Day 1!

Here I am! I made it alive =)

The bus was at the airport to pick us up when our flight got in and drive us to Hotel Europa which is where we will be staying for the month. I just quickly walked around the area before dinner and it is a really cool place... the Colonial Distict. I'll find out more tomorrow when we go sight seeing around the area. We went to dinner at this place right on the water. I didn't realize it before, but I guess a lot of cuise ships dock there.

The hotel is really nice. Although the rooms are a little basic, there is working internet, the lobby and the location are very good. There is also free breakfast and dinner on the rooftop terrace. In the last week or 2, we are working with the Red Sox Foundation (because baseball is HUGE down here). The guy we are working with from the Red Sox recommended that we get private security... everytime he travels down here the Red Sox require him to have security. So, acording to our Prefessor, we have a private secuirty gaurd. He is very undercover and I have been trying to discover who is it. Our Prof said that everytime we go to get on the bus to go somewhere, he usually hails a cab and follows. WEIRD!

More to come tomorrow, but here are some picture of the hotel.

Lobby

Rooftop Terrace

View from the room

Last minute change...

So, change of plans. We're now staying at Hotel Europa (www.antiguohoteleuropa.com).... Incase you were planning to show up and surprise me.

Ok, it's 9:30 pm... I should probably think about packing.

5 Days Until Departure

Welcome back!

I will be using this again this summer to blog what I do in the Dominican Republic. I won't have a phone during this time, but will have Skype and email, so if you need to (for some reason) contact me please email me at katiejerdee@gmail.com. If need be, I can call you over Skype. 

I will be in Santo Domingo May 9 - June 6. The group of 20 NU students will be working with urban and poor communities to set up 5 new village banks (along the same lines as my work last year in Africa). I will then travel to Haiti, Jamaica, and Cuba until June 16. THEN I'll return to Boston. In the capital, we will be staying at the Plaza Colonial. (http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g147289-d149933-Reviews-Apart_Hotel_Plaza_Colonial-Santo_Domingo_Dominican_Republic.html)

I'll be uploading my pictures to http://picasaweb.google.com/KatieJerdee again this year, so check that out as well!

A few highlights

Victoria Falls, Zambia

Zanzibar, Tanzania :o)

And the venture begins!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!

I will be spending her birthday on a plane... for the whole day.

It is out last day in Cape Town today. We flew in from Zanzibar last night and leave again this evening for Dakar, NY, then BOSTON arriving on the 7th.

We have met some verrry nice people along the way. Mostly locals who have really helped up out. For example, after our plane landed in Dar es Salaam and we missed the last ferry, we met a piolet who fley us to Zanzibar-- and then back-- with no ticket! Another time in Jo'burg, the Nando's (local chain rest.) drove us in his delivery car to the movie theater... and walked us inside because it was vert dangerous after dark.

So yes, I'm going to miss Africa and the people I've met a lot. Although at time it was very dangerous, we managed to pull out of life or death situations alive :o)


I'm uploading a few pics from our post trip on the pic site, so check them out!!

Going out with a bang

Last night and tonight we have been at the Ocean Paradise Resort on the eastern side of Zanzibar. We decided to treat ourselves for our last 2 nights traveling in Africa... and a treat it is :o) We deserve it after the townships, hostels, and many near death experiences.

The beaches are awesome and they have the biggest swimming pool on the island. When we checked into our room yesterday, we had flowers all over our bed and a huge wrap around deck.
Tomorrow we fly back to Dar, then fly to Jo'berg, then to Cape Town. I'm probably going to upload some pictures tomorrow when I get to Cape Town.

Well, I'm alive and finally found some nice weather to lay on the beach.
I'll be back in Boston Aug 7th, so start planning my return party.

northern tip of zanzibar

Hellofrom Nungwi! We are at the very norhtern tip of Zanzibar. We spent last night andare staying tonight then we are going to the eastern side to spend 2 nights. We spent all day today on the beach :o) The water is turquoise and white sand.

The other 4 members joined us today. They have been a day behind us because of flights. They got off the plane in Dar es Salaam and none of their credit cards works and they just had enough money to pay for the visa. After the visa, the ended up getting on a flight to Zanzibar (promising they would pay for the ticket price later). They spent the night in stone town town and then came to meet up with us around lunch time today.

OK, just a quick update... more later