Paradise peace

Dominicans are a very hospitable, open-minded, gentle, and extremely peace-loving people. Hectic activity and excessive haste are foreign to them – it is probably the tropical paradise that makes them so balanced. This endearing and admirable outlook on life has a wonderfully soothing effect on us stressed-out Northern Europeans as well. However, the different mentalities sometimes lead to disputes, for example, when minor problems arise, such as a clogged toilet. According to European standards, the problem should be fixed immediately. Locals usually respond to inquiries and complaints of this kind with a friendly "it will be taken care of right away." What they actually mean, however, is "mañana," meaning tomorrow, which can easily turn into the day after tomorrow. While we Europeans are already waiting impatiently, the Dominican remains calm and collected. Behind this attitude – and this should be expressly emphasized – there is no ill intent! Dominicans have grown up and been raised this way. They have known nothing else since childhood. While they revere and admire Northern Europeans for their discipline, punctuality, and diligence, they themselves live completely differently.

Another minor drawback is the frequent power outages and the associated loss of hot water and sometimes also the toilet flushing.

Until the sudden surge in tourism, the developing country managed perfectly well with little electricity, so it is perfectly understandable that the electricity supply could not keep pace.

Many hoteliers attempt to make themselves as independent as possible from the state electricity supply by running their own gasoline-powered generators during power outages. Nevertheless, electricity and water shortages still occur repeatedly.