South to the Dominican Republic: December 2012

After a long day of of waiting yesterday we have mixed feelings about getting of the bus and leaving again. We really want to get back to the mission, but we did not want to wait at broken bridges anymore. So instead of leaving bright and early like yesterday, we explored the upper village of Las Canoas. We saw the river overflow, a canal, and a few boys that yelled "whiskey" when we where about to take their picture. The hike up the hill back to the church is tiring, hot sun, humid weather, tolling on the body. Can you imagine being one of the women carrying jugs of water for miles just to was their dishes or cook their food?

The kids are sad that we are leaving but we know that that is that right thing to do. We got pass the first bridge no problem, we would have missed going over it if someone had said "here is the first bridge". We shortly got to another mile and a half line of cars yet again. More waiting... We decided to go back into town where we filled up on gas and ate more fried chicken. Yummmm... In a rush we zoomed back to the bridge with the rumor that it had opened. It had not. Fun, Fun, Fun. Fortunately a stubble, strata type loose rock wall was seated next to us on the road.

Some of us, being boys decided we were going to be courageous and clime that wall. It took us about 45 min but we finally got up there with only a couple scraped knees and cut elbows. Once arriving up top we found that is dropped down into a valley with a dried creek at the bottom. It was full of cactus plants and other green vegetation because it was only a little way from the ocean. It had pros and cons to being up top, one pro would be that it was gorgeous. One con would be that the cactus plants came off in two inch sections with 15, 2 inch thorns sticking out of each piece. They seemed rather attached to you. They only made you bleed a little though. One exciting thing though, was that we found a dead, rotting goat on the mountain side. We also found an old Dominicana Policia officers jacket with patches. We each took a patch to take home as a souvenir. I wonder what would have happened if they had stopped us and found the patches?

We all reluctantly head back down the cliff because the bus is leaving and we would prefer to be on it. It was awesome on top but good in a bus with a book to read or music to listen too. Screech... Again... Stopped. Waiting in line again. This time my dad and Tim took us on a short walk down to some carpenters making wood creations with a pokey, wood providing plant called something like balka. There is only one use for this wood and it is used for making mortar and pestle tools. I bought a plantain smasher from the roadside carpenter. After a walk back to the bus, the word we had been waiting to hear all day was sounded. "The line is moving"! We are on our way! After 2 days of waiting we are on the move!!!

Once we finally left it took us about an hour and a half to get back to the mission. Three hours to get to the church two days to get back. Not a good win to loss ratio, but a good experience anyway. On all of our minds once getting back to the mission was showers. The mission had real ones that were not just a drain spout!! We all go to bed, tired but sad because tomorrow is our last day in the Dominican Republic.