I write about life in the Dominican Republic and many of the Lessons I have learned. This page is dedicated to many crazy things I have seen. These pictures are not the typical beautiful beaches and babes you’d expect from a Dominican Republic related site. These pictures are REAL Dominican Republic life! If you like these pictures you will LOVE all of the pictures in the Bonus Section. Buy a book today and gain access to that area, where there are many many more great pictures.
Enjoy!***
Motos: the Dominican Republic’s preferred Transportation:
In various sections of the book I write about motos and how important they are for transportation. If you own a moto you are ready to open just about any type of business. Motos are commonly used to deliver food and other items purchased at local stores or restaurants. Motos are also great for helping people move from one house to another. Motos are great because they are environmentally friendly... Well, not all of them... Motos are great because they are virtually indestructible and can carry just about any load. Motos Dominican Style!
Taking the Family out for a Drive... or Ride... Dominican Republic Style! I do not know which one is right. Oh well, I guess the point is you can fit your WHOLE family on a moto!
In this pic it looks like dad is taking his daughters for a ride on the family Moto! Just a normal ride down the street. Three people on a moto. Nothing out of the ordinary.
When the moto passes a quick snapshot shows that there are actually five people riding this moto! It is amazing to think five people can fit on a moto, but in the Dominican Republic many amazing things happen!
After a closer look from a photo taken just as the moto sped past we find one other young lady directly in the middle of the sandwich. This must be a world record for the most people ever to fit on a moto. An entire family of SIX riding on a moto! Amazing.
Coffin or Tool Box? I passed this fellow on my way from Santo Domingo to La Vega. From a distance I thought he had a coffin on the back of his moto. As I got closer the box seemed to get smaller so I am guessing it is not a coffin.
The picture really does not do too much justice to this box. It is at least as wide as the bike is long. I am betting it was full of some sort of tools.
Mysterious Package... As we were traveling down the highway we noticed an odd looking package on the back of a moto. One of the oddities was that it was raining fairly well. The driver of the moto had on a poncho and seemed dead set on making it to his destination. But what was in the package. It seemed to move a little every now and then...
Can you tell what this guy is carrying. Kind of a queer looking package if you ask me. The rice sacks are fairly normal looking but the brown and read thing in the middle that seems to move every couple seconds is what’s got me.
The poor fellow moving his head around to keep the rain out of his eyes is a chicken! In hind sight I am wondering how many chickens this guy is carrying on the back of his moto. Those bags are filled with something.
How to Carry 1000 Loaves of Bread As the description explains we came upon a very odd looking object as we were traveling east out of the Capital toward La Romana. There was a queer looking shadow up ahead. As you probably know by now my instant reaction was to tell my wife to GET THE CAMERA OUT NOOOOOOOWWWWW! Luckily she is quick with the camera and we got these priceless pictures of a bread delivery guy. He is probably 20 miles from any sort of civilization, just happily cruising down the freeway. Try this in the good ol’ US of A! I love the Dominican Republic!
You better believe it because this stuff is too good to be fake. I mean seriously, where in the world could you see a guy with 1000 loaves of bread on a motorcycle? Nowhere, except the Dominican Republic! I LOVE THIS PLACE...
With an Umbrella or without an Umbrella? This picture is a poor picture because the rain was torrential. What is an interesting question to me is whether you would prefer to be riding the moto on the left--without an Umbrella-- or the one on the right--with an Umbrella. Such an interesting question. I can only imagine the umbrella does not withstand very high speeds. The Dominican Republic is such a unique place!
Dominican vehicles can simply carry more stuff...
Another phenomenon on top of the motos and their unbridled ability to carry just about anything are the wide variety of other Dominican vehicles and their determination to carry everything. There are no load limits in the Dominican Republic. There are no height limits, at least not from the government. There are also no regulations on how any particular load needs to be secured. In this photo, two gentlemen who appear to be in their late fifties ride on the back of a pick-up truck to hold items stacked as high as they are tall. They are traveling down the Malecon in Santo Domingo, which is a busy three lane thoroughfare. Notice the SINGLE red rope holding the load!
This picture is named “How to load a pickup truck Dominican Style”
How to carry a goat...
Most animals are a source of food for one person or another. In the Dominican Republic just about every type of animal is eaten, with the exception of dogs, cats, and possibly horses. The picture below makes me believe there is one person who has decided to have a pet goat. It must have taken a lot of time to get the goat to hold on for his afternoon ride around town. What a nice and thoughtful way to show your friend around!
***DISCLAIMER: I have not taken all of these pictures personally. I also make up the stories about what is in the picture. If you’d like to submit a picture to be posted here email me at ross@MovingtoDR.com
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Ross Weber
www.MovingtoDR.com - Dominican Republic