The lunacy of driving in the Dominican Republic is something that you can get used to, and I am not suggesting that you should not have a car.  Please, however, try not to drive once the sun goes down, because many of your fellow road users will be drunk, and it can be more dangerous than in the rush hour.

Two other aspects of the degraded infrastructure of the country are worth a mention here.  Tap water is not safe to drink.  Purified water is easy to find and is inexpensive (except in hotels, but are you surprised by my saying that?) so stick to it at all times.  When you first move to the Dominican Republic, quite severe stomach upsets are common.  I guess that you pick up bugs from food products, such as salads etc.

There are nasty bugs around, so always consult a physician if diarrhoea persists. Another infrastructure issue that drives everyone nuts is electricity supply.  For the amount and quality of volts that you receive, the Dominican Republic must have some of the most expensive electricity in the world. All buildings have a generator, and they are on for periods of most days.

The supply is subject to appliance murdering power surges, and at the opposite end of the scale, appliance-damaging brownouts.  A privatisation of the state electricity companies some years ago has left everyone (government, producers, distributors and customers) blaming each other.  An objective appraisal is simply that things are in a mess.

Telecommunications and cable TV are excellent and at reasonable cost, when you have them.  One thing that will upset anyone used to a culture that understands customer service is the unique approach to it in Latin America.  It is not worth describing that aspect of life in too much detail here, but be aware that appointments are rarely kept, parts are often missing, you may have paid your money but you don’t necessarily get the product/service straight away and complaining about customer service is about as much use as a chocolate bicycle.  We learned, ever so slowly, to adapt to a different rhythm, and then the banging of heads on walls in total frustration abated somewhat – although never completely.

Dominican people are friendly, helpful and curious.  Even when confronted with the fact that most people speak only Spanish (and Dominican Spanish is very quick, with a lot of abbreviated words), a foreigner will on most occasions find numerous citizens willing to assist with any problem.  Personal safety is what you would expect in any large city.  I can honestly say that the Santo Domingo, in my experience, is as safe as any city that I know in the UK.  In 2002 and 2003 there have been some kidnappings for ransom of members of wealthy business families, but it does not appear to be a spreading trend.  Again, as in any large city, the barrios of Santo Domingo have drugs problems and related violence.  You just need to be savvy about which parts of town to be in at which times of day.

One aspect of culture shock that you may feel in the Dominican Republic is the noisiness of the streets.  Cars, houses and the numerous small corner markets blare out competing decibels of merengue music, the favourite dance style in the country.  Often, it is great simply to wind down the windows and soak it all in.

The weather in Santo Domingo is hot. The sun is intense, and if you are Caucasian, can burn unprotected skin in a few minutes.  In the autumn, with the thermometer popping, the rains falling regularly and the risk of hurricanes, you can only dream of snow on cold winter mornings!  Even though winter temperatures fall by a few degrees from the summer peak, it stays sweltering – in my European opinion.  Dominicans break out the jackets and woolly jumpers and worry that they will succumb to pneumonia.

Next time – social life, recreation and residency issues.