Since I feel like it’s been so long since I’ve chronicled last, I
almost feel obliged to bullet note the events of the past few weeks,
since I know I can be prolific anyway ☺. The fourth of July was the
most recent of events which deserves notations, so I’ll start there and
work my way back.
I finally agreed to come out of my bubble (my site) and go with the group to a place called Paraiso (Paradise) down south. It’s on the eastern coast of the southern-most peninsula of the DR, which means that it was my first time swimming in the Caribbean since I’ve been in country. What was amazing, though, wasn’t necessarily the ocean itself, though the color was an unbelievable crystalline turquoise, but the world’s shortest river which lead up to it.
This river came out of a mountain stream, which meant it was cold, the coldest water I’ve felt in country, and amazingly clear. Some rented inner tubes to float the short way down, and others of us braved it feet first, bumping against the rocks on the bottom as we went. It couldn’t have been much more than a quarter mile before we found ourselves in a swirl of salt and sweet water after a bout of rapids. The contrast between the sharp coolness of the river and the bathwater of the Caribbean was almost startling. Even more so was the current. It was overpoweringly strong. Much more so than our beach here in the north and stronger even still than our beaches in Southern California. It wasn’t a rip tide though, just an incredibly strong push of the water.
Anyhow, that was the highlight of the weekend. I floated along a river to the ocean side where I allowed myself to collect a sample of the amazing variety of stones that populated the shore instead of stand. Some were so smooth they could have been polished marble. I have pictures, but unfortunately, most of them are on other people’s cameras – both of the beach and of roasting hotdogs and s’mores over the campfire. So I don’t know how long it will be until I get them. For now, I’ll just provide what I have.
The only other event that sticks out in my mind from the past few weeks is the discovery of our own river mouth. Starting from the nearby hotel, I decided to follow the river to wherever it went, ducking under barbed wire (of which there’s enough in this country to encircle the equator several times) and stepping over giant tree roots. The walk, though short, was mystifying. To see the trees seemingly grow out of the river and spread a canopy across the path made by the animals, to follow the butterflies and see the scuttling tiny crabs, to wonder at the splashes as I passed by – was all wondrous. Have you ever seen a sprouting coconut? By the time I reached the river mouth, I was already on such a high from my surroundings that the place itself seemed that much more amazingly alluring.
The sand formed a sort of gully, with jutting cliffs and sloping banks for the river water that went astray. The locals had used heavy driftwood to form a barrier between the river itself and the ocean, which created a sandbar between the two where the currents of hot and cold water mingled. Looking back, you could see the slightly murky river water bordered by a wall of think green and scattered coconut trees. It was beautiful. One day soon, I’ll return to photograph it.
Since the last time I’ve written, I’ve also given my first exam in the only set of classes that remained afloat during this flo-ho summer schedule. The curve seemed to be relatively normal, with an average score of 75, though some of my students still couldn’t quite master the use of the mouse or the double click, let alone highlighting text and changing the font size. It’s coming together though. This month I now have three different levels, so three classes and have settled on a progression they might follow to reach a graduation in December. Vamos a ver.
I’ve also filmed my first event here (a church event of my brother’s) and edited it together for him. It’s – interesting, since I did it with my one camera and the lighting wasn’t great. But if I can ever get it up on line, I’ll let you be the judge of that.
That’s all for now, folks! Thanks for reading and definitely don’t be afraid to comment and let me know what you think
I finally agreed to come out of my bubble (my site) and go with the group to a place called Paraiso (Paradise) down south. It’s on the eastern coast of the southern-most peninsula of the DR, which means that it was my first time swimming in the Caribbean since I’ve been in country. What was amazing, though, wasn’t necessarily the ocean itself, though the color was an unbelievable crystalline turquoise, but the world’s shortest river which lead up to it.
This river came out of a mountain stream, which meant it was cold, the coldest water I’ve felt in country, and amazingly clear. Some rented inner tubes to float the short way down, and others of us braved it feet first, bumping against the rocks on the bottom as we went. It couldn’t have been much more than a quarter mile before we found ourselves in a swirl of salt and sweet water after a bout of rapids. The contrast between the sharp coolness of the river and the bathwater of the Caribbean was almost startling. Even more so was the current. It was overpoweringly strong. Much more so than our beach here in the north and stronger even still than our beaches in Southern California. It wasn’t a rip tide though, just an incredibly strong push of the water.
Anyhow, that was the highlight of the weekend. I floated along a river to the ocean side where I allowed myself to collect a sample of the amazing variety of stones that populated the shore instead of stand. Some were so smooth they could have been polished marble. I have pictures, but unfortunately, most of them are on other people’s cameras – both of the beach and of roasting hotdogs and s’mores over the campfire. So I don’t know how long it will be until I get them. For now, I’ll just provide what I have.
The only other event that sticks out in my mind from the past few weeks is the discovery of our own river mouth. Starting from the nearby hotel, I decided to follow the river to wherever it went, ducking under barbed wire (of which there’s enough in this country to encircle the equator several times) and stepping over giant tree roots. The walk, though short, was mystifying. To see the trees seemingly grow out of the river and spread a canopy across the path made by the animals, to follow the butterflies and see the scuttling tiny crabs, to wonder at the splashes as I passed by – was all wondrous. Have you ever seen a sprouting coconut? By the time I reached the river mouth, I was already on such a high from my surroundings that the place itself seemed that much more amazingly alluring.
The sand formed a sort of gully, with jutting cliffs and sloping banks for the river water that went astray. The locals had used heavy driftwood to form a barrier between the river itself and the ocean, which created a sandbar between the two where the currents of hot and cold water mingled. Looking back, you could see the slightly murky river water bordered by a wall of think green and scattered coconut trees. It was beautiful. One day soon, I’ll return to photograph it.
Since the last time I’ve written, I’ve also given my first exam in the only set of classes that remained afloat during this flo-ho summer schedule. The curve seemed to be relatively normal, with an average score of 75, though some of my students still couldn’t quite master the use of the mouse or the double click, let alone highlighting text and changing the font size. It’s coming together though. This month I now have three different levels, so three classes and have settled on a progression they might follow to reach a graduation in December. Vamos a ver.
I’ve also filmed my first event here (a church event of my brother’s) and edited it together for him. It’s – interesting, since I did it with my one camera and the lighting wasn’t great. But if I can ever get it up on line, I’ll let you be the judge of that.
That’s all for now, folks! Thanks for reading and definitely don’t be afraid to comment and let me know what you think
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