We rented a red Mitsubishi SUV with our friends Keith and Ida to take a three day trip into the Central Cordillera region of the Dominican Republic where we delighted in the cooler weather and breathtaking views along the cliff side winding roads with hairpin turns that snake through the mountains and down into the green valleys. Our route took us from Luperon through Santiago then into the mountains through La Vega, Jarabacoa, Costanza, and all the little villages in between. Small houses, farm buildings, and villages dot the terraced mountainsides where fields of vegetables, fruits, and flowers paint a colorful canvas and provide most of the food for the country.

After a morning of shopping in Santiago, we headed up into the mountains and stopped just past La Vega at Posado Diana Victoria, a quaint roadside cafe perched on the edge of a ridge, where we got cold cervazas then ordered the plato del dia of pork, rice and beans, and salad for $2.50 and finished up with cafe con leche.

With three rivers, the Yaque del Norte, the Baiguate, and the Jimenoa, flowing through the region waterfalls are in abundance. Our first day we followed the stairs and wooden walkway along the side of the mountain then crossed the swinging suspension bridge to Salto de Jimenoa Dos.

We continued on to the city of Jarabacoa where we checked into the Hotel California then continued on through town to Parque Rio del Norte where the locals have painted signs on the rocks and swim in the pools amidst the rapids. We took a walk over the river on Puente Amarilla, a swinging bridge with razor wire topping one side to check out the terraces and patios that line opposite riverbank and enjoy a cold cervaza. It was quite entertaining to watch some local teenagers jumping into the rapids, see a motorcycle drive across the walking bridge, and observe the men transporting loads of 6 to 8 foot long rough hewn boards across for a building project.

A drive along the rutted dirt road that parallels Yaque del Norte, the longest river in the Caribbean, took us past Balneario La Cortina, a natural pool that forms a horizontal sheet of water on the side of the mountain to the village of Manaboa where we caught a glimpse of Pico Duarte, the highest peak in the Caribbean at over 10,000 feet, shrouded in the clouds.

We turned around at Manaboa and drove back down the mountain to Jarabacoa where we checked out a few restaurants before settling on one that served chibo en vino (goat in wine) so I could try that. After dinner it was back to Hotel California for cool dip in the pool before falling into bed.


Day Two to be continued.......