2 Months Hell and Back

[cmilliman]

I went to the DR for two months, with the intention of living there as long as I could. I succeeded

The good was great...the bad was bad...not much in-between. The mosquitos weren't that bad at first..the lack of infrastructure really got on my nerves...the poverty got to me as well...the constant screwing of gringos got old...as did the constant barrage of people insisting on selling me everything in the store NOW "at a good price just for you friend..." and having a cockroach the size of a mouse crawl out of my pantleg at work forver changed how I get dressed in the morning.

The things that really got to me...were the "almost hurricane" and the earthquake. The difference between the reaction of the US and the DR in reference to the hurricane was night and day...when we were "in" the strike zone, nobody in the DR batted an eyelash...parts of the US that were near the strike zone evacuated and got ready for the worse at the recommendation of government officials. Summary? As long as the presidential palace or sugarcane fields are not threatened, the government just doesn't care.

The earthquake...the lack of data on the US Geological survery after the first 24 hours of seismic activity sums it up...Again, it seems the government is going out of its way to hide the quake from the outside world in an effort to protect the dismal tourist traffic on the North Coast.

The DR has the potential to be a beautiful country...but it's current and projected economic climate indicate the people will continue to destroy it; but it seems they have little choice. The government has succeeded in lining the pockets of a precious few at the expense of the general public...and nobody there is presented with any choice other than survival.

In the DR, even with a good deal of money and a job, I was surviving. Sure, there were beaches and nice weather, some cheap restaurants and interesting trinkets to buy. The food came with a price tag not mentioned on the menu...food poisoning at most local restaurants. The stench of sewage and exhaust fumes overpowered my senses...the never ending noise of the conchos, blaring horns and car alarms made it impossible to sleep past 7:00...and if I did, I could be sure a swarm of mosquitos or a stomach cramp would do the trick.

I personally would rather pay $50 for a nice meal than $10 for a peice of tough beef in the DR...if that meant I wouldn't spend the following hours or days trotting to the bathroom...or having a stomach as an alarm clock.

There are beautiful and unique things to see and do...and there are some definite opportunities to make money in the DR if you play your cards right...if I choose to pursue those venues, they will take place in the virtual world, with a weekend trip to the DR here and there. There is nothing like dinner and dancing on the beach in Cabarete.

Yes, it's cheap to survive...expensive to live. The beach can be beautiful, if you can look past the tires, plastic bottles and tons of other junk on the ocean floor as you swim out to the reefs. You can go for a nice relaxing walk if you can shut out the advances of the Putas or the desperate attempts to sell you ANYTHING you do or don't need while ignoring the wafting stench from the sewage treatment plant and Productos de Sosua.

So, 2 months, $5,000 and 15 pounds later I decided to return home. I don't dodge potholes with my car like I'm in a video game...I don't hear gunshots at night...the only people asking for my soul are the Jehova's & Mormons at my door...I don't feel like I'm being screwed at every turn...I don't feel like I'm surrounded by people who are running from something...or running to a Puta...I can walk down the street in silence without being perceived as being rude, and I can eat without scheduling bathroom breaks on my calendar. Many similar things happen here, but they are not in the open, in my face. That's how I prefer it.

While I don't have a beach in Wisconsin and it's colder than the president's heart in this frozen tundra, I hear Florida is rather nice this time of year. The best thing the DR did for me? It made me realize that I've been spending too long looking to other countries for happiness. I've got it pretty damn good right here in the US...and it's nice to realize that well before 30.

I do recommend that those interested give it a try...there's something strangely intruiging and nice about the experience as a whole...once you start looking BACK on it. I show off my video tapes to friends and family that cannot believe I survived more than a week...and it makes me proud to say "I did it..."

[jaymo517]

Where did you stay in DR? North Coast?........

[ERICKXSON]

That is a great report sorry to hear you had to come back nevertheless let us know where were you staying, Mosquitos, Roaches where were you man lol!.

[CMS]

If the DR is roughing it may you never try living in sub-Saharan Africa. The DR has satellite TV, Internet connections, fast food and many imported food items. 5 star hotels and all inclusive resorts are everywhere. There are many excellent hospitals. I've lived here 4 years and never had 1 incident with food poisoning.
I guess if this is the only international experience you've had compared to living in the states the DR is a tough place to live.

[Escott]

Had he stayed...

He may have been one of the afternoon drinkers with his head in the glass complaining about the DR and how bad it is. I see a lot of these people.

I have never experienced any of these troubles although I can easily see how others do. In all the years I have spent in the DR and I love to try new restaurants I have had one stomach problem where I just took some pills and kept on going. I am pretty carefull but you can never be too carefull. It can simply be a question of not brushing your teeth with bottled water and your whole system can go to hell.

I have a problem with gaining weight there since I tend to say to my self even if I am there for 2 months, "You are on vacation forget about the weight" and now after being there for only one week I am trying to shed a few more pounds Apple Pie a la mode at Rockys is simply scrumptious. I NEVER order desert at home.

Being aware of all the problems of people trying to take advantage of you I am very careful. I Have only been screwed one time and that was by a ENGLISH woman. I bought lighting fixtures for my Condo and was priced at 250-US dollars. They came and installed them and charged me 360. When I complained she says well we can take 2 fixtures down. I paid the money and told her to get the hell out of my house. She says to me that she isn't screwing me, which of course she was and tried to talk me into this. I told her to get her ass out. The fixtures are great and I would have already recommended 20 people to her but of course I lost her number so she will end up the bigger loser than me.

I always say "if you can avoid the first 5 screwings in the DR you will get to love it".

Down town Sosua is very noisey. When I stayed there I hated it. I always use to stay at Villa Chessa which is just 3 doors past the Casino because IT WAS QUIET.

One of the reasons I decided to buy property in the DR was seeing the infrastracture of Costa Rica in March. You drive from one major city or tourist area (volcano, cloud forest, beach)to the next and you have several hours of driving on BOULDER roads. You absolutely need a SUV in CR. You only need a SUV in the DR for the Speed bumps Way better infrastructure in the DR.

I will be most happy when I am spending all of my time in the DR instead of just 200+ days a year. People should pay attention to these forums and continually ask questions here.

As far as the ALMOST hurricanes, historically on the North Coast that is all it ever is. They just don't touch down there. That is one of the reasons I picked it. You had the experience of a Quake that rocked your boat. Wasn't so bad considering it was the first real one in 60 years. I am looking forward to the next one. Shame is that I slept through all the aftershocks. Go to breakfast and people tell me about it and I look at them like they are pulling my leg.

I did see a spider once that could have taken away my SUV but never a cookaracha.

Sorry you had a bad time of it. Sorry it wasn't what you expected. I spent the summer in Sosua and really enjoyed it. Most of the days when I would check the internet home page I use it was cooler in POP than it was in Poughkeepsie. They cant track Sosua and Woodstock so those are the closest. It was hot but not as hot as home.

Oh well again sorry you had a rough time of it.

Scott

[Ken]

cmilliman's post is a great illustration of why those of us who live here always urge those of you who are thinking of moving here to plan on a trial period before making the final decision. Living here is quite different than visiting occasionally and staying at an AI. Not everyone is suited to be an expat in a country like the Dominican Republic.

Those who aren't suited fall into two groups: (a) the wise ones, like cmilliman, who acknowledge that this isn't the life for them and return to live where they came from, and (b) those identified by Escott in his post, the regulars at the bar who spend their afternoons bad mouthing the DR , its people, customs, and everything else different from what they remember of the country they came from.

I don't know where cmilliman was living, but those of you who are still thinking about moving here can be sure that not all places are like that. Just be sure when you hunt for a house or apartment that you consider what the area might be like in the day and the night, and check, too, on any problems for insects. In my apartment there is no problem with mosquitos, no car alarms, no moto conchos, etc.

Again, not everyone is meant to live in a foreign country, and of those who are, the Dominican Republic is not the best choice for all. So before you burn all your bridges, make sure you live here on a trial basis for long enough to be sure that you are one of those who can find happiness here.

[pasha]

Originally posted by CMS
If the DR is roughing it may you never try living in sub-Saharan Africa.....I guess if this is the only international experience you've had compared to living in the states the DR is a tough place to live.

What CMS says is true, however...... one has to admire Cmilliman's frank and honest story. At least he had the guts to take a bite out of the apple. As Ken correctly points out not everyone's cut out for the expat life and there's no shame in that at all.

Not to criticize, but based on their comments I casually wonder about a number of DR1 expats and whether or not they could survive anything worse than the DR; like anywhere in Africa, especially sub-Sahara. Viscerally, I think many of them would fold PDQ. What to do without that damn "Aquafina" water that's being discussed in another thread? Jesus Christ....

Best, P

PS - the "roach size of a mouse" bit was hillarious. I may steal it for my own story collection!!!

[Escott]

Well just for informational sake and to tag onto Kens post a bit, I NEVER have heard gun fire in Sosua. He made it sound like it was an everyday occurance and I was in the same town for the period of time he was without hearing it once.

I agree on the noise polution and the exhaust of the motoconchos and would love to one day sit on top of a water tower and shoot them all but I will have to have a terrible day and lose most of my mind before I do that

I also agree with Ken on the fact that there is quiet in different places in town. We are walking distance to town (Ken and I live in the same complex) and it is quiet where we live.

I don't know about the rest of you folks but I am way too civilized to live in sub anything Africa.

One other note, the Dominican Republic is a TOUGH place to live if you do NOT have money. You can either live a basic life on the cheap of a HIGH END life on the Cheap. Forget about being middle class there, as you will live worse than in the states and be settling for something you don't want.

[Eddy]

C'mon man I think you're over reacting. Your buddy told me about the scewing you got from I-Language. I can understand your bitterness but things couldn't have been that bad. For everyone's information, Correy stayed at Condos Dominicano in Sosua. No, we don't have a restaurant. Correy, were things that bad at Condos? I saw you nearly every day and you never complained. As for noise, I've been living here for quite a few years and it's not bad compaired to a lot of places. You may have mistook the weekend fireworks at Sosua Bay hotel for gunshots, I don't know. Overall, your post has truth in it depending on the way you look at things. As for me, I love the DR and especially Sosua that wouldn't trade it for any other place. I think Ken's post sums it up. Good luck back home and keep us informed. Sorry I was not here to say goodbye. BTW, your friend should be mailing you the refund I gave you. At least Eddy didn't screw you. LOL.

[abe]

I may be one of the few people who visit this board who can actually make the comparison between the North Coast and S-S Africa. I realize that S-S Africa was only mentioned as an example of someplace really tough to live in and I am not all that literal, but I did live in West Africa for two years three decades ago.

Interestingly one of Sosua's appeals for me was that it looks a lot like some of the West African cities I enjoyed. Tree shaded streets, people living outdoors versus inside their homes, etc. But the bad part is that the West African cities also had their share of colonial hangers on who were there primarily because they had more of what they perceived of personal power and privilege in the former colonies than they had at home.

Sadly, that can be true in the DR as well and I think that's part of what our friend cmilliman didn't like. His observation of people running from something or to putas was poignant and probably accurate. He clearly didn't like that.

Certainly there is an element of "colonial"people in the DR who are living high on the food chain in POP, for example, and wouldn't be doing anywhere near as well at home. Yet there are many more who are contributing to the DR society through volunteer efforts or through just being an active part of the whole community as opposed to running from cocktail party to tennis court to private dining room, etc.

In other words, there are all types on the North Coast, like everywhere else on earth.

Cmilliman's very well-written description of his life should indeed be taken as a primer on relocation and we should respect his view of what happened. But fundamentally, a potential ex-pat has to have the honest conversation of Why? with him/herself. Everything flows from that.

My experience of long stays on the North Coast over three years was very positive, but that is entirely because of the natural beauty of the place (yes, I saw the garbage too) and the warmth of the people. I can tell you that West Africa had all of that too, but the amount of loud bickering I saw among people in Africa in one week exceeded all that I saw in the DR over months and months.

I have visited a majority of the islands in the Caribbean and the DR has the friendliest people by far. In the end, you can figure out how to choose any home wisely to minimize the noise, the cockroaches, etc. But you can't change the nature of the people--and, in my opinion, it's the people who will make you the most satisfied with your new home. Or the least.

I enjoyed the report and I wish you well, Mr. Cheesehead, and I do hope you will remember the good parts of your stay far longer than the bad.