Please give me your best Sosua tips

[Lobo Tropical]

Made in Heaven

Sorry for long explanation, skip it if you wish.

Got the villa booked at Infiniti Blu. Got the air travel booked. We are coming for a wedding in the middle of June. The bride is marrying into a big Dominican family (she is a Canadian, but our girl has lived there most of her life once her Mama decided she was done with winter and Canadian men). The daughter understands Dominican culture well. She has hardly any `family,`we are pretty much it. I need some advice.

We will be travelling and staying in the villa with a CDN couple (auntie and uncle) who are seniors (in their 80`s). They have never been to the DR before. I want to protect them and make sure they have a positive experience. Believe me, nobody in this group is going out to clubs at night. Is it safe and easy to take them grocery shopping in Sosua, walking around, buy some stuff at Playero, some veggies and fruits, the fish, the bread, the German deli? If they would hate this, I`ll just leave them by the pool and go do it by myself. They are not bigots or fearful, but if they would swarmed or overwhelmed, I don`t want them to have that experience.

If we want to go out for a pleasant dinner near the villa, suitable for seniors, where would you suggest?

Any advice about how we gringos should behave at this wedding? Of course, we will be polite, well-dressed and open-hearted Canadians, but are there any faux-pas we absolutely must avoid? Is there anything we absolutely will be expected to do (that we might not know about)? We want this bride to be proud of her small contingent, or at least we don`t want to disgrace her.

I am so looking forward to being back in the DR, and was shocked to realize that it`s been almost 5 years since I was there last. Anything I need to know about the airport, since 5 years ago?

Am I ever glad I found this forum. I need you people and your advice and experience.

Where is the wedding and reception being held?
Make sure all the paperwork is obtained and a date set with an official Del Estado Civil.

If you need flowers, decoration and a wedding dress contact Maribel 809-571 4546 Maribel Fernandez maribelfloresydetalles@hotmail.com
If you need a professional photographer contact Foto Coral 809-571 4544

Your accommodation is luxurious, very safe, quiet and in walking distance to everything.
Taxi if needed for the seniors are inexpensive, but if healthy walking will do them good.
Shopping and walking is safe and can be done without concern.
Just watch where you walk as sidewalks are broken and with holes at times and protruding overhead obstructions exist.
Crossing any street watch constantly or you'll get nailed by a crazed driver.......... no rules observed.Grandma got run over by a rain deer!!!
Restaurants all close by:
Waterfront, Baileys, El Rancho, Orchidee, Don Andres, Britannia, Rocky's to name a few.
Little further taxi 5-7 min. Al Porto Restaurant-Sosua Ocean Village, Old Germany with a Thursday barbecue buffet $8.75
During the day go to Sosua beach for drinks, food at Tom's Scandinavian Bar.
Cabarete beach and restaurants for breakfast on the beach, day and nighttime.
Be formal at the beginning of the reception and dress well, as Dominicans will do.
After a few "Moosehead" you can loosen up and dance the bachata. Get some young ones (Dominicans) to dance
with the not so old stair walkers, they'll have the time of their life and fall in love temporarily with their latin dance partners.
Have a great wedding!!!:classic::classic::classic:

 

[Casino127]

I am soory to be down to earth, please don t carry gold around your neck and bracelets with diamonds. This apply all over the world. Buy flashing things from the thrift store !! No rolex and omega please for long and nice holidays unless you have a bunch of bodyguards.

 

[dv8]

not on the street maybe. definitely do bling for the wedding thou.

 

[Dandman]

Don't go. Go somewhere that is not a waste of time.

 

[Eddy]

A lot of scary stuff. Maybe you should consider cancelling the whole event.
Just come down and enjoy yourselves.

 

[wierdscott]

Premiere place in the world if you are interested in Haitian hookers, hands down!!! Flip side to that is many have the AIDS and won't tell you, even if you ask. Also many other touts and crooks. Not a place to bring family or spouse

 

[Bob K]

There is a new restaurant (very good ) right in front of infinity blu. It is run by Alexander (of city market fame and Mauri Mi) and she is doing a great job. Had brunch there 2 weeks ago...Great!
Also my Mom is 86 and visits a couple of times a year. She goes everywhere but as mentioned do watch out for the sidewalks.

Bob K

 

[alfiefan]

Thank you all so much! Wonderful ideas. Lyndsay, I wasn't offended. We do have a third floor apartment - and it's good to know about the stairs. These people are reasonably mobile, but we'll need to plan our activities so we're not making endless hikes up and down. I think we'll do one big shopping, and thanks for the suggestion of La Sirena - I loved it, and think they will too. Kind of a Dominican Costco as I recall - only one big load of groceries that way, and maybe the driver will help bring bags up if we offer him a little extra cash. Then we can maybe do some small shopping trips in Sosua for fresh items as needed.

The restaurant suggestions are great, and it sounds like there are lots close by. And I'm happy to know the sex trade won't be overwhelming. It's a fact of life anywhere in the world, and we're not prudes, but it's good to know we won't be stumbling on it everywhere we go.

Your wedding suggestions have really helped - I learned so much. The bride is having the chacabanas made for our men, and that will be great. Neither of them is a fan of the necktie! The wedding is in Sosua and I believe they are holding the whole event at kind of large property with a very nice-looking big building. The bride sent me a picture, and it looked like a country club would look to me here in North America. Ha ha! Well we'll be happy to dance, and I expect the Dominicans will have a few laughs at how badly we do it. That's okay - we're good sports.

Thanks again, all. Oh! Here's a question I just thought of. Do you bring the gifts to the wedding, or hand them over privately before or afterwards?

 

[dv8]

gifts before or after. usually the couple (if well off) has a wedding registry somewhere and the gifts are delivered directly to the couple or picked up by them in a shop.

skip all the traditional american/european stuff: do not bring any flowers or small items to the wedding itself. it is only meant to be one big party with food and dancing.

yes, dominicans will laugh at gringo dancing techniques but no worries, you are there to have fun and not to stress about your bad bachata hip swing. so let it all out. metaphorically speaking dominicanas can do endless dancing and bouncing in high heels but i suggest something low and comfy unless you are also accustomed to using heels on daily basis.

you did say chacabanas. pair then with nice dress pants and comfy shoes. but if you only have jeans you will be forgiven, gringos can get away with many things...

one last word: if the building is open you will be fine. if it is closed and air conditioned beware it will be very cold. so if any of the ladies going to the wedding suffers in the cold make sure you take a scarf or a jacket.