Cultural Day!

Today was cultural day! Our group had the opportunity to get a deeper glimpse of Dominican culture. After breakfast, we headed off to Dajabon, a market on the Haitian/Dominican border. Every Monday and Friday, Haitians go there to sell clothing and/or cross the border to live in the Dominican Republic. Dominicans often sell foods because there is better soil in the Dominican Republic. As we made our way through the market, we stood on a bridge over the Massacre River where Trujillo, the Dominican dictator from 1931-1960, ordered the death of 20,000 Haitians. After we experienced the crowded and overwhelming market, we briefly stopped at a Dominican cemetery. We then quickly travelled to the hotel to grab our pesos and to change into our swimsuits. From there, we went to a secluded gift shop. After, we were able to experience a delicious and delightful buffet provided by Outreach 360. Then, we set out for the beach “El Morro.” Once we arrived, most of us hiked up a large hill, where we were able to capture a beautiful view of the beach and clear, blue ocean. When we made it back to the bottom of the hill, we were all ready to take a dip. We stayed at the beach for about two and a half hours and had fun swimming, relaxing, and climbing rocks. Once back at the hotel, we were ready to shower because we had so much sand in our swimsuits and clothes. We relaxed for some time, and then we ate a delicious dinner. It was tortilla night! After we enjoyed our last meal in the Dominican Republic, we reflected. Then, we wrapped up our experience with some bonding time and ice cream! We will miss the warm weather and the Dominican children we worked with as we head back to the United States tomorrow. 

Lisa and Seyi