For years, one of the finest jewels of the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic, was veiled in the commercial shadow of its big brother, Puerto Rico. During the past 30 years Internet use has grown, information has become one of the most marketable commodities, and the click of a mouse can send one to the other side of the world. As the tourism industry has moved into the virtual realm, the Dominican Republic has emerged as king of pristine beaches, economical resorts, and great baseball players. Today, tourism is one of the fastest-growing industries in the Dominican Republic. Officials at Berlin’s 4th International Tourism Bourse, one of the world’s most celebrated travel trade shows, announced that over 26 million travelers have visited the Dominican Republic in the last ten years. The majority of these 26 million visitors have flocked to tourist-oriented locations such as Santo Domingo, Puerto Plata, and Punta Cana. While the capital city and the celebrated beaches of the Dominican Republic are unquestionably sight-worthy, traveling to some of the less commercialized Dominican cities can provide one with a rich, authentic travel experience that he or she will never forget.

San Juan de la Maguana is the capital city of San Juan, a province located in the western part of the Dominican Republic. Although San Juan de la Maguana is only three and a half hours away from the capital city, visitors will feel as if they are far removed from the modern metropolis of Santo Domingo. The natural setting of the city is truly picturesque; lush, green mountains stretch upward to kiss the brilliant blue sky and create a natural border for the province as well as for the eye. The San Juan valley is one of the leading producers of agricultural exports in the Dominican; thus, those who venture outside of the city will encounter flowing fields of rice and beans wherever they look. Although several successful Santo Domingo businesspersons make their second home in San Juan de la Maguana, the town is not an affluent one. Devastating poverty can be found in barrios all around the edge of the city, and beggars are a common sight.

There are no words to describe the effect that seeing a true barrio for the first time has upon a traveler from an affluent first-world nation. Children run through the dirt roads barefoot and sometimes naked, entire families live in a single-room stick hut and sleep on the same mattress, and trash and waste line the streets. Residents are sometimes malnourished and clean water is a luxury that almost no one can afford. Haphazard power lines jerry-rigged by enterprising residents hoping to find power during one of the many power-outages are strung across the barrios, and many a visitor has marveled at the fact that these power lines even work at all. The poverty found in the barrios around San Juan can overwhelm travelers and make them feel guilty about the three-bedroom home and two-car garage they have left behind.

I strongly advise that visitors to the barrios take a moment to look beyond the deficiencies that can be perceived by so many first-world eyes and examine the reasons that those they consider to be “less-fortunate” have found to smile. Children will eagerly rush to cling to the hands of any visitor they encounter, adults will bring out plastic patio chairs and invite guests to make themselves at home. Proud housewives sweep dirt floors on a daily basis and maintain a dignity far greater than many can even begin to comprehend. The residents of the barrios have struggled in life, but the smiles on their faces, their overwhelming generosity, and the gentle demeanors that one will encounter betray a secret that is all but unknown to those of us who live in first world nations. Travelers are sure to encounter many a broad smile borne of hope and immense faith. Best of all, any North American traveler with European features will be overjoyed that, in a world in which Americans are often viewed in a negative light, he or she will be greeted with ecstatic cries of, “¡Mira el americano!” and the entire town will rush to make his or her acquaintance.

Just outside of San Juan de la Maguana lies the Orfanato la Rosa en el Desierto, an orphanage that is run by a US-based mission organization, Full Gospel World Ministries. The Orfanato la Rosa en el Desierto is home to forty-five boys and five girls whose charm and innocence is enough to give joy to the most cantankerous of individuals. The children are intelligent, eager-to-learn, and loving beyond question. They love to practice English with those who visit and they need only see a face once to remember the name. Best of all, the love and understanding that the orphanage directors attempt to foster in the environment of their establishment is evident in the actions of the children. They are keen to help each other and share what they have. I once helped a boy with a group craft project only to watch him give his creation to a disabled boy sitting next to him without a second thought. In that moment, I came to understand the insignificance of material wealth; the children who I had once perceived to have nothing have all of the riches imaginable. The unfortunate one was not the children at the Orfanato la Rosa en el Desierto, but I. At the time, I was living alone in a city where I had few friends and no relatives and working at a job that I abhorred but was afraid to leave because I was convinced that accomplishment was measured by income. I arrived at the Orfanato la Rosa en el Desierto convinced of the superiority of my privileged lifestyle, and I left humbled by fifty children who understood what living means in a way that I had yet to discover.

As awe-inspiring as the children at the Orfanato la Rosa en el Desierto are, they have not quite reached the level of sainthood. The saying “boys will be boys” applies universally, and these children are no exception. One of their favorite pastimes is to chase tarantulas out of their holes using sticks and allow them to crawl all over their shoulders the way snake-handlers do with pythons and boa constrictors. During one trip, I became acquainted with a very special little boy of about five years. Every time I asked his name, he would duck his head shyly and flash a mischievous smile, so I took to calling him my “No-Name Friend.” During snack time that day, he returned for four cups of Kool-Aid in less than ten minutes. I was busy marveling at his capacity to drink his Kool-Aid so quickly when I noticed pink rivulets dripping down the tip of his nose. My little friend had been ducking around the corner and pouring his Kool-Aid over the top of his head so that he could return to me with his winning, impish smile, and hold out his empty cup for more. The same little boy trailed behind me as I went outside to play volleyball and managed to drive his bicycle directly into the path of the ball every time it came my way. To this day, I still do not know his name, but I can assure you that I would recognize the smile of that little rogue anywhere!

The people of San Juan de la Maguana and especially the children at the Orfanato la Rosa en el Desierto have many gifts to share with the traveler who wishes to experience the Dominican Republic not as a tourist, but as the guest of an entire rural community. Those who wish to experience San Juan de la Maguana from the Orfanato la Rosa en el Desierto can travel with Guaitiao, an organization that is dedicated to designing travel-service programs that foster authentic travel experiences, interpersonal relationships, and individual growth. Participants in a Guaitiao program will stay at a small, local hotel in San Juan and will dine at various local restaurants. They will share their talents with the residents of the orphanage as well as at other locations around San Juan and get to know the countryside from an incredibly unique perspective. At night, they will take part in various cultural activities that are tailored to make them a part of the San Juan community. Examples of these activities include Spanish lessons given by a local teacher, merengue classes with local students, a baseball game with the residents and staff at the Orfanato la Rosa en el Desierto, and an evening to meet with local artists. Participants will not only have the opportunity to live in and serve the community that they are visiting, but they will also have the occasion to allow the community to serve them. Service is not an act of selfless giving; rather, it is a reciprocal act. Those who serve must learn to accept the fact that inevitably, they will receive more than they give.

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