Life as of Late

It's been rumored that people liked Kim’s pictures better than Charlie's boring maps,  so here we go...

Santiago:

During our trip to Santiago the first week we were here, we visited the Aurora Cigar factory, a company that is over 100 years old.  We learned how to hand roll cigars and that the cigar rollers are allowed to smoke as many cigars as they want while they’re working...  We live in a healthy country.

Puerto Plata:

Here you will see the view from the "autopista" or highway that runs through and outside of Puerto Plata along the coast line.  It is actually a sugar cane field and on the other side of the trees at the very back of the picture is the ocean. 

A view from the Malecon - the street in Puerto Plata that acts as a boardwalk running alongside the ocean.

Escuela Makarios:

Last year our school consisted of one building (which you can see along the left side of the picture) with two classrooms and approximately 30 students.  This year we have a new building (which you can see in the back of the picture), four classrooms, kitchen space, a nurse’s facility, a teachers' lounge, 60 registered students, and 20 plus students on a waiting list.  Needless to say, God has blessed this organization with incredible growth over the last year.  This picture was taken at the beginning of our first PTF (Parent Teacher Fellowship) where more than 40 parents came to hear about the organization and register their children for the upcoming school year.

Our First Weekend: Cabarete

There are a handful of beaches within a 30 minute drive of Puerto Plata, including Cabarete and Sosua.  While most of you were cheering on the Longhorns over Labor Day weekend, we were hanging out here.

Non-Pasteurized Eggs/Milk:

One benefit of not having pasteurized produce is not having to put it in the refrigerator…one of the downsides is the potential for unhatched chickens inside your eggs...

Our Second Weekend: Sosua

Dominicans assume that any American (or "Gringo" as they affectionately call us) in Puerto Plata is headed for Sosua.  It is one of the more Americanized places around and has an incredibly beautiful beach.  

Our new friend Derrick is from Atlanta and moved down to the DR in January to open a BBQ restaurant on the beach.  He grills chicken and pork ribs served with homemade sauce and cucumber/tomato salad. 

 

This little boy’s bathing suit is riding a little heavy.  He would stop, fill up his bathing suit with sand, walk until it all fell out, and do it all over again.  

The Makarios Team:

We love these people.  That's all there is to it.

much love,

Kim and Charlie