Negotiating with Taxi drivers in Panama City

Negotiating with taxi drivers in Panama City, can seem like a difficult task, but it is fairly easy. Hopefully, you know a little Spanish or are fluent. If not there are some great apps and books that you can buy that have sections on getting directions and asking for price. Coming from the airport, you have a lot of drivers willing to push each other out their way for your services. They want to take you to wherever you want to go even if they don't know the particular address. For the most part if you can get the taxi driver or hotel transportation to get you to or from the international airport for $20 its a good deal. Most taxi drivers in Panama ask for $28. Unless you are in the city, you are at the mercy of the cab drivers at the airport. But with some luck you can negotiate them down a few dollars. The more people you can get into the cab with you, the cheaper the price.

Panama City is broken down in zones. From one zone of the city to the next it's about $3. The prices are cheaper if you take a taxi to and from within the same zone. Some of the cab drivers, based on your pronunciation of your destination will try to charge you more. Which brings me to my first point, know your area and get an idea of the distance you have to travel. At most you should pay $5 if you have multiple people in the cab. If you have the patience to withstand multiple outrageous prices to get to your destination, you will find an honest cab driver that will get you there for $3. When you name your price, stick with it and be willing to walk away of the cab driver doesn't want to accept your price. The good part about these cab drivers is that they know some of the hotspots in the city. While in Panama we met a great taxi driver by the name of Frank. He lived in the USA for many years before moving back to Panama. His prices were the cheapest and he was very knowledgeable. Whatever you wanted to buy, he knew where to go. He gave us the best price to get to the international airport, $15, that's a steal. The hotel and hostels we stayed at were charging $25 and above. When visiting Panama city, find a good cab driver, take down his number and use him or her to get to where you need to go. They will appreciate the business. If not, learn to develop your negotiating skills. A few dollars here and there more than you should have to pay adds up. Be smart negotiate and find the best drivers who are honest.

To recap negotiating with taxi drivers in Panama City

Know some basic Spanish (directions, price, too expensive)
Know the distance of your location
Stick to a firm maximum price you are willing to pay
Be willing to walk away
Don't give, have patience, the right cab driver will come along
If you meet a taxi driver you like, that gives you a great price, take down his or her number

Great streets to visit in Panama City

While in Panama City, to maximize your stay, I suggest you check out some of the great streets to visit in Panama City. Although Panama City is big, like most places, some streets have more character than others. These were the area's that piqued my interest the most while I wast staying in Panama City.

Via Argentina

Via Argentina is a great place to visit because it has a lot of restaurants, hotels, bars,hostels, shops, and the widely visited statue of Einstein. The Restaurants have a variety of authentic cuisines. Most of them have outside seating so you can enjoy yourself while looking at your surrounding, If you feel like exercising, Via Argentina has a big park for you to play basketball, run, walk your dog, and have a good time.

Avenue Balboa is a great because it has the nice fish market. Off the side of the streets you can find lots of street markets to do some bargain shopping. The locals know enough English for you to bargain your price. The street food in the area great as well. You can get some nice fruit drinks as you walk down and bargain for the best deals.

Amador Causeway

Amador Causeway is great place to catch the sunset or sunrise. When you get off the highway heading to the deeper parts of the causeway, they have a club to the right of the street, as you continue down, you will notice benches to sit and enjoy, a nice open sidewalk, nice restaurants, and shopping centers. If you look towards the city, you get a great view of the Panama City Skyline. This place can be very romantic in the evening.

Calle Uruguay

Calle Uruguay, is the most popular place for young people to visit. The street is filled with clubs and bars that are open till 4am. Be ready to pay anywhere between $5-15 to get to some of the better clubs and bars in the area. They have street vendors selling food like chicken, rice, fruit, and diners for people who want to sit down and relax.

Avenue Central

Avenue Central is another great street. You can find great bargains on clothing that you wouldn't normally see in the mall. If your phone is broken, you can go to any street technicians to get it fixed. While I was in Panama, I dropped my phone in water, and one of the technicians was able to repair it. If you walk down avenue central it will lead you to Casco Viejo. In Avenue Central you will see how the locals interact with one another. The items in the area are not high-end products, but they are quality products. If you want to practice your negotiating skills. this is the place to be. You can buy great street food and get a feel of how the locals shop and make money.

Casco Viejo

Casco Viejo is the old historical part of Panama City. You walk through any of the streets and you will notice something brand new. The old city is preserved and is lively throughout the day and night. Some of the places to see is the cathedral. It's a great place to go on long walks. The different architecture of the buildings really bring out the beauty of the city. You can find great bars and clubs on any of the side streets. It's one of the few places in Panama City where you can visit any day of the week and something interesting is going on. You can get a great view of Panama City skyline from Casco Viejo. The Cinta Costera connects to Casco Viejo, so you will find many people walking, jogging, and photographing the area.

Avenue (Avenida) Balboa

Avenue Balboa connects the old historical part of Panama City which is Casco Viejo to the new high-rise apartments. There's a beautiful park area called Cinta Costera which has basketball, bike, and run bath, the statue of Balboa himself facing the ocean. The street runs along the coast. It's a great place for tourist and locals alike to sit back and enjoy the beauty that is Panama City. Along some of the side streets, are fish markets, street food, and bargain shops.

Great Hostels in Panama City

Panama by luis

The hostel was a great experience. The employees were very knowledgeable about the nearby area and other parts of Panama and Panama City. They also spoke English which was a plus because my Spanish was limited. As the description of the hostel is written, it's in a convenient area to for the supermarket and nearby restaurants. When we arrived, we made the mistake of booking a double bed for two people when we wanted to beds. I am sure that’s a usual mix-up. The staff gave us a bigger room for the same price and were happy for our business. The newer and more specials room had its own bathroom in a separated and detached part of the main hostel. About 50ft. From the main area. They also gave us an extra cot. One of the Staff members by Panama by Luis, and American from Wisconsin as he described himself, give us in great detail some of the great areas of Panama City to visit during our stay in Panama City. He even took it upon himself to bring us to the Claro telephone company to translate for us. If you ever stay in Panama by Luis be sure to have a conversation with him.

Panama by Luis Layout

The hostel has a main lobby, upstairs when you get to the place There's a washer and dryer by the main stairs for $2 a load The main lobby has its own WiFi There's one big bathroom in the main lobby private dorm rooms On the first floor of the hostel is a kitchen that needs upgrading and two fridges to store your groceries Be sure to label anything you put in the fridge The first floor has its on WiFi but it's very spotty, it comes in and out of service They also have an eating area outside and a hammock Beyond the eating area is another dormitory The only negative that I could think of about the place is the location. If you could pick up the hostel and put it somewhere else it would be great. The cab drivers had a hard time finding the street and the hostel. They are used to looking for hotels. When describing where to drop you off, just say by the McDonald's. Other than that, Panama by Luis is a great place to stay.

Los Faroles Guesthouse (Hostel)

Out of the many hostels in Panama City, I’m glad we stumbled upon this place. The place was clean and it appeared to be newly renovated. Its located in an apartment complex within a great neighborhood. The location is central to everything. Down the street of Los Faroles Guesthouse is the Einstein Statue. The statue is a giant head of Einstein which makes sense because he was very intelligent. Across from the Einstein is a well-known New York City Bagel place. You can tell by the name and the culture within this place that it was heavily influenced by New York City. The hostel is off the main street of Via Argentina, the pace is filled with mini supermarkets, German Bars, international and local themed restaurants. The staff and owner of the place are very friendly and of course knowledgeable about Panama. They were happy to have some English-speaking visitors to so they can practice their English and it was great because I got to practice my Spanish. One of the managers gave us a tour of the nearby street and took us to the mall free of charge. The rooms were decent size and they came with closets to hang your clothes. The bathrooms were shared and cleaned every day. The landlord gives you three keys to the hostel, the main entrance, the entrance to the hostel, and the 3^rd key is for your room. At night, they have a security guard named Fernando. He works from 6pm to 3am and sometimes later. Fernando is fluent in Spanish and English. He is one of the most interesting people who I've ever had the pleasure of speaking to. He knows most of the people in the neighborhood by first name. If you get the chance to talk to him, you will come out of the conversation more knowledgeable.

Prices for both hostels were around $20 a night. I used hostelworld and hostelbooker to book the hostels. For the most part, the majority of hostels were around the same price when we tried to book them on the main hostel websites.

Three Days in Bocas Del Toro

Day 1 Isla Colon

On our trip to Panama City, we decided to take the bus to Bocas Del Toro. One of the main places we wanted to check out is Red frog beach, we heard it was beautiful. However, from being so tired from the bus ride. My friends and I decided to sleep and rest for the remainder of the day. Lucky for us the owner of Tropicana Hotel let us check in early. I spoke to some people later on that evening and they said they couldn’t get into their hostels until check in time. That was unfortunate because it was raining and the bus ride was uncomfortable.

When you first arrive to Isla Colon, you will notice beautifully colored buildings along the shore with lots of boats connected to them. Each building runs their own particular water taxi business, tours and excavations for the tourists. There are lots of hotels and hostels within the main road so its easy to pick up and leave if you don't like your current hotel or hostel. The streets are paved and wide enough for two lanes and sidewalks for people to walk. Along the main road there lots of shops, supermarkets, and restaurants for people to browse around and gauge for price. I suggest you see what other shops are offering in terms of price before purchasing. The shop dealers are willing to work with you on the price. I found some of the items to be overpriced.

Along the streets, you will notice lots of stray dogs and crabs crawling in and out of holes. This is a normal part of the island. It's filled with crabs of all colors and sizes. The dogs don't bark or run after you like they do in the states. They are as mellow and easy-going as the people who live on the island. This is not a fast paced island. Everyone is here to relax and have a good time. My friends and I met a lot of people from different parts of the world such as Germany, Argentina, Mexico, and Spain. The locals for the most part spoke English and Spanish. This made it easy to get around with either language. If you want to practice your Spanish, this is a great place because one of the hostels has a school that will teach you for a price. The people don't talk as fast which makes it easier to understand what they are saying if you are still learning to speak Spanish.

Day 2 Caremero island

Like the previous day it was raining in the morning then it cleared up. I went for a run towards Playa Bluff, one of the main beaches on Isla Colon. The rain normally stops around noon. Please keep in mind that we went to Bocas Del Toro in July. I don't know if it rains more in those months. Most of the restaurants on the main road are open for breakfast and lunch. Happy hour at some of the restaurants start around 1pm and end at 7pm. After eating we decided to take a water taxi to Caramero, one of the other islands. A round trip ticket to and from the island will cost you around $3. You have to decide what time you want to be picked up from the beach. It's a nice beach that's mostly inhabited by the locals and some private houses. A lot of surfers take trips to this area because the waves are pretty strong. if you keep walking you will see a nice hill along the coastline where you can get a nice view of the area.

Day 3 Red frog Beach

On our last day, we went to Red frog beach. On the bright and sunny days, the locals who run boats will have tours taking you to different parts of Bocas Del Toro island. Since we've been Bocas Del Toro, it rained everyday. It was nice to see clear blue skies. The trip to Red frog beach takes about 15minutes by boat to get to the other island. It's smart to make it a round trip ticket. The locals usually ask you for $7 or less. Do not pay more than $7 per person for a round trip. Make sure you carry a lot of single dollar bills with you. $1 bills are the most used currency. Anything higher than a $1 is complicated because change is hard to come by. When you arrive at the dock to Red frog beach, you have to pay an additional $3 entrance fee. The same place the taxi boat driver dropped you off is where you will be picked up. The beach itself is beautiful. The sand was nice and soft. As for swimming purposes the waves were a little to strong for me. I am not a good swimmer so I stayed in waste deep water. The water was really warm so you didn't feel the initial shock from touching cold water like you normally do. Red frog beach has two main restaurants on the beach, the first one is directly in front of you when you arrive and the other one you have to walk towards the middle the beach to see it. The price of food and drinks is a little higher than on the mainland so I suggest you bring your own food and drinks or eat before you get there. If you feel the need to run, you can can do a mile on the sands going from one end to the other. It's a challenging run but it will be worth it in the end.

Just around the corner from the first bar and grill is a lookout deck that you can walk up and get a good view of the beach. About 180 degree angle. While you are on the beach, the local children will try to sell you tiny live Red frogs. The frogs themselves are cool to look at because they are about an inch long and shiny red. We didn't notice anyone buying them.

To the right of Red frog is Turtle beach. Only a few people go there so if you want a nice private area its for you. The danger of being in that area is if you are in the water, someone could steal your stuff and you wouldn't know until it was too late. If you need help, no one will hear you. Be careful if you plan on going to this area alone. Notify someone who you will be there before you go. With that being said, turtle beach is just as beautiful and inviting as red frog beach. The only exception being no bars on the beach.

Night Life in Bocas Del Toro

Isla Colon, which is the main Island has a lot of bars and restaurants that you can check out. The clubs and bars that were the most popular among the young crowds was Mondo, Aqua Lounge, and Iguana Bar. Tourists usually start off their night at Mondo bar because they have great promotion deals like 80's night, where you wear anything from the 80's era and you receive a free drink and power hour which means that every time they switch a song you have to take a shot of an alcoholic beverage of your choice. The place gets pretty packed and loud. But the people there are really fun. Attached to Mondo is a hostel so the people staying there normally come down for a few rounds and it's a great way to meet your fellow travelers. The place is free to get in and it's open till 3am.

Iguana Bar

Usually around 12 or when they have ladies night. People start heading out to Iguana bar which is few minutes walk on the main road. It's really great club, bar, and restaurant combination. When you get to the place you have to walk around back to get to the club area. If you get there early enough you can sit down and relax in the back area which has seats and back deck on the water. Lots of people throughout the night get pushed in or voluntarily jump in the water fun. Beer will cost you $2 and mixed drinks will cost anywhere between $4-$8 depending on what you buy. On the first day I got bumped into the waters of iguana lounge. I am not a good swimmer so people had to pull me out. I was known as the guy who fell in the water at Iguana. The place is free to get in and it's open till 3am.

Agua Lounge

Agua Lounge is the third major club in Bocas Del Toro. If you are staying in Isla Colon, you have to take a water taxi to Agua Lounge. The water taxi can cost between $1-$3. The ride across the water is about 3-5 minutes. Agua Lounge is also a Hostel. The bar has 3 open decks for you to jump into the water similar to Iguana bar you will notice a lot of people going in for a swim. They also have a trampoline for you to jump into the water from the deck. To get into Aqua Lounge, it will cost $5 and the place is open till 3am. Agua Lounge and Iguana bar alternate nights of when they are open. They each have ladies night. The only exception is that Agua Lounge has an entrance fee.

Keep in mind there are a lot of places that are open and during my time in Bocas Del Toro those were the most popular spots. I am sure there are other great places that people attend during season. The locals do show up to the same spots as the tourists which make it an even better experience. Make sure you are careful because some of the local women are there for business if you know what I mean. Have fun in Bocas Del Toro and let me know of other great spots that people hang out and have a few drinks.

Flying from Bocas Del Toro to Panama City

After the Ten hour experience on the bus from Panama City to Almirante, we thought our time would be better served if we flew back to Panama City. A round trip ticket from Panama City to Bocas Del Toro or vice versa is $250 and a single direct flight is $125. The airline does have a weight limit of 30lbs. You are allowed one carry on and a personal bag like the major airlines. If your carry on is too big to fit in the overhead compartment, you have to check it in. If you go beyond the weight limit you have to pay an additional $1.74 per pound. To guarantee your seat on the flight, its best to book your tickets in advance. The flight is full most of the time.There's a total of three flights that leave Bocas Del Toro to Panama. The times are around 9am 2pm, and 4pm. Total flight time is about Forty-Five minutes to an hour. It's a small commercial plane that Air Panama uses at the Allbrook airport near Allbrook mall. The airport in Bocas Del Torro is located in Isla Colon, a few blocks from the main road. Walking distance if you do not have a lot of luggage.The air stewardess serves beverages and cookies and you get to see a beautiful view of the country as you fly over the mountains and houses. If you have extra money in your budget I suggest you fly to and from Bocas Del Toro. If you are on a budget, the bus is a good idea as well because it leaves twice a day from Bocas Del Toro and Allbrook mall in Panama City.

The People of Panama City

Part of the experience of visiting a foreign country is the interaction with the locals. It determines how you your trip will be imprinted in your memory. I love trying to speak Spanish with the locals, especially when they don't speak any English and I have to try my best to make them understand what I am trying to say. For some its frustrating but for me its a challenge. I feel like a Two year old trying learning to construct logical sentences. As frustrating as it is, makes me want to continue to learn Spanish. The Panamanians for the most part are friendly. Minus a few cab drivers that are a looking to hustle the tourists. I enjoy my time with the locals. They try to understand where I am from and I try to understand life in Panama. The best part is going to places like Av. Central where it's mostly thrift shops and street vendors, you can get a real feel of the hustle and bustle of the city. Sometimes I speak English on purpose just to what kind of reaction I would get from the locals. But for the most part if you are willing to try to communicate, you are treated fairly. I remember my friends and I were on-line to buy a fruit smoothie on Av. Central, I had $2 in my hand and a nice gentlemen who was also waiting for his smoothie told me to keep my money in my pocket because of thieves. Now this gentlemen could have kept quiet but he took his time to explain to me the potential dangers of the area. This is something I appreciate about the people of Panama City or anywhere else that I visit. The ability to lookout for your common man. As frustrating as it is, I appreciate the people who took the time to correct my Spanish. The best part is trying to practice your Spanish with someone whose looking to perfect their English. When we were at Multi-plaza mall, we met a young woman working at one of the stores, she overheard us speaking English and we ended up talking to her for the next hour going back and forth between Spanish and English. If you are willing to approach the locals, you can learn a lot about the country that travel books can't tell you. You won't know if someone speaks your language until you ask. The experience that I had with the people of Panama City makes me want to revisit or even live here for a few years.

How to get a local number in the Dominican Republic

When traveling abroad it's always a good idea to get a local number in case of emergencies. Most of the time it’s cheaper to have a local number than to pay the international roaming rights by your home provider. From what I’ve learned, most countries are on the GSM network. Companies like T-Mobile and AT&T in the United States use GSM. When you are in the Dominican Republic, the two major phone companies are Claro and Orange. Orange is a GSM network. In order to get a local number you need a passport to open an account and an unlocked phone that takes sim cards. You can decide to add data to your number such as being able to use the internet without wi-fi or a pay as you go basic plan. It’s not necessary to have a contract. You can refill your minutes by buying minutes at Claro or Orange store or you can get them at the local gas stations, liquor stores, or at a kiosk. All you need is your phone number and any of the employees at the stations can add the minutes to your phone for you. You don’t have to carry your passport with you to refill your minutes.

taken from Google. i do not own this image.

First cruise experience on Carnival Splendor

Before we get into this article. I just want everyone to know that I was against cruises. Never saw the point of doing one and I always thought that the cruise ship would sink. Call it the product of seeing the movie Titanic too many times. However, my cousin presented me with the opportunity to go on an eight-day cruise with him for a great price so I jumped on the chance. The great thing about Carnival Splendor is that it departed from Manhattan. This meant no flying to Florida and spending extra cash on logistics. The ship went to Half Moon Cay, Grand Turk, and the Bahamas. I’ve never been to any of the three. I was excited. Remember when you go on a cruise, the whole point is to keep you on the cruise ship so you can spend your money. Drinking age on the Carnival Splendor is 21 and up and the drinks are not inclusive of your package. However, they do offer great drinking packages that you could take advantage of.

Layout of the ship

The ship had 13 floors
A Gym with spa and steam room
Every room had its own bathroom and a different layout depending on how many people were staying in a room
Mini Golf
Several pools and hot tubs
Two main formal restaurants and one steakhouse
One buffet style restaurant
Sports bar
Game rooms
A huge theater
Comedy club
Two dance clubs 18+ and under 18
3 other bars with specialized events
Gift shops
Photo studios
Track on the upper deck
Basketball court
Library
Internet Café – satellite Internet, real expensive and slow
Casino

What to pack

Since this was an eight-day cruise, I packed for 2 weeks.
Three Formal outfits for the formal nights
One all white outfit for the all white party
Jeans and shorts
Workout clothes
Plenty of sunblock
Dress and casual shoes
Make up
Cameras
Swim suit/shorts
Sandals
Wallet
Sea Sickness pills or bracelet

Some people like to dress up every night for dinner. If you are one of those people, pack accordingly. If you plan on going to the club or one of the many evening show’s dress to impress.

My Experience on Carnival Splendor

Staff

The staffs on Carnival Splendor were very polite. The ship and staff lived up to its name of being the party cruise. Each day, the staff would deliver the programs, which let us know what shows or events were taking place that day. These included but not limited to comedy, dance, karaoke, poker tournaments, wine and whiskey tasting, jewelry sales, stage performances, hairy chest contest, and dodge ball tournaments. The rooms were cleaned several times a day. The staff of Carnival Splendor was from all parts of the world. However, I didn’t notice staff members from the United States.

Dinner

Our dinnertime was set for us at 8:15pm. Sometimes that conflicted with some of the shows that took place in the Spectacular theater of Carnival Splendor. But if there was a show that you really wanted to watch, room service was twenty-four hours. During the many dinner nights, the staff would entertain us by doing a dance and they would let us get involved in the performance. Since dinner was inclusive, you can order as many entrees or desserts until you were full. I ordered and ate several entrees and appetizers every night. I think we had the best waiter and shipmates on our table. By the end of the cruise we all got to know each other very well.

Shipmates on Carnival Splendor

I had a great time on the cruise. I met a lot of people. You are going to be on the cruise with the same people for eight-days so make sure you say hello to everyone that you see. I met a lot of new friends at the dance club and from dinner. Each day that passed I made more and more friends till we became a huge group. The pizza station was open twenty four hours, so each night after the club we would go up there to eat and chat. The people I met were from all over the northeast of the United States and Canada.

Events

I thought the program directors of Carnival Splendor did a great job of planning out events that applied to everyone. They held several tournaments, had several shows, and communicated the events via TV, the program book, and the intercom system. They had an event for everyone and the staff of Carnival Splendor made it easy for everyone to participate or cheer on the participants. My favorite shows were the comedy ones. They had a great selection of mainstream and non-mainstream comedians for the family and adult show’s.

What I learned

Most of my fears of cruise ships sinking went out the window. I learned to relax and enjoy my fellow shipmates and myself. Going forward I will know to pack formal wear and several different dress to impress outfits. Being out going and befriending people on the cruise heightens your experience and will make it more enjoyable. Unless you were staring outside your window, you wouldn’t know that you were on a cruise ship. The captain did a great job of keeping the boat from being rocky. I don’t get seasick and I eat more than I thought. Based on this first great experience, I would love to go on more cruises to different parts of the world.

Backpacking and Community Service

While in Santo Domingo I met two great people by the name of Jay and Ryan who presented me with the opportunity to help one of the local communities in the San Jose de Ocoa area. The organization they represented titled "The New World Community (thenwc.com)" and in association with "Adesjo" were helping out the local communities in the mountains. Every year high schools and universities from Canada fly down to the Dominican Republic to perform community service with the local organizations. Organizations such as Adesjo has been helping with building houses, aqueducts, schools, in the outskirts of the mountains for over 50 years. Working with a Adesjo and Thenwc we went out to a small community in the mountains called La Bocaina. We were to build a house for one of the families in the area.

The People

On the first day in La Bocaina we got a tour of the local community from Louis. He was the community police and a teacher of mathematics. He introduced us to a the local families in the area. They were grateful to meet us and happy that we were there to help their community. Louis himself was very funny. The men in that area were huge fans of baseball and loved the New York Yankees and any team that had Dominicans. They were proud of the players that came from the small island and became super stars like Jose Reyes. They knew all the stats. One of the men we spoke with was telling us that Jose Reyes played near their hometown and he wasn't as good as he is now. But they are happy for his success. Speaking to the the men through broken Spanish, I explained to them that I was Haitian American and they seemed intrigued. They don't encounter to many of Haitian Americans in the mountains. Through translation, one of the men said that Haitians and Dominicans go through similar struggles and I was lucky to grow up in the states. One of the college volunteers had blonde hair which is rare to see in the area. They were really fascinated by her.

The Landscape

The houses in the area are made of wood and some of them are made of concrete. I didn't notice internal plumbing. Outhouses were located a few feet from the house and showers were taken outside. There was little to no insulation. It wasn't like the houses you would see in Santo Domingo. The people were proud of there homes and were happy for what they had. Living on these mountains you are one with nature. The people wore rain boots because when it rains it pours. I've seen bugs that I’ve never encountered before. The mosquito’s are relentless. The mountains had a river flowing through it.

The Worksite

When we arrived at the work site, the family we were helping wanted a picture before we broke ground. It showed how much they appreciated what we were doing. The ground was already lined out in chalk to show us where we would start shoveling.The men explained what they wanted us to do. We were to shovel within the white lines and save any big stones we came across. Surrounding us were trees, fruit plants, small lizards, and chickens. We worked everyday for 6-8hrs and took lunch and water breaks. The area was filled with mosquito's but they didn't seem to bother the locals. Maybe it was because they were wearing pants and we came with shorts. We worked as a team filling buckets with water, mixing in the dirt and cement, filter the rocks from the pile. It was a great working at the site. These workers had years of experience building houses. Home and Garden TV would be proud. They used fish hooks to tighten up loose metal. They used wheel barrels as a measurement to figure out how much sand or cement to mix. It reminded me of all those math classes that I took and that I thought would never apply in real life. The men were impressed with our work effort.

Adesjo and Thenwc Community Service meeting

Adesjo and Thenwc had a meeting in their second location on the mountain tops of El Huguito. At this location they were repairing the roof of one of the residents of that community. The meeting was a chance for the executives of Adesjo to thank everyone for helping. Each leader thanked everyone for sharing the vision of the founder of Adesjo and their continued support of the local communities. They wanted the youths that came in from Canada to be ambassadors of Adesjo in Canada. They were grateful for the youths for coming and helping the community and instilling hope to the people. They were glad we took our time to help the poorest of the poorest. The message the community leaders wanted us to take home was this"Adesjo is interested in the people coming, the money is the least important to them, it's our time and energy and physically helping the locals that matter." The dedication is what's important. They wanted us to get the experience of helping others. They love their small community despite the advantages of the city. They are grateful to live in their community with the advantages of water, electricity, and their music. As gifts for helping they gave everyone hats with the Adesjo logo.

What I learned

It made me think about all the 1st world problems that I complained about and how they don't matter. I should be doing more to help myself and others. I'm thankful that I was able to meet Jay and Ryan who brought me along. It was a real chance for me to interact with the local community and the Canadian students who took time out from their college break to help communities such as this. This has been an inspirational and life changing. It was a great break from the tourists world into the reality of how Dominicans outside of the city continue to live.