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.