Karin came to visit me last weekend and it was great fun. I have some pictures up on my facebook account, but I don´t have the link to it at this second. I´ll put it down below. Here are two highlights.

We went to Haiti! It wasn´t really a big deal because it involved only walking over the bridge and standing by a building and being told that we were in a different country, but honestly that was enough for me! It was market day, which means that the Dominican government opens up the border for Haitians to cross into Dajabón and buy Dominican products. It was so interesting to see because the two countries are terribly un-fond-of each other, especially in the case of the DR disliking Haiti. The border is only open until 1:00, and at 1:00, any Haitian in the DR is in serious trouble. The border only opens for the Haitians into the DR so that the money from Haiti comes into the DR. On the highway on the way back to Santiago, we were stopped many times by military men making sure we weren´t taking Haitians into the DR.

The other favorite thing that happened while Karin was here happened on Sunday, on which way too many crazy things happened. Basically, we were taking a 3rd class bus from Puerto Plata to Sosúa, which is my favorite beach in the area. We got put in the front seat because we´re gringos, and we got ready to pay. The driver didn´t seem to want to tell me how much it cost to ride to Sosúa, but I heard someone say it was 30 pesos. So I had my 100 peso bill out ready to pay for our rides. We pull up to a gas station, and the driver reaches over and grabs my RD$100 out of my hand. I ask him for the change and he smirks at me. Later, I ask the money collector who rides in the back for change, and he tells me he doesn´t have any (note: since the gas station, several people have gotten on and paid in small change. LIAR.) A few minutes later, I get out my sunscreen to put it on my arm, which is sticking out of the window and burning. The driver reaches over to grab it. I´m of course shocked at his forwardness and pull it away. He makes a sad face and gestures to his arm and tells me it´s burning and grabs for it again. I tell him it´ll cost him RD$40 (what we need for change.) He laughs as if it´s a cute little joke and reaches for it yet again. I´m frustrated with him at this point, remind him of the RD$40, he shakes his head and I put the sunscreen away. He whines. We ignore him. Before you get upset that we were ripped off, understand that it was all for about US$1. And gas costs a lot and these drivers don´t actually make that much money after they have to pay for gas.

So. Today I´ve been sooo hot all day. In my dance class we started learning the Salsa the other day, and that involves a ton of movement, especially when you´re already super hot. And then I went to the cafeteria, bought an iced cream cone, and the iced cream fell off. Not good.

And tomorrow. The day I´ve been dreading for weeks. The bus will be by my house at 3:08 in the morning on the way to the Southwest region of the country. Apparently there are pretty beaches and some national parks. The definite down side: 8 hours each way in a very small, very cramped bus. This down side is enough to deter me from even going, but I was convinced that I should just suck it up and go. So we´ll see. Hopefully it´ll be less painful than I´m anticipating. =) I´ll let you know.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2061429&l=6089f&id=15300570

again, you´ll have to wade through pictures you might have seen already. And there are only 13 or so new pictures. I´ll probably put up more soon. Like, after this weekend´s trip.