Returning...

So I am back in the US now. As of the 23rd. Left on the 21st, but not before I had a few more new experiences in the DR. Went to a mañanita (early morning) which is basically there is a truck with huge speakers in the back blaring music and literally hundreds of cars behind with people all piled inside or on top playing music too. Everyone is drinking and dancing in the backs of trucks. The normal ones people go around waking their friends up and they join in too. But the one we went to was the horse one so there are literally over a hundred horses in the street SO SCARY, but so fun too! We ran from car to car. Pretty cool. Saw Avatar in spanish! ahhh so cool! Had my last empanada...so sad. I couldnt believe i was leaving, and I still cant believe im here instead of there.

I left on the 21st my flight was delayed two hours, which made it impossible for me to catch my connection at JFK, the earliest flight they could find was for the next morning at 8 25, so I spent my third night in JFK. I hate that airport. Never again. First thing I noticed about America is how fast everyone was walking. Granted, I was in an airport so obviously people are walking even faster, but jeez!! Then, of course, the cold. ahhhh. Also how big everything is, just the expanse of the road and the houses. Nothing is smooshed together. There is almost no trash. Everything is very clean. It was weird hearing english. I need to find someone to speak spanish with soon before I forget it all!

Yes, I already really miss the dominican republic. Everything here seems so cold and dead in comparison, I know it is winter, but man. I cant belive I still have a whole other adventure to do in Chile. eee.

my mom visits!!

Mom came to visit for 10 days. She stayed with my family for a few days and I showed her around Santiago, but she brought the rain with her, so she didnt get a typical view of the city. Most of my friends were leaving on that sunday (she arrived friday) so I wanted to stay and say goodbye to them. Then on monday we went on a little adventure to the nearby town of Jarabacoa. We saw two awesome waterfalls. One of them being the waterfall in the opening scene of Jurassic Park! I need to watch it again so I can feel cool that Ive been there!

Then we left for the North Coast. Our destinations: two days at Rio San Juan, a cute little beach town that has a lagoon with mangrove forests in sight and then twoish days at Las Terrenas a more developed beach town with lots of European tourists. So it took about three little guaguas packed with people to make it, but we finally god to Rio San Juan and made it to our hotel which is literally on the beach. We had a beautiful view from our two huge windows of the water and at night we could hear the waves crashing. Spent the days at the beaches, very relaxing.

Then on our way to Las Terrenas. Took most of the day to get there so we spent the rest of the day at the beach of course. The next day we got adventurous again. Rented a little scooter and off we went to Samaná, we were attempting to catch a boat over to the amazing los haitises (devoted readers will have already seen awesome pictures) but we didnt make it. We then spent the next three hours on scooter trying to get to a legendary amazing beach: playa rincón. The guide book said most people go by boat, and we learned why! The last few miles were down this red dirt "road" so scary. We collapsed on the beach, had a pina colada (sin alcohol) and then we basically had to go because it took so long to get there and we had a LONG way to go. But we had a grand old time.

Forgot to talk about this hilarious little episode above. We went to fill up on gas before we left on the long journey home and somehow got caught in a HUGE crowd of all the other motoists filling up. There are more off screen. It was ridiculous! My little mom in a sea of dominican men!
I call this the picture that embodies the dominican republic: a scooter/moto, horses, a stray dog, the beach, and a random kid!
Me collapsed at playa rincon. Look how deserted and beautiful! too bad we couldnt enjoy it..
At rio san juan. There were these weird taino heads, i was trying to be one.
Our view from our hotel!

ailments

Hi Everyone. I am literally writing this to you with my eyes closed (impressive, i know) so if there are more errors than usual i am sure youll understand why. Okay, first off. Sorry for not posting in awhile. These last few weeks were pretty hectic. All last week was finishing up-and starting haha final projects. And the weekend before that week we had a last hurrah at the beach with everett or firend from another program who is already gone!!

Then by the middle of last week I started feeling shitty. woke up with fever, all that. thought it was rid of it. Nope. Came back, I took my spanish final at 9 in the morning with a high fever, well see what happens.

So i thought I had pretty much recovered so I went to the beach yesterday. It hurt to move my eyes, I still had a terrible heacdache. Then on the way back int he guagua my contact starts freaking out. I have to be in a gony for about an hour before I can take it out, but the agony does not stop. My eye is compeltetely red, all slwollen, cant really open it. Went to the pharmancy they gave me freking pink eye drops NO IALTHOUGHTMY EYE IS PINK IT IS NOT PINK EYE IDIOTS. soooo that is how i came to be writing this message with my eyes closed. The timining could not be worse to look like quasimoto...