Bolas and Dead Things

Some of you might remember that last year I participated in a “Bola Race.” It’s a hitch-hiking race sort of like the Amazing Race in which male and female pairs form and this year we raced from Santiago to Rio San Juan on the north coast. It was an incredible time, just like last year. Our group theme this year (as me and my partner decided to go in a larger group until he ditched us/me at the last leg) was Ninjas and it wasn’t just very creative, but it was also a lot of fun. We didn’t have to explain to too many people that we were ninjas, and amazingly some people were able to identify that in an effort to be ridiculous (which is almost always a common goal among volunteers) we’d incorrectly depicted the flags of Japan and South Korea on our headbands! (Who knew Dominicans could be so culturally aware, and about Asia nonetheless!) The idea with the theme is just another chance to be, as aforementioned, ridiculous, as well as to have a reason to be needed the free lifts (in our case it was because we were ninjas and people should feel it necessary to help ninjas) and to avoid mentioning that we are with Peace Corps. Most of the time, although as aforementioned we like to be ridiculous, we don’t like to give Peace Corps a bad name.

It turned out to be quite an adventure as I’m sure you could imagine. We were doing pretty well, and might have even been among the first to arrive, but we weren’t in it to win, and we were with the planners of the event, so it would have been wrong for us to win anyways. The hotel was lovely; it overlooked the ocean with a small beach right next to it. The cold water was a nice relief from the heat of riding in the backs of trucks all afternoon but we were hungry and in need of waves, so after some food we went to Playa Grande which is said by some (who haven’t been to my beach) to be the best beach in the country. I will agree it is beautiful, the sand was soft, and the waves were quite enjoyable, but I still think my beach is better (and I’m not big on the waves.) I managed, even though I was outdoors for a good 10 hours, to avoid getting sunburned nearly everywhere. My knees were bright red at the end of the day, but thanks to a strict regimen of aloe vera gel, I was able to avoid pealing. (I’m telling those of you who burn-invest in it!)

The next day I went home, and had to pay for those rides. When I got back there was a large, black, gross, dead bug waiting for me at my front door. It dawned on me after I took a photo of it next to a ruler that this is the second time I’ve come home and found something dead at my front door. The first time I just thought it flew into the door and died, but now I’m wondering if someone is trying to tell me something…