Trip to Higüey - Danny and Carter

Today we visited a town called Higüey. This town is about two hours’ bus ride from Punta Cana.  While at Higüey we first went to town’s main market.  In there we visited three souvenir shops and bought some souvenirs for ourselves, families and friends.  The prices at the stores were fair and we were diligent about finding a good bargain.

Once we finished our shopping expedition, we visited the Basilica Nuestra Seňora de la Altagracia at Higüey.  The Dominicans are very proud of their catholic heritage

which is very ingrained in their daily activities and traditions. This trip to the Basilica showed me how devoted the Dominicans are to their religious patron.

Then we went to Wellington’s parents house for a filling and delicious Dominican meal. I got to try Mangos and limoncillos again they were both juicy and sweet.  I have not had a mango that sweet before in my life! Wellington also taught us how to make tostones fritos (a Dominican staple). The avocados there tasted amazing and they almost reminded me of the ones I eat at home. Wellington also taught us to dance Salsa and Bachata. Bachata was easier of the two dances because it was a simple dance in nature. Salsa on the other hand took a bit more time to get used to but we all eventually got the hang of it.  I have some nice videos of the dance lessons!  These lessons definitively will come handy when we go to the Giudicelli’s home for our Monday night farewell dinner.

Submitted by Danny Cayelli, Shenandoah/Fairfax counties

This was my second trip to Higuey and it was much better than the first year. We started off by driving through the countryside to get to the city. When we got there, we were able to go to some of the little shops to buy souvenirs from the locals. I got a good deal on a couple of paintings and Manuel (a Dominican teen) was able to get me a pair of earrings for free and a ring for $12.

After we finished shopping we went to the farmers market. This time was much better than in 2015.  I was prepared for the entire experience. If only Manuel and Hermes hadn't kept pointing out different kinds of meats hanging in the alleys.

Next we drove out to Welinton's parents house in the country and we tried different fruits and played with the chickens while we waited for lunch to be ready. I tried mango, wild Dominican berries, and limoncillos for the first time. For lunch we had an amazing

medley of rice, beans, chicken, avocado and fried plantains.  After we ate we danced the Merengue and the Bachata (although the Salsa is my favorite.)

Next we went to Iberia, the Dominican supermarket, where I found the cutest pair of heels and a really cute top.  All and all it was a really great day.  It was so cool to see the Dominican teens haggling with the shop owners to get us lower prices and I loved dancing at Welinton's home.

 

Submitted by Carter Adcock, Alleghany County

 

 

 

Day of Service - Gabi Fream

Today opened my eyes to a new perspective on the real life of a majority of the Dominican people. Being within the fences of the resort closes you off from the reality of the country. I realized that money really can’t buy you happiness and no matter what you have, give thanks. I never understood how powerful happiness was until walking inside the home of Jaqueline and getting a glimpse of life in the Dominican Republic. We had an amazing time learning how to dance the merengue (National Dance of Dominican Republic) and even though it was miserably hot, we still had a great time because we have created our own community with each other this week. These people don’t have much, but it is enough in their eyes it is just enough. Dominicans radiate joy and content and I have become so much more appreciative of not only my material items, but what truly makes me happy. 

Submitted by Gabi Fream

Day of Service - Ivy Warnell

Today I was able to really get an understanding of what life is like for regular Dominicans living in the villages. Walking through the area and seeing the people was very eye opening for me. I noticed how different life is for these people, and even though they don’t have much material items, they are a very close knit community that take everything that they do have for granted. I had a great time interacting with the people and learning to dance. I also really enjoyed delivering the school supplies and getting to see the children and those running the schools get excited about the things that we gave to them.

Submitted by Ivy Warnell

Day of Service - Danny Cayelli

Today we picked up trash in a nearby village called Domingo Maiz. We saw many of our day campers while we were picking up trash there. One thing that I noticed while in Domingo Maiz was that even though that the people there had nothing they were still very happy because they are very close with their neighbors and other members in their community. At lunch we all received an opportunity to learn and attempt to dance the merengue (Dominican National Dance). It was quite daunting at first until Wellinton broke it down into simple steps. After he did that, I was able to pick up the dance quickly and am ready for the dancing on Monday night at the Giudicelli’s house. After that we delivered school supplies to two schools. When they received the school supplies, they were very grateful and they said some words of thanks to us that will go a long way with the connection between the schools and the program.

Submitted by Danny Cayelli

The Tie-Dye T-Shirt

The tie-dye T-shirt has come to represent so much in the Punta Cana area, and for the Virginia 

4-H/Dominican Delegation. It was initially utilized as a craft the second year of the program, using a design done by a local artist, and has been continued ever since. No two tie-dye shirts are just alike, just like us. The shirts represent a special two days in participants’ lives, and an unforgettable eight days for those of us who have been blessed to join this program.

Carol and I played with numbers in our head and came up with

these figures:

1) We’ve had an average of fifty campers per year, so including this year that’s about 1200-plus kids; 

2) Each camper, and teen leader, average ten per year, has dyed a shirt, a total of approximately 1320 shirts; 

3) These shirts are likely shared by families and even neighborhoods, say 30 per cent share rate… That is about 1600 (conservative) people wearing these shirts!  

These shirts have even been seen in Higuey, the eastern regional capital. That exposure is nice to have, and shows the ripple effect of this program.

  

Our 4-H group provides transportation and scholarships campers to come to Day Camp from a poor village, or neighborhood, if you will, called Domingo Maiz in the town of Veron, just outside of the resort area. Welinton de la Rosa has two community leaders choose who is privileged to come.  This year, 24 were chosen out of 48 kids, based on their leadership and willingness to help out in their village.  They must abide by the rules--one did not, and was not allowed to come back the second day.  

While visiting Domingo Maiz for our service project and lunch after Day Camp, the kids from Camp saw us in our tie-dye shirts, and ran back home to put theirs on.  Welinton told us that for them, owning a tie-dye 4-H Camp shirt shows the other kids “I was able to go.  Do you want to go next year?  Then, be a leader like me.” That honor and privilege, for children, or anyone in this village, is something they can claim is theirs, even if they don't have much else. And to see that truly warms our hearts. 

Submitted by Rory Nansel, Chaperon