Storage?

GKLSY

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Sep 7, 2009
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Are there any storage places in the Boca Chica area where it would be relatively safe to leave some items that I do not want to have to transport back and forth for my stays in the DR? If so, does anyone know the rates? I only have one large suitcase full of things like my coffeemaker, blow dryer, CD player, shoes, shoes, shoes... I'm tired of lugging them around and with the condition my luggage is in after each trip I'm amazed everything isn't in pieces by now. Thanks!
 

GKLSY

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Sep 7, 2009
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It would be a good moneymaker other than the obvious problems with security. Okay, so I guess I'll keep lugging all my stuff around for now. (The 10X15 storage places are called hotel rooms. ha ha)
 

GKLSY

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Sep 7, 2009
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I sometimes have problems understanding Espanol, but I don't understand your English. Maybe it's better that way...
 

GKLSY

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Sep 7, 2009
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Looking at the web site, it appears that 1 cubic meter is the smallest. Is that correct? (I only have 1 suitcase to store, at least right now. Maybe I would end up with more stuff if I had a place to leave it, but nothing close to a cubic meter.)
 
A

apostropheman

Guest
I know the owners well and have been to the storage facility, which is very secure. I recommend it and them highly!
Looking at the web site, it appears that 1 cubic meter is the smallest. Is that correct? (I only have 1 suitcase to store, at least right now. Maybe I would end up with more stuff if I had a place to leave it, but nothing close to a cubic meter.)
I'd forgotten just how reasonable the fees are. I really should leave my stuff there, instead of imposing on other friends for storage! :D
 

tomas2

Member
Nov 29, 2005
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I saw this post yesterday, which got me wondering about my stuff.

I come to the DR for 3 months each year, and last year I saw an advertisement for this place, and I began questioning why I drag all my stuff back and forth to the US each year. I bought a moto last year, and had some other stuff (clothes, etc) so before I left I swung by to check it out to assess whether I should just leave it. After I got past the front gate (guy with a shotgun...gave me a good up and down look before opening the gate, which honestly was reassuring...what is that old saying...I wouldn't want to be a member of a club that would accept me as a member?).

Once past the gate Richard welcomed me into his apartment (he lives on-site). It looked like one of the Homeland Security sites?large screen TV (maybe several?) and video recording equipment all over the place. Oh, and there was a bed too. In our short conversation I was able to quickly conclude he was definitely the guy I wanted to trust my stuff with, and maybe not the guy I would want as my neighbor if I lived in, say, a quiet suburb in Minnesota.

He took me into storage area and it was spotless. Nice and cool. I was able to fit a bunch of stuff in my locker (I think it was like $30\bucks a month?I needed a little bigger one because of my moto) and Richard even gave me a couple of nice heavy duty plastic bags to protect some electronics I had free-of-charge, which I know are expensive because I saw them in Sosua?.maybe I shouldn?t have mentioned that because as tough as Richard is, I met Judy for a different transaction (Lambada?s book), and I think I am safe in saying she wears the financial pants in the family?she is from MN after all?and there went the profits for my storage locker rental?)

Anyway, so I sent Richard an e-mail yesterday, and got a quick response that my stuff is still there. I will let you know how it went when I get there in December.

By the way, this may sound like an advertisement (like some fake Trip Advisor reports I have seen?). It truly isn?t. I am a real person, and I paid rack rate. Actually, after re-reading some of the stuff I wrote here, I am afraid my stuff may be waiting OUTSIDE the gate when I arrive?
 

GKLSY

New member
Sep 7, 2009
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Thanks to everyone for all the info & assurances. Sounds like the place to use if I decide it's worth getting my stuff to Sosua (might be more worthwhile when/if I accumulate more).
 

tomas2

Member
Nov 29, 2005
188
25
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So here?s the scoop

On my way from the airport to Cabarete I asked the cab driver to stop at the storage place so I could pick up my stuff. He didn?t have a clue where it was, so I had to direct him (which seems to be a common problem, nobody seems to know where this place is, they have a relatively decent sign on main street, so I am not sure why). I was dropping by unannounced, and even though it was like 4:00 pm on a Thursday, and SHOULD be open, you just never know around here. I was happy to see the place was in fact open.

When I got to the locker it was clear no one had disturbed it. There was like an inch of this fine silt\dust all over the moto, my fully plastic hardside suitcase, and the collection of plastic garbage bags. I grabbed the stuff, headed back to the cab (waving at Richard that I would settle up later on my past due balance??no problem!?), and even felt a little bad about putting these grungy things in this guys cab (I insisted on carrying them because I didn?t want him to get all dirty).

I was pretty sure the moto wasn?t going to start (and didn?t even want to sit on it in its current condition), so I paid one of the guys that worked there 200 peso to clean it up and told him I would be returning the next day to pick it up.

When I got to my apartment I started inspecting the damage, not really sure what to expect. The clothes were double-bagged (the clothes were placed in those cheap plastic bags you get when you buy anything around here, and those bags were placed inside garbage bags, and tied at the top). The electronics (laptop, routers, UPS, a bunch of other stuff) were double-bagged in those heavy-duty ziplock bags that I mention in my previous post, and then placed in the plastic suitcase.

When I opened the clothes bags I could see a fair amount of dust inside the garbage bags, and some in the clothes bags, and some dust on the actual clothes themselves, but nothing appeared to be stained. They smelled really musty though. Off to the laundry with those.

When I opened the electronics I could see some of the dust had gotten into suitcase (not sure how), but not into any of the heavy duty bags. This was encouraging, but I didn?t want to get too excited yet. I had heard from numerous expats here that the electronics don?t fare well on the coast, especially if they are left here for a while and not turned on. They all described it similarly ("you turn them on and they go ?poof? ").

The UPS fired up just fine and still had a full charge. The laptop fired up as well, and I used it for about an hour before it started warning me the battery was low. I figured the battery had stopped taking a charge, but then realized it was user error; I didn?t have it plugged in properly. I plugged it in and it started charging. I was amazed the thing had sat there unused for so long and still held so much charge.

When I went back the next day to pick it up the bike it was sparkling clean. Maybe too clean. I was concerned because I always thought most of the rust had become structural, and was actually holding the bike together in some strategic locations. I gave it a couple of good bounces, and nothing fell off, so I figured I was good to go.

I guess I wasn?t shocked it wouldn?t start. And the rear tire was flat. I pushed it over to the gas station, filled up the tire (hoping it would hold until I got it to the mechanic), and cut a deal with one of the motoconcho drivers to push me to Cabarete for 100 pesos.

The mechanic charged me 400 pesos to get it running again (it needed a new spark plug and probably some significant coaxing from its long siesta, and man now it really runs good, note to self, I am going to have to change the sparkplug more often) which was 400 pesos, and a new tire tube which was 300 pesos. I am thinking these prices were all somewhere between Gringo and local prices, which is where I like to be. I don?t feel good negotiating with people that make a few hundred a month over a couple of bucks.

I was told it needed a new battery, but I would need to go to Puerto Plata to get it. In the mean time I have been just using the kick start, and now I am wondering if I need it all because as I am driving around I have noticed features slowly starting to come back to life (turn signals, horn, neutral light) but I am not quite back to electric start yet, so who knows.

The clothes came back from the laundry totally clean and odor free, but maybe a little tighter than I remember them being when I left last year?? Not sure I can blame the storage place on that one, if you know what I mean.

All in all this worked out great for me, and I have already paid in advance for another year.