La Vega to Jimani | 4am Departure

Ok, so, speaking of story & place, you may be asking yourself, "So, isn't Darin in a place called the Dominican Republic and doesn't he have a story (or two, or three....) to share from there? What's with all the videos and blogs on all this introspective stuff. To that I say thank you faithful blog follower and your following is not in vain as stories from this place are indeed forthcoming....and introspection is good once in a while.

Indeed it has been a very good week and a half here in the barrio: all the sounds, all the sights, the heat, the mountainous plates of rice & beans, and, of course, seeing many friends. The camera has been a bit tucked away (always good to ease in a be a bit discreet I say) but I do look forward to sharing images and stories with you.

However, I first wanted to let you know I will be joining a small team heading the border of Haiti (possibly entering) at Jimani (see the rough travel plan below). We have been in communication with other workers and will be taking a variety of needed medical supplies. Also, we will be connecting with another worker-couple in Santo Domingo and they will join us for the rest of the trip. It really is quite remarkable as this couple was over in the D.R. for a wedding when the earthquake happened and, as far as I know, their home & vehicle were crushed so they have been temporarily based out of a hotel in Santo Domingo.

Thank you for being mindful of our team (for those that know these names: Rod, Bertico, Moreno (big Moreno), myself, and the couple we will meet up with). We are planning to head out a 4am so I am planning to be horizontal in minutes.

More images and stories to come (really, I promise:)