Enjoying the local brew

We are currently sitting outside of our hotel taking in the much different weather of the Dominican Republic. It is in the mid seventies with a slight breeze. It was quite an adventure making it to where we are now. We woke this morning and were heading out of the hotel with our bagged breakfasts by 4 AM.  We had two busses waiting for us outside, unfortunately for the first group the first bus broke down right before arriving at the airport. On the upside those riding on the bus were able to keep a positive attitude and were picked up by another bus within a few minutes. All were able to make it through the airport without a hitch. We even had some time to spare. We were able to sit and get some extra food and chat while waiting to board.
The flight went well. Some were able to watch movies, while others read or enjoyed catching up on some sleep. There was only a minor mishap when David got a nose bleed. There was joking that Molly decided to punch David after getting mad, causing his nose bleed.

After arriving safely in Santiago,  we made our way through customs. Everyone's checked bag arrived safely, and we made our way to meet up with Allen, who has done a lot of our let work for planning transportation and lodging. We are very lucky to have amazing connections here on the island. We packed our awesome bus with our luggage, then made our way to the beautiful Century Hotel. Oh, by the way, did we mention that it was like 85 and sunny when we got here? No complaints here! After getting settled, we got back on the bus and headed to this huge grocery store. There is nothing comparable in America, as far as I know. It was two stories, groceries on the main floor, then you take a ramp/escalator to the second floor, where they have clothes, toys, purses, and a full food court. We ate lunch here (and mostly had no idea what we were ordering), then explored the store. It was interesting to see how many of the same brands they have here that we have in America. Their produce was very different, though. I felt like such a tourist, as I was taking pictures of everything! In the seafood section, they had an entire squid on ice. After leaving the store, we went back to the hotel for a much needed nap. We just finished eating supper, and we are now headed to see a monument in the city.

Maddie will be joining us tonight, thankfully. Leaving for the Haiti border tomorrow morning, we are really glad she will be here finally! As for now, we are on our way to see part of the scenic bit of the town. Next update will probably come from Cap Haitien, Haiti !

-Josey, Jenna and Amanda

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