into the natural pool of water 30 feet below. Having no time to be scared, there I went....actually super fun, aside from the insane amount of water up my nose (this was following the previous day's kayaking trip with DREAM volunteers, during which I decided to attempt a back flip off of a trapeze rope swing into a river...needless to say, I landed on my face and got ALOT of water in my sinuses).

In any case, we made it out alive and it was probably the most fun/crazy experience of my life thus far. Also falls under the category (along with the drain-clearing chemical I purchased last week at the local supermarket, which actually produces smoke upon contact with water) of things that are totally ok in the DR and would never be legal in the U.S. Gotta love 'em!

The weekend's next big event was the following day, Sunday, when we all went to Playa Grande, which is about an hour from Cabarete. I think this was the most beautiful beach I have ever seen! I hate to say it, but this is saying a lot after living in Hawaii for 8 months...

In any case, after chomping on the most delicious almonds ever (harvested off the road and then roasted and sold at road-side stands) we headed back from Playa Grande to go to Blue Moon for dinner. This is a well known but completely obscurely-located Indian restaurant in nearby Los Brazos. After heading a few miles away from the coast and up towards the hills/mountains, we arrived at the restaurant's roller coaster-like dirt road. I wasn't sure my aunt's sweet sweet car was going to make it but with my dad flooring it somehow we made it. Just in time to see one of the most beautiful sunsets of my life. The restaurant is situated on top of a hill in a quiet rural area surrounded by hills and valleys, farms, etc. and the sun sets just behind it over the mountains.

The dining experience was definitely the most unique of my life - the restaurant only does one dinner each night, and only when they have at least 8 people. This is because everyone sits in a circular hut on cushions, and eats a meal together - off of banana leaves and with their bare hands. I obviously had a field day with this and had food all over myself and my hands...but it was so delicious that I didn't care. They made their own chutneys, raita, etc....the whole meal was a delicious Indian-with-Caribbean-flare affair, and the setting was so peaceful, quiet, and gorgeous. I can't wait to go back!

It seemed a perfect and relaxing end to a crazy few days. Thanks to the Siegle siblings for the good times!

More to come soon...

-L