Pico Duarte

The past weekend I climbed Pico Duarte, which is the highest peak in the Caribbean. While "highest peak in such and such area" usually refers to some snow and ice covered mountain above 20,000 feet, this is the Caribbean after all, so we are only talking about 10,000 feet. What that means is that it wasn't really what you would call mountain climbing, but more of a really, really long hike. That doesn't mean it was a cake walk though, either.

Friday morning a group of nine of us met our guide, Rich, and headed off on the 4 hour ride to Parque Armando Bermudez, which contains Pico Duarte. Pico Duarte, set in the middle of the island, is named for the father of Dominican independence, Juan Pablo Duarte. You may remember that name from a brief mention of Duarte Day earlier this year. Anyhow, we got to the park entrance Friday afternoon and set off on a 4km hike to our first camp. Each of us had a small pack to carry during the hiking portions, but we had all our other gear and food transported by mules. We even had a couple mules available to ride in case anyone wanted a break during the hikes.

At the base

Our first camp was located on the banks of a river, amidst the rolling hills and many pine trees. There was a basic wooden cabin which we utilized, as that was easier than getting our tents out. We each had a small pad and a sleeping bag which turned out to be pretty comfortable. Before turning in, though, we had some snacks, drinks, and a nice dinner of chambre, which is a sort of Dominican vegetarian stew.

River at the first camp

Happy Hour at the first camp

Up at the crack of dawn the next morning, we had a quick breakfast, visited the outhouse (as it would be the last one we would see until the evening) and set out for a long day on the trail. We had planned to put in 13km on Saturday, which would take us to our second camp. Along the way we stopped a few times for breaks and to fill up our water bottles at locations along the river (after a certain point, it was safe to drink the water). We had a lunch stop planned, but we decided we would push on through to our camp before lunch because we were making such good time.

Taking a break on the way up

Our second camp was very similar to the first. It contained a big wooden cabin, outhouses, and a lot of mule crap. For some reason the mules were not considerate enough to use the outhouses, or at least go off in the bushes somewhere. But I digress. After lunch it was only about 2:30, so the group decided to head to the summit that day, as opposed to getting up at 4am the next morning to do it. Another 4km up and up brought us to the roof of the Caribbean. The amount of elevation change we went through that day was quite severe. At the summit we encountered temperatures of about 40 degrees farenheit and some not so pleasant rain. I had a fleece, hat, and rain jacket, but was still pretty cold up there. Also less than ideal was the view, or lack of it. We were basically in the middle of a cloud and couldn't see much for most of the time I was up there. Fortunately, it cleared up some after about an hour and we could see some of the surrounding scenery. Not the greatest view on earth as it was quite similar to everything we saw on the way up, but nice none the less. It was more about the experience anyway.

Camp two

At the summit

Highest point in the Caribbean

Not much of a view until it cleared up

We got back down to camp in time for some cocktails and then tacos for dinner. We sat around the campfire for a while after that, enjoying the warmth of the fire, and satisfaction of already making it to the top. The next day would be a bit easier than when it was planned.

We got up Sunday with the knowledge that we had to make it all the way down to the base. It would've been nice to have a helicopter come and air lift us out, but that wasn't in the cards. After initially going up for a good hour (the camp was actually in a valley, so we had to go up and then down), we had a long descent before us. Going down can be rough on the knees, but I found that by working with gravity and sort of jogging at times was a lot easier and faster than fighting the hill and walking slowly. It was even fun at times barreling down the shoots like a bobsled run.

Lunch time on the way down

We got back to the base Sunday afternoon and had a nice soak in the river (no showers since Friday morning) and celebratory beer. After that, it was a long trip back to Cabarete, and a lot of sore legs today.

Just a Tip

If you ever find yourself in an airport, or anywhere for that matter, and you need to make a phone call, don´t use your credit card and the instructions on the payphone (I realize that in the age of cell phones, people hardly ever use payphones anymore, but just bear with me here). I suggest that you take the effort to get a handful of change and do it that way. Due to my altered travel plans two weeks ago, I had to call my family a few times to give them updates on when I would arrive in Santa Fe. Twice, when I didn´t have any change, I used my credit card. These two phone calls lasted no more than five minutes each, but when I got back here and checked my credit card account, I found that these calls cost me a grand total of $31.52. When I made the calls, I figured they would be a little on the pricey side, but not that much. Needless to say, I´ll never do that again.

The Wedding

.Back in the DR in body, but still in Santa Fe in spirit. The wedding was a huge success and everyone enjoyed themselves immensely. Some of us (Danny) enjoyed ourselves a little too much at times (Thursday night). I'll let the photos do most of the talking. First off, I made it to Miami and didn't find Scarface, but I did find this goofy looking guy. And somehow I temporarily turned into the lead singer from an 80's band.

Hey, who wants chips? I don't think there was any reason for this, that's just how we roll.

Ryan and I in the town center with the Cathedral of somebody or other in the background.

The spiral staircase at the Loretto Chapel. To learn more click here.

At the rehearsal dinner.

Marc always wanted to be a Harkins brother.

No, Ryan is not surfing, he´s doing what will from here on out be known as The Andy Benes Dance.

Later that night at The Cowgirl with Jon and Matt. That´s not a purse, it´s European.

Some of the ND contingency enjoying The Cowgirl fare.

Tom, Mike, and Chad having a good time.

Hey Kenny, a little too close there bud.

Go get ´em Tiger.

GQ has since called me for a photo shoot.

Outside the reception taking pictures. As you can see, it turned out to be a really nice day, although up until that point it was cold with even a little bit of snow.

John, I know Ryan and Marc aren´t the prettiest guys around but you don´t have to close your eyes when they look at you.

You might think this is just a picture of John and Danny. Who can find Marc? Another example of getting older, but not necessarily more mature.

Five dudes just putting out the vibe.

The lovely Linda.

Here´s the happy couple at the head table.

Another view from the head table.

And another.

And another.

Yet another.

And bringing up the rear, the only three from the wedding party not coupleized (I like making up words). Abby surely enjoyed the Harkins sandwich though.

Best Men´s toast.

Getting down to Love Shack, performed by cousins-in-law Neil and Emily (close enough).

Back at The Cowgirl after the reception. Matt putting on his best sexy face.

As the two Jo(h)n´s, we share a special bond.

Not surprisingly, the Ryan family was well represented at post-reception bar time.

Boy, we sure looked a lot better earlier in the night.

So that pretty much gives you a good overview of what went on. Unfortunately I didn´t take any photos of my stop in Dallas which included a stay at the LaQuinta Inn and dinner at Denny´s. You´ll just have to imagine how glorious that was. To anyone who did not make it here, I apologize, but it probably means I didn´t get any photos of you. I think I did a fairly decent job of taking pictures now and then, but it wasn´t my primary concern. Until next time.

Me, I always tell the truth. Even when I lie

I leave this afternoon for Miami, and then on to Santa Fe tomorrow morning for my brother's wedding this Saturday. Hopefully I don't run into anyone like this tonight:

So say good night to the bad guy.

For those of you that I won't see there, I may not post anything for awhile. Or maybe I will. Just keeping you on your toes. If I don't, however, you now know why.

Semana Santa

Well, Semana Santa was everything I thought it could be, and more. There were hordes of people everywhere from Thursday on, which I expected. What I didn't expect were the elaborate setups on the beach. There were probably 5 tent and/or stage areas along the main stretch, usually with live music or a dj playing. I even took in a little Dominican rap Saturday night (I wasn't too impressed). Mixed in between all of this were countless food stands selling Dominican food. My favorite empanada guy that is usually set up near one of our schools was down there so I visited him every day. For about 50 cents you can get a tasty fried dough and filling (ham, cheese, egg, ground beef, etc.) treat, future angioplasty not included however. To top it all off, there were fire works around midnight on Saturday, I'm guessing to celebrate the arrival of Easter. If this all sounds weird to you, just think about how strage it is to paint hard boiled eggs and them hide them in the yard. Holiday traditions don't always make a lot of sense I guess. Unfortunately, it was raining a lot so I didn't bring my camera out with me and don't have any pictures. Can't win 'em all.

Where's my wooden tennis racket?

It was recently requested that I post a picture of myself with my sweet headband, which I wear when I go running. So without further ado...

Bring on Bjorg and McEnroe

DREAM Center

With no school this week (spring break if you will) we're doing some atypical things around here. Yesterday through tomorrow we're having a training seminar for a group of interested Dominicans that teach in some of the schools that we support. This is actually the third seminar of the year that is being put on in conjunction with an organization called Step By Step. Step By Step is a global organization that is looking to improve the education and teaching methods in countries around the world. Although I am not too involved in this project, I believe it to be a very important part of what we're doing here. I don't think there is going to be any significant change until the Dominican teachers and education administrators change the way they teach and the entire structure of the educational system. Hopefully this will be one part of that process.

This would also be a good time to mention another significant achievement for the DREAM Project this year. A few weeks ago, we opened a building that we're calling the DREAM Center. This building is located in the Dominican neighborhood known as the Callejon de la Loma and will be a multipurpose building that will serve many different needs in that community. It will be a school, teacher training center, and a general community center. The center is not completely finished, but we have been able to open it up on a limited basis with a preschool class utilizing Montessori methods. The difference between this classroom and the ones that are seen in the basic public schools is amazing. The size of the classrooms at the DREAM Center are about twice as big, and the resources we have for the preschool class are like nothing seen in the other classrooms. As previously stated, this builing will be used for many other purposes as the building is completed, and will hopefully be a central part of what we accomplish in this area.

The classes that go on at the DREAM Center will be part of the public school system, but the building was privately funded through various donations and is only a reality due to the hard work of many members of the DREAM Project and this community. An official opening is planned with a dinner and ribbon cutting and all that good stuff for April 13. Unfortunately, I'll miss this event, but I'm not too upset as I feel that I have more important things to be doing.

I leave you with a few pictures I recently took:

The DREAM Center

Closer view

An inside foyer

Classroom