Out of the Campo and into the fire

[CarpeDReam]

Drsix, would u consider something more inland? ie away from beaches?


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[jabejuventus]

Thanks, does it ever chill out? Are there a few months out of the year where we won't live by a 'surfing beach'?

There's more to the beaches that just surf or surfers. It would help if you were aquatic or liked fishing and/or eating fresh fish.

 

[drSix]

There's more to the beaches that just surf or surfers. It would help if you were aquatic or liked fishing and/or eating fresh fish.

Yea, I hear ya. We are all PADI divers, just haven't gone yet. Don't ask me why! I just hoped that Playa Laguna Beached slowed down a little. We need to explore the area a little more, and do some kite surfing lessons and what not/

 

[drSix]

Yup, just went to the turbulent beach. It is like swimming in a washing machine on the spin cycle. My seven year old thinks it is awesome, he thinks it is even awesomer when dad gets wrecked by a wave and gets thrown onto the beach like a piece of driftwood, coughing and hardly breathing. Luckily, I have taught him CPR and his current lack of inheritance is motivation to keep me alive for a few more years.

 

[Harleysrock]

Oh DRsix how I understand.... I should have gotten SH*T HOLE tattooed on my knucks instead of paradise

 

[william webster]

eight knuckles and a Smiley....

some hands

 

[Lobo Tropical]

Bc

Oh DRsix how I understand.... I should have gotten SH*T HOLE tattooed on my knucks instead of paradise

Would you consider returning to B.C., or do financial considerations keep you in the D.R.?

 

[ccarabella]

You are brave. Sounds like a real adventure.
Take it one step at a time. At least you have choices if it really
came down to that. Many people here don't have any options.

Blessings

 

[Harleysrock]

Would you consider returning to B.C., or do financial considerations keep you in the DR?

I don't want to move back to Canada, I do like it here it is just not paradise.
We moved here so my wife would not be in pain everyday which has worked so maybe one day down the road we would consider Mexico or somewhere else but not anytime soon.

I just get what drsix is talking about. It can be really tiring dealing with all the sh*t that goes on and I have a hard time dealing with the heat, it makes me not want to move!

 

[Commander Ooh La La USN]

Sounds like you should have move to Las Terrenas or perhaps a larger center that is not Tourist orientated like San Francisco de Marcoris or Santiago.

San Francisco is nice but too many motos and I think it is too noisy for that reason. Santiago is better for you, the wife and the kids. The schools are better, the supermarkets are better(US style), the water and power are more available. And since you want a pool and all that you d be living in one of the more affluent neighborhoods which better neighbors. And when you want to go to the beach you are only 40 miles away on the highway.

 

[drSix]

Whew! Where to start?

If you have good voltage on one side of your 220, and low on the other, I'm betting if you follow the line, you'll find that the low voltage line has folks "stealing" electricity from CDE off that one line.

The output from a transformer is adjusted to deliver the correct voltage to both lines, so if one is low, it's probably overloaded by juice robbers.

The typical breaker box is set up with the first two pairs of breakers are on one line, the next two pairs are the other line, the next two pairs are on the same as the first two.. etc, etc.

So, if the first two (vertically)have good electric current, numbers 5 and 6 will too, as well as 9 and 10. 3 and 4, 7 and 8 will be the other line. That's how breaker boxes are laid out.

But with 220V stuff, you really need to investigate why the other side is low.

You may want to consider buying and installing your own private transformer. Not very cheap, but it will solve your electrical fluctuation problem.

Good stuff, I get my multimeter out and investigate. I was able to get most of the house functional by moving breakers, but of course the 220 stuff still won't work because of the large double pole breakers. I still can't figure out why a single pole 30 amp breaker can shut off the entire house, and the house breaker box as three lines coming in.

I thought about someone stealing, but I am the poorest in the neighbourhood! Who would steal from me? I've looked at the line from the meter to my house, and see nothing out of the ordinary. I've been told about a private transformer, what are we talking about when you say 'not cheap'? Thanks...

 

[Matilda]

I had my own transformer installed when I lived in Juan Dolio. You can read about it in this old post here (2006).

Why I love this country

Matilda

 

[malko]

Leave the campo for sosua???? No way jose...... over my dead body.......

And imbert has LOAdS of conviniences........ compared to further along the road..... I actually go to imbert to stock up........

 

[davetuna]

imo it doesn't matter where you live, life is still like a cake, you got to have the twelve slices, if you got some missing, you got to put them in......

sounds like there's a fault with your electrics, even when that is fixed it is prudent to stick a VR inline. protect your electrics, I lived in PL last year and we got hit by lightning many times....(the house and also the electricity poles..)

I would definitely recommend kiteboarding. Scuba is ok but not that great up here on north coast. (just my opinion if you are paying for it)........

 

[drSix]

Got the electrical fixed. After 10 days of going to the office and calling everyday, paying an electrician to come over, my wife brought the girls in the office chocolate. 3 hours later, we had full power!

 

[drSix]

Got the electrical fixed. After 10 days of going to the office and calling everyday, paying an electrician to come over, my wife brought the girls in the office chocolate. 3 hours later, we had full power!

Damnit, happening again. Last time, after a week, they came and replaced the meter and everything has been fine... Until last night. Bunch or storms and rain, lost power for several hours, when it came back on I've got only half the house again. My only guess is one of the lines to the house is bad, and when it rains a bunch it shorts out the meter. Wife called edenorte yesterday, they said they would come out yesterday, and didn't Guess she's going to have to get more chocolate!

 

[windeguy]

Damnit, happening again. Last time, after a week, they came and replaced the meter and everything has been fine... Until last night. Bunch or storms and rain, lost power for several hours, when it came back on I've got only half the house again. My only guess is one of the lines to the house is bad, and when it rains a bunch it shorts out the meter. Wife called edenorte yesterday, they said they would come out yesterday, and didn't Guess she's going to have to get more chocolate!

Half the house meaning you have only 110 Volts on one leg of 220 Volt service? Could indeed be a spliced cable in the ground covered by electrical tape and when it rains it shorts out.

 

[drSix]

Well, I am not home this time, but my wife says it is the same thing that happened last time. Last time, one of the two lines coming into my main box was at 120V, the other fluctuated between 60-90V. I was able to move some breakers around to get most things on the 120 side until they repaired it. Nothing 220, A/C dryer, would work. They replaced the meter, and it has been fine. As far as I can tell, there is no access to the line from the meter to my box.

The only thing that confuses me, is that I have two hot lines coming into my pool house, and three into the box in the house. There is a breaker in the pool house that shuts the entire house off. I'm guessing this has something to do with the inverter, which I know nothing about.

 

[windeguy]

Three separate hot lines coming into the house makes no sense, but two hot lines and a neutral does, so perhaps one line is neutral coming into the house.

Something is either overloading or shorting one "leg" of your AC. And because it happens when it rains, it looks like you will be digging up and replacing the wiring.

 

[LTSteve]

After seven month's in the Campo near Imbert, my wife and I and the three kids decided to move from our hacienda house in the country to the beaches of Sosua. We came to the DR from Wisconsin with the hopes of starting some sort of business, and eco resort, as many do. Luckily, I rented and the only money I lost with the move is my deposit from breaking a lease. We had a few acres, a cool house with an open kitchen, but no pool, no english speaking friends, no good school, and had to drive forever just for gas, groceries, and such. It was tough there, but an adventure!

We wanted four walls, a pool, more consistent power and water, and better schools for the kids. It was also a money saving move as of course we were not prepared for all the 'hidden costs' of living on the island.

Been here for less than a month, and I am not sure which I prefer. If I could move this house to the Campo, I'd do it. Hopefully it is just some more growing pains, and more culture shock! It is amazing how much different it is here compared to a real Dominican town.

At first, I wasn't getting water. It took almost a month to fill the pool, and we spent many days without water. I come to find out that my new 'amigo' living in the guard house next door had been shutting off the city lines in an attempt to extort me. He started within 48 hours of us moving in!

Power has been okay, up until last week. A week ago today, the lights went out for the night, and I know have only 80-100 volts. After finally getting the pool filled and cleaned, it is green again because I do not have the voltage to run the pump, or the A/C's, washer/dryer ect. All of the little niceties we left the campo for are worthless at the moment. We have called Edenorte every day for a week. They finally sent someone three days ago. He showed up, said I have a problem with the meter but he can't fix it because he doesn't have a key to the box. He assured me someone would be coming the next day, and no... Back the in campo when the power went out, we just walked up to the colmado and paid the most sober person their 200 pesos to climb the pole.

It is nice to be able to walk to the beach, but I going to miss the calm blue waters of Punta Rucia.

Moneywise, holy crap it is more expensive here. It sure is nice to be able to shop in a grocery story instead of the market, but it comes at a cost! Restaurants are also a lot more, but the quality is better. I do miss having all the cheap little food stands in Imbert.

The biggest change here is the people, the Dominicans mainly. In the campo we actually had some Dominican friends, people who were interested in more then just money. Not to say I didn't pay a little Gringo tax, but nothing like here. Everyone has their hands out. Back in Imbert, the colmado owners wife would take my daughter and watch her while we had drinks. Same in the little grocery in town, we could grocery shop baby free! The people seemed more genuine, and less jaded.

So, here I sit in my nice ocean view house with a green pool, just enough electricity to write this email, an expensive cuba libre, and little interest in going to town to be begged at by motoconchos and putas.

As a new friend of ours send when we first moved here, "Welcome to bloody effing paradise."

Your story is not different from many Gringos who move to a place they know nothing about. Did you do any homework before you left Wisconsin. Coming here with 3 kids to start a business????? I hope you have a lot of funds to fall back on. Sosua is the last place I would have moved to with a family. You seem like you are going from the frying pan into the fire. Ignorance is bliss.....