Los Toros Mission

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Dominican Republic

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Travel To The Dominican Republic

Culture - Travel Information - Health Information - Current Conditions - Costs

A Mission Experience
Our trips always have the primary objective to build "solidarity" and "understanding" between our communities. Another objective is to build friendships that allow the people of Los Toros to share their lives with us and to learn about our lives. Our relationships with the people of Los Toros are very important and remain our main focus.

Those who wish to join us on our trips are asked to attend Trip Planning Meetings and Orientation sessions. To enter into a third world experience is a serious task and is a "give and take" experience as well as a learning opportunity. Your participation affects two cultures, the current culture that you live in and the Dominican culture which is a daily experience for the residents of Los Toros. Our respect for their culture demonstrates an acceptance and willingness to work together with mutual understanding and respect.
Costs for the trip are the responsibility of participants; we make every effort to keep them at a minimum with the main expense being air travel. Please contact us for specific details on the cost.

If you are interested in joining us on a trip please contact us at least four weeks before the trip.

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Dominican Culture

Some Thoughts & Reflections on The Dominican Republic
Geography:
The Dominican Republic is on an island called Hispanola, at the West end of the island is Haiti. The island has a beautiful coast (mostly east); mountains and desert like areas. Los Toros is in the South and West area of the country.
Race:
Most Dominicans are Black and of African - Spanish decent. This may vary with some Dominicans appearing to be completely Spanish. All natives to the island died after Columbus came to their island.
Language:
Dominicans speak Spanish, in rural areas there are phrases and pronunciations that vary from the big cities, however, it is mostly consistent. Some Dominicans may be limited in their reading and writing skills. Many Dominicans can speak at least a little English.
Culture:
Dominicans are very friendly and hospitable, especially in rural areas. They will shake hands and hug freely. In some rural areas men will walk hand in hand as a sign of their solidarity. The people love to sing and dance and have their special music called Merengue and Bachata. They are also very generous and kind; if you visit their home they will always give you a chair and ask you to sit; it is very appropriate to sit for a few minutes and accept their kindness. Sometimes they will offer coffee; this means they will brew fresh coffee especially for you; if one has time it is appropriate to accept this hospitality.
Meals in the Dominican Republic are not usually family affairs; sometimes there is not enough food for the whole family and they will take turns at skipping meals. It will appear that there is a lot of food on the table and they may be generous in serving you; it is important to note that sometimes they will share their plate with another person after the meal so it is not improper to leave some food on your plate if they have served you too much. Also, they will try to please you as much as they can, on occasion, if a guest asks for something they will go beyond their means in an effort to provide. Usually Dominicans will only serve safe food and drink so it is safe to accept almost anything; it is not impolite to ask if your drink is "purificado" or "aqua buena". Local water can never be used without purification.
Every afternoon just about every person in the country finds some water to take a bath and then put on clean clothes. Sometimes they will bathe in a river; mostly they will take a bucket of water and bathe with that. In the cities there are flush toilets and showers, in the country there are outhouses and Dominican Bathrooms - trees and bushes - usually people are very discrete.
Families are usually very large and extended; often three generations can be found in a house. Most Dominicans can not afford a church or civil wedding so they just get married. Older people are respected; younger children are loved, but if they misbehave they are corrected. You will notice a definite structure and distinct roles in families; wives care for the home, men work in the fields and control most matters; though recently women have started to take leadership roles in the community. Older children help with younger children, infants are deeply loved by all.
Cultural Shock:
This happens when a person enters and leaves another culture that is radically different then their current culture. It is especially prevalent if there is severe poverty or other drastic conditions. Usually it is instantaneous though sometimes it is not realized until after person returns home from the visit. There are different stages and experiences of this culture shock and it is important to recognize it and address your feelings. Consequently it is important to share your thoughts and experiences with others. It is often good to regroup after a visit to share a little and work together at finding ways to address your feelings. Sometimes these experiences help people to understand not only the new "culture" they have visited, but also the benefits and inadequacies of their own culture. Perhaps one might do a little preventive medicine by preparing oneself for the experience with some reading, thought and prayer. Also, it is good to enter in solidarity with the people of the new culture by forming a relationship with a specific person and establishing a common friendship. Writing letters is a every good way of doing this. It is also useful to keep a little notebook - journal - of experiences, people and places, to bring about understanding as well as solidarity. Taking photos and sending a copy back to new friends is an excellent way of building understanding and solidarity. Above all it is important to keep an open mind and observe all elements of a culture and not just concentrate on conditions of poverty and depravity.

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Travel Information.....

The Dominican Republic is considered to be a Third World Country; consequently travelers will experience some poverty, especially in the rural areas. It is important to be prepared for this type of an experience and we ask that all visitors take time to attend an "orientation session" that we sponsor before our trips. It is important to become familiar with the culture and traditions of the country as well as learning at least a minimum of their language - Spanish. We will furnish travelers with current information and resources for learning about their experience. There is no mail service or phone service in Los Toros; however we can contact people near-by and pass urgent messages and information to visitors. We maintain a list of Emergency Contacts and will make that available.

What You Need to Travel

1. Documents - A Passport - you must have a USA Passport. You also will need to purchase a Tourist Card in Santo Domingo (US $ 10.00) and show it to the Immigration Officials.

Important Health Information

2. Medical - first of all check this web site and read all information very carefully - http://www.cdc.gov/travel/caribean.htm#vaccines

You may need shots or special medication for this trip; you can also check with your doctor for personal advice. We suggest talking with you doctor about taking anti-malaria drugs, at this time it may not be necessary, however in the future it is important to check with us on this before departing. Just to be safe it is a good idea to get protection for Hepatitis A and perhaps B. Inoculation is available at the Ozaukee County Medical Office for a fee: http://www.co.ozaukee.wi.us/PublicHealth/index.html You need to start this about two - three months before the trip. For more information about Hepatitis- please go here: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/

Los Toros is in the third world and though there may not be any immediate medical danger it is important to be aware of possible disease and to use caution. Please read the cdc web site carefully!

There has been some Dengue Fever and TB in the area; there is always a possibility of Malaria but currently none of these are serious threats and it is safe to travel. With the proper precautions there is no need to worry. Hosts in Los Toros understand what precautions are necessary and watch over guests very carefully to protect them - so there is no need to worry - but, please follow our rules!

Please take along in a “carry-on” the clothes and all medical necessities that you will need. I suggest to take an empty water bottle; it will be hot there and we will need to drink liquids. You can buy juice, soda and beer in the village. Host homes will have purified water available. It is very important to drink fluids - you can easily get sick from dehydration. Also, it is very important to wash your hands with strong soap or wipes. Do not touch dogs or cats - they certainly will have parasites!

It is important to have a good Mosquito Repellant and to use it! Also you must use the Mosquito Net at night and be sure it is tucked in securely. If there is electricity and there is a fan available use it at night to blow away any Mosquitoes that may be around. These precautions will not only save you a lot of ugly bites, but also will help to prevent catching Dengue Fever and Malaria (which are rare, but can occur in the village).

3. Clothes - it will be very warm - you do not need a jacket or sweater, but may take one if you like. We will need to protect ourselves from the sun - hats are a must, sunglasses and lotion is also important. You do not need a lot of clothes, Dominicans are usually casual, but neat, however, one set of dressy casuals would be good for special events like church or going to dinner. Jeans are very acceptable and it is OK to wear shorts but most people don't; bring good walking shoes, do not bring hiking boots or sandals; athletic shoes are popular. It is a good idea to have all of your clothes in your carry-on. We will be taking some supplies and check them as baggage. Part of your responsibility to the mission is to help carry supplies. The limit is two checked bags (60 lbs) and one carry-on and a purse or briefcase. But please bring as few personal things as you can and it will be easier to travel around the DR.

4. Personal Items – bring a small notebook - journal and a pen, camera, small mirror (for shaving, etc.), small soap, small shampoo and a towel. Also bring a small flashlight, handkerchiefs, Kleenex or TP, Wash n'Wipes (anti bacteria) and a small umbrella. Mosquito repellent will be handy to have. Please note that current regulations do not allow you to carry all of these in your carry on bag.

5. Gift - for your host family, a small item that is easy to carry, perhaps something for their home.

6. Other Information...........

Emergency numbers; we will give you a list of contacts.

Transportation; as an act of solidarity we use public transportation - bus, taxi, etc. and we will furnish a guide to be with you. Public transportation in Los Toros is usually a small motor cycle. It is important to take safety precautions some Dominicans drive like maniacs - kind of like New York!

We stay at a small hotel in Santo Domingo, in Los Toros we stay with a family.

Spanish is the native language; if you do not have Spanish skills we suggest you set a goal to learn three new words a day, in a month you can have a vocabulary of about 100 words – see our web site.

Costs
Typical expenses for the trip can be approximately: $575.00 for travel; $75.00 - $100.00 for food, $60.00 - $80.00 for lodging (shared rooms) and $30.00 for miscellaneous. We will establish an updated budget for each trip before we depart.

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Current Conditions

July, 2008

Currently there are no reports of disease; however this is only achieved by taking precautions. Though not common and usually very rare there is a slight possibility of Malaria and Dengue Fever in Los Toros. do not be alarmed but please try to help the Los Toros community to prevent disease.

You can help by:

1. Using Mosquito Repellant (with Deet)!

2. Wearing long pants and long sleeve shirts - especially in the early morning and evening.

3. Using a Mosquito Net on your bed at night - they will be available).

4. Helping to cover containers of open water at night.

5. Avoiding contact with mosquitoes in the early morning and in the late afternoon.

Read more about this on the links below.

Again - do not be alarmed - but do be careful!

http://travelersdiseases.com/?FA=learn/travelersdiseases&S=travel_healthy&p=dengue&c=denguetips

http://www.cdc.gov/travel/caribean.htm

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Agenda