December 16, 2019 By Tessa I am feeling so very grateful for this adventure. So many dreams have been fulfilled. We experienced more in depth the beauty, diversity and culture of this country and it’s people. I also started a new job as a marine biology teacher. I was lucky enough to have lots of …
Author Archives: Tessa Getchis
New Experiences – Sewing
By Cameron In Mariposa we did a sewing class. it was very fun. My teachers were Maria Alexandra and Belkis. The first stitch we learned was the simple in-and-out Stitch. It was super easy. With this stitch we made little pin cushions. I learned that it is important to make the stitches small so there …
New Experiences – Gardening
By Tessa I love to have my hands in the dirt, and so as soon as we arrived we set out to find seeds and clean soil. There is little need to buy seeds here – they are all around us. Every couple of days we’d buy from our favorite vendor. His rusted old Nissan …
New Experiences – Circus
By Makena Da Day 1 – Circus Circus has been the light of my life while in the Dominican Republic. For example, a guy lifts me up in the air really high by the bottoms of my feet. My teachers are Laura, Cristian, Crismery, and Manuelito. My friends are Cairo, Isabella, Mia, Angelina, Agatta, Sophia, …
Week 12- The Motion of the Ocean
This week’s excursion was to Encuentro, a world famous surfing beach tucked in between farms and open spaces along the north shore of the DR. For now it has been spared the development of nearby beaches and this gives it a totally different vibe than the bays of Sosua and Cabarete. Though famous for surfing, …
Week 11 – Snorkeling Open Water
Last week in class we learned about marine mammals, and so the girls were thrilled when we came across a small pod of dolphins on our open water excursions this week. Our trips were sponsored by Northern Coast Diving, and our guides Michael and Jose made it memorable for us. We traveled to a site …
Week 4 – Learning to SUP
By Tessa This week the Mariposas learned how to use a stand up paddle board or SUP as it is called. Paddling is a great way to explore the ocean and get exercize. The older students had used SUPs out on the river, but this was the first time in the ocean for most. Paddling …
Week 10 – The Caves of Cabarete
November 20, 2019 By Tessa This week we explored the Caves of Cabarete. The caves and lagoons are a natural wonder and part of El Choco National Park located right in our backyard. The park encompasses 77 square kilometers of forests, lagoons, underground rivers, and caves. The website for the park claims that the limestone …
Week 9 – Learning about the changes at Cabarete Beach
November 17, 2019 By Tessa I Images courtesy of CabareteNoticias.com This week we explored Cabarete Bay, the Mariposa’s hometown beach. It’s a beach that my family and I have been to many times – in fact – it’s our favorite. This crescent shaped beach is world famous for its aquatic sports including kite and windsurfing. …
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Week 3 – The most powerful force for change in this world.
By Tessa October 13, 2019 This week the waves were too big for a trip to the ocean, so we headed to the cool spring fed waters of the Bella Vista River. It was a long trip on dirt road, but in reality we were only a couple of miles from the beach. When we …
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The Getchis Family Blog 