I recently traveled to the Dominican Republic and while I was there, I ran into some funny things that are very different than here in the USA. The following list has 12 things that everyone should know before they go to this beautiful island.

Some places are humid. And some places are hot. The Dominican Republic is hot and humid at the same time to the 100^th power. I have lived in Virginia my whole life so I know firsthand what humidity in July and August is like. Imagine that on a huge scale. The DR makes July and August in Virginia look like a nice fall day in October. All of this humidity means that as soon as you jump out of the shower with your hair soaking wet, you will already have all of your hairs standing up. You can put it in a bun or ponytail or leave it down but your hair is going to be frizz central guaranteed. Don’t bother taking an hour to straighten your hair; spend an extra hour on the beach instead.

2. The Toilet Paper Does Not Go In The Toilet

In the USA (at least in most places) we go to the bathroom in the toilet and we put any toilet paper that we have used in the toilet and we flush. Imagine doing your business and putting the toilet paper in a trash can. Not only is this highly annoying, but it creates a smell and is a huge mess. Supposedly the toilets get clogged if you flush any paper down them and there are signs everywhere telling you this. Even living in the country with a septic system we can still flush articles down the toilet so I have no idea what other countries are waiting for…

3. SPF 40 Is Not The Same In The DR As It Is In The United States

I don’t know if it’s because you’re closer to the equator or if it’s because it does really rain there or if it’s because the lowest temperature is 77 degrees Fahrenheit but the sunscreen is not the same in the Dominican. Wearing SPF 40 in the states is pretty common and is actually pretty strong. You can apply it two or three times a day and be okay. I usually don’t wear anything more than SPF 20 or 30 at the very most. That is not the same in the DR. I was wearing SPF 40 there and within 2 hours on the first day I was burned to a crisp. I mean lobster central. I could not lay on my back or my front. I laid on my side and even got burned on the side that was exposed to the sun. For the rest of the trip, I had to wear a shirt, lay in the shade, and still apply sunscreen multiple times a day.

4. No Health Department...Food Contamination Is Welcome

It was Italian night. There was a build-your-own pasta bar. You could choose from different pastas and different sauces and different vegetables. Some of the vegetables used the same utensils to scoop them out. There was only one sauce spoon that was being rinsed in the water where the noodles were being warmed. Some of the fruit that was out didn’t have individual forks so that you can put them on your plate. There were also pastries and breads that you had to use your hands to get off the bar. Ew. Not to mention when you get a drink at the bar, the glasses are being washed in front of you. They are dipped in soapy water and rinsed and then your drink is served…

5. Most People Know At Least 4 Languages and None Are English

I know English. I took Spanish in high school. I can understand certain words and talk around a few words—I am nowhere near fluent; let’s just say that. I understand that the native language in the Dominican Republic is Spanish, but it is a huge tourist destination and a lot of people speak English. The workers speak very little English which makes it very hard to communicate about anything—where your bags are, what you want to drink, and where you need to be meeting for a boat to pick you up. I don’t think that people not knowing English is an issue, but I just find it funny that most people speak Spanish, Italian, French, and Creole. So maybe before taking a trip to the DR you should learn one of those languages and don't relay on English to get you by.

6. 10 Dominican Minutes Could Be 30 Seconds, Two Hours, or One Day

While on my trip to the DR, I took a trip to another island. Once I could finally get an understanding of where the boat was going to be, I asked how long until the boat picked me up—I was told that the boat would be here in “10 Dominican minutes." The boat took 45 minutes to arrive. When we were on a bus on the way back to the airport, I asked how long it would be until we arrived and the driver said “five Dominican minutes” which ended up being an hour. The moral of the story is that island time is definitely a whole different thing.

7. Airport Security Is A Joke

On the way from Baltimore to Punta Cana, I went through a full body scan. I had to remove a bottled water from my bag and I had to put my laptop in a separate bin so that TSA could make sure I had nothing harmful in my bag. That is what I am used to and I think that security should be even more strict. On the way back from Punta Cana, I walked through a metal detector and had a minor pat-down. I had my sunglasses pinned to my shirt, I had on Dominican bracelets, and I had a liter of water in my backpack. I was not stopped for anything. And to top it all off, the pilot on the plane ride back was walking around the cabin drinking sodas with some of the passengers. I have honestly never seen anything like this.

8. If You Don't Have Mosquito Repellent, Plan To Stay Inside

As I have said previously, I have lived in Virginia my whole life and because of that I know what a horsefly and mosquitoes are. But �that is literally nothing compared to the bugs on this island, not to mention that the bugs in the DR carry different viruses than the ones in the States and the bites seem t�o itch way more. Even when you are swimming in the water or have your feet in the sand, the bugs just don’t know when to stop.

9. Don't Come To A Restaurant Thirty...It Will Take 45 Minutes To Get A Drink

I don’t think that I have ever waited for a water or an alcoholic drink or anything for as long as I had to in the DR. When you sit down, you have to wait 10-15 minutes to place an order and then it takes at least 20 minutes to actually get the drink. You might want to go ahead and order two drinks while you’re there because you’re going to be waiting a while.

10. Everyone Has Their Own Job

You cannot ask the man placing the silverware for a drink, you cannot ask the woman pouring your coffee for an orange juice, and you definitely cannot ask the person taking your plate for a new fork if you dropped yours on the floor.

11. Everything Is Negotiable

The Dominicans have a lot of “specials." They say that something is for today only, they are giving only you the special deal and you can’t say anything to anyone else about it. My sister and I bought two necklaces and the man gave us two free pairs of earrings too! The price started at $345 for all of it and my sister and I each paid $15. We were not supposed to tell anyone and that offer was only good for that day and it was only for my sister and I and they would never give that deal to anyone else. I don’t know about you, but that sounds a little fishy to me…

12. Rules Aren't Followed

There were very few rules at the resort—the beach closed at 7pm and so did the pool, no glass could be taken away from the bar area, and you needed to wear a top on the beach. Long story short, people were on the beach well past 7pm and there were topless women on the beach every day. The people not only didn’t follow the rules, but the workers didn’t care. They never told people to leave the beach, put a shirt on, or keep their glasses by the bar.

In conclusion, the island of La Dominica Republica is very beautiful, but it is very different from the United States. But I would never suggest that someone should not visit it; in fact, I highly recommend the trip!