An optician I can recommend in Puerto Plata.

Lambada

Gold
Mar 4, 2004
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www.ginniebedggood.com
For the first time in nearly 18 years, I am able to recommend an optician in PP who can handle complicated stuff. Prior to this when people asked me I suggested Santiago. So it might not be much of a deal to you, but it's a big Joe Biden :cheeky: deal to me.

My specs are complicated: 2 pairs same prescription but one is for day/night use (varifocals (progresiva in Spanish), transitions lenses) and the other for dedicated computer use (anti-reflective with a meticulous measuring of where the varifocal part starts which is in a different place from the day specs. Have tried to get this done here before, but the doctora who is sweet & can manage ordinary specs, hasn't been trained in this specific type of measuring.

Now there is someone who is. The place is Optico Burgos on 12 de Julio just past Dr.Desangles Xray office. Tel: 809-261-1718 (pop in for a quick mammogram first :) ). The optometrist is Carlos and he speaks some English but understands even more, so someone without Spanish, a tourist say, wouldn't have a problem. Very thorough examination - he took about 1.5 hours & only 10 mins of that was looking for suitable frames. Also goes to great lengths to make sure you understand HOW your eyesight has changed since the last test - I'm shortsighted so, naturally, as I get older I become less shortsighted i.e. vison improves. He also explained at length the cataracts in both eyes diagnosed in UK back in 2007 had hardly 'matured' at all viz had not got worse, which amazed me frankly. I was expecting to need the op in the next year or two. But according to our man Carlos, the fact that I had been using anti-reflective lenses for computer use & transitions lenses to protect against sunlight was the reason the cataracts hadn't worsened.

Spectacles take 5 days to be ready, 6 days if they're anti-reflective, so tourists coming out on a 2 week holiday might think it worthwhile to get their specs done in the DR because...........for these 2 pairs I paid 40% of what I paid for same 2 pairs back in 2007 in UK. (UK was ?745 then, here is ?321 now, RD$18,000). BushBaby has had his computer specs done there & can post the price of those (much cheaper because not so complicated) if anyone needs it.

Their customer service is good too, as well as being really nice people. They also offer a free or inexpensive service to those of limited means down in the barrios.

They only opened up here 5 months ago (they came from San Francisco de Macoris) so I DO hope they stay!
 

BushBaby

Silver
Jan 1, 2002
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www.casabush.org
My experience of service & attention is the same as Lambada's ............. fantastic & totally unexpected. I have previously had 3 pairs of glasses made up for me here in Puerto Plata & although my eyesight is less complicated than Lambada's, I have never had a truly comfortable/effective set made up until now.

My 'all day' set did not need to be variable focus as once past 4 feet or so, my eyesight remains fairly constant. But I DID get them made up with transitional lenses so that I can use them for driving AND (much more importantly) golf! Hey, I can even see the ball on the ground/Tee now & know what I am supposed to hit AND WHERE IT IS!! My golf game has improved as a result (by 5 shots a round). The downside is that I can now see what traffic is around me now AND WHAT IT IS DOING ...... I am a lot more nervous than I used to be when driving !:cheeky: ;) :ermm: ! :pirate:

These transitional glasses cost RD $6,100 set in one of their 'free' frames.

The 'computer' set needed to be bi-focal to allow me to see the keys of my keyboard (on my lap) through the near site lower part & then the monitor set at 2' 9" distance. NO transition was needed. This set (again mounted in a free frame) cost RD $2,800.

Headaches have all but disappeared now which makes the dogs (& Lambada) much happier bunnies!!

Should you wish to use your own/existing frames, this is definitely permitted. I tried using an old set of sunglasses frame that I had & they did their best to use these - unfortunately the frames did not have the necessary screws to open up the 'glass retaining' section & this is wht we changed back to one of their stock frames! Obviously, they also have expensive 'DESIGNER' frames at about RD $5,000 (& upwards!!) should you like to go a bit more Up Market!!

When I called back yesterday to 'report' on my improved vision, they were delighted to hear they had a happy customer - so delkighted in fact that they handed me a free cleaning cloth along with free cleaning liquid ..... both of which I was more than happy to pay for but they insisted were to be free! (Hmmmm, maybe it was because I feigned bad eyesight at not being able to open their door when I arrived, acting a bit like a blind man - they appeared to enjoy my sense of humour!!).

PLEASE - once you have visited Opticos Burgos & had the pleasure of getting some good glasses from them, ....... leave them any old glasses that you would otherwise be throwing away. I gave them two of the Cra**y ones that I had been trying to use for a couple of years PLUS an old set of sunglasses they could use the frames from. They were delighted that they could pass these on FREE to one of their 'less financially secure' clients.

Hey, ............ maybe this can be the start of a new tourism industry - optical tourism!! Going on Lambada's costs for English optical work you can get a FREE two week holiday (if you choose your holiday time correctly) whilst getting your new glasses! :cheeky: ~ Grahame
 

Lambada

Gold
Mar 4, 2004
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thanks for the useful information and glad you can both now see each other clearly !

:laugh::laugh: Each other yes, but as you might guess, new spectacles take a while to adjust to. If I turn my head to the right or left suddenly, the world swims. I decided to wear the new specs for driving the minute I picked them up yesterday and of course could only rotate my head slowly... So Lambada for the next few days will not be the rapid-reaction driver she usually is. Instead she will be.............just like everybody else here :cheeky:.
 

beeza

Silver
Nov 2, 2006
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maps.google.com


12 Julio is shown on the map. Please could you give the intersection?

Thanks Lambada.
 

Lambada

Gold
Mar 4, 2004
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12 Julio is shown on the map. Please could you give the intersection?

Thanks Lambada.

It's at #65 12 de Julio, on left hand side, just before intersection with Calle Emilio Prud'homme.

Which isn't, of course, marked as such on your map :) nor on the street corner itself at the intersection. You'd be much better off looking for the landmark of Dr. Desangles Xray place, which is why I mentioned it above.
 

beeza

Silver
Nov 2, 2006
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It's at #65 12 de Julio, on left hand side, just before intersection with Calle Emilio Prud'homme.

Which isn't, of course, marked as such on your map :) nor on the street corner itself at the intersection. You'd be much better off looking for the landmark of Dr. Desangles Xray place, which is why I mentioned it above.

Cheers!

I can't read that small print you've written. You're just showing off with your new specs!:cheeky:
 

Lambada

Gold
Mar 4, 2004
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www.ginniebedggood.com
Cheers!

I can't read that small print you've written. You're just showing off with your new specs!:cheeky:

:laugh: Be advised, Carlos will want you to be able to read lines 10 & 11 on the test card. I said 9 was good enough for me. He said 11, we compromised at 10. And I asked 'when are there ever road signs with print that small?'. He smiled. Then "And Carlos, who reads road signs here, anyway?'

They liked that. 'She's one of us'.
 

belgiank

Silver
Jun 13, 2009
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Being a Doctor of Optometry myself, and having had a business myself for over 10 years I can vouch for the fact that very few opticians know how to fit lenses (and especially varifocals (multifocals)) properly...

My last job as troubleshooter in Belgium was cleaning up a chain of optical stores (owned by national healthfare)... and it was a nightmare...

Knowing my high standards, mi esposa advised against me taking that job (she had worked for a similar company for several years...)... and I should have listened...(as usual...:ermm:)...

I frustrated myself to hell... for the following reasons...
-the wrong lenses being sold (for god's sake... listen to the customer so you know what he wants...)
-lenses not being properly fitted (pupillary distance, height, etc...)
-lenses being fitted in frames in such a way I would have been ashamed to deliver them...
-special prescriptions (prisms, etc...) where a complete mistery...
- etc...

All of this while they had the most advanced machinery available to them...

And then I'm not even mentioning contact lenses... when I had my business I was one of the best contact lens specialist in Belgium, and afterwards was hired by B&L to do their difficult cases... When I saw how they fitted contact-lenses in this business I was appalled...

I stayed there for little over a year, and yes, I got them out of the red... but I decided to quit, because at the last evaluation with top-management I was told I rode the personell too hard, and had to back of a little... yeah... really.. so I told them to f**k of...:bunny:

so, an adress of an optician who takes his job seriously... THANKS... (from someone who needs reading glasses, should get some computer specs, would love some specs for night-driving.... euhmmm... in other words... I'M GETTING OLD!!!!!)
 

jrhartley

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Sep 10, 2008
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just wondering if anyone has had an experience here lately , as it looks like I may need to make a visit while I can still find it without the aid of a labrador
 

caribmike

Gold
Jul 9, 2009
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Me too needs to avoid buying a Labrador slowly but sure, lol.... Any recommendation here in the East? Punta Cana, Higuey?
 

london777

Bronze
Dec 22, 2005
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Yes, I too would like to know if this service is available. Just had a pair of varifocals made at another Pto Pta establishment but their examination was perfunctory and the glasses poor quality. They were very cheap, but my eyesight is one area I don't want to economise.
 

BushBaby

Silver
Jan 1, 2002
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www.casabush.org
just wondering if anyone has had an experience here lately , as it looks like I may need to make a visit while I can still find it without the aid of a labrador

Yes thank you. Three months ago.

Ask to see Carlos & tell him I said to look after you ~ Grahame.
(Did you like the book BTW? I haven't heard back from you & have not seen anything on the respective thread)
 

MikeFisher

The Fisherman/Weather Mod
Feb 28, 2006
13,766
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Punta Cana/DR
www.mikefisher.fun
in case the Labrador doesn't work,
I heard that wearing 3 Dots on the Bizeps and a German Sheppard on the Leash can Help, too, lol.
or do it My Way:
I send the Mrs for shopping to the Super, so I can not miss the right Path, he he

Mike