Dominican Republic Chapter 4
Horseback riding behind Limon Falls
Day 5
Our main objective on the Samaná Peninsula was to visit the Limón Waterfall and to go in search of whales that pass by the area during their migration at the beginning of the year. However, in my time itinerary, I forgot to take into account that we would need a day to stir up the shock of Las Terrenas. It wasn’t that hard to decide between a half-hour massage of our buttocks with the backs of horses or two water jets – one from the back of a whale (water jet uncertain) and the other from our stomachs enjoying the rocking of a boat of dubious quality (water jet certain).
The trip, only 30 km from our base in Las Terrenas, was arranged right in our village. The people here may live in tin shacks, but the tour operators have more tours than diners. The cheapest waterfalls are offered by the French. Besides the price, we appreciated the European pallor of her face. The classic Dominican promises first to last, and we haven’t had time to gather enough experience to want to trust them. Which might be considered racist on our part. But face it, fear is a powerful master.
So we paid a nice $35 a head to an elderly French lady. She walked us out of her office to the road where a pick-up truck pulled up. The French elderly lady directed us to the back of the truck. She said it was a bigger experience than inside… ah, aha… We sit down with a few other black guys and look forward to what’s next.
When we were sold on the trip itself, she asked us how we liked the Dominican Republic. Our hunched shoulders and curved faces told her we were still getting used to it, so she says:
“These people are poor, they have nothing and yet they are always smiling. Do you know why? Because the first thing they say to themselves when they wake up in the morning is: Yoo-hoo! I’m still alive!”
Riding on the back of a truck is actually quite an experience. Just watch the video:
Horseriding through jungles, plantations of God-knows-what, and mountain trails is also not exactly memorable. Check it out:
The horseback ride is taking longer than we expected and the buttock massage from Bronco and Chocolate is starting to be more pronounced than we expected. Those are the names of the horses, not our guides! Unfortunately we don’t remember those 🙁 My first horse ride ever, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. I felt really happy to be experiencing something new.
We dismounted from our horses and farted around in our rubber boots for our destination. A refreshing dip under a breathtaking waterfall, a parrot on my shoulder, an atmosphere like something out of a Jean Paul Belmondo movie, beautiful!
Bronco under my 90 kg did not show any signs of disgust even on the way back. Apparently he’s one of those types who enjoys his work. Clearly a gentleman. Although I’m sure the terrain and the heat couldn’t exactly make it seem like a pleasant romantic walk for two. I hope he appreciated my compliments and pats on the neck every five minutes. I do that to every mare 😀 (ok, bad joke, I take it back)
The two black guys leading our horses walked beside us in their rubber boots the whole time. They do this job voluntarily and make extra money with what the tourists give them as tips at the end of the ride. We know from the French that we are supposed to give 200-300 pesos to each guide. We give 300 each, but you can sense in their expressions that they are not overflowing with enthusiasm. We throw in the few dollars we have in our pockets. It doesn’t make them feel any better, but they remain polite and say their friendly goodbyes.
We were supposed to get back on our own. Hitch a ride in a truck or a van. Before we do that, we’ll have a big lunch at the ranch, which was part of the price of the trip. Besides water and sodas, we have unlimited access to Dominican rum. I inhale a few glasses of rum and Coke with gusto. Besides, I’m Czech, leaving the free rum lying around for nothing would be a shame to our culture.
When I lived in the Canary Islands, a British friend of mine Rhys commented on my Spanish level: “You’re the only person in the world who, when drunk, is worse at a foreign language than when sober.”
And so I preferred to restrain myself and not get drunk. We caught and tamed the van to take back to Las Terrenas. The first trip went surprisingly smoothly and was well worth it!