Still smiling ;)

After a long flight and only 1 hours sleep i got up and made my way to the bathroom for a well deserved shower. The 1 hour of sleep was hot, humid and buzzing with exitement.

I sorted my room and made my way to the reception in the hostal, and to get familiar with my new surroundings. Downstairs a lovely patio, bar and common area awaited me. The staff was friendly and chatty. I got pointed in the direction of the town centre of the colonial zone EL CONDE!

I felt a little out of place, and felt like i stuck out like a sore thumb, and i obviously did. A older gentleman approached me and showed me very quickly a id card which said he was a local guide........ He took me by the arm and told me that he could show me around if i wanted. I told him i was fine by myself, but he said he would give me a freebie, as i was new in town. I told him i wasn't interested, but he grabbed my arm "gently", and walked me in the direccion that he desired. I even tried to9 get the attention of the tourism police, but they probably get a cut of whatever he gets, so they weren't at all bothered. He walked me through the streets so fast, gave me no information, and made sure he left me in the shabiest part of town before demanding money!!!!! I took one look around, and saw people with different weapons, and thought it was better to get the hell out of there alive, so i gave him the money and ran. I got back to the hostel, and they told me that happens all the time, so you have to be very firm and decicive with them and tell they you are truly not interested in a guide, and just walki away. So that is what i call a daylight robbery!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was 1000 pesos poorer, one experience richer, and extremely releived that i was ok :)

This part of the city is beautifull, it is like going 25 years or more back in time, everything is very primitve, but at the same time everyone has an mp3 player and a mobile....... All the houses and buildings are small and brightly coloured. Some houses are wooden huts, and some ar brick. People here seem to find immense joy in siiting on the pavement/street outside their houses, just watching life go by. Being blond here is positive for those who like unatural amounts of attention, but i have to say that i wish i'd been darker to mingle in the crowd a little better. Men shout out compliments to you no matter what you look like, so it is definately a boost for anyone' s confidence. Pedople are friendly and curious here, i think we often feel threatend by people and cultures we don't know, but i think that we should be weary when travelling by yourself, but one shoudl never be scared. People are normally nicer than they seem at first.

Tuesday was rainy in the morning, afternoon and evening, but i am definately learning to make the best of all situations. The day before i met Keith who works in Rancho Wendy in *Bonao, and the poor guy never knew what hit him ;) He was just trying to check out of the hostal when i cornered him. It was the first young perosn i had seen in the hostal, so i8 was feeling brave and exstatic all at the same time. I luckily asked him wher he was off to and he showed me the brochure of where he worked, and told me to come up there. I looked into it, and sent them an e-mail about working as a volunteer at the ranch, i got a positive response, so i made up my mind to travel there the next day (wednesday).

After making the decicion of lesving Santo domingo i realised i had no clothes to go trekking in.........My whi8t5e linnen trousers would not be to good for that!!!! Mynext task was therefore to find trekking gear. I asked for advice on where to go in the reception, and a man (guest) told me to go to MEGASTORE across town. Judging by it's name it was bound to have everything i needed:) I called a cab, and suddenly the man at the bar who told me wher to go said he would come with me...... I didn't even have time to think , so before i realised me and him where taking a taxi to the mall. On the way there i realised he was Spanish, or as Oscar (that's his name) would put it, a Catalan, so in other words a Spaniard, not really from Spain :) We chatted away about what we were both doing in the country, and it turns out he is a marine here (soon retiring). He was so nice and helpfull, we asked in every appropriate store for trekking gear, but all i kept getting was a blank look. After searching the MEGASTORE which is huge but with little or no selection at all, we headed back to town laughing at how deceiving the name was! He took me to all the stores in EL CONDE, and in the end we found shoes and trousers i could use.... Not quite as i had imagined, but deffinately affordable, and usable. After all the shopping and walking we decided to go to the local bakery.

The local bakery was deffinately the right place to absorb the real dominivan lifestyle. Through talking with Oscar and the locals (especially the older women), i got a whole new insight into life on the island, their culture and attitudes. As i sat at the bar enjoying my fresh Empanada, and beer i again discovered the joys of venturing into unknown territory. Allthough life is primitve here in many ways, it is still very enjoyable in so many ways. The slow pace let's you enjoy your day, explore your surroundings, and it gives you time to be friendly to people. After Oscar brought me safely back to the hostal, he sked me to meet hin in the local bar (3 houses away) for a drinki, and how could i refuse. Oscar was great company, with so many stories to tell from all aroud the world, and on top of beer and st5ories i got a bunch of free advice on do's and dont's whilst visiting the island. That was Priceless!

I weOn Wednesday i met Oscar in the hostal for breakfast (he has breakfast there every morning), we had a good chat as usual, and he wished me the best of luck on my next adventure. He assured me that i could call him anytime, if i was in trouble, and he would help0 me some how ( a man of many contatcs). That in itself felty very reassuring. After beeakfast i packed my bags, and headed for the bus to Bonao.

Once dropped of at the busstop i sat down with the locals. At first it seemes a litlle dautning the little shack by the road, a bus that looked like it should not be carrying luggage or animals, let alone people, and being in an area that looked a little scary. I sson realised my fears were uncalled for, as the area was great in the sence t5hat it was the friendliest people i had met so far. Two of the boys (Moises and Daniel) waiting for the bus to go wanted to help0 me with my bags, give up their seat for me, and looked out for me. We sat together for the 2 hour busride to Bonao, shared food, drinks and stories. They were as curious about nme, and wher i came from, as i was about them. When arriving in Bonao, they accompanied me to the taxi and made sure i was not going to be ripped off (unfortunately quite common here). They gave me their numbers, to get in touch if i bwass in trouble, or needed their help, and i promised themj i would be in touch,a nd to meet up with them when i head3ed back to Santo Domingo.

My adventure in Santo Domingo had ended, and i embarked on another one in Bonao!

Lessons learnt:

1. Smile and people will smile back at you
2. Treat people with respect
3. Make friends
4. Dare to exploree
5. Dare to be yourself
6. Catioun and Fear are very different

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