Life in the Tropics

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,329
113
Every now and then I can overdose on paradise...
This time is new record....  a week 

This climate is hard on everything... my nerves included.

My normal life is reasonably care free...
I'm well cared for by my people who anticipate a lot.

But
After who knows how many years, my DISH satellite fell off it's moorings.... just rotted out.
So, no SIRIUS XM.... no TV.... DVD only.

Offline Spotify solves much of it.


Then
The fridge seems sluggish....
Genius technico takes the fan away for rehab....nope not the fan.
I borrow my neighbors freezer....whew 

Fridge is back to almost normal but I fear the next failure will be fatal.

Best Buy to the rescue,,,, with my 10% birthday month discount.
I Price Match from Lowes to save $170 then add the birthday freebie.

Which introduces the next conundrum...

We talk regularly about importing or buying in RD
I almost always ship in 

Whirlpool #WRB322DMBW.....$999
Will be about $300 to ship.

Back to the climate...
Everything takes a beating here...

My DISH unit, my fridge... cars go downhill faster... salt air and rust never sleep.

Don't start me on cars 🚗.....thousands of dollars lately.

Oh well, the price of living in a tropical climate.

My skin likes it..... trying to think of what else does


That's it.... comments welcomed.... criticism, not so much 
 

ju10prd

On Vacation!
Nov 19, 2014
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Now you hit the nail on the head.

Life in the tropics and in DR in particular is not for the faint hearted. Western materialism comes at price.

I chose the tropics and in particular DR as the place to pass my remaining years and knew what was likely from years of life in the tropics. IMO it remains the best choice tropical residency destination.
 

joe

Brain Donor!
Jan 12, 2016
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Geez....WW. Have you ever considered Boca Raton or freaken Naples. Dinners are at 4!
 

ju10prd

On Vacation!
Nov 19, 2014
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Geez....WW. Have you ever considered Boca Raton or freaken Naples. Dinners are at 4!

Sounds like you are promoting the faint hearted argument. Based there and visit here.

Some of us have chosen a permanent life away from home and that comes with challenges as WW writes.

I would give DR as my home any day over my country of birth and have adapted so. Look as the mess in our home countries and realize the mess of this developing nation has clearer and better benefits over home.
 

joe

Brain Donor!
Jan 12, 2016
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Ya but at some point you might have to trade in the GTO for a mobi......if you catch my drift.
 
Apr 7, 2014
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$300? To ship? This must be some Seximified Fridge. I was looking at fridges in Plaza Lama in Santiago and shoot Will I saw a couple of stainless jobbies for $15 y $16K Pesos. A place like yours you could buy them both and store one on the marquesina. But the single US style fridges I like were Whirlpool and maybe an LG(?), about 6feet tall, dual doors, maybe 28-29,000DOP.

I have to see what this BestBuy think you bought looks like for $61,000DOP

Sent from my Z833 using Tapatalk
 
Apr 7, 2014
2,293
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And here one thing that "grinds my gears". If your cable/dsl is with Tricom and ur tv is HD you only get it to shirk the boredom. The picture is like old VHS tapes. Now streaming movies online isnt bad, but I guess you need a proxy server to mimic US IP addresses.

That DISH is HD? And do you NA channels or just local? I had DirecTV in Miami and we converted it when we returned to NY but when I went back to Miami the box was still set for local channels as long as I didnt reset the machine.

Sent from my Z833 using Tapatalk
 

2dlight

Bronze
Jun 3, 2004
970
36
28
Staying at my dad's house four blocks from el malecon in the Colonial Zone has exposed me first-hand to the perils of living near the sea and ignoring regular maintenance of metal things. I couldn't find a single tool in the house:trips to hardware store. Surprise!!! Tools are priced as if gold plated and not made in China guaranteed to not last through the job at hand. Every screw I tried replacing disintegrated, and replacement screws stripped upon tightening. But, after many years of living in the Southern California desert, my skin, as ww stated, loves it here. 
 
Apr 7, 2014
2,293
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And that thing with the car importation is a pain. I know they need to assess the car for taxation and the US NADA book only covers preceding 5 years for used car values. But honestly older cars would thrive in a harsh environment like this with fail. More than just Mercedes 240s and Land Rover Defenders too. A late 1960s/1970s Dodge Dart with a slant 6 would be incredibly thrifty here. I d be a king with a Volare. As would the 1980s US Ford Escort with the UK Pinto 2.3 engine(Lima). 1st gen Ford Broncos. Jeep Cherokees with the 2.5 GM Iron Duke 4 cylinder. The GM A body sedans are a dime a dozen to maintain. Just rudimentary parts bin cars that cost little to nothing to operate and maintain.

Sent from my Z833 using Tapatalk
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
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every time someone back home says "you live by the beach in a tropical country? this is so great!" i feel the urge to strangle them on the spot. all iron around the house? painted yearly. the house itself? painted every two years or so. cars? maintained religiously with oil and tire changes, washing top to bottom, waxing, you name it. everything rots. metal, plastic, wood. plaster peels off walls. weeds spread like wildfire. i could probably go on for hours but i'm trying to avoid triggers for ulcers growth.

on a positive side, on some days when i snail walk the dumbass pom pom i think about the old educational tv show i watched in comminist poland "where pepper and vanilla grow" that followed two journalist traveling around the world and presenting different cultures. and there i am, over 30 years later, living among palm trees and savage tribes. heck, i have coconut trees growing in my garden. when i was a kid i only ever saw one coconut, gifted to my aunt by a family member who worked on transport ships. it sat proudly on a book shelf among fine "china", crystal swan and the rest of her prized possessions.
 

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
40,964
936
113
The climate in the DR is no worse than Florida. Actually it's much better than my old stomping grounds in Tampa.

The power, however, is much worse and that can cause problems.

We, too, have had some 'fridge issues recently that are power related, funky power playing havoc on capacitors causing motors and compressors to run intermittently.
 

william webster

Platinum
Jan 16, 2009
30,247
4,329
113
When I lived in FLA, I was warned to stay away from the ocean... the screens filled with salt & needed frequent cleaning.

This fridge has been 'iffy' for a while..... the next will be a death rattle and I want to be ready.

Ohh LaLa.... just a normal Whirlpool... about $300 off.
Check fridge prices... what you're quoting is the local type Mabe or something....
nowhere near the name brand stuff....

I love buying appliances... wanted the inverter type but settled for this b/c of my size restraints....
poorly designed aperture for the fridge.... 70" tall and only 36" wide
bottom freezer a must.

The mudanza price includes the Aduana....
e.g. New fridges cost more to ship than old.... there's the tip off.
I like scratch'n dent specials but you can only buy them in person..
no mail order bride type sales.
The dents ship as used -- I've done it --- saves $100-200
 

the gorgon

Platinum
Sep 16, 2010
33,997
83
0
Every now and then I can overdose on paradise...
This time is new record....  a week 

This climate is hard on everything... my nerves included.

My normal life is reasonably care free...
I'm well cared for by my people who anticipate a lot.

But
After who knows how many years, my DISH satellite fell off it's moorings.... just rotted out.
So, no SIRIUS XM.... no TV.... DVD only.

Offline Spotify solves much of it.


Then
The fridge seems sluggish....
Genius technico takes the fan away for rehab....nope not the fan.
I borrow my neighbors freezer....whew 

Fridge is back to almost normal but I fear the next failure will be fatal.

Best Buy to the rescue,,,, with my 10% birthday month discount.
I Price Match from Lowes to save $170 then add the birthday freebie.

Which introduces the next conundrum...

We talk regularly about importing or buying in RD
I almost always ship in 

Whirlpool #WRB322DMBW.....$999
Will be about $300 to ship.

Back to the climate...
Everything takes a beating here...

My DISH unit, my fridge... cars go downhill faster... salt air and rust never sleep.

Don't start me on cars 🚗.....thousands of dollars lately.

Oh well, the price of living in a tropical climate.

My skin likes it..... trying to think of what else does


That's it.... comments welcomed.... criticism, not so much 

price of living on the coast. if you lived in Constanza, you would have less adventures with your machines.
 

USA DOC

Bronze
Feb 20, 2016
3,162
757
113
Every now and then I can overdose on paradise...
This time is new record....  a week 

This climate is hard on everything... my nerves included.

My normal life is reasonably care free...
I'm well cared for by my people who anticipate a lot.

But
After who knows how many years, my DISH satellite fell off it's moorings.... just rotted out.
So, no SIRIUS XM.... no TV.... DVD only.

Offline Spotify solves much of it.


Then
The fridge seems sluggish....
Genius technico takes the fan away for rehab....nope not the fan.
I borrow my neighbors freezer....whew 

Fridge is back to almost normal but I fear the next failure will be fatal.

Best Buy to the rescue,,,, with my 10% birthday month discount.
I Price Match from Lowes to save $170 then add the birthday freebie.

Which introduces the next conundrum...

We talk regularly about importing or buying in RD
I almost always ship in 

Whirlpool #WRB322DMBW.....$999
Will be about $300 to ship.

Back to the climate...
Everything takes a beating here...

My DISH unit, my fridge... cars go downhill faster... salt air and rust never sleep.

Don't start me on cars 🚗.....thousands of dollars lately.

Oh well, the price of living in a tropical climate.

My skin likes it..... trying to think of what else does


That's it.... comments welcomed.... criticism, not so much 

...WW.. welcome back....I know what you mean ....when the heat this time of year makes me a sweat hog, I think of my place on lake Superior, you know the A/C that is standard everywhere outside...I gave up long ago on the aplliance thing , I bought all local, kitchen stuff, whirlpool.. frididaire.. large stainless steel.. A/C units samsung...any way that was a little more$$ but saved the brain damage... salt problem,dont have in Santiago.. but ocean is just over the mountain....the chicas of the in house church, seem to be like the people that work for you.....anticipate needs and provide.... God is great....Taking Brother Loves Travelling Salvation Show on the road,in a week.. to Caberete, and Sousa, a few nights in Ahnvee to see what all the fuss is about.... will report live from Ahnvee about my Revival meetings....keep a good attitude.. you will soon be dug in like a tick....Doc......
 
Apr 7, 2014
2,293
2
0
price of living on the coast. if you lived in Constanza, you would have less adventures with your machines.
Yep. That is true.
When I lived in FLA, I was warned to stay away from the ocean... the screens filled with salt & needed frequent cleaning.

This fridge has been 'iffy' for a while..... the next will be a death rattle and I want to be ready.

Ohh LaLa.... just a normal Whirlpool... about $300 off.
Check fridge prices... what you're quoting is the local type Mabe or something....
nowhere near the name brand stuff....

I love buying appliances... wanted the inverter type but settled for this b/c of my size restraints....
poorly designed aperture for the fridge.... 70" tall and only 36" wide
bottom freezer a must.

The mudanza price includes the Aduana....
e.g. New fridges cost more to ship than old.... there's the tip off.
I like scratch'n dent specials but you can only buy them in person..
no mail order bride type sales.
The dents ship as used -- I've done it --- saves $100-200
I took pics when I was there to compare. Some of them were no name Chinese brands but others were well known brands like Whirlpool and LG. They even had a section exclusively for LG appliances.

Sent from my Z833 using Tapatalk
 

LTSteve

Gold
Jul 9, 2010
5,449
23
38
Every now and then I can overdose on paradise...
This time is new record....  a week 

This climate is hard on everything... my nerves included.

My normal life is reasonably care free...
I'm well cared for by my people who anticipate a lot.

But
After who knows how many years, my DISH satellite fell off it's moorings.... just rotted out.
So, no SIRIUS XM.... no TV.... DVD only.

Offline Spotify solves much of it.


Then
The fridge seems sluggish....
Genius technico takes the fan away for rehab....nope not the fan.
I borrow my neighbors freezer....whew 

Fridge is back to almost normal but I fear the next failure will be fatal.

Best Buy to the rescue,,,, with my 10% birthday month discount.
I Price Match from Lowes to save $170 then add the birthday freebie.

Which introduces the next conundrum...

We talk regularly about importing or buying in RD
I almost always ship in 

Whirlpool #WRB322DMBW.....$999
Will be about $300 to ship.

Back to the climate...
Everything takes a beating here...

My DISH unit, my fridge... cars go downhill faster... salt air and rust never sleep.

Don't start me on cars 🚗.....thousands of dollars lately.

Oh well, the price of living in a tropical climate.

My skin likes it..... trying to think of what else does


That's it.... comments welcomed.... criticism, not so much 

Jimmy Buffet said it best "paradise doesn't come without a price"
 

jstarebel

Silver
Oct 4, 2013
3,330
333
83
Living on the ocean as we do, our rust issue (especially on stainless) needs to constantly be kept in check. Anybody remember "Miracle Cloth"? They work great at easily removing rust while leaving a protective coating on whatever you just polished.

Commander has the right idea for cars IMO. We call them Island Vehicles and I'd love to get my hands on a slant 6 Dodge. That would make a great island car.

Hey WW. Can you just imagine what we have to go through to make these water systems that we operate last 15 years in the tropics? It ain't easy.. hope your fridge situation works out..
 

windeguy

Platinum
Jul 10, 2004
42,211
5,966
113
Rust Never Sleeps and in the DR Rust Rules

My Dad, Mom and I all had Dodge Darts with slant six engines at the same time in the early '70s. None of us ever had the engine worked on. They ran until the bodies fell off (we were in upstate NY and salt was used on the roads).

I agree. This is the land of where everything breaks all the time. Part of the reason is the cheap Chinese imports, refurbished TVs sold as new, and other cunning tactics to get the most out of the consumer. But certainly the main reason is salt air and high humidity at warm to hot temperatures. The closer you are to the ocean, the worse it gets. Those three factors of salt, heat, and humidity all in one place are murder to metals and electronics. Here is music that came out when I owned my 1971 Dodge Dart Swinger with vinyl top (oh what a back seat it had.)

[video=youtube;FMvjfBdeiKw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMvjfBdeiKw[/video]
 
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