Tres Ojos Workshops and Nightclub

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After a quick breakfast at the Villar Hermanos pastry shop, we loaded up in the hotel’s mini-van and our driver, Rigoberto, took us out to Los Tres Ojos Park a bit east of Santo Domingo and across the Río Ozama.

For those who do not recognize the name of this river, it has served twice as an invasion point to the island of Hispaniola. The first time was when the Spaniards came up the river to settle the “New World” and found Santo Domingo where the present Old Town is located. The second time came when in 1965, under the reign of Lyndon Johnson, 44,000 US troops invaded the country, with the major path of the invasion coming up the river. This invasion, unnoticed and not remembered by the American people, came during the early stages of the Vietnam War when minds were on other things such as the Beatles. It removed President Juan Bosch from power, as the US was going through the paranoia of Cuba and feared that such socialism was entering the Dominican Republic.

Tres Ojos (Three Eyes) is a collapsed cave system formed within the limestone of the area under and near Santo Domingo. Where the “roof” of the cave collapsed, three lakes, previously completely underground, were exposed to view from the sky. The entry fee was only $5 each and well worth it. If you go, hire the local official guide (cost $20 for the six of us; you may be able to get one for less), for he was very informative, although I gave him a few corrective lessons in geology and cave formation that he will probably incorporate into his walking lecture. Keep an eye out for the small colonies of bats hanging from the darker areas of the cave roof.

The cave entrance leads abruptly downward to the first of the “ojos,” where you stand on the edge of a 15-foot deep aquamarine-blue lake. The trail then leads to the second lake. Above you is open sky. Around you is a collage of tropical trees, plants and ferns, with water dripping from the rocks. Thick slabs of rock from the roof collapse can be seen scattered throughout the floor of the caves. There are quite a few stalactites coming from the roof edge, but not many stalagmites on the floor. The collapse must have been many thousands of years ago, as evidenced by one large stalactite that has reached from the present cave roof edge to a portion of the collapsed roof on the floor.

At the second “ojo”, you board a small poorly balanced and marginally floating raft that tilts this way and that as you get on. The Captain of this small vessel and the guide pull it across the 25-foot deep second lake by means of a pulley-and-cable arrangement, until you arrive at a boardwalk leading under the cave roof. Finally, you pop out at the third “ojo” which is quite beautiful. On this lake were some Least grebes and a Green heron.

Following the cave visit, we walked the asphalt-paved park trail, with a warning from our guide to stay in a large group (parks in urban areas often have “evil-doers” wandering through them. Quite a wide variety of birds can be observed or heard: Vervain hummingbirds (2 1/3 inches or 6 cm in length), lots of Hispaniolan woodpeckers, perhaps a Red-legged thrush, and colorful yellow and black Bananaquits.

Following lunch, Braxton, Duff, McMullen, LaGra and I attended the Peace Corps Environmental Workshop where present PCVs summarized their projects. Peace Corps projects are now more focused than they used to be, with various “Sectors” being developed: Health, Environment, Business, Water, Education, Youth, etc. Where we might have worked in any and all of these areas at one time, PCVs now focus their efforts in these specific sectors. It seems to be more effective and they seem to be accomplishing more. In addition, many volunteers now serve three to as much as six years, instead of the two years that we served. Many of them also become career Peace Corps staff.

In the evening Rigoberto took us in the mini-van to “Liquid”, a three-level nightclub hired out for the sole use of a big final night Peace Corps party. The evening consisted of lots of “heavy” hors d’oeuvres, drinks and dancing, with music provided by Nuevo Pacto.” Quite a crowd was present.

By the way, PCVs do not have much money. They get $220 each month to live on; in 1962-64, we received $105. So, many of the meals and drinks and party fees of these volunteers were paid for by contributions from former volunteers attending the reunion.

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