SO! I was blessed with an incredible site placement. And that’s an understatement. I am in Los Bueyes. It’s a really remote community of about 50 houses, mas o menos (I will be counting them all and making a map…anyday now…) It takes anywhere between 2 to 4 hours to get up the mountain, depending on which bus driver you get that day…. And alls I know is Mario drives slow…and stops a lot… But really, it is absolutely gorgeous. I am a very lucky girl. And the people are insane nice. Word on the street is that’s how all the people in the Cibao Valley are. I believe it.
SO, I am working with an NGO based in Moca, the closest city down the Montana, on an Eco-tourism project. Right now the project is building cabanas (little ranch type hotel thingies---VISITORS? Any takers? Yeahhh boi!) in this paradise that is my site, training guides (from the community and communities surrounding), and choosing 5 micro-businesses to start up, which include camping, horse back riding, kayaking, waterfall excursion, and candy (dulceria). So my focus is helping these micro-empresas start up. Now I’m just kind of feeling out my role in the community and on the project. Hope I don’t screw this one up!
The project seems kind of intense, but for the majority of my time I’m really just acostumbrandome en la comunidad. Meeting a lot of people. Drinking a lot of coffee. Compartiendo. Enjoying the beautiful trails. I’m also the English teacher at the school? It’s weird. And I want to lay the smack down on their “library” / technology center. If you find any children’s books in Spanish hold on to them! Will have more info on that in the future!
P.S. this blog is slightly…watered down. If you want to know the REAL dirt EMAIL ME! Life is wonderful! And I’m sure I have more hilarious details to share. That I don’t necessarily want the body of peace or the partners of my project reading…catch my wave?
I love you all. Especially Mac. Dios te bendiga.
