New Garden Hotel Sosua

... some cane fields, a few valleys, and felt as though we were lost...asked for some directions, which got us more lost...and then finally ended up at the beach - which was quite lovely, once we got there. The only problem was that it was extremely windy, and so it was impossible to not have hair and dresses blowing all around - so much for trying to look our best! <br><br>The bride looked lovely, as did the groom. Dominican tradition is that most people ...

... plague most developing-world beach dogs. Since we didn't really have an itinerary ahead of time, I hadn't told her we were coming and I had no idea where she lived except "Cabrera." The town was not the tiny place that we had expected, so we thought we'd have no chance of finding her - but apparently expats can't hide as easily as they may sometimes wish! We had an awesome lunch (where I learned that they only use the term "habichuelas" for beans ...

... can afford. As soon as you walk into the reception area, you get a grand view of the ocean, with tables set on a patio in the open air. The terrace below literally juts out over the water, and the waves (tiny as they are) break against the building. A broad outdoor spiral staircase leads to three levels, all with wide balconies facing the water. The hotel has seen some wear and tear, but it's truly beautiful ...

... the next six months.  The<br>comforts of home with the people I love, will surely see me through. That I<br>know for sure-<br>I hope you have all enjoyed the blog.  I have loved sharing some thoughts,<br>albeit probably a bit superficial at times, as feelings are often difficult to<br>retrieve-<br><br>Thank you for following my journey.  <br>Please look for more pictures in the days to come.<br><br>Love,<br><br>Lani<br><br>< !--EndFragment--><br><br><br>

... long he has been at home since the release.  He kept tugging at his ears, so I'm sure he has an ear infection on top of the Dengue.  He was so listless that he couldn't hold his head up for very long, and was unable to smile or reach out for a ball.<br>As we were evaluating him, his father walked in.  Drunk.  When we recommended to the father that he seek medical care ...

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 ...

... place. The ride was only 20 minutes from Cabarete, not too long. I then wandered the streets of Sosua for a bit, and had to ask 3 people along the way where my Spanish school was before I found it. Whew! It turns out that before 1940, Sosua had only a hundred or so residents. But in 1940, the US pressured the DR dictator Trujillo to allow German and other European Jewish immigrants to settle in the DR, and they migrated ...

... to the beach where everyone was, and I sat there for a bit until it was time to go. Although it was still very, very warm, it was not a sunny day today by any means. The sky was overcast, so the sun wasn't beating down. There were still lots of people on the beach sunbathing though, and in the water. We were at the larger beach today (yesterday we went to the small beach which is a lot more private and not busy with people). I went for my pedicure awhile after ...

... the ring and the bracelet for there. Finally he said "$25" and I accepted. Then I realized I didn't have any money on me, so I told him I'd go to my room to get the money and be back in 5 minutes. And then for some reason he just gave me the two pieces of jewellery and told me to take them with me and then bring back the money, so I did that (trusting guy!). So that was my first successful barter experience in this country. Not sure if I'll have any ...

... House... the local house where volunteers at Ascension live with Faith and Amber (Jana and Bob's biological daughters). I painted a bathroom and in the process, a HUGE tarantulla-ish spider walked across my foot and I freaked. Zion told me later that those ones do bite, but aren't poisionous.. YIKES! We met up with the rest of the group at lunch and then we went to the Puerta Plata dump and gave out "blessing bags." These are kind ...