With Air Turks and Caicos announcing a newly scheduled flight to Santo Domingo (Capital of the Dominican Republic), easily accessible cave diving suddenly became a mere 1.15 hours flight away. Flights were arranged, diving was booked with Denis of Golden Arrow Techical Diving Centre (www.cavediving.com.do) and Jon and I were on our way for 4 days of cave diving.
A half hour taxi journey from the airport saw us at Hotel Mercure (www.mercure.com/Santo Domingo), located in the heart of the Colonial Zone, at $34 a night each we certainly couldn't complain. We wandered the main strip, enjoyed the traditional cuisine of Pizza Hut, sunk a few Presidente beers ($2 a beer) and called it a night. A hot room (Jon insisted in turning off the air conditioning), constant car alarms going off in the surrounding streets, all washed down with the odd dog fight didn't result in the best nights sleep. That said a good buffet breakfast at the hotel (expensive at $10) and a successfully booked taxi meant we arrived at Golden Arrow in good form and ready to go cave diving.
Once the gear was all set up, we loaded it onto the pickup and the 3 of us headed off to Cueva Taina; a popular cave located a few minutes drive from the airport. The cave entrance is on private land in a poor barrio area and is a high walled compound with a solid metal gate, which slides open when hearing the secret honking of the car horn. Inside the compound is another world; almost a jurrasic park, with trees, vines and greenery everywhere. As soon as we parked up a tarpaulin was laid down next to us providing a clean area for setting up and changing into suits etc. Denis walked us to low fence, looking over and down we were greeted with a large sink hole, the waters edge being about 40ft below us; a metal spiral staircase leading down to the base of the cave. Our gear was carried down the stairs for us (how decadent is that), so we got into suits and headed down the stairs. There are stalagtites in the dry part of the cave which temptingly descend into the crystal clear waters, ferns drape from the ceiling and keep an eye out for the odd unexpected guest (we saw a tarantula on our second visit here!).
Cueva Taina - looking down into the sinkhole
Gearing up we giant strided into the water, weight checked (I need 4lbs with a semidry and twin aluminium tanks); Denis briefed the dive and then finally we descended below the water and entered into another world.
CUEVA TAINA: Maximum Depth: 69ft, Dive Time: 63 Minutes
Arriving at the permanant line we passed the standard sign, warning of the hazards of cave diving; travelling through a distinct halocline (fresh and salt water meet) we entered the first chamber. WOW. The chamber was beautifully decorated with crystal white stalactites, stalagmites and columns, this was my first experience of decorated caves and I already knew it had been worth the money. Continuing along the mainline we completed a jump and entered a really cool low but wide bedding plane; once again there were some wonderful decorations. This whole section was really cool. The mainline continued before ending in a chamber - the chamber used to be a seperate entrance/exit but became somewhat of a dumping ground by the owner before finally being filled in with rocks ! It was a little sad that at this turnaround point you are presented with thoughtlessly disgarded trash - old tyres, bottles etc were completely out of place.
Our turnaround reached we headed out of the cave and back to the real world.
Cueva Taina - staircase into the sinkhole
CUEVA TAINA: Maximum Depth: 73ft, Dive Time: 55 Minutes
With 140 bar still in the tanks there was more than enough air for another dive, a few equipment adjustments and we were ready to go.
Taking a different route we entered a hugh, partially decorated chamber, then through a passageway and into a second large chamber. There was a very distinctive halocline here - one minute Jon was infront of me, the next he entered into the shimmering water and disappeared - it was like something out of Star Trek and quite eiry. As I approached the halocline it almost looked as if I was approaching the surface of the water and that an air pocket existed above me, it was so realistic I even found myself raising my hand over my head to feel for any obstacles above me as I 'surfaced'. The experience was even more surreal upon exiting the halocline, the fresh water layer we were now in looked so clear that it felt like you were floating in an air pocket; looking down at the denser saltwater layer was like looking down on a rippling pool of water - Oh my poor brain ! This was something I had never experienced before and is a magical memory that I will never forget.
Leaving this chamber we entered into a third huge chamber and this one really did contain air pockets. Denis pointed out the fossilized bones of some ancient animal that must have died/been killed in here when it was a dry system, before leading us up to a sizeable air pocket. Breaking the surface we were presented with a chandelier cave, with thousands of stalagtites from delicate crystal formations through to massive glistening columns. It was quite breathtaking. Descending we headed to a second air pocket which somehow managed to out shine the first in terms of the decorations it guarded.
It was time to leave the cave; exiting the water the locals carried our gear back to the truck, we paid the entrance fee of 700 pesos (which included a tip for the tank sherpers) and headed back to the dive centre.
That evening we wandered to Columbus Plaza and indulged in a burger and a few beers at the Hard Rock Cafe before calling it a night.
We had an early start the following morning as it was a 2 hour drive to Bayahibe and the National Park that was home to the two caves we were scheduled to dive. Denis provided great comentary during the journey as we passed field after field of sugar cane. Arriving at the park we paid the entrance fee (300 pesos) and travelled for about 10 minutes along an uneven hard dirt road, eventually arriving at the 'parking area' for the cave. A couple of locals and their dogs soon arrived and once again our equipment was carried down to the waters entrance. Thie time the entrance was reached by following a dirt track and then climbing down rough hewn steps created out of the rock. The dry cave entrance was huge and home to a huge colony of bats, again stalagtites hung down everywhere.
We kitted up by torchlight and eagerly jumped into the water.
EL CHICO: Maximum Depth: 48ft, Dive Time: 73 Minutes
The main tunnel was large and again well decorated with both stalagtites and columns, exiting it we entered what is usually a dry cave, however, heavy rain had raised the water table meaning we didn't have to exit and stagger to the jump, instead we had the luxury of progressing 'in water'. The jump was a 30 foot vertical restriction, which whilst Jon slipped through with relative ease with his sidemount sytem, provided Denis and I with a little more of a headache with our backmount systems. We had to go down feet first and wriggle around a little to squeeze through, at one point I managed to get the line wrapped around my torch battery pack, but managed to free myself. A low bedding plane led to a further tight restriction before passing through a number of chambers eventually ending at a choke.
Working back through the restrictions was a lot easier and eventually we were back in the dry cave. The dive profile had been a real zigzag one which can play havok on the ears as I soon found out. I was travelling at the rear of the group and just as the other two descended and rounded a boulder and dissapeared from view my ears decided it was time to block *Bugger* I ended up having to ascend right to the ceiling before that reassuring 'pop', then just as I started to descend Jons' head popped around the corner to check I was Ok. No other dramas and we soon exited the cave, the guys carried the gear back to the truck and Jon and I jumped ino the back for the short 5 minute journey to the next cave.
El Chico - sign at cave entrance
PADRE NUESTRO: Maximum Depth: 42ft, Dive Time: 43 Minutes
This cave had a really inconspicuous entry, it being a small shallow pond under some exposed tree routes. Looks can however be deceiving and this was certainly the case with this cave.
Standing fully geared up in waist deep water, you have to drop to your knees to see the small entrance which just slopes away into a highly decorated cave, a restriction then leads into a hugh, unbeliverably beautifully decorated room. There are decorations galore in this room, the "piece de resistance" though is in the heart of the room and consists of a magnificent centrepiece of statalgtites of varying sizes. You could easily spend hours in this room alone.
The cave progresses a little further before ending in a choke.
Denis said tht this was probably the second most decorated cave in the DR ( forgot to ask which the most was !). This really is a wonderful shallow dive, you could spend hours in here marvelling at the decorations and it was certainly my favourite dive of the trip.
Padre Nuestro - inconspicuous entrance hiding a stunning cave
Packed and up content with a great days diving we headed home, stopping off along the way for 'pollo y papas' (chicken & chips) and a cold Presidente beer. We spent the evening sitting in one of the cafes located on the main strip, eating rather tasty pork chops, sipping beers and watching the world go by.
We're diving where ? 'In a discoteque', Denis said matter of factly, well I've dived in some strange locations in my time, but this really would be a first. It was about a 30 minute drive; leaving the highway we entered a pretty poor barrio, rubbish was strewn everywhere, shanty houses, open fires and barefooted children playing in the dirt. We rolled up outside a walled compound with a really serious looking metal sliding gate. The gate slid open and our ears were greeted with blasting music. It was barely 10 am and the party was already in full swing with youngsters who had clearly decided that this was better than a day at school - and who could blame them. There were a couple of pools that they were leaping in and out of; dancing to the music, drinking and smoking- I was in two minds as whether to go diving or join in the fun :)
The cave entrance was behind an iron grilled gate and concrete steps lead down through the dry cave and to the waters entrance. The whole cave has been conveted into an underground disco, complete with lighting and a music system. One of the lads carried our gear down and we were followed by a number of curious onlookers, who chose to jump in and out of the water as we kitted up.
Cueva Roca - entrance to cave is through the archway
CUEVA ROCA: Maximum Depth: 83ft, Dive Time: 55 Minutes
This was an eiry dive, there were no decotations this time, the water had a greenish tinge to it and the walls comprised of black rock and seemed to suck the light out of your torches. There was one jump required and at the end of the cave a restriction that led to a final small chamber. Jon and I both scrabbled our way through the restriction, this time Jon briefly got the line tangled around his fin on the exit.
An enjoyable dive and in stark contrast to our previous dives here.
Surfacing we were greeted with a haze of smoke and the clinking of glasses !
Our next cave was a short drive away and again on private land, this time it was actually in someones garden, a wonderful old lady called Antonia. Whilst there are 3 seperate entrances to this particular cave, this one is apparently the most commonly used.
We walked down to the entrance, kitted up and once again followed Denis into the unknown.
El Tildo - entrance to an alien graveyard !
EL TILDO: Maximum Depth: 26ft, Dive Time: 59 Minutes
The cave was in complete contrast to Cueva Roca, the walls were white and comprised of a combination of dissolved rock and bleached coral (showing the change in water levels in the distant past). There were shells, patterns of brain corals and even patches of upright bleached staghorn coral. My brain read strange things from the shapes - shapes that could have been giant vertebrae, hugh misshapen skulls; it could easily have been some discovered alien graveyard from a Sci Fi movie !
Making a couple of jumps, We followed the cave to the end, breaking the surface in a number of places ( inluding the other entrances). On our return journey we made a visual jump then wound our way throgh a really twisty, turvey passageway, including a number of restrictions, eventually reaching a jump we had set up but not followed towards the start of the dive.
Whilst there had been no decorations, the 'formations' created by the dissolved rocks more than made up for it, making it another unique cave experience - I still wake up thinking of those alien skulls !
An early return meant that whilst Jon chose to have a catnap, I decided to wander the Colonial Zone, taking in a few sights. I passed the Paza de Colon (there is a statue of Columbus there) and walked towards the water before following the fortified wall. Eventually I ended up at the 'Alcazar de Columbus' (build by Columbus son between 1510 - 1514, and was one of the first structures built in the oldest remaining european cities of the Americas). Wandering along the 'Calle de Damas' (cobblestone street and the first one built inthe New Americas) I took time to enjoy the arcitecture of the various centries old buildings, before eventually arriving at and walking around Fort Ozama (one of the oldest forts in the Americas, completed in 1507).
There is so much to see and so much rich history in such a small area, its no wonder that as the oldest permanant european settlement of the new world, Santo Domingo has been declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO.
That evening we fell back on a winning formula of pizza and Presidente.
It was to be our final day of cave diving and was a busy day in the diveshop. Denis was teaching a cave class and so he paired us up with Oliver, a fellow Brit who was working for the US Embassy (work that one out). We were heading back to Cueva Taina where we had been on day one, but were assured we had'nt completed our exploration of the cave.
It was certainly busier than our first visit with a number of other dive operators at the site, gear having been carried down or us, we kitted up and entered the water.
CUEVA TAINA: Maximum Depth: 112ft, Dive Time: 97 Minutes (deco: 27 Minutes)
We followed the same route we had taken on the second dive here, once again entering the chamber with the distinctive halocline, the second visit made the sight no less surreal. At the back of the chamber was a narrow restriction that we wormed our way through emerging into a second undecorated chamber, a further restriction led to final chamber. There was one further restriction which we had been informed ended in a choke, however we were already in deco and had a series of multilevel profiles to work through before exiting, so chose to turn at this point. By the time we reached our primary reel we had racked up a little under 30 minutes of deco which we worked off exploring the open chamber.
CUEVA TAINA: Maximum Depth: 68ft, Dive Time: 43 Minutes (deco: 5 Minutes)
For our final dive we were taken on a short but new tour of a couple of chambers with interconnecting passages. Both chambers were highly decorated with a wide array of stalagtites, stalagmites and columns and served as the perfect end to a great few days of cave diving.
Our hotel room must have looked like a chinese laudrette from out of Silent Hill, with cave gear hanging and propped up all over the place. We had a wander down to the beachfront and along some of the old colonial streets before heading back to Hard Rock Cafe for some heart attack inducing delights.
It was our non diving day so we caught a taxi to a mall for a McDonalds and some shopping, getting back in time to watch the football - Man Utd vs Everton. We still had a whole afternoon to kill - sightseeing or beer ? And so the afternoon and evening was whilled away sitting in a bar drinking Presidente and watching the world getting more and more blurred ad it went by.
An early taxi and by 8:30am we were back in the Turks and Caicos.
Great country, great beer and great cave diving .... What more could you ask for ?
