Savannah of Sanibel: From the Dominican Republic to the Legion- It Never Stops...

A great vacation idea.
This is the beach at La Terrenas, a quaint little town on the north shore of the Samaná Peninsula in The Dominican Republic. The Samaná Peninusla is one of the most beautiful areas I have been. Virtually untouched by tourism and development, the beaches are pristine, the water is clear and the people are great. Not to mention the fish!

This is El Limón Falls. A short hike, or a horse back ride into the hills leads you to this national park. We were warned that if we didn't have a guide that we would be mugged on the trail. We figured out really quick that if you just tell people that you paid for a horse and a guide, but declined the company, everyone was ok with it. Every person we came across was very friendly and nobody tried to mug us. Not too many choose to hike the trail. So many horses and mules make the trip everyday that although you think you are hiking through mud, one good whiff will tell you that it is actually not mud... Needless to say, every creek crossing was a welcome experience.

This has got to be one of my favorite places in the world. Playa de Rincón. Also located on the Samaná Peninsula, this area is near the town of Samaná, where the humpback whales go for the winter.

More Playa de Rincón...

Bahia de Rincón, or Rincón Bay. The interior part of the bay is calm and beautiful. There were exactly two other beach-goers in the 5 square mile area. The only other people around were running a little "restaurant" (term used loosely). They caught fresh fish all day and cooked them up over a coconut shell fire. Yum.

This is also Rincón Bay...Easy enough to find a chair.

A local family in Rincón. They are looking to sell their land and "retire" after raising 13 children, 3 of which are still at home, mentally retarded and disfigured, although amazingly healthy (ages 47, 42, and 38). At 70-something, the mother still carries the youngest around, as his legs never fully developed. She has not been off the mountain since she had children. They have no car, live off the land, and they are the finest people I have meet in a long time. Their goal is to sell their land and move into town so their lives will be a little easier. This is the property that Hans is purchasing.

Getting to the top of the mountain was half the fun. I was with a bunch of people that had obviously not done enough 4-wheelin' in their time. Far from the sketchiest road I have seen, this rocky road to the top was still a decent challenge.

Of course, once you made it to the top, the view was unbelievable. This is Bahia de Rincón....same place shown in the pictures above.

Here is the view looking the other way.

In and around Las Terrenas, where I was staying, Hogs are the preferred transportation choice. My Hog was a Yamaha 150cc Trail Bike. Just fast enough to have too much fun. Motorcycles end up being the most expensive part of the day at less than $20 per day.
A place to stay: $10/night
Food to eat: $2.50/meal
Drink: We'll just a bit too inexpensive.

In Other News... THANK YOU!!!
Thanks to Sara, Adam, Pek, Marcus, and of course, Dominic for helping make my birthday a truly delightful surprise. (Special thanks to Jeff, Jason, and Chris for their financial contributions).
I almost messed everything up by going to the Dominican Rep. last minute, but they still pulled off coming to Florida to play a show at the local American Legion on Sanibel Island. It turned out to be one of the rockin'est shows ever to be witnessed at the Legion, according to some crusty old fishermen Vets.

A great crowd of friends, old and new, at the Legion from the band's vantage point...Very intimidating.

Fun Lovin' women...a key component for any birthday party rock-n-roll show on Sanibel Island. From left to right: Sara, Elizabeth, Amy, and Amy's friend.

And Upekala... It's never a party without a USGS representative.

Me, Ana, and Paul. I have known and really have enjoyed working with Ana for a while now,- and I love playing golf with Paul and his clubs. It was great to have them there for the party.