After language class this morning (Friday), we piled a number of students in our car and the rest got into a mini-bus. We all went to the Colonial Zone (Zona Colonial) for lunch and then a walking tour. Lunch consisted of plato del dia (lunch special) which was arroz, habichuelas, polo gisado, tostones, y enselada verde (rice, beans, chicken in a sauce, fried green platanos, and a green salad).

The tour of the Zona Colonial started at the Cathedral in the square and ended back in the same square after having visited numerous sites in the area.

New this time is that we have a student living directly on the Conde. Joel lives with a new family in a 3rd floor apartment about 1/2 of a block from where we ate lunch. The Conde is the famous street for pedestrians that has many tourist shops along it.

Photos: #3 - 6 in the restaurant of the Hotel Conde; #7 & 8 inside the cathedral (Cathedral Basilica Menor de Santa Maria - oldest church in the Americas); #9 - 12 at the Ozama Fort (Fortaleza Ozama); #13 the women (minus Megan and Ruth) on Calle Las Damas (Street of the women); #15 - 18 Alcazar de Colon (Diego Columbus' house, son of Christopher Columbus); #19 Ruins of the monastery (Monasterio de San Francisco, the oldest monastery in the New World); #20 a shoe shine in the park (Parque Colon).

The newspapers predicted scattered storms for today, but the sky around our house was pure blue--a gorgeous day for spelunking followed by a trip to the beach. The students on the west side of the river met at our house at 8 am. We picked up the remaining 8 students that live on the east side of the bridge at a gas station along our way to the cave at Tres Ojos (3 eyes - in this case, it is 3 lakes inside some caves--see photos). There was one minor glitch with a student going to the wrong Shell station. But, he quickly noticed the "error of his way", called us and walked to the correct Shell station.

At one of the lakes, many of the students joined hands in a circle and sang "606" - Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow. It was a beautiful moment to stand there and hear 4 part harmony coming from a dark hole in the ground. We spent an hour or so walking through the cave at Tres Ojos and then headed to the beach at Playa (beach) Guayacanas. This was the first trip to the beach for most of the students. And, most of them have no idea that storms were predicted for the day. It was a beautiful, sunny day, with a nice breeze blowing off of the sea.

There were a variety of activities happening at the beach. These included the usual beach activity of sleeping in the sun long enough to toast on one side and then flipping over to get the other side evenly reddened (despite sunscreen). Laurina has had a lot of experience snorkeling. She took a number of students out with her and was able to identify a nice variety of fish and coral.

Note: The quality of the first 5 photos is not great because they were shot in the darkness of the cave. Photos: #1 - 5 Inside the cave; #6 Singing 606 in the cave; #7 Outside of Tres Ojos (the cave); #8 & 9 Lindsy and Luke playing frisbee; #10 applying sunscreen; #11 - 15 activities at the beach; #16 Beach volley ball; #22 playing games.

Today's Casa Goshen group was Lindsy, Joel, Laurina, Erin, and Bethany. After finalizing menu details and deciding quantities to purchase, they headed off with Eric in the SUV to the fruit and vegetable (and more) market.

They prepared a delicious meal of haystacks (rice, black beans, hamburger, taco chips, tomatoes, peppers, onions, cheese, guacamole, and salsa), carrot sticks, and fresh fruit salad (pineapple, papaya, bananas, oranges, mangos). The food was ready before the students arrived from their explorations.

Our time of worship consisted of reading of scripture, singing, sharing something that we are greatful for, prayer, and more singing. After worship time, the students hung around our house talking and playing dominoes. They seemed quite hesitant to leave, but gradually, by 4:30, they slowly started to leave.

Photos: #1 - 3 at the market; #4 - 9 preparing the food; #10 - 14 eating lunch; #15 & 16 worship; #17 playing dominoes; #18 Eric & Ruth celebrated their 27th wedding anniversary today and treated everyone to a rich chocolate cake from Le Croissant Dore (our favorite Dominican/French bakery).

A big part of the economy in Dominican Republic centers around the production of sugar. Today's field trip started with a tour through an ingenio (a sugar mill) and ended at a batey (a very poor community where the people that harvest the sugar cane live).

The people at the Ingenio Cristobal Colon graciously allowed us to tour their facilities. They took us through the plant from the time that the sugar cane arrives directly from the field in train cars or in big trucks all the way to the end product - a huge mound of sugar almost 100 feet high. It is a very hot, loud, and smelly process. After the tour, the ingenio treated the entire group to delicious grilled ham and cheese sandwiches and coke. A dish of ice cream from the Helados Bon shop in San Pedro de Macoris was our dessert before we headed to the batey just outside of San Pedro.

As soon as Stefany (our guagua) arrived in the batey, she was surrounded by many children who eagerly awaited a GC student to latch on to. The adults took us first to see a pen of goats. At that point the children took over and guided us to the basket ball court. We were surprised that we would be playing basketball because baseball is the game the Dominicans play with a passion. But, the purpose at the basketball court was not to play basketball. It was to play an interesting game of jumping off the end of the basketball court which the little children of the batey enjoyed showing the GC students how to play (see photos).

After the GC students tired of that game, the older children lead them to the baseball field where the young men from the batey challenged our students to a game. Since there are only 6 men (plus Eric) in the group, some of our women joined in baseball while the other women enjoyed playing with the young children. The young children loved to feel the hair of our students so they spent an hour playing with their hair.

Photos: #1 - 13 at the Ingenio; #10 taste-testing the pile of sugar; #14 - 16 Helados Bon; #17 our hosts for the Batey trip, Domingo and Mirka; #18 - 20 in the church at the Batey; #21 SST'ers singing for the church; #26 - 30 SST'ers "learning" a new game; #37 hair styles compliment of the Batey young girls.

Today (Sunday, May 14) while many of you are celebrating Mother's Day, we were having our traditional family picnic. Mother's Day is celebrated in Dominican Republic in a pretty big way. But, it is celebrated the last Sunday in May.

Eric and Ruth provide sodas, ice, water, and baked chicken. However, since today was so hot, we ran out of ice. The families all bring a dish to share. It ends up being a nice variety of food that is unfamiliar to some of us.

The students wanted to remember their moms back home in a special way. So, the first photos send the message to mom.

One of the traditions is that photos are taken of each student and their family. These photos will be posted 3 at a time. But, first, there are photos of the picnic to see. Photo #1 & 2 Mother's day greeting from DR SST summer 2006; #5 Eric's words of welcome; #6 Group singing.

Maria - Miguel Yeara and Marilyn Orosco

Hannah - Xiomara Perez and Victor

Daniel - Tita Caba-Rodriguez

Nathan - Alejandro Colon and Rosy Felix

Heather - America Lorenzo Liranzo

Natalie - Fernando Ortiz and Walesca Cano

Jonathan - Monche Marfe and Margarita Villiman

Joel - Vilma Rodriguez

Sarah - Oleidy Calcagno

Kelly - Angela Gonzalez

Erin - Porfiro Sanchez and Katia Urena

Stephanie - Ramon Cruz and Johanna Almonte

Luke - Ludovina Fermin de Mercedes

Bethany - Ruben Ramirez and Betty Munoz

Laurina - Martirez and Kristi Olivera

Courtney - Victor Alcantara and Nancy Mesa

Matt - Nino Carvajal and Leny Felix

Krista - Gisela Paulino

Jessica - Enrique Matos and Maria Rosendo

Lindsy - Pina Encarnacion

Claire - Ramon and Nuris Jerez

Joyclyn - Williams Velez and Lourdes Villiman

Megan - Ruben and Dydi Mateo

Yesterday (Tuesday, May 16) was election day in Dominican Republic. On election day, things pretty much close so that people can vote. So, it was a free day for the students to be with their families. It was a very peaceful day and night. We haven't heard the results yet, but so far both of the major parties are claiming victory.

Because of election day, there was a bit of uncertainty how exploration groups would get along today, but all of the exploration sites were open: Faro de Colon (The Columbus Lighthouse); Plaza de la Cultura (a complex with several museums that our students visit); Jardin Botanica (a huge botanical garden in the city); and the Mercado Modelo and Little Haiti (tourist market and Haitian Market).

The Casa Goshen group consisted of Claire, Maria, Natalie, and Jonathan. After creating the grocery list, Eric drove the students to the outdoor market where they got fruits, vegetables, and meat. Then they went to a more traditional supermarket to get the rest of their groceries.

The menu today consisted of: hamburgers (with buns); all of the traditional condiments (minus lettuce)--ketchup, mustard, pickles, mayonaise, cheese, and onions; doritoes; macaroni salad; pineapple; cantelope; and soda (pop).

After lunch, the four students lead the group in a time of worship. When the group activities were completed, some students went to Helados Bon for ice cream, some went to our favorite french bakery, some headed off to do shopping, while others simply hung out to talk or play dominoes.

Photos: #11 the Mercado Modelo group showing off some of their purchases; #12 many of the groups got caught in a downpour just as they were arriving for lunch; #17 singing during worship.

For class on Thursday (May 18), we met at the Peace Corp office. Jehan Jones, from the US embassy met with us first to talk about what the US embassy does in Dominican Republic. It was interesting, also, to hear how Ms Jones got into the foreign service.

Three Peace Corps Volunteer Leaders, Katie, Jason, and Mariah, met with us to talk about the Peace Corps in Dominican Republic. They were all very passionate about their Peace Corps experience. They gave us a brief history of the Peace Corps. We hope the several of the students will work with Peace Corps volunteers in various parts of the country.

Photos: #3 Jehan from the US Embassy; #5 Katie, Jason, and Mariah from the Peace Corps.

The students met at Casa Goshen at 7 am on Friday (5/19) which means that some of them needed to leave home by 6 am to take public transportation. The students were all dressed nicely because our first stop was the Mirabel Museum in Salcedo. There were 4 Mirabel sisters who were instrumental in the revolution to oust Trujillo from power. Three of them were murdered by Trujillo's men and one survives - Dona Dede Mirabel. She is a national hero and we felt honored that she agreed to take time to meet with us. After touring the museum and the grounds, Dona Dede met with us for a bit to answer the student's questions.

After leaving the Mirabel museum, we drove to Jarabacoa, a small city in the mountains in the center of the island. The students found lunch in a variety of places and then we boarded Stefany (our guagua) to head to Los Calabazos, where we would spend the rest of the day and the night.

In the small campo community of Los Calabazos, they have developed an eco-tourism business that they call Sonida del Yaque (sound of the Yaque). The Yaque is a river that flows by the community. This group of students is the first to stay in the cabins that they have built for tourists. In the past, SST'ers have spent the night at a hotel in one of the cities close by.

As we planned the afternoon activities, we (Eric and Ruth) thought that hiking in the beautiful mountains surrounding the community would be the afternoon activity. But, the students found the river calling them after several hours of riding in a bus. And, it proved to be an enjoyable place to spend 2 hours on a hot afternoon. There was still daylight left after they got out of the river, so some of them enjoyed climbing some of the mountains.

The activity did not stop after eating supper. There was a very small colmado (convenience store/hang-out) in the community. The students went there to buy sodas and very quickly, the young men of the village came and invited the young women of the group to dance merengue with them. The men were very reluctant to take "I don't know how to dance" (in Spanish of course) for a "no" answer. So, even those that aren't comfortable dancing got in on the fun.

Photos: #1 - 5 Mirabel Museum; #6 - 8 meeting with Dona Dede; #11 Nathan getting his shoes shined; #12 at the "top" of Los Calabazos; #15 - 17 since it is over 200 steps down to the river valley community of Los Calabazos, a burro was hired to take Megan down (and bring her back up); #18 - 24 playing in the river.

After an afternoon of swimming and hiking and an evening of dancing, the sound of the Yaque River (sonida del Yaque) lulled everyone to sleep. We had breakfast in the restaurant and then headed up the mountain to the road to find Stefany (our guagua) cool and inviting. The organic farm of Don Jose and Dona Nati was our next destination.

Doctora Xiomara lead us on a tour of the farm (finca) because Don Jose (the owner of the farm) was conducting business in Jarabacoa. When we set off on the hike, we did not quite realize where all we would be going. On our hike, we saw an amazing variety of trees and plants including, macademia nut trees and cashew nut trees. We also saw many fruit trees: oranges, mangoes, grapefruit, mandarines, and more. Our mouths watered as we saw red raspberries and strawberries growing abundantly. Since it is an organic farm and they are very careful about how they grow things, we were able to sample a few raspberries and strawberries (even though we didn't boil, peel or cook them before we ate them).

Part of our trekking took us through a grove of bamboo. In places it was quite dense. About 45 minutes later, we returned to our starting point.

We had a delicious lunch at the farm. The students had an opportunity to purchase ceramics made by a local artisan and coffee from Don Jose's farm. Don Jose's organically grown coffee has won all sorts of awards and recognition for its flavor. Our students purchased all of the coffee that he had available--there wasn't even any coffee left for Ruth and Eric to purchase. Oh well, they will return and have another opporunity to purchase coffee.

The next stop was at Salto Baiguate (a falls). The students didn't have much time to spend at the falls, but it was another opporunity for them to use their bathing suits that they had brought with them.

Photos: #1 & 2 the cabanas; #6 tasting the fruit granada (pomegranite); #13 eating apple bananas; #15 Kelly trying to milk a goat; #19 Taino pottery (the taino were the indigenous people killed off by the Spaniards); #21 - 27 Salto Baiguate (the falls).

Yesterday (Monday, 5/22) was our day for hearing about folklore and dance in the Dominican Republic. Xiomara Perez, who is also Hannah's mom, has taught our students about dance and folklore for quite a few years. She has her own dance studio and writes her own weekly column for one of the big newspapers, Hoy.

The students enjoyed learning how to dance merengue and bachata. She has graciously offered to reduce her fees to give some private lessons. There will be 9 or 10 students going to her studio next Monday night for 3 hours of private dance lessons.

The photos pretty much explain themselves.

This week's cooking group consisted of Daniel, Krista, Courtney, and Megan. They decided on a menu of spaghetti with marinara sauce, vegetable tray (carrots, cucumbers, and peppers), bread, and fresh fruit salad (pineapple, bananas, and mangoes).

The group worked well together and food was ready when the rest of the students were ready to eat. After worship time, the cooking group surprised everyone with a dessert of a rich chocolate cake from our favorite French bakery.

During the singing part of the worship time, we heard a loud bang from the street. When we went to investigate, we discovered that the spare tire that rides on the back of the SUV had exploded. They say that the sun in DR is "mas fuerte" (very strong) and we all believe it. (See the last 3 photos.)

Thursday, May 25 was the beginning of our four day trip to the southwest area of the country. Our first stop was at Las Caritas, where we climbed up the rocks to a small cave where there are some aboriganal drawings. This also gave us a nice view of Lago Enriquillo and the arid landscape.

Our second stop was at Lago Enriquillo, which is home to flamingos and the american allegator, neither of which were sighted by the group. We did see plenty of the large iguanas which inhabit the area.

Unfortunately, the drive up to this point had involved several unexpected,long slow detours. So it was 2:30 when we sat down at La Descubierta for a lunch of rice, beans, chivo (goat), cerdo frito (fried pork) and pollo (chicken). The food was quickly devoured.

After lunch, we drove to the town of Jimani, which is on the Haitian border. We walked across the border to the small market. The market is used by both Dominicans and Haitians, but primarily serves the Haitian population. One could find all kinds of clothing, shoes, and household and personal care items. Jimani is also the area that was hit hard by flooding several years ago. Some of the damage could still be seen.

After our visit to the market, we drove to Barahona where we spent the night.

On Friday, May 26, we left Barahona in the morning to drive to Pedernales, which is on the south coast and the Haiti border. But first, we stopped at Playa (beach) Bahoruco to search for larimar. Larimar is a semi-precious stone that is only found in the DR and is made into lovely jewelry. The stones wash down the river from the mines north of Bahoruco and end up on the beach. The students enjoyed searching the beach for the larimar and the local children also helped. If none was found, the children were very willing to sell the students larimar that the children had found for a few pesos.

From Bahoruco, we drove to Pedernales. There were many sleepy students on the bus for the three hour trip. We checked into the hotel and ate ham and cheese sandwiches before heading out to a sandy beach called Cabo Rojo. There the students enjoyed swimming, snorkeling and catching the sun. They also enjoyed the fresh mangos which are in season now. We stayed until the sun went down over the water.

Supper that night was at the comedor (small eating place) of Minga's, where several past SST groups have eaten. Minga did her usual fine job of cooking the rice, beans and chicken that are the staple of the Dominican diet.

Saturday, May 27, found us heading to the DR/Haitian border. After recieving permision from the border officials for an "unofficial entry" into Haiti, we split into two groups for a walk around Anse-a-Pitres, on the Haitian side of the border. The differences between the two sides are dramatic. The lack of paved roads, difference in housing, and lack of items in the market are some of the obvious differences. Even though we see poverty in the DR, it was sobering to realize that there are countries that are even less well off.

After returning to the hotel to change and gather supplies, we bussed to La Cueva where we loaded unto two boats to go to Bahia de Las Aguilas. Bahia de Las Aguilas is in a national park that hosts one of the most pristine and beautiful beaches in the DR. It is also home to a delicate and unique ecosystem. This may be one of the last SST groups to see this area as it is now, as the president of the DR recently signed an agreement with a French firm to build up to seven resorts on the beach. This is being debated both within goverment agencies and with other interested groups. The changes that this could bring to the Pedernales area are already reflected by the greatly increased hotel prices from our visit just four months ago with the spring SST group.

Day #4 found us boarding Stefany once again to head back to Santo Domingo. We stopped briefly at an overlook outside the town of Paraiso (Paradise). With the view of sandy beaches, the ocean, and the mountains, it was easy to see how the town recieved its name.

The next stop was at San Rafael where we hiked up a small stream. The water was cold and refreshing in the heat of the day and the hike was challenging. Everyone helped each other over the difficult parts. After the hike we enjoyed lunch on the beach. Along with the usual rice and chicken, we had guandules con coco (chickpeas with coconut milk) and fish (the entire fish). Even though it was a little strange to have the fish staring at you, it tasted excellent.

After lunch, the coconuts in the trees started calling some of the guys. Both Nathan and Matt attempted to reach them, but Daniel was the one who succeeded. After he got one down, our chofer (driver), Jose Miguel, used his machette and cut it open so the students could sample the milk.

It was a quieter bus in the afternoon on our way back to the city. A number of students caught up on their sleep as they recovered from the long and successful trip.

Dra Catherine Scheraldi has been the physician for SST'ers in Dominican Republic for a number of years. On Monday, May 29, she spoke to the class about Health Care in the Dominican Republic. It was interesting to hear about the health care system from a physician's perspective.

As we continue to tell the students, flexibility is a key ingredient of SST. Tuesday, May 30, was our much anticipated trip to the National Palace. However, when Williams called to confirm the appointment that we had for several weeks, he found out that tours of the palace have been suspended indefinitely. So, we developed another plan. . . supper and games at the home of our assistant, Williams and Lourdes Velez.

We spent the afternoon and evening in a variety of activities. It gave the students a time to just relax and enjoy each others company after 2 intense weeks of travel.

Lourdes and her daughters, Paloma and Pamela, provided a nice variety of options for supper: hamburgers, tacos, spaghetti, 2 different lettuce salads, and moro (a dish consisting of rice and beans mixed together). And, for dessert: Bon ice cream and cake and cinnamon buns.

This week's cooks faced some challenges that they quickly overcame--traffic jams, down pours, and trying to decide on a menu. Each group likes to try to think of food that they miss from home, food that hasn't been made before, and that is within their budget. And this week's group of Jess, Luke, Matt, Heather, and Kelly decided to have French Toast as the main part of the meal. They also had sausage, fried potatotes, fruit salad (pineapple, bananas, and oranges), and 2 types of fresh fruit juice (orange juice and papaya juice that they made). The fried potatotes were to have been part of a potato and scrambled egg dish, but they ran out of eggs. It was all very yummy and the best part was that they didn't run out of food!

They did run out of money, so there was no money for a dessert. However, Laurina conveniently has her 21st birthday on Sunday, so Eric and Ruth bought a special cake to celebrate her upcoming birthday.

The cutting of hair usually happens on the Wednesday before the students leave for service. The hair-cutting started today! After seeing life outside of Santo Domingo on the last 2 field trips that we have taken, this group is eager to get started with their service locations. They will all miss their families and wish that they could somehow take them with them to their service location.

The students have their village studies on Friday and Saturday this week. If any of them bring photos back with them, we will have a posting telling about village studies. Our next field trip is on Tuesday, June 6, so there will not be a lot of news getting posted for the next week.

On Friday and Saturday (June 2 and 3), the students left Santo Domingo in groups of 3 and 4 for the exciting experience of Village Study. The assignment is to find out where the pueblo is and how to get there.

Once they arrive, the students need to find lodging and food. They are also given a list of things to find out about the pueblo that they are visiting. As you can see in the photos, they participated in a variety of activities.

Many of these pueblos are small enough that they do not have a hotel, so the students often contact the local priest or a pastor for assistance with this task.

The students all had very good experiences in this little adventure and continued to experience the hospitality that the Dominicans are so known for. The students came back with lots of funny stories that they continue to share with the rest of the group. Each group gave a short presentation about their adventures to the entire class. They also wrote a short paper on the experience. Village Study is a good preparation for service. They leave for service on Friday, June 9.

Photos: #9 Daniel, Kelly, Laurina, and Heather went to Las Yayas de Viajama; #10 Jonathan, Bethany, Krista, and Claire went to Jima Abajo; #11 Luke, Lindsy, Steph, and Courtney went to Guaymate; #12 Joel, Jess, Maria, and Sarah went to Cevicos; #13 Matt, Megan, Erin, and Joyclyn went to San Jose de Ocoa; and #14 Nathan, Natalie, and Hannah went to Sabana de la Mar.

Today, Tuesday, June 6, we went on our last field trip to San Cristobal area. San Cristobal was Trujillo's, the Dominican dictator, home town. So, today's field trip was a bit of a Trujillo day.

After a late start, our first stop was at a baseball camp for the Washington National and Detroit Tigers. The name of the camp is Loma Sueno (Mountain of Dreams). Baseball is a huge sport in Dominican Republic. These training camps offer a Dominican youth an opportunity to go on to play on a minor league or major league team in the U.S. Once the youth signs a contract, they have 3 years in the camp to make it to the minors (or majors), or they are out of the system.

After the training camp, we went to the city of San Cristobal where we visited a church that Trujillo built in honor of himself. After the tour of the church, the students were given money to find lunch on their own.

The last stop of the day was at La Toma Balenearios. These are a series of human-made pools that were theoretically built by Trujillo.

We had hoped to visit The Mahagony house, one of Trujillo's homes. It is in ruins, but on a previous trip, Ruth and Eric received permission for a tour of the house. Due to our late start, however, we were unable to make this stop.

Photos: #1 - 7 At the baseball camp, Loma Sueno; #9 & 10 at Trujillo's church; #11 in the cript at Trujillo's church--yes, that's a coffin that Megan is staring at. It's the coffin that Trujillo's body was in for 6 months after he was killed. Then, his body was moved and the coffin was left in the spot where it had been resting.

So, what do you think of when you hear the word "chili"? It probably is not the Dominican Republic in June, or even soup in Dominican Republic in June. This week's Casa Goshen group consisted of Nathan, Steph, Sarah, and Joyclyn. They decided that chili would be the main course for the meal. The meal consisted of a wonderful chili, vegetable tray (carrots, cucumbers, and peppers), garlic bread, fruit salad (pineapple and bananas), and Helados (ice cream) Bon (chocolate and vanilla).

The group lead us in a time of worship. We shared about the surprising things that we have learned during the first 6 weeks in the city.

After worship, we had a cake to celebrate Jess's birthday tomorrow (Thursday, June 8), and for those having birthdays while on service: Jonathan (June 17); Courtney (July 1); and Steph (July 8).