By Zak B., Jadin F., & Richard F.
Today was our final day and night of our Intensive Learning trip to the Dominican Republic. Our destination was Cayo Arena, a remote sandbar off the northern coast of the DR. We were excited to spend our last day at the beach, after almost a week in the central mountains. Our morning started earlier than usual at 4:30, giving us time to depart from the hotel at 5:30. We met in the lobby at 5:30 as we transitioned onto the bus for our departure. We were given ham and cheese sandwiches as a to-go breakfast. The drive was serene and quiet. We stopped at a gas station for a bathroom break. Later we stopped at the gift shop. We got a glimpse of the options we had to buy souvenirs to take home.
Our first activity of the day was natural pool swimming. After we got to Punta Rucia, we put our swim clothes on, sunscreen on, and left everything else but our phones on the bus. We put on life jackets and got onto a small green motorboat. We all rode far into the sea to an area that was shallow enough for us to stand in; it was called a “natural pool.” We then were able to take pictures in the area despite the sandy ground being slightly rocky and hurting people’s feet. After this we went off to a small sandbar called Cayo Arena.
On the island, we were able to take pictures at first. Then we were given snorkels to snorkel in the shallow waters and see fishes and coral. We took some time doing this along with taking some pictures. Finally, we walked back on the beach, ate some pineapple and watermelon slices, drank some soda, and spent the rest of the time having fun on the island. Once that was done, we went back to the beach and back on the bus.
We then took a music-filled bus ride back to the hotel where we got ready for an Italian dinner. Afterwards we reflected and celebrated by sharing our thoughts. We showed our appreciation for our tour guide, chaperones, and bus driver by giving gifts and thoughtful comments. Finally we ended the night off with celebratory ice cream and got ready for our flight the next day.
