One Big Mac, two busses, 8 phone calls, 400 pesos and one motorcycle ride up the mountain at sunset later and I’m back in the countryside! It is nice to be settled; all my worldly possessions are finally in one location and I am no longer living out of a suitcase (nor do I need to schlep stuff around on public transportation). However you quickly realize how much stuff you collect over a period of 2 months in a new country… my small room barely fits all my suitcases, clothes, manuals and cooking supplies!

As always, El Guayabo is cool and calm. This next week is basically a freebie week, in which I adjust to my final community and start planning for the next 3 months (and wait for my Health director to come to my site and confirm everything’s okay). Then, I will start my community diagnostic which is primarily composed of 100 home visits and lots of meetings with community groups to see what the health needs of the community are (although most of the people I have talked to have hinted they need help with economic development…not health. So, I may also be doubling as a community economic development volunteer).

Unfortunately, I have found out that while my new Tricom (Sprint) phone receives signal in my yard, it somehow cannot send nor receive any “data”… which makes it worthless. The only place I have found service yet is in a nearby community an hour hike away. A bit inconvenient. So, I’m going to see how cheap an Orange plan is this weekend in Santiago Rodriguez. Depending, I may switch to yet a third phone service... I will keep you all updated!

My most marked activity yet has been the daily 5pm Catholic prayer sessions I have been attending (host parents are very catholic). I sit through the informal neighborhood get-togethers mainly composed of older women, in which we sing a few songs, say 50 Hail Mary’s on rosaries and recall the mysteries of the virgin. It’s actually pretty interesting, as I know nothing about Catholicism or the cult of the Virgin. It’s basically a time of group meditation, which I personally find to be pretty relaxing. And, it’s a good way to gain trust with the women (and get out of the house).

Other Updates:
• I officially have a Dominican bank account! I am actually in charge of my own spending (the $350/month I make to cover food/housing/living expenses)!
• My sleeping bag is now a permanent fixture on my bed! The cold at night is magnificent!
• I have developed allergies to one of the many plants here. Boo.
• I rode my first burro. It was slow and smelly. While it is good at carrying goods to market, it will not be carrying me again.