moving to moca from canada, help!!!!!!!!!

melodie

New member
Apr 15, 2011
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I am from montreal, will move to moca in may, husband is dominican but i am not, and it is overwhelming! Any good advice on health insurance, getting a good vet, affordable housing etc..... All advice super appreciated, thanks!
 

Chip

Platinum
Jul 25, 2007
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Santiago
Honestly living in Moca would be tough for most Westerners; I know I used to live there and still go there almost every weekend. While there are sufficient nice neighborhoods in Moca there is little to do and very few good supermarkets for the necessary "comfort" items. Fortunately, the La Sirena on the main highway coming into Santiago is around only 25 minutes from Moca so I would expect you'll be there a lot. There are also many restaurants, malls and movie theaters ( in English) too.
 

Spicedwine

New member
Apr 25, 2006
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As Frank said, use the search function. DR1'ers have lots of experience and advice on a multitude of things, and they have proved invaluable to me.
We moved from Ontario 4 years ago, and yes indeed it was overwhelming!! My husband is also Canadian, so we experienced some of the same culture shock, although he had been a frequent visitor over the years. Understanding you will be overwhelmed is a good thing. Take whatever your list of priorities are and do one at a time. Speaking of time, Dominican time runs a little slower than the rest of us seem to, in my opinion. So be prepared for certain things to take more time. The DR can be a truly beautiful place to live, or you can find yourself constantly frustrated, and it depends on my view any given day, which it is for me!
Good luck with your move, take a deep breath, and if you have specific questions, I have found someone always steps up and heads you in the right direction.
 

ccarabella

Newbie
Feb 5, 2002
733
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Welcome to Moca
I travel to Moca several times a year. While there is not much to do in Moca, Santiago is a short drive away if you need a (bigger) city fix. There you will find shopping centers, hospitals, entertainment venues etc.
As far as cost of living (rent, utilities, labor) you can probably stretch your day to day dollar more in Moca. When it comes to purchasing real estate I suggest you rent for a while and get a feel for the area. Also look out for neighborhoods that are zoned for 24hr electricity. I have seen very nice, decently priced homes in Santiago but you have to factor in the cost of living in comparison to Moca.
While there, start building a network for yourself. Get to know your neighbors and ask the locals how to go about finding a good Dr, dentist, vet etc. Visit the Centro de Especialidades, it is a local private hospital. They can probably lead you in the right direction as far as health care and insurance. My father received excellent service there.
The best neighborhoods, in my opinion, are Don Bosco, Villa Estela, Villa Elsa and Hostos. If you value your privacy and peace and quiet, then you can't go wrong with these.
As far as supermarkets, there are 3 or more. I have been to Compres & El Cooperativo in the centre of town. You can find most of your daily needs at there.

Life in Moca is certainly on a slower pace and it will take a while to find your niche. If you can manage the amenities of Santiago and the laid back atmosphere in Moca you'll get along just fine.

Good luck to you.