Remarkable sights of the Pedernales Peninsula

Road quality: asphalted highway.

Points:
Pedernales – a town on the border with Haiti;
Hoyo Del Pelempito – a geological depression, national park;
Deadlock – a deadlock turn of the route;
Laguna De Oviedo – a national park;
Laguna Cabral (Laguna Rincon) – the largest fresh water lake of the country; 
Barahona – a town;
Duverge – a town.

Description:
In this journey we went across the Pedernales Peninsula visiting its places of interest. We started our travel in Pedernales, a town near the border with Haiti, and go towards Cabo Rojo. There, on the coast we cooked barbecue and pick up shells after the Rally Frontiera. It was a very beautiful coast with emerald-green water, but we failed to swim because of the rocky bottom. 
In 30 minutes after the departure from Pedernales we turned to the Sierra De Baoruco National Park. Having arrived in Parque El Pelempito each of us paid 50 pesos and went to behold the geological depression. You may spend a night in the park in your own tent, if you like to. Though, you have to send a request to the Environment Ministry:
Telephone: (809) 472 7170
E-mail: areasprotegidas@medioambiente.gov.do
The Bahoruco Sierra Park hosted about 1400 species of plants; 439 of them are endemic. Going on  narrow paths one was to get to the observation platform opening a view on the whole “depression”. “No music”, "No smoking", and "No drinking" signs were mounted in the left and in the right.  The geological depression had been formed there many years ago. A huge ground layer had lowered. The depth of this “hole” amounted to 700–800 meters. The view from the observation platform was simply admirable. On the platform, there were the photos of various birds and plants living in the park.
The next point in our great journey was Parque Nacional Jaragua. We started on the road to Oviedo. In the certain part of the route, there was a turn which we wanted to follow in order to reach the coast and find a boatman to sail to the Beata Island with. But on the midway, the path became too narrow for our off-roadsters and we did not have horses or motorcycles with us. We had to return to the route.
We approached Laguna De Oviedo. I warn you: at the reception they will flog you a necessary guide for 700 roubles. I think it is unnecessary to say in what languages you should give fluff to those super helpers. 200 pesos and that is it.
In fact, the lagoon was not worth visiting: it was a waste of time.  The views with mangroves like those might be seen anywhere. It was supposed that we would take some fancy horses then. But there were no horses, even though we did our best to imagine them.
They say, crowds of pink flamingos hid behind those bushes. They were always trying to step on your foot. Mind your feet… 
When you depart – do not hurry. Having moved to the asphalt, wait for a while. There, a very amicable iguana lives there; or there may be more of them. You may even treat it with a banana or nuts.
Then, the highway led us through Barahona to another lagoon – Laguna Del Rincon (or Laguna Cabral). This was the largest lake in the Dominican Republic. Though, we could not swim there. The lakeside looked rather like a swamp. We did not even decide to drive closer. On the other hand, the view was amazing. And the sunsets there were marvelous.
Then we went to Duverge (spelled in French manner). We decided to spent a night there.
You may note an interesting addition of the French morphological roots to the Dominican language both all along the border with Haiti and in the near towns; for example, in that one. The accent was so strong that it seemed that they had degustated a couple of dozens of hundreds of thousands of barrels of free rum just several days before.
Short of the town, on the left side of the road, there was a simple “cabana” (a motel) with a large red heart in the yard. In the evening, it was easier to see it – there were a couple of green neon tubes. We failed to find something better than that in the town.
The owner of that dissolute shelter was named Rodrigo: a normal fellow; he rented us two rooms for 70 dollars. Everything was clean; there was a TV set, a pillow for each human being, and a shower with no hot water.
Besides, in Santo Domingo, that business (motels or “cabanas”) was controlled by the Chinese. Just to observe formalities you should, at least once, prefer a night in such place to All-Inc. It is funny. Indeed.

What should you take with you?
Probably, you will need some water and food. But on most parts of the way there are stores. Anyway, take your swimming suits and trunks, and an insect repellent for the evening time. 

For more detailed description of the track, please address to the web blog at: 
http://dominicana-life.livejournal.com/20342.html
