Healthy Travels

Friday September 24, 2010

Day 20

Today was my first holiday in the Dominican Republic, Our Lady of Mercedes Day. This day honors the patron saint of the island of Hispaniola and schools and many businesses are closed for the holiday. We celebrated by going to a special mass in the morning. It was similar to other church masses but the priest did a nice job of explaining the importance and history of the day. After church we had a nice lunch and then went to the Dominican Fiesta Hotel. Teresa, Cynthia and I played basketball and it was really fun. Did I mention that Cynthia and I lost to Teresa? I can not believe it. Albeit I was not defending Teresa with my best abilities (I can’t hurt a mother!) and I also don’t like to be a ball hog but excuses aside, we lost. After our intense game I went inside (out of the rain) and ran on the treadmill in the gym while Teresa and Cynthia hung out by the pool/Jacuzzi. This holiday celebration was much different than holidays in my family where stress and holidays go hand in hand.

Saturday September 25, 2010

Day 21

It was raining again today and that is always a little upsetting when you are living in a beautiful island country. You almost expect to see sun every day but I am learning that those sunny and clear days aren’t so common actually. I made a list of all the important points of interest I need to see while I am here and decided I would start today. The kids went to a movie with their dad and Teresa and I set out on a QUICK journey to see the Faro a Colón (Columbus Lighthouse) before it was going to close for the day. Of course it started pouring as we were driving there but that added to the fun of the adventure. We were able to see a little bit of it and take some pictures before we were politely kicked out. We will go back another day when there is more time and better weather.

After our quick visit to the lighthouse we went to the Zona Colonial for a little preview visit. This are of Santo Domingo is a step back into time and a lovely cluster of history, culture and architecture. Since it was raining there were barely any people around which is rare for that area. We were able to park right in front of the Panteón Nacional (National Mosoleum) and go in for a quick look. We listened to a guy who was giving a tour to a small group of people and it was quite interesting. The former dictator, Trujillo, ordered the restoration of the building to honor national heroes. I was so happy to see Salomé Ureña Henriquez had a place in this building of such high honor. Before I came to the Dominican Republic I read the book In the Name of Salomé by Julia Alvarez (thanks for the recommendation, Aunt Zoe) and I learned a lot about the famous poet, Salomé as well as the national history of the Dominican Republic. Needless to say I loved the book and I enjoy seeing or hearing about things I learned in the book. I know there are places where I can go see some of her work but I need to investigate a little more first.

After our Zona Colonial preview we stopped at a nice little restaurant on the water for a snack. Everyone has been offering me café con leche and I have politely declined every time because I usually prefer decaf coffee and I do not know how to ask for that nor do I think it is very popular here. I decided to give it a try tonight and it was delicious. It is so rich (in Spanish you use the word “rico” which means rich to describe tasty food so that is actually quite fitting) and creamy and tasted more like a dessert than a beverage. I also tried mofongo which is a traditional food in the Dominican Republic and is made from mashed platanos (plantains). I have mentioned in previous posts that I am not very good and distinguishing different types of meat and today was no exception. As I was eating I noticed that there was something chewy in it and Teresa told me it was pork so I was a bit surprised but figured I would pretend it was turkey bacon (I am not a fan of pork, not for religious reasons but more for the idea that I just do not like the idea of eating a pig because I find them rather dirty and well, piggy!) and enjoy it. I later googled it and realized it was pork rind which is something I never thought I would eat. I actually really enjoyed the mofongo and I loved the restaurant. Everything was served in pretty wood containers and there was a great view. We had to sit inside because it was raining but the terrace view was beautiful and I was able to take some nice pictures too. Note: I will never drink coffee after lunch here because I was not able to sleep. That stuff is strong!

Sunday September 26, 2010

Day 22

Today was another relaxing Sunday. I did some more travel research and had an uneventful morning/afternoon. Well it was uneventful until commotion broke out in the parking lot of our apartment complex. Before I continue, let me set the scene. It is a middle class, residential area and there are several apartment buildings (most around 4-6 stories tall) in various clusters throughout a few blocks. The buildings are nice and there are palm trees so it always looks so nice and tropical even when it is raining or violence is ensuing. So about the violence…Teresa and I rushed to the window because we heard some sort of commotion going on outside. I heard what sounded like a car hitting something but that was not it. In the parking lot (the center of 3 or 4 buildings) there were a bunch of people with baseball bats (not surprising since this is a baseball country) gathered around. It was quiet and I didn’t understand what was going on. Then I saw a guy walking across the parking lot with a machete and that was when I freaked out a little. Those knives are HUGE. So I was wondering why no one was doing anything and then I realized what was happening. All of the people in the parking lot (including the man with the machete) had heard the same commotion and came out to protect the neighbors. They were not involved with the initial incident and were merely there in case something happened. So yes, I felt quite safe that a man with a machete was now patrolling the neighborhood, fending off the bad guys. I still do not know what the initial incident was but within a few minutes everyone returned to their apartments and in normal Dominican Republic fashion, the police never even came.

At night we went to church at the church we went to my first night here. I like this one better because they do not do that whole mystical thing at the end of the mass. I found out at the end of the mass today about some of the very special people who come to this church. Teresa was talking with a young boy and exchanging phone numbers so I figured it was just a boy she knew, maybe from her son. I later learned that his boy was actually an earthquake survivor from Haiti and he and other survivors from a local program attend that church. The boy had lost one of his legs and badly fractured his other. Now he has a prosthetic leg and walks almost perfectly. The most remarkable part of this story was that the boy was in such a state of shock after the disaster that he didn’t talk for 21 days. Teresa met him when Project HOPE was donating medicine and supplies to the earthquake survivors who had been transported to the Dominican Republic. Without leaving you in too much suspense I can tell you that the first person he spoke to was Teresa. An even more amazing part to this story was that they thought he was an orphan but later found out that his mother was alive and well in Haiti. It was so nice to hear about a happy ending when we all know that so many other stories ended much more tragically.

Fun Facts:

1. Teresa makes delicious ceviche.

2. They do not sell hairspray at the huge supermarket. They had various well-known brands of hair products with the full line represented (gel, mousse, shampoo, conditioner, etc.) but not one bottle of hairspray.

3. I ran out of books to read and I can’t wait for my Kindle (thank you Aunt Julie and family) to arrive with my parents in two weeks. I actually have some books to read but they are more like reference books rather than novels and that is just not pre-bed reading material.

4. Almost every entertainment site that has (legal) television shows, movies, music, etc. is blocked here because of international copyright or streaming laws of some sort.

5. I am able to keep up with NFL games on ESPN with Gamecast which is a simulated report of the game. There is a graphic of a football field and all of the plays are noted with text and graphics. Not quite as good as the real thing but it does the trick.

6. We are trying to come up with a new name (like my Aunt Zoe/Susi) for me because Jaclyn is such an unnatural name to pronounce here in Spanish. For example: juice=jugo but you pronounce it like hoo-go.

Peace,

Jaclyn