Contraband

[Meemselle]

I recently traveled to the US for my annual communion with family. Once you rule out rum----and this is the non-drinking branch of the family tree----there's not an awful lot one can bring as gifts. I thought I had it nailed with several bars of that wonderful (and ridiculously cheap) pure castile soap. It comes in long bars, and the original is white, and there are versions with aloe and almond. I also tossed in a jar (under the 3.5 oz minimum) of caracol moisturizing cream. The cream and the colored soaps were "no fly" from POP. The plain white soap got through. I have no idea what the reasoning might be. Just thought it was of interest.

Also, I bought rum and little mamajuana samples for the visiting drinkers, and ran into a HUGE issue at JFK, because the duty-free store in POP didn't seal the bag. The receipt was in the bag, and the TSA screened the bejeeeeezus out of it at JFK, but they sealed it and let it through. My only excuse is that my flight left at 3 a.m., so let's just say the synapses weren't firing crisply.

 

[LindseyKaufman]

I just learned about the soap recently when I saw a dermatologist for scabies. She prescribed it for me to use when showering.....the long bar of soup. Seems like all the Dominicans know about this. Why didn't I???

So it also comes with scents? Where did you buy it? I got my unscented at the farmacia.

When I google that soap it had various spellings and has many producers. Google did say that it is good for getting rid of mites, which I guess scabies are.

This was an interesting post. I never thought to take soaps back to the US. Perhaps the scented soaps did not get through due to special handling of oils and perfumes. I know when I buy oils or perfumes on Amazon EPS always flags them as needing special handling and costing more to transport.

 

[CristoRey]

TSA is sick.
Those people have issues.

 

[JD Jones]

TSA is sick.
Those people have issues.

Double standards for sure.

 

[NanSanPedro]

Double standards for sure.

JD, they're govt employees. You expect better?

 

[Meemselle]

It wasn't the TSA in the US that was the problem. They were actually very nice and highly professional. They have a hard job, and they were absolutely right: the bag with liquor should have been sealed. I wouldn't have been thrilled about losing it, but I certainly understand. It's the inspectors---whatever the agency is called---in the DR with whom I have a problem. Their decisions often seem to be completely situational and arbitrary.

RE: the soap. The brand name is Roldan. It's always on the bottom shelf, because it's so cheap. I find it in the Sosúa Playero in the baby product section. It is the best stuff in the world.

 

[Fulano2]

Jabón de Castilla …perfect shampoo.

 

[johne]

A few days ago while searching for a bit of information on chocolate I came across a ideal gift, but a tad expensive:
There is a store in Piatini that makes hand made chocolate bars (and other products) with a content of 90-100 % cocaho. About $9.00/ bar.

Chocolate Bars

At Definite Chocolate we make craft chocolate in country of origin. In small batches we produce specialty chocolate naturally, by using only fine-flavored cacao from the Dominican Republic. Our factory is located in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic.

definitechocolate.com

 

[Pikobello]

A few days ago while searching for a bit of information on chocolate I came across a ideal gift, but a tad expensive:
There is a store in Piatini that makes hand made chocolate bars (and other products) with a content of 90-100 % cocaho. About $9.00/ bar.

Chocolate Bars

At Definite Chocolate we make craft chocolate in country of origin. In small batches we produce specialty chocolate naturally, by using only fine-flavored cacao from the Dominican Republic. Our factory is located in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic.

definitechocolate.com

Well, like many stuff here, totally overpriced, 500 Pesos for a 60 gr bar of chocolate. Yes it's handmade I think, but a normal dominican never would by such thing. In my home country you can buy finest belgium or suisse choclate for 3 or 4 dollars a bar of 100 gr.

 

[johne]

Well, like many stuff here, totally overpriced, 500 Pesos for a 60 gr bar of chocolate. Yes it's handmade I think, but a normal dominican never would by such thing. In my home country you can buy finest belgium or suisse choclate for 3 or 4 dollars a bar of 100 gr.

I agree.

 

[JD Jones]

Well, like many stuff here, totally overpriced, 500 Pesos for a 60 gr bar of chocolate. Yes it's handmade I think, but a normal dominican never would by such thing. In my home country you can buy finest belgium or suisse choclate for 3 or 4 dollars a bar of 100 gr.

Please name a couple of the best ones for me.

I gotta tell you, the Milka brand and the BRAVO chocolates I've mentioned a couple of times are really good to me.

 

[Pikobello]

Please name a couple of the best ones for me.

I gotta tell you, the Milka brand and the BRAVO chocolates I've mentioned a couple of times are really good to me.

Milka is german brand, but I only eat dark chocolate and Bravo only sells the milk choclate from them. I buy the bravo brand, with 72% cacao for 89 Pesos.
In germany you find a lot of brands like Lindt from Suisse in all supermarkets.
Jumbo and Sirena sells some dark chocolate too, most from spain, prices around 180 pesos.

 

[johne]

I wonder how that place stays in biz in Piatini no less. Web site shows
multiple employees.

 

[JD Jones]

I wonder how that place stays in biz in Piatini no less. Web site shows
multiple employees.

They probably own the building/converted residence, or they rent the house as a residence and set up shop.