All Inclusive Rad-icle Ed-venture - Around Hispaniola (Haiti & DR) on 2 wheels

Rad contacted me a few weeks ago and said he is craving some adventure. Ya see, he is back in the corporate world - Commutes in traffic, goes to the office and wears a tie each day - would you believe it?
His idea is to fly into Dominican Republic (DR), rent small motorcycles and work our way around the Island of Hispaniola and experience both Haiti and DR.
I thought it was a bad idea. Haiti is on its way into a civil war - which could break out at any moment. There are mass demonstrations, killings and roads blocks that have created food and fuel shortages around the country. It is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and has not recovered since the devastating earthquake about 10 years ago. And the DR is in the news every week about some tourist that had been killed, died or been kidnapped
But the more I thought about it, the more the idea grew on me. Haiti will be my 115 country I've experienced and it is going to be super interesting seeing a side that rarely people see.
I had been to DR before, but I can't really say that I have experienced it. Kathe and I flew in, were shuttled to an all inclusive resort. We were locked inside the compound, where an artificial reality was created for our enjoyment. We were not subjected to seeing poverty. The bad guys were kept out by security around the compound. And the food was abundant and the drink flowed until we passed out under the shade of an umbrella on the white sandy beach.
This time, I will experience DR - for good and bad. So many people do these all inclusive resort package deals but what do they really experience in the country? Really nothing! They could be anywhere in the world as the real culture is hidden from the guests. The staff (aka servants) are paid to make your stay pleasurable - but couldn't actually give a shit about you.
We will be traveling incredibly light - only small backpacks strapped to the back of our little bikes. We are not even bringing a tent - just a hammock to tie to the coconut trees lining the beaches.
Unlike my last trip to Europe, I think I have this one better planned out. I am not bringing anything expensive. I am bringing an old helmet, old Rev'it gear and even old underwear. Everything will have to be expendable as we are sort of expecting to be robbed at some point. We will have dummy wallets ready that can be ditched if need be. The important documents, cards and cash will be hidden and spread out.
Of course, much of our time will be spent off the motorcycles, swimming at the beaches, playing in the waterfalls and even hiking up the tallest mountain in the Caribbean at over 10,000 feet. And getting our passport stamped will also be a goal.
This will be an ALL INCLUSIVE RAD-ICLE ED-VENTURE........without the resort living.
And it all starts this week!

If anyone can do it, you can Ed. Be safe and have fun. Mostly tho, be safe. The DR is pretty shady, Haiti, well, I had no interest...

Ed and Rad....wish you the best.

Brung it.

All right...........here we go!

Following again.
Not seen reports from here before so should be an Ed-ucation.....
Have fun

There was a SNL commercial about bad idea jeans and going to Haiti...

Yeah, no. Have fun though.

PM sent

I'm glad to have ridden with both of you!

In

In! Wouldn’t miss this for anything!

Have fun Ed and Rad!!!

The coffee won’t be as nice as we had in Italy...

But I guess that’s the point!!

Stay safe!

Dan

Ed ,rad stay safe have fun looking forward to the report thx always for bringing us along

In for another Ed-venture!

ALL RIGHT! Let the fun begin! Been looking forward to this!
Do you know yet if Rad is going to have a parallel thread going somewhere?

Well, I did it again.......I screwed up on my flight time and date.
But this time I caught it early.
I thought I had 2 more days until take off.
But my flight leaves just after midnight tomorrow.
So I have about 30 hours to get ready - unlike 2 hours - when I went to Laos and missed my flight.

You will be pleasantly surprised in the DR. Not the 'land of the lawless' you inferred. Especially when you leave the tourist trap areas.

Cheers! Have fun, Ed! And thanks for taking us along for the Rad-icle Ed-venture!!

In! Looking forward to this one, good luck fellas!

Dude, have a blast! How long are you guys going for?