Tropical Paradise

Over Semana Santa (the week leading up to Easter) we joined 6 other teachers and friends on a trip to Bayahibe. We had a wonderful time! We left Jarabacoa on Wed. morning and reached La Romana (the closest city to Bayahibe) by noon. We stopped at Altos de Chavon (a modern replica of a 16^th century Italian village), where we had fun looking around at the shops, an Ampha theater, and a basilica. We then went to Bayahibe where we checked in to our cabanas (little tiny rooms with a tiny bathroom; two of these per building). We rested, visited the beach, and went to a wonderful Cuban restaurant for dinner. The next day, we set off in a boat (the least expensive we could find), and went to Isla Saona for the day. Isla Saona is part of the East National Park. It was beautiful, with clear, turquoise water, and musical Dominican crows. Daniel and I took a walk and found a path that ran through part of the Island. We saw salamanders, tons of butterflies, and even more crows. Away from the water, the island was more desert-like, but with trees and shrubs. On our way back to the mainland, the boat stopped by a reef where we snorkeled and saw many varieties of fish. Then, we went back to the “hotel”. Friday, we packed up and headed towards home. Since we had to drive through Santo Domingo, we stopped at the colonial district, picnicked, walked around, and finally headed home. We had a great time with friends and it was wonderful to see a part of the island we’ve never visited before!Altos de Chavon

The river below Altos de Chavon

Beach bum

View from the Isla

Our cabana

For more pics, go here.