Winter Fun in the Dominican Alps Looking for somewhere a little different for your next winter vacation? How about the unhurried ambience of a rural Caribbean village also brimming with opportunities for outdoor adventure? Treat your self to a glorious natural playground and to a lifestyle a million miles from the stresses of life at home. I stayed at Rancho Wendy is a friendly; family run lodge nestled in the Central mountains of the Dominican Republic. Extensive grounds, house several cabins looking out on a freshwater stream and charming gardens. I enjoyed horse riding,biking, swimming, volleyball and Tarzan swings. More modern amenities such as Internet, DVD and Satellite TV are found in the main house and bunkhouse. With a million healthy activities so you can join in or relax and enjoy spectacular views of the lush mountain ridges. They like to let the guests roam as independently as they want, but was always on hand to help with any information or requests. There are kitchens and barbecue facilities on the ranch plus a number of good restaurants in the nearby town of Bonao. The neighborhood grocery stores are stocked with food produced in the surrounding area, including coffee, cacao and sumptuous tropical fruit. Beyond the ranch, a world of adventure awaits the intrepid family. They run various tours to waterfalls, dams, and mountains, though independent travel is also possible. Sports are offered nearby include golf, fishing and rafting. You would have never thought it possible to encounter such stunning alpine landscapes and temperate climate on a Caribbean island. Further a field; day trips are possible to pristine Caribbean beaches and charming colonial towns. Road access to all major towns and airports is quick and simple, though the serenity of the nearby villages will make you feel like you’ve wandered back in time. So let this safe, tranquil ranch is your base for a tropical adventure that will open your eyes and blow your minds. Come prepared to be surprised! Trekking to the Village of the Dam A wise sage once remarked that it was better to travel than to arrive. This thought held me as I set off on a trek to a trio of man-made dams around Rio Blanco, a mountain village near the city of Bonao, in central Dominican Republic. The road up to Rio Blanco was full of weird and wonderful distractions, just as well because the grueling two-hour hike made my legs feel like they’d been fed through a rolling machine. Precious little traffic allows me to appreciate the hummingbirds busy at work in the morning shade, and to enjoy the dazzling surroundings. Local characters drift past me in all manner of guises and thrift store clothes. A little girl cutting guavas with a machete. A pair of wild-eyed identical twins with barely a tooth between them. A skinny gentleman whose dangling pipe and candy striped jacket give him the strange air of an extra from a British seaside movie. Around every scenic corner in the road a new waterfall appears giving me refreshment and willpower to plough on. I collapse ungracefully upon finally reaching the center of Blanco, ready to be swept away by the broom of a local housemaid. In true Dominican style, community life in and around Blanco unfolds out on the street. This gives the strange passing foreigner a rare privilege of seeing and joining in the timeless pastimes of the campo, such as the drying of coffee and cacao out on the doorstep. The innate friendliness of the locals will soon shine through their initial surprise at seeing a stranger in this little visited area. It is enchanting to see little brown bodies splashing and laughing under roadside waterfalls. Or to receive a wave from beautifully preserved old man rocking away on the porch of his powder blue wooden shack. The pastel colors of the houses and the vibrant wildflowers perfectly compliment the deep green backdrop. Indeed the landscape appears largely unaffected by the introduction of the dams fifteen years ago. An old timer, Heladio, accompanies me for the final stretch, and explains that before construction began, the road to from here to Bonao was a mere mule trail. A 77 year old farmer, he recalls how the French owned dams have brought more commerce to the region, as well as creating jobs for the local people. The three dams turn out to be strikingly different in character. Of course it is impressive how such an ambitious project was undertaken in an area of such awkward accessibility. But what surprised me more was the physical beauty of the reservoirs. Standing atop Presa Arroyón and gazing into the emerald waters of the flooded valley, I felt that the view rivaled any of Mother Nature’s work in the Dominican Republic. To arrive here, though jaded and delirious after hours of strenuous walking, was just as rewarding as the journey. I walked back with Heladio and told him how happy and surprised I was to find the dams to be so picturesque. Whether he thought I was crazy or not, his knowing smile put me at peace. In front of us a small boy was trying with difficulty to shepherd a pair of piglets. A scene of delightful rural serenity. “My great grandson”, murmured Heladio, beaming at the boy. It could easily have been him, seventy years previously, or a moment from countless generations before that. I hitched a ride with a choking truck back to Bonao, although it might as well have been a time machine taking me back into the twenty first century.