Page 9: Dominican Republic Adventure 2024!
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Of course skip all the dribble if you like and just check out the photos
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Back on the road the sky is looking even darker and the rain starts again much harder. I duck under this shelter. Soon three other bikers join me.
Soon a motoconcho driver pulls under with a passenger. The rain is not letting up so the passenger gives it up and jumps on the first guagua that stops.
Super cool taillight! Always fun talking with people about bikes.
Unreal! an ice cream bike pulls in under our shelter! Ice cream bars are flying out of the cooler!
Everyone partakes...
The rain continues. I take a few shots of passing motoconcho bikers.
Nice solution. Three-up. See the little face.
The rain slows so everyone takes off. Then this guy rides in and strikes up a conversation. Sex, alcohol and partying is all he wants to talk about. Then he tells me he is Policía! Next, he walks off to get beer. My gut says pack up and fly. Away I go off into the rain...
It continues raining sometimes less then sometimes more. I pull into Samana late and start looking for a hotel. I find several right away but none have secure parking or any parking at all. Someone on the street in the rain tells me there is a hotel with parking three minutes up the road. Perfect! I pull into a covered and gated parking garage under a nice hotel. A little spendy but breakfast is included and the place is super nice...
My hotel room has three menus on the table, one for drinks, one for food and one for the free breakfast choices. Great I thought I can get food right here without going anywhere. While spreading out my gear in the room to dry I notice three women in funky dress parading past my window followed by a dude. On one pass they stop and pause right in front of my window. I'm getting the feeling this may be a dual-purpose hotel...
Soon it is dark and I am hungry. But ha ha no food available until breakfast. I am a little bit out of town on top of a big hill. I start marching. It is a heck of a hike to find food. On the way back I pass this cantina blasting music with a group playing dominoes. I pause to take in the DR scene, something I love to do.
There is a small store next to the cantina advertising beer. I order a beer and take a seat with a view of the action next door. Soon a woman comes in and sits next to me and introduces herself. The way she is looking at me having turned her chair facing me I have the feeling she is waiting for me to buy her a beer. Not wanting to offend I quickly finish my beer and ask if I can take a photo of her and the woman behind the counter"?permiso sacar una photo bonita personas de Republica Dominicana?" That works. After, I say adiós and march off leaving smiles all around.
When it is this wet outside having an air conditioner in the room is the only way to dry out wet moto gear. By morning everything is dry. It feels good to go through all my stuff at the hotel to see what I got and repack it so I know where everything is.
Even after a great breakfast at the hotel I cannot pass up a popular empanada stand in town. More fuel for the days ride...
This stand is a buzz of activity. And my jaw is functional for empanadas!
I ask the mother permission for the photo. All good :)
Heading out of Samana the goal today is still Las Galeras. It has been years and I want to see if it is still a place I want to return with Heidi.
The population on this stretch of road seems to have increased times 5 at least. I do not recall any of these little villages between Samana and Las Galeras in the past. They're so large now they even have painted signs!
The ride is still super beautiful with a ton of places to pull off and get into the tropical scene.
Riding into town to the end of the road is way different from last time I was here. A lot of new (old) buildings ending at a guarded parking area. I ask the guard permission to go in just to take a few photos. No problem but a tip would be appreciated later he tells me.
This is the same spot Heidi and I took a photo of us with our motorcycle back in 1995. So cool, I remember us talking about wanting to move to the small island offshore.
This area has really developed for tourism, restaurants, coffee shops and bars. Tourists are preparing to load onto the boats, some with scuba gear. Years ago there was just one palapa bar here at the end of the road and less boats, mainly boats for local fishermen.
A woman notices me and askes if I would like some food or beer or a pina colada. I say "cafe" Si! Great DR coffee!
On my way out I slip the guard a 50. I get a much appreciated "gracias" in reply. "de nada"
Every day on this ride I have seen people riding horseback. Finally, I get a photo of someone on a mule. Often, I take a photo just to remind myself to write about it. It is interesting and is way part of the local culture here. In Samana while looking for a room in the rain with motos racing all around I pass two guys on horseback riding through town looking like they are having a ball. So
cool...
Las Galeras is not calling me to stay the night so I double back through Samana then head inland to continue this big ride of the island.
Samana away from the tourist area is way more interesting to me.
This looks like the town's main guagua station, right where the towns outside market is. Mucha actividad (Much activity here).
Exiting Samana, there is a lot of crazy moto traffic like most tourist areas I have experienced here. Every day I witness things I cannot believe and today takes the cake! At one point I have a moto pass me and the car in front of me while riding a wheelie the whole way AND the moto has three people onboard AND the driver has a bottle of booze in his hand! I catch up with them at a stop and witness the driver take a swig from the bottle. Yikes'! I blast in front of them and stay in front, they cannot keep up with me having three people onboard, but I think they were trying!
I hit the main autopista heading inland toward Santo Domingo
On the autopista there are more upscale travel stops but they still have traditional DR food. Mongú, yellow rice with beans and hot sauce, perfect road food. And strong DR coffee of course!
About half way to Santo Domingo I get off the autopista and again point inland to see more of the Dominican Republic I enjoy. My original ride plan today was to turn East to loop the Caribbean coast all the way to Punta Cana, but the more I ride the developed tourist areas the less I like it. I am a firm believer that the closer I get to my ride destination the more I know what I want and where I want to go. This ride is a perfect example of that. I do not like being asked straight out for money, I do not like people trying to steer me places when I do not ask and I do not like people forcibly demanding to have a conversation with me when I am just trying to enjoy myself. When I am inland and away from tourists, I get none of that so that is why I am constantly changing my ride plan, a perfect way to travel in my book.
I dig all the colorfully painted city name signs I am seeing everywhere on this ride. I never remember seeing this before on other rides here. I theorize these are all coming from the huge amount of tourist dollars pouring into the island from places like Punta Cana. I see this as a good thing probably increasing the pride of the people in the rural communities.
I love when dogs march up to me like they know me. Out of all the dogs I have been around on this island I have not once experienced any display of aggressive behavior from any of them. Maybe just lucky, or...
More on the way!