A poem by a young traveler to the Dominican Republic

The poem's author with some pigs on Playa Bahoruco        Photo by: Christian Lyles

Drive three hours west from the Dominican Republic capital of Santa Domingo, and you’ll find yourself in the country’s best kept secret: its Western Region.  Despite the rest of the country's development and commercialization, It is still an undiscovered territory by many tourists and reminds visitors what the island was like before then.  This region is also the most diverse ecologically.   There are eight national parks, the Sierra Bahoruco Mountain Range, a pine forest, a semi-arid desert further inland, and two salt water lakes.  One of these is Lago Enriquillo, the largest in the Caribbean, teeming with massive populations of birds, reptiles, and other exotic wildlife. 

The Western Region has been called "The Pearl of the South” for the area's stunning coastline and pristine, isolated, natural beaches which include Bahoruco, Patos, Paraiso, and Saladilla.  A surfing trip to Playa Bahoruco, near the town of Baharona was the inspiration for a poem my son wrote about some pigs on the beach. Granted, I am his mother, but I believe you will enjoy this literary creation as much as I do.
 

Uh-Oh!

By CJ Lyles, age 12 when penned

Bahoruco for a wave check,
Chest to head high,
Clean and glassy.
Beyond the stones and grass, I spotted a family of pigs.
A mama pig, papa pig,
and seven piglets,
Looking for food,
All over the beach.
Sticking their snouts into
The mud and pebbly sand,
Hoping to find a snack.
"Christian, let's go near the pigs."
So my brother and I
hid in the tall grass,
watching the excitement.
Patiently we waited
for a piglet to
come close enough to touch.
Closer and closer almost there,
come on piggy over here.
Until the papa pig made eye contact
with me. Yikes!
"Run, CJ, run!"
But my legs were already moving
and Christian not far behind.