Hola familias! This is Kyra and Sara coming at you from San Juan de la Maguana! We were so excited today because we got to be lideres del dia (leaders of the day) and go to the beach! We started off our day at 7am, before eating breakfast on the bus (from Rosaura’s) and beginning our journey to La Playa El Quemaito. The bus ride was approximately 2 hours, but it seemed much shorter with our anticipation of the fun day ahead. Once we got the the beach, we played a quick game of volleyball before taking a splash into the beautiful, crystal clear waters of the sea. After about an hour of water games, rock skipping, and taking gorgeous panoramic pictures of the scenery, we headed over to the stand of two vendors named Maria and Cesar. They are both natives to the Dominican Republic who specialize in polishing and creating jewelry from “larimar,” a beautiful blue stone unique to the Dominican Republic.  We got the opportunity to learn about the history and name origin of the stone, and were also given the chance to buy some of the stunning and vibrant jewelry that they have created. After a delicious lunch (also provided by Rosaura’s) and a few more hours of water fun, we headed back to our accommodations in San Juan. There, we dressed in our formal clothes and prepared for our CAP (community action project) presentations to the community of Jinova. Although we got the chance to present our ideas to the community, our time was unfortunately cut short due to scheduling problems. Luckily, one of our fellow glimpsers (special shoutout to Gabe) stayed behind while we went to dinner in order to help our PCs (Program Coordinators) receive feedback and get the information necessary to complete our project. After dinner, we wrapped up our day with a heartfelt nightly meeting discussing the impacts of tourism on developing countries. Our meeting today as well as all past meetings have ended with endless comments of big love, recognizing the kindness and authenticity of one another. We are continuing to appreciate the opportunities we have been given in our time here and we will always cherish the knowledge and experiences that we have gained. We may miss our families, but after a week of staying in San Juan, it is starting to feel like a second home.

All our love,

Kyra and Sara