Baharona???

hey everyone!

Can anyone tell me about Baharona?? I just found out that that is where we have been assigned on our mission trips and we will be traveling out to towns around there.. So can neone tell me about the towns around there or anything that i should know?? thanx!!!

bri

Please email me with your questions directly. I've spent quite a bit of time there over the past 7 years doing mission related work. I lived in LaHoya, about 5 miles east of Barahona, for the 1995-96 school year and also rented a house in Batey Central, Barahona for a short time.

I know you are going there for Missionary work, but if you get the chance, check out San Rafael and el polo magnetico. I was only in Barahona for three SHORT months, but it is one of my favorite areas.

Re: Baharona???How about B-a-r-a-h-o-n-a?

Hey Bri, I can't seem to get an e-mail to you.
Anyway, Barahona, pronounced "Baa rah OWN a", is about as far a- way from my city as it gets, but the phones work.

Barahona is in the south western part of the country about 4 hours west by highway from Santo Domingo. More than anything, it is an agricultural city, having a big sugar mill and rich lands all around. The plantains (platanos!) from Barahona are famous all over the country. And in the hills there is coffee.

There are beautiful beaches and you will be near the largest and saltiest lake in the Caribbean-Lago Enriquillo ( En ree KEEL yo) which is also way below sea-level. There are crocadiles (my spelling?) and flamingos and famous blue lizards.

Some of the brightest brains in the country come from that region:
Dr. Perez Cuevas
Dr. Sol Margarita Vasquez Reyes (#2 in her class)
Dr. Mois?s Vasquez Reyes (#1 in his class)
And a bunch of others, believe me you will have fun there.

It is also one of the poorest regions in the country. A lot of commerce is carried on with Haiti, which is just a bit to the west, but the population will generally be very poor. You will have your work cut out for you. Take jeans and khaki pants-long legged-sturdy shoes, flipflops, and good bug repellant. Down there you will see some of the "things" we have talked about: Scorpions and Tarantulas and Centipedes almost for sure. Just be cool and watch out for the cooler, dark corners.

One interesting thing you will see is the famous "Tejeman?" style of houses.
These are rural dwellings that are made of intertwined sticks and branches-sort of like the popsickle stick rafts we used to make. Anyway, they are quite often plastered with clay mud and almost always they have a thatched roof. The roof is very low hanging. What makes these houses so interesting is that while they look like the most humble and poorest of dwellings{which they are}, they are actually quite comfortable and ecologically friendly buildings that act in harmony with the climate of the region.. The clay walls, acting in combination with the very low-hanging roof provide coolness in the day and warmth at night. While never luxurious by any stretch of the imagination, they do provide shelter in an efficient manner. You'll see when you get here.

E-mail me so I can give you a phone to call when you get here.

Hillbilly

Hillbilly

Your post was very informative and well-written. I also spent about a week in Barahona, really loved it there. I wish I would've contacted you before I went, I probably missed alot. The one thing I must say, though, is that the only beach we found (we probably missed the better ones) was about 4 miles out of town, and it was an all-rock beach. No sand to be seen, so bring shoes that you will be able to walk in comfortably.

Yup, forgot about that....

You are so right. there are other beaches further down the coast, but you are right about the ones closest to Barahona...

Me? I'm too used to the sandy ones we have around here....LOL!!

Re: Yup, forgot about that....

thanx!!!

sorry about the spelling, i didnt have the sheet in front of me. I dont know what has been wrong w/ my email account lately, i may hafta reregister.. thanx for all the info. on one weekend we r taking a break and having one day that we wont go into the villages. we are going to the rock beach and snorkeling... so thanx for all the info!!