Dear USKers
Here some answers to the questions asked in the open thread days ago:
Pharmacies:
Farmacia Salcedo
A nice little pharmacy that will do home delivery. Hours: 8AM to 9PM (open some Sundays and Holidays) Contact: 809-689-6332 Location: Arz. Merino #459 and General Cabral, Zona Colonial.
Banks location and schedule: (I was actually shock to find out that the banks in the zone are not opened as late as I thought. They all have ATM machines outside the bank. My personal experience with ATM machines in DR is that they run out of money easily by Saturday night, and taking into consideration that they do not open on Sunday you might want to keep this in mind.)
Scotia Bank Isabel la Católica St. and Las Mercedes, Mon-Fri 8:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M
La Nacional de Ahorros Préstamos C/ Isabel La Católica No. 164, Zona Colonial. Mon- Fri 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturdays 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Banco del Reservas C/ Isabel la Católica No. 201, Zona Colonial. Mon- Fri 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m, Saturdays 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Banco Popular Dominicano C/ Isabel La Católica, Casa del Cordón (Monumento Nacional). Mon- Fri 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
If you check the Symposium Google map, these banks are marked there.
Another Currency Exchange place is Western Union: C/ El Conde 505, Tienda Gente. Zona Colonial.
Art Suplies Stores:
The big ones, with big selection of brands and quality are out of the zone. I am not sure, but someone commented me that there is one with very low quality materials enough to cover the basic needs of the students of the National Fine Arts School that is located in the zone. I will still try to find out if there is a decent store in the zone. My suggestion is to bring your own supplies.
Option: There will be a representative of Casa del Artista, on Wednesday, at the "early registration" at Centro Cultural de España, with some samples of supplies that sketchers regularly use, in case you might need something extra. She will also have copies of "The Art of Urban Sketching".
Internet Cafes:kalina asked about this and also posted a list of places to connect. I do not have enough information as to tell you which one are the best ones but I do know that the site that Kalina shared with the list of Internet Cafes is pretty good and updates regularly. Here is the link again: http://www.colonialzone-dr.com/businesses_calling-interent-centers.html
Water: You MUST drink bottled water.
Bugs: They now for sure which one of us are locals and who is new in town, so bring some repellent just in case
Food: Food here is very seasoned, if you have a delicate stomach take it easy the first day... but in general rarely do people get sick with our food. Main plate is: white rice, red beans, meat (chicken or red meat) and fried yellow or green plantains, with green salad (lettuce and tomatoes basically).
Hurricanes: It is indeed hurricane season down here, but they seem to be quiet these days... take a look at the weather channel just in case.
Health/Clinics: Miguel asked about local clinics that might deal with different foreign insurance companies. The only one that I can think of is: Clínica Abel González 809-682-6001 Directions #101 Independencia, Gazcue, Santo DomingoThis is one of the closest to the zone. (About accepting foreign insurance, that one is tricky, we locals have problem having our own local insurance accepted, imagine a foreign one, my experience is that people end up asking for reimbursement when they return back home, and that is actually what I normally do when I need either emergency or regular health assistance, I first pay them "battle" for reimbursement).
Dress Code: Dominicans like to dress up (not me obviously) and it doesn't matter if it's hot or not, and that goes for girls and boys too, but the Colonial Zone has a pretty bohemian style.
Marcia, you asked about your husband wearing sandals, I guess is a matter of where he's going, but to walk around it is totally fine. There are only two places in DR where I know dress code is strict and that is the Cathedral and the National Theatre. For the Cathedral your shoulders must be covered, skirts need to be bellow your knees and shorts are not allowed.
The other big and famous one is right in the corner where Nina J. will have her workshop, in the first floor of Hostal Nómadas, right in the corner of Las Mercedes and Hostos Street.
Rental Cars: Avis, National Rent-a-Car are common names here and they all have stations at the airport right when you come out of customs and before coming out the main glass doors. To get more info about this I recommend to get help at the front desk of the hotel, they should know better.
Cigars:There a many cigar shops around the zone, the most popular the one in front of the Cathedral, next to Hard Rock Café, where they guy who makes them sits in the front window and you can actually see him in action.
Am I missing anything else?
Orling
Thanks Orling, excellent reply. The thing about art materials I know we can't take there is spray fixative or spray mount, in case anyone likes to sketch with pastels, charcoal or graphite. However, I guess we can purchase hair spray in any case.
ReplyDeleteAnother (imperfect) alternative is to skip the fixative until you get home and use slip sheets. I’ve gotten tired of buying fixative at every destination that I fly to unless it’s a much longer trip. (I use graphite and soft pencil in my pocket-size Moleskine).
Deleteyes, hair spray will be easily found here, there are many beauty supply stores mini supermarket where to get that for a reasonable price. :-)
ReplyDeleteany other questions I'm open eyes.
You can't take fixative?
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of this before - I always carry hairspray (for hair and sketching!)and have not had any problems. I would have thought it would be ok as long as it's not in hand luggage. Anyone else?
DeleteIt is not advise by airports/airlines to travel with fixative or any aerosol type of product.
DeleteLynne, check with your airline because as far as I know they do not allow it.
DeleteI've travelled with fixative. The United States TSA regulations are not very precise. Aerosols are not permitted "except for personal care or toiletries in limited quantities".
Deletehttp://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/prohibited/permitted-prohibited-items.shtm#9
If you look on google you will see that hairspray sometimes gets confiscated, sometimes not.
Just thinking money but roughly what's a decent amount to get a person by in a day, I'd prefer not to carry very much on my person other then what's needed. Any recomends?
ReplyDeletea decent lunch can cost around 350 pesos, you can get in special places the plate of the day for 150 pesos (in very economical cafeterias like the one in front of the Cathedral)... if you think Hard Rock Café, plan to spend minimum 600 pesos. Does this give you a rough idea?
DeleteI will say, carry with you around 500 pesos in cash and your ATM/Credit card if you want.
A coke in a local grocery store (we call them Colmados, and there are two of these right in front the CCE, will cost you around 35 pesos a 20oz., a bottle of water around 10 to 12 pesos, a gatorade can go from 50 to 75 pesos depending on the size. Crackers or anything to have a little snack should be less than 100 pesos. Beer is around 65 pesos.
These are street prices, meaning prices in local grocery stores (Colmados) of course in a restaurant all these will cost more, considering it is a touristic zone.
DeleteAre dairy products (milk and cream) pasturized and safe to drink?
ReplyDeleteWe have Parmalat down here, I guess that is a safe brand. of course, these are pre-pack. Not fresh from the country.
DeleteCan I ask - will there be a map of the area supplied in our symposium pack, with sketch locations and things like bank ATMs etc marked on, or should we print stuff off Google before we leave?
ReplyDeleteHi Lynne, each participant will get a simplify map with symposium schedule just with the workshops locations and the meeting points marked.
DeleteAlso, in your bag there will be a Santo Domingo Guide that was donated by the Ministry of Tourism.
How about transportation into the city from the airport? I'll be arriving about 1:30 pm on Wednesday on a flight from Atlanta. Anyone out there care to share a taxi with me? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThere is the taxi station outside the airport. Make sure to negotiate the price before taking the taxi or they might charge you more. It is usually a flat rate, between 1,100 and 1,400 pesos or its equivalent in dollars. There is a person in charge, ask him what is the rate to the colonial zone... I think to the zone it should be around 1,100 pesos.
DeleteI usually pay 1,400 to get to my house but that is because I leave far away, but the colonial zone should be a 30 minutes ride (if traffic is good)
Can I assume that it is reasonably safe to eat food from street vendors in the colonial zone as well as outside the zone in Santo Domingo? (I mean reasonably safe; I understand that there is no such thing as 100%).
ReplyDeleteI don't suggest it unless you have a pretty strong stomach.
DeleteI wanted to clarify that Colmados are like little grocery store, not as fancy as in the state (ours don't have AC) but there you can find beverages of different kinds.
DeleteWhen I say street vendor I mean the ones in the actual street selling stuff up and down the street.
Yes, I was thinking of this http://www.colonialzone-dr.com/dining_and_food-street_vendors.html
Delete