🏖️ Part 3 🌴HOW EVERYTHING BEGAN ... 🌴 My MIGRATION 2015 in the Dominican Republic

followmikecee (61)in #travel • 6 years ago (edited)

Hola mi steemians

Second day in Santo Domingo. It's the 6th of May 2015 and a full program awaits me, upps sorry, from now on of course "us". I'm here with my sweetheart and she has taken me completely and ...

If I understood my Chica correctly in her Santo Domingo Spanish slang, she is already planning the first family visits, apartment visits in the next few days ...

Pooh I'm easily overwhelmed. The first impressions of this huge city almost threaten to crush me. From the small rural Switzerland to the giant Moloch Santo Domingo with its almost 5 million inhabitants. A huge clam, constant rush and everything takes place on the street.

Although I know one or the other big city like New York or Berlin. But that feels a bit more intense here. 25 km2 surface area - the distances are huge. I remember the Dominican Republic somehow completely different.
It works for me like a big soup pot where everything was thrown in. I hope the feeling sets soon. Really stressful I'll tell you.

So let's go to the car and drive to the east to my new family. We are invited for lunch and to get to know each other (probably they all just want to get to know me ...)
Expreso 27 de Febrero, Av. Francisco del Rosario Sanchez, Carretera Mella. Everything totally strang here, not a single clue for me and cars and cars and cars... what the f..., everyone has 2 cars here?

I try to adapt to the Dominican driving stick with modest success, no chance - soon everyone is behind me and I pray not to make an accident. Am I just imagining this?
Finally after about 60 minutes the turnoff to San Isidro Bonito, a little suburb of Santo Domingo Este. Bonito? Beautiful Bonito is nice in Spanish. I'm curious.

What the hell is that?

Because of"bonito", wow - this is more a dirt road than really a normal street. The street holes larger than our car endures it. Not only once I scratch the carfloor on the street.

What i didn't know: San Isidro Bonito is one of the many rather poor barrios here in Santo Domingo

Another 20 minutes lead us finally to our destination, my new parents' home.

What the hell is that - for the second?

Somehow, I'm standing a bit next to me; trying to hide my surprise (or rather disappointment). In front of me a small cabin, more storage sheds than a building and especially no house where a family can live. Yes, but...
At that moment, mother jumps on me and hugs me like her own child. Big hugs, kisses left and right. From the corner of my eye, I still see about 8 more people, all waiting in a row. Wow and all because of me.

The situation threatens to overwhelm me, my emotional world is inexplicably a roller coaster. The impressions are huge and make me speechless - even better because my spanish is not really perfect yet.

... and my sweetheart babbles and babbles and babbles, meanwhile more than 15 people have arrived.Yeah,the party can begin. Wow!!!

My chica feels good

The parental home, accommodation for meanwhile 6 persons. 2 rooms no larger than 4 each on 4 meters, of which one room is still used as a kitchen, living room and storage space.
Welcome to the Dominican Republic Mike. More than 80% live that way. Slightly ashamed, I look at the 2 rooms and think embarrassed of my 120qm apartment in Zurich, which I usually inhabit alone, except on weekends where my two kids from my first marriage are with me.

I am very quiet and can hardly believe it. 6 people in this ... yes sorry more than a chicken coop is it not in my eyes. And in parallel this heartiness with which the people here receive me

Lunch time!
The mother calls for lunch; what makes me awake from my Letargie. Mmmmh that tastes absolutely delicious, Dominican vegetable and meat stew; no idea how this is called, but I have not eaten something so delicious for years.

I'm full. 3 pm - time for the digestive siesta.

Still blinded by the situation, my eyes are closed for a nap.

Next time we'll go to housing search. It remains intense and exciting. Until then.

You missed the first part of my emigration? No problem here is the first contributions:

Part 1

Part 2

Hasta luego.
mikeCee aka Captain Mike Sparrow the steemian of the carribean