¡Hasta luego, República Dominicana!

I'm sad to say, but my time here in the Dominican Republic has come to a close. I cannot believe how fast this month has flown by! I can honestly say that I have had the best month of my life here in the Dominican Republic, and that I am so blessed to have had this unforgettable experience. I'm going to miss everything so much; the wonderful friends that I've made and the dominican culture that I've grown to know and love. I'm incredibly lucky to have had a host family that I've adored and to have made friends with whom I will always stay in touch. This experience has taught me so much more than just the Spanish language; it has also taught me a lot about myself. Many people here in the Dominican Republic have so little, but regardless, their lives are filled with so much happiness. I'm incredibly inspired by this and I know that I have walked away from this experience with so much more perspective. See you later, Dominican Republic!! ¡Hasta luego!

Samaná, Dominican Republic

Shipwreck of Captain Kidd

I realize I haven’t posted any updates in quite a while, and I’m SO sorry to those of you who have been following my blog!!

Two weekends ago our group traveled for two hours to the capital of the Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo, where we toured the National Office of Underwater Cultural Heritage. There, we listened to a lecture by Charlie Beeker, a professor from Indiana University who can only best be described as a crusty pirate! We got to see some very cool preserved cannons, navigation tools, swords, kitchen utensils, and many more treasures that were discovered aboard sunken ships. We even got to see an anchor that was recovered from a ship of Christopher Columbus!

After visiting Santo Domingo, we drove to the city of Bayahibe. Located just off the shore of Bayahibe is an island called Catalina Island where we explored for ourselves the shipwreck of Captain Kidd, a Scottish sailor who was tried and executed for piracy. We snorkeled around the “underwater museum,” finding cannons and other artifacts. Not only were the remains of the shipwreck a spectacular sight, but also were the coral reefs and vibrant fish swimming below me! We spent the rest of our day relaxing on the beautiful beach of Catalina Island. That evening, the group returned to the hotel on the mainland of Bayahibe and had dinner on the beach.

photo taken from Catalina Island

The view while having dinner on the beach

At dinner, two musicians serenaded us. One was on the guitar and the other on the drums. They sang a song for our table called “Solo por un Beso,” and it has been stuck in my head ever since! 

Here is a link to the song if you'd like to check it out: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKN24fLwwpw

The following day, May 19^th, we explored two caves called “Chicho” and “Padre Nuestro.” Chicho is an underground cave that the Tainos, the indigenous people of the Dominican Republic, used for water. We had the opportunity to snorkel in the 20ft-deep freshwater of the cave. This was by far one of the coolest experiences I have ever had. The cave looked like something off of the cover of a National Geographic magazine. The giant rocks underneath our feet were striking and the enormity of the cave ceiling was remarkable.  

Chicho

Los Charcos

Yesterday was by far one of my favorite days yet! After class, our group traveled to the city of Puerto Plata to spend the day at "Los Charcos," or the 27 lagoons of the Damajuaga River...and this time it wasn't closed! Surrounded by a mountain range, called Cordillera Central, the lagoons and waterfalls were absolutely magnificent. After hiking with our helmets and lifejackets for a good 10 dominican minutes (meaning 30), each of us had the opportunity to climb up, slide down, and jump off of 7 waterfalls and into the freshwater lagoons. I have never experienced anything like it.

Los Charcos

Today, before our first class, we toured a a cathedral called Santiago Catedral Apóstol (St. James the Apostle). This was the site of the first church in Santiago, built in 1556. This newly renovated cathedral (due to two earthquakes) is a national monument located in Santiago de los Caballeros.

After class, we went to Centro León once again, to listen to a lecture (in Spanish) about Dominican art, including both classical and modern paintings. The Powerpoint lecture lasted about two and half hours, and to be honest I had some trouble keeping my eyes open. I wasn't the only one!

Tomorrow my day will be free from excursions, and I'll have the afternoon to study for our two midterms on Thursday. This month is flying by!

Niños con Esperanza

These past five days have been very busy, and I'm hoping I can catch everyone up with this post! 

The following day, after our group's visit to Centro Leon, we drove to a school called "Niños con Esperanza," located in a very poor area of the city, where kids are provided with an education while their parents work. In this specific area, we were told that most of the parents of the children worked in a nearby dump. Before the establishment of this education center, the kids were forced to accompany their parents to the dump, jeopardizing their health. Now, they are able to spend their day in a much healthier environment. When we arrived, a stampede of children ran towards us and greeted us with smiles and lots of hugs. They absolutely loved taking pictures with our cameras. I have yet to go through mine to see what surprises I'll find! It was such a rewarding experience getting to visit them! We'll be returning to Niños con Esperanza this week to visit again. One little girl in particular stuck by my side for nearly the entire visit:

The next day, we once again visited Centro Leon for a conference with author and poet, Angela Hernandez. In our culture class, we read a short story by Hernandez titled, "Masticar una rosa." She spoke about the role of women in the Dominican Republic throughout history and their importance to and influence on society.

Friday, the group met up after class to take a bus to the city of Puerto Plata, where we would visit Los Charcos and hike to the 27 waterfalls of Rio Damajagua. When we arrived, everyone was surprised to find that the site was closed! Our professor realized that the bus driver had known all along that it was closed and that he had taken advantage of us in order to get paid for the drive. Needless to say, Profe Willis was beyond furious. However, we made the best of the situation and spent most of the day swimming in a nearby river. 

The group spent Saturday in La Isabela, a city about 2 hours away from Santiago, and La Ensenada Beach. We left around 7:00 in the morning to have all day there. It was absolutely beautiful, and the weather could not have been more perfect. The day was extremely relaxing and much needed. I got to go snorkeling with a group of students along with one of our professors, but unfortunately, we found hardly any wildlife. I saw one fish and a crab. Hopefully, we'll be able to see more wildlife next time we go snorkeling at a different beach. That night after we returned home, most of the students, including myself, met up at a restaurant called Cucara Macara. The restaurant was cowboy themed, and we all enjoyed taking pictures with our dressed up waiters. After dinner, we took a taxi to a discoteca, or a night club, and got a taste of Dominican night life. Everyone had a blast dancing the night away to the bachata, merengue, and reggaeton! 

La Ensenada

Cucara Macara

Today was a day off from the excursions, and it mostly consisted of going to a nearby restaurant, Puerto del Sol, to do homework with some of the other students. My host mom is taking English classes, so I was able to help her with the homework that she had. The assignment was to write about an unusual encounter or event, and she chose to write about a particular time she spent on the beach with friends. I can tell that my Spanish-speaking skills are getting better, and I'm beyond thrilled that I'm already improving. 

El Centro León

"Yo soy tu mamá a ti!" Mi Doña is the sweetest and most accommodating mom ever, almost too accommodating. I know that I'll never go hungry! My host mom, along with other host moms I'm sure, is crazy about food! After every meal she makes sure that I'm full, which almost always I am! I just said "buenos noches" to her, and before I went to my room she told me that she wanted me to know that if ever anything bad happened and I needed help, which she said she hoped would never happen, that I should never hesitate to come to her. I really cannot get over how great my whole family is! I'm certain that this month is going to fly by, and I want to be able to get as much out of this wonderful experience as I can. Today was the first day of class (two classes from 9am-1pm), and I'm a little overwhelmed by all of the homework! Luckily, I have a house full of Spanish speakers. After class, our group went to a museum, called El Centro León, where we sat in on a lecture about the history of the Dominican Republic. I understood jack squat. The man leading the lecture spoke incredibly fast and I could hardly make out a sentence, but I'm hoping that by the end of this trip I'll be able follow along. After the lecture, our group met up with a guide that led us through an anthropology exhibit full of Brazilian photography. Our guide spoke much slower, so I was really able to enjoy the exhibit.

El Monumento

Today I finally had the opportunity to meet my host family, and I love them! I didnt realize how nervous I would be initially, but I was relieved to find that communicating is not at all impossible. My host mom, Doña Josefina, is wonderful, along with her three daughters. I've definitely had to think a lot today, but I really surprised myself by being able to carry on conversations with my family. I feel comfortable with everyone, and I really couldn't have asked for a better match! After an orientation with CIEE this morning, we met with our host families to go home and have lunch, which consisted of arroz, frijoles, lechuga y carne de cerdo, and following lunch was una siesta. Everyone slept for a good hour after having the biggest meal of the day. After lunch, the group met up with a CIEE leader for a short tour around the city of Santiago. We visited the monument, el monumento a los Héroes de la Restauración, located in the middle of the city and surrounded by mountains.

Un Día en Miami

After a two hour flight from Indianapolis to Miami, a 9 hour layover, and a 2 hour flight to Santiago, I've finally arrived in the Dominican Republic! During our 9 hour layover in Miami, my two friends and I were determined to take advantage of our time in Florida, so we got a taxi and spent the day on the beach. Out of the three girls going I was the only one that had a roller suitcase with me as a carry on, so just imagine me struggling to roll it across a heavily sandy beach. Not even in the DR yet, I also managed to get unfortunately sunburnt (sorry mom). I have what looks like a red mustache because of the way the sun hit my face when I covered my eyes with the bill of my baseball cap. I'm just thrilled to meet my host family looking like a lobstered idiot. I was looking forward to greeting them with A Taste of Indiana chocolate covered pretzels as well, which I mindlessly had in my carry on while on the beach and are now beyond melted and unrecognizable:

All mishaps aside, both of my flights went very smoothly, and I am so happy to be here. After staying the night in Hotel Platino in Santiago, we will have a CIEE orientation tomorrow morning and get a chance to meet our host families!