We ended CBT with a bang...what a great weekend to have a birthday! We had multiple "despedidas", or going away parties, with music and food and dancing and even made it to the beach again. Our weekend of eco-tourism activities in Parque Nacional de los Haitises was incredible as well. We stayed in a little hotel in a fishing town, took a boat tour through the mangroves, stopping to explore several caves, ate seafood every day, and swam in the natural pools at Cano Hondo, an eco-tourism resort. Basically, it was a nice vacation before coming back to Santo Domingo. Excited to be reunited with our entire training class, we gathered in a group last night to cook Indian food (the hottest entire plate of food I have ever eaten, but so delicious!) and I contributed a banana pudding as a palate cleanser at the end. It came out surprisingly well, thanks to our splurge in going to the Dominican supermarket, La Sirena.
Today was a BIG day because we found out our PERMANENET SITES and got our cell phones, which are nicer than anything I've ever had in the states. It even has a camera, ha! We can receive calls for free, but only have 100 minutes and 20 text messages to use per month, for emergencies like hurricanes and medical issues.
My site is a little mountain town of about 300 people in the far north, about an hour away from the beach. I have to do a diagnostic when I get there to find out the most important community needs, but I'll most likely be building ceramic cook stoves, water filters, community gardens, and possibly latrines. I also want to start a Brigada Verde (environmental) youth group and write a grant to get solar panels, if the community needs them. There are many other volunteers that will be near my community who will be great resources and project partners. We leave tomorrow afternoon to visit our sites and will come back this weekend to have our final swearing in ceremonies.
My training has really flown by and now I'm so excited to start my real job! Hopefully I'll have internet occasionally to keep you guys updated on my adventure.
2 comments:
Mica Mica, good luck at your real site!! I hope you stay healthy, at least for a good while! I suspect you have some weight and strength to gain back after that illness. If you don't have them,you might get your hands on some vitamins and give your body one up on the next DR bug. I'm thinking about you and imagining all your wonderful adventures. :)
Mica - do you remember that your parents wouldn't let you go to Mexico with us back in the day...and now you live in the DR. Ironic huh? I just returned from Sudan and Uganda this past weekend. Sounds like we've encountered similar circumstances. however, you are living there...I just visited.
Post a Comment