Hanging in the ‘Hoods

Our clinics were typically in outlying areas of Santo Domingo, three of which were in the Los Alcarrizos district. This is a predominantly poor and run down section of SD, and so tourists are rarely (if ever) seen here. That made us quite noticeable, but the people who live here welcomed us with open arms. Our walk to the ’mercado’ (with one local and one security team member by FDR rules) was quite fun😂😂. A lot of stares, hellos, smiles, and one particularly boisterous high-five from a young boy. My hand still smarts!😂

Neighborhood ‘markets’ were in the least expected places, and I wouldn’t have seen them if I hadn’t been with our ‘local’. They were reminiscent of San Pedro, which made me smile. 💕