Santo Domingo

Our last day in the Dominican Republic was a busy one.  We loaded the gua-gua (bus) at Rancho Baiguate and made the 2+ hour drive back to Santo Domingo.  We had lunch in the Zona Colonial area of Santo Domingo, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its history as one of the oldest European settlements in the Americas.  Harry led a walking tour around the city, providing us with some bits of historical background and trivia.  We then made our way to a large souvenir market, where we had the opportunity to demonstrate our haggling skills -- some of us were better than others, to be sure -- as we stocked up on locally produced items.  The gua-gua picked us up at the market and took us to El Conuco, a Dominican restaurant, where we were treated to a traditional Dominican dinner and a spectacular (and interactive!) dance show.  At the end of a very long day, we returned to our hotel.  While we are sorry to say goodbye to this place and its people, it has been a long, hard week, and the students (and chaperones) are looking forward to the comforts of home, and some time to process what we've seen and done here.  To those of you who have followed our trip here, we can't wait to tell you all about it in person.

Hasta pronto.