Ok, so after 5 years or so I went back to visit the place where I was born. I was in DR for 10 days. I expected to somehow find Santo Domingo very different now mainly because I hear about all of the new construction and the new modern changes that have happened in the last few years.
After being there for just a couple of days, I was ready to return on the third. I guess I have lived in the US too long and can no longer get used to certain aspects of the old city.
I stayed in a nice hotel in the colonial zone, had a car to drive around and I was pretty much prepared to endured all of the toughness the city brings. I still find it very difficult to simply be there. The black outs, the crazy traffic, the high level of danger in the streets and the dirt all over the city was a serious disappointment to me. I am a seasoned Dominican driver, I can get around with very little problem, but it bothers me that after so many years of this latest push to modernize the city, the driving is so difficult and people just don't mind traffic rules. There are tons of police all over, but it does not matter.
The blackouts are out of control. In some places of the city, the electricity only come on once or twice a day and of course that means that unless there is a traffic cop making sure traffic flows, you have to push your way through an intersection. Lord, I am glad that I had the insurance on my car paid.
Water shortage is very normal. You would think that in a place with so much water flowing all around and people paying for water as much as they pay, water would not be a problem. People have to often buy water from private vendors in order to shower and such.
The thing that bothered me the most is that in so many years since I last visited there has been very little improvement in the appearance of the city. I mean there is still trash all over the place. People simply refuse to put the trash in the trash containers. I was walking with some friends and eating some bananas and waited with the banana peel in my hand until I found a trash can. My friend ridiculed me for it. He said that I should just throw in on the sidewalk and that eventually it will be picked up. There are trash piles all over the place, except of course in the tourist areas, such as the colonial zone and near El malecon.
Because of the new war on crime regulations, I got pulled over by the police at least 27 times. They asked me if I was a police officer or soldier and after showing them my US Federal officer ID, they looked at it upside down and said, ok have a good night. I was glad to see them out at least. It makes people feel better just to know that they are out. So, that is an improvement I guess.
Every time I hear my family talk about moving back there, I remind them of what I just went through and those are my reasons for staying here in the US or moving to Europe later.
Joel Gomez
Leominster, MA
After being there for just a couple of days, I was ready to return on the third. I guess I have lived in the US too long and can no longer get used to certain aspects of the old city.
I stayed in a nice hotel in the colonial zone, had a car to drive around and I was pretty much prepared to endured all of the toughness the city brings. I still find it very difficult to simply be there. The black outs, the crazy traffic, the high level of danger in the streets and the dirt all over the city was a serious disappointment to me. I am a seasoned Dominican driver, I can get around with very little problem, but it bothers me that after so many years of this latest push to modernize the city, the driving is so difficult and people just don't mind traffic rules. There are tons of police all over, but it does not matter.
The blackouts are out of control. In some places of the city, the electricity only come on once or twice a day and of course that means that unless there is a traffic cop making sure traffic flows, you have to push your way through an intersection. Lord, I am glad that I had the insurance on my car paid.
Water shortage is very normal. You would think that in a place with so much water flowing all around and people paying for water as much as they pay, water would not be a problem. People have to often buy water from private vendors in order to shower and such.
The thing that bothered me the most is that in so many years since I last visited there has been very little improvement in the appearance of the city. I mean there is still trash all over the place. People simply refuse to put the trash in the trash containers. I was walking with some friends and eating some bananas and waited with the banana peel in my hand until I found a trash can. My friend ridiculed me for it. He said that I should just throw in on the sidewalk and that eventually it will be picked up. There are trash piles all over the place, except of course in the tourist areas, such as the colonial zone and near El malecon.
Because of the new war on crime regulations, I got pulled over by the police at least 27 times. They asked me if I was a police officer or soldier and after showing them my US Federal officer ID, they looked at it upside down and said, ok have a good night. I was glad to see them out at least. It makes people feel better just to know that they are out. So, that is an improvement I guess.
Every time I hear my family talk about moving back there, I remind them of what I just went through and those are my reasons for staying here in the US or moving to Europe later.
Joel Gomez
Leominster, MA
