Agree with you 100%. It's that thing about creating something from just a bunch of footage or pictures that really gets you going. And then having people identify with it...priceless.
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Barahona, Pedernales & Independencia Videos
Agree with you 100%. It's that thing about creating something from just a bunch of footage or pictures that really gets you going. And then having people identify with it...priceless.
Hi Bob....
I hope you get to see the videos soon... About your question I'll answer in the negative. No one checked us since the bikes are not tagged or licensed in the DR. We came from PR and for the bikes to get into the DR they have to be cleared, checked and inspected by both the US and the DR authorities. We usually carry about 10 different papers on the bike from both governments allowing transit and reentry to the US while in the DR and most policemen know this fact. It also helps that we have a police escort with us and they usually take care of any fine print issues.
But we must have passed over 20 military checkpoints along our routes and I'm sure that they would have wanted to see our papers had the bikes been licensed in the DR.
FYI to everyone - If you go to that part of the country make sure to carry either your passport or birth certificate with you. When we visited we went by these checkpoints and they don't stop you on the way there...but on the way back you will be stopped at every one and asked to produce papers. If you're Dominican then your cedula should do. If you're foreign and you don't have your papers then be prepared to pay up money at every checkpoint. We didn't carry passports for my wife and kids and I had to do a lot of convincing and actually pay up at a couple of these checkpoints...They are just looking for some money, but they will hassle you if you're not prepared...
Hi CAROMOQ.
I have a question for you. Are there any hotels (clean and comfortable) between Jimani and La Descubierta. Just thinking out loud on my end as far as planning the run around Enriquillo this year.
I have a question for you. Are there any hotels (clean and comfortable) between Jimani and La Descubierta. Just thinking out loud on my end as far as planning the run around Enriquillo this year.
Here's a backwoods route for the motorcycle gang. Go south from San Juan de la Maguana, on the road to Vallejuelo, but after about 25 kilometers go straight south on the dirt road atoward the villages of Copei, and El Cap?. At El Cap? cross the river and take the old royal road (more like a path) to Barahona. You will find a breathtaking view of the Lago Enriquillo and surrounding countryside. I've done it on a SUV. Tricky driving though....
Mirador that sounds exciting but in our particular situation we would probably not do it. Some of our bikes weigh up to 1000lbs. and they are great on a paved road but crap when you get into a dirt/rock situation as they are extremly hard to manuover. Add to that hills and things get interesting quickly. But if I had a notocross or a 4 track wouldn't even think twice. Maybe I'll do it in April when I go...
I could just see my six cylinder valkyrietrying to negotiate some of those roads. I don't know what the sight would be the beautiful contryside or the slumped over behemoth.
I could just see my six cylinder valkyrietrying to negotiate some of those roads. I don't know what the sight would be the beautiful contryside or the slumped over behemoth.
This kind of gives you an idea of the size and weight of the bike. On this trip we took a small ferry to the offshore island of Vieques.
Mirador that sounds exciting but in our particular situation we would probably not do it. Some of our bikes weigh up to 1000lbs. and they are great on a paved road but crap when you get into a dirt/rock situation as they are extremly hard to manuover. Add to that hills and things get interesting quickly. But if I had a notocross or a 4 track wouldn't even think twice. Maybe I'll do it in April when I go...
I could just see my six cylinder valkyrietrying to negotiate some of those roads. I don't know what the sight would be the beautiful contryside or the slumped over behemoth.
Best bike for this type of terrain is a 350 cc enduro, 2 stroke. I've done it. gone where goats can't climb, and after completely sumerging in a river, still started at just one kick.
The best point you made is the very last. In the checks, if you had your papers it should have been enough, no problem. You got taken advantage of when you paid money, (you paid when you entered the country the first time, possibly paid again to leave if you left to Haiti, and then again to enter...you paid in immigration, why are you paying checkpoints!) but your comment shows that you realize that. I guess sometime it would just be better for you to pay a few bucks and keep it moving, especially if you're travel alone. Maybe good advice is to travel with a Dominican friend. Sometimes I don't make a lot of posts in DR1 because it seems there is a lot of insulting and offending the people and the country, but I will say something right now, a lot (maybe most) of the men at those checkpoints are bruto (example: one early morning we left in the madrugada driving from Jimani to the capital, my mom was laying down sleeping in the back seat of the car with a blanket over her head. The guardia asks if the person in the back is alive or dead. We were angry, because that is disrespectful, and I told him so. What if she was dead? It was inappropriate. My mom popped up angry and asked him if he is a doctor or a saint that can raise the dead.) As far Dominicans having their cedula being enough, of course you should always have your cedula, and everyone has them, but in those checkpoints, it's fine, open the car, open the bag if they really want to, but asking for cedula? thisIs basically insulting, if they are asking for your cedula, what's going on, is there a problem. The one time in my memory my husband and I were ever asked to show our cedula in a check (and this was recently) we said, "You show me yours, I show you mine." He told us cono and walked away. In the United States if a police stops you and asks for your ID while you drive along the street, isn't it because you've done something wrong? Dominicans really shouldn't be being hassled that far in the checks...irritating.
Well I'm sure in your travels you didn't see to many that you'd want to go and stay in, but I guess there are a couple that aren't VERY bad. There is one I'm thinking of that even has generator, tele, restuarant, air conditioning, and a pool which is sometimes full. not too bad. In the past, where have you stayed?
We have never stayed in this area. Have always stayed in Barahona at the Caribe, the Pontevedra or the Bahoruco Beach.
When we rolled through the area in question we never found anything though. In talking with people at the Descubierta someone mentioned a place called "La Iguana". SO in this regard that is the full extent of my knowledge (nothing).
Basically what we are looking for is just a place to crash that is clean (no insects or other goofy things crawling in the bed with you) and comfortable (nice shower and AC). Also a restaurant and a place to down a few "jumbas" before hitting the sack. This year there might be one or two lady riders in the group. These gals can ride all day on their bikes and they will be with their husbands. They're tough riders but also latinas which require all the usual femenine standards of hygene if you know what I mean.
Oh yes...almost forgot. Might you know in what shape is the highway between La Descubierta and Comendador? Basically is it paved or is it mostly dirt? Just having the thought of doing and end run through there to go into San Juan de la Maguana for a couple of days.
Thanks for the help...-= Luis =-
You mean that right there in La Descubierta is the place where the crocs and the lagartos hang out? Oh Caromoq...where do you find these critters? Right there in the park we stopped at? We have to see them this year...
LLegue! Hope everyone had a nice weekend. As for myself, tengo gripe, pero estoy mejorando...entonces, cocodrillos y iguanas...te estan esperando! jeje. I think so, right there in the park where you stopped. Did you go to the beach and the little water area with sulfur (spell that?) water (it smells funny, you would probably remember!) there are iguanas running everywhere and i've seen the cocodrillos a few times. When you are driving in La Descubierta keep driving toward the Taino caves and before going too far, you will see a big sign on the road, about the Iguanas. A little after the sign there is an entrance to park your cars. I think maybe 10 pesos to go down and walk and swim, you keep your eyes open, you see the iguanas, lots of them! Get lucky (of maybe...unlucky?) you see the cocodrillo!
Ea Rayos!! I hope yo get better from the gripe. Thanks for the info. Maybe we will get lucky this year and see them. You know just from writing back and forth I've seen that we passed a bunch of places and never really got to see them.
This year I have already adjusted our schedule so that we can really get a good look see and not roll by without really seeing the sights.
Thanks once again!