1. Caitlin's advice to just adjust to the DR way was great advice. We started on arrival and took whatever car they had at the airport to trade in at the next town to get the one we wanted. We then hired a cab to follow to the first hotel, which you will understand when you read the comment about the Garmin software below. We found out later that even though Donna came up with that solution on her own, it is actually very common to hire a local cab to follow when you do not know the way. The first DR hotel did not honor the Expedia reservations, even though Expedia made the reservations over the phone. The hotel in Santiago greeted us with the surprise that there is also an additional per person charge despite what the reservation said in writing. So dealing with that hotel became a sport. We hired a taxi to follow the first day to Caitlin's office. He stopped to ask directions about five times and when Donna gave him the cell phone with Caitlin on the line, we realized the address we got from her company was wrong. There is a reason UPS insists on a telephone number. The locals had no problem making a delivery the next day. Obviously they use the telephone number to get it right.
2. The Garmin software was clearly written by someone who had never seen the roads or a map, in addition to not knowing left from right. We left it running for a while just for the amusement factor. It liked to take us down dead end roads or to tell us to turn into a wall or a cemetery.
3. U.S. drivers should let the passengers navigate, because you do not dare take your eyes off the road for even an instant. The only real driving rule in the DR seems to be that whoever can get into a spot on the road first has possession. Traffic lights, stop signs and even one-way street designations are just suggestions. The fact that even the new rental cars are covered with dents is a good clue to the traffic rules. I was glad to see that when there is a policeman directing traffic, everybody does what he says and it works out well. Otherwise, gridlocks took some negotiating during which time you might sit there and watch a tight turn several times before one driver realizes the only way to unlock the mess is to drive off in the wrong direction.
4. Did you know that a two-lane road can hold three lanes of traffic in addition to space for several motorcycles and stopped buses? You have to see it to believe it.
5. The reason you do not see very many speed limit signs is probably because they would be a waste of money.
6. Letting pedestrians cross might send them into shock.
7. Some potholes in the DR are more like small canyons. They can cross most of a road. So we were glad we took Caitlin's advice to rent a car capable of fording a small river.
8. Locals give directions based on landmarks. "Go past three gas stations on your right. Turn into the forth gas station, and take the road on the other side of the station" really means that the only way onto the road you want is thru the gas station.
9. The best part of the country is the people. Even with the language barrier they are quick to get a joke and there is a reason they are one of the happiest populations in the world.
10. If the restaurant is a good one, the goat is likely to be very good. I am not kidding.
11. The waterfalls alone were worth the entire trip. We took the route up thru the falls and it was a spectacular climb. The scenery, geology, wildlife, clean water, and guilds were great. Since we drove, we got two guides for the four of us. We could not have made the climb without them and I do not think it was an option anyway.
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