We had an amazing weekend. We traveled to the south. We went to the frontera/ border of DR/ Haiti and saw some pretty horrible scenes. We went there to visit a huge market they have in this zone that's called no mans land between the two countries. It was supposed to be a huge cultural learning experience and they preped us on the bus for the worst- crowded streets with tons of people waiting to pick pocket you and people shoving things in your face left and right trying to get you to but their products. Instead, when we got there, there was nothing. Absolutely nothing. The whole market and practically the whole town was underwater. People were wading through the water and still trying to sell us a thing or two, but for the most part everyone was sitting around wondering what to do. Pick up trucks were taking people across the lake of a market and others just sat on their platforms with their goods, feet dangling in the water. It was pretty sad to see especially because it had been like that for over a month, since the last big hurricane.
Then on Friday we went to Lake Enriquillo (a national park reserve) and saw dozens of huge iguanas walking right in front of us. We walked through the park, but the entire lake was flooded and there was not much to see once again. Seeing the iguanas, though, was like looking back a thousand years. They were rhinoceros iguanas, native to the DR only and very endangered. It was really really cool to see!
Then we stayed at a hotel in barajona which had a pool and a beach and a buffet that was wonderfully delicious. On Saturday we went to Bahía de las Aguillas, which took many hours to get to off the main road. Bumpy dirt roads through the lush desert terrain and many stops to ask for directions, we finally made it to a little fishing town where a man took us by boat down the coast to what they say is one of the top 3 beaches in the world. And let me tell you- it has to be exactly that. It was 16 miles of virgen beach and it was our little group there- alone- all afternoon. It was awe-inspiring. We sat under the shade of a large tree on the pure sandy white beach and had a family picnic. Playing an ultimate frisbee game followed by just laying on my back along the shore, waves carresing by back was one of the most relaxing experiences of my life.
Then we went to a couple of water holes on the way back- natural spring fed holes (you had to jump into them from 30 feet up). That was sweet when all the dominicans cheered as the gringos jumped in! Que divertida! We went back to the hotel and that night went to a local carnival where the ferris wheel was on crack and went faster than a roller coaster, had no seat belt (only a bar) and where little kids were pushing me to buy a hamock. After riding the zipper- yay!- and eating cotton candy, and buying two hammocks later (which were each only like 2-3 dollars) we went home tired and content.
On sunday we had a relaxing morning poolside and then had an amazing presentation and talk from a Peace Core Volunteer that works in the town we were staying in. He was really incredible and his story was even better. He also works with artisens but of a different kind. He works with this stone called Larimar and it is a blue semi-precious stone that is only found in the dominican republic, only in this one city that we were in called baraona. It is beautiful the work they do and he helped set up an artisen school and tryed formalizing the association of artisens but talked about all his struggles and triumphs in his two years being here. It was an eye-opening experience.
Then we packed up and headed home for another long, bumpy ride only to do intense amounts of reading of poverty in spanish which was tiring and we got home late and I wrote my paper on the reading and went to bed. It was a really amazing weekend and i know i say this all the time but has to have been one of the best weekends of my life!
