Saturday Update

I realize alot has happened since my update from Puerto Rico and I will try to summarize. I did arrive safely Wednesday in Puerto Plata and was met by Rueben at the airport. Rueben is a Dominican who Makarios works with (he drives, farms, translates, gets things done, and is otherwise comical relief. He was a Franciscan Monk among other things in his life and his English accent makes him sound like Mr. Bean) That was the good, the bad was that my luggade did not arrive on Wednesday. Me thinks it spent some extra time in Puerto Rico enjoying the sights. So not only did I spend two days in the same clothes, but had a third in someone elses. I met the group from Illinois who was down this week and the other staff on wednesday.

Thursday we went into two of the villages I will be working this summer, Pancho Mateo and Chi Chi Gua. I hope to post some photos soon. The group did puppets and songs for the kids in Pancho Mateo and we played games with the kids (a fierce game of futbol) and handed out school supplies in Chi Chi Gua.

On Friday we headed out to Cabarete, one of the biggest tourist beaches in the area. The beach house where I stayed when I came several years back was outside Cabarete and we visited this beach. This area is frequented by lots of Europeans, so there is the German bakery that we love, nothing like German pastries with cafe con leche! Amazing! Then you stroll down the beach to Jose O'Shays (you want to take a guess, you betcha, an Irish Pub right here in the DR!) I watched the end of the Germany world cup match in another bar with lots of happy Germans. There are lots of shops around the beach (pricier than other places) and lots of people who will come right up to you on the beach and sell you their wares "for you, my friend, I give best price" and "this is cheapy-cheapy" are two of my favorite expressions heard.

Today, the group from Illinois headed out to the airport as did two of the summer staff, Constance and Kristen. Brian and Bethany, who have been here for two years running the show, are currently packing and leaving tomorrow, which leaves four of us transition staff before the new permanent staff arrive later this month. We've done a lot of planning for next week and are pretty prepared. As prepared as you can be here.

Other things I have enjoyed as of late - drinking out of a coconut, being real friendly with sugar ants, crusing to the beach with Ruben listening to Mozart and Merengue, and a healthy diet of rice, beans, and chicken.