Viva Wyndham Tangerine All-Inclusive Cabarete

After Shen's disappointing attempt at surfing Thursday morning, we decided to head to Cabrera, a relatively small town not far from Playa Grande. Through my work with HSI, I know an English woman who lives there and runs Animal Balance, an NGO that brings veterinary services to island dogs around the world. She does tremendous work, and her impact was quite apparent in Playa Grande, where the dogs are friendly, well-fed, and free of the myriad diseases ...

... 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.<br><br>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 ...

... 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 ...

... only in underwear.  Sweet kids, but resorting to desperation (pinching others, manipulation, etc.) in order to get attention.  One child kept pinching the little girl I was holding!  So sad!  We will offer a health clinic to them on Thursday afternoon.  They speak mostly Creole, limited Spanish, so communication will be interesting.<br>We are watching Hurricane Bill, who looks like he ...

... immigration. The last, Haitian immigration, has struck more of a chord because I have had the opportunity to hear comments from a few people both Dominicans and Haitians. Julissa in class mentioned that she had Haitian friends and has no problem with them, but that there are issues due to the fact that Haiti used to rule Dominican Republic and there was still bad blood from those times. Another Dominican friend thought there were bigger issues to deal with but did admit that ...

... hikes through mist-hidden National Park El Choco to climbing up 2,700 feet to the crest of towering Mount Isabel de Torres; from galloping bareback along the beach by horseback to revisiting the Old Man and the Sea by deep sea fishing, there truly is an adventure for everyone. "We focus on adventures that will take you off the beaten path," says Leon. "After all, why ...

... is planning and presenting Earth Day activities at the local school with two other trainees, Lindsey and Lindsay. We are working with the sixth grade class on the theme of water. Today we gave a presentation, tomorrow we are doing a river clean up, Thursday we are painting a mural, and Friday we announce the winners of our poster contest and do a wrap-up. Then Saturday it is back to Santo Domingo! Time is absolutely flying by and I really can't ...