Day 8

Saturday, September 10

 

Our final full day in the Dominican Republic. We woke up early, had our final breakfast on the top floor of the hotel.. packed our bags into the van.. and left for Santo Domingo!

 

Hannlex, our very entertaining, full-of-life engineer who joined us for the week, made sure to entertain us to the very last minute.  His laughter was absolutely contagious and his energy filled our trip with happiness.

 

We went directly to the beach, where we had lunch on the sand just feet from the ocean. We enjoyed pina coladas, rum drinks, swimming in the ocean, and lounging in the sand.

 

 

After our beach day, we returned to Hotel Mercure, back where our adventure started just one week before. We walked around town, up and down the streets filled with shops and souvenirs. On our bus ride from San Juan de la Maguana, we had stopped at a roadside shop where we purchased our very own Pilons to bring home with us as souvenirs as well!

Lisa, Iris, and Natalie went on a hunt for a doctor that could cut Lisa's cast off and write a note for her to be able to fly. It was harder than expected since it was a Saturday, but they were able to get it done so Lisa could make the trip home on Sunday.

That evening we went to a fun dinner spot in Santo Domingo called El Conuco. Delicious food and drinks, and fun dancing! They had professional dancers performing and each of us took our shot at merengue on the dance floor.

Back at the hotel, we spent our last evening together as a group. Natalie and Hannlex presented us with certificates of appreciation. We said goodbye to one another with tears for the amazing experience we all shared together this week.

 

 

It was an unforgettable week, one that we will all cherish forever and one that has touched each of our hearts for the rest of our lives. Thank you Dominican Republic for welcoming us with open arms. Thank you Iris and Anne for leading us the whole way through. Thank you Habitat DR, Natalie, Hannlex, and Roberto for the work you do in your community and for making it so enjoyable for all of us to be there, and thank you to our entire team for being the best team ever!!