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Published: March 29th 2012
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Sorry for the long delay between posts, but I had something written down before leaving for my volunteer visit, but the power went out and my work just wasn’t saved. And of course, I was lazy in trying to write it again cause it was late and well, I was tired. Okay so back onto my story to grandma’s house. So we pick up the story, where the dashing protagonist has left his quiet, safe, and lawful home to aid a fellow knight in his battle against the evil dark lord in the lawless town of La Barrera. Before arriving to give aid, he proceeded to have a long journey. This first started with a meetup with a fellow trainee, Jeff, and eventually , this dashing, roguish protagonist, (you would think I should put Tal here, but Curious George works as well) met up with his volunteer, Joshua or Josue if you speak Spanish (I really didn’t get this one, but the kids all call him this. It just killed my brain. I really don’t know why you change your name to make it easier to say in a language, but I say if your name is einjlavneinlzndvnein and it sounds
liked nviavnixknvxidvnev, then screw everyone else. You don’t look like a John or Steve if you name is really twice as long). Curious George (CG) and Jeff arrived in DTSD (downtown Santo Domingo…yes I am gangsta), and Curious asks how much, but with one look from the driver he says 400 pesos. By this point, CG responds with, I know the price and I wont give one banana more! And with that CG&J hop on the bus and live happily ever after!
But seriously, because many things are not regulated in this country, people will try to swindle you out of your money all the time if you look foreign. So Joshua and I traveled west to Los Rios, where we stayed the night and also had some dinner with other peace corps volunteers (PCV). The next day, we take the truck up the mountain. What I mean that it was like an industrial truck with a very big flat bed in the back so in true public transportation style you sit in the back and cram like 30 people and drive up the mountain on potholed and straight rock roads. The next couple of days, I stayed with Josh and just lived his life. We did a little surveying, fruit picking (the pears that I had everyday were some of the best fruit I have EVER had), eating, and had my first shower in a spring, naked to the world. The intial shock of cold as it hits your naked body just leaves you like a stone. However, in its defence, cool water on the testicles feels great, but maybe that was true cause it was invigorating to be naked in nature! A quick rundown of his community that he serves: It has no electricity, no running water, and no paved road.
The real story was how I came down the mountain. We waited for the truck at the place it dropped us off, but because of the rain the last couple of days, it could not fully make it to the stop where it can turn around. So it is stuck about 50 feet from the top. Instead of just turning around there, the cobrador takes like 5 or 6 50-100lb bags of produce and places them in the back so that the weight can push down on the rear tires since this truck only has rear wheel drive. The truck backs up until he gets up the previous hill and then floors it (emissions don’t exist in this country..shhhhhhhh) and of course never makes it cause it had to dodge 5 ft potholes, skewed elevation changes, and the very steep slope. At this point, it stops at like 10 feet from the top. The cobrador then gets a big rope, and with the help of 10 people, the pull the truck up. However the real fun begins. This community, as well as all the communities in the mountains and near Los Rios, are agriculture. As we head down the mountain, in the back of the truck, we stop at small communities to pick up more people. At one point the truck bed is completely filled to the top with produce and it is double and triple stacked in the back. The only way to ride is you just sit you butt on the produce and put your legs outside of the truck (or you can do another thing, just sit on the cabin and put your feet in the truck bed). I was like this for 3 hours!
The other funny thing that happened to me was I got to Santo Domingo and then took the guagua home. As I am walking past this really famous nightclub in my neighborhood (it’s called Mayday, and it has an airplane on the top of its roof), a car stop right in front of me and I see that it is one my dona’s older son. I get in the car, and we go to his mother in law’s house to talk, and then we drive back to the house. However, we park like a block away, with my stuff in his car, and we walk to Mayday cause he said he wanted to get 1 drink and I thought it would be cool to hangout with him. So before we even enter the club, I get introduced to the club’s owner, and subsequently, we go inside and go stand next to one of the tables. Waiting at our table was a bottle of rum (this is the DR folks!), and I get served a mixed drink by the owner. I have to be nice to I take that one, another shot, and eventually a beer as well. Luckily, 3 or 4 units of alcohol really doesn’t do anything to me, but the older son had waaaaaaaaaaaaay more than me. Also, he said he didn’t want to party too much so eventually I said we have to go now after like an hour at this place. Needless to say, if I wanted to stay longer, I could have gotten hammered for free, but I needed to get home. I show up at the house with my things, and the dona asks if I took a taxi home from DTSD since it was like 11 or a little later. I respond, “of course, I took a taxi, and I paid 300 pesos to take me to the house”. Sorry but I needed to lie here.
Oh and I uploaded some pictures from my visit to the botanical gardens, which were HUGE!
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