Isla Saona

After a busy week of settling in and acclimating to the culture, students had their first day of complete relaxation where they were able to share some quality time in a paradise only accessible by boat. After a two hour bus ride along the coastline, we met our crew on the sandy shores of Bayahibe, La Romana where we were greeted with smiling faces and salty air. A young boy approached us with a box of mangos resting on his head. The students took well to his playful nature and bubbling charisma, a language we all understand. As we waited for our Capitán to take to the sea, we swayed on deck with the rolling waves and savored a typical Dominican breakfast of Mangu (a purée of boiled plantains and onions), fried sausage, and scrambled eggs with onions and peppers. The hum of the engine rattled our seats and the adventure commenced!

We dazzled over breathtaking hues of Caribbean blue, and waved at passing boats. Our first stop was a shallow inlet, home to star fish the size of your head, where we swam and waded in crystal-clear rippled waters. Soon after, we passed the boarder separating the main coast of the Dominican Republic and our island destination where the Caribbean funnels out to the Atlantic. How many people can say they’ve seen such a site in the flesh!?

As we approached the sandy shores of our oasis, one could feel the tingle of excitement carry through the breeze. We eagerly scaled the stairs, stepping foot on new terrain. Isla Saona is home to just 400 residents and one small school that only serves students for their first few years of schooling until needing to commute to the main land of the country. Here, we spent the day in great company and conversation among each other and our hosts. Some of our global navigators participated in a beach volleyball game while others took a dance class beneath a cabana covered in palms. Others found fun in snorkeling and exploring a small choral reef in search of aquatic creatures. After a buffet style lunch with ocean views, some of us made time to snooze between palm trees in a cluster of hammocks.

For some of us, it was a day of many firsts, where students had never seen such picturesque views and surreal natural beauty. Time must have flown out to sea because when it was time to leave, not a single person ran for the boat, and echoes of “Already?” and “Ahhh, not yet!” traveled down the beach. Two iguanas welcomed us back to the main land and all sun-kissed cheeks radiated the biggest smiles of gratitude to each other and the natural beauty of the Dominican Republic.