- Thread starter Seacreature
- Start date
Making the move!
welcome to the East.
Punta Cana Village is a very nice and also very safe environment to live with the family, good choice.
as others stated above, your used supermarket was the Nacional, its very good and my favorite for the veggies and the wine selection, over all the Super Pola at the San Juan Shopping Center is also very good and on most items a piece cheaper. there is also the newer supermarket LLama at the Palma Shopping, can't compare the prices or variety as i did not shop there, yet, Super Pola is so close to my home that i am too lazy to drive extra miles, and the variety and quality at Pola is over all fine. at Nacional i am usually shopping for all drinkets and foosies needed on the boats, as it is nice close to the Cap Cana Marina.
don't get mistaken on the small quantities prices when shopping at the small Colmados, those small shops are always way more expensive than the big supermarkets, they purchase many of their products at the big supermarkets and then sell it for a added price in small quantities (like ketchup sold per Spoon etc etc), no savings to shop there, and not always the freshest products neither.
small shops which are great for purchases are the Fruteras/the Fruit Stands, my fav one of the area is located up in Veron, at the Policia Acostado near the carwash La Recta, great variety and always fresh fruits.
as for scuba diving/teaching such, of course it will be for fun only in the future here, as working as a dive teacher at one of the Watersports Centers of the Hotels in Punta Cana would not pay not even close what you will need only for the International school at Punta Cana village for your son, and you have the lease on the house, cars, food and drinkets, medic insurance plans etc etc etc to pay for, too, that's a much too high of a living standard for a simple Punta Cana Diving school employee.
again,
welcome to the East
and good luck for the family.
Mike
Punta Cana Village is a very nice and also very safe environment to live with the family, good choice.
as others stated above, your used supermarket was the Nacional, its very good and my favorite for the veggies and the wine selection, over all the Super Pola at the San Juan Shopping Center is also very good and on most items a piece cheaper. there is also the newer supermarket LLama at the Palma Shopping, can't compare the prices or variety as i did not shop there, yet, Super Pola is so close to my home that i am too lazy to drive extra miles, and the variety and quality at Pola is over all fine. at Nacional i am usually shopping for all drinkets and foosies needed on the boats, as it is nice close to the Cap Cana Marina.
don't get mistaken on the small quantities prices when shopping at the small Colmados, those small shops are always way more expensive than the big supermarkets, they purchase many of their products at the big supermarkets and then sell it for a added price in small quantities (like ketchup sold per Spoon etc etc), no savings to shop there, and not always the freshest products neither.
small shops which are great for purchases are the Fruteras/the Fruit Stands, my fav one of the area is located up in Veron, at the Policia Acostado near the carwash La Recta, great variety and always fresh fruits.
as for scuba diving/teaching such, of course it will be for fun only in the future here, as working as a dive teacher at one of the Watersports Centers of the Hotels in Punta Cana would not pay not even close what you will need only for the International school at Punta Cana village for your son, and you have the lease on the house, cars, food and drinkets, medic insurance plans etc etc etc to pay for, too, that's a much too high of a living standard for a simple Punta Cana Diving school employee.
again,
welcome to the East
and good luck for the family.
Mike
Thanks Mike! And that's good to know about the wine selection in Nacional, I didn't look that close, but I was wondering where I might score the odd bottle now and again! Nice!
As for work, the dive instructor thing is more a long term goal than immediate plan. My wife's a teacher, so if she teaches at the international school, tuition for my son will not be an issue. Before I stop going offshore my house will be paid off, and the only bills I'll have will be utilities, so I could basically goof off and let my wife support me if I wanted to. Not that I will, since that would drive me crazy, but it's definitely an option!
You're kidding... right???? Unless it's imported, (most likely from the U.S.), the beef in the D.R. is mediocre at best, and more often pretty sad. I think it's cool that you're so excited about your move, and I wish you the best... but just because it's all new and exciting doesn't mean that everything is better than "back home". Also... I doubt that you can find eggs, beef or apples cheaper in the D.R. If you were paying more in the U.S. for those items, you were shopping in the wrong places.
sorry... the dislike was a mistake... very touchy touch screen and lazy fingers.... that was a "like" all the way!
lol no worries! I'm honestly not even sure where to go to look for likes and dislikes so I hadn't a clue.
Did the move almost 2 years ago. Left Qu?bec with 4 luggages and my 2 Himalayan cats under my arms....
Never been better... I was born to live that kind of life... quiet, always sunny and hot...
I'm not rich, I have to work to pay my bills (rent, food) but hey, why eat sh*t in the cold when you can do it in the sun ???
Still loving it and do no intend to return to Qu?bec... Welcome in Paradise !
Never been better... I was born to live that kind of life... quiet, always sunny and hot...
I'm not rich, I have to work to pay my bills (rent, food) but hey, why eat sh*t in the cold when you can do it in the sun ???
Still loving it and do no intend to return to Qu?bec... Welcome in Paradise !
Can someone put me in contact with a good rental agent for the Punta Cana / area ? Or the best website to look for a furnished one or two bedroom ? Recommend the nicer neighborhoods? Thank you Just me and my two dogs lol and a suitcase
makr from the beginning clear that you are moving with 2 dogs, specially in case they are big dogs. a number of residencies sorrily do not allow dogs, some have even poison out on their properties to keep their place "clean", buggers.
Mike
Mike
Well we made it! Now we're just settling in and trying to get the house in order. So far so good!
Thus far what an amazing adventure! And I say that without a bit of sarcasm.
We arrived late in the evening, managed to pick up our rental truck and load the massive amount of baggage we'd brought into the back. We don't live too far from the airport, so that was at least nice. A quick ride, and we're in our new home.
Fortunately my wife had somehow selected 'deliver and install' when she set up the IKEA delivery so the guys had everything all assembled for us, all we had to do was unwrap the mattresses and put sheets on and it was bed time! woo!
The next day we set about getting things in order. We needed basic appliances like a fridge, a stove, and washer and drier, as well as a couple of pieces of furniture we hadn't picked up via IKEA. The guy that was an agent for our real estate broker is actually from Miami, so he was incredible helpful to a couple of green gringos fresh off the plane! He took us to a local furniture shop (muebles I think it's called) and we got an excellent deal on our appliances, with delivery and a propane tank included. FANS! We bought two floor models and a ceiling fan as well, life savers!
So after about three days the only thing we were still hurting for was hot water. Seems that the gas powered hot water heater in the house was dead, and we ended up having to wait about 3 weeks for the "plumber" to replace it. I use the quotes because if that guy's a plumber I'm in line to be the next Pope! But hey, I knew it was like that before I moved, so now it's just kinda funny more than anything.
The pool is awesome, and we swim every single day. The weather has been pretty much perfect. Sometimes it rains, but it clears and the sun comes out again, so no worries there. We spend an average of 4 to 5 days a week at one beach or another, and since we're less than two miles from the beach, it's easy and quick to get there. My favorite is Juanillo. They serve excellent drinks, awesome food, and the place just feels relaxed.
Work wise my wife starts her teaching job in January, my kid's enrolled in school to start at the same time, and when I get home I intend to start a regular schedule of sunning by the pool, reading and writing my next novel. I do love the DR!
We arrived late in the evening, managed to pick up our rental truck and load the massive amount of baggage we'd brought into the back. We don't live too far from the airport, so that was at least nice. A quick ride, and we're in our new home.
Fortunately my wife had somehow selected 'deliver and install' when she set up the IKEA delivery so the guys had everything all assembled for us, all we had to do was unwrap the mattresses and put sheets on and it was bed time! woo!
The next day we set about getting things in order. We needed basic appliances like a fridge, a stove, and washer and drier, as well as a couple of pieces of furniture we hadn't picked up via IKEA. The guy that was an agent for our real estate broker is actually from Miami, so he was incredible helpful to a couple of green gringos fresh off the plane! He took us to a local furniture shop (muebles I think it's called) and we got an excellent deal on our appliances, with delivery and a propane tank included. FANS! We bought two floor models and a ceiling fan as well, life savers!
So after about three days the only thing we were still hurting for was hot water. Seems that the gas powered hot water heater in the house was dead, and we ended up having to wait about 3 weeks for the "plumber" to replace it. I use the quotes because if that guy's a plumber I'm in line to be the next Pope! But hey, I knew it was like that before I moved, so now it's just kinda funny more than anything.
The pool is awesome, and we swim every single day. The weather has been pretty much perfect. Sometimes it rains, but it clears and the sun comes out again, so no worries there. We spend an average of 4 to 5 days a week at one beach or another, and since we're less than two miles from the beach, it's easy and quick to get there. My favorite is Juanillo. They serve excellent drinks, awesome food, and the place just feels relaxed.
Work wise my wife starts her teaching job in January, my kid's enrolled in school to start at the same time, and when I get home I intend to start a regular schedule of sunning by the pool, reading and writing my next novel. I do love the DR!
Title of the next Novel?
looks like for the start things worked out for you as expected, nice to hear.
welcome to the 'hood.
Mike
looks like for the start things worked out for you as expected, nice to hear.
welcome to the 'hood.
Mike
Thanks Mike! The novel is called "Adrift" it's about a guy in the 1600s who comes to the New World to reinvent himself and discovers that the old world just doesn't seem to want to let him go! Pirates and such. High action. I figured what better place in all the world to write a pirate book than sitting on a Caribbean beach!
you are at the right place to get the right spirit for that, that's sure.
if you want to meet some Pirates of the 20th and 21st century, gimme a shout, lol.
good luck
Mike
if you want to meet some Pirates of the 20th and 21st century, gimme a shout, lol.
good luck
Mike
Sadly I did not get to make it, but my wife and son went and had a big time! I was kinda bummed, I watched them putting up Christmas lights for a month and they turned them on the night after I left to come to work! ARGH! Hopefully I'll get to see it all next year as I plan to be home for the holidays.