Day 3-038
2 hrs, 4 .7 kms

I continue on up the Samana penninsula, which reaches out into the Atlantic. On the outskirts of the small town of Sanchez, I spot a little family home-turned-hotel, and figure this'll work for me.

After getting settled in, I head down to the village itself, where there's a cheery vibe. It's the weekend and everyone is out in front of their houses, chatting, drinking, or just chilling out... I enjoy a pleasant Parkbench concert in the plaza... stop by for a "taco" which I regret afterward. Taco with a pile of cheap mayonaise and ketchup on it? Pleeeze. Just don't call it a taco.

Sanchez is right at the edge of a vast, seemingly untouched Parque Nacional de los Haitises, a vast mangrove swamp/animal refuge park. With no visible roads to get into it, it looks like the kind of place for doing some serious jungle exploring... not something I'll be doing on this trip.

The coast of Sanchez is a mud bog, strewn with trash as I expected... but gazing out to the vast jungle park across the bay is an enticing sight... But not this time.