Dominican Republic: Weekend Trip to Puerto Plata and Sosua

Hello Fellow Adventurers! 

Day 13 Friday

To start the day, students gathered to do some hours of service at the local NGO Fundación Red Misericordia. Students collectively decided on a design for both walls and began finalizing details of it to finish painting the rest of the mural next week. In addition to the mural, in groups the students took turns working with children and learning from an instructor on how to make clay dolls. The clay dolls are sold for donation to raise funds to support the foundation’s mission and the services they provide.

After having lunch with their host families, students left Santiago de Los Caballeros to start their weekend overnight trip to Puerto Plata and Sosua. Puerto Plata is the third largest city in the Dominican Republic and is the capital of the province of Puerto Plata. Puerto Plata is also famous for being a colorful city due to having vibrant colors on the houses and streets. Once arriving at the hotel in Sosua, students enjoyed dinner together, watched the sunset, and had some free time to swim in the pool. 

Day 14 Saturday

Students started their day with a breakfast buffet at the hotel. Afterwards, everyone gathered to take a boat tour to Laguna Gri Gri. Laguna Gri Gri holds a lot of history and a remarkable view of clear waters. There were also a variety of birds within the trees students got to see during at the beginning and end of the tour. During the tour, we had the opportunity to go inside a cave with crystal blue water. Once leaving the cave, we had some time to spend near a small beach area to swim. Once returning to the hotel, students had free time to enjoy the beach close to the resort and relax.

Day 15 Sunday

To start the day, students began a city scavenger hunt to learn more about Puerto Plata. By exploring Fort San Felipe and the city, students learned about landmarks in Puerto Plata, saw the outside of the Amber Museum and historical center, and found murals and bright colored buildings and streets that make Puerto Plata unique. After the scavenger hunt, students enjoyed lunch at Koffee Spot On. This local cafe offered a variety of food for a lunch buffet and had unique and antique decor, including a variety of plants surrounding a patio seating area. After lunch, we headed back to Santiago de Los Caballeros where students had time to rest and talk with their host families about which dish, they would like to learn how to make for tomorrow’s cooking class. 

Stay tuned for more!