We started our first day very early, arriving at school at 4:30 a.m. We ventured by bus to JFK, where we had ample time to explore and get some bagel sandwiches!
After a three-hour flight and some napping, we arrived in Santiago and immediately felt the hot, humid weather as we stepped off the plane. We walked out and met our fantastic guide Brayan from EF Education First before traveling to our hotel. After a quick break and some complimentary juices, we walked to a nearby market where we each got bracelets and got the chance to spend some of our freshly converted Dominican pesos.
During this market visit, Brayan told us about two of the most important phrases on busy Dominican streets and markets: “No, gracias” and “¿Cuanto cuesta?” After the market, we went to the grocery store to stock up on snacks for the week to come. In our snack hunt, the brand “Wala” became an inside joke for our group, pointing it out wherever we spotted it (which happened to be almost everywhere!).
After our snack run, we had dinner at a local restaurant with a really charming interior. Dinner orders included burgers, fajitas, sushi, and Caesar salads, which served as a precursor to some of the more traditional Dominican dishes we’ll be enjoying in Jarabacoa. We then settled in for the night at our hotel, journaled, and caught up on some much-needed sleep.
By Parker C. and Anna T.
