Day at the Capital

Santo Domingo. This is the first time the students from the Tears school have been to the big city. Their world is the Barrio with narrow streets, kids on the streets and people on motor cycles and scooters dodging everything in the way and so this is home. I'm not sure what to expect either, this being my first time in the Dominican.

Judy doing her rounds in the barrio of Maria Auxiliadora

The kids are in the yellow school bus and the "white guys" and some teachers in the air conditioned tour bus.  We bounce our way out of La Vega and onto a nice 4 lane highway with a few bumps along the way and after a stop for a bio break and juice and sandwiches we are rolling into Santo Domingo.  This is a busy city, construction, lots of traffic, fewer motor cycles than what the kids are used to. We get our first glimpse of water with boats, and even a cruise boat moored across the bay.

Columbus' Colonial Fort 

We pull up to an entrance obviously old that catches our attention. This is the old town center and fort that the Columbus family first started here. We make it through the main gate and start down the main street with everyone accounted for - all 90 kids, white people and all the Tears staff.  We get funny looks. Who are all the "white guys" dressed in the same shirts as the Dominican kids? All of us in sharp black shirts with logos front and back showing we are all one group. We're just like the city people. I'm sure the kids are feeling pretty special about now. This has been an exciting week and it just keeps getting better, if that were possible.

Grade six class with Rosemary at Science Centre

We are quickly logged in to see the science center by Chelo and the Museum staff and one inside we wait our turn for the tour. We see an incredible science center called the "Trampoline".

Lunchtime

Next we all go for chicken dinner at a restaurant. Had to be special as there was more than 100 of us in all.  So good. Back on the bus headed for home. That's it? Not without stopping for ice cream from some guy on a motorcycle. God was especially good to us all to day. Thank you Lord.

Lorne