As I remember it from years ago in one of the really old Land Rovers, with a rag top, after leaving Punta Rucia (let's get the name right please!) you come out to the roadway between Estero Hondo and El Papayo. You turn right and after crossing the little bridge into El Papayo, you go left up the hills. About 3 clicks more and you come to a crossroads known as Agua de Palma. There you turn right and go to Buen Hombre, and from Buen Hombre you have to come out onto the Duarte Hwy, near Montecristi..
The people along that road are great.
Once many moons ago when people danced together and you could understand the words to the songs, the Hillbilly was traveling with the scion of a local land baron family and one of their adopted sons, a young fellow of Finnish heritage. Get the picture? Three very white guys in a Land Rover.
As we drove over this road, seeing absolutely no one, no traffic, not even on mules, suddenly we came over a rise and there n the distance was a little hamlet with lots and lots of people in the dirt road. We thought "something has happened, oh sh!t!"
But as we approached (three white guys dressed in shirts and khakis) we noticed that they were jumping up and down with smiles on their faces! Oh boy! a party! .....and we heard the chant: "PADRE, Padre, Padre, Padre!!!"
Eddy, the scion, looked at me and said "they think we are priests"....soon we were in their midst and they were clamoring for the Padre!!!
Eddy took one look at the roast pig, the huge 'pailas" of moro, the mounds of beers in ice, and said, "Hillbilly, you can be a priest for today, look at all that food!!"
But I didn't and we didn't.
Apparently they were waiting for the yearly visit of one of the local priests for marriages and baptisms and such!! Once a year was enough for them...
Anyway, let us know how it goes.
And if you don't have to go to Luperon and make the crossover, you can use the bridge in El Estrecho/Ranchito...way before you get to Luperon...it takes you into La Isabela and from there it is pretty straight forward to Punta RUCIA!!
HB