We woke up in Santo Domingo and four of us ran along a beautiful beach, accompanied by a gorgeous sunrise. After a roof-top breakfast consisting of the local fruits and cereal, our two cars headed in a south westerly direction on Route 2. After a few uneventful hours of highway driving punctuated by "are we there yet" queries, we stopped in Barahona to visit our missionary friend Jessica Hogan and her parents, Marty and Lisa. Their call is to distribute food to the stateless Haitians who have lived in the Domincan Republic bateys for generations. These people of Haitian descent were brought to the Dominican Republic to work in the sugar industry. Jessica´s family also supports the efforts of the local Haitian pastor, Pastor Ramon.
After an enjoyable lunch of pizza in Barahona, we packed into our respectives cars for a drive along a terrain much different from the progressively drier terrain we left behind.
Chickens, cows, horses, goats, pigs, and children all mosied or scurried in and along Route 44 with its breath-taking view of the coast and mountains, and mountainous speed bumps.
We arrived in Pedernales as the sun was setting. We quickly dropped our bags at the hostel and went to our restaurant near the ocean where, family style, we relaxed to a satisfying meal of beans, rice, salad, plantains, and eggs.
In time, we returned to our rooms, wondering what adventures Sunday would bring us. One certainty, the to-do list I brought Santo Domingo will be forgotten.
-Sterling
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