In any case, I managed a few more hours of sleep before rolling out of bed at 8:00 a.m. I showered and took a lovely stroll through the streets of Santiago from which I have drawn several conclusions.
1. Honking your horn in the Dominican is used just as much to accompany the music you are listening to as it is for actual traffic purposes. Probably more so.
2. I should plan on being hot and sticky most of the time.
3. Expect "psssts" and cat-calls when walking. Even from the police (La Policia Nacional), which is super comforting.
4. Selling the most adorable little puppies out of cages on the street corner seems to be common-place.
I was pretty cautious and didn't go far since I don't have a map, or any Dominican money to run errands with. I did buy a mango at the corner store and the lady was happy to accept my American dollar and provide me with some Dominican change. My mango-picking skills need some improvement however, because it was too green to eat. Darn. I don't meet with my program director until 2:20 so I may need to venture out again in search of real food.
Holy Shit a RAT just sprinted across the floor!