Barcelo Gran Hotel Lina & Casino Santo Domingo

... we were quite excited to take a picture of our Dominican lemon drop experience!<br><br>After dinner, we wandered along "el Conde," which is a pedestrian-only street, and had a few drinks outside at one of the bars...we walked along to check out the Hard Rock Cafe, but it was very quiet, and decided to go check out the Malecon - which is the street that runs along the water...in San Pedro it is a VERY happening and exciting place, but, as we sadly found out, it is not the ...

... this country. While we were waiting for a cab in the bar's little secluded parking lot - a place where tall people like stilt walkers should have a hard time hiding - a mime and his two stilt-walking buddies appeared. (Still not sure exactly where they came from.) We weren't really phased by this - in fact I don't think we even broke conversation at first. I guess you just get used to the bizarre. Pretty soon a girl was hauled out of the bar by her friends, and the ...

Hola! Everyone, 1000s of photographs and GBs of movie footage were used today by our 320 Advocates as many of them met their children. My two, Birian and Melanie were tiny / much smaller than I expected. Birian came with her Mum and Melanie with her tutor from the project, Maria. They were normal everyday children who enjoyed the activities planned for them like getting glittery birds ...

... for my book. We decided to go to Burger King for breakfast but on our arrival at 10.30am found it closed. This was hilarious because we´d been reading the advertising a couple of nights ago about breakfasts they supposedly had. We laughed and thought it typical. We´ve often found in restaurants that while they may advertise 20 or 30 items only a handful are actually available. It´s quite funny going "I´ll have this please," and they go "no have," this? no, this? no, what about this? no ...

... to the sea to a sea-food restaurant! The fish looks really *bombed* ... but it's good. :) Then, Juan shows us the red-light milieu of Santo Domingo. He drives us back to the hotel and we go to the restaurant "Harry's" to have a drink together and enjoy a Flamenco-performance. Back to the hotel, write my impressions down &amp; sleeeeep.... Impressive day ... as all the others... and all the eyes of the kids.... just amazing... really... indescribable!...

... and getting busy with construction, so stay tuned for photos. I have been fighting off a nasty cold for two weeks and I have been unable to equalize the pressure in my left ear from my flight back to the DR. I am going to the doctor today to see if she can do anything for me. I told Dad that I finally understand his trials and tribulations of going through life only being able ...

... miles away...it's a great run, and it's nice to have some down time and not having to speak Spanish. All is well. But the other day, I was running, and this guy on his bike starts going with me, which didn't seem like a big deal at first, because I thought he would go back after a little bit. He didn't. He rode along side of me the whole run, for about an hour, and then told me he'd be waiting for me the next day ...

... forward to not eating for 12 days. But I eventually got better and I was able to enjoy food that didn't consist of 3 table spoons of salt and 2 cups of oil. I was really just able to relax and refresh myself, which is perfect because now I need to start working! Hopefully my escojo youth group with start it's training in 2 weeks. I need to cordinate with Molly's escojo group to get them to teach my youth ...

... actually make it to be volunteers, which I had never known before, so the numbers blew me away. The avg. age is around 26, with 1/3 being males and then 2/3 females, and 95% of the volunteers are single. Single is one thing, but really, the majority of people in my group are leaving behind significant others and are going through those problems, where as I am leaving behind my beloved dog, Cooper, who I ...

... ready to start more community service projects. Things were looking busy, and I was glad. The week of September 15 was the week of the Patron Saints festivities or Patronales of Pimentel. This basically meant lots of fun, live bands, and a lot of alcohol and boozing. Of course, all within the peramaters of honoring the patron saint. I was excited to have a visitor, Jill, a Peace Corps trainee visiting me to see what I did in my site, and boy, I was going to make it ...