A few useful tips

Emergency phone: 711

Equivalences between US measures and metric measures (both being often used in Dominican Republic):

1 ft = 0,3048m. 1 meter = 3,2808 ft

1 pound (often used for food) = 453,6 grams

1 US gallon (often used for petrol) = 3,785 liters

1 tarea = 627,27 square meters (old surface measurement unit, used in agriculture).

Electricity: 110V, 60 Hz, American type plug (2 flat blades). European appliances will require a transformer and a plug adaptor. Small electric devices like shaving machines or hairdryers will probably need only the plug adaptor, as many of them can run on 110 or 220V just turning a little switch. Laptops actually include the transformer so you only need the plug adaptor (available at any electricity shop).

TV signal system also follows American standards (NTSC). Most modern TV sets are able to display signals in any of the main systems, so they will work here, although you'll probably need to change some settings.

Traveling to Dominican Republic

Indeed, the immense majority of people who travel to the Dominican Republic do it by plane: cruising industry is little developed although seaside cities such as Santo Domingo or Puerto Plata offer enough attractive and there are sea ports able to receive cruise lines: the tourist port of Sans Souci, Don Diego and the Cristobal Colón ferry terminal in Santo Domingo, where the ferries to the port of Mayaguez in Puerto Rico depart from. For timetables and schedules, please check the Ferries del Caribe company website.

La Romana has a marina and an international tourist port, and in Puerto Plata a modern port, that will be able to admit cruise boats is being built.


But there is little doubt that almost every one of the three million tourists who visit the country every year do it in the "All Inclusive" formula, buying a tourist pack that comprises flight and hotel. There are of course regular flights: Main airlines fly regularly to the Dominican Republic and have offices in the country:

Iberia
Ave. Lope de Vega
Tel : 508-0288

Air France
Máximo Gómez
Tel : 686-8432

American Airlines
Edif. In Tempo, W. Churchill
Tel : 542-5151

Lufthansa
George Washington # 353
Tel : 689-9625

Northwest
Gustavo Mejía Ricart # 54
Tel : 540-5343

Continental
Edif. In Tempo, W. Churchill
Tel : 562-6688

Main international airports are:
Las Américas International Airport, in Santo Domingo;
International Airport Gregorio Luperon in Puerto Plata;
Cibao International Airport in Santiago;
Maria Montes International Airport in Barahona (almost no commercial activity);
La Romana International Airport;
Punta Cana International Airport in Higüey.
Quite recwntly opened its doors the International Airport of El Catey, which services the Samaná peninsula.

Bringing Pets to Dominican Republic

Importation of animals into the country is controlled by the animal Health Department, which in turn depends on the Secretary of Agriculture
Admission of cats and dogs requires the owner to present a rabies vaccination certificate and an International Health Certificate (your veterinary should be able to provide one) obtained at the country of origin. Entry is tax free.

For other animals we reccomend you to ask at the Department of Agriculture and the National Zoo.

Buying or Renting in Dominican Republic

Best residential areas in Santo Domingo are situated in the center of the modern city: Naco, Piantini and La Esperilla, plus the areas situated towards the west, such as Bella Vista, Mirador Sur and Los Cacicazgos. Buildings in these areas are mainly high-rise luxury condos. Another upper class area, apart from the city bustle and where beautiful villas abound, is Arroyo Hondo.

In the older part of the city, Gazcue is one of the nicest, most likeable areas. Traditional residence of the middle and upper classes, it has plenty of charm in the old houses and modern apartment buildings.




Santiago’s best areas are La Moraleja, La Esmeralda, Rincón Largo and Cerros de Gurabo. Also La Zurza and Reparto Universitario. Traditionally middle class and very nice to live are the Jardines Metropolitanos.

Puerto Plata, Sosua and other coastal resorts have an important expatriate population, who have taken residence usually in the residential resorts located along the coastline.

In any case, a good website to start looking for a place to live in Dominican Republic before moving to the country is super-casas.com, which has extensive listings including photographs.

Dominican Republic Real Estate

A valid property certificate (certificado de título) is the proof of the right to property over a building or a plot of land.

Most purchases begin with the signature of a sale promise (promesa de venta). Then, both buyer and seller must sign a contract in front of a notary public (Notario) which must include the legal description of the asset to be sold, the sale price and all other conditions and clauses if necessary.

The contract must then be taken to a local branch of the Revenue Service (Dirección General de Impuestos Internos), in order to pay transfer taxes which consist on about 4.4% of the sale price, which can be broken down as follows:
a) 3% Tax on real estate transfers (Law 288-04)
b) 1.3% Tax on documents (Law 835-45).
c) Miscellaneous expenses: stamps, certificates...
Taxes are always calculated from the value estimated by the authorities and not the efective sale price.

Purchase of Dominican properties by foreigners:

There are no restrictions to foreigners: They can purchase or inherit any property in the Dominican Republic; however, if they are non-resident, succession taxes are 50% higher than for a resident or citizen.

Renting a property in Dominican Republic

Some of the most usual requisites to rent a property include:

Having a warrantor who commits to pay any debt in case the tenant doesn't pay the rent;

Signing a tenancy contract which stipulates agreed price and duration, amount of the initial deposit and details of tenant, landlord, property manager and warrantor.

Taxes in the Dominican Republic

Main taxes existing in the country:

There is a tax called ITBIS - Impuesto sobre la Transferencia de Bienes Industrializados y Servicios, with a current rate of 16%, applicable both to national or imported products and services. Only a set of basic products are exempt.

The Revenue Tax (Impuesto sobre la Renta - ISR) is applicable to every person, following this table (year 2006):

Revenues up to RD$276,422.00: Exempt

Revenues from RD$276,422.01 up to RD$414,632.00: 15%

Revenues from RD$414,632.01 up to RD$575,878.00: RD$20,732.00 plus 20% of the surplus beyond RD$414,632.01

Revenues from RD$575,878.01 up to 900,000.00: RD$52,981.00 plus 25% of the surplus beyond RD$575,878.01

Revenues from RD$900,000.01 onwards: RD$134,012.00 plus 30% of the surplus beyond RD$900,000.01

The 30% tax will be gradually reduced every year to become 25% from 2009(29% on tax year 2007; 27% on tax year 2008).

Company Tax (Impuesto sobre Sociedades) is set at a rate of 30%.

Tax year for physical persons runs from January 1st to December 31st. Tax year for companies can be chosen to finish on March 31st, June 30th, or September 31st.

Deadline for presentation and payment of the Sworn Declaration of the Income Tax (ISR) is March 31st every year, corresponding to income generated the previous tax year.

Deadline for presentation and payment of the Sworn Declaration of the Company Tax (Form IR-2) is 120 days after the closing of the company's tax year.

Other taxes:

Selective tax on consumption - Impuesto Selectivo al Consumo (ISC): This is a tax on alcohol, tobacco, telecommunications services and payments through checks and electronic money transfers.

Succession and Gift Tax - Impuesto sobre Sucesiones y Donaciones: For successions, the tax rate is 3% of the total amount of the estate, after applicable deductions. In the case of gifts (donations) the tax is 25% of the amount.
Tax on luxury homes and unused urban plots - Impuesto sobre las Viviendas Suntuarias y los Solares Urbanos no Edificados (IVSS)Applicable to houses and flats whose market value is higher than 5 million pesos, and to urban plots which have not been built, or where a construction occupies less then 30% of the available space. Te rate is 1% of the official value, as calculated by the cadastre (Dirección General de Catastro).


Tax advantages of becoming a legal resident

Only legal residents can work or set up companies in Dominican Republic.

Becoming a legal resident makes you exempt from paying the tourist card every time you enter the country, and the penalty for overstaying every time you leave the country after having stayed in for more than 15 days.

You can bring personal items (furniture, appliances) tax-free from your country of origin without paying import duties. There is also a partial exemption for vehicles.

In case you initiate a legal action and you are a non-resident, you must deposit a caution for legal expenses, that can be quite high. A legal resident is not subject to this requirement.

Due to the relatively low tax rates in the country, it might become interesting to apply for residency to avoid being taxed at your country of origin for all income generate outside it. (Important for American citizens).

In case of being a heir of a property in RD, a non-resident must pay 50% more taxes than residents and nationals.

Visa, Residency, Naturalization and documents.

Visas and entry formalities

When coming to Dominican Republic on vacation, most nationalities do not require a visa, only a valid passport and the purchase at the arrival airport of the $10 Tourist Card, valid for 15 days.

Business or official trips require different kinds of visa. Here below you can find a brief description:

Visa Diplomática - diplomatic visa (DM) valid for multiple entries, up to 60 days
Visa Oficial - official visa (OM) multiple entries, up to 1 year
Visa de Cortesía - courtesy visa CS: single entry, 60 days, CM: multiple entries, up to 1 year
Negocio NS Negocio simple -simple business visa (single entry) 60 days
NM Negocios Múltiples - multiple business visa (multiple entries) 1 year
Dependencia - dependency (DPM) multiple entries, up to 60 days
Turismo - tourism TS single entry, 60 days (for those countries that require it)
Residencia - residency RS single entry, 60 days
Estudiante - student E multiple entries, 1 year

These visas are issued by the Consular Service (Servicio Consular Exterior de la República Dominicana) or the Secretary of State (Secretaria de Estado de Relaciones Exteriores).

Every document of foreign origin must be legalized by the consular Dominican representant in the country of origin. All documents must be presented as original plus four copies. If necessary, they will be translated into Spanish by an authorizd translator and legalized in the Procuraduría General de la República.

As the list of requirements is long, and can be subject to frequent changes, it is advisable to get in touch with the Dominican consulate in the country of origin, in order to get an up-to-date list of requirements.

Residency in Dominican Republic

According to the law, foreigners can obtain the right to reside in the Dominican Republic acquiring, in a first stage, a residency visa from the Secretary of State of Foreign Affairs (Secretaria de Estado de Relaciones Exteriores), and later on a Residency Card, which is obtained from the Directorate of Migration (Dirección General de Migración). In practice, the prerequisite of obtaining a residency visa before entering the country is not necessary, as it is perfectly possible and legal to enter the country as a tourist and once in it, apply for the residency card.

Provisional and Definitive Residency Permits

In order be eligible for provisional or definitive residence cards, it is compulsory to have entered legally into Dominican territory and comply with the following: not having a criminal record in the country (for some countries, such as Germany, it is also necessary a clean criminal record in the country of origin: check at your consulate), economic solvency or a job in Dominican territory, among others.

Both provisional or definitive residence cards are issued by the Directorate of Migrations ( Dirección General de Migración). Usually, completion of the whole procedure takes up to four months.

Any foreigner with a provisional or definitive residence card has the right to work and/or create a company with the same rights and duties of a Dominican citizen.


Naturalization procedure

The Dominican Constitution establishes the following requisites to obtain Dominican nationality:

a) By birth.- Those born on Dominican territory, are elligible to become Dominican citizens. This excludes children of people who were in the Dominican Republic as tourists or ilegal residents.

b) By origin.- Children of Dominican mother or father may opt for Dominican citizenship.
c) By law.- Those who acquired Dominican citizenship by consequence of any previous law, even if it is nor valid anymore, remain Dominican citizens.
d) By naturalization.- Those who comply with legal requirements to apply for it:
- Foreigners who have established their domicile in the Dominican Republic six months before application;
- Those who can justify an uninterrupted period of residence in the country for at least two years;
- Those who can justify an uninterrupted period of residence in the country of at leasts six months, if they have set up companies or are owners of a home in the country;
- Those who can justify an uninterrupted period of residence in the country of at leasts six months, if they have married a Dominican;
- Those with a Presidential authorisation, provided they have a cultivated plot of land in the country;
- Those who served in the Dominican Army;
- AThose who have participated in the national agricultural colonies;
-Those with a special presidential concession, awarded to those who have served the Dominican Republic with merit.

Money, Banks and Dominican currency

The Dominican currency is the Dominican Peso, whose symbol is RD$. In tourist areas it is also possible to pay with American dollars, or even Euros athough the exchange rate is usually less advantageous.

The exchange rate fluctuates freely acording to market supply and demand. In order to know the going rate, you can ask in a bank, or on th internet, in sites such as xe.com or oanda.com .
At the moment of exchanging money, remember that casas de cambio (bureaux de change) usually provide a good rate, with moderate commissions,even slightly better than banks some times, although it is always good to know the official exchange rate to avoid surprises.

Something we do not reccomend is to use the services of the street "exchange agents" that can be found in some corners waving a handful of dollars: they frecuently try to cheat their customers. Another, much safer option, are the ATM cash machines, which always deliver pesos, and can be found in every major city and most tourist resorts.

Financial Institutions

Among these we can mention commercial Banks, Savings & Loans associations (asociaciones de ahorros y prestamos), which work in a similar manner to banks, and loan agencies or financieras.
Main banks and Savings & Loans associations worth mentioning are:

Banco Popular
Banco León
Scotiabank
Banco de Reservas
Banco del Progreso
Banco BHD
Asociación Cibao de ahorros y prestamos
Asociación La Nacional de Ahorros y prestamos

The majority of Dominican banks allow the opening of dollar-denominated acounts, and some of them also have euro-denominated accounts. Generally speaking, interest rates are highr than those in the USA or Europe.

International money transfer are legal, although in order to take money into the country in amounts of more than US$ 10.000 it is required to justify its origin, in order to comply with anti money-laundering regulations.

Travelling around Dominican Republic

Transport and infrastructures

Virtually all transport inside Dominican Republic is made by road: There are no operating train networks in the country. The state of the roads is on average better than in surrounding countries, although maintenance is often quite neglected. This, added to the facts that roads traverse every village and cars have to share them with all kind and vehicles, some of them very peculiar, makes time spent in travel quite longer that what you'd probably expect.

That makes it worth considering interior flights within the country: there are several domestic companies that fly from and to Santo Domingo, Puerto Plata, Punta Cana and Samaná, such as Sapair, Caribair, Air Century or Aerodomca.



Busses are also a good choice for shorter distances: they are comfortable, air conditioned and reasonabily priced. There are two main companies: Metro and Caribe Tours. The first one only services the country's main corridor Santo Domingo - Santiago - Puerto Plata, while the second one has a bigger route map.

Shorter trips are serviced by an extensive network of guaguas or little vans, pretty much battered that, due to the crazy speeds that drivers reach, carry the well deserved nickname of
voladoras (flyers). Inside them, the conductor or pitcher will manage to pack as many people as one can possibly imagine (or maybe more) and won't depart until the guagua is full.

This is poor Dominicans' transport, so getting on a guagua is a good opportunity to get to know the real Dominican people. It is also a good way to travel for very little money... although comfort is a different issue.

Inside cities, taxis are a good choice, as there are many companies whose services can be requested over the phone and will very quickly send a taxi. Service is good, and price is reasonable. Here again, there is a popular option: the conchos or collective taxis, really shattered cars that run on fixed routes with up to 6 passengers plus the driver (on a normal 5-seat car). You wave at them to make the driver stop, get in and whey you are arriving to your destination, tell the driver to stop.

Little cities especially coastal resorts, have plenty of motoconchos, young men with a little motorbike that for a modest fare will transport you on short distances.



Of course, fully independent travel can only be attained when driving one's own vehicle. There are several rental car companies; some of them are branches of the best known multinationals, such as Avis or Hertz, while other are small independent companies that often offer better prices but the average age of their car fleet is bigger and maintenance can be somewhat dubious.

However, before jumping into the adventure that driving in Dominican Republic is, we reccommend you to observe during a few days the behavior of the average Dominican driver.

When you finally decide to have a go at diving, just forget about every rule and traffic signal you learnt: you will have to learn everything again and not really in a book. Meanwhile, drive deffensively and don't assume anything about other driver's behaviour, as this author has witnessed countless maneuvers that were not only dangerous and sudden, but whose purpose also defied any attempt of explanation.

Dominican Music

It is often said that Dominicans have rhythm running through their veins. It is a true passion, that make them move and thance with the slightest bit of sound. Dominican Republic is one of the very few nations in the world that has its own true national music and dance, the Merengue.



Dominican Merengue, pretty much like its Haitian and Venezuelan counterparts, first appeared in ballrooms in mid-19th century, as a transformation, due to afro-american influence, of the European contredanse.

Later on, and imitating the good society, peasants in several regions of the island transformed this first merengue into their own style, using their own traditions and musical instruments. What today is called Dominican Merengue was born in the Cibao region of the Dominican Republic.

Instruments used in traditional merengue (also commonly called perico ripiao) are the Güira, tambora and the accordion, and that is how it is still being played in the central valleys of El Cibao.

Güira is a percussion instrument consisting of a metal en un cillinder with a handle and open on both ends, whith a series of deep cuts made on oits side. I is plahed holding it vertically from tha handle, and scratching its side with a metal comb.

The Tambora is also a percussion instrument, similar to a little drum played on both sides. In its most authentic form, it should have been made with two different types of goat skin, one for each side of the drum: on one side there should be a female goat skin, that is played with the hand, and on the other end there is a male gost skin, to be played with a stick. Tradition says that the female goats have a thinner, softer skin with a higher pitch, making it able to provide a distinct sound.



Finally, the accordion makes a stark contrast with the other two instruments as it is of German origin, complex to fabricate and play, as opposed to the simplicity of güira and tambora.

Merengue evolved with time, and left aside the accordion to replace it with trumpets and keyboard, creating modern day merengue as it is played in Latin music clubs around the world.

Another Dominican traditional music is the bachata, also considered part of national identity. Instead of an accordion, bachata is played with guitars. It is considered a hybrid between bolero and other influences such as Cuban son.

At the beginning, bachata was a marginal music, pretty much low-class played in popular parties. Its lyrics were more often than not, tragical an melancholic: alwais singing love dramas, treason, jealousy... It is called the "music of bitterness".

However, during the 70's and 80's, lyrics renovate and soften a little as they reach better off people. It will be thanks to Juan Luis Guerra and expansion of tourism what will make it popular worlwide.

Education

Dominican Republic's public educational system is really precarious and its lack of resources is sadly chronical. If you want to settle down in the country with your family, you should seriously consider a privately run school.

There are very good schools for all levels, from primary education to prestigious universities such as Santo Domingo and Santiago. Some of them are bilingual, and there are some where every subject is taught in English, and in some cases, French. However, These schools are quite pricey, and this is something to be taken into account when estimating a monthly budget.


English-speaking or bilingual schools

Nursery schools

Froebel Nursery School. Calle Haim Lopez Peña 14. Tel. 227-2839.

Kids Create. Calle Virgilio Diaz Ordoñez No. 4. Tel. 683-6685. Email: burgonza@codetel.net.do

My Little School. Calle Boy Scouts No. 10. Tel. 565-1370. Email: avance.ind@codetel.net.do

Tiny Ones. Calle Roberto Pastoriza 358. Tel. 541-9433.


Elementary school and onwards

The Carol Morgan School (Santo Domingo), one of the most reputable (and expensive) schools. SACS accredited.
Website: www.cms.edu.do

The American School of Santo Domingo, also SACS accredited.
Website: www.assd.edu.do

International School of Santo Domingo.
Calle Gaspar Polanco No. 33, Bella Vista. Tel. 533-9484.
Website: www.intlschool.com

St. Thomas School.
Juan Tomas Mejia Cortes No. 43 Arroyo Hondo, Santo Domingo Tel. 732-5869.

St. Michael’s School,
Hector Inchaustegui No. 8, at Piantini, SACS accredited. Tel. 563-1707, 567-1230. Fax 567-1235.

New Horizons Bilingual School,
Juan Miguel Roman No. 2, entre Betancourt y Sarasota, Tel. 533-4915, from nursery to 12th grade.

The Americas Bicultural School (ABC School),
Calle F. Valerio No. 2, Tel. 535-3371.

The St. George’s School,
bilingual from nursery to 12th grade. Follows the Internaional Baccalaureat programme. Tel. 562-5262. Email: stgeorge@tricom.net

Colegio Dominico-Americano,
Abraham Lincoln No. 21, nursery to 12th grade. Tel. 562-5262. Email dominico.amer@codetel.net.do

Ashton School of Santo Domingo.
Federico Geraldino 86, Santo Domingo. Tel. 1 809 562 0891

Interamerican School.
Abraham Lincoln 851, Santo Domingo. Tel: (809) 540-1013

International Christian School.
Av. Sarasota, Santo Domingo.
Tel: (809) 535-8410

Abraham Lincoln School.
La Romana.
Kindergarten to grade 12. Tels. 809 523-3333 y 1 809 687 7787.

Santiago Christian School in Santiago
Website: www.scs.edu.do

Centro Cultural Dominico-Americano de Santiago (affiliated to the Instituto Cultural Dominico-Americano (ICDA) in Santo Domingo). Tel. 809 582 6627

Sosua: ISS (SACS accredited), is in Sosua, services Sosua, Cabarete and Puerto Plata. Grados Pre-K to 12th
Tel 809 571-3271: Fax 571-1904. Email iss.sosua@codetel.net.do

The Garden Kids School, Sosua. Website: www.garden-kids.org


In French:

Le Lycee Français
Rafael Damirón Esq. Jimenez Moya
Centro de los Heroes
Santo Domingo
República Dominicana
TEL: 809 533 33 38 - 809 535 27 61
FAX: 809 535 88 14

Ecole Française Théodore Chasseriau
Las Terrenas
tel. : (+809) 240-6624
emaill : esc.francesa@verizon.net.do

L'École Française de la Costa Verde, Río San Juan, R.D.
Tel.: 809 589 26 21

Inland Dominican Republic: Cibao, Constanza and Jarabacoa

Dominican Republic is not just beaches: Its interior also contains other other surprises and interesting places:

For example, the Cibao Valley is an extraordinarily fertile valley that produces food for the whole country, and is also a center for tobacco and rhum production. Its capital is Santiago de los Caballeros, second city in importance in the country and first with that name in the Americas.



Situated in the geographical center of the country, there is the highest mountain of the Caribbean: the Duarte peak, which, boating its 3175 meters of height, dominates the Central Ridge and is so high that temperatures fall below freezing point in winter, in spite of being in a tropical latitude.

At the feet of the ridge lay the cities of Constanza and Jarabacoa, which enjoy an, unlikely for this region, cool climate in summer that turns definitely cold in winter. The region's landscape, covered by pine trees, gives the region the somewhat excessive name of "Dominican Alps".

Due to the beauty of their enviromnment, Constanza and Jarabacoa are two places where practice outdoor sports such as rafting, horse riding or canyoneering.

Samaná

The Samaná peninsula, at the northeastern end of the island, has always been a hidden diamond, because of its distance from main cities and the difficult communications. However, the brand new international airport has placed Samaná, for good and evil, at the reach of tour operators and tourist packages.


Those who have seen Samaná say that it is one of the most beautiful places in the island. Unlike other places like Boca Chica or Punta Cana, whose flat, dull geography has no other attractiveness than sandy beaches, Samaná's beautiful beaches, with thier white sand and turquoise water, contrast with the deep tropical green of the mountains that surround them.

Also in Samaná there is the beach of Playa Rincon, considereded one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, and also a few other beaches that can be compared to it, such as Las Terrenas, famous because of the thriving colony of French (and other nationalities) expatriates.

For lovers of nature observation, Cayo Levantado is a privileged place to watch the passage of the humpback whales during their mating season, from January to March.

Juan Dolio and Boca Chica

Boca Chica is a long strip of beach along a shallow water bay, almost closed by a coral reef, whic virtually turns the bay into a natural swimming pool. Due to its proximity to Santo Domingo, it is considered "the Santo Domingo beach" where working class Dominicans go, although there are also several luxury hotels.



Going further East of Santo Domingo, we can find the beaches of Guayacanes and Juan Dolio. 40 Km. away from Santo Domingo, and about 20 from the international airport, they are an interesting choice for their quality and the infrastructure that links them to the counry and beyond.

La Romana and Bayahibe

Towards the East of Santo Domingo, and about two hours away on an almost deserted highway, one can find the city of La Romana, which is also a very important tourist pole.

The city has been prosperous for a long time. Initially, it was due to the sugar industry, where the Central Romana Company was the owner of the country's biggest sugar mill, and immense sugar cane fields. Later, during the 70s, part of the cultivated areas became one of the most luxurious residential and leisure resorts in the world: Casa de Campo, home of many celebrities such as singer Julio Iglesias and fashion designer Óscar de la Renta. There are a marina and sports harbor, several golf courses, luxury shops and private beaches.


On the top of a hill near Casa de Campo you can find a picturesque place, imitating a mediterranean village: it is called Altos de Chavón. It is actually both home and school of artists, and boasts an open air amphitheater for 4000 people, which has witnessed many international artists performing there: Frank Sinatra, Julio Iglesias, Juan Luis Guerra, Joaquín Sabina...


Bayahibe

Bayahibe is a little fishermen's village famous for its seaside views from the beach, although the beach itself is very small. Nearby Dominicus Beach, has a much better zoning and has long, beautiful beaches of soft, white sand.

Boats depart every day from Bayahibe with destination Saona island and Catalina island, two spectacular, "postcard" islands that are part of a National Park and where you can spend the day and swim or dive into their turquoise blue waters.

Drinking in Dominican Republic

Having already published a brief description of Dominican food, it's about time to talk about drinks: We will deal with alcoholic beverages in this post, and we will dedicate the next one to soft drinks and non-alcoholic beverages.

Let's start with beer, which as you will see, is highly appreciated in the Dominican Republic.

The main brand is indeed Presidente. It is everywhere, and it is so popular that when you ask for "una fría" (a cold one, i.e. a beer) this is the brand you'll get. If you want something else, you have to ask for it specifically. By the way, now that we mention it, Dominican beer is served chilled, whis is something very nice, as it helps a lot to combat the Caribbean heat.



The company that owns Presidente also owns another popular brand, Bohemia, softer and much less consumed. Together, they probably own 90% of market share. Other brands, such as Ambar or Quisqueya are much less widespread.

Quite recently, the Brazilian beer company Brahma, entered the Dominican market with a very aggressive marketing campaign, but is encountering a strong resistance from the domestic Presidente group, which has based its strategy in an appeal to nationalistic feelings of dominicanidad, "dominicaniness", a truly strong feeling in every Dominican's heart.

Other spirituous drinks: Dominican Rhum.

Away from Dominican Republic, the most famous Dominican drink is indeed rhum, obtained from fermentation of sugarcane juice. Pure rhum reaches almost 80% of alcohol content (151º proof) and when it is sold with that alcoholic content, usually labelled "151" can be used only to mix.

Most bottles have actually a much lower alcohol content, around 40%, and this rhum can be drunk straight, on the rocks or mixed.



There are plenty of brands, the main ones being Brugal and Barceló, both well known abroad and exported in large quantities, although there are other quality brands such as Bermúdez or Siboney.

Every brand has a set of rhums of different quality, depending basically on their añejamiento (ageing period, spent in oak barrels). Their denomination is usually as follows:

• Aged 18 to 36 months: Blanco (white) rhum, light rhum, "carta de plata" (silver label).
• Aged 5 years: Rubio (blond), dorado (golden), etiqueta de oro (golden label).
• Aged 7 years: Añejo (aged).
• Aged 10 or more years: Extra añejo. some are true delicacies such as Ron Siglo de Oro, from Brugal, or Barceló Imperial (or even better, Barceló Imperial XXI). Expensive, indeed, but with such a quality and an exquisitely designed package that makes them an excellent present for a good friend.
  

What should rhum be mixed with? When it is not drunk straight or on the rocks, usual mixers include the ubiquitous Cuba Libre (rhum with Coca-Cola), the Santo Libre (rhum and Seven Up), and of course countless cocktails that include rhum among their list of ingredients.

When Dominicans go out into a bar or disco, usually sit at a table and ask for a servicio. It consists of a 50cl. bottle of rhum, an ice bucket and a 20 oz. bottle of a soft drink, plus as many glasses as people are present at the table. Each servicio allows for arount 6 to 8 drinks.

The Dominican Republic also produces local versions of other drinks such as whisky, but they can't seriously be compared to their original counterparts or true Dominican rhum.

The Dominican Carnival

"Dancing, having fun and chasing the Devil"

Dominican Republic carnivals are a unique experience, with an origin that is a mix of European carnivals and African rites.

First written references date back from 1520, when Fray Bartolome de las Casas visited the island. At that time, the inhabitants of La Vega Vieja, dressed as Moors and Christians and celebrated some festivities that evolved into current day festivals.



As of today, they are held with most intensity the last weekend of February, when the streets are full of joy and dances. Depending of the region, in some places carnival is celebrated every weekend during February or even the beginning of March. Very often they go well beyond what is usual in other countries, and end up overlapping Easter and lasting until the Independence (February 27th) and Restoration (August 16th) Days, with which they are often associated, rather than with medieval carnestolendas. Other, different dates exist in some cities that celebrate their own carnival, but always with the same creativity and enthusiasm that can be seen in February all across the nation. These "different" carnivals often have a stronger african origin, and are called Cimarrón carnivals.

Cities with a reputation of having the best Carnivals are:

La Vega

For years and years the La Vega carnival kept distinctly Spanish features, with a lot of theatrality, dances of Spanish origin and the colorful costumes of the Diablos Cojuelos (Limping Devils) which are a medieval representation of the devil.

Every Sunday during the month of February, the Limping Devils come to the streets, armed with dried cow bladders and hitting everyone who dares come down to the street, but always respecting those who stay in the walkway.

This picturesque colonial heritage has been transformed by the African presence, where strong Cuban migration, and the presence of people from La Vega's poorer neighborhoods have played an important role.

Montecristi

Montecristi has a beautiful carnival tradition, peculiar and extraordinarily symbolic, mainly expressed in Los Toros (The Bulls) as central characters, and their fights with the Civiles. This is a true combat with whips, where the fighters try to make their opponents fall to the ground.

Toros (Bulls) wear a mask and colorful padded costumes, which protect them from their opponent's whips. Civiles, on the other hands must wear shorts and T-shirts. The winner is the one who best resist their enemies's hits or manages to take them to the ground.

San Pedro de Macorís

Declared Cultural Heritage of the World by the Unesco, the Macoris carnival features the Guloyas, devils wearing colorful disguises decorates with small mirrors. With their whips and cow bladders, they dance to the rithm of flutes, drums and cowbells.
Thedance itself comes from the British Antilles, from where many of the city's inhabitants are originary.

Santiago de los Caballeros


In working class neighborhoods, particularly La Joya and Los Pepines, is where one of the most authentic carnivals of the country are originated. Joyeros and Pepineros colorfully dressed fight each other, following a long-dated tradition of rivality.

Dominican Republic History

This small, young country has a history that is difficult to summarize in a few words, but we will try to tell you the main historical facts in a few lines:


The original inhabitants of the islasnd were the Taino indians, who called their motherland "Quisqueya", which means "Mother of all lands", or "Bohío", which means "home" and is a word that in the local Spanish dialect means "hut, small house".

The ferociuos Caribe indians, who lived in nearby islands and gave their name to the Caribbean Sea, called this island Haiti, which means "land of mountains".

Cristopher Columbus discovered this island on December 5th, 1492 and called it Hispaniola. During its period as a Spanish colony it was never highly populated, so the paulatine arrival of French settlers ended up, after the Treaty of Ryswick between Spain and France in 1682, witht the divison of the island. The westernmost part became a French posession with 27,750 sq. km. while the eastern remained under Spanish rule with 48,734 sq. km. In 1795 France, after the Treaty of Basel, in 1795, took posession of the whole island.

On January 1st 1804, after a slave uprisng in the western part of the island, the Republic of Haiti was born.

In 1809, Dominican forces, led by landowner Juan Sánchez Ramírez, rose against French occupation. This rebellion intended to come back to the Spanish rule. However, this return to Spain plunged the island's economy into a state of total inactivity, called "la España boba" or "the foolish Spain".

This led to the proclamation of independence, with the name of Dominican Republic, in 1821, although it is invaded by Haiti the following year. This situation will last for 22 years until Juan Pablo Duarte, together with the members of a secret society called La Trinitaria manages to free the country and proclaim indepenence again in 1844.


Nevertheless, the convulse period that follows independence ends up with President Santana asking for reinstating Spanish rule in 1861. This will last only until 1863, when the War of Ristoration gives back its sovereignity to the Republic.

During the following years, unstability remains and the United States occupy the island during 8 years to ensure payment of outstanding debts. Later on, dictator Trujillo will rule the islend from 1930 up to his murder in 1961.

At this moment, struggle between left wing movements on one side, and the heirs of Trujillo ideology, cause an alternance of leftist goernments (Juan Bosch, from the Dominican Revolutionary Party, PRD), military putschs and eventually a new American invasion in order to "avoid another Cuba" in 1965.

In 1966, Joaquín Balaguer, former Trujillo's number two, wins the elections that took place under American occupation. He will stay in power for 12 years, among frequent accusations of fraud, in spite of a strong economic development.

From 1978 onwards, elections have allowed a peaceful alternance in power between the three main parties: PRD, PLD (an spin off from PRD) and Balaguer's PRSC, who managed to remain in power during 10 years more, from 1986 to 1996. As of today (2007) the president is doctor Leonel Fernández (PLD).