Ynnep’s Weblog

Tuesday July 22, 2008 Living Room Sonneck Square 10:00pm

Todd, the kids, their friends Nicholas and Shannon, and I, just returned from a one week vacation in Samana, Dominican Republic.

It was a last minute decision to go -  off we went in the early morning hours of July 13th.

Other than swimming and sunning and reading we did nothing…but one really big excursion.

On Saturday, we planned a trip to see the waterfall, El Limon. This trip (I thought) was just some horse back riding, with a guide, then a swim in the falls. Simple stuff. I fretted all week about how I was going to get on and off of a horse. I really don’t like horses, I slid of one’s neck when I was a kid, and they have scared me ever since.

So, I made Todd promise, promise, promise that he would help me on and off of the horse. If I knew then what I know now, that was certainly the least of my worries.

We arrived at the venue after a very long and very bumpy ride (only one child lost their breakfast). I decided to be bold and get on the first horse…there was a step! Easy peasy! No probs! All my fretting for nothing. My guide assured me that the horse was ‘tranquil’ so I was good to go.

Good to go..the trail was full of rocks, full of mud. The trail was narrow. The trail was bordered with barbed wire, and or, trees, and or, nothing – but stunning drops to flora and fauna.

The trail was not flat. It was steep going up, and/or steep going down. When I say steep – it was steep, steep like you could reach out and touch it in front of you.  Steep like, if you bent too far forward, you would tumble down.  The horse negotiated around all the obstacles (clearly had done this a million times), slipped occasionally but felt comfortable enough to drop a load on the way. The guide stayed with me and kept reassuring me – lady look bananas,lady look lemons, lady look mangos!!!

Look, its a terrifed Canadian woman that clearly had no idea what she had gotten into.

The trail seemed endless, found out later that it was about 3 k. 40 minutes of clutching and rocking and trying to get into a stride – but really only wanting it to be over, and already dreading the return trip.

We arrive at the falls! Hooray – another step to get off of the horse – its my lucky mounting and dismounting day! Let’s go see the falls…actually let’s go down to see the falls, no really let’s all scale down the side of this hill (ha ha) carved (hmmmm) out of rock and roots. Steps, each and every one unique – not two the same! How authentic. The rustic bamboo railing held together with rope and wire was clever too – obviousely no building codes and/or inspectors in this country. The ’steps’ were like  potter’s clay when it gets wet…nice and slippery. Exceptional conditions when one is wearing flip flops. On the way down (I cannot state enough how down it was), people were coming up. Young people, fit people, skinny people…and they were panting, red faced, sweating and shaking their heads. I was terrified.

I was freaking. Todd kept checking on me (poor guy he was in crocks, and had the back pack). I think he was a little surprised too – but his hockey career was clearly paying off!!!

My guide gave me his hand and took me down.  I have never held on to something so tightly in my life. It seemed like forever going down. I could not believe I was doing this. The kids, or course, scampered down.

We made it – and the falls were truly beautiful. We all went in for a swim (after my legs stopped shaking) and it was cool and fresh and actually remarkable.

But we had to go back up. I was beyond terrified at this point. I could not imagine how I was going to do it. I get winded running up the stairs!

So off go the kids, then my new best guide friend and I, then Todd. It was so slippery! I looked up and the guide gave me his hand – he literally pulled me up. I counted 25 ’steps’ at a time, and stopped, caught my breath and started again. At one point, my guide, plucked a big leaf off of the ground and fanned me until I was able to gain some composure. Todd was so encouraging, but I am sure was freaking out just as much as I was. I am not the most coordinated person…and had visions of slipping backwards, back down the ’steps’.

We made it to the top – much faster than I had imagined. It seemed shorter somehow – who cares – I had made it.

We got back on our ponies for the ride back. It seemed shorter too, but no less taxing that the first leg.

I was never so happy to see anyone in my life when I saw Marcos, our cab driver, waiting for us at the top of the trail! I had asked him earlier if he was going to join us, he just smiled at me and said ‘once is enough’. Ha. Understatement.

So, I am no longer afraid of horses! If I had known what this excursion was all about I would not have ever ever ever ever gone on it – not ever ever. I was SO OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE that it made me crazy. The kids were great.

Todd was wonderful.

My guide – he changed my life – well actually probably saved it.