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Important Things to Know About the Dominican Republic and Traveling in Developing Countries
Getting Ready
The DR is very definitely a developing nation and is plagued by shortages of every sort. While it's possible to find anything you need in the capital - for a price - you're much better off bringing what you'll need from home. But remember, you will be responsible for lugging your bags through the fierce Caribbean heat.
What to Bring......And Not to Bring (on a separate handout)
Whether you are a teacher or a truck driver, student or parents, the kind of work you will be doing on your visit to the DR will introduce you to muscles you never knew you had. It is important for you (and for your hosts) that you take care of yourself and know your limitations.
Some Tips:
1. Protect yourself from the sun. It's hot here. Wear a hat. Wear sunscreen. Take breaks in the shade. And just in case you don't remember, the sun is also hot on the beach. You can be careful all day long at the work site, then fry on the beach.
2. Drink lots of (bottled) water. Dehydration may mean big problems.
3. Watch what you eat. We will have given instructions on food preparation to your host. We will provide you with safe drinking water. But food from vendors on the streets doesn't meet those USDA standards. Raw vegetables may not have been washed in bleach water, and those luscious fruits falling from the trees may have not so luscious parasites lurking on their skins.
4. No matter how careful you are, you will probably get the runs. Water becomes very important so you don't dehydrate. Drink water and rest.
5. Buddy up when you are walking around town.
What Should I Expect?
The DR has some of the most beautiful beaches, coastlines and mountains in the Caribbean. And Dominicans are friendly, easy going and gregarious. But despite everything it has going for it, there are many things that may shock you about life in the DR.
Garbage: Like most underdeveloped nations, the DR does not have an adequate system for handling waste products. Combine this with the recent influx of disposable American products and you have a big mess on your hands. Expect to see lots of garbage.
Corruption: Like many Third World countries, the government in the DR is not usually noted for it's honesty (although it is getting much better). From bribe-seeking cops to vote-buying politicians, nearly everyone here has a story that may give you a little more appreciation for your government back home.
Outrageous prices: The DR is an island, so everything passing through customs needs to be shipped in by plane or boat. And everything passing through customs is taxed.
Guns: Many people are shocked to see the number of guns in plain view here. Security guards with rifles, cops with shotguns and citizens with pistols tucked in their belts. Here people carry their weapon like they carry their cellular phones -- a symbol of status and wealth. Despite the open display of firepower, there are a lot fewer shootings in the DR than in the States. In the DR they just don't conceal their weapons.
Noise: So you thought there would be peace and tranquility? Not on your life. Here the drone of the motorcycles (with mufflers removed for better mileage) lasts until the wee hours. The music is loud. Get ready!
Staying with families
Living in the home of a Dominican family can greatly enhance your understanding of this culture of poverty. You learn first hand about the day-to-day life of the Dominicans. And you learn what it's like to live in poverty, with the added comfort of knowing that in a week or two, you will be back to your normal life.
But it's not always easy. The families speak little or no English (which means lots of hand signals and frantic searches through the dictionary). They usually have no running water (which means your bath is pouring buckets of cold water over your head while the pigs look at you) and privacy is a luxury few families can afford. You might have to share your room, and you certainly will draw lots of attention from neighbors.
Santa Claus and Paternalism
One of the things that people often find most difficult to face in the Third World is the overwhelming need of the people and their own inability to fix it. Here you are for a few days, eating at the same table with people who cook over a charcoal fire because they can't afford a stove, or perhaps five children share one mattress. It's easy to fix a few of those things. You can afford a pair of shoes. You can afford a mattress, you might even be able to afford a gas stove. You can't eliminate poverty, but you could make their lives easier. So why not?
Here's why. Paternalism, and particularly North American paternalism, is as destructive a force in the DR as the periodic hurricanes are. Here the vast majority of people see one solution to their problems-making it to "Nueba Yol" (New York) where they believe people have so much money they throw it in the sea. So why should they stay here and try to fix things?
Giveaways don't empower people. They reinforce their powerlessness. They don't show people a way up, they show them the only way is out. They don't reward ingenuity, hard work and dedication. They reward pitifulness. And they encourage what you will no doubt see a lot of, asking North Americans for handouts. We don't give anything away. Ever.
When you get here, you will be asked for things. They'll ask for your shoes, your gloves, your clothes, your cap. Children will ask for money. We ask that you give them something that is valuable but costs nothing. Love and respect. That will make them stronger.
Women Stuff
Pssssst..... Welcome to the Dominican Republic.
If you're a gringa, especially a gringa with a little meat on her bones, this is the sound that will greet you from every doorway, passing motorcycle or street corner:
"Psssssst..... Psssssst..."
"Psst" is the Dominican way of saying everything from "Excuse me waiter, check please," to "hey baby, where have you been all my life?" You won't be able to change it, and you certainly shouldn't flirt back. Get used to it and Pssst, welcome to the DR.
Dominican Culture
There's no way to sum up a whole culture in a small space, but here's our best effort.
Food
If you were expecting something spicy, or something similar to Mexican, think again. Dominican food is never spicy (Dominicans seem to have little tolerance for spice) and they wouldn't know what to do with a corn tortilla. Local cuisine is heavy on the starch, heavy on the grease and typical seasonings are garlic, onion, cilantro and citrus. The big meal is served at lunch time and usually followed by a two hour siesta. In any Dominican home, lunch will include rice, beans and for those who can afford it, a small amount of meat.
Staples of Dominican Cookery
Avocado/Aguacate: Dominican avocados put our squashy California things to shame. Here they are called "green meat" because they often substitute for chicken or beef at lunch time. Delicious, plentiful, and cheap.
Enjoy the following! Fruits/Frutas: Pineapple, oranges, grapefruit, papayas, mangos, bananas, tamarinds, guayabas, guanabana, passion fruit. Dominicans grow more different types of fruits than North Americans produce breakfast cereals. And they turn them into wonderful juices. Do yourself a favor and sample the juices.
Bananas/Guineo: They eat them green and boiled here as well as ripe and raw.
Mango/Mango: The big mango you have seen in the States is just one of a hundred varieties they have in the DR. Word to the wise, have dental floss with you before eating.
Mango/Mangu: Mashed plantains with onions (my children's' favorite!)
Plantains/Plantano: These things look like bananas but taste more like potatoes when eaten green. They are served French fried, boiled, or mashed.
Music
Meringue is a Dominican invention and the pride of the island. The lively music, usually played on drums, accordions and guira, (a cheese grater looking thing) is played (very loudly) everywhere. The dance is simple, although they say North Americans should never try it on their own.
Religion
The DR is still primarily a Catholic country although here, as in the rest of Latin America, the evangelical church is growing. Evangelicals tend to maintain strict guidelines for themselves: no drinking, no meringue, women must wear skirts and cover their shoulders. Voodoo and Santeria exist, but are not very visible.
Clothing
If the clothes here look familiar to you, you might be seeing one of your old castoffs. The most standard wardrobe (among the poor) is used clothing from the States, sold in the markets (at surprisingly high prices) by Haitian women. But Dominicans add their own flair. Despite the heat, women like their jeans as tight as the wrapper on bologna.
Men dress conservatively. They almost always wear long pants. And they can substitute a coat and tie for the cooler chacabana, a shirt with pleats and embroidery down the front, meant to be worn un-tucked and without a tie.
When they are going out to dance or for ice cream on Sundays, Dominicans dress themselves extravagantly. Big fashion items here are T-shirts with anything in English on them (and since people often have no idea what those shirts say, they can be pretty funny). Shoes are expensive and many children grow up before they own their first pair of new shoes.
Economy
Once largely dependent on agriculture for it's economy, the Dominican Republic now earns the largest part of it's money from tourism. The country also exports Caribbean staples, coffee, sugar, bananas and rum. Families incomes are often based on several different jobs, because salaries are usually too low to feed a family. Chiripeo, odd jobs, is the most common way to supplement income. Families will also turn their possessions into money-makers. They will grow a few banana trees if they own some land. They will work as a motorcycle taxi if they own a motorcycle; they will sell ice if they own a refrigerator.
Attitude towards North Americans
North Americans can expect lots of friendliness and almost no hostility from Dominicans. Virtually all Dominicans have at least one family member living in the States, and North American culture is very chic. While Dominicans in Santo Domingo are used to seeing gringos, in other parts of the country gringos still get lots of attention. So expect lots of stares, lots of people shouting after you and lots of people wanting to practice their English with you. One standard Dominican belief about North Americans: they all have so much money that if it fell on the ground, they wouldn't bother themselves to pick it up. So, while they are friendly, some Dominicans will not hesitate to raise the price for a gringo or to ask them for things.
Dominican Rebublic...facts and info
The island of Hispaniola was the first place settled by Christopher Columbus and is home to the oldest European city and architecture in the New World.
The island's original inhabitants, the Taino Indians, were completely killed off by the European settlers and they were replaced with African slaves. Today's population has a mixture of European and African blood.
The capital of the DR is Santo Domingo, where you can see the home built by Christopher Columbus and finished by his son, and the first cathedral of the new world.
The population of the Dominican Republic is approximately 8,000,000, of which about 2 million live in Santo Domingo.
Santo Domingo, Downtown......some things we will be doing as tourists Plaza de Cultura (museums), Parque Independencia (Independence Park), El Conde (shopping, restaurants), Cathedral (oldest cathedral in the new world), Plaza del Alcazar (museum, restaurants), San Francisco Monastery (ruins), Mercado Modelo (shopping).
More stuff to know about the Dominican Republic.....
Clothing that you should bring
Light casual wear for day and night. A nice outfit is recommended for evenings out or for any religious event you may attend with your family. Shorts and sleeveless shirts are not permitted in landmark churches, museums and restaurants in the capital.
Electricity
110 volts / 60 cycles, the same as the U.S.
Climate
Maritime tropical averaging 27 degrees Celsius and ranging from 18 degrees in winter to 34 degrees in summer; the hottest month is August, the coolest is January. Trade winds keep the air cool and fresh; temperatures can drop as low as 0 degrees in the mountains. Rains are most likely in May and June, and from August to October.
Museums
National museums celebrate all aspects of Dominican life past and present, as well as house treasures and artifacts from the world over. Among them are: Santo Domingo: Museum of Dominican Man, Museum of Natural History, Museum of the Dominican Family, Museum of Royal Houses, Prehispanic Art Museum, Numismatic and Philatelic Museum, Modern Art Museum, Museum of Antique Coins, to name a few.
A very favorable exchange rate makes shopping for colorful handicrafts and other locally produced products a great bargain. Most popular are the amber (brought to world acclaim in the hit film Jurassic Park) and larimar semi-precious stones, wicker, rattan and wood furniture, hand painted masks, macramé, ceramics, straw and woven goods, rocking chairs, carved mahogany structures, Dominican fine art and paintings, fashions from local-born designers such as Oscar de la Renta and local coffee, rum and beer.
Historical Sights
As the site of Columbus' first landing in the Americas and home fo the New World's first city, the country is steeped in history.
Among the leading attractions in Colonial Santo Domingo are Columbus' Alcazar, Saint Francis Monastery, Cathedral of Santo Domingo, Museum of Royal Houses, Columbus square, Ozama Fortress and Tower of Homage, National Pantheon, Nicolas de Bari Hospitals ruins, and the Dominican convent.
The monumental Columbus Lighthouse boasts 151 search lights and houses museums displaying treasures from Italy, Spain, Israel, Great Britain, the U.S., Japan and other countries.
Siesta
The Latin tradition of long lunches, the major meal of the day, is adhered to wholeheartedly. Many shops close 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Toll-free travel information can be obtained by calling from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., local time, the following number: United States (800) 752-1151 or going to DR1.com.