Today I took a trip to the Puerto Plata region, Sos?a really, and I used two different routes going and coming.
I took the "tunnel" route on the way there and the Oh-My-God-They-Call-This-The-Tourist-Highway???? on the way back.
The main highway, as usual, was a mix of idiots and slow moving vehicles: Overloaded pickups, big trucks and buses. The rain made is a bit worse than normal, but I had taken my double dose of Patience Pill before leaving and, while it took way too long (1 1/2 hours to POP and a further 1/2 to Sos?a.), the road itself was fine.
Puerto Plata has sucessfully screwed up the four lane main avenue by allowing motoconcho drivers to park at the very intersections, thereby sucessfully blocking one entire lane, easing drivers into fits of anger, madness and just plain rudeness....50 yards in either direction, or on the sidewalk even and no problem...But POP is not known for intelligent urban planning.
On the way back, I decided to take the Carretera Tur?stica Gregorio Luper?n.
Not a good idea.
Nothing has been done on this road for years and now the rains have pretty much finished it off. It took me, driving slowly, I only have one little car, about 1:40 to cover those few kilometers. In fact I met less than 80 cars between La Gran Parada and La Cumbre de Juan Vera. (That includes motorcycles). Pitiful, my friends, just pitiful. From Sonador, Lajas and the other little place are just a mess of rocky, rutted cow paths.
From Y?sica to La Cumbre there are some good spots but dangerous spots too, like when you turn the corner at Sonador and BINGO! a huge bunch of holes and nowhere to go.
Finally, it is clear that the mountains are ceding. Near Gurabito de Yaroa for some 500 yards the roadway is moving down the mountain, and it is obvious.
After La Cumbre and La Cumbre de Juan Vera, the road is fine, but then the trip is over anyway...
SO: DO NOT TAKE THIS ROAD UNLESS YOU WANT TO TEST YOUR VEHICLE'S
testicles...
HB
I took the "tunnel" route on the way there and the Oh-My-God-They-Call-This-The-Tourist-Highway???? on the way back.
The main highway, as usual, was a mix of idiots and slow moving vehicles: Overloaded pickups, big trucks and buses. The rain made is a bit worse than normal, but I had taken my double dose of Patience Pill before leaving and, while it took way too long (1 1/2 hours to POP and a further 1/2 to Sos?a.), the road itself was fine.
Puerto Plata has sucessfully screwed up the four lane main avenue by allowing motoconcho drivers to park at the very intersections, thereby sucessfully blocking one entire lane, easing drivers into fits of anger, madness and just plain rudeness....50 yards in either direction, or on the sidewalk even and no problem...But POP is not known for intelligent urban planning.
On the way back, I decided to take the Carretera Tur?stica Gregorio Luper?n.
Not a good idea.
Nothing has been done on this road for years and now the rains have pretty much finished it off. It took me, driving slowly, I only have one little car, about 1:40 to cover those few kilometers. In fact I met less than 80 cars between La Gran Parada and La Cumbre de Juan Vera. (That includes motorcycles). Pitiful, my friends, just pitiful. From Sonador, Lajas and the other little place are just a mess of rocky, rutted cow paths.
From Y?sica to La Cumbre there are some good spots but dangerous spots too, like when you turn the corner at Sonador and BINGO! a huge bunch of holes and nowhere to go.
Finally, it is clear that the mountains are ceding. Near Gurabito de Yaroa for some 500 yards the roadway is moving down the mountain, and it is obvious.
After La Cumbre and La Cumbre de Juan Vera, the road is fine, but then the trip is over anyway...
SO: DO NOT TAKE THIS ROAD UNLESS YOU WANT TO TEST YOUR VEHICLE'S
testicles...
HB
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