4H Equipo GIS

  As Noel moved overhead of us…pounding rain, and blowing gusts of wind we were stuck inside all day. So as a group we dedcided to go on a mission. We grabbed a camera and left on our mission. Not knowing what to do we decided to go up to the balcony and film the storm, we became journalist. As the elevator took us up onto our destination, we noticed that there was no thirteenth floor. We didnt think much of it and figured that the hotel staff just didnt want anyone to be in there. Since we are teenagers we decided to walk back down this time taking the stairs and hopefully running into the missing floor. Little did we know what we were going to get ourselves into. Slowly climbing down the stairwel we noticed that it was getting particularly dark. We proceeded with caution…As I was climbing down the stairs I heard Liz yell up at me with horror, “Theres NO thirteenth floor!” It took us by suprise. What was happening,did the floor just randomly dissapear? Of course not that was impossible. So we dedcided to find out.

Down in the lobby we were trying to put this thing together. Why was there no thirteenth floor?  We watched as mysterious men walked around in the lobby watching everything and everyone as to be hiding somekind of secret from us. We finally built up the courage to ask one of these mysterious men. When we finally did ask him he came up with the weirdest anwere: BAD LUCK. They are supertisious,  thirteen is an unlucky number.

And that is how we ended our day….

~clara

After being in the hotel for the most part of the morning and afternoon, we decided it was time to get some fresh air. With the tropical storm STILL 50 feet away from us, the hotel staff strongly discouraged us from going outside, especially from walking outside. We couldn’t use the front doors since those were closed. Being the adventurous rebels that we are, we decided to find our own exit from the hotel and go walking to find the grocery store anyways. This proved to be more difficult than we had imagined. We searched in the lobby, the first floor, the second floor, the parking lot, and through the pool area, but were unsuccessful in finding an alternative exit. Finally, we decided to brave up to the situation and walk out through the parking garage. While only receiving curious glances from the staff members, no one tried to stop us from walking in the tropical storm (the fierce determination on our faces was probably evident). In the end, we managed to find the grocery store without trouble and also managed to arrive at the hotel…DRY, for the first time since arriving. The rest of the evening was spent working on our presentations.

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Despues de estar en el hotel por la mayor parte de la manana, decidimos salir por un poco de aire fresco. Aunque nos queriamos salir por la puerta de enfrente, esa estaba cerrada. Como la mayoria de los trabajadores nos avisaron que nos quedaramos en el hotel, no quisimos preguntarles por una salida. Siendo rebeldes, decidimos buscar nuestra propia salida. Buscamos en el lobby, el primer y segundo piso, por la picina, y por el garage, pero no encontramos salida. Al final, nomas decidimos usar la salida del garage, aunque no queriamos usarla por miedo de que nos dijieran algo. Resulto que no nos dijieron nada y nomas nos vieron con miradas curiosas. Pudimos encontrar una marketa y regresamos secos al hotel por la primer ves. La resta de la noche trabajamos en nuestra presentacion.

-Liz

—>Picture of Clara and Luis working.

The storm has passed. (More or less….)

My grandma Doris used to look up at the clouds, and see the smallest hint of sunshine, and declare it a sunny day. Well, we are not quite there yet, but there are visible sky breaks through the clouds!

The surf is still pretty choppy and violent, and the wind is blowing, but not strong enough to sweep small children away. (And we have no small children or dogs with us…so we are fine!) It is probably blowing about twenty miles an hour.

We were couped up in the hotel most of yesterday with the shutters pulled across the front doors. They youth did a great job practicing and gernearlly keeping themselves entertained all day long! But by late afternoon, we all were getting twitchy! According to the weather service, the storm had passed, and we were no longer in danger. (The danger in the Dominican Republic now appears to be mudslides in the mountains from the huge amount of rain. We are not close to the mountains!)

Despite warnings, (if we had to go out, it was STRONGLY suggested that we take a taxi) we decided to look for the grocery store on foot! We were looking for general munchies, and a chance to stretch our legs.

After quite the excursion, looking for the back door to the hotel, (it doesn’t exist) we finally just walked out of the parking garage. The grocery store was perhaps three blocks from the hotel, and filled with people.

The air was warm and muggy, and needed latin music and people dancing to make it a perfect tropical evening! We bought supplies for lunches, snack items for working late (like Oreos, Fig Newtons, and Soda) and returned to the hotel with our bounty. We returned to our hotel room, stowed the groceries, and decided we should go out again for dinner.

In the same general area, on of the youth had seen a delicatessen. It was filled with people, and we decided it must be a local hang out! The food was marvelous, and reasonably priced. (Something we do not get at the hotel!!!) Several of our group tried a drink called a batida con leche de lechoza It was delicious! It strongly resembles a smoothy made out of papaya. I think I will have one tonight!

After a long lingering dinner we walked back to the hotel, and Liz made an observation! This was the first night we had returned dry! Despite the hotel being boarded up, and having to enter the hotel throug

We assembled in one of the rooms, and the youth worked on their presentation for nearly four hours.

We practice for the first time in the Melia today!

~Sarah