Stichting Help

September / October 2017

Visit during Hurricane Maria.

Only 4 days after hurricane Irma had passed I was able to fly to Puerto Plata and luckily the damage was not as bad as expected. In particular, many trees were blown over, wooden houses vanished and also the beaches affected.
I got off to a good start and the first 10 days passed without any problems.

The flooded North coast

It had already rained for more than four weeks when I arrived, and the North coast of the Dominican Republic (DR) had been declared a disaster area. There were another two weeks of torrential rains during my stay. Houses, roads, bridges and crops were washed away and there were also some victims. This had not happened for 60 years. Mopping up with the tap running was put into practice here. The airport was closed several times because everything was flooded. The water washed into the hotel rooms a few times. I had put my bags and everything off the floor out of precaution, but the next day the water was also dripping a bit out of the ceiling and, of course, onto a soft case…..
However, boots, umbrella and a hairdryer help you through everything (if there is electricity).

Staying only two weeks instead of three in Sosúa ensured the necessary stress. Certainly in the DR, where everything is checked (or not) at the last possible moment!
TUI has made trips for three weeks enormously expensive, therefore only two weeks away.