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Almost one in every 10 Dominicans now lives in the USA.  Although the country has a Latin heritage, the Dominican Republic, in terms of its economy, developing culture and aspirations, very definitely points to the States. For people with reasonable incomes (and I guess that most expatriates must come into this category), this US focus has a number of advantages.  The first of these is that supermarkets are very good indeed.  The number of lines carried is less than in Europe or the USA, but one of the newer branches of SuperNacional, or the large Carrefour on the Western edge of Santo Domingo is a joy to shop in.  They are big, clean and full of high-quality goods.  For my family, coming from Europe, it has been a voyage of discovery exploring all of the new fruits and vegetables available in the Caribbean.  Two drinks became our favourites.  The first is fresh coconut juice, or ‘agua de coco’, and the second is ‘chinola’, a drink made from fresh passion fruit juice with some water and sugar.  Both of them are healthy, taste fantastic and are perfect for quenching your thirst. Staying on food briefly, I would mention that the supermarkets are not particularly cheap.  We feel that (and this surprised us) the regular family grocery shopping trip costs about the same in Santo Domingo as in the UK.  You can find less expensive places to buy fruit and vegetables.  One brilliant place is the ‘feria ganadores’, a large open market on the city coastal road.  My wife, in particular, has become well known at the market, and has made friends with several of the traders.  The children also love having a horse ride on one of the ponies behind the market. General shopping in the Dominican Republic (especially Santo Domingo) is also good, and you can find most of the things that you can in Europe or the States.  As yet, the country has not really cottoned on to large malls with many stores, and a shopping trip usually involves the car and visits to various ‘plazas’.  Once you know where things are, that isn’t too much of a problem.

The cinemas are good and carry the latest releases just after the USA.  We also find the video rental stores to be excellent, with a large selection of brand new movies.  Santo Domingo has a cultural quarter, and music concerts (classical and modern), opera, ballet and plays are regularly put on.
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In my opinion ‘comida criolla’, or local food, in the Dominican Republic is really good, and can be bought cheaply in many small restaurants, or made at home.  If you fancy international cuisine, then feel free to try the many restaurants in Santo Domingo and elsewhere.  The Chinese and Italian restaurants are pretty good, but I have often been disappointed in other places – with the food being expensive and prepared with heavy sauces and far too much salt.  As in many cities, new places spring up all the time, so it is worth talking regularly with friends and colleagues to find out where everyone thinks is the place to be. If you like dancing and drinking, then you will make many friends in the Dominican Republic.  Dancing is a way of life, and is exuberant and exciting.  Clubs cater for all tastes, from the Caribbean merengue through to European and US house and garage.  All you need to do is a little research and you will find something to suit you.  Dominican rum and beer (Presidente) are very good, but are drunk maybe a little to excess.  Take care, as you would anywhere, that you don’t overdo things until you know your way around. Most Dominican doctors have either trained, or at least worked for a period, in the USA.  We have found healthcare to be good, and available rapidly when you need it.  All medicines are available in the country – in actual fact, if you know what you need, you can buy most pharmaceuticals without a doctor’s prescription.

Deciding where to live in the Dominican Republic (and I focus on Santo Domingo here) depends on a number of factors.  The main decision is between a house and an apartment.  A house gives you more freedom, usually a garden and possibly a pool.  Most houses have high perimeter walls and electric gates.  In general, houses are better for families – particularly when the kids are older.  But…with a house, you are responsible for the maintenance of everything.  As explained in the first part of this article, maintenance and service generally can cause you real headaches.
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With small children, and with me travelling a lot in the region with my job, we decided to take an apartment.  The staff of the building deals with the maintenance, and there is a 24-hour presence in the car park and on reception in case of any sort of problem.  This means that my wife – even though she has a strong frontier spirit – has much more back up when I am away. In Santo Domingo there is currently an over-supply of both apartments and houses.  Rents are quoted in US dollars, and are expensive (i.e. over $3,500 per month) for good properties in the best areas.  With some searching around, and good bargaining skills, you can find something for any budget.  Properties are advertised in the papers and by real estate agents – use whichever you feel most comfortable with.  One common feature of leases is that the landlord will try to tie you in for a long period.  Be careful, therefore, that you have someone on hand who can translate legal Spanish for you, and try your hardest to have a tenant’s one month’s notice clause put in the contract.  As the Dominican Peso has devalued very significantly in the last 18 months, you could also try to get a Peso-denominated rent if your income is paid from a foreign base – but I would not be hopeful that you would succeed! If you are a sporting type, the Dominican Republic is a paradise.  For day-to-day fitness there are many brand new gyms with modern equipment.  The country has fantastic golf courses, some of the best diving in the world, good climbing and walking, sailing, wind-surfing, rafting and horse riding.  The national sport is baseball, with basketball following in second place.  Attending a match is a wild affair.

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As Santo Domingo gets hot and dusty, many people try to get out of the city at weekends.  The beaches of the Dominican Republic match any in the world in terms of quality and beauty.  We have fallen in love with a small resort area called Bayahibe, where the beaches are sandy and level, and the sea is gentle – perfect for small children.  Our two can spend all day making sand castles, whilst we sample a cocktail from the beach bar.  Heaven!

Although Dominican people love children, there is little provision for them in terms of things to do in Santo Domingo.  Apart from a rather rickety funfair called Arcadis, and some pay to play areas, there isn’t much that is suitable.  Santo Domingo has a zoo, which can be fun if the day is not too hot, and beautiful botanical gardens, but the real focus is with family and friends.

We realised quickly that a good network of friends and acquaintances is the key to enjoying your time as an expatriate.  Even though you would want to get involved with local people, your temporary status often means that you congregate with other expatriates.  As everyone is in the ‘same boat’, I would advise you to be outgoing and approach people for a conversation – especially when you hear them speaking your language.  Find out where expatriate social groups (such as the International Women’s Committee and the Hash Harriers) meet and go along.

In general, the Dominican Republic does not have public spaces where people go for a stroll or to meet people.  Your social life will be focused on home, the homes of your friends and on ‘events’.  If you do not build up a network of friends, the experience as an expatriate is that much less enjoyable.

Next time – more on life in the city.
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To read Part 3 of Malcolm´s series on the DR Click Here. To read Part I of Malcolm's series on the DR Click Here. You can contact Malcolm at malcolmcouch@hotmail.com

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