Day 912 Dominican Republic

 

I couldn’t select one photo to represent the amazing waterfall adventure we had! We were up and out early, boarding a bus that would take us across the Dominican countryside to the Damajagua Waterfalls. The guide on the bus was entertaining with her stories about her culture and local must tries. Before arriving to our adventure she tried to express to the group how difficult the hike would be and how forceful the water is down the rock slides. I was amazed at the lack of self awareness around me, folks that struggled to climb up the steps of the bus feeling fully confident with their hiking abilities… go figure. Tim and I had thought we might be the weak links on the tour but after watching a dozen overweight and clearly out of shape folks pull themselves up the bus steps using the hand rail, we were convinced we’d be fine.

We were given life vests and helmets, these should have clued us in to how extreme our experience would be but we were blissfully and obliviously excited. The jungle hike began on a rocky and muddy trail that became rockier and muddier as we went. The sounds of tropical birds, an umbrella of mango trees and dense fog concealing the mountain peak made me wonder if we’d see King Kings den! The hike was steep, although well cleared with wooden steps to aid with the most difficult sections. After climbing uphill for about 45 minutes, we started walking down the other side of the mountain. Here we found our first waterfall. Somehow, in my mind I expected to see it from afar, take a few photos and soak in its beauty. As we walked up to the waterfall we were told to sit down, cross our arms over our chest and before I even saw the falls, I was inside it! The water pressure carried me down in seconds as I ended up in a deep pool at the bottom. The depth of how far under I went took me off guard and I was thankful my life vest knew which way was up. I came to the top, helmet askew, gagging a bit and shocked at the cold water but thrilled all the same. No time to look back and admire the falls or take photos, it was time to swim to find footing. Once in waist deep water I was happy to be able to stand for a minute and admire the beauty around me. Before I knew it I was shot down another waterfall with the speed of a rocket, arms crossed and this time, prepared for the deep plunge. Each time we found ourselves in a deep pool at the base of another waterfall we enjoyed it more and felt more confident for the next. The falls grew larger and larger as we went, with options to leap of a ledge or be carried by the water! At some points the rock boulders on either side of us only left space for us to walk single file through them. It was all incredibly beautiful and we were only slightly aware of the passing rain shower, unsure if it was rain or another waterfall above.  The final set of falls dumped us into another pool where we could easily find solid ground. The hike back had us in and out of water, crossing streams at various depths. The muddy trail was slippery but being in the deep jungle of the Dominican was worth all the mucking! 

Back at the ship and into the lap of luxury, we showered, ate and soaked in the sunshine poolside as we discussed our evening plans. 

We met our friends for the Beatles show and sang along to every son as they performed the  St. Peppers album. We all called it an early night, or at least fairly early, with our minds on our next island. St. Martin awaits along with more new adventures.