The Day at the Bateys

Hola!
Everyone started the morning off on an exciting note, with another trip to Trigo, where we all ordered the favorite chocolate croissant.With a fully packed mini-bus, we began our bumpy journey along the unfinished roads towards Bateys 105 and 106. Soon after leaving La Romana, we began to see large fields, full of sugar canes, surrounded by Bateys. Upon arriving, we were given our assignment for the day; to assist in the building of latrines for the Bateys. We then split into two groups with Kayla, Jenny, Sarah, Amos, and Senor Wilson, staying at Batey 106, while Holly, Liz, Audrey, Jake, Andrew, and Mack, Jay, and Brooke headed to Batey 105. Those who stayed at Batey 106 helped the construction crew in beginning the final steps in the two-stall latrine that was being built. They helped to remove nails from several boards, mix cement, fill wheelbarrows, lift some cinder-blocks. At Batey 105, the crew rakes, axes, and shovels to level the ground, shoveled sand and gravel, and mixed cement to prepare the building of the latrine. Amos really enjoyed, meeting all of the animals that were at the Bateys, including multiple pigs, roosters, and the donkeys. Liz, Audrey, and Holly also had a brief dance session on the bus during one of the rain storms. Overall, it was a great day, except for Holly's run-in with a giant, man-eating spider (literally the size of a tarantula)!

Meeting, playing, and getting to know both the adults and the children of the Bateys was an extremely rewarding experience for all. Previously, we had prepared two bags full of toys and hats that had been donated by the Moses Brown community. Today, we were finally able to give donations personally. The most rewarding part was seeing the looks on the children's faces upon receiving their new toys. The kids seemed to really enjoy the bubbles, something that majority, if not all, had never seen before. All of the kids would line up, wanting a chance to blow through the bubble wand, while the younger ones chased after them. We also discovered that many of the children enjoyed playing with balls, whether it was during our game of Wiffle Ball or simply playing catch. In the end, we found out that several of those in the Batey were able to hit the ball in Wiffle Ball much better than any of us! In addition, there was much excitement, that surrounded the Batey when hats were distributed. For both of us, (Liz and Jenny) our visit to the Batey was the most rewarding experience of the trip thus far, and we can't wait to go back tomorrow,

Even though our experiences today were unforgettable, most of us would like to forget getting caught in the torrential down pours. At Trigo, we began to notice a few showers, and that, continued throughout our bus ride, while at the Batey's we experienced a few torrential down pours, which resulted in a wet and muddy fully packed mini-bus ride home!

After everyone took much needed showers and dressed up, we went to Altos de Chavon,which is an old Mediterranean Villa, with breath taking views of La Romana. We also had the chance visit a Museum located at Altos de Chavon, where we were able to learn a brief history of the Dominican Republic, starting from the Prehistoric era to modern day.

We finished off a great day with a wonderful Italian dinner of pizza and pasta, where everyone shared their rose, bud, and thorn of the day, (almost everyone's bud, or what they were looking forward to, is spending another great day at the Bateys).

Hasta Manana,
Jenny, Liz, and Bladimir ;)