Service reports #2

Paraiso

Paraiso is located in the extreme southwest part of the country, 45 minutes from Barahona. The drive there had some breathtaking views.

The placement in Paraiso is with Habitat for Humanity, but when we visited them, Andrew and Chris (at right, with their mother Rosario) were still waiting for work to start up. So they have picked up some odd jobs and tried to plug in as best they can.

Part of the service visit was spent hiking up a waterfall at nearby San Rafael along with Scott and Garrett who came down from Polo. The "source" of the river as far as we could tell, was simply cold water gushing out of what looked like solid rock on the side of a mountain. On the way back to Paraiso, we hiked down the cliffs to the ocean. Ruth and Natalie stayed at the top of the cliff and took the picture as we were half down waving at them. After the hike, we returned back to the cold water at the San Rafael river to bathe and cool off!

Polo

Scott (at left with father Toño) and Garrett's placement is also with Habitat for Humanity, but in Polo. Polo is a small town up in the mountains just 10 miles from Paraiso (as the eagles fly) -- by car it takes 45 minutes to get there the long way, back through Barahona and then up the mountain. The weather is cool during the day and even gets a bit cold at night.

At the time of our visit, their work had also not started up yet. But they were keeping plenty busy. They painted the local Habitat office. They plugged in with the local Peace Corp worker giving AIDS talks. And even went up the loma (mountain) with Garrett's dad Pichu to his coffee plantations -- six miles up the mountain on the backs of mules. They spent all day up there in the rain and then walked back down because the ground was too muddy to trust the mules! The view from the loma was incredible.

• Garrett with Samalia, his sister, in front of their house.
• Scott on his extremely red bed.
• Four boys from Polo.