Trip Report: Feb. 14-28

eboy

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Feb 26, 2003
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Eastern DR Trip Report: hotels, money, buses

Me: solo, male, 38, tall, fair-skinned, decent Spanish, previous similar travels: 3x Spain, 2x Morocco
Research: I searched LonelyPlanet-ThornTree and dr1.com before leaving... PS thanks Old Hippy.

FOOD:
-Water: make sure water is marked with a symbol denoting one of the bottled water organizations
-I did eat streetfood, and my gut was lousy for two weeks... Immodium.
-Dominican friends treated me to a seafood platter in Bavaro, near Punta Cana, at Capitan Cook's (?) on the main drag-- VERY fresh-- it's practically walked right in from the beach
-travelling thru San Pedro de Macoris? -grab some take-out Chinese on the main crossroads where all the gua-guas stop. -decent Mexican in La Romana too, if you tire of chicken, rice and beans...

HOTELS:
-LP prices were pretty accurate, I called one day ahead usually
-I paid in pesos unless marked by $ (US)

Town: Hotel: Price: Air/fan: Water: Comments

LA ROMANA: Aparthotel Libra: 450: air: hot water: fine
SANTO DOM: Presidente: 350? air: hot water: lousy
SANTO DOM: El Refugio del Pirata/Pirate?s Haven: 600 fan, hot water: --LP guide warns of bad service, but reread the name of the place!
BOCA CHICA: Dahania's Village: $15: fan: cold water: had a new owner- kind of disorganized
LAS GALERAS: Paradise Bungalows: $25: fan, cold water -recommended- 2 blocks from beach, lots of good restaurants nearby-- loved B&B ?Por Que No? for breakfast
SAMANA: La Aguada (?): 300(?): fan: hot water: no screens!/used mosquito coils, farther from centre, but closer to nature (frogs croaking) than the Hotel Donia in the centre of town (also known as Dosia??)
NB: a tout guided me there, which helped but was not necessary -- try a motorcycle concho to La Aguada-- it's up a hill behind a French-run place (with aircon and screens)
BAYAHIBE: Cabanas Francesca: 300 (was quoted 250 on phone): fan: cold water
(Hotel Bayahibe was going for 400+ for a room with air)

MONEY: CANADIAN/US/PESOS

-one would think that exchanging twice would be too costly, but I used US$ Amex Traveller?s Cheques (TCs) and US$ cash from Feb 14 to 28, changing at banks and casas de cambio and paying for most things in pesos - it was the right move

-US dollar went from 25 pesos down to 21/22 during that time -- despite Government measures, I hear it is up to 26.5 today (Sunday Mar 23)

-CDN dollar went up from 10 to 11/12, but its real value was 15+, as my credit card and President's Choice (PC) statements showed afterwards
- I used a Credit Card only in reputable-seeming places

-if you have PC or CIBC, certain CIBC ABMs in Toronto and Montreal dispense US cash at a good rate, (and PC levies no service charge)
-I bought US$ AmEx TCs with US$ at no commission at an AmEx office
-before leaving, I bought a few pesos in downtown Toronto and got only 10 per CDN$

-I used my PC debit card in an ABM in Samana and got 15.5 pesos per CDN$, with only a $3 service charge

-see dr1.com for the current rate-- that MAY be close to what you will get for cash at a Casa de Cambio, usually a little less at a bank-- my experience was the opposite for TCs: better at the banks, but longer waits
-saw only one place charging a commission to exchange-- the sole bank in remote Las Galeras

TRANSPORT: GUAGUAS/BUSES/PUBLICOS

After just a two week trip, I now trust that a gua-gua (is it true that it is slang for crocodile?) goes where you want to go, and that it is waiting very close to you, ready to fill up and leave. The only problem is finding it -- the stations and routes are not clearly marked, and if your Spanish is not great, there will be some confusion and frustration until you realize how extensive the system is. Not available later in the evening, from my experience.
You almost don't need to walk- there is a motorcycle, taxi or bus ready to take you anywhere. Most hops of an hour or so range around 20 to 40 pesos. The ferry from Samana to Sabana de la Mar was 50 pesos.
It will be a few years, if ever, for the new train route from Santo Dgo. to Santiago to be built.

Tourist maps: http://www1.tip.nl/~t794614/mapdr.htm

Santo Domingo Transit:
I think this is the map of some the publico/shared taxi and gua-gua routes:
http://www.amet.gov.do/corredores/index.html

-see also: www.dr1.com/travel/expect/transportation.shtml

-The p?blicos currently cost 6 and the gua-guas are 6, (or 5)?
-The OMSA city buses cost 3 for non-air and 10 for air, and they cover only the most major streets (2002 map available -- for viewing only -- inside the El Conde police station -- SEE link below).
-All of the above appear to stop running around 7pm-ish?
-After that, call a regular taxi -- it should not exceed 100 pesos, including any informal/voluntary gas surcharge.

OMSA CITY BUS ROUTES: Their buses are not dented...
Descriptions and some maps at: www.omsa.gov.do/slocal.htm
(printing a copy of this could save you a lot of hassle and cost in SD)

SAFETY:

In my brief time in RD I felt as if the biggest danger to me as a North American, was the traffic.

I am a Canadian born in the States, and I never felt any need to avoid being taken for an American, unlike my experience in some other countries, including my own.

I was careful, esp. in the capital, but I never found out if my safety was any more compromised than when I travel in dodgy parts of US cities. (Careful, but not paranoid, usually applies.)

I wonder if the DR and the US may actually be similar in danger levels. Guns are more evident in the DR than in the US, though this does not prove they are more numerous. I was in a bar in Bayahibe, and the customers were all very drunk, as was the bartender, and the cross-eyed security guard too. His shotgun seemed superfluous, as the scene was very mellow.

Other non-Dominicans expressed the concern to me that these gun-toting guards would be more dangerous to themselves or bystanders in a fire-fight, and no-one really could explain if it is necessary that they pack so much heat.

One regular American visitor (ex Peace Corps) did say that the military presence has dropped dramatically in recent years, and I saw very few police officers. The few camouflaged Army types I saw were lightly armed -- less so that the numerous private security guards. Apparently the traffic police (in green) are less corrupt that the Policia Nacional.

Again, the greatest threat to my health seemed to be drivers, the poor quality of some roads, sidewalks and some vehicles, and street lighting at night.

If my experience of generosity from the family of my DR friend is any use, then you may find a warmness that will over-rule any resentment of some locals. Sure, some will see you as a source of money, just for being from away, but most people did take No for an answer, especially if I was friendly but firm.

ciao!

e
 

Escott

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Jan 14, 2002
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eboy said:
Eastern DR Trip Report: hotels, money, buses

In my brief time in RD I felt as if the biggest danger to me as a North American, was the traffic.

I am a Canadian born in the States, and I never felt any need to avoid being taken for an American, unlike my experience in some other countries, including my own.

Great post filled with usefull information.

I just want to comment on you feel unsafe in Canada as a American. Only place I have ever felt a problem from Canadians for being a US citizen was on this board.

There have been some agressively nasty people here from Canada towards the US. I just put it off to their inferiority complex or random jealousy about you pick it.

I felt the same way about the DR regarding safety as a US Citizen. No problemo. Funny thing is as a New Yourka the traveling in my rental car seems quite natural to me and I just put on the thinking cap of a NYC cab driver and left the fear to the Dominicans:).

I think that any animosity that I have seen come out of the mouths of the political people are as meaningless as breasts on a bull since I consider the value of their politics and morals under that of a bucket of camel shit. When I read about the war protests I get this feeling of Gringos with a few followers who would follow them jumping off the roofs of buildings also.

I just got back last night and had a great time without the slightest bad experience including a 1 night 2 day stay in Santo Domingo while the rest of the time was spent on the north coast.

Regards
 

Meredith

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Jan 24, 2002
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Great Report!!

I greatly enjoyed reading it! Thank you for sharing all of your information that you gained during your trip. Very interesting, I am glad you enjoyed your trip.
 

dale7

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Apr 18, 2002
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Enjoyed your report

Sounds like you had a great time and you traveled around the DR. Very informative with useful information. Making me wish I was back there again.
dale7(Howard)
 

Gordo

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Mar 16, 2003
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Good report!

Good report with lots of info! I will have to bookmark it for our next trip to the DR. We plan on spending a week in Punta Cana and then will try to get to Las Galeras via local transportaion for our second week.

We have travelled around the north coast quite a bit and a little in the La Romana area and have never felt unsafe. Like you, we felt most at risk when travelling on the roadways - but we sure enjoyed the thrill of it!
 

Larry

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Mar 22, 2002
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eboy

I wish more people would post informative trip reports such as yours instead of the typical: day 1: woke up,went to beach , played golf, etc. meaningless relays. I especially liked the hotel descriptions accompanied by price.Thank you .
Larry