DOMINICAN CULTURE–Entra si tu Quieres–Sal si tu puedes!
One of the “refrains” of the Dominican Republic attributed to the town of Nagua (Nag wa), is “Entra si tu Quieres, Sal si tu puedes”. It literally means, Come in if you want, leave if you can. The sense of it is, that you will have such a good time, that you may never want to leave. In fact, many Americans as well as many other Nationalities have become “expats” and are current living in the DR. There are large “Extranjero” (foreigners) communities in all the large cities as well as in many of the smaller ones. It is easy, inexpensive and a real delight to live in the Dominican Republic. But remember the refrain: “ENTRA SI TU QUIERES, SAL SI TU PUEDES“, as you may never want to leave.
Recently departing the DR, I showed my permanent residence card to the Immigration officer, who was a woman. She looked at me and then at the picture on my card. I said to her, “Perhaps because I am getting older, you no longer want me” (It translates better in Spanish, “Talvez, porque yo estoy poniendo viejo, tu no me quieres mas”). She looked at me and smiled and said “Por eso, te quieremos, Mas! (Because of that, we want you more). In DR culture this is called “muy carinoso” (kar reen no so). Very affectionate indeed! I was with my wife and you could clearly see between the two women that the comment was given with caring and support, and both understood it that way. The tenderness that is in the culture, caring and respect for older people and young children is visible everywhere and heard in all the words of endearment that are constantly used. From a female clerk from whom you need help: “Mi Amorcita” (my little love). To a young man who you need to help you carry something heavy: “hermanito” (little brother). The language is full of words that express caring and gentleness. Listen carefully and you will learn them all.
There are some prerequisites to a successful visit to the Dominican Republic and integrating with the people. One cannot be demanding and pressure tactics do not work. Neither do threats or loss of temper. In fact loss of temper in the Dominican Culture is considered very poor form. Dominicans go out of their way to be social with each other, even when relations are stressed. They avoid confrontation whenever they can and rarely will you ever hear a raised voice in rage or anger.
You will hear loud music; which is part of the culture. Dominicans are very social and they like to sing, dance, listen to music and they love their beer (Presidente).
No country or culture is perfect and like anywhere in the world you must exercise caution. Theft is always possible and especially in the tourist areas. The average salary in the Dominican Republic for unskilled labor is approximately $200 per month. When you show up with a yacht that is probably worth more than their entire lives earning capacity you must remember to take responsibility for the way you are perceived.
In the many years that I have lived in the Dominican Republic I have found that more often than not, in an effort to be helpful, a Dominican may say he can do something that may not be able to be done. Be careful what you contract for as far as repairs go on your boat. Although many Dominicans are excellent mechanics and their work a real bargain, be sure you know who you are dealing with and be sure the work together with the price is clearly defined. Varnish and general yacht work cost, at this printing, about $70 per hour in St. Maarten, about $15 per hour in Trinidad and about $15 per day in the Dominican Republic. Notwithstanding the cost, skill levels can vary a great deal. Take a look at a sample of the persons’ work before you start. If it is mechanical work be sure the person is set up in business and has a good reputation, before you hand over your starter or alternator. Avoid giving out highly specialized work, such as repairs to watermakers and rigging repairs as the Dominican Republic is not yet set up for work that is highly specialized on yachts. Parts may not be readily available but can be sourced through Puerto Rico or from the States. You will be required to pay import duty on the parts.
How about the language? This is a frequent question. How will you communicate? Many Dominicans speak English or enough of it to understand what you are saying. Failing this there will always be someone close by who will translate for you. Dominican language is filled with color and humor. They love humor and use it all the time in their speech. Being overly serious is not the ‘Dominican Way’. Dominicans believe that life can change very quickly and as a result are not apt to take many things overly serious, which include appointments. Being late is part of the Dominican lifestyle and if the individual does not call or show up; relax and remember you are in a different culture.
Dominicans do not get angry about tardiness or about the fact that the electricity or water can go off frequently. They accept life as being very unpredictable. You will frequently hear a Dominican say something and preface the statement or end the statement with “Si Dios Quieres” (If God wants), showing that they are not presumptuous. If you are waiting for a service appointment and the time comes and goes and the individual does not call or show up, if when the person finally arrives you are angry and upset, you will simply make your objective harder to achieve. Avoid confrontation and never raise your voice, even if you think you are being cheated or dealt with unfairly. Simply assess your situation and then make whatever decision you need to make. One way of doing that is to say that you will follow up “ahorita” (somewhat later and perhaps never). That can get you out of all kinds of arguments and difficulties. When a Dominican knows that they cannot do something and the person dealing with them insists, they often reply “Vamos a Ver, quisas ahorrita”. (Let’s see, perhaps later). This link will give you a few good insights to Dominican Culture.
Many people who have visited me also often ask, “Doesn’t the spicy food bother you”? Dominicans are generally NOT keen on highly spiced food except perhaps for the addition of a little hot sauce from a bottle.
SPICY FOOD IS NOT A PART OF DOMINICAN CULTURE.
The mainstay is rice and beans, ‘arroz abituella’. (What comes with the rice and beans is called “La Junta” pronounced La Hunta ). Thus the main dish of rice and beans can be accompanied by chicken or beef and in seaport towns, fish. Other side dishes may include fried plaintains (tostones), arapita de yucca (fried yucca rolls or patties), avocado and salad. Most restaurants are reasonably priced and the main meal is usually taken at about one in the afternoon. Full dinners usually cost from $5 to $10 US.
The chicken is excellent; however the beef is tough and therefore generally served stewed (guisado). If you do not like fried foods (Dominicans love their food fried) you can order almost anything ‘guisado’ from chicken to beef or pork. Otherwise you can order your food either ‘a la plancha’ or ‘a la parrillo’ which is grilled. You can often find ‘Pollo Carbon’ or barbequed chicken, at major supermarkets and other food stores as well. It is really good! You will also see street vendors selling ‘empanadas’ which are a round dough pocket stuffed with meat or cheese and fried. And also ‘kipe’ (Quipe) which is bulgur fried stuffed with chopped meat and sometimes raisins. Kipe is mideastern in origin and a real treat. How exotic is that!
Always drink bottled water in the Dominican Republic. You can purchase purified water in five gallon jugs for just over $1 US. You must pay a $3 or $4 deposit on the bottle. Water is also available in quarts and smaller bottles. There are Bodegas and Colmados (Small grocery stores) everywhere.
Some things in the Dominican Republic are just downright cheap. Petroleum is not! Fuel prices run about 30% more than in the US, albeit that you may find the price lower than in Europe. Propane gas on the other hand is very cheap as it is government subsidized:perhaps it’s the cheapest in the Caribbean. Since most homes use it for cooking its available virtually everywhere.
Fruits and Vegetables are in abundance in the Dominican Republic and priced so inexpensively that I always have a tendency to overbuy. Oranges, melons, bananas and all sorts of tropical fruits are readily available and of excellent quality. Vegetables, including tomatoes, huge carrots, lettuce, sweet potatoes and white potatoes and all types of root vegetables can be purchased everywhere. Some of the tastiest white potatoes I have ever eaten have been in the Dominican Republic. Sweet potatoes can be just short of the size of a soccer ball. Plantains from Barahona can literally be the size of a small baseball bat.
As far as supermarkets go (supermercados) the ones in the Capital (Santo Domingo) are huge, the size of a football field, stocked with everything you can think of including many imported products. In ‘Supermercado Nacional’ in Santo Domingo you can purchase beer, wine, liquor, virtually any foodstuffs imported and native, including such things as fresh mozzarella, French butter, imported New Zealand mussels and virtually anything else your heart (or stomach) desire.
While you are in the capital you can also visit such stores as ‘Ferretteria Americana’, which is a giant hardware store with a good inventory of practically everything.
The capital is home to about 3,000,000+ of the total population of the Dominican Republic, which is approximately 9,000,000+. There are an additional 2,000,000 or more Dominicans living outside the country, largely in the US and Canada, and also in some of the Caribbean Islands such as St. Maarten. The Dominican Republic has the fastest growing economy in the Caribbean and is considered the economic powerhouse of the Caribbean. The United States invaded the Dominican Republic twice during the twentieth century, once just after the turn of the century and again in 1965 a few years after the dictator Trujillo was assassinated. Dominicans are very passionate about their politics and during elections campaigns you will see gatherings that resemble street parties. Dominicans like American culture and adore baseball. Many Dominicans play in the Major Leagues and are superstars; Overall Dominicans are tourist friendly and very welcoming regardless of what country you come from.
While Dominicans use the Peso as their currency (about 35 Peso to $1 US at the time of going to print), they are equally comfortable to do business in US dollars.
The current President of the Dominican Republic, President Leonel Fernandez, was educated in the States. He has been a strong advocate of trade with the United States and Canada and has supported the free trade initiatives.
![leonel[1]](http://dominicanrepubliccruisingguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/leonel1.jpg "leonel[1]")
One of the highest taxes in the Dominican Republic is import tax. Property taxes are almost non existent and income tax modest. Money is generated from import taxes and tourist taxes for visas and on hotel rooms. The Dominican Republic has the largest inventory of hotel rooms in the Caribbean, ranging from very inexpensive to the level of the jet set.
Because of the high import taxes it is best to avoid purchasing anything substantial in the Dominican Republic which has been imported. Local merchandise is comparatively inexpensive including clothing, food and anything else manufactured within the country.
The country does not yet have a program for ‘boats in transit’. Do not count on importing something you need for your boat without having to pay duty, which can range from 20% to 50%. And sales tax (ITBIS) is 16% on most products.
Mail service in the Dominican Republic exists but should not be relied on. DHL, Fed Ex and UPS are readily available. Most airlines service the Dominican Republic but American Airlines clearly has the lion’s share of the business; at least to and from the States.
Vaccines are really not necessary for most people. Dengue fever can sometimes occur like in the rest of the islands in the Caribbean; avoid areas of stagnant fresh water. Incidents of Malaria and Hepatitis are rare. Salads are safe to eat provided they have been very well cleaned in fresh water. Eat only fruits that need to be peeled unless the fruit has been thoroughly washed. Ice sold at stores around the island is made from purified water.
Dominican doctors are, on average, above average. If they lack anything at all, it would be facilities and equipment. They are available almost everywhere and you will find them relatively inexpensive and very capable.
Medicinal drugs are available at the Pharmacies (La Farmacia) and you do not need a prescription. Virtually all drugs which are available in the States or Canada are available in the Dominican Republic. Just show the pharmacist your empty bottle and say how many pills you want.
During your time in the Dominican Republic it is very important to understand that most Dominican families are law abiding, church going people, who are very family centered. While they may in many instances be poor, they are far from being stupid; quite the contrary. Dominican life is not easy and yet they manage to dress and send their children off to school daily. They maintain their households, take care of their elderly and have hopes and aspirations just like everyone else.
Working for tips is a very big part of the Dominican culture. Sometimes cruising sailors complain about having to give a tip or refer to it as a request for a bribe. Getting ones ‘cielito’ or ‘propinita’ (little treasure or small reward) is part and parcel of Dominican culture (and most Latin cultures in the Caribbean). Learn how to give a small gift graciously or how to smile and say no. Avoid being dismissive or rude if you are asked. Respect and courtesy is highly valued at all levels of Dominican Culture.
Giving handouts is not advised, even to those who solicit and in particular the ‘street urchins’. It gives off the wrong message and inculcates the wrong values. If you can’t resist be sure you get some service in return, no matter how small it is. I remember a number of years back, three boys each about seven years old or so, asked me if I would buy them something to eat. I was eating at an open air restaurant and I agreed. However I stipulated that in return for this each boy must give me a drawing. I gave them some paper and a few
pencils and they each drew a picture after they had eaten. They signed and dated the pictures and to this day I still have them. Great memories for $6 in lunches!
With regard to dress, Americans, Canadians and Europeans, sometimes wear very little or very provocative clothing. The Dominican Republic is still largely a male oriented culture; that is, the men run the show. Dominican men have a keen eye and if you dress inappropriately you will have no one else but yourself to blame for any unwanted attention that may come your way. Dominican women can be very engaging, especially if they see a well dressed man waving a wad of cash around. If you like to drink and dance you
certainly won’t have any trouble finding the opposite sex to keep you company. Remember though that ‘fools rush in where angels fear to tread’.
Regarding the weather it should be noted that the Dominican Republic is sufficiently north in the Caribbean that it can be affected by winter ‘northers’ coming down from the States. Additionally the Dominican Republic has the highest mountain ranges in the Caribbean, over 10,500 feet high and as a result nights in some areas
can be cool, due to cold air masses coming down from the mountains. In the morning, as the sun comes up, the air heats up and rises again.
PICO DUARTE —Over 10,000 feet high
The Dominican Republics’ weather, on the whole, is wonderful. Sunshine is continuous throughout the day. Take the normal precautions against sunburn, especially while out on the water.
Another Dominican refrain that is often repeated is, “Los Platanos madura, no vuelven a verde! Ripe Platains do not turn back to green. While that is certainly true, I suspect that if you spend some time in Dominican Culture, when you are ready to depart, your step will be lighter!
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