What To Bring To The DR

[Firefan]

What to bring

Gregg,
First of all - hats of for your brave decision - based on your input sofar I am sure you will settle in fine.

I just arrived here in Santo Domingo a few months back with a (small) container and my conclusions sofar:

1. hifi/TVs/PCs Etc. are very expensive here and of mostly no-brand quality and one could almost suggest to top up the container with TVs just to re-sell again

2. Modern looking furniture is also very expensive here - even the cheaper kind - and also very hard to find anything

3. Food items there is plenty of I think - and the competition between the super markets seem to help a bit on the prices these days

3. kitchen machines Etc. I see plenty of - and as long as one do not want the Porsche of blenders there are always something on sale for resonable prices. Kitchen ware/plates Etc. can be bought in all qualities and prices. Bring the good stuff though as selection in the top category is small and expensive.

4. washer/dryer/oven prices have (apparently) also gone down - at least my Dominican friends were surprised about the price I got (for these things as well as furniture always ask for discounts - even in normal shops with sticker prices)

5. Toys: well have no kids - so how the heck come I know... :nervous: Well; I love shopping so the first weeks here went to all KINDS of shops - and I am not sure I am fully grown up yet! (Hey - I am a man - so we never REALLY grow up). Most of the toys I saw was the cheapest plastic junk from China I have ever seen. That included the actual toy shops where they however would also have Lego and stuff - but at high prices.

Blankets/towels are worth bringing as mentioned, as the good stuff costs. English books/magazines are also hard to find - and expensive.
I think that covers most of my things here. Washing powder (especially the fancy liquid type) can also be a bit expensive - $3 for 1kg but there is almost always some specials on that.
Cheers!

 

[gjsuk]

Heh, do you do a duet with my buddy Paul? LOL

As it happens a duel is more likely

 

[juanita]

- Kraft peanut butter :nervous:
- Pillsburry raspberry pockets
- Red licorice
- Yeast for cooking
- Maple syrup
- Body Shop products
- Avon Skin so Soft (for mosquitoes)
- Tea bags Orange Pekoe, Salada (sometimes hard to find or very expensive)
- Dog treats and toys (not big selection)
- Rechargeable batteries and kit (very expensive)
- Freebreeze (hard to find or very expensive)
- Reading books
- Plastic Popsicle maker
- Downy fabric softner (sheets)
- Grapefruit seed extract (for disinfecting and cleaning, and killing parasites)
- Electric power tools (expensive)
- Your own country post stamps (useful when sending letters with someone
who?s doing you the favor to drop them off in the mail once home)


Salad spinner: Sold in Ferreteria Americana and Cuesta
Electric kettle: in Carrefur

 

[Gregg]

no problem Dawn

There you have it, Gregg.

Bring it in, lots and lots. The cost here is outrageous... 900 pesos or more for the 355 ml bottle, or $30... can be found at discount superstores for $8 for a slightly bigger bottle.

It's possible the price has adjusted down, but I wouldn't know as I keep it coming from the US.

I expect there are so many items like this... but I'm drawing a blank.

Oh! Vitamins, good quality... GNC in Santiago/SD is about only option here. Some are expensive, other specialty ones cannot be found at GNC.

none of us wears contacts...so ok there.

however, i will need those special wipes for cleaning off my rose-coloured glasses... they seem to get so dirty down in the DR

:smoke:

 

[Escott]

As it happens a duel is more likely

All is not happy in Sol Paradise?

 

[Escott]

Salad spinner: Sold in Ferreteria Americana and Cuesta
Electric kettle: in Carrefur

They weren't there when she dragged me all over town for them. Were in both stores when we saw you the first time.

Escott

 

[juanita]

They weren't there when she dragged me all over town for them. Were in both stores when we saw you the first time.

Escott

If I go salad spiner hunting at lunch time, do you want me to get you one and you pick it up at our next BBQ?

 

[juanita]

If I go salad spiner hunting at lunch time, do you want me to get you one and you pick it up at our next BBQ?

Ok! You were right, they don't have the spiner in stock at Americana but I saw 2 models in Casa Cuesta: $220 and $275. So you let me know!

 

[dawnwil]

TWO in stock! That's downright cruel.

Hey, thanks Juanita. If only I had thought to ask you at the barbecue, which was a blast, btw.

Don't know when I'll be in SD again... heck, I was there last week. I think the maid will be in heaven when she can spin that lettuce dry.

Scott was right about all this stuff: he told me to post on DR1 for whatever, even the oddball things. You might know Robert would have the answers right on the tip of his tongue.

Speaking of which... hey Rob (if you see this) do you think it might be fun to keep up a master list of 'hard-to-find' items, alphabetized?

I am working on acquiring a laptop with wireless pronto; I think I'd enjoy maintaining such a list.
dawnwil

 

[juanita]

"TWO in stock! That's downright cruel."

They have many in stock but of 2 different models! :nervous:

 

[Fiesta Mama]

Spices

If you like to cook and are used to finding every herb and spice imaginable in the supermarket, I would suggest bringing your favorites in zip lock baggies as I found some impossible to come by (can't think at the moment of which ones exactly but if you like to make recipes that could not be made without a certain something - save yourself the hassle and bring some with you).

 

[MommC]

If you will have a garden area where you will be living

bring seeds for starting your garden! I bring seeds every year and have a decent herb garden as well as some of the veggies we like best that aren't found in the supermarkets here. Once growing you can leave some go to seed for the next seasons planting!
Good mattresses are a must as are good cooking pots and utensils!
Comfortable dining chairs and living room chairs are also hard to come by here or prohibitively expensive......

 

[Pib]

Good mattresses are a must as are good cooking pots and utensils!
Comfortable dining chairs and living room chairs are also hard to come by here or prohibitively expensive......

Agree with you on the cooking pots and utensils. I have collected mine over years of searching. The pots I bought locally and they are excellent but hard to come by.

As for mattresses, you have top American brand here. In fact all our mattresses are either Serta or Simmons and the prices didn't seem too high for me. As for chairs and sofas, mine are also bought locally and they are excellent quality, super-comfortable Italian sofas. I reckon I looked around a lot to find them, but mostly because I was looking for an specific colour.

 

[MommC]

I guess mattresses and chairs are individual comfort thingys!

I haven't found any here yet that I find comfortable (but I am still looking )
I have both Serta and Simmons mattresses at home in Canada but neither are on my bed. I've tried out a couple of the pillow top mattresses at a couple of the stores in SD but didn't like those I've tried.
Maybe I need to give you a call PIB and we can spend a day shopping!! My hips are killing me sleeping on the mattress we have!
Dining chairs also seem to be a problem as I find they all seem to bend in at the neck, which considering the amount of time we spend sitting in them (Italians entertain around the dining table), is a problem for me with my bad neck/back. Partly because I'm looking for caoba chairs to co-ordinate with the new kitchen

 

[riravaga]

Come with your electrodomestics, here are expensive.