Sosua By The Sea Boutique Beach Resort

... scattered around these tables waiting for things to begin. When things got started, however, they were done in a very different order than what we would be used to. In Canada, for example, most people have a drink or 2 before the meal, then the meal is served, with speeches and toasts, and then there are drinks and dancing all night long. Traditional Dominican receptions are completely different. The guests are served drinks first, before the meal, and ...

... 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 ...

... can't wait to see them.  My little Ellie Grace has
grown at least one inch, is beginning to give up her bottle, and is saying new
words.  She grew up some while I have been gone--I'm going to eat it all
up when I get back!
I haven't been able to reflect on this experience.  I've heard that
reflection comes in bits and pieces, interwoven during normal daily routines--a
thought here, an image there.  What I do know, is that this ...

... imagine what it smells like, and what a health risk it is to live there.
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 ...

... never get dessert,
Who have no safe blanket to drag behind them,
Who watch their parents watch them die.
We pray for those who can't find any bread to steal,
Who don't have any rooms to clean up,
Whose pictures aren't on anybody's dresser,
Whose monsters are real,
Whose nightmares come in the daytime.
And we pray for those who will eat anything,
Who have never seen a dentist,
Santiago, Dominican Republic lstockwell

... get in/out of the sedan, and it doesn't take as long to go between Caberete-Sosua, only 15 minutes. Week 2-3 of Spanish School: I decided to switch classes and had Gralia as my new teacher. She was terrific - really explained the grammar points well, and we had lots of interesting conversation topics, from what we do in our free time, typical dominican foods, relationships/marriage, acupunture, and the consequences of ...

... my photo uploads and had to do them all over again. And the computers are kind of slow in general so that ate up time as well. So, disclaimer to my readers: if you notice that some pictures seem out of place (posted for the wrong days), that is true and I apologize for that carelessness in my haste. And if you see any typos, that is because I was planning to proofread in the internet room, but then realized I didn't have time to! (I hate ...

... the night before on my credit card to my mom!!) and then $4 per minute to make a call via a calling card. She said the best way to make a phone call is to dial directly from the hotel room, where it's "only" 50 cents per minute. There doesn't appear to be internet in the rooms either, so it might be a challenge to get this blog up online this week, although there is supposed to be an "internet centre" at the resort, and then there are internet places in the ...

... And I'm so glad I bought the Keens... lifesavers for my feet! After we got back after the little trip, I had the worst sinus headache ever, but I feel better today... Oh, and a couple of days ago at our work site, there was the first huge Caribbean I have had the please of experiencing. It was incredible! Warm, wonderful, and finally cool. We found a huge frog inside the cinder blocks we were moving, and it let us touch it. Fun times. So ...