My mom came to visit recently so I had a chance to do lots of “touristy” things while she was here. One great discovery we made was Tour Samaná with Terry – operated by Terry Bandi, an American expat living in Samaná. We went on his “Low Impact” tour so my mom (and I) could learn more about Dominican customs and culture.
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| Terry showing the group a tropical flower in Dominican Republic |
The tour started out in Samaná, so we drove over to meet the bus and some folks arriving on the Royal Caribbean cruise. Terry works closely with cruise travelers and visitors to the all-inclusive resorts to provide them with a tour alternative that educates while you enjoy the region’s natural attractions like El Limón waterfall or some of the remote beaches on the Samaná Peninsula.
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| View of Samaná Bay from Terry's family land, Dominican Republic |
We set out from Samaná in our open air tour bus and headed north to see land Terry’s family owns in the countryside. The view was breathtaking. Samana Bay stretched from Cayo Levantado in the east almost to the western edge of Los Haitises National Park across the bay. More interesting than the view, though, was the array of tropical fruits growing on the steep hill slope.Terry shared papaya picked in front of our eyes from a tall, spindly tree. We tasted tamarind by sucking the brown meat off big seeds pushed out of the little, round, green balls the neighbor kids passed around the group. Little did we know, this was just the beginning of a very flavorful day!
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| Flower of a banana tree near Cascada Lulu, Samaná Peninsula |
After exploring Terry’s land, we went next door to visit his neighbors and see how a typical Dominican home is constructed. He explained how they used the exterior of a royal coconut palm tree trunk to craft siding to add to the concrete block construction. He also explained how his neighbors rarely spent time inside the living space of their house since most Dominicans prefer to pass the time outside in the shade or working.
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| Terry explaining Dominican construction from palm trees |
After the visit overlooking the bay, we climbed back in the tour bus for a quick stop at a local shop where we could watch cigars being rolled from Dominican tobacco. I got my first introduction to a new Dominican treat – cacao (the starting point for cocoa) that had been roasted and formed into a small, hard, dark-brown cake. The cake can be grated to make cocoa powder which you sweeten with sugar. Terry mentioned that he likes to grate it into his coffee maker when he brews his coffee – I was sold!
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| Cacao growing in trees near Samaná, Dominican Republic |
After our shopping excursion, we headed back to Samaná to catch the road to Playa El Valle. This remote beach at the end of a rough, dirt road was our lunch destination. More Dominican flavors were queued up for our dining enjoyment. At a small beach shack at the west end of the beach, we were treated to a buffet of typical Dominican fare – fresh-caught fish, chicken, tostones – thick, soft, fried plantain chips, rice, salad with fresh tomatoes, and habituale – the local soupy beans. For dessert we were offered more local flavor – coconut and pineapple with hot, locally grown and roasted coffee. I was ready for a nap on the beach.
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| Waves crashing on Playa El Valle, Dominican Republic |
After a little rest and a walk on the sand, we headed back to a small waterfall accessed with the help of local residents who joined Terry in pointing out plants of interest like mahogany and mango trees, different types of plantain and banana trees, mimosa and more. When we got to the falls at the end of the trail Terry was the first one in the water. His enthusiasm here and during the entire tour made the trip a delight.
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| Terry in the waterfalls, Samaná Peninsula, Dominican Republic |
We wrapped up the visit to the waterfalls with a stop at a stand run by local farmers. Terry was able to show us a number of additional fruits and vegetables that Dominicans use daily. The one I found most interesting was the fresh cacao pod. Yes – it’s all about the chocolate for me!
Terry cracked the cacao pod open and scooped out some of the fresh cacao berries that appeared to be wrapped in downy cotton. With Terry’s encouragement, we tossed the berries in our mouth and sucked on them – discovering as we did that the berries were actually moist and sweet. They weren’t anything like chocolate but Terry also explained the process of making chocolate from these berries.
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| Fresh cacao berries to taste |
I won’t spoil the tour for you – and I won’t promise that you’ll have the exact tour we did because Terry is a master of spontaneity. He customizes the tour for his guests and uses whatever material his friends and the landscape provide. Regardless of what you encounter yourself on a tour with Terry, though, it will be time well spent.
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