Apprehensive About Trip to US

[juanita]

Don't Drink The Water

For a long time I would get sick whenever I would go back to Canada for holidays, till I realized it was the water. Maybe because of all the bleach they trow in there. Anyway, I only drink bottled water when in Canada and never had that problem again!

 

[Ken]

What About Shots? Cell Phone?

Are there any shots I should get before going to the US? Any special meds? Malaria isn't a problem, far as I know, in the area we will be visiting, but West Nile Virus and Lyme Disease can be. I checked the website of the Public Health Agency of Canada to see what advisories they had for people traveling to the US, but the only item of interest was their May 6 update re malaria in the DR and an April list of places, including the DR, where you can be at risk from various gastrointestinal "bugs".

The US Center for Disease Control was more helpful. They warned about Lyme Disease and West Nile Virus; also about poisonous snakes, poison ivy, poison oak, and an increase in certain food born diseases and Salmonellaosis that they say have increased in some regions. Unfortunately, they didn't tell me whether the areas I will be in have experienced an increase. Pretty scary stuff; we don't worry about West Nile, Lyme, poisonous snakes or plants in Sosua.

Re cell phones, I have an Orange Flex plan that I pay monthly for. Can I make and/or receive calls to and from both US and DR phones when in the US? If not, what options do I have if I want the use of a cell phone in the US?

Thanks, Juanita and Mary S, for your good advice. Amity, I'm tempted, but hadn't planned on taking winter clothes on the trip. Or is July your one month of warm weather? I can't remember whether it is July or August.

Readytogo, I think you are right about fatty foods being a health hazard to avoid. I note on tv these days that most of the US people shown are over weight and out of shape. A good friend gave me a marked menu from Cracker Barrel to use when we are in North Carolina. Recommended dishes like chicken and dumplings and deep dish beef pie sound like pound-adders.

 

[Ricardo900]

Are there any shots I should get before going to the US? Any special meds? Malaria isn't a problem, far as I know, in the area we will be visiting, but West Nile Virus and Lyme Disease can be. I checked the website of the Public Health Agency of Canada to see what advisories they had for people traveling to the US, but the only item of interest was their May 6 update re malaria in the DR and an April list of places, including the DR, where you can be at risk from various gastrointestinal "bugs".

The US Center for Disease Control was more helpful. They warned about Lyme Disease and West Nile Virus; also about poisonous snakes, poison ivy, poison oak, and an increase in certain food born diseases and Salmonellaosis that they say have increased in some regions. Unfortunately, they didn't tell me whether the areas I will be in have experienced an increase. Pretty scary stuff; we don't worry about West Nile, Lyme, poisonous snakes or plants in Sosua.

Re cell phones, I have an Orange Flex plan that I pay monthly for. Can I make and/or receive calls to and from both US and DR phones when in the US? If not, what options do I have if I want the use of a cell phone in the US?

Thanks, Juanita and Mary S, for your good advice. Amity, I'm tempted, but hadn't planned on taking winter clothes on the trip. Or is July your one month of warm weather? I can't remember whether it is July or August.

Readytogo, I think you are right about fatty foods being a health hazard to avoid. I note on tv these days that most of the US people shown are over weight and out of shape. A good friend gave me a marked menu from Cracker Barrel to use when we are in North Carolina. Recommended dishes like chicken and dumplings and deep dish beef pie sound like pound-adders.

No shots needed (if you are in a wooded area, long pants is recommended)
You can buy a pre-paid pretty cheap http://www.cingular.com/indexc
oh yeah! I would not recommend riding the NYC or Chicago subway, unless you are good at reading subway maps. Take cabs from $8 to $20 most parts of NYC

 

[AZB]

I am sick of this thread already.

I can't believe this thread. Ken, aren't you the same guy who soaks veggies 15 minutes in clorinated water to kill off the bacteria? wait, was it you who once said that you wash your hands with chlorine after touching door nobs in public places?
Ken, you are going to good ol, USA, not to baghdad or kabul. You will not be kidnapped from street and no one will point a gun to your head. When I travel, I simply go. I pack my stuff, and go. I eat whatever, even off the street vendors. I have been to rough places in Colombia, venezuela, mexico, russia etc. You name it and I have done it. If you don't look for trouble and don't act like a perfect victim, nothing will happen to you.
Now just go and have fun.
AZB

 

[Ken]

Ken, you are going to good ol, USA, not to baghdad or kabul. You will not be kidnapped from street and no one will point a gun to your head. When I travel, I simply go. I pack my stuff, and go. I eat whatever, even off the street vendors. I have been to rough places in Colombia, venezuela, mexico, russia etc. You name it and I have done it. If you don't look for trouble and don't act like a perfect victim, nothing will happen to you.
Now just go and have fun.
AZB

"Good ol, USA", hard to believe it was said by you, AZB.

Thanks for the reassurance, but I knew I wasn't going to Baghdad or Kabul. Nor do I think, as I once did, that I am going to the promised land. We get many, many posts on this board from Americans expressing concern about coming to the DR. We try to help them so, in exchange, I thought I might get their help in preparing for my first trip to the US in 10 years. Just as it is to their benefit to be prepared when coming here, it is to my benefit to be prepared for the things that I will have to deal with there.

 

[Frank the Tank]

"Good ol, USA", hard to believe it was said by you, AZB.

Thanks for the reassurance, but I knew I wasn't going to Baghdad or Kabul. Nor do I think, as I once did, that I am going to the promised land. We get many, many posts on this board from Americans expressing concern about coming to the DR. We try to help them so, in exchange, I thought I might get their help in preparing for my first trip to the US in 10 years. Just as it is to their benefit to be prepared when coming here, it is to my benefit to be prepared for the things that I will have to deal with there.

Perhaps before you go, you should invest some nice heavy duty plastic wrap to cover yourself in to protrect you from all the horrible things you might encounter and don't even think you making eye contact with any of them city folk from NY on the subway.

Yeesh... dude take some valium to calm your nerves, your coming to America, not Haiti. Everything is fine here. Just be sure to bring enough cash as NY and Boston are quite expensive compared to the DR and everything else will take care of itself.

 

[Escott]

The more I see of this thread the more I laugh. Ken looks adversity in the eye and spits in it! No way he can be uptight about taking this trip. The guy eats nails for breakfast with his eggs folks. You have been had.

Escott

 

[Larry]

The more I see of this thread the more I laugh. Ken looks adversity in the eye and spits in it! No way he can be uptight about taking this trip. The guy eats nails for breakfast with his eggs folks. You have been had.

Escott

Well, I have follwed the thread and still can't figure out if he is serious or not. I don't see any way in the world that he could be.

Larry

 

[Bob K]

remember

Just remember when approached by an officer of the law, or military in the airport just keep repeating over and over:
"no habla englese"

Bob K

 

[Escott]

One thing of importance

The pollen here is crazy. It looks like it is snowing and it is pollen.

I am a mess. I feel like Patrick looked when he was in Sosua. My nose, hell my whole head is whacked and I got this cough that won't give up. I would love to be back to be rid of this for sure.

Escott

 

[Escott]

Well, I have follwed the thread and still can't figure out if he is serious or not. I don't see any way in the world that he could be.

Larry

Larry it was a parody on the threads like "Can I leave the resort" or "How do I not get malaria" or etc.etc. ad naseum. You have been had if you thought this was for real.

Escott

 

[Mario]

Sure there are things about the US that are less than ideal but this post is just silly. Sosua is packed with drugs, violence, poverty, alcoloism, and a bunch of wonderful things as well. The US is also. Same **** different location. Go ! have fun in the US and go back home afterwards. All this stuff about the water, docs, etc.. is simply foolishness.

Most of the month of July, my wife and I will be in the US. The last time I was there was in 1995, Barbara's last visit was 1996. During the past 10 years we spent a lot of time in Puerto Rico, Trinidad, Venezuela, and most of the islands of the eastern Caribbean, but we have not been in the US.

The archives on dr1 don't help us with our concerns, but we are hoping some of the posters will. We have a lot of apprehensions.

1. Security is a major concern. We feel very safe in the DR, but we know you can't take security for granted in the US. We see almost daily on the news about drive by shootings, murders and robberies, children carrying knives and guns, and, apparently, most adults are armed, too. We presently don't own a gun; should we try to get one before going to the US? We certainly don't want to be defenseless; if we can't get a gun, what should we do to protect ourselves?

2. Health is another concern. Hopefully we won't get sick while there, but what if we do? Getting sick here doesn't worry us because we have a number of excellent specialists looking after us. If we get sick, we just go to the office for treatment, or in an emergency, call the doctor on the phone. But we know from others this isn't how it works in the US. To see even a general doctor requires a long wait for an appointment, and you may even have to be part of a health group. We don't have any doctors in the US, and we certainly aren't part of a health group. What do we do; go to a hospital emergency room and wait our turn while they treat the accident victims, victims of knifing and shootings, etc.?

3. Is it safe to drink the water, or should we plan on buying bottled water? We don't want to get sick from drinking industrial waste and other chemicals that have polluted many water supplies.

We have other questions and concerns, but these are some of the major ones. Any advice on how to cope with these issues will be appreciated.

We are looking forward to seeing family members, but we are apprehensive about leaving Sosua and going to the US.

 

[Escott]

Sure there are things about the US that are less than ideal but this post is just silly. Sosua is packed with drugs, violence, poverty, alcoloism, and a bunch of wonderful things as well. The US is also. Same **** different location. Go ! have fun in the US and go back home afterwards. All this stuff about the water, docs, etc.. is simply foolishness.

Sosua is "PACKED WITH DRUGS, VIOLENCE, POVERTY, ALCOLOISM?

Every once in a while someone who does NOT have a clue posts BS like this. Only thing I notice living in Sosua is that there are a bunch of alcoholics but you can probably find them anywhere. Rest of your statement is just plain FALSE. Maybe within the GAY community which you are a member but NOT in the rest of the community an average Expat is exposed to.

I remember one jerk talked about gunfire every night in Sosua. That was also a bunch of Bull just like your statement.

Escott

 

[Ken]

Sure there are things about the US that are less than ideal but this post is just silly. Sosua is packed with drugs, violence, poverty, alcoloism, and a bunch of wonderful things as well. The US is also. Same **** different location. Go ! have fun in the US and go back home afterwards. All this stuff about the water, docs, etc.. is simply foolishness.

It is true that this will be my first trip to the US in 10 years, and I probably wouldn't be going this year if we didn't have our first grandchild. As I said it an earlier post, I wouldn't give up my citizenship, but having experienced life outside of the US, I have no desire to live there.

I started this thread, as Scott indicated, as a parody on all the threads posted by nervous nellies coming to the DR. But the more I got into it, the more I realized that much of what I was writing about is true: life is better in many ways than in the US.

Mario, for example, says the stuff about docs is foolish. I don't agree. The doctors I have here are at least as capable as those available to me in the US, and they are 200% more accessible. Also probably 200% less expensive.

Re drinking the water, if the water from the faucet in the US is so great, why is bottled water one of the fastest selling items in the stores there?

Re crime, this board goes into a frenzy when there is an isolated incident in Sosua, yet crime reports are one of the mainstays of the press and tv in the US.

And if the people were polled here, I'm sure you would find that fear of a terrorist attack is much, much less than in the US.

I could go on, but to sum up, I started the thread as a parody, but ended up realizing that there was a lot of truth in what I was writing.

 

[AZB]

Sosua is packed with drugs, violence, poverty, alcoloism, and a bunch of wonderful things as well. The US is also. Same **** different location.

You forgot perverts and hookers. Most dominicans living in sosua are poor and uneducated. Most expats in sosua are old, perverts, hooker chasing, alcoholics. Sosua is bankcock of dominican republic. If anyone disputes this, please feel free to let me give you a free tour of sosua the next time I am there for the beach. We won't even have to walk much, it will be all there in the main road.
AZB

 

[Escott]

You forgot perverts and hookers. Most dominicans living in sosua are poor and uneducated. Most expats in sosua are old, perverts, hooker chasing, alcoholics. Sosua is bankcock of dominican republic. If anyone disputes this, please feel free to let me give you a free tour of sosua the next time I am there for the beach. We won't even have to walk much, it will be all there in the main road.
AZB

Bangkok is the way it is spelled. You seem to know as much about Sosua as you do Bangkok.

There are a lot of gringos chasing hookers here. There are also some people from Santiago that chase hookers here on an occassion or two.

Expats in Sosua run the spectrum in age as do Expats in Santiago.

Is it your questionable political and religious beliefs that make you hate so much? For a guy that HATES Sosua so much you are sure here often. Wonder why?

Badpiece was telling me stories of the hooker places he goes to in Santiago. Maybe you can refresh my memory since I can't remember the names. Anyone know of any hooker joints in Santiago?

Escott,
AZB's Buddy

PS> Most Dominicans living in Santiago are POOR AND UNEDUCATED. Want to bet on this one?

 

[rellosk]

I started this thread, as Scott indicated, as a parody on all the threads posted by nervous nellies coming to the DR. But the more I got into it, the more I realized that much of what I was writing about is true: life is better in many ways than in the US.

I found the thread very clever. However, now that you have turned from parody to commentary, I feel I must offer a response.

Mario, for example, says the stuff about docs is foolish. I don't agree. The doctors I have here are at least as capable as those available to me in the US, and they are 200% more accessible. Also probably 200% less expensive.

While medical costs are ridiculously high, access is not a problem. For a routine physical I may have to wait a few weeks, but for an accident or illness I get immediate access. I'm fairly certain that most people would rather be in the US than the DR if they need major medical attention.

Re drinking the water, if the water from the faucet in the US is so great, why is bottled water one of the fastest selling items in the stores there?

One word, marketing. That's what makes the US great (or a pain as some have pointed out). Also in the DR, it's not a matter of how the water tastes; the water can make you sick. Even the locals don't drink the tap water.

Re crime, this board goes into a frenzy when there is an isolated incident in Sosua, yet crime reports are one of the mainstays of the press and tv in the US.[\quote]Crime is rampant in both the US and the DR. Unfortunately it seems to be on the upswing in the DR. Crime reports constantly appear in the US new reports because that, along with tabloid style journalism is what sells newspapers. Once again, marketing. It has been discussed in other threads that much of the crime that occurs in the DR is not reported in the news, it gets suppressed.

And if the people were polled here, I'm sure you would find that fear of a terrorist attack is much, much less than in the US.

True, but to quote AZB, "No one is even thinking of terrorist attack (thanks to american short memory span thinking)." [ugh, I don't believe I just quoted AZB]

I could go on, but to sum up, I started the thread as a parody, but ended up realizing that there was a lot of truth in what I was writing.

Only half-truths, which often make good parody. Enjoy your trip!

 

[NotLurking]

I found the thread very clever. However, now that you have turned from parody to commentary, I feel I must offer a response.

So do I!

While medical costs are ridiculously high, access is not a problem. For a routine physical I may have to wait a few weeks, but for an accident or illness I get immediate access. I'm fairly certain that most people would rather be in the US than the DR if they need major medical attention.

Of course access is not a problem but try to get a Doctor to consult you at home for a few dollars! It aint gonna happen plain and simple! That is what Ken is highlighting.

One word, marketing. That's what makes the US great (or a pain as some have pointed out). Also in the DR, it's not a matter of how the water tastes; the water can make you sick. Even the locals don't drink the tap water.

So they don't buy and drink bottle water just the same? They drink marketing or is the end result the same? They buy and drink bottle water because they either DON'T LIKE or DON'T TRUST tap water. Same difference to me. You can sugar coat it all you want but the end result is the same!!! ...bottle water sells and more expensive than DR...hehe.

True, but to quote AZB, "No one is even thinking of terrorist attack (thanks to american short memory span thinking)." [ugh, I don't believe I just quoted AZB]

Don't make me laugh. No one huh? Ask the Department of Homeland Security if they're thinking about terrorism. I guess not according to you but... Many, yes many, Americans still have concerns about terrorism, and to them, it's still a big deal. Don't play it down it doesn't serve any useful purpose.

Only half-truths, which often make good parody. Enjoy your trip!

Haft truths? Like what? That people in USA buy and drink bottled water? Or perhaps that cellular service is more easily acquired cheaply and therefore more convenient in DR? Don't forget that you don't get ripped off in DR when someone calls your cell phone as in USA. I guess the half truths have to do with medical care. Do they? Medical care and prescription drugs are cheaper in DR and access to both of these at 'one's home' are just a phone call and a few dollars away. That's right it's not a typo or half truth! You can get a doctor to consult you in your home or have the pharmacy take your prescription drugs to you doorstep with a simple phone call. No half truth there.

Rellosk, many dish it up all day long about the DR but can't take the equivalent of a grain of sand in criticism. Come, come now, lets be fair.

NotLurking

 

[rellosk]

NotLurking,

You've missed all my points and I could rebut all that you've said, but since this is not the debate forum, let's just agree to disagree.

Hopefully we can agree that this was an entertaining thread.

 

[Ken]

rellosk, I was going to respond, but my intention was not to start a continuing debate. So, I, too, agree to disagree.

AZB, on the other hand, is a piece of work. Not too long ago he was writing long posts about the mafia taking over Santiago and people being gunned down in their homes and on the streets.

The thing about AZB is that his posts are so predicatable. If he isn't calling women who post in the sanky thread "fat cows" he is complaining about the hookers in Sosua. I agree with Scott that if I detested a place as much as he claims to detest Sosua, I wouldn't spend the time there that he does in Sosua.

In any case, I'd rather worry about a few hookers on the streets than gun toting mafia guys shooting citizens and stealing their SUVs.