Activities

Apr

2016

Cocina Dominicana

Dominican Cuisine Cooking Lessons

Typical Dominican Food & Vegetables

Yuca, habichuelas (red beans), arroz (rice), platano, (plantains) aguacate, pollo, guandules, recaito,… these are some of the top ingredients that Dominicans use for cooking. Furthermore, living in a tropical island offers you a range of fruits that you could not imagine or experience in any other part of the wide world.

Friendly Dominicans Traditions

People in the Dominican Republic are lively, happy and spontaneous, they don’t need any excuses to celebrate. A party can be improvised in less than a blink of an eye if a Dominican runs into one or more friends. However, any other occasion requires more planning and dedication elaborating details.

The Dominican Party Soup

Sancocho is, without hesitating, the most precious Dominican dish. It is a synonym of “fiesta”. It is usually prepared at special moments due to a number of ingredients needed and the long wait until everything is ready. It is made of different types of meats, corn, celery and other vegetables forming sort of a soup. Fortunately, warm climate makes people patient and easy going, that’s why they invest the waiting time enjoying and having fun with friends while drinking a bit of rum or a cold beer or other trying other Dominican specialties to eat or drink.

Learn to cook Dominican food with CLI

The best way to learn a language is through its people and traditions. CLI wants its students to be part of the Dominican culture and makes sure they experience it. Cocina Dominicana (Dominican Cuisine) was born to show this reality, to share the moment with locals and, of course, to enjoy food! So now we meet at the school to cook the traditional Sancocho all together while the Chef explains all we need to know. Immersion becomes a way to learn. And… What are we celebrating?

As we proposed before, there is no need of an excuse to celebrate, but the fact of being in such a paradise it is a reason by itself! Buen provecho!

Oct

2015

5 Reasons Studying Spanish in the Dominican Republic is fun!

There are plenty of reasons you’ll want to come study Spanish in the Dominican Republic. Today we’ll give you 5.

Island Latin Music

The Dominican Republic, or as it sometimes called locally: Quisqueya – which means “mother of all lands” in the extinct language of the Tainos, is the place where the Spanish first settled in the New World. It was during this settlement that the Spaniards took Taino wives and forced Africans to work the lands.

While a historical humanitarian tragedy, the resulting mixes of the three cultures produced a variety of infectious grooves centered around dance parties that can start early Saturday and last through Sunday night.

At these fiestas, you can find the warmest people on earth. Come to the Dominican Republic and live the rhythm of the Latin culture by dancing Merengue with Los Hermanos Rosario, Juan Luis Guerra, Eddy Herrera, Rubby Perez, Chichí Peralta, Ramón Orlando, Las chicas del Can, and many others. After a Spanish class immerse yourself in the Latin music with its lively rhythm dancing Bachata in a colmado, bar or discothèque.

Show off your salsa moves on the many dance clubs on the beach, twerk to your favorite Reggaeton at the local car wash or just dance on the seashore to the drummer’s beat until sunrise. Discover these Caribbean beats yourself and make learning Spanish fun and festive.

Joyful and colorful cultural celebrations, festivals, and shows

Witness of one of the major celebrations in any Spanish speaking country: the sparkling and exuberant Dominican Carnivals which start sometime in January and end with the major Carnival party the week before Lent.

After Lent is Semana Santa (Holy Week) where you can practice your Spanish with any of the many Dominicans that flock to the beach during this time.

In November, you can attend the Dominican Republic Jazz Festival that is held every year in Sosua, Cabarete and Puerto Plata in the north part of the island. This festival brings musicians from the US, the DR and other Caribbean islands with variety of Caribbean and international Jazz sounds.

There are many other shows that you can see throughout the country such as the Dominican Republic Bachata Festival, the Corona Sunset Electronic Musical Festival in Cap Cana, Concerts of the Villa de Santo Domingo and unique Afro-Caribbean shows like Kandela in the Altos de Chavon’s amphitheater; a Dominican icon where Frank Sinatra performed!

Beautiful beaches and a perfect sunny weather most of the time

Cabarete, on the north coast of the Dominican Republic, is the hip place for The Masters of the Ocean contest. Kitesurfing, windsurfing and surfing international events are held here all year round as well.

Do not worry if you’re a beginner or don’t know how to surf as the Cabarete warm waters are perfect even for first-timers. Ride the waves in the mornings or in the late afternoons, before or after your Spanish lessons.

The fun doesn’t stop there! You can have a life experience by observing the marine mammals such as the humpback whales mating in the Samana Peninsula or by swimming with the dolphins or sharks in the Ocean World Park, having a Catamaran boat trip sensation, sailing, or deep sea fishing! These are activities that you have to experience at least once in your life!

Plenty of outdoor adventures and different attractions

Land activities? Of course. In the Dominican you can paraglide, river-raft, ride horses, go on an ATV 4-wheel excursion, rent a motorcycle or go zip-lining. On the North Coast enjoy beautiful sightseeing in the Mountain Isabel de Torres and arrive to “Christ the Redeemer” by riding the unique cable car in the Caribbean!

You can also visit the Sosúa Synagogue and museum.

For something entirely different, explore one of the thirty caves of the El Choco National Park. This zone has a formation of rocks more than 5 million years old!

Good services at affordable prices

With eight international airports all around the island, you will have an easy access to a wide variety of comfortable accommodations at affordable prices.

Stock up on rum and cigars at fantastic prices and if you like jewelry look for the semi-precious stones, Amber and Larimar only found in the beautiful Dominican Republic.

When it is time for eating, you can choose among hundreds of restaurants where you can taste delicious fresh seafood dishes and also traditional ones like Mangú. All the traditional Dominican cuisine is a mixture of the Spanish, African, and indigenous Taino with local herbs and spices. As you can see the Dominican Republic has it all.

Come to learn Spanish with Cabarete Language Institute here and you will have a life experience that will never forget!