"We're Here!"

All 22 of us arrived in Santo Domingo this afternoon. It is 7:45 here 
(feels like 6:45). You'd think the children would be tired after being 
up at 2 or earlier...but they're not. They're loving the exploration 
and discovery.
 
When we got out of the airport Jeremy looked at the crew and said, 
"We're going to live here for two months." (insert pause here) "I just 
got shivers when I said that". 

When leaving the airport I was in a vehicle with Nathan. 

We had been outside of the airport, in the DR air for 

(I kid you not) no more than ten minutes when Nathan states,  

"I can already tell that two months is too short". 

That's the feel around here. Any tears shed this morning 
are long forgotten as they are soaking in the surroundings 

of their new life.
 
We were blessed with travelling mercies, but today hasn't been without 
incident. But who was the victim? Me. Last year we spent much time on 
the roof as it gives you a gorgeous view of our surroundings (see pic 
6643) and it is also the best place to experience sunsets. Clearly I 
was excited to share this tradition with this year's crew so away I 
went up the ladder, fearlessly leading. 

All of a sudden I get attacked. There are sharp pains on my arm and face. 

I apparently disturbed a wasp nest. 

These wasps aren't Canadian wasps - they were huge! I had sense 
enough to climb down a couple of steps before jumping backwards 

(in pic 6640 you can get a sense of the height, but Peter is still a couple of 
steps from the ground). My arm has at least four stings and they are 
all red and swollen (weird because I usually never react to stings like 
this). I got two stings on my face, on my the side of my nose but 
really close to my eye, and as a result half my face is swollen and 
red. I can only have see out of my eye. My arm and face are throbbing.

 
Apparently Dominican wasps are on steroids. At our parent's meeting on 
Tuesday I told the parent's that stuff would happen - and today is 
evidence of that. I didn't think I'd be the first victim.
 
I've attached a couple of pictures:
 
6628: our group right before dinner
6640: Peter using Muskol to get rid of the wasp nest
6643: a view of the town

6649: a hint of the sunset 

~Update from Rachael~