La Vega Carnival a bust this year?

Golo100

Bronze
Jan 5, 2002
2,138
56
0
It seems this carnival has fallen in bad times. Last Sunday it was practicly rained out, so everyone who missed last Sunday jammed packed La Vega's streets for nothing. The Diablos went out very late(5PM), so people who had to go back to their towns spent more time travelling back and forth than watching. Everything now is much more expensive. Bus fare has gone up from $120 to $160 and up. Driving by car is madness. You'll have to pass by military roadblocks, police harassing drivers for money, long lines at gas stations, slow pace returning home and worst of all Duarte Highway is full of potholes(so bad you can hardly miss one). It is sad commentary on a country where its main thoroughfare is in such deplorable condition.
The Diablos have fallen in hard times themselves. I hardly saw any new outfits(costumes) as they usually do. Most diablos looked outworn from previous years' costumes. Even the new ones did not improve much and they were not very fond of having their pictures taken with you like previous years. It seems more and more that Diablos are now paid employees and not hobbyists anymore. I used to relish the years when this was a sport for people who spent their own money to join a "comparsa" because they love being a diablo. These new diablos look tired and discontent. They take off their masks often and the result is a real "nasty looking chopo tiguere del barrio" wearing the outfit with no manners and little class.
Promoters and sponsors should take a close look at this. I may not go back again unless this gets better organized. One thing that was impressive were some Brazilian like girls walking the runways there. But they were nearly untouchable and hard to look at because their bodyguards rushed them and did not allow anyone to get close. Of course, with so many tigueres trying to grab their nice buns, who blames them. They were terrific looking.
Stay away from the so-called Expreso Vegano Bus Line. Their buses are in such desrepair that you find them broken down full of passengers on the highway. Then the next bus has to stop to help them and carry their strung up passengers. But the worst is that the Express isd not an express. It is a LOCAL!! It stops everywhere a campesino wants to get off. Then it takes about 5 minutes to pick up speed. Stay away from the back of the bus. You'll regret it.
Golo
 

ExtremeR

Silver
Mar 22, 2006
3,078
328
0
I went this Sunday to the carnival with my girlfriend, I had a blast and she did too, but sadly I have to agree to some points in your post.

My first concern is the precarious state that the Carretera Duarte is (do you imagine trying to miss 5 potholes at 75MPH one after the other?) Second of all is yes I saw a lot of tigueres beeing the Diablos hitting anybody who is in their path and not receptive to take pictures with you. The prices were really high for anything, the same thing that you buy at $40 in one corner you could find it at $15 in the other, that was frustrating. But still the joy is still there, and you can have a good time avoiding and beeing pummeled by vejigazos...
 

Mujermaravilla

New member
Jun 15, 2006
379
44
0
It seems this carnival has fallen in bad times. Last Sunday it was practicly rained out, so everyone who missed last Sunday jammed packed La Vega's streets for nothing. The Diablos went out very late(5PM), so people who had to go back to their towns spent more time travelling back and forth than watching. Everything now is much more expensive. Bus fare has gone up from $120 to $160 and up. Driving by car is madness. You'll have to pass by military roadblocks, police harassing drivers for money, long lines at gas stations, slow pace returning home and worst of all Duarte Highway is full of potholes(so bad you can hardly miss one). It is sad commentary on a country where its main thoroughfare is in such deplorable condition.
The Diablos have fallen in hard times themselves. I hardly saw any new outfits(costumes) as they usually do. Most diablos looked outworn from previous years' costumes. Even the new ones did not improve much and they were not very fond of having their pictures taken with you like previous years. It seems more and more that Diablos are now paid employees and not hobbyists anymore. I used to relish the years when this was a sport for people who spent their own money to join a "comparsa" because they love being a diablo. These new diablos look tired and discontent. They take off their masks often and the result is a real "nasty looking chopo tiguere del barrio" wearing the outfit with no manners and little class.
Promoters and sponsors should take a close look at this. I may not go back again unless this gets better organized. One thing that was impressive were some Brazilian like girls walking the runways there. But they were nearly untouchable and hard to look at because their bodyguards rushed them and did not allow anyone to get close. Of course, with so many tigueres trying to grab their nice buns, who blames them. They were terrific looking.
Stay away from the so-called Expreso Vegano Bus Line. Their buses are in such desrepair that you find them broken down full of passengers on the highway. Then the next bus has to stop to help them and carry their strung up passengers. But the worst is that the Express isd not an express. It is a LOCAL!! It stops everywhere a campesino wants to get off. Then it takes about 5 minutes to pick up speed. Stay away from the back of the bus. You'll regret it.
Golo

So, let me get this straight

you are complaining because you know have to pay 5 dollars istead of 4 for transportation

You are B!tc#ing because during a world financial crisis people don't have money to get NEW costumes that cost HUNDREDS of dollars. (yet you don't want to pay 5 to get there)

you think that because you paid 5 bucks to get to La vega these "tigueres" should come out during noon and sweat to death inside their old raggady Diablo costumes.

Once you are there you don't want to pay "high" prices. Maybe the prices are high compared to your everyday colmado due to the fact that they have to upkeep costumes and pay people to wear them so you can complaint about having to pay 5 buck to get to la vega.

Just a thought
 

Golo100

Bronze
Jan 5, 2002
2,138
56
0
Mujermaravilla..are you or have you ever been a diablo? I was involved with this thing when diablos were diablos. I even won a few first prize awards for my New York friends in the Panitas comparsas. I speak from experience. On the money side, if I pay an increase I expect service, not a bunch of outdated, broken down buses that act like FENATRANO voladoras. I expect real bus lines to provide a service for the bucks, not excuses. I also expect the driver and the company to control their buses instead of letting a bunch of hoods take over the bus and turn them into an inferno. You either don't know what you're talking about or maybe you are one of those rude barrio girls that need to hear their own screams and loud cell phone talk in front of a crowd.
 
Mar 2, 2008
2,902
544
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"You either don't know what you're talking about or maybe you are one of those rude barrio girls that need to hear their own screams and loud cell phone talk in front of a crowd."

So, which is it, Mujer? Rude girl or girl doesn't know?

Enquiring minds want to know.

Just kidding.
 

Mujermaravilla

New member
Jun 15, 2006
379
44
0
"You either don't know what you're talking about or maybe you are one of those rude barrio girls that need to hear their own screams and loud cell phone talk in front of a crowd."

So, which is it, Mujer? Rude girl or girl doesn't know?

Enquiring minds want to know.

Just kidding.

Neither.

I'm not going to pretend that I am an expert at all things just because you guys don't know me. No I have never been a diablo but I've played one on TV.

seriously, I know people who have and it is very expensive to be a diablo. and I also know that a lot of fabric on your body at high noon in the tropics is very hot.

in regards to service... if you wanted good service why didn't golo go with caribe tours or one of the private tours that go up there? maybe could have paid for a taxi since he seems so high class, calling everybody a tiguere, or campesino, or chopo barrio girl. Or are you your self a chopo using chopo services? Please 5 bucks in NYC doesn't even get you a 4 block taxi ride.

You want service? you want a carnaval up to your "standards" then pay for it. That is all.
 
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cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
40,964
936
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It seems this carnival has fallen in bad times. Last Sunday it was practicly rained out, so everyone who missed last Sunday jammed packed La Vega's streets for nothing. The Diablos went out very late(5PM), so people who had to go back to their towns spent more time travelling back and forth than watching. Everything now is much more expensive. Bus fare has gone up from $120 to $160 and up. Driving by car is madness. You'll have to pass by military roadblocks, police harassing drivers for money, long lines at gas stations, slow pace returning home and worst of all Duarte Highway is full of potholes(so bad you can hardly miss one). It is sad commentary on a country where its main thoroughfare is in such deplorable condition.
The Diablos have fallen in hard times themselves. I hardly saw any new outfits(costumes) as they usually do. Most diablos looked outworn from previous years' costumes. Even the new ones did not improve much and they were not very fond of having their pictures taken with you like previous years. It seems more and more that Diablos are now paid employees and not hobbyists anymore. I used to relish the years when this was a sport for people who spent their own money to join a "comparsa" because they love being a diablo. These new diablos look tired and discontent. They take off their masks often and the result is a real "nasty looking chopo tiguere del barrio" wearing the outfit with no manners and little class.
Promoters and sponsors should take a close look at this. I may not go back again unless this gets better organized. One thing that was impressive were some Brazilian like girls walking the runways there. But they were nearly untouchable and hard to look at because their bodyguards rushed them and did not allow anyone to get close. Of course, with so many tigueres trying to grab their nice buns, who blames them. They were terrific looking.
Stay away from the so-called Expreso Vegano Bus Line. Their buses are in such desrepair that you find them broken down full of passengers on the highway. Then the next bus has to stop to help them and carry their strung up passengers. But the worst is that the Express isd not an express. It is a LOCAL!! It stops everywhere a campesino wants to get off. Then it takes about 5 minutes to pick up speed. Stay away from the back of the bus. You'll regret it.
Golo
Holy Crap!

I've been to Carnival Vegano twice this year. Or, I thought it was. It was NOTHING like you described...

Opinions vary, apparently...
 

NALs

Economist by Profession
Jan 20, 2003
13,370
3,150
113
Holy Crap!

I've been to Carnival Vegano twice this year. Or, I thought it was. It was NOTHING like you described...

Opinions vary, apparently...
That's how you know you're on DR1! :cheeky:

-NALs
 
May 31, 2005
1,489
21
0
I went to La Vega on the 15th and had a blast at the carnaval. That is all I gotta say.

The diablos did not have a problem posing for pictures. They did hit me hard a few times. LOL