Hotel Alisei Las Terrenas

... rum and playing in the water (not so sure about that combination, but...) The water was cool but not cold, perfectly clear, and a beautiful blue-green color. We were told that Scuba divers had been unable to find the bottom of the pool. It's not that wide across, but apparently it's just a straight shot down to who-knows-where.

Some of the locals were jumping from the high cliffs, and that is something that Shen just can't resist. One of ...

... t think it existed here! I wouldn't go so far as to call it delicious, but we had some good mangú (a strange casserole of platanos and corn, maybe? I don't really know...) and rice with a few beans thrown in.

In the evening we strolled around Rio San Juan, another small but chaotic town. The people here have been super friendly, and the natural beauty is remarkable, but I can't say I like the towns we ...

... Brigada Verde meeting that was very inspirational. I hope to plan a couple of charlas in celebration of Earth Day, April 22, 2009. Finally, I'm waiting on approval for grant money for the stove projects, but when that happens, I'll be in a new direction there too. Okay, I promise to write more later, but I just wanted to give you all a taste of what's going on in Samana. Sincerely, Jennifer

... men with young half-naked Dominican women. Sunday was spent laying on the beach all day, which was wonderful. So all in all Samaná/Las Terrenas was a success. I can't say that it would be my favorite beach, though, mostly because of the lack of convenient amenities and the limited modes of transportation to and around the area. A beach with no consistent availability of ice cream is no beach for me.

... interest in learning makes my job fun and rewarding. It is likely that I'll continue teaching English to older folks, kids and everyone in between for much of my service. The days that I don't teach English, I work with the women's group to support their small business activities and work on the implementation of a cook stove project. This is a specific type of cook stove designed with ceramic pieces to improve the quantity ...

... am on the plane ride home. But here is what has been going on since we last were together.... My last months have been summerized by one thing:::: Camps CAMPS and MORE CAMPS!!!! My only experiences in camps were band and church camps growing up (don´t snicker, I take my nerdom with pride) and now my experiences in running them has been an experience I´ll never forget! Camp number 1: Las Taranas. My friend Iris, another volunteer in the Info Tech sector has been ...

... much for tobacco. We spoke in Spanish, and although I had been passing myself off as Canadian/Colombian since the Virginia Tech shooting a few days ago due to the barrage of questions and criticisms aimed at me for the latest example of terror learned and applied by the citizenry as a viable problem solving method justified by the conduct of the state, I confessed my nationality as we spoke of Cuban cigars and the embargo on the island, among ...

... Skim-Ice guy (who by this time had introduced himself as "Angel," no joke) couldn't stop apologizing for the rudeness of the kid who charged me to get my own phone back. He gave Tilden and I both free Skim-Ices (and wouldn't let us pay!) and then found the right gua-gua for us and secretly paid for us to get back to class! My Angel! Ok, that's the end of my story but the moral is: there are some amazingly good-hearted people in the world mixed in with ...

... Although, one did get his eye pecked out and was twitching on the mat before they scooped him up so I think death is quite common; it just doesnt happen in front of the spectators.) And the best part of it all was that I took my fellow volunteer, one Matt Haygood of Atlanta, for forty pesos, and was 2-0 on the day. Unfortunately, Matt quickly won his 40 pesos back in a game of dominoes, but I still felt like a winner. Oh, and my host family ...

... chips and dips, spreads, salsa, more than enough drinks for everyone. There was a pool in the back that was wonderful. However, I did not get in. I just sat along the edge and dipped my feet in for the feeling. It was wonderful just chatting with people and relaxing. They let us take hot showers and clean-up before we left, which for me was heaven. This house was like out a dream. It was like we stepped of the street into a different world. The differences between ...