2-Wk Trip Report Sosua/Cabarete

JanH

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Dec 26, 2002
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This is our second thread concerning our 2-week trip to the Sosua/Cabarete area in February. The other thread is under ?Living? where we shared our experience of buying a house in Sosua. The following is strictly experiences of vacationing in the DR.

Transportation: Ok ? we couldn?t wait to experience the public transport that everyone discusses in the forum. What an adventure it would be! Well, that novelty wore off after 1 day and only 2 trips. The first car flagged down was a mini-van (gua gua) with 13 people already in it. We squeezed in anyway. My husband?s knee ended up in the crotch of a local and the guy?s knee was in Doug?s crotch too. With the swerving, bumpy road, hubby kept his eye on his knee, trying to freeze it in place. By the time we got off, he was sweating profusely and his leg cramped so bad from the frozen position that he walked with a limp for 5 minutes. I just chuckled.

On the ride back, we flagged down a 5-passenger sedan. No problem. But after a mile, 3 more people got in. My husband was impaled on the gearshift in the center console. His natural air bags were the driver on the left and woman with 3 packages on the right. No fear of flying through the windshield, he was wedged in tight. I, on the other hand, was in sitting sideways in the back seat, with my breast pressed hard against a guy?s arm. If that guy flexed his arm muscle, I knew I?d end up with an inverted nipple.

One day ? 2 experiences ? dun that. Next morning, we called a taxi. All was pleasant, but we didn?t want to depend on that for 2 weeks. We rented a car for the duration of the trip. Got it from a wonderful girl named Diey at Universal Rental in Cabarete, at the recommendation of our realtor. Great service, delivered it to us and picked it up at end of trip. Nice car. Paid $36/day including taxes. May could have got it cheaper, but car and service were excellent.

Driving Experience: Doug was nervous the first day, getting use to dodging pot holes, scooters, and watching out for people coming at us head-on when passing. But after that, he was a natural in driving like the Dominicans do. Where he would have had road rage in the states, he just calmly veered to the side of the road when someone was passing and he lightly honked when going around scooters. The highways are largely not striped, but they are about 3 car-widths wide. So, when people pass, they just use the center of the road and everyone else hug the edges. Doug was nervous at night because many of the scooters didn?t have back lights and he was afraid he would run over a dark scooter because of the blinding lights of oncoming passing traffic. Unfortunately, he continued the Dominican-way of driving when we got back to Kentucky ? passing on double-yellow lines, coasting through stop signs, etc. Coincidentally, many potholes developed here from the ice and snow; he gleefully swerved up and down the road and pretended he was on a DR highway.

Money: Took half cash/half traveler?s checks and had debit and credit cards. We had enough for the vacation, but needed a lot more after we purchased a home and wanted to buy furniture, etc. Debit card never worked in any of the ATMs; but from advice from this forum, we made sure to try the machines at the banks while they were open, in case card got stuck or couldn?t get money. No problem ? we just went in the bank and they ran it through their machine and it worked. Bank readily cashed the traveler?s checks, but most businesses don?t take them. Used a credit card for a large purchase and got slapped with a 3% fee for processing exchange. (I didn?t read small print)

Credit card warning ? Forget the published exchange rate in newspapers/banks in any country. The credit card merchant uses the World Bank exchange rate. Example: Charge $2000 USD. DR merchant gets 48000 pesos, based on published exchange rate that day. Your card statement, however, charges you $90 more. Why? Because they use the ?official exchange rate? of the financial markets. Advice: You must call your credit card company ? that day - from the 800 number on the back, and let THEM give you the exchange rate. Or the merchant can call, but that?s how it works.

Restaurants: We ate out every day ? all 3 meals. For breakfast and lunch, we usually ate at PJ?s or La Roca in the heart of Sosua. Big breakfast is about $3. La Roca has the best French toast I?ve ever had. Lunch is about $4. If eating at La Roca, ask for ?local menu?. Stuff is cheaper on it.

At night, we ate at the Waterfront, which has a great dining area, protruding out into the ocean on a big rock plateau. Food was excellent. We also ate at Moroa?s across from PJ?s. We ate a few places in Cabarete on the beach side, but don?t remember the names. In Cabarete, for breakfast, we ate at a small place on the right side that just served pastries. They were homemade fresh and were delicious.

Just our preference, but we like dressing for dinner and prefer ambience at night. All restaurants charged about $10 for a good lobster meal. Service was pretty good in all. We didn?t particularly like the slowness in getting the bill. We don?t blame the waiters, we just think that might be custom that people languish in conversation after dinner, but we prefer to get up and go right after we eat. This slowness didn?t irritate us; this is just part of getting use to the customs of another country.

Restaurants get crowded after 7:30 pm. Any time before that, you almost have it to yourself.

The People: Oh, where do I begin? Since we ate all of our meals out, we averaged 3 hours a day sitting at roadside restaurants watching people. We watched all classes of locals interact with one another and with tourists. They are so pleasant with everyone. The women are very attractive and demure. There was not one local in the 2 weeks of watching people that had dirty/ragged clothes. They must take great pride in their appearances. Even the shoeshine boys had clean, attractive clothing. The teenagers dress and act about like American teens. They have the same low-rider cars, with the speakers in the trunk or back of pickup. They wore the same type clothing but not near as ragged looking as you see on our college campuses.

Had a lot of fun watching the antics at Pluto?s bar. One Dominican girl and her European boyfriend had a little tiff, she left and then returned on her scooter. She rounded the corner on to Pedro Clisante and promptly ran over his foot. 30 seconds later they had kissed and made up. The girls were usually attractive, neat, and well dressed. We saw some older American men with Dominican escorts. The women looked bored and the men acted giddy. Geez.

The Tourists: god, what a sorry lot. I guess when people vacation somewhere else, they say to hell with how they look. We saw women, scantily clad, in the middle of the day, walking down the middle of the streets. They not only were oblivious to traffic, or arrogant about it, their bods didn?t warrant a tiny midriff T-shirt. You won?t see a Dominican dress like that during the day. And at night! You?re sitting at a candlelit table with fine china and silverware, listening to the dinner entertainment on stage, with the ocean breeze tickling your earlobes, holding the rosebud the waiter just gave you, and in walks a flip-flopping, hairy chested, middle-age guy in a muscle shirt and bathing suit. There goes the appetite. What?s funny is the young tourists who can carry off dressing like that, didn?t. It was just the mid-life crisis people. In fact, the only topless woman we saw on the beach was this 50-60 year old with small breasts that looked like tennis balls stuffed in knee-high socks.

I read in one of my DR books on Dominican Society and from ?dress code rules? of a resort in La Ramana that DR locals never wear shorts for dinner. They always dress up. The rules at the resort said long pants are required for men and dress or slacks for women at night. From observing the nice clothes the Dominicans wore in the evening, I was totally embarrassed for the slovenly foreigners. Dressing as is customary for the locals, is just one step in ?blending in? and accepting the culture of another country. Since we plan on coming back again and again, we are determined to abide by their customs.
 

JanH

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Dec 26, 2002
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Thanks! - you know, i didn't mean ALL tourists. just enough on a daily basis to make an impression.
 

DamnYankee

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Feb 9, 2003
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Should I "Abide by thier customs" when it comes to tipping (zero percent) Or should I use the American standerd of 20% ?
 

Amber

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You had me rolling with your description of the gua gua! That happened to me when I missed the bus I was supposed to take, including having the gear shift between my legs! That was some trip! lol
I really enjoyed your story and am very glad you mentioned the bit about the dress code. :)
 

JanH

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Dec 26, 2002
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it's 15% where i come from in the states.

and it's 10% in the DR, whether it be a waiter or maid.
 

JanH

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Amber - Thanks!

my husband made me tone down the experience in the gua gua. it was too graphic for this board, he said. geez.
 

Amber

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I bet!! lol
Still on list of things to try pertaining to transportation are: getting on one of those four-door pick-up trucks for an one hour trip. Tell your husbad to avoid the middle seat!! lol
Another is the famous four people on a motor chonco ride.. a must.
;)
Amber still LOL
 

mkohn

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Jan 1, 2002
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I counted 19, I think, in our gua gua ride from Puerto Plata to Sos?a. We were not sure where to go when we got dropped off, but we found the Waterfront. Nice place with a breathtaking view. We turned around back "down town" and wound up finding the beach. Nice beach. Smaller than I remembered it, but that's normal.
Lots of shops with beautiful artwork.
Thanks for reminding me of the great time we had.
mk
 

chicker

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Jan 1, 2002
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Nice report, thanks!!

I thoroughly enjoyed all your observations and the helpful hints. You have the gift of brevity in your journals, which I lack :(
Yeah, how 'bout them tourists? Do the men really think that the whole world's interested in looking at their hairy calfs? Caramba! I saw this same bunch in Rome trying to enter the basilica at St Peters looking like they'd just stepped away from pool party. Manners; it's a dying art. Thanks again for the report. Very well done.
st louis mike
 
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JanH

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Dec 26, 2002
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st louis mike - Thanks for your post. (BTW - i live only 3 hrs from you)

Someone from NY once said you can always spot the tourists on the streets in Manhatten 'cause they're the only ones dressed in sweatshirt/jeans/tennis shoes.

Most tourists don't understand that blending in is the key to the best prices on the street. We even got a "spray tan" before coming down so we wouldn't stand out.
 

DamnYankee

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Feb 9, 2003
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Whats wrong with looking like a tourist, especially if you come from the greatest place on earth? I'll be wearing my pre-torn Abacrombie shorts and sandals everywhere I go. As for getting the best prices I just act partially interested during hagling, then say "no thanks" and leave. The next time they see me they'll take whatever I'm willing to give them (50-75% less) and walk away knocking thier left elbow with right knuckle. Ha ha ha, I love that game.

Bringin it loud and proud from USA
 
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Ken

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Jan 1, 2002
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DamnYankee said:
I'll be wearing my pre-torn Abacrombie shorts and sandals everywhere I go.

Just keep your shirt buttoned so that your beer belly isn't hanging out. Otherwise they will think you are German.
 

Escott

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Jan 14, 2002
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www.escottinsosua.blogspot.com
"Someone from NY once said you can always spot the tourists on the streets in Manhatten 'cause they're the only ones dressed in sweatshirt/jeans/tennis shoes."

I lived in NYC for 12 years. Last on 84th and West End Ave. Your someone didn't know crap about Manhattan. Not unusual for Jeans, sweatshirt and sneakers. Not many suits in Riverside Park nor Central Park on any given day nor anywhere else on a weekend.

"Most tourists don't understand that blending in is the key to the best prices on the street. We even got a "spray tan" before coming down so we wouldn't stand out."

hahaha, now I have heard it all. Spray tan? Fitting in? Maybe that is what the Damn Yankee missed:) I bet that they saw you a mile away. Good prices have nothing to do with blending in. I would wager that DamnYankee would have bought your house for 10% less! LOL

I can't believe you are giving advice with such limited knowledge and experience in the DR. Your spray tan says so much about what you do NOT know.

"The Tourists: god, what a sorry lot. I guess when people vacation somewhere else, they say to hell with how they look. We saw women, scantily clad, in the middle of the day, walking down the middle of the streets. They not only were oblivious to traffic, or arrogant about it, their bods didn?t warrant a tiny midriff T-shirt. You won?t see a Dominican dress like that during the day. And at night! You?re sitting at a candlelit table with fine china and silverware, listening to the dinner entertainment on stage, with the ocean breeze tickling your earlobes, holding the rosebud the waiter just gave you, and in walks a flip-flopping, hairy chested, middle-age guy in a muscle shirt and bathing suit. There goes the appetite. What?s funny is the young tourists who can carry off dressing like that, didn?t. It was just the mid-life crisis people. In fact, the only topless woman we saw on the beach was this 50-60 year old with small breasts that looked like tennis balls stuffed in knee-high socks."

Yeah, all tourist should be just like you with the spray tan and all.

I guess I feel differently about your report than the others do. I think you need a dose of humility to be passing judgement on so many when you have 2 weeks of experience in a country you know so little about. Not only don't you know anything about the country but you bought property in a declining market which isn't usually the best idea.

You now have plenty of time for regrets about your home purchase. The honeymoon won't last forever. That is why you got such a great deal (in your opinion) to begin with is a good guess.

Give your high and mighty attitude some thought. Personally I have been laughing at your condescending attitude, your poor decisions and your silly advice.

I do wish you good luck and happiness with your home purchase and in life but if you put all the good wishes on one side of the scale and all the practical experiences on the other your wishes will lose.

Good luck!
 

JanH

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Dec 26, 2002
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Lighten up, jazzcom.

We spent 2 weeks on NORTH coast - you don't know crap about our previous trips to the island - and you nothing of our previous travels in the Caribbean.

If anyone has an attitude, you're it. Sounds like my Tourist section really hit a nerve with you (guilty?). Sounds like our home purchase hit a nerve too (jealous?)