We were back in the Dominican Republic, Santiago, last week for our annual eye clinic. While the clinic has been in operation for 20 years, this was only my fifth visit, Janet’s seventh. In addition to the main base of operation where most patients are seen, teams were sent out to two bateys (camps) and one orphanage. I went to the orphanage on one of the days.

This year we saw 1,077 patients, a bit below our peak of 1,200 two years ago. Our team is made up of Dominicans and Americans from all over the U.S., including Peace Corps volunteers (three this year) who are most helpful with translation. My work is mostly sherpa-like, do what is needed, but like in past years I was assigned to the sunglasses station. Everyone in Santiago and all of the Dominican Republic needs sunglasses and we have generous donors who supply some of the best products in the market. My job is simple: let patients choose glasses that they like and fit. At the orphanage, my role changed. There I was responsible for acuity, that is having kids read shapes at 20 feet (although given space limitations the children and staff were reading at 10 feet). From there, conversion, e.g. 20/20 occurs, which is recorded in the patient file. Of course, one of the measures of success is smiles, at least in regard to sunglasses.

On the last day of our visit, we went out and about to some of the areas of Santiago that we had not seen before. Santiago is a bustling, thriving place, full of commerce, music, and great food. There are several infrastructure projects underway, including an effort to reshape public transportation. A new transportation hub has been built, one designed to bring together buses and a new cable car system. One of the goals of the new system is to reduce traffic congestion. Side streets in the older parts of town are narrow and winding, making even a short trip take far too long. We rode on the new cable car system, from end-to end. It just opened and we were almost alone in our trek. The photos below provide some views from our ride.