Day 3: Digging trenches, making friends

Salma '16 secures two pieces of pipe.

We spent a full work day in El Limón, continuing our aqueduct work. In addition to continuing the pickaxing-digging-pickaxing-digging, we were able to install a significant length of pipe in the trench we dug yesterday. The process involves gluing long pieces of PVC pipe together with rubber cement, laying the pipe in the trench, and filling with the dirt we removed initially. When the pipeline reaches a house, we fit a piece of PVC there that creates a joint, and a smaller pipe travels from the main pipeline to the home, where it becomes a faucet. For the first time, these families will soon be able to access running water, to drink, to cook with, to bathe with, with the twist of a faucet. We hope to finish the project tomorrow -- we don't have far yet to dig!

Throughout the day, students got to know the community members working alongside our group. We learned more about Juanito, the elderly resident of El Limón who routinely showed us all up with his pickaxe skill. We also got to know some of the younger residents of the village, who were hanging out at the work site this morning. The kids left us after lunch, when they headed to school. For many years, the school system has operated here in two shifts, so students either attended classes in the morning or in the afternoon. According to Jackson, one of our local guides, a new movement by the current government has changed that, and within the next several years, all students will attend a full day of school, effectively doubling their access to education, but requiring twice as many resources in terms of infrastructure and personnel. We pass the current school on the way into El Limón. It is a small building, not much more than a couple of rooms. Just down the road, a new school is being built: a two-story building, much bigger and better suited to serve the larger classes that will result from the change.

Our evening activity was a brief lesson on Dominican history, followed by an exploration of Dominican dance. Jackson and Paige patiently taught us all how to Bachata, Merengue and Salsa, and a torrential downpour cooled things down after our humid dance party. Tomorrow will be our last day in El Limón, and we'll make the most of it! Here are some thoughts from Chung Hwa '16:

Today we dug so quickly and efficiently I felt like I was watching a bunch of moles work (in a good way). The trench advanced forward like a snake, relentless and full of conviction. The long work day was filled with tons of amusement (Emily attracted a hoard of very young suitors while Brigie found true love [Brigie's parents: Not really!]), and we all ended up with beautiful farmer's tans, sweat-slicked foreheads, and big smiles. Our Rustic Pathways guides surprised us with some ice cream after, which managed to revive our spirits for "Dominican Night" with Jackson. But before all that dancing madness happened, we had some down time, during which we went fishing (after long, refreshing, cold showers). A lot of us caught fish, though there were some conundrums with unhooking the slimy things and setting them free; Mr.Cheadle became an invaluable asset among a group of squeamish teenage girls (at one point he remarked, "I was peacefully reading by the pool, why did I choose to come here?!"). But in the end, Emily caught a big fish, which I luckily got to eat! We took it straight to the kitchen, expertly wrapped in a towel, where the staff fried it to perfection. I ate my first fish eyeballs today, which I will always cherish as a "true Dominican experience." Later that night, we learned about the history of the Dominican Republic, received a very educational (and much needed) dance lesson, and got to watch Jackson perform some songs he wrote himself. I'm typing this right after our "Dominican Night," and as the tropical rain covers the colorful vegetation of the ranch, I feel truly lucky to be here right now. It was a long but exciting--and definitely rewarding--day for all of us, and I think we're all excited-slash-sad for tomorrow, our last full day in El Limón. 

Briget '17 and Emily '16 take a break from the morning's work.

Alison '18 and Grant '17 work to affix one length of pipe to the next.