Exploring the Dominican Republic from East to West
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| By: Carlos Gonzalez |
InteRDom
Correspondent, Carlos, has completed three years of his Bachelor's
degree in Political Science at St. Peter's University in New Jersey. He
is participating in the 2013 10-week Caribbean Summer Program. You can
read more about Carlos and his participation in the Correspondent
Program here.
I found
myself swimming in crystal clear water, listening to merengue, and feeling the
warm sun on my face last Saturday afternoon, when a few of the interns and I
went to Boca Chica beach.Given that
the Dominican Republic is an island in the Caribbean, I would have never
thought that I would have to drive out of my ho
use thirty minutes to get to a
beach. Thirty minutes and a $5 US dollar cab ride later and we arrived to Boca
Chica. The trip was worth it! I don’t remember the last time I had seen such
clear waters. Not to mention the sun that was beaming heat which complemented
to the coolness of the ocean.
After a few weeks of living in Santo Domingo and I feel like I am getting the gist of Dominican culture, food and politics. I have been taught these concepts in my college courses, and have somewhat experienced them when I lived in Puerto Rico when I was younger. However, living in the country, I feel as if I can fully grasp Dominican life. The beauty of the island, fantastic food, music and generosity of fellow Dominicans does not compare to any other country. The brand new metro system doesn’t hurt either.
As for my internship, I have been busy researching on the social and economic implications that the communities surrounding Lake Enriquillo have faced due to mass flooding. I am currently packing my bags to take my first trip to the lake communities next week. I will be gone for five days exploring, assisting and researching the social and economic effects of the flooding. I will be staying in a town called Jimani in the Independencia Province with a team of students and professionals working on the development of the communities. I am also excited to travel to a rural community for a few days. I wonder how different the people are there from the capitol, Santo Domingo. I am also curious about how quiet nights will be compared to the busy and loud nights in Santo Domingo.
I found
myself swimming in crystal clear water, listening to merengue, and feeling the
warm sun on my face last Saturday afternoon, when a few of the interns and I
went to Boca Chica beach.Given that
the Dominican Republic is an island in the Caribbean, I would have never
thought that I would have to drive out of my house thirty minutes to get to a
beach. Thirty minutes and a $5 US dollar cab ride later and we arrived to Boca
Chica. The trip was worth it! I don’t remember the last time I had seen such
clear waters. Not to mention the sun that was beaming heat which complemented
to the coolness of the ocean.
After a few weeks of living in Santo Domingo and I feel like I am getting the gist of Dominican culture, food and politics. I have been taught these concepts in my college courses, and have somewhat experienced them when I lived in Puerto Rico when I was younger. However, living in the country, I feel as if I can fully grasp Dominican life. The beauty of the island, fantastic food, music and generosity of fellow Dominicans does not compare to any other country. The brand new metro system doesn’t hurt either.
As for my internship, I have been busy researching on the social and economic implications that the communities surrounding Lake Enriquillo have faced due to mass flooding. I am currently packing my bags to take my first trip to the lake communities next week. I will be gone for five days exploring, assisting and researching the social and economic effects of the flooding. I will be staying in a town called Jimani in the Independencia Province with a team of students and professionals working on the development of the communities. I am also excited to travel to a rural community for a few days. I wonder how different the people are there from the capitol, Santo Domingo. I am also curious about how quiet nights will be compared to the busy and loud nights in Santo Domingo.
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