Dominican Republic Day Five. An Afternoon Walk And A Tour Of The Beautiful Altos De Cano Hondo Resort.
After my morning boat excursion, I spent the afternoon editing photographs in my room at the beautiful Altos De Cano Hondo Lodge/Resort at the edge of the Los Haitises National Park in a remote section of the Dominican Republic. It is a part of the Paraiso Cano Hondo resort.
And it truly is paradise. This was the view of the San Lorenzo Bay we toured by boat in the morning. 
It gets hot here in the afternoon. Temperatures neared 90 degrees almost every afternoon. So I would waited until around 3:30 p.m.to take my afternoon hike. By then the sun was getting lower on the horizon. It would set on the other side of the hills to the west of the resort. So you won’t see any sunset photos on from my stay at the Altos De Cano Hondo Resort. 
I took the same hike I did in the morning, and would take twice a day during my stay at the resort. I walked on the road along the rice paddies and encountered on of the many horses that roam free here
It was nice seeing the horses, and many other farms animals, freely wandering the roads and countryside. 
There was no bird activity in the trees along the road so I decided to cross the Cano Hondo river, that flows under the dirt road leading to the resort, and hike to the Los Haitises Park entrance where we left on our boat excursion in the morning. 
I was surprised there was also little bird activity along this road. It may have still been to early in the afternoon since the sun was still intense and the temperatures in the high 80’s.
The only birds I saw were wild American turkeys which I see everyday in my backyard at home. 
There was some insect activity along the road. I saw a lot of the pretty white peacock butterflies, and,
a few of the beautiful malachite butterflies fluttering about,
and visiting some of the wildflowers growing on the sides of the road. . 
There were also a few dragonflies ,
and wasp-like insects active on my walk. 
I walked out to the boat dock which was now closed.
And returned to the main road leading to the resort and decided to follow it out about a half mile.
On one side of the road were large open fields were horses and cows roamed, on the other woods and a few small houses. 
After about a half mile I saw some large cliffs on the side of the road. I wanted to continue to explore, but it was getting close to sunset and I was getting hungry so I headed back to the resort. 
As I walked back, I was passed by a steady stream of cars, motorcycles, motor scooters, and a few buses. Upon arriving at the Paraiso Cano Hondo resort, the lower and main resorted I noticed a few large buses parked at the resort. I learned there is entertainment at the resort every Sunday. 
Local residents from nearby Sabana de la Mar and tourists from larger cities from as far away as Santo Domingo take buses to enjoy the pool and large buffets provided by the resort. It was late and the buses were leaving, as were the guest, all of them. Dominican Republic: Day Five Altos de Cano Hondo afternoon hike October 24 2021
After climbing the steep stone drive way to my hotel Altos de Cano Hondo, I was told I was the only guest staying in the lodge that evening. This would be interesting I thought. I learned that this is their slow season, the rainy and hurricane season. That, and the COVID pandemic. Still, this is very unusual since the resort is usually always booked I was told. And I found this to be true. I looked into returning in January, when the Samana and San Lorenzo Bay are visited by hundreds of humpback whales who visit the bay to give birth to their calves and mate. The resort has no rooms available from January into March. 
I was delighted to be alone in this wonderful building. I know little about architecture but I know this stone building was beautifully designed. These photos were taken a few days after my solo stay at the lodge but I share them now to show the surroundings I enjoyed on my visit. From my spacious room with a view these were the steps,
I used to get to the reception and dining room area. 
Here is the dining room were I spent a lot of time editing my photographs and enjoying wholesome meals. 
There is a nice patio below the dining area to sit and relax.
There are many spectacular views, from the trails, and 
overlooks around the building. 
I spent many moments on my five day stay admiring the views.
The combination of stone and wood made for an amazing place to stay in this remote part of the Dominican Republic. The only sounds were the frogs, crickets and birds that live on the edge of Los Haitises National Park. I was so glad I made the decision to stay here and hope to return again. Here is a link to a gallery with some more photographs of the lodge. Dominican Republic Day Five. Altos de Cano Hondo lodge October 24 2021. 
After being served a filling meal of shrimp pasta I retired to my room, enjoying the absolute solitude of being the only person staying in this solitary stone building. I fell asleep excited about my adventures the next day and I slept well, all by myself in the middle of know where.
To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world. You are surrounded by adventure. You have no idea of what is in store for you, but you will, if you are wise and know the art of travel, let yourself go on the stream of the unknown and accept whatever comes in the spirit in which the gods may offer it. — Freya Stark
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