Hotel Alegria Cabarete

... three weeks she had organized her first spay/neuter clinic, and now she works with all the local vets. She had been living in SF, but she moved to the DR to decrease costs and allow her to work for Animal Balance full-time - a brilliant move. She's really a force. So we enjoyed a cold glass of water while catching up in her peaceful, tropical garden.<br><br>Emma also had some great recommendations for places to go, so after we left her house we ...

Our good luck with the guaguas continued, or maybe they're just good here. Our trek to Rio San Juan required four buses, and we weren't really sure of the route, but we made it quickly and with no complications. We headed straight for a hotel listed in the guidebook that sounded great, but we had heard different prices from different people. When we walked in, we both said, Oh no, this doesn't look like a place ...

... gives me the fortitude to be a good mother and role model for my<br>daughter.  Someday I'll share stories about these people, and I hope that<br>by doing so, my daughter will grow up to be sensitive and caring, and<br>hopefully, will have the same opportunity to offer her time and expertise to<br>those less fortunate than her.<br>I'm certain that I will be staying home for a while.  Only two semesters left<br>until graduation, so I have a long haul ...

... imagine what it smells like, and what a health risk it is to live there.<br>I saw a little boy today.  He is 4 years old.  He lives with his parents and 4 siblings in a one-room "house" built out of rusted tin and tires.  Upon meeting him, I could tell that this child was gravely ill.  He contracted Dengue Fever over a week ago, was hospitalized, but released home.  I'm not sure ...

We pray for children<br>Who sneak popsicles before supper,<br>Who erase holes in math workbooks,<br>Who can never find their shoes.<br>And we pray for those<br>Who stare at photographers from behind barbed wire,<br>Who can't bound down the street in a new pair of sneakers,<br>Who are born in places we wouldn't be caught dead.<br>We pray for those who never go to the circus,<br>Who live in an X-rated world,<br ...

... community (men go for seasonal work).  The women recently learned how to make candles and bracelets, which they are allowed to go outside the Batey to sell, but have to "pay off" the checkpoint guards when they enter and exit the compound.  There are so many moral and ethical issues surrounding the Bateys, too numerous to mention.  The children came running to meet us, some naked, some ...

... to protect your little friend who has a shopping abuse problem in general and an addiction to shiny useless rubbish in particular and you see her eyes sparkle every time a dirty handed Dominican boy lays out his cheap merchandise in front of her. And the more unnecessary and useless the trinket is the more she needs it. So the way to go about it is to firstly convince her she doesn't want the thing and, secondly, fight off the guy as they are also not prepared to let go of ...

... champion kiteboarder and Cabarete resident Laurel Eastman, it's the fact that "there's a sport for every type of person and a sport for every type of weather." Cabarete is a bustling, authentic coastal village pleasantly lacking high-rise mega resorts. The beach is public and expands for miles and the sands are full of local-flavored restaurants, bars, stores and ...

... other volunteers for the 4th of July, so between now and then i am going to buckle down and get a lot of work done so I can enjoy myself and not stress out. We are going to Bahia de las Aguilas, which is a beautiful undeveloped beach in the southwest part of the country. Should be great, I'll post some pictures when I go. Ok well my internet time is about up so i am going to run. I miss everyone and will try to be better about posting blogs! Take care. Love, Margaret