Pico Duarte

I did it. Well, I guess I should say we did it because it was definitely a group effort. I, along with 7 other Peace Corps volunteers, hiked Pico Duarte. Standing at 3,087 meters, Pico Duarte is not only the tallest mountain in the Dominican Republic; it’s the tallest mountain in the Caribbean. How many of you can say that you have stood on top of a country?


In the five days it took to hike up and down the mountain, we walked in total 96 kilometers. At the end of the trip, I was exhausted, my body was sore, my knees ached…but I had conquered the mountain. Hiking in the Cordillera Central was a little bit of a surreal experience. It wasn’t the Dominican Republic that I was used to. There was no loud music blasting from the colmado, there were no chickens crowing or dogs barking, there were no motors revving their engines, and there was no Dominicans yelling at the top of their lungs. I could actually hear and appreciate nature. And (although at the end of the trip, I still hadn’t decided) it gave me plenty of time to think about what I’m planning to do after my Peace Corps adventure ends in October. And it was absolutely beautiful. There were pine trees (but no palm trees) and crystal clear rivers in which we both drank the water and then bathed in.

Of course it wasn’t all paradise. We slept on the floor of little cabins in our sleeping bags and tried to ignore the rats running around us. I had forgotten what it felt like to be truly cold until this trip because it was quite chilly high on that mountaintop. And there were a few injuries. One girl fell down and banged her knee pretty badly, and then a few hours later she got stung by a wasp. Another girl was bathing in the river and she stumped her big toe on a rock, which caused the entire nail to lift up, just barely staying connected. But we were all troopers. I’m glad I did the trip, that I conquered Señor Duarte’s little moñtana, but it’s not a hike I am likely to venture out on again.

A Norwegian Love Affair

My neighbor’s daughter married a Norwegian tourist who was visiting the Dominican Republic about 6 years. They moved to Norway, had two kids, and now come back to visit Baoba every summer. They spent the month of June here in Baoba, and I was so excited because they brought with them three Norwegians who speak English! Finally, I wasn’t so isolated in this Spanish-speaking country.

An interesting thing occurred within the three weeks they were here. Andrea (24-year-old Norwegian male) “fell in love” with Marlene (20-year-old Dominican girl who I absolutely adore). He does not speak any Spanish. She does not speak English or Norwegian. I found myself wondering, how could they fall in love if they can’t even communicate with each other?

The more time I spent with them, the more confused and disappointed I became in their relationship. He took her to various hotels, promised to buy her a computer, and then came the shocker. They are going to get married in October and she is going to move to Norway. I went with them to her house to act as translator when he wanted to talk to Marlene’s mom. He didn’t so much as ask permission to marry her daughter, but said “hey, in October I want Marlene to come live with me in Norway and then within three months we’ll get married.” And Marlene’s mom’s response: “Sure! If it’s ok with Marlene, it’s ok with me!”

They have known each other for 3 weeks (and how much getting to know each other did they do when they couldn’t even talk to each other??) and now they’re already making plans to get married?? Ay Dios Mio. I had a couple of talks with Marlene, how I wanted her to really think about this. “It’s a life-changing decision. Don’t get married just because he has money or because you want to travel.” And of course she got offended, saying “I would never do that!” But I know that almost all Dominicans want to leave this country, are constantly searching for a better, easier life, and this seems like a temptation that she just can’t pass up.

And what’s in it for Andrea? I’m not too sure. But I do know that Dominican women make great housewives. They cook, clean, mop…basically these doñas know how to run a house and play that typical “woman” role well. And Andrea, who has worked and lived by himself since he was 16, is possibly now ready to settle down and find someone to take care of him.

Andrea has left for Norway by now. He didn’t buy Marlene a computer, but he did leave her with a good amount of money for her to buy whatever she wants. They’ve applied for her passport and starting filling out visa paperwork, and he says he’ll come back at the end of September to travel with her. A lot could happen within these next three months, but I certainly hope Marlene makes the decision that is best for her.