Dominican Republic, part 4: the waterfalls

Dominican Republic, part 4: the waterfalls

part 1: the people * part 2: the place * part 3: semana santa * part 4: the waterfalls * part 5: the beach

We had the privilege of getting to hike to three different waterfalls while we were in Jarabacoa. We tackled the first one the day after our arrival. We went to an orphanage on the other side of town and met up with Brian, who also went to Taylor with us and lived in the same suite as Paul. It was fun to see a familiar face! Brian works with Kids Alive, and helps coordinate teams from the States visiting and doing work for the orphanages around the Dominican Republic. He went with us to the waterfall.

You got to it by walking on swinging bridges.
Paul and Tree

The waterfall was really pretty! We took advantage and made it a photo opportunity.

Have Ergo, will travel

Tree had recommended I get an Ergo like hers for hiking with Savannah, and since I was planning on getting on anyways, I decided to get it before the trip. I was really glad I did! It was such a great carrier for hiking – so easy to put on, so comfortable to wear. She was really comfy and even fell asleep in it.

A picture of all the former Gerig residents, and then a picture of the two families:
Former Gerigians

Two families

Like I said, Savannah fell asleep in the Ergo! Which was good, because we were usually hiking during her normal naptime. :-)
Sleeping Savannah

That waterfall was on the lower part of a long river. There was another waterfall that was farther up that you could get to by driving and then hiking down. We hiked to that waterfall two days later for Tree’s birthday. It was so beautiful! The hike down wasn’t too bad, and then we had a picnic lunch. We then swam in the water at the base of the waterfall and had a great time. The hike back up was a different story. The heat really got to me, and with carrying Savannah I about passed out… I kept having to stop. When I finally managed to get to the top, I poured the rest of my water on my head and that helped a ton. I felt bad but I am soo out of shape! The waterfall was worth the trip though.

Beautiful views!
The view of the Jarabacoa valley… so beautiful.

First glimpse of the waterfall!

The river below

Picnic lunch for Tree's birthday!

It was a big waterfall!

Family picture!

Daniel, Jeremiah, Tree, and Timmy

On Easter Sunday, we went to a third waterfall. This one was different in that it didn’t have an official path. We actually walked through someone’s yard to get to a rough path that looked as if it had been cut from a machete! (That’s probably what happened.) It was near a monastery, and fairly private. We hiked along a river, finding a spot to have our picnic lunch.

The river we hiked along

Stopping for lunch - Tree and I stood in the shade

This waterfall was a little less impressive, but we found a little pool that was perfect for the kiddos (no current), and enjoyed ourselves.

The waterfall!

Timmy gets lunch

Savannah checks out the water

Savannah loved the water both times, even though it was cold! She had so much fun splashing around – she’s her mama’s daughter. :-) We really enjoyed visiting the waterfalls, and taking in the Dominican scenery.

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