What to bring from UK

[Sharlene]

I'll be moving to Sosua from UK next week and, as usual, have left everything till the last minute (manana's always been the name of the game for me, no matter where I've lived....).

Anyway, I'll be going on a last shopping trip this weekend and I just wondered if all you `old timers' had any thoughts on what you would buy if you could be `zapped' back to your home countries for a day. I don't want to arrive and find that there's something simple that I could have picked up at home that's impossible to find in the DR. Obviously, following advice on this board, if it doesn't fit into a suitcase it's not coming....:glasses:

Just an idea of the sort of stuff I'm bringing that either don't think (or know I won't) be able to source in DR: All my cookbooks (I love cooking and entertaining) and personal reading material, lots of children's books and classic literature (I want my girls to be beach babes, but not illiterate ones...), white crisp Egyptian cotton bedlinen from John Lewis (might seem precious but it's always been my thing).

Any other suggestions welcome.....x

 

[gary short]

I'll be moving to Sosua from UK next week and, as usual, have left everything till the last minute (manana's always been the name of the game for me, no matter where I've lived....).

Anyway, I'll be going on a last shopping trip this weekend and I just wondered if all you `old timers' had any thoughts on what you would buy if you could be `zapped' back to your home countries for a day. I don't want to arrive and find that there's something simple that I could have picked up at home that's impossible to find in the DR. Obviously, following advice on this board, if it doesn't fit into a suitcase it's not coming....:glasses:

One of the best things to bring is that dark brown disinfectant that surgeons use.......Betadine solution......don't compromise. Any wound espescially from coral can turn sceptic right away.......Betadine will take care of it now........

 

[Lambada]

If you still use snail mail bring UK postage stamps. Then you can give your mail for UK already stamped but not sealed to friendly returning holidaymakers - a lot quicker to arrive than via Dominican postal system. And if you're into Branston pickle, you won't find that here either.

 

[Hillbilly]

Marmite?? Seemsthere was a scarcity of this...

HB

Good first aid kit. Lots of Band Aids, antibiotic cream. Calamine lotion for skeeter bits...

 

[laurajane]

Ok here goes.....

If you like cooking bring... Oxo cubes (beef), suet, custard powder, tea bags, bread sauce mix, parsley sauce etc if you dont make your own.

Bring any medication you currently use and a emergency medicine kit you can buy in boots, diarhorrea meds, and if you have children bring calpol!!!!!!, paracetamol etc, boots own mosquito repellent in the silver bottle (50% deet) i have not found anything that works have as good here and it is very expensive. Also make sure you bring antibacterial soap, liquid if possible for your sensitive bits as the water here tends to give especially women water work problems at first. Sorry to be so personal but trust me its worth knowing!! You can buy that here as all women use it but im sure you wont want to go out shopping for the first few days while you settle so its worth bringing some.

As for contraception you can buy the depo injection here, as for the pill is best to bring your own type with you. Again v personal but only trying to help ha ha.

I cant think of anything else right now but email me if you need to know more from another brit.

Have a good journey x

 

[skyblue]

great avdvise with first aid. also, if you use advil or excedrin, bring it b/c it is not sold in DR.
as for food, bring jams and curry paste (if you like curry). if you are a brit that like indian food, bring some of that too. i also like to bring my own lotions and body spays b/c it's hard to find good ones and very expensive. q-tips (name brand), neosporin, and TAMPONS or pads. sorry but dominican tampons and pads suck! they will feel like you are using a 2 x 4. anyway, good luck!!! enjoy your trip!

 

[Sharlene]

Thanks for the great suggestions...

Many thanks to everybody for their helpful advice. So far I'll be getting:

Betadine, plus restocking my first aid box with all your suggestions.

Calpol, Nurofen, Q tips, medical stuff for my little girls (4yrs & 20mths)

Tampax (this was a good one, didn't think it'd be an issue)

British stamps for tourists to take mail (another one I wouldn't have thought of, though do use mainly email).

The Boots mosquito repellent mentioned (thanks laurajane) for my partner and the girls (I just don't seem to get bitten for some reason, I must taste really awful...)

Antibacterial liquid soap for when I arrive (use this at home anyway).

Decent Body lotions if they're thin on the ground out there.

I love hot curries and chillies and will bring curry paste which I use a lot, though can make a good curry from scratch if I have the time and the spices are available (it's that bit of Indian blood in me). Have pestle and mortar, will travel....

Oxo Cubes (always handy). Re: Marmite, Branston pickle etc. I'd like to learn to live without them if they're not freely available, though I'm sure we'll be craving them in the future. Am gonna bring Yorkshire tea bags though, coz I've tasted the tea out there.....

Looking forward to any more suggestions you may have.x

 

[trina]

Marmite?? Seemsthere was a scarcity of this...

HB

When I read the thread, I instantly thought of Chiri and was going to suggest marmite. You beat me to it. In fact, you might want to bring some extra, and trust me, you'll have some great lifetime friends if the Brits in the crowd can get their hands on it!

 

[Chirimoya]

I'm not in marmite shortage mode yet, having just got back. I noticed they're making a plastic 'squeezy' jar now, but still went for the traditional glass jars because the plastic ones held less of the sublime substance and cost about 20% more. They survived the trip, anyway.

To the OP - not all the basic Indian spices are easy to find here, not even in Santo Domingo. Cinnamon, turmeric, ground cumin, ground coriander, coriander seeds and fresh coriander are usually available, but you will need to bring your own stocks of cardamom pods, fenugreek seeds, black mustard seeds and garam masala.

A lot of this advice will vary according to how often you'll be visiting Santiago and/or the capital where there is a greater selection of exotic products, including things like Thai ingredients and Indian pickles.

You don't need to bring Calpol - the equivalent product here is Tylenol for kids, from the US.

 

[Hillbilly]

Q tips

One of my boys is an ear, throat and nose specialist. His advice is to put nothing more than your elbow in your ear!! NOT a joke.

He treats a lot of people that use Q-tips regularly, and what they do is push some of the wax further and further into the ear.

Since he is in Santiago, you can get good ENT care there..

Otherwise, I give my approval to your list.

HB

 

[La Mariposa]

Q tips

One of my boys is an ear, throat and nose specialist. His advice is to put nothing more than your elbow in your ear!! NOT a joke.

He treats a lot of people that use Q-tips regularly, and what they do is push some of the wax further and further into the ear.
...
HB

My Oto rhino.. in Montreal gives that same advice

 

[macocael]

Thai curry paste and malagueta peppers are available. All the fixings for comida picante.

Better than calamine for skeeter bites: Tiger Rub. Available here in the capital in China Town. Dominicans have their own version but the chinese is better.

Antibacterial soap: just buy Lemisol. Skin problems can be prevented with that andBeta 2 will take care of most forms of crotch and foot irritations (it's Betametasona and Clotrimazol)

You wont find Branston pickle, but Haitians make "pickle" (pronounced PEE-clay) which is quite picante and can be found in DR sometimes. They also make peanut butter with hot peppers. Delicious.

Some Jams from Europe are now available, but really if you know how to make your own, you might just go ahead and do that. It is easy enough. If you learn how to make mango jam (I will teach you if you like), you will be very surprised at how incredibly good it is. You can make jelly from Chinola (passion fruit) and we have strawberries and even occasionally frozen raspberries which make good jams. Guava.

Mediterranean products are available at a store on the Churchill Ave.

in other words, these days, pretty much everything is available here -- except maybe the tampons and of course Marmite.

 

[Tamborista]

I have been using Lemisol in concentrated form to make lemonade, just put a few slices of fresh Limon in a liter of water with 8 oz of Lemisol with ice and ya' got yourself a refreshing drink on a hot summer day!

 

[Sharlene]

Marmite Mule

Sounds like I ought to be bringing some of that there Marmite after all

I take it on board about the Q tips. Now you come to mention it a friend of mine was given the same advice by her doctor after she had a blocked ear problem. I don't really put them into the ear, just use them for general clean ups around the ear and eye area.

Thai Curry paste (love Thai food), picante pickle, peanut butter with hot peppers...all this food talk is making my mouth water. Interesting about the spices and which are available and which aren't. I'll definitely bring some cardamoms and a few others which haven't been given a mention, just in case. Out of interest, I know rice and beans is the staple diet, but is basmati rice available anywhere?

 

[Hillbilly]

FYI: The DR has plenty of hot hot hot peppers. All the ones you know about, Habaneros, jalapeños and such. It also has some little skinny ones that are truly brutal...you won't have to go far to get your hotstuff.
According to our Pakistani friends here, there is basmati rice available, Chirimoya is your source for things food.

HB

 

[Chirimoya]

Several Santo Domingo supermarkets usually stock Basmati, yes.

 

[Simon & Nicky]

What to bring...

I'll have a pint of fresh milk (not the UHT shyte we have to put up with) for Nicky please - and a frozen leg of lamb would be rather nice. Don't forget the Bisto.

You will also need proper English mustard, as many tins of baked beans as your weight allowance will allow, more tea bags (I've just run out) Birds custard powder (but tinned is better because of the milk problems) and chocolate. Did I mention chocolate? Also don't forget to bring chocolate - and if you've any more room I strongly suggest you bring some chocolate.

ps - Bring chocolate. Galaxy is my favourite closely followed by Fry's Turkish Delight. I've never seen liquorice either. Yummmmmmm.

Oh! HP sauce, Branston, Bovril and chocolate.

 

[Sharlene]

Food Glorious Food.....

Bloody hell....looks like I'm gonna be using up all that excess baggage I've just booked just On Marmite, Baked Beans and Chocolate.

Didn't realise you were all so deprived. I'm having nightmares about all of you descending on me at the airport with drool running down your chins like a pack of flesh (or should that be chocolate) eating zombies.:cheeky:

I'll do what I can guys, baggage allowing, though if my 4yr old gets wind of ANY chocolate being ANYWHERE in the vicinity, then it's `goodnight Vienna' for your choccie rations:laugh:

Simon and Nicky.
Will send you a quick PM or email you when I get a mo as, from reading your posts, think we're gonna be living pretty close to you. Also, I understand you have a couple of little ones like myself (mine are 4yrs and 20mths), so I was hoping to maybe hook up at some point.

Thanking you all again for your help. It's making me feel like I'm already there. Getting bit stressed at mo about all the house clearance I've got to do here as I've left everything till the last moment as usual.:ermm: