First impressions

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I´m sitting in the i to i guesthouse in Santo Domingo to write this. We´ve got a computer with access to the internet which will make staying in touch much easier - assuming it´s working. I´m discovering that not much works as it should in the DR but the pace of life is so laid-back that it doesn´t really matter. There are about 10 volunteers at the guesthouse (give or take the odd overnight guest), all working on projects in and around Santo Domingo.

I started teaching yesterday so today so I´m pretty knackered at the moment, especially as we had a big night out yesterday and I only had 3 hour sleep. Dominicanos just love to dance, mostly merengue and raggatan, so there´s no chance of just standing around for a quiet drink. It´s hot and heavy on the dance floor here - whether you want it to be or not!

I´m teaching with two other girls (Sarah and Amanda) who have been here for a couple of months now and it´s really good to have their experience to help me settle in. The language barrier isn´t as much of a problem as I feared and I can usually get the gist of what people are saying and can make myself understood most of the time.

The public transport system here is a bit of an eye opener. There´s a choice of public cars, gua-guas or moto-conchos (crazy motorscooters that you ride pillion). The general rule is to cram as many people as possible into each mode of transport and just shout when you want to get out or off. Moto conchos are particularly terrifying as the Dominicano approach to road safety is relaxed to say the least - they basically drive wherever they want and beep their horn to let other road users know they´re there. Most of the public transport has seen many, many years of use and abuse so you really have to hang on for dear life and pray.

The school is called the Escuela Cafe con Leche, literally the Milky Coffee school. It got it´s name because the Director who set it up wanted the children to be proud of their colouring (moreno), which is usually considered to mark somebody out as second class in Dominican society. It´s in a very poor barrio on the west side of the city but although it´s a pretty shabby place, everybody is open and friendly and we always feel safe and welcome. We teach 4 classes between 8am and midday with about 45 pupils in each. It´s too tiring to teach a whole day so a second set of volunteers take over after lunch. This means I´ve got the afternoons free to catch up on a bit of sunbathing, site seeing or shopping.

Spent this afternoon lounging around the pool at a nearby hotel, which is a haven of peace and quiet in the city. I´m still very pasty and covered in blotchy red mosquito bites (the house is completely infested so we have to be fumigated over the weekend!) so I´m not a very pretty site in a bikini but my freckles are out and the temperature is in the low 80´s so hopefully it won´t be too long before they join up and I start to get a tan!

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Photos

Cafe Con Leche 1
Pupils at the Escuela Cafe con Leche

The barrio
Barrio where pupils at Cafe con Leche live

Cafe con leche 2
Pupils at the Cafe con Leche

Cafe con leche 3
Pupils at the Cafe con Leche

Cafe con leche 4
Mural at the Cafe con Leche

Moto concho
A moto concho!

Comments

[Valerie]

Jealous!
Can I come and play! Everything looks and sounds fantastic - did the bear make it ok? Wishing all the best - have fun xx

[Jo Flo, Sam and Emily]

You lucky Bugger
Kit It all looks and sounds fantastic over there and great to here that you are enjoying yourself other than an attack from the mosquitos which have possibly travelled over from Majorca? I'm sure that in six months you will manage to get the freckles to join up? Good luck and keep in touch with us and provide us with regular updates. Weather looks a wee tad betterer than here as sat in lounge with rain beating at the window. Meal on the Friday before you left was great and good to have such a big crowd to see you off. Take care and keep an eye on yourself, as Sal's said we will keep you up to date with the Goss' when we get some. Glasses up, glasses up and cheers, cheers, cheers Flo, Sam and Em XXXX

[Jim]

BRILLIANT!!!!
Hey mate, Glad to see you've started to settle in and judging by the photos, Winch must seem a billion light years away. Looking forward to following your travels and it's DEFINITELY going to give me itchy feet syndrome! Wishing i was there, Jim x

[Jaq & Nick]

Sounds fantastic
Glad you arrived safely everything sound's great, the mosquito's must bring back memories of when we were dodging them in mallorca and you freckles did start to join up then. Make sure you take care and keep us posted with all that you do. Glasses up as the saying goes.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Ps Don't forget the sun lotion

[Brain]

Hey there from St Lucia!
Logged in at our local Internet Cafe and great to hear how things are going and that you've settled in well. I can't begin to imagine how you actually 'work' in these temperatures. It's a bit of a slog to haul on the old bikini and stumble down to the beach for me... Looking forward to hearing your next updates, no doubt from cold England next time. Lots of love Brain xxx

[Steve]

Glasses Up
All sounds wicked Kit - (Kat) .... looking forward to hearing the next exciting story about you meeting the man of your dreams, getting married on a beach and having twins.... Ok so maybe not just yet but you never know what's round the bend... Keep up the good work and take care... Love Steve