To the Dominican!

So after being a month and a couple of days late to "renew" my Haitian visa I have finally left the country. I have been thinking about heading to the other side of the island but really just didn't want to go on my own. 

That scares me some as a lot of what I do is on my own and I like that part of me (usually). 

Anyway, Mathanie was able to get the time off and also wanted to go, she knows someone in Santo Domingo, and it was time. We bought our tickets and were told to return Saturday morning at 8 am. The team that had been here went to the airport at 7 so I rode with them and ten continued on to pick Mathanie up an go to the bus. When we arrived there was no bus, the office wasn't open and there was only one other person there ...this didn't look promising. Another man arrived and assured us that the office would open and then the bus would come. Good thing he was right because our ride left then. 

The office opened 15min late and the bus arrived about 45 min after that. On the bus there weren't two seats next to each other so we split up (obvious move). And I slept. I awoke before the border to a very different landscape. Desert like almost moon scape with white rock/cliffs and water out the left window that we were so close to that I thought we were driving on/thru it at first. 

They took care of getting us out of Haiti and then they handed out the passports...except for ours. I didn't understand the announcement and so wasn't worried about it but Mathanie was not happy with the events. We found the lady and asked and she found them in the bottom of her bag-all the ones that had gotten on the bus with us (7). Stamped into the Dominican, unloaded our bags for a security check, then back on the bus with lunch (rice,beans, chicken) and a movie. Joyful noise with Dolly Parton and Queen Latifa then Parker with Jason Statham. I slept thru the second (I watched it last week). And then we were in Santo Domingo-a real city with lights and big roads and it felt like I remember feeling when Ute and I drove into Harrare in Zimbabwe. We then had to wait a couple hours for Mathanie's friend to come get us as she was sure we wouldn't arrive until later but it worked out as we made friends with a guy who sells minutes for phones even though we all had a hard time understanding each other. Then pico pollo (fried chicken) for dinner and now it is time for bed.