At moment DR still offers some of most attractive prices in Caribbean for villas, fincas and land!...Though these are set to rise over next few years as so-called ‘best kept secret of Caribbean’ becomes more widely recognised for very special place it is. People like ex (US) President Bill Clinton and his wife Hilary, Antonio Banderas, ‘J-Lo’, Julio Iglesias and many other ‘celebs’ have already staked their claim! And we haven't even mentioned tax-free trading incentives for new business ventures... which are making DR one of best places in world to ‘relocate’ your business to, or establish a new enterprise in. But I guess we’ll save that for another article... though, naturally, there is already some useful information and contacts featured on www.visiting-the-dominican-republic.com that you may wish to ‘peruse’ at your leisure!

Travel to DR is becoming increasingly easy and economical, and staying there can still be one of best bargains in Caribbean. Cheap local accommodation is widely available, and DR truly offers vacationer chance to get to experience atmosphere and surroundings of true Caribbean - something smaller, and better known destinations can no longer absolutely promise. So whether you are... · ...looking for opportunity to hike through old coffee plantations and refresh yourself in a cascading waterfall in Jarabacoa...

· ...or prefer to relax with family on a safe, sheltered, beach in a lovely sea-side resort like Sosua... · ...or are looking forward to standing shoulder to shoulder with local ‘beisbol’ fanatics, and joining them screaming for some of World’s best players at one of main stadiums in Santo Domingo, or other ‘baseball crazy’ towns...

· ...or your desire is to skim waves at breathtaking speeds harnessed to a giant kite by day and dance night away doing sexy merengue with locals – in Cabarete...

· ...or you just want to laze away days in a barely discovered corner of picturesque Samana peninsula, like Las Terrenas or Las Galeras...slowly sipping a Dominican rum cocktail!

Or if you are, perhaps, thinking of a permanent relocation...and want to be able to do any of these things any day you fancy! Then DR offers something for everyone. We LOVE our truly amazing homeland - "warts and all" - and we are sure you will too!

Ruth and Esther Ramos, www.visiting-the-dominican-republic.com © Copyright 2005, All rights reserved.

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I was just going with flow. It was very relaxing, and yet still had element of unpredictability, and thus adventure.

There were wild strawberries at every stop, and when I stopped for night I feasted on them until rain came. It rained all night, but I stayed dry in my garbage bag bivy sack (my dirtbagging shelter), with a small umbrella over my head. A large white-tail deer almost stepped on me in middle of night, and scared me half to death with his snorting. In morning it was still raining.

It wasn't just raining, it was a wicked thunderstorm. One thing about a bivy sack is that you don't have enough space to keep yourself entertained. So, storm or not, it was time to get moving. I bundled up my few things, stepped into cold river, and sat in tube.

I drifted by beautiful houses, sitting there in a heavy sweater, with my umbrella over my head. The morning light was late because of storm. People looked up from their coffee to see me in a flash of lightning. I waved and floated on.

Closer to home, I had a great time slogging through knee-deep mud in a portage around a dam. It was almost like quicksand. I worked my way free, and took a trail through rainy woods along river. By noon I was safely home and wondering if it was too early for a beer. That's dirtbagging.