We found the entrance into Luperón harbor to be straightforward, although we were paying careful attention to Bruce Van Sant's notes in The Gentleman's Guide to Passages South (8th edition). Once safely past the hard outer reefs, we slowed and gently nosed LUNA AZUL between several mud shoals, as we experimentally determined the location of the channel marked by occasional pieces of PVC pipe. Despite our almost silent approach, a member of the unofficial welcoming committee noticed us slipping in, and drove over in his dinghy to help guide us through the less obvious shoals dotting the inner harbor. Nothing was expected from us in return for this genuine hospitality, and in fact, those unsure of the whereabouts of the channel are encouraged to call for local pilotage help on VHF Channel 68.

Luperón Harbour Entrance

After a few minutes at anchor, we were approached by a small fishing vessel loaded with the first group of officials anxious to come aboard and discuss entry formalities. Three of the four gentlemen occupied our cockpit while we used a combination of hand signals and "Spanglish" to tell them where we'd come from and where we were going. In fairly short order, the Navy and Comandancia's men filled out their paperwork, made a cursory below-decks inspection and welcomed us to the Dominican Republic.

The following morning we were approached by a second fishing skiff, this time occupied by representatives from the Port Authority, Immigration and Agriculture, along with an interpreter who spoke mostly-understandable English. Everyone sat in the cockpit while we filled out their paperwork, had our passports stamped and were given a quick Agriculture inspection: "No sir, of course we don't have a cow on board." We paid the official entry fees, were once again welcomed to Luperón, and our visitors departed.

Our first trip into town was quite an eye opener, and definitely triggered a severe case of culture shock as we explored the busy streets while avoiding chickens, motorbikes and holes in the road. With a little practice we were soon able to swap greetings of "Hola" (pronounced "oh-la") with many of the locals we encountered.

On the day of our arrival, the local Codetel office was exchanging pesos for dollars at rate of 46:1. With large Presidente beers costing just 85 pesos a bottle, it didn't take us long to realize we were likely to be viewed as rich gringos in the community. Unfortunately for the Dominicans, there seemed to be a currency crisis affecting the country; five days after our arrival, the exchange rate was 51:1, and it appeared to be rising almost a peso a day. In spite of the obvious hyper-inflation and economic uncertainly, we felt very welcome and safe whenever we encountered the locals. Maybe they just felt sorry for us for not understanding a word of Spanish?

When Kimberly and Bruce from the catamaran NICE-N-EASY suggested we take a motorcycle day-trip with them, we jumped at the opportunity. Kimberly - who speaks passable Spanish - thankfully took on the job of bartering with the local motorconcho riders (the motorcycle taxis driven by locals) to hire us three vehicles for the day. Bruce checked their road-worthiness, and after a quick stop at the repair shop for a set of new brakes, we found ourselves underway on a very different type of transportation than we are used to!

As we progressed along dirt roads towards Punta Rucia, conditions deteriorated into something closely resembling a motocross course, which of course was tough going on a bunch of street bikes. Imagine the look on our faces when we then discovered the trail had been interrupted by a wide, fast flowing river and a half-finished, but totally useless, concrete bridge. Further progress required the bikes and their riders to be loaded into a small wooden skiff powered by three young Dominicans pulling on a rope stretched across the river.

Dominican sat on his Horse

Kimberly and Bruce safely made the first trip with one of their bikes, and we went second with the remaining two bikes overhanging both sides of the boat. Shortly after leaving the shore, the Dominican ferryman lost his grip on the line, and for a few moments it looked like we were about to take an unscheduled river voyage. After a lot of shouting, the three Dominicans jumped over the side and safely maneuvered the boat to the far bank of the river. Once safely offloaded, we continued our cross-country trip through 70 miles of beautiful Dominican countryside and returned to Luperón shortly before sunset.

The following day, we visited the waterfalls at Imbert with local tour guide, José Billo (call "José" on VHF Channel 68). Based on advice from previous visitors, we wore short wetsuits in an effort to be better prepared for the rigors of being pulled and pushed up the waterfall chain. We were amazed how much upper body strength both José and the local river guide had, as they assisted our group of six people up the first seven drops. Returning to the base of the falls was easier, as we slid down the first few drops on our backsides. Trudy was not, however, prepared for the first of two stand-up jumps; the deep pool far below looked a lot farther than the 20' we'd seen on the way up. Her scream definitely got the attention of the tourists waiting their turn to start the climb!

We found eating out in Luperón to be very cheap, provided you were prepared to stick with the local dishes such as chicken or fish. Entrees cost about 100 pesos a plate and a large Presidente beer typically cost 85 pesos. We quickly learned to ask in advance how much the meal would cost, as one out-of-town restaurant tried to charge the tourist rate. Trudy's favorite place was the local family-style chicken shack, and in Punta Rucia we were served a delicious open-air seafood lunch, with octopus salad on the side. With prices so low, and many establishments within easy reach of the harbor, we found ourselves rarely eating on board.

Provisioning in Luperón can be a challenge, as there are no local US-style supermarkets; you have to travel to Puerto Plata or beyond for such amenities. The small grocery stores do stock basic supplies, and we were able to find delicious locally grown pineapples and other vegetables, although fresh milk eluded us. The local pharmacies sold the seasickness medication Sturgeon by the tablet (albeit in 75-mg strength), and many other medications appeared to be available without prescription.

Since we'd only recently visited Sam's Club in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, we decided not to venture farther afield for provisions. We did however order six cases of Presidente beer from Steve's Bar. At around $.45 a can, we figured the tasty local brew would keep us well stocked during our time in the Bahamas, where Kalik typically costs $3 a bottle. Marina Puerto Blanco and other stores in town also take orders for alcohol; but wherever you choose to shop, be prepared to wait several days for it to show up.

Stunning Countryside near Luperón Harbour

Before departure, we topped off our dinghy gas and diesel tanks with a couple of trips to the gas station located at the opposite end of town. On each occasion Graham walked to the station and returned on the back of a motorconcho. The vivid memory of balancing full jerry jugs on each knee while swerving around potholes and other street traffic will long remind us of our delightful stay in Luperón.

Visit our photo gallery for more pictures of the trip.

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