Pico Duarte trip-fun, yes, climb a success - no

It can be hard to see the happy face on a mountain climbing trip that doesn't culminate in climbing a mountain.  But I'll give it a try.

The climb was too difficult for my level of conditioning, I imagine I could have done it at one time but since I am more of a flat-lander I don't know for sure.  The trail started out with some flatter sections at first and short ascents, but after about 4 km it changed to long, steep sections with minimal flat stretches.  Did I mention the mud?  It had been raining for several days, though not on Friday for out climb.  The trail is also used by pack mules and is deeply rutted. We were forced to try and keep to the sides where it was more solid, but the slanted sides made it slippery.  As a result I quickly dehydrated and fatigued, only about a third of the way, probably about 7 km I needed to turn back. 

We still had a good trip overall, we talked with some interesting people and saw parts of the country we wouldn't have otherwise.  The living conditions are better understood when you dip your toe in them. We slept the first night in a motel, we had water in our sink and a toilet but electricity only for a few hours in the evening.  The next two nights we slept in a room at the visitors center on mattresses,  we had a toilet but no electricity.  We had flashlights but no lanterns, early to bed and early to rise for us. It was also noisey there because many people were camping around the visitor center balconys and hallways, and they kept arriving during the night.  The locals have intermittent electricity, I am not sure about their water source and I know lots don't have indoor plumbing.  So camping every day with no money for fancy gear.





Elder McDermid in our Rancho Wendy room.




Banana tree at Rancho Wendy



View near La Cienaga

Proposed route, I almost made it to La Cotorra.



On way up we had 7 people in the cab, this same truck had 7 in cab and 8 in the box on way back home.




This hummingbird had the bright green back, but wouldn't hold still.




Mulo jam on main road to La Cienaga and park entrance.




Some looked more like horses, though small (POA?)




Yaque river near visitors center.




Trail head sign




Sorry, out of order, but so handsome.



Rancho Wendy, winter flowers.



Winter rose Ranco Wendy




Victor and Tony loading our mulo at base.



I survived to rest on the porch at Visitors center

Dominican driving is to be constantly on alert for potholes, animals and the other drivers and motos.

The poor Dominicans will share whatever they have.

Street market in La Vega



Planting rice near Bonao.



 So we saw many sights, had some good interactions, and I nearly croaked.  All and all not a bad break.

Routine with the Temple closed

The Santo Domingo Temple is closed for cleaning, so we have two extra half days for two weeks. We were just  getting into the rythm of our Temple shifts and will have to reset our clocks again.

Anna will translate the characters for us, from the entrance to China town again.

Pricemart storage shed.

I have had the usual calls from Elders, colds, parasites, things hurting and injured. We had a trip to a fabric store for zippers to refresh some of the temple clothes.  And we went to PriceMart, a Costco subsidiary that has some good prices.  Look at the price on that shed for a little sticker shock.

A beer commercial

Presidente Beer is filming a beer commercial with a Carnival theme.  Costumes, masks, parades and music are a big deal in the DR so it makes sense.  The Super Bowl of reasons to drink beer.  They obtained permission to close the street that runs just west of the Temple (Robles) to set up for a parade scene, and beer drinking.

It is fun to watch for awhile and the costumes are very coloful.  To each their own I suppose.

Routine progress

The Temple closes for two weeks in January for cleaning, the workers have already started cleaning the outside, checking the gilding on Moroni.  We have some plans to take advantage of the dry season and the Temple closure to hike up Pico Duarte.  The hike will be a three day trek from about 3000 ft to 10,000 ft.  It will be cool, near freezing at night.  It will only get interesting if it rains because the trail gets muddy.  After that we will have two nights at Puerto Plata, on the north coast.  That will be with some other couples.  We are already starting to see some of the couples we work with here heading home, the Swapps leave this week and the Atkinson's in a month.

The group of missionaries from Haiti left this morning by van for the Port Au Prince Mission.  They are excited to get started, I enjoy them very much and will miss them.



Elder Fanfan in the center, Elder Mardy on the right.



Los Mariposas

The Mirabel sisters are famous for their work to overthrow the Dominican dictator Trujillo, three of the four were murdered in 1960. There underground code name was Butterfly and they are known by that nickname and memorials and art depicting them uses lots of butterflies.  I have previously posted pictures of a Washington monument-like memorial that has been painted to memorialize the Mirabels, it originally was built to honor Trujillo.  Last Wednesday we drove to their home area in Saucedo and toured their family home that is now a museum.  Thinking about them dieing for their desire for freedom, that they were willing to die so that others would have a chance to be free makes me grateful for those that have died and sacrificed for our freedom.  I don't know if I am made of that stuff.


Here it is again, I hope this counts as getting the last laugh on old Trujillo.



Beach Day at the Sca Restaurant

We finally made it back to try the beach and restaurant at Sca.  It is about and hour drive east and was great.  We swam and then had a nice late lunch.  We had five couples, some did walks and a couple had naps.  Even with a rain shower it was a great day trip. 

Would you believe to busy to blog!!

I went to the Colonial Zone with the CCM  Elders this week. I drove because one van was missing, I like to spend time with them so it was fine with me. They were impresed with the old Colon house and a museum in the Casa Reale. Tonight they had a Devotional covering the vision of Nephi regarding the gentile moved upon by the Spirit to cross many waters to the isles of the sea to the remnant his brothers seed.  Columbus came to Hispaniola on each of his four voyages.  Now the Dominican has roughly 2/3 of Caribbean members, seminary students and stakes.  The Temple is here, of course I am too.



Corolla to the lead.

 We have been fairly busy with minor illnesses and having fun.  Our Temple learning is progressing, conversational Spanish not so well.  I am hoping that it progresses slowly, slowly, slowly and then one day you wake up and can speak. 

Saturday's Walk and Happy New Year!

Yesterday, New Year's Eve day, we decided to walk to the coast and head more west, through the university.  When we hit the University gates, they were locked.  We then walked around to the west and hit the Malecon along the coast, not much traffic so it was nice.  The surf was the biggest we have seen, so we sat on a bench and watched the waves come in and shoot up the lava cliff at the waterline. 



Big surf for this coast.

 We then headed back east and came to a road block in the Malecon, this is the major road along the coast. We talked to a policeman who said it was for the New Years Festival.  It was great to have no noisy traffic and trucks, it was probably closed for about a mile with some of the major side streets too. They had a huge party set up in the center, a stage, port a potties, an food stands. 


Stopping traffic on the Malecon.

 Later on three couples headed for a shopping center and a movie, all the theatres were closed, most of the restaurants too.  I guess everyone wanted to be off to party.  We ended up with a DVD and early to bed.  It is Fast Sunday for us, because of the CCM schedule. 

We are excited about the New Year and continuing to serve.  Our Spanish is only growing slowly, but it is becoming adequate when we need it.  That is the gift of tongues for us, we understand when we need to, and ask our simple questions to get by. We love the missionaries as they come to the clinic and as they go through the CCM and head out to fill their callings as witnesses of Jesus Christ.  I am sure that they are the salt of the earth.

Kitchen tour

As you may recall we had an outbreak of amoebic dysentery in the CCM just after we arrived here in October.  We have been healthy with the missionaries since, some changes in food handling were made.  The food is prepared off site and brought to the CCM, we wanted to see the kitchen, but we wanted to wait until things quieted down and we could drop in. 

So Thursday we drove to the kitchen, we got the directions and looked on Google map.  We found the corner but it was in a residential area with a nice house on the corner.  I called back to the CCM to get clarification, from that I learned it was on the second floor.  Then we parked and walked back, I saw one of the blue food transport containers in a carport, then we heard pots rattling upstairs, finally we saw the stairway.  Not exactly Sherlock Holmes but we were there.  We buzzed the doorbell and were admitted, the stairs were steep.

The kitchen looked pretty good, clean and the equipment for keeping food warm, or cold, seemed good. Our guide was friendly and told us how things were done.  I had pre-planned some questions so I could ask about cleaning vegetables, etc.  All and all a success.  And all in Spanish.