So I went to SD again for the 2nd time. This time was much better as I stayed longer. So let me do a quick run-down (sorry for the ton of spelling errors)
The Good- I absolutely loved Hotel Boutique Palacio, this was hands down one of the best hotels ever in SD, I looked at Bilini's rooms and the top rooms at Palacio are much better than Billini's IMO. Also the prices can't be beat.
Also I loved the restaurant El Mes?n de la Cava, the food was amazing and I loved the idea of being at the bottom of a cave an the people in the restaurant were very well-behaved. I also loved Sully's (for the seafood) the service was amazing and going to this area of SD shocked me, very nice apartments and some amazing shopping stores surrounding it. Another fave restaurant of mines is Pat E Palo, although the service is horrible (very slow) but my favorite restaurant here was Pura Tasca, they had the tastiest food and the best service of all of the restaurants. This was odd because they had a small staff, but they were still prompt and gave excellent service and helped me even though I can barely say more than 2 words in Spanish.
Also I actually liked Boca Chica beach, despite what I read here, it wasn't dangerous and if you've been to NYC it becomes easy to say no gracias to the pesky people trying to sell any and everything.
The Bad- Some things I didnt like was the Malecon, this was actually one thing DR1 steered me correctly on, first off it was damn near impossible to cross the street and once you get there the Malecon water looks filthy and smells like ass! I didn't see anything interesting, it was big let down.
The Ugly- The worst part of the trip was the corruption. I tell you this country has the most corrupt police I have ever seen in my life! A friend and I were leaving a gay bar and talking to a buggarone (who I later sadly ended up falling in love with) and the police stopped us and emptied out our pockets and I had some pepper spray/mace, which from my understanding is legal in DR and he starts telling my friend in Spanish that it's illegal for anyone to carry mace/pepper spray there and that they want to take me in...now at this point I'm panicking because I've seen what the SD police apparently do to people near the Banoa River and anyone who owes them money, so finally my friend offers 500 pesos for this officer to let me go and the officer obliged. I was scared to death though and the fact that I went home and saw that mace/pepper spray isn't illegal there ****ed me off even more than a police official would do this.
Also as I was leaving SDQ, the airport guy stood beside me and then took my bag as I was leaving to go to customs and told me that for his service I need to give him $10, I told him that I didnt have $10 and gave him 50 pesos and he said NO I WANT $10 so I gave him 250 pesos and he left me alone. This also happened at a restaurant where I was stalked into giving a guy 500 pesos for a beer, after having to buy him a drink for helping me when I was lost in Colonial Zone.
Something else I dislike which makes me sad is how some gay Americans treat the gay Dominican men and buggarones. Ive heard stories about some Americans specifically going to DR knowing that they have HIV or fill-blown aids, yet still going to DR and sleeping with these young men without protection. Makes me sick to my stomach! For one that is illegal in the US, but ****es me off that someone would go to a 3rd world country and do some $hit like that, knowing that many of these young men (most younger than 22) who prostitute themselves cannot afford to live with HIV as it's damn near impossible to afford treatment....I'm not going to go into details but shame on Americans who do that! And I wish the DR would prosecute any American or European citizen who does something like that knowingly! Also I wish young poor Dominicans could be more educated on the dangers of unprotected sex.
The Ridiculous So I fell in love with 2 different Dominican men, one a buggarone and the other a university student (don't worry I am also in my 20's, not one of those old creepers who go there for men)
But when I say fell in love I mean deep in love as in I am thinking about trying to get them to come with me to the US. Damn near cried at work today thinking about one of them... Don't know how or when I'll get over wither of them. They were the only 2 guys I hooked up with while there. And before you ask no I didnt have sex with either one of them.
But overall this was a great tip and I can't wait to come back! Hopefully with a ring on it!
Feel free to ask questions!
The Good- I absolutely loved Hotel Boutique Palacio, this was hands down one of the best hotels ever in SD, I looked at Bilini's rooms and the top rooms at Palacio are much better than Billini's IMO. Also the prices can't be beat.
Also I loved the restaurant El Mes?n de la Cava, the food was amazing and I loved the idea of being at the bottom of a cave an the people in the restaurant were very well-behaved. I also loved Sully's (for the seafood) the service was amazing and going to this area of SD shocked me, very nice apartments and some amazing shopping stores surrounding it. Another fave restaurant of mines is Pat E Palo, although the service is horrible (very slow) but my favorite restaurant here was Pura Tasca, they had the tastiest food and the best service of all of the restaurants. This was odd because they had a small staff, but they were still prompt and gave excellent service and helped me even though I can barely say more than 2 words in Spanish.
Also I actually liked Boca Chica beach, despite what I read here, it wasn't dangerous and if you've been to NYC it becomes easy to say no gracias to the pesky people trying to sell any and everything.
The Bad- Some things I didnt like was the Malecon, this was actually one thing DR1 steered me correctly on, first off it was damn near impossible to cross the street and once you get there the Malecon water looks filthy and smells like ass! I didn't see anything interesting, it was big let down.
The Ugly- The worst part of the trip was the corruption. I tell you this country has the most corrupt police I have ever seen in my life! A friend and I were leaving a gay bar and talking to a buggarone (who I later sadly ended up falling in love with) and the police stopped us and emptied out our pockets and I had some pepper spray/mace, which from my understanding is legal in DR and he starts telling my friend in Spanish that it's illegal for anyone to carry mace/pepper spray there and that they want to take me in...now at this point I'm panicking because I've seen what the SD police apparently do to people near the Banoa River and anyone who owes them money, so finally my friend offers 500 pesos for this officer to let me go and the officer obliged. I was scared to death though and the fact that I went home and saw that mace/pepper spray isn't illegal there ****ed me off even more than a police official would do this.
Also as I was leaving SDQ, the airport guy stood beside me and then took my bag as I was leaving to go to customs and told me that for his service I need to give him $10, I told him that I didnt have $10 and gave him 50 pesos and he said NO I WANT $10 so I gave him 250 pesos and he left me alone. This also happened at a restaurant where I was stalked into giving a guy 500 pesos for a beer, after having to buy him a drink for helping me when I was lost in Colonial Zone.
Something else I dislike which makes me sad is how some gay Americans treat the gay Dominican men and buggarones. Ive heard stories about some Americans specifically going to DR knowing that they have HIV or fill-blown aids, yet still going to DR and sleeping with these young men without protection. Makes me sick to my stomach! For one that is illegal in the US, but ****es me off that someone would go to a 3rd world country and do some $hit like that, knowing that many of these young men (most younger than 22) who prostitute themselves cannot afford to live with HIV as it's damn near impossible to afford treatment....I'm not going to go into details but shame on Americans who do that! And I wish the DR would prosecute any American or European citizen who does something like that knowingly! Also I wish young poor Dominicans could be more educated on the dangers of unprotected sex.
The Ridiculous So I fell in love with 2 different Dominican men, one a buggarone and the other a university student (don't worry I am also in my 20's, not one of those old creepers who go there for men)
But when I say fell in love I mean deep in love as in I am thinking about trying to get them to come with me to the US. Damn near cried at work today thinking about one of them... Don't know how or when I'll get over wither of them. They were the only 2 guys I hooked up with while there. And before you ask no I didnt have sex with either one of them.
But overall this was a great tip and I can't wait to come back! Hopefully with a ring on it!
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