The Crazy DR

Hey guys! It's been two weeks since I arrived here in the Dominican Republic and I have to say it's crazier than I ever could have imagined. I think using the public transportation here is probably one of the most dangerous things I've ever done. Eventually I'll get some pics of what the public transportation looks like so you can fully understand the craziness of the drivers here. Let's just say these cars have seen their better days long ago, when they still had things that aren't really necessary here like rear view mirrors and door handles. And I haven't really figured out what red lights here mean. I mean i think they mean stop, but it's rare that anybody actually does.

Anyways, on with my life here in the DR. So you can get a feel of what it's like being a student living with a family here, here's a picture of my cozy little room:

Pretty nice, right? You expected a straw hut and a dirt floor? Not quite. Although that's not to say everybody here lives like this. There's a huge gap between the poor and the rich- I mean no shocker, it's like that most places. I live in a nice little apartment with my host mom and her 23 year old daughter. They're super nice and try to make me feel as much at home as I possibly can in a country where I'm oceans away from my family, friends and the love of my life. Oh and don't fail to notice over there on the bed, Johnny Storm the bunny! He keeps me company here. Oh also notice the tv, on which I am able to watch all the new episodes of Grey's (ok so maybe I have become a little addicted...) and all the Law and Order re-runs I can take. My Dona never fails to remind me that the students aren't supposed to have tv's in their rooms, but she's not like the other host moms. I feel like I'm in middle school all over again. She drops me off places and I always have to let her know what I'm doing. It's really best that way though, walking places after dark is a huge no-no here.

I realize I'm starting to ramble here, and most people are only going to look at the pictures anyways, so here's a couple more pics with some briefer captions.

This is the ruins of an old Dominican sugar plantation. They re-constructed half to show what it would have looked like originally and left half in ruins to show the wear of time.

Here's the first beach I visited in the DR. The first of many to come. This is Playa Pelenque and is pretty rural without any real touristy attractions. For about $1.50 you can ride an inflatable banana boat being pulled by motor boat. Pretty fun and a great way to get the full beauty of the coastline.

Ok-this was incredibly impressive. Yes, that's a bottle of rum that girl is dancing on top of. And yes, you should be jealous. This restaurant, El Conuco, is incredibly touristy with the dancing on rum and what not, but the food was good and authentic Dominican cuisine. An unbeatable combination!