Adiós, La República Dominicana

These past few weeks neighbors have purchased most of my worldly possessions,  and now I am taking photographs of my furniture walking down the street. Ha-ha. What a project, buying all of this stuff and selling it all at half price less than two years later. Seems like I have had many lifetimes of doing the same thing, all in this life. By now I am an expert in non-attachment, I suppose! I leave this country in 3 days so my apartment is nearly empty as I write this update. Note to all loyal blog readers: As of October I am now posting at my new site (and hope you'll follow), http://viajesporamericadelsur.blogspot.com

Below are a few more photos of my furniture walking away:

My neighbor was smart to bring some children to carry the drawers! Below she's carrying a mattress out of the house another day.

And below is another dresser (it used to belong to my guest room) walking down the street:

Kareena is next; she bought my living room furniture and the guest room dresser:

 

I did take one last trip to Samana this past month. A whole group of us went to Playa Rincon and to Playa Bonita in Las Terrenas. Both are among my favorite beaches in the country so I was thrilled for one last opportunity to visit Samana with a church group. The following is a photo of the driver pouring fruit juice for a few passengers.

Below is a photo of Playa Bonita, near Las Terrenas:

We stayed at a budget hostel in Samana, which was centrally located, although certainly not my favorite spot on the Samana Peninsula. I would have much preferred staying in Las Galeras!

It was a rainy morning in Samana, however the weather cleared by the afternoon. I enjoyed spending time with some of the women my own age who were along on the trip.

Below are photos taken while posing with neighbors I've been close to:

 I felt especially connected to Rubia, below:

 My neighbor took a photo of me after attending a Sai Baba service here in Santo Domingo. Yes, there is a Sai Baba temple here in the Dominican Republic! I had a beautiful day, and especially loved the chanting. A musician gave me a lei of crysanthemums after the service.

Below is a photo of a whole group of women from the International Women's Club at a lunch event. All of us have been teachers at the Mercedes Amiama School, or have signed up to teach next year. Since I am leaving after a year of service, the ladies paid for my lunch!

I am having a tough time uploading photos on my blog today. For some reason, the Internet is unusually slow. How ironic, since this is my last post from the DR. Although there was another despedida (good-bye event) on my behalf, and several other events I enjoyed, I'll just upload two photos and leave it at that. The next photo was taken the day my good friend Charo and her husband, as well as some family members, came from Monte Plata to say "good-bye." What a happy day!

Last is a photo of Elpidia and Blausita helping me pack my two suitcases. These two sisters (and neighbors) have helped me more than anyone else. I am leaving for Peru with less than 50 pounds on Avianca Airlines Saturday, September 6. I'll arrive in Lima at 9 pm!

Not sure whether I'll continue posting on this blog or whether I'll have to start a new blog. The name Ritmo del Caribe is not really very fitting for Peru or Ecuador, where I'll be staying in the future. I didn't think about that when I titled this blog. I'll probably post a couple of more times, at least, on this blog (until I get things sorted out).

September, I'll visit the mine where my father worked and where my family lived while I was a child. The name of the mine is Quiruvilca, and the nearby town we lived in is Shorey. I've read the whole area is shockingly polluted. I hope I don't get too depressed on my visit. I will have to remember that 60 years ago things might not have been as bad.

Recently I came across an outstanding account of a man's visit to the Quiruvilca mine, and you can view his photos at http://www.mcdougallminerals.com/blog/into-the-andes-quiruvilca-peru/

I'm so impressed that my parents made the trip through the Andes from Trujillo to the Quiruvilca mine not just once, but many times, since they lived there four years during the early 1950's. They also traveled throughout Peru, and I plan to go to Arequipa, Lake Titicaca, Cusco and Machu Pichu myself after having heard so much about these places throughout my life. Sure look forward to meeting the friends of friends in Lima I'll be staying with. They come across as wonderful people in all of our email communications. 

During the month of January I've planned a stay in Canoa, Ecuador. I'll be staying at a small hotel right on the beach and taking an intensive Spanish course in this small resort town. My plan is to become an advanced Spanish speaker in the near future.  Thank you for viewing my blog and I will keep you posted!

Note on October 15, 2014: OK this is my update! Now that I am traveling and living in South America, I am posting at my new blog, http://viajesporamericadelsur.blogspot.com

Thank you again, loyal readers. Sure hope you will keep reading updates on my new blog.

Birthday, School Beach Trip, and Good-bye Dinners with Neighbors

 

July 20 was my 65th birthday and I had a wonderful time! I spent the weekend with the family in Monte Plata I like so much. I took my favorite book of recipes and brought imported feta cheese, olives imported from Greece, and other Middle-Eastern foods purchased in Santo Domingo with me on the guagua to Monte Plata. We cooked together throughout the day on Saturday, and part of Sunday too. The girls were so eager to help, and Charo was really glad to have help in the kitchen! Charo is really open minded when it comes to trying foods from different parts of the world, so she really enjoyed the different flavors of foods from Greece and the Middle East. Below, Charo and her youngest daughter, Gabriela, are working together with me in the kitchen preparing the shish kabobs. And after that is a photo with Marianna, Charo's older daughter.

We were all involved with making shish kababs of chicken marinated in olive oil, garlic and oregano. We alternated peppers, and onions together with pieces of chicken. The shish kabobs turned out so beautifully. Below is a whole plate of them before we put them on the grill.

We made Greek salad with bell peppers, cucumber, onions, tomatoes, olives imported from Greece and imported Feta Cheese. It was delicious. Below is a photo of the hummus with pita bread and moussaka we made and served Saturday night.

Below is a photo of the dolmades while they are cooking. We wrapped meat and rice seasoned with dill in cabbage leaves and boiled them for about a hour, then topped them with a lime sauce. They were a labor of love and they were delicious, too. Charo's daughters squeezed a lot of limes for the dolmades, as well as the hummus, made of garbanzos, garlic, cumin, lime juice and tahini. In addition to all of the food we made, Charo's good friend Andrea brought over bread and appetizers. We had a feast Saturday evening and another one on Sunday afternoon!

Charo, the girls and I are all seated on the sofa together in the photo below:

And next is a photo of Andrea, presenting me with my birthday cake:

Below, Charo, Andrea and I are all together with the birthday cake:

Below are some of the neighbors who have joined us on Sunday evening, and we are all in the living room watching videos on the computer together, dancing. I really enjoyed myself. Among some of the artists we danced to was Gustavo Lima, a young Brasilian with a huge Latin American fan base.

Next is Gustavo, Charo's second oldest son (the oldest is in the United States playing baseball with the Minnesota Twins) and his friend. Gustavo is helping with the youtube selections.

After the dancing in the living room we lit the birthday cake and everyone had a piece. It was a fantastic birthday! I admit I was relieved that the whole event went so well. I was thrilled everyone was so kind to me, and felt deeply nourished by their support.

 Now, on to something completely different! Earlier in July, I went to the beach with the teachers at the local colegio where I have been volunteering. The following photos were taken on the day of that trip. Below is the guagua we took to get to the beach. Next are some of the teachers and their children riding the guagua.

 Below are some of the teachers at the beach.

 Next, children are shown swimming in the water.

Next is a photo of some of the teachers at the school with all of the food they brought.

In the next photo, the director of the school and another teacher are serving the food.

Next are two teachers and their cousins. I am especially fond of the two sisters who are teachers.

I really had fun with these teen-aged girls in the ocean, and appreciated their inviting me to play along with them while they were having a good time. They enjoyed the attention they were getting from the teen-aged boys on the beach that day.

Finally, this is a photo of the man who drove the guagua. He clearly gained the trust of the toddler seen in the picture, who is climbing a tree branch. The little boy is the son of one of the teachers.

Next I am including a photo of myself with good friends Julie and Mark, who came over for lunch one Sunday a few weeks ago. Mark is an English translator and Julie volunteers with me at Mercedes Amiama.  Mark and Julie have been living in the Dominican Republic forty years and are both fluent in Spanish. Mark works as a Translator. He  recently served as Translator for Ban Ki Moon, Secretary of the United Nations, while he was in the Dominican Republic for a few days meeting with President Danilo and other officials.

I hosted several good-bye dinners at my house over the past weeks. I invited my neighbors as well as some dear friends on the next street over. I really knocked myself out preparing fine feasts for all. I also got my projector hooked up to my computer and showed photos of the times we've shared during the past couple of years. I am leaving the Dominican Republic on September 6 for Lima, Peru! I am sad about saying good-bye to people who have meant so much to me here. Yet I also feel ready to move on.

I didn't take a picture of the next door neighbor (previously featured in this blog) and her sister (also previously featured). Both came to my house two weekends ago with their husbands for dinner. We had a beautifully heartfelt evening together. I was too busy enjoying myself to take photos. However, I did take photos of the neighbors who came for dinner last weekend. Below is a photo of my dear friend Rubia and her husband, Rafael.

Below are Muñeca and Santos, another couple that live nearby I enjoy very much.

 And next are both couples together.

Most of my furniture has been sold! I decided to sell the furniture for low prices to neighbors, who don't make very much money. I gave the buyers receipts and they agreed to wait until the end of August before picking up their items.

I am giving my generator to the woman who has been cleaning house for the past two months. She comes in on Friday mornings and cleans about 2 hours. She also does my laundry. I've appreciated her help and she is really excited about finally having a generator, so when the electricity goes off she will at least have the option of turning on a fan and some lights. I'm also selling my stove to the same woman for half of the price I paid. She's worked as a cook in a hospital for 27 years and doesn't have a good stove in her own house. Wages are very low in this country.

I'm giving my air conditioner to the next door neighbor, who has helped me out so much. A 22 year old setting up house for the first time bought my living room furniture for a low price. And a doctor living on the next street bought my bed and a dresser. She has been sleeping on a bed that is uncomfortable. I am glad that I am at least able to help out a few people on my way out of here.

My plane leaves Saturday, September 6, for Lima, Peru. I am so ready to get on with the next phase of life. It's been a challenge to pare back down to the two packs I came to this country with. I am going to miss my terrific bed and the other creature comforts I've enjoyed. I'll be starting all over again. I don't think it will be easy to live in Lima, yet the people with whom I will be staying are wonderfully welcoming in their emails. They live in the centrally located Jesús María district. It is cooler in both Peru and Ecuador, where I also plan on traveling. The summer has been so hot here. I keep thinking it is worse than last year. I am ready to leave the DR! I will post again before departing. In the meantime, I hope you have a good month. Thank you for reading my blog!

Last Day of School, Visits to Los Haitises National Park, Monte Plata and Rio San Juan

 My neighbor across the street, Juliana, and her friend Leisy are shown together at their graduation event. Below are other graduates and Juliana's mother can be seen on the upper right.

Graduation entailed many speeches, and I did not stay for the whole event, but suffice it to say that the children and their parents seemed to have a very good day.

Cake and diplomas anchored the celebration of the end of the year for the school at which I've been volunteering during 2013-2014.

 Of course, there were balloons!

The boy above is an absolute terror on most days but seemed to pull himself together for the day's event. It might have helped that both of his parents were in attendance.

Speaking of parents, here are some of them, waiting in the wings. Below is Yesenia, a teacher, shown with her two children:

Below is a photo of Clary, another teacher at the school, and Juliana, while they lead the class in some dances on the last day of class:

 

And the following photos are all portraits of individual students I found especially appealing that day.

 

 Jennifer appears above, and below are two male teachers who are upstairs grading papers while all mayhem ensues downstairs after structured activities have ended. And Yesenia can seen below, as well, with a group of her male students.

Now for something completely different! Above some of us are seen in front of a market we stopped at for snacks on the way to Los Haitises National Park, in Northeastern Dominican Republic. We left around 7 am and didn't arrive back to Santo Domingo until 8 pm, having enjoyed a splendid day in this beautiful park. Below is the guagua that got all of us there!

Above are some of the boats available for transport through the waterways at Los Haitises. Below we are in a boat touring the mangroves.

And next are some of the scenes, many depicting a great variety of birds, throughout Los Haitises:

Below are views from one of the many caves we toured that day. And I appear in the following photograph!

Below the Guide is showing our group the footprints of the Hispaniolan Solenodon, a mammal  so rare in the Dominican Republic it is on the endangered species list:

Our tour group is shown here in one of the caves we visited. We actually viewed ancient Taino (and pre-Taino culture) pictographs on the walls of the caves. 

We had lunch nearby one place we docked, after viewing a third series of caves.

And finally we headed for some waterfalls at the Yanigua river, where we enjoyed a late-afternoon swim before returning to Santo Domingo.

 Below Christina and I are seen together.

 Below are photographs of the whole group of us, near the end of our day:

Above is a photo of Juan Diogenes, opening his birthday present during my recent visit to Monte Plata. As regular readers of this blog may know, I have maintained a close relationship with the family I lived with while training in Monte Plata with the Peace Corps. This family has always been wonderful to me! Below, Juan Diogenes is seen in some wacky glasses, and next, different family members are included:

Finally, everyone wants some candy!

 Charo and Juan Diogenes are below, in their wedding portrait:

Finally, I visited my beloved Rio San Juan in June, and will just post a few photos in this update, having posted many photos of  the area previously. Below is a beautiful sunset on the ocean.

 And next is a family that boarded the same Guagua I took in the morning to Playa Grande:
I'll end with a photo of myself I printed and gave to the moto taxi driver shown. He was delighted!

I've purchased my flight to Lima Peru (via Avianca Air), where I'll be residing next! My plane leaves Santo Domingo 5:15 pm and arrives 9:00 pm in Lima, on Saturday September 6. I'm already saying my "good-byes"  and getting ready to sell all of my furniture.  It's so darned hot here that I often find myself wishing I was leaving already. I know I need the coming seven weeks, however, to end a chapter in my life as important as these two years in the Dominican Republic have been to me. This morning I found myself in tears with my neighbor (she was crying too) at the prospect of my birthday next week-end, and saying "good-bye" to everything and everyone I know yet again. In the meantime, thank you for taking the time to read my latest blog update, and I'll post again in August!