As the plane touched down on the runway applause erupted throughout the whole cabin. After a moment our flight attendant’s voice crackled over the intercom: “For those of you who seem a bit confused by the applause, we locals believe that when you successfully land a metal tube hurtling through the sky at hundreds of miles per hour, it is worth celebrating! Bienvenidos a la República Dominicana!” We had arrived safe and sound and one hour ahead of schedule!

After passing through customs the group met with our early leader Jimena and one student who had arrived early. From there we took a short bus ride to our hotel, set our bags down, and set off for our first family meal in the Dominican Republic. After filling our bellies with delicious fresh juice, tropical rice, and grilled chicken, we set off to explore the old district of Santo Domingo on a historical bike tour. Finally we ended the night with some tasty popsicles, one last treat before a long trip to our host village tomorrow!

Saludos! More soon!

— Lucas y Jimena