The resort has its own taxi stand with prices posted. As with everything, though, the prices can be negotiated. For example, Juan approached us and asked if we wanted to take a tour of the city. He called us "mi familia" and confided that when shopping always offer half of the quoted price.
So, when he told us he'd take us to the Brugal rum factory and give us a tour of the city for $25.00, we countered with $17.50 US. At first he didn't get it, but my wife soon had him smiling and he came down to $20.00. The tour was about four hours. Juan was the guide while Banco drove. So, let's do the math. They made $10 apiece for four hours or $2.50/hr. The jaded among you might say that's a good salary, I think it's woefully sub-standard. Anyway... the tour:
We drove through the Puerto Plata "Beverly Hills" area and saw the fine houses. We asked if blackouts affected the houses here and they both laughed and said "Everyday."
We saw some modest houses and Juan said they cost about $20,000 USD. My wife and I don't have 20K just sitting around, but we could fund-raise and get that much in about a month. It fueled some dreams for a bit. (Don't worry, I know it is not that easy. We are merely dreaming of owing a bit of your paradise.)
Juan took us to Central Park and showed us the Catholic Church. We bought some scratch off lotto tickets and gave some to both Banco and Juan. Neither are big gamblers and they didn't appreciate it as much as we hoped. One of the scratchers we kept hit for $10RD, so hopefully one of them got something.
Our first shopping stop was in a jewerly store that specializes in amber (yeah, I know that really whittles it down.) We happened to stop during a blackout in town so we got to experience shopping in the dark with the owner inviting us to go outside in the sunlight to see the quality of his blue amber. We walked up the street to a pharmicia so I could get batteries for our camera.
We stopped at another store and looked at more of the same touristy things. We ended up getting postcards, a nicknack and a bottle of mamajuana spices. She wanted 850RD for the twigs and leaves and I said no. Finally, she said she would sell it for $600RD and start it for us from her own 20 year-old stock.
I'm a rube, so I wouldn't know 20-year old stock if it slapped my in the head, but she seemed sincere enough and I said yes. It wasn't the worst mistake I made that day.
Next it was to the San Felipe Fort. The fort is a great old building that has an incredible view of the ocean. We were charged $15RD each to walk through it, but the sense of history is well worth it.
We stopped at a little restaurant on the beach to use the restroom and have some water. Three bottles of water ran about $60RD. This is where I heard that US coins are worthless here. A little kid was giving out flowers and had 2 US quarters. Juan and Banco tried to wave the boy away to keep him from pestering us, but he sat down on the curb and never took his eyes off of us. Juan explained about the US coins when my wife reached for a quarter to give him.
We gave the boy a US dollar but we forced him to give us the quarters. You guys will know if we were scammed. If we were, it wasn't the worst mistake I made that day.
The Brugal rum factory was very interesting. Best yet, it sells Rum for $4.00 USD. This is something to consider when you think you'll be drinking $30 a day of liquor alone in the all-inclusive.
We were walking down one of the small streets in town when I spotted some colorful T-shirts. I already got my shirt on the beach and I wanted to get my wife one of these Tees to wear when we got back. I told Juan we were going into the store and that's when I found out mi brother, mi familia was on the take.
"No, no, no" he said. They will fade with the first wash. I'll take you to a place to get a good shirt that'll last forever.
When we went into the shop Juan steered us to, the proprietor had a clerk busy my wife with T-shirts and took me in the back to the cigars. He gave me a free Cuban Cohiba. I don't usually smoke cigars so its not like I would recognize the difference in Dominican vs. Cuba cigars in the first place. Second, I had NO knowledge of the cost of Cuban cigars. So when I ended up buying two boxes of the vanilla cigars I was not only a rube, I was a foolish rube.
2 boxes of cigars, 3 T-shirts, and a bracelet that is nothing more than a trinket. The owner pounded $140 USD on the calcuator, I countered with $65. My wife, far more wise than me obviously, wanted to forget it all and walk. Instead I settled at $75 USD. Yeah, a rube mistake but I am nobly considering it my contribution to the Dominican economy.
So, when he told us he'd take us to the Brugal rum factory and give us a tour of the city for $25.00, we countered with $17.50 US. At first he didn't get it, but my wife soon had him smiling and he came down to $20.00. The tour was about four hours. Juan was the guide while Banco drove. So, let's do the math. They made $10 apiece for four hours or $2.50/hr. The jaded among you might say that's a good salary, I think it's woefully sub-standard. Anyway... the tour:
We drove through the Puerto Plata "Beverly Hills" area and saw the fine houses. We asked if blackouts affected the houses here and they both laughed and said "Everyday."
We saw some modest houses and Juan said they cost about $20,000 USD. My wife and I don't have 20K just sitting around, but we could fund-raise and get that much in about a month. It fueled some dreams for a bit. (Don't worry, I know it is not that easy. We are merely dreaming of owing a bit of your paradise.)
Juan took us to Central Park and showed us the Catholic Church. We bought some scratch off lotto tickets and gave some to both Banco and Juan. Neither are big gamblers and they didn't appreciate it as much as we hoped. One of the scratchers we kept hit for $10RD, so hopefully one of them got something.
Our first shopping stop was in a jewerly store that specializes in amber (yeah, I know that really whittles it down.) We happened to stop during a blackout in town so we got to experience shopping in the dark with the owner inviting us to go outside in the sunlight to see the quality of his blue amber. We walked up the street to a pharmicia so I could get batteries for our camera.
We stopped at another store and looked at more of the same touristy things. We ended up getting postcards, a nicknack and a bottle of mamajuana spices. She wanted 850RD for the twigs and leaves and I said no. Finally, she said she would sell it for $600RD and start it for us from her own 20 year-old stock.
I'm a rube, so I wouldn't know 20-year old stock if it slapped my in the head, but she seemed sincere enough and I said yes. It wasn't the worst mistake I made that day.
Next it was to the San Felipe Fort. The fort is a great old building that has an incredible view of the ocean. We were charged $15RD each to walk through it, but the sense of history is well worth it.
We stopped at a little restaurant on the beach to use the restroom and have some water. Three bottles of water ran about $60RD. This is where I heard that US coins are worthless here. A little kid was giving out flowers and had 2 US quarters. Juan and Banco tried to wave the boy away to keep him from pestering us, but he sat down on the curb and never took his eyes off of us. Juan explained about the US coins when my wife reached for a quarter to give him.
We gave the boy a US dollar but we forced him to give us the quarters. You guys will know if we were scammed. If we were, it wasn't the worst mistake I made that day.
The Brugal rum factory was very interesting. Best yet, it sells Rum for $4.00 USD. This is something to consider when you think you'll be drinking $30 a day of liquor alone in the all-inclusive.
We were walking down one of the small streets in town when I spotted some colorful T-shirts. I already got my shirt on the beach and I wanted to get my wife one of these Tees to wear when we got back. I told Juan we were going into the store and that's when I found out mi brother, mi familia was on the take.
"No, no, no" he said. They will fade with the first wash. I'll take you to a place to get a good shirt that'll last forever.
When we went into the shop Juan steered us to, the proprietor had a clerk busy my wife with T-shirts and took me in the back to the cigars. He gave me a free Cuban Cohiba. I don't usually smoke cigars so its not like I would recognize the difference in Dominican vs. Cuba cigars in the first place. Second, I had NO knowledge of the cost of Cuban cigars. So when I ended up buying two boxes of the vanilla cigars I was not only a rube, I was a foolish rube.
2 boxes of cigars, 3 T-shirts, and a bracelet that is nothing more than a trinket. The owner pounded $140 USD on the calcuator, I countered with $65. My wife, far more wise than me obviously, wanted to forget it all and walk. Instead I settled at $75 USD. Yeah, a rube mistake but I am nobly considering it my contribution to the Dominican economy.
