Moving night to The Zone

Colonial Zone Santo Domingo Dominican Republic sight seeing and history, the parks of Santo Domingo If I ws home in DR I would probably be sitting in this park at the Cafeteria wih friends having a beer and talking. Being warm and in the sun instead of cold and in the house on the computer. Oh well..this is life for now.
Now where was I?..Getting my belongings from old place to new place..
I talked to everyone I knew to find someone with a truck. Finally a guy I knew said he had a friend with a van and he would move me. He told me it would be on Wed. but he would call fisrt. I got boxes and had all the non-essentials packed. He never showed up. I ended up calling him, a bit pissed off. He acted like it was nothing that I was packed and waiting. So he told me maybe on Friday but he would call first.
Well, the norm here, he didn't call. He came rushing in saying lets go! I was not packed. He was throwing my stuff into boxes, not wrapped. I was very angry but I had to deal with it if I wanted moved. It was dark outside. We couldn't see inside the van. Things were being thrown into the van not in any safe order. One of the legs of my computer desk was broken off as it was thrown into the back of this nasty dirty van.
Then when we got to my apartment. Friday night, a bar below my place. There was a big party with the American Embassy people and they were all in the street. We were trying to take things out of the van and get them upstairs. Going through a group of very happy, drinking humans blocking the way with every trip up the stairs.
It was very dificult. I was not in the mood for talking to people. I wanted to punch the guy that "helped" me and broke alot of my stuff. But I was IN! I had my belongings in the new apartment. Sniffy and I had arrived to Zona Colonial and our new home.
The man that helped me move went and got a few beers for us to drink. I just wanted him to go so I could get stuff organized so at least I could have a place to sleep for the night. I had a pole up for clothes hanging thanks to Jimmy. He came in and we put up a shelf in the bathroom (we used the metal back of an old computer, very ingenious). The clothes pole was also a divider for the bed and the living area. It was a little small but I didn't need much cause I didn't have much.
I finally got rid of the guy that helped me move and went down to see what my surroundings were like in the night. There were many people in the park all enjoying themselves. Sniffy was sniffing around trying to figure out where was going to be her pee and poo place. We walked over to the Colmado and got a beer and sat in the park and observed.
People were nice but noone really talked to me. Tey said hi and just seemed to be observing me, the new Gringa in the neighborhood with a funny looking no eyed dog.

Finding the Zona Colonial Apartment

I wanted to live in "The Zone". Without a car and not liking being stuck in the apartment at night. I didn't like paying a taxi when I could walk someplace. I always thought that a taxi ride was the same price as a few beers. So if I walked I could stop and drink my taxi ride and enjoy it a whole lot more!
So I went to the Galeria to hang with Mamita and Jimmy one day with the intent purpose of going on an apartment quest. Of course, Dominican style, we had to sit around and discuss that I might not be able to find one. That it may be too expensive. That it could take a long time locating a place. In true Dominican form the discussion could have continued forever about all the what if's. So I embarked on my quest.
I knew the general direction I wanted to live in so I just started walking and asking people I saw. I found one place right away but it was too small. I'd never fit me, my dog and my small amount of belongings in that place so I continued.
I learned that day what not to do. I'm so used to people helping out because they want to not because they expect money for it. Maybe buy the person a beer or just a thank you was always good, or so I thought.
I asked some guys sitting on a step drinking if they knew any places around for rent. They saw Gringa and dollars all over me I guess. The guy took me around the corner, where I was heading anyhow, and showed me a sign. Of course he wanted to call the number on the sign cause the guy was his "best friend." We went to the nearest Colmado and I forked over the pay phone money. I was going to call with my celphone but didn't want to hand the guy my phone. We had a beer (I paid) while he made the call. There was no answer. So I needed to keep looking. I tried to get away from the guy cause he was getting a little loud. He wouldn't let me go! He wanted money. The Colmado guy told him to quit bugging me. I was getting pissed. I didn't want to give him money after I gave him a few cigs and got a grande presidente for us to share. But to get rid of the guy I gave him the change I had. I wasn't going to give him and bills! Did he think my head screwed on! jejeje
I had my cash, other than a hundred pesos, in my bra. I call that boob money. I told him all I had was the change and a little more to get home with. I gave him the change and told him "largate de me"(Get away from me. Mamita taught me that)The Colmado guy started talking to him so I could make my get away.
I wrote down another number and returned to the galeria so Mamita could call the number of the apartment. I figured it was better to get a Dominican ask for the price of the apartment so I could get the normal price and not the American price.
We got the guy and he met me at the apartment in an hour. I took Mamita with me, and we picked up a few other friends on the walk. Some tourist guy that was from Argentina and a Dominican friend, Chino, who is my Dominican brother and self-proclaimed body guard. We all walked down to see the place.
Suprisingly the man was only about 10 minutes late. We all went in and looked around. It was a studio apartment so there wasn't a lot to look at. The balcony is what sold me. I could see the Caribbean from it. And there was a park and a perfect place for Sniffy, the dog, to enjoy. So I told the guy right there I wanted the place. He called the owner and the next day we all met at the galeria.
Mamita was my co-signer. I took a lawyer friend of mine to sign the lease just to make it look good. I DID pay that lawyer with beer only. I paid my 3 months. !st month rent, deposit and the other fee that is non-refundable which I have never figured out. But it is the custom in the country.
I had my apartment. Just where I wanted to live. I was very lucky. Now I just had to figure out how to get my stuff from the old place to the new...