As a kid in Jamaica, I lived up in the mountains that bordered the capital, Kingston. It was a seven-mile walk down to the flat (bottom of the mountain) where most of my friends lived. On weekends, or during school holidays, the first choice was to try and get a lift with your parent or neighbor when they were headed for work in the morning. But getting up early was a drag.
There were public government-run buses but those were always breaking down, or never showing up. Mini-buses (private) would try to fill their cab with as many people as possible at the starting point (top or bottom of the mountain) and would just zoom by you as you tried to flag them down while walking. The last possibility was what is called in Jamaica, Country Buses... Big buses that were mainly used by market higglers. Very early in the morning (4-5 am) they would pick them up way out in the country, load up their products on the roof, and bring them into the city. And then do the opposite in the evening. There were also box-type trucks that did the same thing. Finally... You could stick your finger out to try and hitch a ride from a passing vehicle... Sometimes you got lucky. Whatever mode you managed to get a ride on... You just took your space and had no opinion about anything, just happy you didn't have to walk seven miles up a mountain... Sometimes at night.
And did I mention that the trip down on one of these modes of public transportation was quite hairy, as speed limits were NOT enforced.
And going up the mountain... Often you'd be quicker walking.
I survived.
This all pretty much ended when I got my driver's license (unless there were no cars available), at which point you'd make a deal with a friend to come pick you up... Gas money being the incentive.
But back to walking... I've always been an outdoor sports participant... I played rugby, mountain biked, surfed, sailed, fished... But walking kind of fell by the wayside after my teens... Which I'm now thinking was unfortunate.
My dad was a walker... Every morning that he was home from flying (commercial pilot) he would be up at 5:30 and walking three or four miles up and down the hills he lived in. When he was too old for walking, he took up cycling (he had moved to Florida, so flat land)... Just the basic, step-thru beach cruiser type deal, and at his own pace. He had to stop though when he had a bad fall in his late '80s. He died three years ago at age 98. I look back and think I should have taken a page from his walking habit... In the last year, I've learned just how wonderful walking actually is for us humans.
This morning I walked my usual 7-8-mile walk Saturday morning walk, and once again I was so happy that I've gotten back to walking. And not just for physical health, but for the mental health aspect as well. I walk a mixture of paved and dirt trails; and on the dirt trails it can be quiet and serene. During the week I walk maybe 5 miles (3 in the morning/2 in the evening). And my wife walks as well. Actually, it was my wife that got me back to walking.
I'd like to continue with my walking if we move to the DR, and I would think that I should be able to... Does anyone here have a daily walking regimen?
What's it like in the DR regarding being able to daily walk a few miles for health... Parks, trails, sidewalks?
There were public government-run buses but those were always breaking down, or never showing up. Mini-buses (private) would try to fill their cab with as many people as possible at the starting point (top or bottom of the mountain) and would just zoom by you as you tried to flag them down while walking. The last possibility was what is called in Jamaica, Country Buses... Big buses that were mainly used by market higglers. Very early in the morning (4-5 am) they would pick them up way out in the country, load up their products on the roof, and bring them into the city. And then do the opposite in the evening. There were also box-type trucks that did the same thing. Finally... You could stick your finger out to try and hitch a ride from a passing vehicle... Sometimes you got lucky. Whatever mode you managed to get a ride on... You just took your space and had no opinion about anything, just happy you didn't have to walk seven miles up a mountain... Sometimes at night.
And did I mention that the trip down on one of these modes of public transportation was quite hairy, as speed limits were NOT enforced.
And going up the mountain... Often you'd be quicker walking.
I survived.
This all pretty much ended when I got my driver's license (unless there were no cars available), at which point you'd make a deal with a friend to come pick you up... Gas money being the incentive.
But back to walking... I've always been an outdoor sports participant... I played rugby, mountain biked, surfed, sailed, fished... But walking kind of fell by the wayside after my teens... Which I'm now thinking was unfortunate.
My dad was a walker... Every morning that he was home from flying (commercial pilot) he would be up at 5:30 and walking three or four miles up and down the hills he lived in. When he was too old for walking, he took up cycling (he had moved to Florida, so flat land)... Just the basic, step-thru beach cruiser type deal, and at his own pace. He had to stop though when he had a bad fall in his late '80s. He died three years ago at age 98. I look back and think I should have taken a page from his walking habit... In the last year, I've learned just how wonderful walking actually is for us humans.
This morning I walked my usual 7-8-mile walk Saturday morning walk, and once again I was so happy that I've gotten back to walking. And not just for physical health, but for the mental health aspect as well. I walk a mixture of paved and dirt trails; and on the dirt trails it can be quiet and serene. During the week I walk maybe 5 miles (3 in the morning/2 in the evening). And my wife walks as well. Actually, it was my wife that got me back to walking.
I'd like to continue with my walking if we move to the DR, and I would think that I should be able to... Does anyone here have a daily walking regimen?
What's it like in the DR regarding being able to daily walk a few miles for health... Parks, trails, sidewalks?
