Sosúa

A couple of the people from the BYU group wanted to go explore the nearby town of Sosua, which is known for dairy products. That is the only historical tour-guide fact I can give you about the place.

We wandered through some shops (in fact, I think that's where I got my machete), went on a banana tube ride, then took advantage of the free cliff-jumping available. I got nervous each time up there, but if you just don't think about it and jump, well, you can't do anything about falling.

cliff jumping!

The above is a super short video, but it's all I got to capture of a random guy's acrobatics. 

The other exciting thing about this trip was that I stepped on a sea anemone. I pulled most of the spines out, but I guess some were buried deep, because it got inflamed, and then I got to do a little bedside surgery. Actually, I did it by the pool, because that area has the most light, and I don't think it counts as surgery when I just had basic first aid kit instruments. Nurse, heal thyself

in a fight between words and pictures, pictures win

this beach wasn't particularly scenic, so we played baseball with jetsam items

learning to make a cabbage salad

my favorite batida place

girls' night at our director's hotel

'hey, can you give me a lift?'

Typically, only the counselors with the DREAM kids go on field trips. Part of that is due to expense, and the other part is that the teachers need to stay and have classes for the kids who didn't have a field trip that day. Fortunately, my co-teacher Bjorn and I got to go on the field trip to Teleférico.

A teleférico is a cable car. The Teleférico in the Dominican Republic goes to the top of the mountain Isabel de Torres, which is 2565 feet. There's a bit of a wait before you can board the cable car, but fortunately we were entertained by a band. Unofortunately, the video won't load, but here's a picture:

And here's a sequence of pictures to make you feel like you're there.

 Excuse all the pictures. This place is seriously photo-worthy

the field trip group.

without enhancements whatsoever. GORGEOUS

fyi, the sun is totally in my eyes

This was one of my FAVORITE spots in the DR. We actually got really lucky, because the day before the weather was rainy (like tropical depression rainy), but the day of the trip, the skies cleared right up.

the irony of foreigners taking native Dominicans on trips in their own country

Like any other school, the DREAM summer school had field trips for the kids. A lot of places along the northern coast of the Dominican Republic are set up for tourists, and thus set up for tourist prices, but DREAM takes the students to 'see the sights' in their own country. Seriously so cool. As a teacher, I wasn't in charge of any particular group of kids, so I usually didn't accompany them on their trips (due to a money/time factor), but I did get to go to Teleferico.
Teleferico is a cable car that goes up the Mount Isabel de Torres in Puerto Plata, giving a SPECTACULAR view of the city, the ocean, etc. The day before my group was scheduled to go there was a lot of wind and rain from a tropical wave (which apparently is less intense than a tropical storm), and so I was praying for clear skies.

TA-DA! Clear skies

So we got on the bus and headed for the adventure. The kids were really excited. Heck, I was excited. But I contained it better.

percussion music while we were waiting

The really great thing about this country is that almost every picture I take looks amazing because the country is SOOO pretty.





[Here I break from chronology and go for thematic]

At the end of the summer camp, the students wanted to hang out with us some more, so a handful of the volunteers decided to take them to the beach near the school. 10ish adults (that would be the volunteers) and 50ish kids. I am so glad no one got hurt.

Funny story from this enterprise: a  young boy offered me a wrapped piece of candy, and had one for himself as well. He tossed the wrapper on the ground, and I told him (in Spanish) "Don't throw the trash there. We need to protect the land." His reply: "Okay, let's put it in the ocean." :) I don't think the message on littering got through.

SANTO DOMINGO

There is probably a traveler's rule somewhere that says it is a good idea to visit the capital of the country you are in. If not, I propose it become one.
At the end of my 3rd week there, my university group took a weekend trip to Santo Domingo, which is on the south side of the island. I don't remember how long the bus ride was, but it sure felt long, because somebody threw up inside the bus.

During one of the pit stops, we noticed that we were heading to our
 'destiny'

We got to Santo Domingo around dinner time, and made a beeline for the McDonald's there. Normally, I don't like fast food, but hunger and familiarity with the food does wonders for taste.
Our main purpose of going to Santo Domingo was to visit the Latter-Day Saint temple there, so we stayed in the MTC (Missionary Training Center) there, which doubles as a sort of hostel for church members who are travelling to the temple.

The temple

The grounds are absolutely gorgeous

The BYU group!

Saturday, after visiting the temple, we explored the town, taking pictures, eating, haggling for souvenirs, and probably looking obnoxiously white.

some government building...

a memorial for Duarte, Sanchez, and Mella

inside the memorial

where Christopher Colombus last lived in the Americas

getting sandwiches

Inside the 'Pantheon of the Country"

an amusing translation;
children alone are, apparently, very dangerous

I ran into Santos while there. small world!

Another funny translation: our cleaning checklist says we should  leave garbage in the waste basket.
check!

The really great thing about where we stayed is that it had washers and dryers, so I got to wash my clothes! Don't worry, I had been washing them before, but it was by hand, which is quite tedious.