Yesterday we finally got water, but it only lasted a day. All of this time we have been using large buckets of water that have been stored for when this happens. My host mom woke up at 4 am to check the water (because we had heard from down the street that is was starting to come) and started re'filling all of our buckets and to start the laundry. We had not had running water for the last 12 days, so we were all excited to be able to do laundry and to take a nice long bucket bath without worrying about how much water I was taking. It was probably my best bucket bath yet. I left early to take a tour of the colonial part of Santo Domingo with this historian. I signed up for the morning tour to avoid the heat, but it did not help. It was hot, I was sweaty, and by the end of the walking tour I had totally zoned out. Most of us had, actually. I stopped by at this restaurant to eat, but it wasn´t very good and pretty expensive. By the time I came back from the city, the water was out and the electricty went out shortly after. Oh well. Everything is expensive when you are on a volunteer salary. So I have not been spending at all! All I spend is on the internet cafe and on busses. I have not bought anything like ice cream, chocolate (so sad!), or beer. Seriously just saving my money because I don´t know when we will get another stipend. The only time I get a chocolate kiss is when we get a vaccination. That is our prize at the end of the painful needle. But, it is well worth it. Seriously. This week I have two more coming, I am excited!! HaHa.
In just over a week I have learned that makeup and mascara does not stay on in this weather. By the end of the day my mascara would be running into my eyes, and I stopped using it. Most of you would laugh if you were to see me now, and I am sure this is just the beginning. No makeup, out in the sun walking around, and on sweaty hot busses where people do not respect personal space. Not to mention that I can´t take my long showers, and sometimes I can´t even wash my face! Instead I use these face wipes at night in order to conserve water. I would rather take a shower the next day than to wash my face. But I am getting used to it. You would be so proud of me. I think this is a way of easing us into whats to come next, although I have heard that in the campo (interior of the country) there is more water and electricity than in this overcrowded city, but I am trying not to have high hopes on that. I don´t want to be sad when its not true. But, I promise not to waste anymore water when I get back! I really will take super short showers!
I did get to taste the beer here, and it was pretty good, although one of the other volunteers said it tasted cheap. I thought it was good, considering I didnt pay for it, and I hadn´t had any in a while. My host sister gave me some of hers. We drank a little out on the porch. Everyone here hangs out on the porch until late hours. All the kids are out running around, people with their stereo wars, and walking around talking to each other. Everyone here knows everyone else, and all that goes on around here. Especially when it comes to the Americans. One chisme (gossip) that I have been following is that of a Loca that lives in the area. She comes into the back patios of the houses and steals stuff. So my host mom hides everything - all the chairs - every night, so that she can´t steal anything else from her. She has stolen from all the neighbors. I guess she has been doing this for several months, and is to feed her drug habit. The police caught her but they let her go since she is a woman. She is referred to as La Loca from all the neighbors. This morning I woke up to hear the new chisme is that she will not be stealing anymore.
This week we have our site visit from Thursday to Sunday. I have a general idea of how to get there, but I will just have to play it by ear. Its about 3 hours from here, and I have to take two different busses from downtown. So it should be interesting. My supervisor said that there hasn´t been any volunteers to get lost yet, and I hope that I am not the first one. Knock on wood. On Tuesday we will learn how to ride a motoconcho, which is a motorcylce taxi. Yikes! I really do hope that I never have to use it (although we are prohibited from riding in Santo Domingo, it is just for the interior of the country!) but we stil do have to learn how to ride and use our helmets. This is definitely going to be funny to see me on it, even when I practically swore I would never ride one. But, here it is necessary in order to get around certain areas that cars do not. The DR is the only country where we are allowed to do it. All other volunteers are not allowed to. Here the motoconchos can carry up to a family of 5. you see the driver plus a few kids and then another parent. Its pretty funny. Or I see the driver carrying jugs of water or gas on the bike. And its totally normal.
