I made it here!
I found Anthony and Fiona (the Esperanza Project founders)
and their one year old daughter Alidia at the Airport and they drove me from
Puerto Plata to Cabrera and told me a lot about the DR along the way, but there was just so
much to learn they couldn’t tell me everything. They dropped me off at my new
house where Mercedes, a really sweet old lady (but I understand absolutely
nothing she says) showed me around. I mostly smiled and said thank you.
Now a bit about where I am staying. I live in this big
beautiful house all by myself for the time being (probably until mid June) and
as nice as the house is I am in the back of the house in this big awkward room
with nothing in it but a bed and a salon hair cutting chair. My room used to be
rented out as separate from the house and missed the renovations the rest of
the house had. There is a door that goes outside from my bedroom which when the
lights are off you can clearly see the gap around the door allowing spiders,
crickets, centipedes, mosquitoes and lizard in (I have seen all of the above
already multiple times). Also there is no windows or screens just bars and shutters. Bugs are
not my thing, Yuck! Also I have an ensuite, which would typically bring a nice
image to mind but the lack of a toilet seat and the not working sink are just
some of the features of this bathroom, not to mention the alarmingly low supply
of toilet paper (less than half a roll!!). As a whole day has now passed I have
learned that Mercedes owns this house where I live and she comes here three
times a day to make my meals, so far have had eggs and cornbread at all my
meals, very lack –luster cultural food.
Just when I thought I was going to hate living here, I met
Emily and Bella. To these two I am going to be in dept to because not only do I
not have pesos and they have been buying me everything until I can go to the
bank but because of the knowledge, help and friendship they have given me. They
have both been here since September and their 7 months of local knowledge and
perfect Spanish have been very helpful to me and they have led me around and
introduced me to everyone.
Also Cabrera has a festival going on and I arrived on a long
weekend and don’t have to go to the school Monday. Needless to say with
the festival on my first two nights here there was no breaking me in slowly.
There are things that I will have to get used to like no toilet seats, the
water being shut off during the day, and the hydro only being on sometimes but
for the most part I just go with the flow, easier said than done, but I think I
am doing well. I have already been on a moto which are tiny motorcycles that are used to
get around and the Gua Guas which are big vans that drive crazily all down the
main roads and stop to pick up and drop off where ever. One simply needs to
stand on the side of the road in the direction you wish to travel and wait for
the Gua Guas to come. My warning was that they are stuffed, hot and you will
probably hold someone’s chicken or baby. There 18 people in the 12 seat Gua Gua I was on today and there was a chicken when I was on the
Gua Gua but I was not asked to hold it, phew! Having done both already I feel
safer on the moto I think the Gua Gua driver was drunk.
Yesterday we went to Playa Grande, It was beautiful. I went in
the ocean, even though my mother told me not to, how could I not! I had never
stepped in the ocean before but the salt water was enough to get me out quickly,
I have never really loved swimming on beaches, but I did it, so now that’s out
of the way. Me Nellie, Lauren, Emily, Bella and Maria had a great time but I
feel very full of sun and despite my efforts to not get burnt I did and I am
now furiously applying aloe.
I find it surprisingly comfortable here other than the
language barrier, that is frustrating me to no end but, hopefully I will learn
quickly.
Everything is happening so fast and I don’t think it feels
real yet but I am putting on my brave face and getting though the daily challenges
even though I miss home. Still so much to learn but once I get the hang of
things I will feel much more comfortable. There are so many things here that are alarmingly uncomfortable like today at the beach their was this man who was so drunk I thought he was going to die. It was so scary and we helped him as best we could but ultimately we couldn't take him to the hospital because none of the locals would drive him, they said when you get to the hospital they will say that they hit them with their cars. These things I will never get used to. However, I realized that as my friend was
saying goodbye to me she said ‘enjoy your discomfort’ at the time she said it I
didn’t really think about it but now I think about these words and I remember
that I am here to help people, not because it’s easy but because it’s
important.
Much love to you all.
P.S. Email me!!
