A Little April

*Note: All of these photos are stolen from friends. (Camera is still broken). Enjoy!

Finally made it up to Samana! ...after only a year of wanting to check it out. Baby steps, mi gente. I hadn’t been because it is so far away, it’s an expensive trip, and okay to be honest, I didn’t really know how to get there. But then the Dominican Republic proved me wrong (time and time again). Eleven bolas and 5-6 hours later, I learn that hitch-hiking from Santiago can get you to Samana for free. :) Sweet deal, maybe I’ll hitch-hike long distance here more often (Kidding, kind of). The Bola Race ended with a great weekend in the beautiful Las Terrenas, and a visit to Playa Bonita. 

Playa Bonita, Samana:

About a week later was Semana Santa or Holy Week, which is probably the most important religious holiday here. With a week off from work and classes, I took advantage of this time to do a little relaxing and traveling in the northwest area. For me, Semana Santa started in Santiago with an Autism awareness conference. I went with teachers, one of my project partners, and a mother from the school. It was a good conference, learned a bit and I think the teachers did too. So once school starts again, we’ll be able to bring this info. back to the teachers who weren’t able to attend. 

I also spent a couple days at an orphanage close to my site. About eleven volunteers and I painted two dormitories at a boys’ orphanage. The rooms got a makeover Peace Corps-style, and are now bright and fun, and I was lucky enough to spend time with the outgoing COS volunteers. This group is about to complete their 2 years in the DR, and with only just 2.5 weeks left of service in-country, they’re still hard at work and planned this trip to paint during the holiday. They are such an amazing and organized group, and really talented artists too. Check out some of the murals and other painting pics from the Jaibon orphanage: 

 

Semana Santa was great - visited with volunteers, relaxed in my site, did a little traveling - even up to Monte Crisit. Towards the end of the week, I went up to Playa del Morro, the northwesternmost point on the DR’s coast. It’s really different from any other Dominican beach I’ve been to. To quote my little guidebook, it’s the #1 Quiet Beach and “a deserted white-sand beach... walled in by sheet cliffs... with calm water protected by spectacular coves.” Nice. And after seeing it, that description’s pretty on point. Definitely will have to make it back sometime. Oh and Minnie made the trip with us too, but turns out she’s not really a fan of water or waves. What a weirdo little puppy. Pics from around my site as well as the Monte Cristi trip:

my site!

 

Monte Cristi:

Playa del Morro, Monte Cristi:

 

 

And so concludes the week. Now for a fun little list -

Strangely Not-So-Strange-Anymore Recent Moments Witnessed on the Back of a Motorcycle:

• Realizing your moto driver is in fact not an adult but an 8 year old boy. (Scene: child sat in front, his dad who helped him drive and steer the moto in the middle, and me on the back. To date, scariest bola of my life. Oh que chulo...Senor, is your son driving this moto?!)
• Seeing two moto drivers carry either end of a long ladder between them riding down the street (Ladder moving length-wise, not width-wise, down the street. Think that makes it safer).
• Having a 10-year-old on a bicycle hold onto the back of a moto and trailer behind.
• Witnessing a group of people on motos riding alongside eachother and having a conversation back and forth while driving (occasionally watching the road, too).
• Seeing two pigs tied and strapped down on a moto.
• Piling onto a moto with 4 other people (3 adults, 2 children).

At this point, I hardly regard these and similar sights as out of the ordinary. But every now and then I have an American moment; Oh, that’s kinda dangerous, or Hm, this really wouldn’t fly in the States. I can already tell that going home will be the real culture shock for me. After spending a couple days with the COS group hearing about their exciting plans and thoughts about leaving the Dominican Republic, I found myself seriously thinking about the Stateside life that awaits and how different that’s going to be. Though still a bit of a question mark, that picture’s becoming a lot clearer. Another long post for another day, but part of my future reunion-with-the-USA is completely and 100% certain. What I can say for sure is that my American life will require a place that fulfills my newfound daily need to hear songs such as this, this, this, this or this blasted at full volume through my ears, and I will expect a full-on dance party to break out at any given moment of the day, or (at the very least) a sing-a-long fest. :) 

thanks for reading & lots of love,

XO