Last Day in Cabarete

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Yesterday was a day of snorkeling. We went out on a small boat and were looking at fish and the blue ocean for about 1 hour, maybe a little bit more than that. The fish were so beautiful and bright. We were able to see everything so clearly. After a while of that we got back on the boat and went to a different spot for about 15 minutes. Only Sydney, Janet, Jordan and the guide went back in. The rest of us stayed on the boat. After about 15 minutes of snorkeling again, Sydney was stung by a jelly fish and needed to get out and put vinegar on her leg and her arm. We then headed back to land and took a taxi to The Cabarete Coffee Company. We shared hot chocolate and a smoothie type thing called a 'love frappe,' which was iced hot cocoa mixed with frozen strawberries. Both were delicious. After we finished our drinks at the Coffee Company, we walked to Gordito's - a burrito restaurant - for lunch. A few of us didn't really want to walk back to the hostel so we took a taxi. Jordan and I paid for 5 of us to take it back to Janet's mercado which is about 1 mile from the hostel.

Once all of us gathered back at the hostel, we had a long siesta and rested for awhile. Some of us played cards and others listened to music or read a book. Halfway into the early evening, a surprise thunderstorm broke over the busy city of Cabarete and cooled the air. Rain poured down and thunder cracked overhead. It was exciting. After the storm, we all prepared dinner and took part in different tasks, such as cutting vegetables, cooking rice, grilling the meat, and washing dishes. It was a great group effort in the end and the meal tasted delicious.

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Today is now our very last day in Cabarete. A few of us awoke early to go to the Sosua metro station, which is right outside of Cabarete, and transferred the departure date on our bus tickets from today to tomorrow. From there, we bought and enjoyed iced coffee and hot chocolate at The Cabarete Coffee Company, and from there we trekked back to the hostel on a long, hot walk on the busy main road. When we got closer to the beach we took a beautiful detour and walked along the shore and collected seashells before heading back to the Laguna Park Hostel. Anna, Janet, and Ari are out grocery shopping for lunches tomorrow. We have a 4 hour bus ride to Santo Domingo from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. We will spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing, planning, and later enjoying a dinner out on the beach for our last night in Cabarete.

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