Breaking all the rules already

The volunteers have left, and though I miss them terribly, Joe and I are just having a blast already. The one bad thing about the volunteers leaving is, it seems like they took all our rationality along with them back to the states! Today has been a day of breaking all the rules of travel, and I´m so glad that Joe is here to egg me on.

For starters, we decided to wander around, and ended up in one of the strangest plazas I have ever seen. Granted, I have not been in many plazas in my lifetime, but, this one was exceptionally bizarre. It had benches stacked on top of each other in the middle underneath a great big black statue of Gomez. It was deserted, and seemingly had no purpose as there was nowhere to sit, nor anything to see. Below it was another nicer plaza, and a building next to it that had its doors thrown wide open. We decided to wander in, and saw a nice, big room with chairs set up like a classroom. We assumed it was an extension of the Santiago Technology University that was across the street, but were bewildered when we asked the guard and he ushered us to two seats in front of a great big official desk. We sat down, a bit nervously, after all, we didn´t exactly come to get consulted or anything. Then, a bubbly man strode out to the desk, and began talking to us. And talking to us. Joe did his trademark nod and smile, and I was able surprisingly to understand almost all of what he said, and what´s more, to talk right back to him. An hour later finds us still conversing with this incredible man who has walked from Santo Domingo into Haiti, the length of Puerto Rico, and from Miami to New York. He is the right hand man of a senator it turns out, a lawyer, and a devoted emissary of love, peace, and solidarity. We had to regretfully leave to meet Marino, a friend of mine from Harvard who lives in Santo Domingo, but, before we left, Angel offered us a place to stay that night.

We went to the Colonial Zone with Marino afterwards. Then, in a thunderstorm with HUGE bullets of rain and lightening all around, we had to make a decision. Either we hop on a bus and head to god knows where to stay dry and begin our adventure there, or, we head back to the plaza.

Well, let me just say, in twenty minutes, we are meeting Angel to stay the night at his house. Absolutely amazing. His hospitality, his good nature, and his dedication to solidarity are things that I admire so much, and am abolutely thankful for.

So, the adventures begin with a stay in a stranger´s house, and a great meal that he promises us as soon as we get there.

Plans for the rest of the trip? Meh... haven´t really got any. I think we will get on a bus tomorrow in the general direction of North, but, we´ll see. Wish us luck!

Much love,
Sara