Hi All!
We are moving to Cap Cana on August 1, 2012. I realize that Cap Cana is probably not the best place for thirty-somethings, but we found a home to rent that is beautiful and because it was a spec home that has never been lived in we were able to get a really good deal on rent. Cap Cana will give us a safe place in a beautiful setting for our initial move to the DR and we plan on using the coming months to learn Spanish and travel throughout the DR to find our next home. We hope that we can find some fun people in Cap Cana and/or Punta Cana to hang out with.
We officially move into our new home on August 1. We are planning on getting to Santo Domingo a few days in advance to do some shopping - the house is unfurnished, so we have to buy beds and furniture for our house. If anyone knows of someone that can assist us (a service or hired individual or new friend) we will need a translator to help us shop and bargain at the stores.
Yes, we are jumping in head first and hope the pool is deep enough so that we don't bang our heads too hard on the bottom. We currently live on St. Croix in the USVI, so we are used to the island life, but the DR is different (MUCH nicer people and places!) our biggest initial handicap is that we are functionally illiterate in Spanish (quite a twist from being in the US and those that can't speak English being the "illiterate" ones! - fortunately people in the DR seem more accepting of those who cannot speak Spanish than their US counterparts who are intolerant of those who cannot speak English.)
We are talking to a number of freight forwarders and customs brokers (directly or through friends who know Spanish) - if anyone knows of a good customs broker or freight forwarder who speaks English well, please let me know. It will be simpler if I can speak with them directly to find out all the rules and rates and such.
Also - if anyone is aware of a Spanish teacher in the Punta Cana area that we can hire for private instruction (maybe a teacher who is off work in August?) we would appreciate being put in contact with them.
DR1 has been a great resource - thanks to all those that make it happen! - and I appreciate in advance any assistance and knowledge people on here are willing to share.
Cheers,
Scott
We are moving to Cap Cana on August 1, 2012. I realize that Cap Cana is probably not the best place for thirty-somethings, but we found a home to rent that is beautiful and because it was a spec home that has never been lived in we were able to get a really good deal on rent. Cap Cana will give us a safe place in a beautiful setting for our initial move to the DR and we plan on using the coming months to learn Spanish and travel throughout the DR to find our next home. We hope that we can find some fun people in Cap Cana and/or Punta Cana to hang out with.
We officially move into our new home on August 1. We are planning on getting to Santo Domingo a few days in advance to do some shopping - the house is unfurnished, so we have to buy beds and furniture for our house. If anyone knows of someone that can assist us (a service or hired individual or new friend) we will need a translator to help us shop and bargain at the stores.
Yes, we are jumping in head first and hope the pool is deep enough so that we don't bang our heads too hard on the bottom. We currently live on St. Croix in the USVI, so we are used to the island life, but the DR is different (MUCH nicer people and places!) our biggest initial handicap is that we are functionally illiterate in Spanish (quite a twist from being in the US and those that can't speak English being the "illiterate" ones! - fortunately people in the DR seem more accepting of those who cannot speak Spanish than their US counterparts who are intolerant of those who cannot speak English.)
We are talking to a number of freight forwarders and customs brokers (directly or through friends who know Spanish) - if anyone knows of a good customs broker or freight forwarder who speaks English well, please let me know. It will be simpler if I can speak with them directly to find out all the rules and rates and such.
Also - if anyone is aware of a Spanish teacher in the Punta Cana area that we can hire for private instruction (maybe a teacher who is off work in August?) we would appreciate being put in contact with them.
DR1 has been a great resource - thanks to all those that make it happen! - and I appreciate in advance any assistance and knowledge people on here are willing to share.
Cheers,
Scott