Life in the campo in the 1970's

Matilda

RIP Lindsay
Sep 13, 2006
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I am trying to find out more information about life in the campos in the 1970's, especially those a long way away ftom the towns. Some of the things I have found out are:

1. Water was caught in the yagua (sp?) which is the middle bit of a palm tree leaf which ran down from the roof into containers to catch water.

2. Food was mostly root vegetables and fruit

3. Bottoms were wiped with tusa (the kernel of corn on the cob after the corn has gone)

I must admit I had visions of wanting to evacuate ones bowels then having to find wood for a fire, find a corn on the cob, go and fetch water, boil water and cook corn, milk cow and make butter, melt butter, put on corn, eat corn and then use your tusa once it had cooled down!!! All of which would be far too late!!! However I understand that the chicken eat the corn on the cob and so you have a little pile of tusas ready for use!!!

4. No televisions. The rich people in the town may have a black and white one.

5. Very few cars. In Barahona there were mostly Bolswaggy cepillos (Volkswaggon Beetles!!!!). Anyone know why cepillo???? Brush???

These are the sort of facts I would like to know so anyone who has information please post here or pm me. Also if anyone has used or would like to use a tusa please advise as to its effectiveness!!!

Thanks

matilda
 
Jun 18, 2007
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I am trying to find out more information about life in the campos in the 1970's, especially those a long way away ftom the towns. Some of the things I have found out are:

1. Water was caught in the yagua (sp?) which is the middle bit of a palm tree leaf which ran down from the roof into containers to catch water.

2. Food was mostly root vegetables and fruit

3. Bottoms were wiped with tusa (the kernel of corn on the cob after the corn has gone)

I must admit I had visions of wanting to evacuate ones bowels then having to find wood for a fire, find a corn on the cob, go and fetch water, boil water and cook corn, milk cow and make butter, melt butter, put on corn, eat corn and then use your tusa once it had cooled down!!! All of which would be far too late!!! However I understand that the chicken eat the corn on the cob and so you have a little pile of tusas ready for use!!!

4. No televisions. The rich people in the town may have a black and white one.

5. Very few cars. In Barahona there were mostly Bolswaggy cepillos (Volkswaggon Beetles!!!!). Anyone know why cepillo???? Brush???

These are the sort of facts I would like to know so anyone who has information please post here or pm me. Also if anyone has used or would like to use a tusa please advise as to its effectiveness!!!

Thanks

matilda

Matilda, all you have to do is to ask our Haitian neighbors;)
 

Matilda

RIP Lindsay
Sep 13, 2006
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Matilda, all you have to do is to ask our Haitian neighbors;)

Frank it is not quite the campo. They have work on construction sites - some of them - money in their pockets - albeit not a lot, shops, bars, colmados, electricity - mine. I am talking about life in the campos and mountains with no shops, no gas, no electricity in the 1970's!!!
 

M.A.R.

Silver
Feb 18, 2006
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Ohhh Matilda you are too funny........may i ask why do you need all this information.

btw: you just brought back so many memories, LMAO.

Many still live like that in my campo Mat.
 

Matilda

RIP Lindsay
Sep 13, 2006
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PLEASE M.A.R. give me all the info you can. I am trying to write a book and one of the chapters is about my husbands life before he met me so I can then go on to talk about the cultural differences and subsequent issues. His father took him away from his mum when he was 4 (she was having an affair) and took him into the Loma above Barahona which is where he stayed till he was 17. He has tried to describe it to me but I need to know more. I know about not knowing what day or month it was, no idea when it was Christmas, no clothes, but I know he was soooo happy there!!! He slept in a rice sack on top of a pile of banana leaves, and even now he insists on sleeping with all the covers over his head. I know about rats eating the skin off your feet!!!

Hence the reasons for the questions!!!!

matilda
 

Chip

Platinum
Jul 25, 2007
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Santiago
I imagine they had toilet paper. Also, no doubt they ate plenty of gallina, salami and goat.

As far as collecting the rainwater off of the roofs, they still do that today - I know we lived like that at the inlaws house in 2000 and drank no doubt hundreds of gallons of that stuff with no ill effects (I think). Although not every house would have had a tv, some would and many would have a radio.
 

Hillbilly

Moderator
Jan 1, 2002
18,948
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1970
You knew who had a TV in the campo because (1) they had electricity and (2) every Saturday at 4 or 5 in the afternoon all the kids went to the house to watch Jack Veneno.

In that area, a meal would mean platanos, salami or Pica Pica. Breakfast would have been a egg, platano and avocado. Spaguettis would have been popular.

It was 4-4 1/2 hours to Santo Domingo

Rain came off the yagua roof into a 55 gallon, cement lined tank. Yagua is the outter shell of the Royal Palm seed pod. The seeds are used for pig feed

Yagua is/was used for roofing, siding, packaging and sleds on muddy hillsides.

The beds were either hammocks or stretched burlap bags (stolen from the sugar mill) stretched over a wooden frame.

Clothes were washed in rivers and streams.

Good luck..

HB
 

laurajane

Bronze
May 23, 2005
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Interview Mr Lj when you are here next week!! He will tell you everything you want to know.

I know they used to use some kind of leaf that when added to water it does produce some kind of soapy substance to shower and wash with.

He has told me lots of stories, so just grill him when your here.

x
 

laurajane

Bronze
May 23, 2005
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I imagine they had toilet paper. Also, no doubt they ate plenty of gallina, salami and goat.

As far as collecting the rainwater off of the roofs, they still do that today - I know we lived like that at the inlaws house in 2000 and drank no doubt hundreds of gallons of that stuff with no ill effects (I think). Although not every house would have had a tv, some would and many would have a radio.

Mr Lj?s parents still collect rain water to drink, even when they visit they bring there own rainwater and refuse purified water form the bottles.

And i know Mr Lj and his brothers and sisters had to walk miles to the nearest house that had a T.V, a black and white one. Now he was born in 1975 so this must have gone on well into the early 80?s as he said he was between 8 and 9 when this happened.
 

minerva_feliz

New member
May 4, 2009
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PLEASE M.A.R. give me all the info you can. I am trying to write a book and one of the chapters is about my husbands life before he met me so I can then go on to talk about the cultural differences and subsequent issues. His father took him away from his mum when he was 4 (she was having an affair) and took him into the Loma above Barahona which is where he stayed till he was 17. He has tried to describe it to me but I need to know more. I know about not knowing what day or month it was, no idea when it was Christmas, no clothes, but I know he was soooo happy there!!! He slept in a rice sack on top of a pile of banana leaves, and even now he insists on sleeping with all the covers over his head. I know about rats eating the skin off your feet!!!

Hence the reasons for the questions!!!!

matilda

What loma is he from? I have been to a couple, spent the night once in a loma up by Polo. Not sure of the name, but they call it "la Posa" and you have to pass through "la Cueva" to get up there. It's about 2 hours to walk up there. People use "bestias" for transportation as either that or "DT" motorcycle are the only things that will make it up. All of the water comes from the posas (springs) coming out of the side of the hill. There is absolutely no, nor has there ever been (that I know of), electricity there. So think no ice, no refridgeration, food that goes bad needs to be eaten asap. People cook over open fire, fogones. And they use little cans converted into lanterns, I think they are called 'humiador' for all the smoke they put off. I admire all of the handywork that goes into the saddles, ropes and baskets used for working in the lomas.

Lomas are really unique places and worth a visit, especially during harvest time for guandules and citrus fruits like toronja. Nothing is tastier than an aguacate off the tree and a moro with more guandules than rice cooked over a fogon! The stars are amazing at night! As far as I know, the lomas are more and more being abandoned as hardly anyone wants to stay up there year-round, and increasingly Haitians work and live in the lomas on land owned by Dominicans. It's a rough life up there. Nothing goes to waste, and entire walls of houses are made of flattened aceite cans.

People from such isolated areas are considered more campo than even your regular campesino. Not to stereotype, but think hilllbillies or hilljacks or appalachian folks in the U.S. vs. just regular rednecks. I can't think of any examples, just that I know more than one guy from a loma that is missing parts of fingers as a result of cleren-induced machete fighting. They also pack chilenas (home-made guns).

I think you should do some research for yourself and spend the night in your husband's former loma! No worries, those last observations don't mean the loma is dangerous at all, in my experiences people are extremely kind and sharing.
 

LaTeacher

Bronze
May 2, 2008
852
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my husband is from "una loma" in cabrera (NOT la loma de cabrera, but cabrera, nagua). they lived in an area so isolated for the first few years of his life that even today you can't get there anyway other than "a pied". they bathed in the river. instead of sledding on snow, they used those ever-so-useful yagua leaves as sleds to slide down the hill! his mom made her own huge wooden spoons and bowls. there were three families in the "patio" and all of the women shared the duty of lunch and dinner. no electricity. no running water. the kids walked a pretty far way to school - we walked it a few times to get to his grandmother's house, it took about 2 hours each way. no wonder my husband is one of few high school graduates in the family (let alone college or post-grad of which he's the only). his sister still uses the old plate racks to hold her "losa" and cooks on a fogon outside. and grates the yuca and such on a grater made from an old oil can. and they use a latrine (which i never understood because they have indoor plumbing?)
 

Celt202

Gold
May 22, 2004
9,099
944
113
I am trying to find out more information about life in the campos in the 1970's, especially those a long way away ftom the towns. Some of the things I have found out are:

1. Water was caught in the yagua (sp?) which is the middle bit of a palm tree leaf which ran down from the roof into containers to catch water.

2. Food was mostly root vegetables and fruit

3. Bottoms were wiped with tusa (the kernel of corn on the cob after the corn has gone)

I must admit I had visions of wanting to evacuate ones bowels then having to find wood for a fire, find a corn on the cob, go and fetch water, boil water and cook corn, milk cow and make butter, melt butter, put on corn, eat corn and then use your tusa once it had cooled down!!! All of which would be far too late!!! However I understand that the chicken eat the corn on the cob and so you have a little pile of tusas ready for use!!!

4. No televisions. The rich people in the town may have a black and white one.

5. Very few cars. In Barahona there were mostly Bolswaggy cepillos (Volkswaggon Beetles!!!!). Anyone know why cepillo???? Brush???

These are the sort of facts I would like to know so anyone who has information please post here or pm me. Also if anyone has used or would like to use a tusa please advise as to its effectiveness!!!

Thanks

matilda

I'll tell you about life in rural Thailand in the early 70's.

1. Water was caught in bamboo drains and emptied into terracotta containers.

2. Anything that grows and skinny chickens to the 10th power.

3. In the deep campo (ban nok) water, sand and the left hand. When you don't need toilet paper you are truly free.

4. No TVs in the campo and no electricity. At night people would sit around kerosene lamps made from soda cans and talk.

5. The well to do and corrupt government officials owned cars. The main intracity arteries were crowded with busses and 10 wheel trucks many of whose drivers were hopped up on amphetamines. There were monthly news reports of head on collisions with double figure casualties.

I'll bet reports from the DR in the 70's will have strong parallells. In the deep campo people were probably living without much (if any) money.
 

Matilda

RIP Lindsay
Sep 13, 2006
5,485
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thanks guys. Keep it coming please!!! I have spent time and nights in the Loma above Barahona and yes the stars and the coffee are amazing, but the more I can learn about campo life in this country the better!!!

Matilda
 

Fiesta Mama

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Jan 28, 2004
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My husband grew up in Mozovi, Domincan Republic about 30 minutes from Puerto Plata. Later, his teen and early adult years were spent in Monte Llano. When I read your post, I asked him about his childhood in Mozovi because although it is not far from POP, I have been there and it's still pretty rural. He was not all that forcoming with his history there as I know among the good memories are some bad ones like poverty, etc. His childhood was in the late 70s and early 80s and this is what I can share:

According to my husband in the 70s in Mozovi, the only source of light and fuel for cooking was from using laterns and stoves with naptha gas or charcoal. They used a lighter with a flinht to light the stove or lamp with a lighter fueled by naptha gas as well, which they purchased in Puerto Plata every month or so by taking a taxi or motoconcho from Mozovi to POP.

Their main source of income was farm product. My husband, in his childhood years (before age 12) would spend days going to nearby Monte Llano on Donkey, about 45 minutes to an hour on the Donkey, and would sell the product from their farm (fruit, yucca, plantain, vegetables, etc.).

The main source of food at that time was food from their farm - fruit, yucca, plantain, vegetables. They went to POP every month or so to buy rice, flour and other staples like seasonings, etc. Milk was purchased or traded from a local farmer who raised cattle, as was chicken and beef from local farmers in Mozovi. The family also bought salami and dried salt cod in POP that did not need refrigeration. There was no fridge or freezer in that time. Perishable goods were bought on a daily basis either by money or by trading for goods from the farm.

There was no bathroom like modern day - only an outhouse with a curtain. Showers were either in the nearby river or outside pouring water (from river or rain water) over your head with a bucket and soap. No toilet paper - toilet paper was from old newspapers from nearly Monte Llano or POP.

The mattresses were made of stuffed old clothes, as were the pillows. clothes were washed in the river or in a bucket in the back of the house from river water or from rain water.

The windows had no glass or screen or metal shutters like modern day. The houses had wooden shutters. The houses had Palm tree leaves for the roof on the houses.
The drinking water and that for bathing came from the local river or rainwater was stored in a barrel outside of the house.

Most medicine was home remedy but some medicine for common ailments was purchased in POP in the monthly shopping as were cheap clothes.

The days for children were spent swimming in the local river or playing baseball with a bat made from a tree branch and baseballs from tennis balls or whatever the locals had purchased in POP in the recent visits.

Tvs were black and white for families fortunate enough to have one and they were powered with battery from a car. The tvs also apparently acted as the receiver for the radio. There were no telephones in that area (cell or land land at that time).

Transportation at time from Mozovi to anywhere was by Donkey, Horse, small Motoconcho (smaller than they are now) or by taxi (for POP, etc.).

Hope that helps. My husband moved to live with with other more affluent family in Monte Llano in his teen years but I am sure his childhood taught him many lessons that he uses to this day and has in fact taught me a lot too! If you have any more specific questions, let me know. I don't think his childhood was the greatest so the information I was able to get was for my own interest and for you but he's not that forthcoming with information as I'm sure a lot of Dominicans have had a tough upbringing compared to what I have had in here in Canada!
 
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Lambada

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You're getting some great stuff here, Matilda. Truly evocative ;). Don't forget also to read Junot Diaz, Alan Cambeira et al. Lots of campo life therein. Look forward to reading the book!
 
Jun 18, 2007
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Love the stories, have not had the pleasure yet to spend time in the campo here in the DR but have done so many times in Panama and always loved it.
Matilda, maybe an idea if you want to write a book why don?t you spend some real time in the campo living with a family the way they do. In addition with the stories you?ll receive on this board that material should be very interesting to be put in writing.
Let me know when it?s finished would love to read it.
 

suarezn

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Feb 3, 2002
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I'm probably the only person here who actually lived this. I grew up in the 70's and early 80's in the boonies of Cotui. Like some of the people have already mentioned we used to live the same kind of lifestyle and do some of the same things.

- No electricity - My Grandma bought a radio to run with D batteries. Of course you'd only turn it a few hours a day as batteries were expensive. I used to run home from school to listen to radio soaps "Kaliman" and "Kazan el Cazador...Amo de la selva". We would also listen to a music show "Los Merengues de La Cinco" which played perico ripiao music. In the evening we would listen to "El chinito Molongo" a comedy show. Bed time was about 8:00 or 9:00 PM. First time I saw a TV I was about 10 years old. We used "Jumiadoras" for light at night.

Jumiadora

Imagen016.jpg


- Water was carried from the river - Camu - in containers made from Higuero. Later on we acquired plastic containers from herbicides - Amazing we didn't poison ourselves. The water was stored in a Tinaja (Terracota container) to keep cool, but it would get all kinds of little worms in it called "Gusarapos".

Tinaja

Imagen053.jpg


- Transportation was either on foot (A Pie) or on horses. We would go to the closest little town - In my case "La Piedra" - to buy some stuff we couldn't produce ourselves (Oil, salt, etc). Other than that we were pretty much self sufficient with plenty to eat. There were no roads from where I lived just a trail which would get really muddy when it rained. I would take my shoes in my hand and walk barefooted through the mud until I was about to come into town where I would then wash my feet in a small stream and put on my shoes. On the way back I would take my shoes off again as soon as I left the town so as not to get them dirty.

- Toilet? What toilet? In our case we would either dig a small hole an bury it afterwards (like cats do) or I would go to a cliff that had a tree hanging over it and sit on the tree and let it fly down. "Toilet Paper" was tusa (which not only cleans but also scratches and massages...lol) or plantain leaves or the ocassional newspaper. At night you always kept a Ponchera and/or Bacinilla by the bedside in case you had to go.

- Cooking - My grandma had a "Kitchen" which was not attached to the main hut. She had a fogon with three compartments where she would cook. Utensils (Spoons, plates, etc) were pretty much all made from Higuero. Rice, coffee, etc. was peeled / ground in a Pilon.

Fogon

Imagen079.jpg


Pilon

Imagen060+(1).jpg


- Beds were made from plantain bark and leaves, which were actually pretty comfortable. The only problem was that sometimes they would get full of "Jiriguaos" - Tiny bugs that make you itch like crazy. Also the chairs were made of wood and a fiber called guano and they would get full of Chinchas - A bug that sucks your blood. It was funny seeing someone sitting on a chair that had Chinchas and trying to remain proper and still while the chinchas bit...

There are so many things I could probably write a book, but this is the basic. Life for me was beautiful at that time and I remember it fondly. We were lacking all kinds of material stuff but I guess I didn't miss it since I never had it and didn't know any better.
 

Matilda

RIP Lindsay
Sep 13, 2006
5,485
338
63
Amazing post suarezn. Thanks so much. tried to give you rep points but it wouldn't let me!! I would love to come and see you sometime to talk about this face to face?

matilda
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
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Love the stories, have not had the pleasure yet to spend time in the campo here in the DR but have done so many times in Panama and always loved it.
i spent all summers in a polish campo as a child (late 70s and early 80s) and i cannot imagine going through that again. willingly. but alas, as a child i had no choice...