[Aluback]

Let me add my 2 cents, so to speak. AZB is right on the money on everything he says. One thing that strikes me is that I have experienced somewhat the same thing. I worked in an international bank in WashingtonDC
for 21 years and, although Dominican-born, I had moved to the U.S. as an adolescent, went to school there and had the privilege of having lived 30 years of my life. It was a great chunk of my life and it was fine at the time but now, due to the changes that come with time and experience, I prefer
this underdeveloped little country with all its faults.

I know exactly what AZB means about the beach. I always thought I would love living by the beach but soon into my year and a half in Miami I found that once you are there full time it becomes a lot less important than when you come down from the winter cold on vacation. Here in the DR I hardly bother going to it and it's ok to visit but I wouldn't want to live there!

As far as Santiago vs. Santo Domingo, I have lived in both and each has something different to offer. If you want a cosmopolitan, vibrating city with lots of things to do and lots of traffic, noise, etc., Santo Domingo is for you.
If you want a mid-size city with many big city conveniences but the tranquility of a small town then Santiago is for you. I live in Santo Domingo right now by necessity of my employment duties but if I could I would much rather live in Santiago, where I will be close to my hometown of La Vega. One hour away from the north coast tourist areas and all kinds of beaches and activities, in the most prosperous area of the country, El Cibao, with the most beautiful people and where there is a lot more civility.

[Gilowero]

Quoted by AZB within minutes in posts: "The trick is to know funfull rich dominicans but next quote "Money is not everything in life, remember we are in the business to live not to chase the next dollar. The people who only worry about money are the same folks who are also the most unhappiest folks in life. they only talk about money and nothing else. they weigh their friendship in money etc. USA is all about making money and buying the next toy that comes out, may it be a car, house or a plasma TV clothes etc. You totally miss out on life."
Consider where these two quotes come from the same person. Mr. AZB appears to be the best Paki/American expat sankie living in Santiago!
All he ever talks about is the $$$$ and the rich beautiful college girls from good families there.
There is SO much more to the island of the Dominican Republic than what he knows. I prefer to take the advice of a variety of very intelligent,kind,and willing posters on DR1 than to except as Gospel AZB's limited,biased,prejudiced,and close minded opinions.

OK I feel a little better now.

Dulce you are welcomed to take advice from anyone, but I am glad you are in sosua or somewhere far away from santiago, we don't need your kind here to make us expats look bad. You don't have to take my advice or even have to read my posts, I can care less. The truth of the matter is, you need powerful dominicans around you to protect you and also to show you a good time. I am not chasing dollars, I am already enjoying this island with respected dominicans. I am not sure if you can say the same about your contacts in POP, sosua or wherever you currently are. You want to live the hard way in DR, then go right ahead. I will live the smart way. Just yesterday I was stopped by AMET police for talking on the cell phone. If it were you, you would have had a ticket in your hand, but I knew the coronel and his immediate supervisor, so he let me go with a hand shake. When I need autoparts I get wholesale prices, almost dealer's cost. I know the owner of the biggest autoparts dealer in santiago. I can go on and on but you will not understand. You can go ahead and make your life difficult but I know how to live more comfortable with least worries. By the way, I didn't make friends by kissing their asses, I always give first and then receive. I have guests in my house almost every week of the year. No one goes home disappointed. Can you say the same about your hospitality?
Enough said.
AZB

[Essefsbyday]

Great post Mike!
While the rest of the biography may or may not be true, I can assure everyone of the truth of the following, having had the pleasure of meeting his wife:

I second that Emotion! Hell I love seeing him! Especially when he shows up with the wife

[GlictStiply]

So Guys of the north coast, there you have it. We are all a load of drunken, womanising yobos up here that can't speak Spanish & know NOTHING about the country!!

Gringo, Escott, Rocky, Ken, Windeguy, Dr. Bob, DR. Bruce, Dr. Jim, Tiberious, Paul Thate, Thebes, Psycho & the Dragon, Larry, GJS-UK, Carl & Mel, Cheter4, Sandeep, locofoto, planner, Gregg, Peter & Alex, Richard. PoP Bad Boy, Dominicanscotty, La_Prof_1, Ohmite, Quaqualita, Dawnwil, Chris, Chris Tremain, Miko, Rendul, Conchman, Maggiemay, Noelle, Stephen, AlaninDR & marys, Barb & Linden, Eddy, GirlieGirl , Palmas, Amy2761, CabareteCid, BobH, BobK, …………………………….. oh, & all of you that are GOING to come live on the Sosua/PoP area, which is a list far too many to post here, we are all wasting our time here & should move to Santiago immediately.

Sort of reminds me of the 100 marching men where only ONE was in time with the music whilst all the other 99 were OUT of time!!! Well, that is what his Parents said!! Nice one Aftab ~ (Out of step, ignorant, non Spanish speaking, poorboy, Cheapy-cheapy, without a life, hated by Aftab) Grahame.

He said Most, he didnt say ALL. its all a matter of preference....AZB has his opinion on it and you have yours. its like that everywhere you go, you prefer a city more so than the other.

[15Praxanant]

Don't take it personal Grahame MOST of us know AZB is here to entertain us. I've been to Sosua, Cabarete, Santiago, Santo Domingo and I know that people see only what they want to see and the rest is BS for entertainment.

I'm the biggest drinker of all (does water count?)

[ATTILAGLIC]

Great post Mike!
While the rest of the biography may or may not be true, I can assure everyone of the truth of the following, having had the pleasure of meeting his wife:

................and marrying a Dominican runaway model.

Peace out folks.

[Zhgpavye]

....... I soon realized that POP was not good for making money. I was wrong to think gringos would pay well. It seemed that gringos living in pop were almost as poor as the dominicans. Living on tight budget. They were either cheap or broke. I lost a lot of money in POP. I also realized that beach was not so exciting place to be near by. I would rarely go to beach. I simply got bored with pop and sosua area. Women were ugly and place had little to offer. Most foreigners were drunks and old. I was a bit lonely there.

........I learned to speak spanish among them. I didn't know that I had learned absolutely nothing of spanish in POP. I thought I knew some but when I came to santiago, I was dumb founded. I had lost 2 years in POP and I was upset. I didn't know this country had so much to offer. from that time on, I started to hate sosua and POP, not to mention the people who live there. They know nothing of this country. Most foreigners know only pop and sosua and nothing apart from that. These DR1 gurus know only their small world and nothing else. If you want to know this country, get out from resort towns. I wasted my time and money listening to gringos and puerto plata dominicans in pop.

So for me, its santiago and only santiago. I love this town and the people here. I don't think if I can ever go back to USA and live there happily. If I ever move from here it would be for economical reasons.
AZB

So Guys of the north coast, there you have it. We are all a load of drunken, womanising yobos up here that can't speak Spanish & know NOTHING about the country!!

Gringo, Escott, Rocky, Ken, Windeguy, Dr. Bob, DR. Bruce, Dr. Jim, Tiberious, Paul Thate, Thebes, Psycho & the Dragon, Larry, GJS-UK, Carl & Mel, Cheter4, Sandeep, locofoto, planner, Gregg, Peter & Alex, Richard. PoP Bad Boy, Dominicanscotty, La_Prof_1, Ohmite, Quaqualita, Dawnwil, Chris, Chris Tremain, Miko, Rendul, Conchman, Maggiemay, Noelle, Stephen, AlaninDR & marys, Barb & Linden, Eddy, GirlieGirl , Palmas, Amy2761, CabareteCid, BobH, BobK, …………………………….. oh, & all of you that are GOING to come live on the Sosua/PoP area, which is a list far too many to post here, we are all wasting our time here & should move to Santiago immediately.

Sort of reminds me of the 100 marching men where only ONE was in time with the music whilst all the other 99 were OUT of time!!! Well, that is what his Parents said!! Nice one Aftab ~ (Out of step, ignorant, non Spanish speaking, poorboy, Cheapy-cheapy, without a life, hated by Aftab) Grahame.

[Npbfamgt]

This might be a little difficult for some of you, maybe even beyond your IQ levels, but can you just stick to the topic at hand. Enough of the people bashing and other drivel.

If you have a problem with a poster, add them to your ignore list. Then you will never have to read another post by that person. Sounds like an easy solution for some of you.

Just answer the question posted by Jozee74, it's not rocket science.

[nuveem7070]

We all had similar reason to move to DR. I grew up in NYC and then moved to atlanta, georgia. as you all know how life spins in NY and now atlanta seems no different from NY. There are extreme traffic jams during rush hours and rents are also way up the sky. Atlanta is not what it used to be years ago.
I first came to Dr in 1986 as a young tourist from NYC. I remember it was cold as alaska in NY when I boarded the plane and when I landed in POP, I was welcomed with the caribbean hot sun. I couldn't believe that I was back in summer in the middle of winter. As though if I had travelled through time. I was actually swimming in pool and drinking cold beer out doors. It was simply unimaginable. Then the relaxed atmosphere and the cheap prices just blew me away. I didn't know how beautiful life was until I came here. I made several friends (true dominican and foreign friends) and just kept coming back. I was fortunate enough to meet a very beautiful girl in hotel from santo domingo who was also visiting there with her friends (spring break) (my second trip). I kind of fell in love with her. she was 18 yrs old and very smart. She spoke english, french fluently. she was from a well-to-family. She took me to SD and showed me all over. She would come and visit me in pop whenever I would come to DR. I stayed with her for a long time.
Then I got sick and tired of NYC life style and moved to atlanta. even atlanta was proved to be quite boring. I was simply not happy in USA. I always had fantasized of living in an island and being near the beach. i would come to DR 4 times a year. I was an engineer at the time so I knew I had little chances of making a good living if I had gotten a job in DR. So I took some time off to decide what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go in life. I decided to study chiropractic and open up a practice in DR. I knew Dr had very little number of chiros and I was sure I would make a decent living working in my own business.
I then decided to move to DR and live. But I made a crucial mistake. I moved to POP. I was living in costambar near the beach. I soon realized that POP was not good for making money. I was wrong to think gringos would pay well. It seemed that gringos living in pop were almost as poor as the dominicans. Living on tight budget. They were either cheap or broke. I lost a lot of money in POP. I also realized that beach was not so exciting place to be near by. I would rarely go to beach. I simply got bored with pop and sosua area. Women were ugly and place had little to offer. Most foreigners were drunks and old. I was a bit lonely there.
Then my friend from Santo domingo got me a job in santiago. thats when my life changed. I was ready to pack up and leave DR but antiago saved me. It was a big enough city but yet, not big enough as SD. I felt very comfortable there. For the first time I made some good money in DR. I realized that dominicans were better payer than foreigners in POP. Dominicans in santiago were more health conscious and would pay whetever I would charge them. The women were incredibly beautiful. santiagueros are proud folks and I felt like I was part of them. I learned to speak spanish among them. I didn't know that I had learned absolutely nothing of spanish in POP. I thought I knew some but when I came to santiago, I was dumb founded. I had lost 2 years in POP and I was upset. I didn't know this country had so much to offer. from that time on, I started to hate sosua and POP, not to mention the people who live there. They know nothing of this country. Most foreigners know only pop and sosua and nothing apart from that. These DR1 gurus know only their small world and nothing else. If you want to know this country, get out from resort towns. I wasted my time and money listening to gringos and puerto plata dominicans in pop.
So for me, its santiago and only santiago. I love this town and the people here. I don't think if I can ever go back to USA and live there happily. If I ever move from here it would be for economical reasons.
AZB

AZB,

That was a beautiful story. It more or less mirrors my reasons for moving there. Although I am still in NY most of the time finishing my career (which should be completed within 1-3 years). I have established several businesses on the North coast and I too agree that doing business there is a bad move. I am often seen on the North coast due to my many friends there whom consist of Dominican lawyers, doctors, business owners and military Generals (not policemen) as well as intelligent/successful ex-pats. I chose to live in Jamao del Norte because of it's people there and it's tranquility. However, I realized that in order to compete in my furniture business I must move it to Santiago where true Dominicans (not gringos) with money will be my customers! I too love Santiago and it's people!

Scotty

[astonmartinrx371]

I have never been to barahona but I have heard it has some of the most pretties beaches in DR.
Jozee, i don't feel if I got lucky. It all depends on what you are looking for in DR. I was not interested in ugly hookers or spending my earnings on presidente and cuba libre. I had a plan in my mind and goals. What i was lacking was experience. I soon found out what I was missing so I made the right changes and put myself back on track.
Many foriegners move to DR without any solid plans. they only mingle with hookers or sankies. They never get to know real dominicans. they hardly attempt to learn spanish. They only talk about beach, beer and rum or girls (hookers). If you bring them to santiago, they soon want to visit a local whorehouse or a carwash. They don't even try to meet a decent dominican educated girl but are instantly attracted to a barrio chopa. So I guess we all find what we look for in DR. This is a big enough country to fit everyone.
Jozee, I strongly advice you to come here with a solid plan. Not only you will live in peace (in cibao) but you will live a healthy, longer life. Stress is the number 1 killer in USA. Since you are dominican by blood and speak spanish, you will eliminate 50% of your problems right there.
Don't think so much, make the move. Money is not everything in life, remember we are in the business to live not to chase the next dollar. The people who only worry about money are the same folks who are also the most unhappiest folks in life. they only talk about money and nothing else. they weigh their friendship in money etc. USA is all about making money and buying the next toy that comes out, may it be a car, house or a plasma TV clothes etc. You totally miss out on life.
If you need help in santiago, we (the santiago DR1 folks) are here to help you.
AZB

Quoted by AZB within minutes in posts: "The trick is to know funfull rich dominicans but next quote "Money is not everything in life, remember we are in the business to live not to chase the next dollar. The people who only worry about money are the same folks who are also the most unhappiest folks in life. they only talk about money and nothing else. they weigh their friendship in money etc. USA is all about making money and buying the next toy that comes out, may it be a car, house or a plasma TV clothes etc. You totally miss out on life."
Consider where these two quotes come from the same person. Mr. AZB appears to be the best Paki/American expat sankie living in Santiago!
All he ever talks about is the $$$$ and the rich beautiful college girls from good families there.
There is SO much more to the island of the Dominican Republic than what he knows. I prefer to take the advice of a variety of very intelligent,kind,and willing posters on DR1 than to except as Gospel AZB's limited,biased,prejudiced,and close minded opinions.

OK I feel a little better now.

[chuecfafresslds]

How long is the drive to santiago from pop?

[GlictStiply]

you seem to know alot about Santiago, but I am curious to know, what made you decide to move to the D.R out of all Countries???

What was the main reason you decided to leave your country to live in the D.R??? and what dramatic changes did you have to adapt to?

[15Praxanant]

What happened to the girl AZB?

[Npbfamgt]

I think the board members that post here that live up north are 0. something % of foreigners that live on the north coast. Even less 7 years ago.

I didn't know AZB could make such an impact

Moving on....

... "you seem to know alot about Santiago, but I am curious to know, what made you decide to move to the D.R out of all Countries???"

"What was the main reason you decided to leave your country to live in the D.R??? and what dramatic changes did you have to adapt to?"

[Gilowero]

How long is the drive to santiago from pop?

1 hr 15mins to 1 1/2 hrs drive.
If you are coming here for a day or 2 then santiago will serve you for shopping purposes only. If you like to see the night life or the true beauty of santiago, then you will be disappointed. santiago can only be truely enjoyed if you live here full time.
AZB

[nuveem7070]

Jozee74.
Of COURSE he has a right to his opinion & I in NO way was disagreeing with his that Santiago was better than Puerto Plata!! For him that is quite possible, for others maybe not so. I have absolutely NO argument with that. What I WAS pointing out was his view about "most" of those who live on the north coast!! I accept that in two places he said "Most" so will refer the board members listed above to that list & say "MOST of you guys are ..............". ~ Grahame.

LOL.... yes AZB does have his opinions doesn't he? I enjoy reading all the posts! I still enjoy the North coast as this is where I have met my best and longest term friends. It is also where I established myself in business
and serves as the hub. However, I do like Santiago, it's people and it's many business opportunities. Would I make the comments that AZB has made? NO. Do I agree with AZB? No not completely, he does have a point and he isn't completely wrong either. However, I would not go on a strongly as he has, but then again this is AZB for how I have come to know him through these boards. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and I for one welcome them all! Thanks for everyone's input it is informative and at times entertaining! I also look forward to actually meeting you guys. Jeeesh, I have lived here since 1994 and recently became a member of DR1. Thanks again!

Scotty (pronounced Gottie)

[Essefsbyday]

What happened to the girl AZB?

She woke up?

[GlictStiply]

Good for you, I guess you are one of the lucky ones. not everyone is as fortunate as you.

I ask because I am at the point where I am sick of living in the U.S and I really dont know what I want to do in life. I hate working in a office in front of a computer all day, but that is the only thing I have experience at the moment. I personally didnt like staying en la Capital it bored me to death so I spent my three months in the cibao (Sanitago, Las Vega, and Moca).

I will be going in Feb. with my boyfriend to Barahona. Is it a good place to visit??

[Casyimipist]

Well, like most people here, I live in Santiago. Also like most people here I am from Dallas. Once again like most people here my Dad left my mom with 2 kids and a black eye when I was 3 years old.

For the final time, like most people here, I was 28 years old, living in a 1 room "artist" studio apartment trying to make it in an indie rock band wondering what the implications of my lead guitarrist overdosing on drugs, finding God and moving to Slovenia was in the "big picture" for the band and falling asleep while meditating on it when I was rudely awakened by a strange woman claiming to be my grandmother.

Like most people would I dropped everything and moved here to "check things out", ended up "checking things out" indefiniteley and marrying a Dominican runaway model.

Hey, bottom line, I'm just a regular guy like everybody else.

Peace out folks.

[Creelaleps]

We all had similar reason to move to DR. I grew up in NYC and then moved to atlanta, georgia. as you all know how life spins in NY and now atlanta seems no different from NY. There are extreme traffic jams during rush hours and rents are also way up the sky. Atlanta is not what it used to be years ago.
I first came to Dr in 1986 as a young tourist from NYC. I remember it was cold as alaska in NY when I boarded the plane and when I landed in POP, I was welcomed with the caribbean hot sun. I couldn't believe that I was back in summer in the middle of winter. As though if I had travelled through time. I was actually swimming in pool and drinking cold beer out doors. It was simply unimaginable. Then the relaxed atmosphere and the cheap prices just blew me away. I didn't know how beautiful life was until I came here. I made several friends (true dominican and foreign friends) and just kept coming back. I was fortunate enough to meet a very beautiful girl in hotel from santo domingo who was also visiting there with her friends (spring break) (my second trip). I kind of fell in love with her. she was 18 yrs old and very smart. She spoke english, french fluently. she was from a well-to-family. She took me to SD and showed me all over. She would come and visit me in pop whenever I would come to DR. I stayed with her for a long time.
Then I got sick and tired of NYC life style and moved to atlanta. even atlanta was proved to be quite boring. I was simply not happy in USA. I always had fantasized of living in an island and being near the beach. i would come to DR 4 times a year. I was an engineer at the time so I knew I had little chances of making a good living if I had gotten a job in DR. So I took some time off to decide what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go in life. I decided to study chiropractic and open up a practice in DR. I knew Dr had very little number of chiros and I was sure I would make a decent living working in my own business.
I then decided to move to DR and live. But I made a crucial mistake. I moved to POP. I was living in costambar near the beach. I soon realized that POP was not good for making money. I was wrong to think gringos would pay well. It seemed that gringos living in pop were almost as poor as the dominicans. Living on tight budget. They were either cheap or broke. I lost a lot of money in POP. I also realized that beach was not so exciting place to be near by. I would rarely go to beach. I simply got bored with pop and sosua area. Women were ugly and place had little to offer. Most foreigners were drunks and old. I was a bit lonely there.
Then my friend from Santo domingo got me a job in santiago. thats when my life changed. I was ready to pack up and leave DR but antiago saved me. It was a big enough city but yet, not big enough as SD. I felt very comfortable there. For the first time I made some good money in DR. I realized that dominicans were better payer than foreigners in POP. Dominicans in santiago were more health conscious and would pay whetever I would charge them. The women were incredibly beautiful. santiagueros are proud folks and I felt like I was part of them. I learned to speak spanish among them. I didn't know that I had learned absolutely nothing of spanish in POP. I thought I knew some but when I came to santiago, I was dumb founded. I had lost 2 years in POP and I was upset. I didn't know this country had so much to offer. from that time on, I started to hate sosua and POP, not to mention the people who live there. They know nothing of this country. Most foreigners know only pop and sosua and nothing apart from that. These DR1 gurus know only their small world and nothing else. If you want to know this country, get out from resort towns. I wasted my time and money listening to gringos and puerto plata dominicans in pop.
So for me, its santiago and only santiago. I love this town and the people here. I don't think if I can ever go back to USA and live there happily. If I ever move from here it would be for economical reasons.
AZB

For any possible tourist reading this, realize that Puerto Plata (POP) and Santiago are only separated by the Cordillera Septentrional (Northern Mountain Range), visible from both towns. In addition to that, its only a 2 hour drive from each and yet, they are world's apart, enough apart to make AZB enjoy the REAL Dominican Republic, not the international tourist enclave that have sprouted along the north coast and other coasts in this country.

In short, leave the resort and I don't just mean step outside the gates for a little while and look both ways and then go back in. I mean, rent a car, buy a map of the country and take a long day drive away from the coast. The DR truly begins to show its true self.

Visiting this country is kind of being on a date. First, you are attracted by the natural physical beauty. Then, if you only base your "relationship" on beauty alone, it gets old and soon you break apart. However, if you work a little to get to know the real person (on the inside, how they truly are) then you begin to move from simply liking to loving this person.

The same is with the DR. The northcoast is only a physical attraction, get to know the real DR by coming deep into the interior and then you will truly know the real DR and who knows, your heart might be so happy that you end up staying here forever!