Puerto Plata

Yesterday I had my first excursion. We went to Puerto Plata which is only 30 minutes away. First on our agenda was to take the cable car on top of mount Isabel de Torres. While we were waiting for the cable car a magician came out and started doing tricks. He was really good at some, but others I could see him slipping things into his pockets, or he'd drop something. Basically I was laughing really hard because he was a little too clumsy to be a magician.



We got into the cable car and it brought us up to the top of the mountain. It was absolutely breathtaking, because we could see a lot of the northern part of the Dominican Republic.





It was partly cloudy, so the whole mountain peak was covered in a mountain. Although it was kind of a bummer we couldn't see the view from the top, the cable car gave us a great view. Plus it was cool to walk around a cloud.

At the very tip there's this statue of Jesus.

The mountain had all kinds of trees and gardens around it, so we went on a mini hike through the forest.

This is a building with the Dominican flag on it. I thought it was cool.

After that, we went to the amber museum. They had hundreds of pieces of amber with bugs and leaves and other things inside of them. This dinosaur has amber teeth and amber eyes.

A lizard inside the amber

Fresh Coffee

After that we saw a guy making cigars, and he let us make them.

Lastly we went to an old fort. It was right by the beach and it was windy and beautiful. We hung out there for a while because it was so peaceful.

By the fort they were selling coconuts. I'm always amazed by people who have machetes.

It was such a great excursion! We got to do so much in just one afternoon. I was supposed to go surfing tomorrow, but a couple of guys in my program got into a motorcycle accident last night and now there aren't enough people going. The poor boys are devastated and hurt. I probably won't go surfing on Saturday, but I am for sure going to learn how to before I leave!

Daily schedule

My daily schedule is kind of perfect. The only downside to it is that I have to wake up at 8:00, but I manage. I first wake up and go to breakfast. It's fun to see everyone and talk because there's a random mixture of people studying at the school. Everyone's from different areas of the world ages 18-grandparent. After breakfast I have classes with Rafael. He's a jokester and loves to talk about all kinds of subjects. I've learned vocab words ranging from economics to hardcore drugs. He's very laid back and funny and acts like a typical Dominican.

After classes I come back to my apartment, make myself a sandwich and head off to the beach. I literally just nap for hours, right on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. A lot of times I can hear Bachata music in the background or a band will be walking around trying to get tips.

Once I'm tired of the beach, or it isn't sunny anymore, I've got some free time on my hands. Sometimes I'll run to the grocery store and get bottled water (since I can't drink the water here), while other times I just walk around and look in the shops. The area where I am is very safe during the day. As long as I stay within the touristy part of Sosua, I'm fine.

I've been taking a lot of naps so before dinner I nap, and then I either go out for dinner or make myself something here. I've been getting a lot of reading in and watching a lot of Spanish TV as well.

At night I go out. Sosua at night is VERY different from the day. Prostitution is HUGE here, and there are tons of middle to senior aged men sitting at tables waiting for a Prostitute to talk to them. Their eyes are so sad and desperate and nervous. It disgusts me, but it's also really interesting to watch. A girl will walk up to a man with skimpy clothes and say "Hey baby" and sit down. All over town there are men with their "women" dancing and drinking and walking. The people at the school have made it a game to see who can spot the most prostitutes in a night. It's something that I don't see in my small sheltered town back in the United States, so I could literally just sit and people watch all night long. Because all of this is going on, Sosúa is relatively safe at night. All the creepy men go after the prostitutes. Obviously it wouldn't be safe for me to go out alone, but with a group of people I always feel very safe. We go to discotecas and dance bachata and merengue. Last night I even went to a casino (sorry dad but it's legal here). I got coins for 100 pesos, which is almost 3 dollars. I went to a slot machine and on my third coin I won a lot of money. I stopped at that very moment and ended up with 150 pesos. I knew I wasn't going to win any more so I stopped. Meanwhile the people I was with lost everything. I don't think I'll spend much time at the Casino, but it's fun to say that I came out ahead! After that I usually come home and go to bed and start it all over again the next day. I have a few excursions this week, so as long as my computer's working I should have some good stories and pictures coming soon! If you couldn't tell already, I'm LOVING it here!

Getting Adjusted

Today was my first full day in Sosúa. Breakfast was an arrangement of fruits, bread and deli meats. I sat outside while watching palm trees sway from side to side, ate breakfast and drank some very sugary, but very delicious juice. My class started at 9:00 am with a Dominican teacher, two guys from Germany and a guy from Haiti. In the school there people learning Spanish, English and German and all three languages are spoken at all times.

After classes we went on a tour of the Island and saw the beach, the restaurants, the shops etc. Sosúa seems small (or at least what I've seen), but it's nice because no matter which way I go, I can always find my way back. After spending at least an hour in the small grocery market (I love seeing all the different brands of food), I stocked up on food and went back to my apartment. Once I finally made it to the beach, it was paradise. The resort type beach had warm clear water and Bachata music can be heard in the distance. It was dreadfully hot, but beautiful.

Tonight a bunch of the students went out to dinner so that they could meet the new students. We went to a beachside restaurant to watch the sunset, but it was too cloudy. But even with grey skies, the view was spectacular. We sat for at least 3 hours eating and talking and relaxing. At one point a monsoon-like storm came through and we had to move "inside". I put inside in quotes because their "inside" is just a roof with open sides. The food was fresh and the ambiance couldn't be better. I know I sound extremely chipper, but it really is paradise here. I'm really starting to relax and get on island time. It's come to the point where I know that it's night, although I couldn't tell you if it was 8:00 or 11:00. I have the feeling that when I come back I'll be tan and relaxed.

First day!

I made it! After a flight to Miami and then another one to Puerto Plata, I am finally in Sosúa. My apartment is tiny, but it's not like I need much space. The only thing I'm wondering is if there's a stove somewhere where I can cook meals. I'll get a tour tomorrow when the school is open and figure things out. I can't figure out why, but blogger wont let me post pictures right now. It's probably just a fluke but pictures of my "apartment" aka room are here.

Off to Sosua in less than 2 weeks!

Hi everyone! My name is Eleanor and I'm an 18 year old who has a passion for traveling and Spanish. Next year I'm going off to Auburn University to study Spanish and international trade. This summer I really wanted to go someplace to practice my Spanish. I spent four months this year living in Panama as an exchange student. When I got home, I found that I started to lose my speaking skills. It's really hard for me to practice because theres a very small latino population in the area. I decided it was important for me to get my speaking skills back up to for college. I went on a massive online search and found Amerispan. They're a safe company, ran out of the United States that has decent prices. Can't beat that!

Officially in less than two weeks I will be shipping of to Sosúa in the Dominican Republic. The program has apartments on campus, so I have my own school studio apartment for a month. The best part is that Casa Goethe, the school, is close to the beach! I have the feeling most of my afternoons after Spanish classes with be spent on the beach. It's free, fun and I'll get a tan. Is there anything else more perfect?

This summer is absolutely PACKED with all kinds of trips and fun things. I will be going to California, taking a red eye back, flying to Alabama the next day, flying home, and then going to the Dominican a day after (does that even make sense). Basically I'm in a different state/country or I'm traveling there/home. I just graduated yesterday and I only have one day (today) off to do absolutely nothing. To be honest that's the way I like it. I cannot stay still for very long. There's something about being in a new place, especially a new country with a new language. I love learning about different cultures and attempting to speak Spanish. I've found that I haven't been running out to buy all kinds of things for my trip to the DR this time. I've traveled to Latin America so many times that I've finally learned to buy toiletries and other necessities down there. I'm notorious for over packing, so that leaves some room in my suitcase for more clothes!