Tuesday - Saying Adios and Traveling Home

While our 4-H'ers were very tired, and anxious to sleep in their own beds and share their stories at home, they were also sad to leave their new Dominican friends and this beautiful country.  This was a very thoughtful group of 4-H'ers.  They were learners, not tourists.  They were respectful.  They focused on similarities and not differences.  They saw the big picture and saw the impacts that they were making with others as well as the impacts that their new friends and new experiences were making with them.  It doesn't get much better than that.

Carol Nansel, 4-H Agent, Shenandoah

Monday - Snorkeling, Free Time at the Westin, and Dinner/Dancing with a Dominican Family

We had breakfast at the Westin before getting on the bus. We faced a lot of traffic on the way to the boat to snorkel, but we still made it there. The boat was fully equipped with a slide and a diving board! We got to go snorkeling, which I had never done before. We got to see a beautiful coral reef and all the fish that live in/around it. We saw some really big sting rays, a lot of yellow fish with black stripes, and some fish that looked like they had long noses. There was even a fish that looked like the fish from The Rainbow Fish (but less colorful). My favorite was a black fish with shiny purple-blue spots. 

Once we had snorkeled for a long time, we got back on the boat to drive to another spot. The second spot was a lot shallower, meaning we could all stand in the water and feel the sand on our feet. There was paddle board for people to go out on and look for conch shells on top of the coral. We didn’t find any, but one 4-H’er found a smaller pretty shell. The water was super clear and blue. I ended up very sunburnt after our boat trip! 

After our time out on the water ended, we explored the tourist market on the beach. It is normal to haggle here, which is hard for me as an American. After spending some time in cool, open-air market, our group gathered up and got back on the bus. 

We had a few hours of time to go to the beach, swim in the pool, and eat lunch. I got the resort nachos

and went to the beach to eat lunch with a couple of other Virginia 4-H’ers. The water at the resort beach was nice today, with a little less sargassum than usual. It was nice to hang out in the pool and hot tub for some  time before everyone regrouped in the lobby to get on the bus for dinner. 

We went to the home of a Dominican family, and two of the Dominican teens we met this week. They taught us some Dominican dances, which was lots of fun. The dances they taught us involved a lot more hand movements than foot movements, which contrasted from the dances I am used to. The family had 2 very sweet cats, one of which was 16 years old! The food was delicious. I really loved the tres leche cups that one of the Dominican teens made for us! Tonight was the last night we got to see the Dominican teens we made friends with this week. It was sad to say goodbye! 

After a very fun evening, we went back to the Westin. We did our reflections and then had some free time before bed. I have loved getting to learn about Dominican culture on this trip, and I can’t wait to tell everyone about it when I get home!

Victoria Delacourt, Fairfax Co.

Sunday - Higuey (shopping, sightseeing and enjoying the countryside)

 

Today, we took a day trip to Higuey! Our first stop was the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Altagracia, which was absolutely beautiful. I spent some time walking around with our Dominican teens. We took pictures and visited the gift shop. 

 After exploring the cathedral, we headed to the farmers market. To be honest, the farmers market wasn’t my favorite part of the trip, but it was nice to see all the friendly Dominicans and the various items they had for sale. We then walked to three different shops in Higuey, all of which had unique items, and I definitely spent a good bit of money there. 

 As we walked through the streets of Higuey, I noticed the bright colors of the buildings. I really enjoyed them and wished that more buildings in the United States were like that. 

 For lunch, we went to the Wellinton's house, where we tried some delicious Dominican dishes. We even sampled some of the fruits they grew in their backyard, including a pickle-like fruit that was extremely sour. 

 Later in the afternoon, Wellinton and his family taught us some Dominican dances, which I really enjoyed. Afterwards, we stopped by Iberia, a grocery store, to do some shopping, and once again, I ended up spending too much money. 

 On the ride back to the resort, Christine let me ride shotgun. It was fun but also a bit scary. Overall, the day was enjoyable and very interesting!

 Logan Walton, Alleghany County 

Today we traveled to Higuey, where we visited the Basilica, farmer’s market, and a few little shops in the area that we return to year after year. For lunch we were hosted by Wellinton, our former Logistics Coordinator from the

PuntaCana Foundation, who has continued to host this lunch for us at his family home in the countryside outside of Higuey. He toured us through their small orchard behind the house, where we were able to try several fruits they grow. Our teens got Merengue and Bachata dance lessons after lunch (we still have

some work to do). On our way back to the hotel we stopped at the Iberia, a local supermarket. We had our final dinner at the hotel tonight (we’re being hosted by another longtime supporter of the program tomorrow evening).

Emmalee Edwards, 4-H Agent, Augusta Co.

Saturday - Service Day

                                                                          Our service day included dropping donated school supplies at Caracoli, a school we visit annually, and a quick tour of the grounds. 

We had lunch at a local restaurant where we enjoyed delicious and authentic Dominican food, including grouper, stewed chicken, rice, beans, salad, and fried plantains. 

Then we popped over to La Casa de Esperanza, where our day campers this week reside. We toured their home and school, delivered donations, and spent time hanging out with the girls and playing games. 

We were asked to paint a mural on one of the walls in their courtyard and the girls were able to help with the majority of it. There are now at least two 4-H clovers painted on walls in the DR! We were all more than a little sad when it came time to say goodbye. These girls sure left an impression. 💚

Emmalee Edwards, 4-H Agent, Augusta Co.