Puerto Plata

Leah and Stephanie make their home in Puerto Plata. Puerto Plata is a city of 200,000 located on the North coast of the island. Columbus sailed by the port in 1492 and gave it it's name (Silver Coast). The city was founded in 1502 and the San Felipe Fort was build in 1540. But the Spanish did not have enough ships to patrol it's waters (against pirates and illegal traders) once Santo Domingo became a bigger force on the Southern coast, so Puerto Plata's residents were forcibly moved to Monte Plata near Santo Domingo in the 1600's and Puerto Plata was not re-populated again until 1737. Now days, Puerto Plata is better known for the tourist resort of Playa Dorada which is a choice destination for mainly European tourists. More snapshots: Colonial Ruins | San Felipe Fort

Leah and Steph work at the Nido de Amor (Nest of Love) day care, a ministry of Father Sandino, an Episcopalian priest. The day care has 30 children ages one to four. In the morning, the children are fed breakfast and Leah and Steph spend much of their time playing games with the children, helping make bottles and feeding the children.

The later can be quite a challenge given unmarked bottles and trying to remember which children have special nutritional needs, etc. After the noon nap, they help bathe each child, change their clothes and fix up their hair and then keep them busy until the working parents come to pick them up late in the afternoon. More snapshots of Leah and/or Steph with children at the daycare: 1 | 2 | 3

Leah and Steph catch a ride to the day care, but then enjoy the hour long walk home along the ocean front "malecon" at the end of the day. Many of the costal cities (including Santo Domingo) have an ocean front avenue called the "malecon". None of them actually have beaches right in town, but rather steeps rocks which the waves crash against. Nonetheless, a very beautiful and refreshing sight and a nice fresh breeze always seems to be blowing. There is an "Helados Bon" (ice cream shop) in town, but Leah and Steph claim they are not frequenters although they had no trouble getting us there for a threat.