Hotel Villa Taina Cabarete

... seen anything like that - and then gave him a round of applause when his head (safely) broke the surface. I was a little indignant that I did not get the same reaction going off of the 6-foot rope swing.<br><br>After goodbyes all around, we headed back to town to watch the amazing sunset from our terrace, batido in hand. Batidos are milkshakes made with fresh fruit - in this case, papaya - and they're the perfect antidote to a steamy tropical evening.

... for the guy to come the next day, and we walked over to Playa Preciosa, where the waves are usually a little better. It was still pretty bad - he caught a few waves on Thursday, but overall it was a bust.<br><br>We got back to the hotel right in time to have a drink on the terrace and watch the sun set over the ocean. Perfect! We went out for dinner and finally found food that wasn't of animal provenance. I ...

... 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 ...

... aren't spoiled by anybody,<br>Who go to bed hungry and cry themselves to sleep,<br>Who live and move, but have no being.<br>We pray for children who want to be carried,<br>And for those who must,<br>For those we never give up on<br>And for those who don't get a second chance.<br>For those we smother,<br>And for those who will grab the hand of anybody kind enough to offer it.<br> -----by Marian Wright Edelman 

... 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 ...

... tienda de regalos or mercado. "I know you now and you can tell I'm very charismatic and we get along well! But if someone I don't know that is not Dominican comes up to me I wouldn't be. You have to be careful." There have been other issues that have come up during class and general conversations that include: government corruption and ineffectiveness, public money being wasted on a new Metro system, obstacles to Dominican social empowerment, middle class struggles and ...

... in the world. We stayed in this little fishing town and the next day went to and island by boat. We listened to Bob Marley and danced bachata. SO good. There were free cubra libres and lunch too! We went to "La Piscina Natural," which is this gigantic sandbar offshore where there are a lot of star fish. It was fun. The only thing I didn't like is that a couple of times we stopped at big malls to grab food. I would have liked to ...

... treks," says manager, Chicago native and former day trader Steve Leone. "But as the area has grown and developed, our routes were being bought up by private land owners, so we had to start expanding our offerings." Today Iguana Mama has expanded into a full-fledged adventure tour operator, catering to the niche demographic of in-shape, adventurous thrill seekers. From ...

Hi everyone! It has been quite a while since I have posted so I will do my best to catch up on what has been going on. It is hard to believe that I am in my last week of community training. On Monday, I will be receiving my assignment and find out where I will be calling home for the next two years! I also get my Peace Corps issued cell phone, which will hopefully make communication a lot easier. SO, as far as what is going on here. My current ...