Trip to the southwest

Our week started off with lectures on Monday and Tuesday. On Monday we welcomed back Puro Blanco who spoke to us on sex tourism, and also on the current political scene. There's been a political void left by the recent death of former president and "strongman" Joaquin Balaguer. (See the Summer 2002 website for more about Balaguer.) On Tuesday Asier Cabrera gave us on overview of more than five centuries of Dominican history.

On Thursday we set out for a four-day field trip to the southwestern portion of the island and the border with Haiti.

Lago Enriquillo

Our first day took us around Lake Enriquillo, a salt-water lake slightly larger than the island of Manhattan which lies below sea level. We stopped at a small outcropping of rocks called "Las Caritas". There are carvings in the rocks here that are believed to be ancient works of indigenous people who inhabited this area. Closer to the actual lake itself, we were greeted by rhino iguanas that happily ate the crackers we threw to them. Flamingos and American crocodiles also inhabit the lake, although we were not fortunate enough to see them. Iguana | Dock at Enriquillo.

Continuing around the lake, we stopped at the whimsical Polo Magnetico, ('magnetic pole"). Here we tried to discern the mystery that seemed to make things roll uphill. Our resident math major had an especially difficult time wrapping his mind around the phenomenon.

Pedernales

After a night in Barahona, we left for Pedernales. Pedernales is a fairly isolated town that borders Haiti. The area nearby ranges from desert-like conditions, to pine forests, to pristine beaches, to limestone mines.

Our first stop was at the Haitian-Dominican border market. There have been open hostilities across this border in the past, and this market is one of the few venues in either country where Haitians and Dominicans can easily cross borders to mingle, buy and sell.

We finished the day watching the sun set over the ocean at Cabo Rojo, an experience in which many in our group saw the beauty of God's creation.

Haiti

The next morning we crossed to the Haitian town of Anse-a-Pitres. The walk through the dry riverbed that defines the border between the Dominican Republic and Haiti was short, but we felt as if we had traveled much farther. The change in cultures and living conditions was palpable. Although we spent only a short time there, the stark contrasts in living standards raised questions that we continue to grapple with.Mary and Christina talk with local boys.

Bahia de Aguilas

We spent our last afternoon near Pedernales at a remote beach named "The bay of the eagles." Supposedly Columbus gave it this name when he saw pelicans diving here - as we did - and mistook them for eagles. There is controversy over whether to develop this beach and make it into a tourist destination.

A university professor, who accompanied us on this trip and knows the area well, told us that such development would devastate the fragile environment. He said the area would support "eco-tourism" and small groups, but not the 5-6,000 hotel rooms that some companies would like to place here. Ironically, the public debate over this development has increased interest in it, and draws increasing (although still relatively small) numbers of visitors.

The boat ride to the bay and back was fascinating in itself - high cliffs with cacti; pelicans diving for food; and small fishing boats setting out to try and make a catch.

Paraiso

Sunday we started back to Santo Domingo, with a stop close to Paraiso ("Paradise"). The views from near Paraiso had us agreeing that the town was aptly named. We worked up an appetite by hiking up the nearby San Rafael river (snapshot at right).

The group returned to Santo Domingo with a new appreciation of the natural beauty and immense diversity of this small country. We also returned with deeper appreciation of the economic, political, and social issues that we encountered firsthand.