Day 2
Up and at ‘em early today as we prepare for our trip by bus to Haiti. After an unusually expensive meal at our hotel, we travelled by cab to the CaribeBus station to purchase our tickets for the trip. During the short ride, our driver asked our destination and upon hearing where we were headed stated, “La Cunda? No seriously, where are you going?” He laughed when we told him we were serious. It seems that the Haitian people and their plight are not a favorite subject amongst native Dominicans. Most people we’ve talked to since our arrival have been glad to see that someone cares enough to cross the border and lend a hand, but just as glad that that person is not them.
Ryan stated last night that his biggest apprehension about the trip was probably the first bus ride from Santo Domingo to our worksite. When we reached the bus station, the air conditioned, coach type busses we encountered largely alleviated that fear. Only ooooone problem. Something I’ve encountered in other countries as I’ve travelled over the years is an interesting take on air conditioning. By and large, the rest of the world doesn’t believe in it, which is fine because they believe in windows and that forces you to breathe in the countryside as you see it pass you by. The problem with this bus is that the no A/C rule is still pretty much in effect, but the windows also don’t open. Also, Kat’s informed me that she will never again complain about my driving, a statement that I’m memorializing here so she can’t go back on her word later.
As we drive through this country, it’s amazing to see how the country changes as we leave the areas prepared to suit tourists, and begin to see what daily life looks like for most people here. My general impression is that people in the smaller settings outlying the main city of Santo Domingo seem much less hurried. As we drive, people are sitting, talking, relaxing in the sun, though oddly most are wearing jeans. Street vendors sell produce, men fix cars and trucks in garages, and everything is covered with a thin layer of dust that no one seems to notice. As we wind through the landscape, the mountains appear and the road becomes less refined… This is not a trip suited for someone prone to carsickness.
Travel Lesson #1- Ask for directions; people already know you’re a tourist. The only way to look more obviously American than I already do would be to wear an Obama t-shirt and a red, white, and blue top hat. I, however, as a male of the species, have a natural aversion to asking for directions and as a police officer, feel like I should be giving them rather than receiving them. So this lesson came hard for me. Humble pie, it seems, is a dish best served in multiple courses, but I’m getting it now. Ask for directions, people love helping dumb Americans.
- Rik
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