2. Traveling around the Dominican Republic.

Punta Cana is an ideal place for beach lovers. Here, a strip of hotels stretches along 32 kilometres of magnificent sandy beaches, framed by the green of coconut palms and the azure blue of the sea-ocean. And this is not just a figure of speech. It is precisely here, in the east of the Dominican Republic, that the imaginary boundary runs where the waters of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean mingle.

Some of the beaches are protected by barrier coral reefs, located approximately 500–800 metres from the shore. They soften the ocean waves. The water along the edge of these beaches is calmer. And swimming near the reefs is interesting. Coral reefs are an underwater world filled with colourful sea creatures. Among them are sea urchins, starfish, anemones, pufferfish, surgeonfish and all kinds of shells, including shells containing edible molluscs… If you are lucky, you may see octopuses, squid, lobsters and small moray eels…

The city’s full name is Santa Cruz de Barahona (Spanish: “Holy Cross of Barahona”). But it is usually called simply Barahona. It is the administrative centre of the province. Located 204 km from the capital. The south of the country. The Pedernales Peninsula. Neiba Bay (Bahía de Neiba). The Caribbean coast.

Barahona is still not very touristy. It is brown from the generous sun. There is a great deal of wild nature here. Its beauty is a mixture of mountains, stone, rivers and sea…

Until the 15th century, the indigenous people, the Indians, lived here. And with the arrival of the Spanish colonists, small agricultural enterprises and cattle ranches appeared. They became the foundation of the future settlements.

This Nature Reserve lies a little farther south than the previous ones. According to scientists, around 200 species of plants grow here — 97 of them endemic — and 64 species of birds live in the park.

The Valle Nuevo Nature Reserve is beautiful, and in places mysterious. At an altitude of 2,000 metres, unusual landscapes appear… The photo did not turn out — the light had gone, evening was coming, and the weather was turning towards rain. So, for you, just a description…

A small pine grove. Bunches of white cotton wool hanging from the branches. As though someone had gutted a gigantic bale… The “cotton wool” turned out to be white moss… Large red flowers had settled comfortably on this cotton-moss…

The town of Constanza lies at an altitude of 1,200 metres above sea level. In the Caribbean region, it is considered the town with the coolest climate… It is located in a picturesque valley surrounded by mountains.

Geologists say that this valley was formed around 1,000 years ago after a meteorite fell here. As a result of this cosmic smack, the Cordillera Central mountains shifted slightly. And so a small, wonderful Dominican Switzerland appeared.

They say that Constanza looked exactly like that until the 1950s. Log houses built from pine trees growing nearby… They suited the landscape perfectly. Unfortunately, none of those houses has survived to the present day.

Las Terrenas is a wonderful little town. It is located in the northeast of the Dominican Republic, in the Samaná region. It is relatively small, with a population of about 25,000. At first, it was a tiny, sleepy fishing village. In 1946, the dictator Trujillo ordered the poor population to be removed from the capital, Santo Domingo. These people were expected to become fishermen and farmers elsewhere… Some of them were sent to the coast of Las Terrenas…

In those days, this was an almost completely isolated part of the country. A narrow, winding, undeveloped mountain road crossed the high hills to reach it. The road connected Las Terrenas with the neighbouring municipality of Sánchez. During rain and nighttime fog, it became almost impassable. Reaching the settlement was a genuine adventure… And in the 1970s, the first French settlers arrived here…

In Spanish: Las Terrenas. One of the most expensive towns in the country to live in. Food and other goods, housing rent, electricity and service costs are all unreasonably higher here. Driving along the modern — and very beautiful — highway that runs beside and above the ocean coast is pleasant, but not cheap. It must be said that the people of Las Terrenas complained and complained, but nothing changed…

You can also use the old road to Las Terrenas, through the town of Sánchez — in Spanish, Sanchez — and then turn into the hills. The old road has been repaired and should now be in reasonably good condition. But ATTENTION: the old road is considerably longer and much more winding. In some places, the sharp bends of the old highway run right along the edges of steep drops. At a considerable height, this feels rather extreme. Driving there requires increased concentration from the driver, as well as a car in decent condition — especially the brake pads. And generally speaking, it is a matter of taste…

El Limón is one of the most famous waterfalls in the Dominican Republic. It is located in the Samaná region and is often used as a natural filming location for adventure movies.

Not far from the waterfall there is a tiny town, also called El Limón. Around it are a number of ranches. At these ranches you will be offered horses and local guides. They will whisk you away to the waterfall — very slowly and with great care… In the Dominican Republic, however, the “horses” provided for tourists are more often mules…

REFERENCE: A mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. A mule looks like a horse with long ears, but it is stronger and much more resilient. A hinny is the opposite cross — a stallion and a female donkey. In horse breeding, these are considered two different hybrids. A little chromosome arithmetic. A donkey has 62 chromosomes, while a horse has 64. Their offspring inherits 63 chromosomes — whether it is a mule or a hinny. Because of this odd number of chromosomes, such hybrids are almost always sterile.