4.1.2017
Arrival Day!
We arrived into the Dominican Republic, and we all met up at the airport.
We loaded a large bus to Indalo Lodge, where we then walked to the beach. Afterwards, we came back to eat dinner and got an introduction to leadership and our activities for the rest of the week before jumping into the pool.
Can’t wait for tomorrow!!
-Meghan & Ashley
4.2.2017
Today, we woke up at 6:30am and ate breakfast. After that, we departed for our adventure to Mount Brison for a day of hiking. At the top of the 3 mile hike, we ate lunch with Donna Maxima.
Then, we headed back down the mountain, and half way down, we stopped to contribute to a reforestation project with locals from the community. This consisted of planting pepper and cucumber seeds.
Afterwards, we headed home and relaxed in the pool and ate dinner. Later, we had a presentation about the seven types of human security and how they affect the communities in the Dominican Republic.
Before turning in for the evening, we split up into mentor groups and reflected on how this trip will challenge and affect us.
-Your GLA students, Taylor and Andrea
4.3.2017
Today, we woke up to buckets of rain pouring down; however, we didn’t let it slow us down or affect our mood!
We randomly divided into teams of three to start the project, which allowed students to socialize with other students that they might now have talked to without the random selection. Our project was to build a house out of recycled bottles; we divided the tasks between the teams: mixing and applying cement, carrying buckets of sand up a steep, muddy hill, and stacking bottles enclosed in chicken wire.
The work was strenuous, but incredibly rewarding, and we we very productive in our work. It was also a little fun to compete with the other teams in how effective our methods were.
Overall, it was an incredible day of rewarding hard work and team bonding.
4.4.2017
Zip Zip Hooray!
It’s our fourth day in the Dominican Republic, and we went to Dudu to zipline and explore caves and lagoons.
When we arrived we zipined 30 feet into the lagoon and free fell into the water. Everyone had a really fun time.
We played volleyball and explored wet water caves. We then went to Playa Preciosa and explored the beautiful beach while drinking pineapples and bartering for goods. Our long bus ride home was full of singing old songs.
– Erika & Ashley
4.5.2017
Today, we visited a batey community, which is a small and isolated Haitian community in the Dominican Republic, and helped renovate a preschool.
Whether it was sifting sand, mixing cement, scraping paint off the walls, or playing soccer with the kids, we all did our best to make a positive impact upon the community.
We got to stop for ice cream on our way home, which was a nice escape from the heat. We ate chicken strips and french fries for dinner along with fried plantains! A nice reminder of home after eating lots of rice and beans. Some went body surfing in the waves, while others relaxed by the pool.
Overall, we all had a fabulous day!
-Whitney Russell, Natalie Tanzy and Anastasia Arganbright
4.6.2017
Today was our second day at the Bottle House. We did similar work to the first day, including carrying sand up a hill, mixing cement, and placing the bottles in the walls. This process of using bottles allows for a more sustainable building structure than the use of more traditional construction materials.
After our work, we returned to the lodge for a cultural activity. We had locals come to the lodge and teach us several dances, including Merengue and Bachata.
We finished of a great day with some delicious tacos for dinner and then a leadership talk with Cam.
