taxes on beers that is a shame.... and a small one here in POP 50 pesos...
T.E.
HAHA...funny, but i see a problem with the logistics here: the first problem is that puerto plata (POP) is 52km round trip from Cabarete. that will take at least one galloon of gas and 1 hour of driving to get there and back. right now, a gallon of gas costs around $250 pesos a gallon.
2.) The second problem of course is this: Puerto plata is a glorified dump. no, really. 15 to 20 years ago there was so much potential there, and it looked like it might become of the caribbean's premium tourist desitinations. It was definitely on its way there. Now, the tourist business--and all of the jobs and prosperity that follow tourism--has moved to the south east corner of the island: Punta Cana and Bavaro. Today, puerto plata has been steadily going down hill...and very fast. That's a shame. No, it's a crime!
3.) The third problem of course is that traffic in Puerto Plata--particularly around the main public hospital on the main street going through town--is totally insane. Here in Cabarete, we have one street--the length of two football fields--crossing through town. This means you can walk anywhere you want in 10 minutes; you can even walk the whole length of town along the beach and never see the road. in fact, you can walk nearly to Sosua--as far as Sea Horse Ranch--along the beach and its nothing short of amazing, breathtaking! Not so in Puerto Plata...unless you have a mobile A/C unit attached to your shoulder to keep you from passing out from all of the pollution and heat.
4.) The fourth problem is that Puerto Plata had so much potential to develop the Malecon and build modern, state-of-the-art, beach front condos like we have here in Cabarete with the Millenium, Ocean Dream, Seawinds/Punta Goleta, Ocean Point 1 & 2, Ocean One, Playa Ventosa...and further down the road Perla Marina, Sea horse Ranch, Ocean Village, etc--too many to list right here. Instead, drive down the malecon today in POP and it feels like one is driving through the Bronx in 1971. The only thing missing is Isaac Hayes and SHAFT's Fleetwood cadillac. It's a shame, no...it's a crime, seriously. And it's beyond comprehension that the Malecon never developed any modern real-estate developments across the street from the ocean when places like Punta Cana, Bavaro, Las terrenas, Cabarete, Sosua, and many others--have all managed to build modern, beautiful, stunning condo complexes--including modern restaurants, beautiful ocean front cafes, casinos, etc. instead, POP allowed the malecon to dilapidate into a near ghetto. that's such a crime. They could have easily have built beautiful, stunning, modern structures directly across the street from the beach, and had they done this, right now, today, the Malecon would have been lined from one end to the next with upscale restaurants and cafes and condos and people would drive there from all over to see and experience it.
So...today, it wouldn't matter if the beer was free. i'm not going to drive 52km round trip just to stare at a polluted, traffic infested, 1971 run-down Bronx look-a-like dilapidated town--just to save on a beer. Not to mention, there are no bars on the beach where i can sit and watch bikini clad surfer girls and boys walking past every minute while i simulateanously sit on the beach watching sports on 6 different satellites at restaurant/bar with no concrete walls or doors obstructing my view.
...you know what i mean?
Frank
