More Around Santo Domingo--DR Day 3

Now I have a bit more time to explain our trip for those wondering.

Our Church does humanitarian service all over the world.
Older married couples called senior missionaries are often called to serve as humanitarian missionaries.  They are sent to places throughout the world.  They spend 1-2 years serving the people wherever they are.  In the humanitarian services of the Church they focus on 5 areas of improving the lives of people-- Food, Water, Neonatal Resucitation, Wheelchairs, and Vision.  Missionary couples look for opportunities to fill these needs in whatever area they reside.  The Church will often buy equipment for hospitals and cliniques. They invite different kinds of eye specialist to come depending on the needs. David has been invited to our past two trips because they needed a Spanish speaking retina specialist. He is able to help make sure the machine is working and that the doctors that will use it have the tools and knowledge to use the equipment so they can continue to help the people in that part of  the world.

Last year when we went to Ecuador the Church donated a laser and he was able to train the ophthalmologists how to use it.  This year the Church donated a vitrectomy machine to a diabetic hospital so he came to make sure that the retina specialist here is able to use it.  During both trips he has done surgeries, seen patients, and given lectures. Although David is quite a homebody and lover of the US, he knows the importance of serving others. I on the other hand love trips and want to travel the world so I feel lucky that I get to come as his Companion. I suppose we make a good pair.  He has the skills and I have the desire to go.  I spend most of my days with the senior couple we visit hospitals, schools, as well as popular tourist sites.

So day 3 we continued around Santo Domingo

This is the market with vegetables grown in the nearby fincas

 Huge bags of spices

 And fresh meat straight from the slaughter house, yowee

 Dropped by the stinky chicken coop

 Always a wonder how electricity works here and even more of a wonder that no one is killed by the  hanging wire.  Also so impressed with the men who work on these lines and can make sense of that..

We visited this public school.  It was a very poor school. One classroom for each grade, no running water, no air, no fans, no play area.  The kids were squished into their classrooms. It was so hot all the kids were sweating.

 

5th graders learning French. The teacher stands at the back of the  classroom because there is no room by the board.  Also it is a little cooler by the door.

Old desks stacked in the corner of the play ground

Kindergarteners

This is an underground cave in the city called Tres Ojo.
There are 3 underground lakes that are fed by a fresh spring.

The water is cool and clear.

This man's job is to climb to the side of the cave and dive off.
Pretty sweet job.
I think Jared would be awesome at this.

The hidden lake.  We had to take a raft across the lake in the cavern to this lake.

Here it is from above

This is the Faro de Colon.  A museum honoring Christopher Columbus.
It is in the shape of a cross. Big, huge, concrete cross.  Kind a big obnoxious looking building.
The locals told us that at night it is very beautiful because it is all lit up and you can see the cross in the sky.  However, the ladrones (thieves) keep stealing the lights so its not very bright....