We are on the bus back to Santo Domingo. It is early, the group from Ontario has a flight to catch this morning so we were all rustled out of bed and after a quick breakfast, piled into the buses and headed down route 41 to the capital.
Everyone is tired and sleepy (except Eric, who is talking up a storm with a pretty girl from the other group).
The scenery is pretty amazing as we head out of the hills into the lowlands by the coast.
It's hard to do it justice from the back seat of the bus through rain-streaked windows (yup, it rained last night for the first time on this trip!).
I asked a lot of questions to my seat mate on the way up here. I am sure she was rolling her eyes inside, as she tried her best to answer! I have even more on the trip out.....the experience has provoked many thoughts and feelings about wealth and affluence and our place in the world and how we live it. The people here have so little, yet for the most part they are content. They have much to teach us about living in the moment. Our lives start in a random fashion. We do not choose our moment or place of birth. Nor do we select our parents and neither did they. We seem to have fortune or luck to have been born in a rich country with all of the comforts of the rich, even if we each struggle to pay the bills at the end of the day.
Let us put all of this in perspective as we return home to our obligations and busy lives.
Perhaps this is all too heavy for this forum. Too much time on my hands on a long ride sitting by myself in the back of the bus!! And yet, it is important to review these ponderings on an ongoing basis.
Hey John, I think your pondering is good, it helps all of us,whether here or there to reflect on the good fortunes that we have and to remind us to share and to learn from others. Because Canada is a wealthy country, we can be isolated from the issues of the world, unless we choose to open our eyes to what is happening. I'm impressed with your insight and know that all those questions you asked are appreciated by others. Take care, safe travels home. Debbi
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