I had heard nothing but great things about the city of Constanza and now I see why. The drive here was full of beautiful scenery and a queasy stomach due to those zigzagging mountain roads, but the end of the road led to this picturesque pueblo. For the next 5 weeks, the 16 aspiring Peace Corps volunteers in the sector of Youth, Family and Community Develop will be calling this place home while we tackle some hands-on training with youth groups from across the city.
Being cooler doesn't mean it's not hot. It is. Just ask my bright red skin. But nothing compared to the sauna that Santo Domingo has been in the past few weeks. I think after a few short weeks in the capital, anywhere would have been a welcome change. Aside from the heat, the traffic and feeling of never being entirely safe turned me off to the capital. The cooler weather means I actually use a blanket at night rather than sleeping in a pool of my own sweat. That said, the early morning bucket baths are far more brisk in the cool weather.
New city means new host family. I was very spoiled in the capital to have such a great host family. They set the bar high. My new family is also great. Many little kids running around keep things interesting. My Dona lives in a modest house with her daughter and three grandsons aged 2, 2 and 4. They are impossibly cute but a bit much from time to time. Can't remember the last time I fell asleep or woke up to the sound of crying children. All is well though. I think it's hard to feel unwelcome by any family here in the DR. The people are overwhelmingly hospitable and seem to enjoy nothing more than overfeeding a gringo.
We arrived on Thursday afternoon and Friday night met the representatives of the youth groups we will be working with in the weeks to come. I was extremely impressed with the leader of the youth group I will be working with. He is creating a youth group from the ground up to offer a positive alternative to the negativity in his barrio. It is an Eco Club that will tackle environmental issues and help clean up the neighborhood and surrounding areas. Anyone who has been to the DR knows that trash in the streets and anywhere and everywhere else is a major problem. More than anything else though, the group serves as an opportunity for local youth to meet up, have some fun and do positive acts for themselves and the community. Inspiring stuff.
On Sunday, leaders and members of the local youth groups took a group of us Americans to the river. It was a 90-minute walk each way to get there, but the scenery was terrific. It's almost difficult to believe that we are in the Caribbean while being surrounded by pine forests. It seems a bit more Colorado than DR. But gorgeous nonetheless. This small country is home to many diverse eco-systems and this mountain valley is just one of them.
The water in the mountain stream was cold and refreshing after sweating through the long trek there. And after a couple of hours of swimming and sunning, the walk back went uphill and included a trip straight up 349 stairs. The views were even better heading back and I can't foresee these mountain views getting old in the next 5 weeks. It's gonna be hard to leave Constanza.
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