Cabarete Taliban

drstock

drstock

Silver
Oct 29, 2010
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Cabarete
I have just returned from a night out in Cabarete, where it seems that the powers that be have imposed some draconian new rules as of tonight. I stand to be corrected and proved wrong, but this is what I have been told by people who work in bars here.

1. No un-accompanied girls in bars.
2. The "Billiard" bars on the main street have to close at midnight. Actually I don't mind this one as the early hours karaoke was horrible - but it will clearly drive these bars out of business, which is a shame because they are very popular with many gringos like me. I can say that these bars were indeed closed at midnight tonight.
3. Girls must wear long trousers - no shorts or short skirts/dresses. Clearly this will be discrimination as it will only apply to Dominicans/Haitians and tourist girls will not be subjected to this Taliban-like interference in their personal lives.

Next week, my guess is burkas to be worn by all non-tourists.

The locals are already complaining about the "gringo" in Puerto Plata who is about to ruin their livelihoods. as it seems the Ministry of Tourism guy who is making these edicts is not Dominican, but Italian, so I am told.

Tonight, there were plenty of attractive Dominican/Haitian girls walking about on the beach, so it seems that for all the family tourists who may be offended after midnight not much has changed - yet.
 
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ramesses

Gold
Jun 17, 2005
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...there is going to be trouble when they start turning away the single tourist girls.
 
waytogo

waytogo

Moderator - North Coast Forum
Apr 3, 2009
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Santiago DR
Nothing that happens here should surprise anyone........
Especially the North Coast........
Normal is the abnormal.......

B in Santiago
 
W

windeguy

Platinum
Jul 10, 2004
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At least those who frequent Sosua for the world's oldest profession will no longer feel they are being singled out now this is happening in Cabarete as well. The crackdown on prostitution does not come from the Ministry of Tourism, it comes directly from the Attorney General of the Dominican Republic. Mayors and tourism directors are the ones who have to carry out this directive. The DR wants to clean up its act regarding this business. This has been extensively discussed in this forum regarding Sosua and the changes being made.

Those who feel that sex tourism is important economically are going to be ignored. It will never completely go away, prohibition does not work, but they really want to reduce the visibility of it.
 
drstock

drstock

Silver
Oct 29, 2010
4,519
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Cabarete
windeguy said:
Those who feel that sex tourism is important economically are going to be ignored. It will never completely go away, prohibition does not work, but they really want to reduce the visibility of it.
Click to expand...

What I object to is the infringement of personal liberties, the discrimination against local people and the closure of bars that I choose to frequent. I think that many visitors will find this objectionable too.
 
U

Uzin

Bronze
Oct 26, 2005
1,386
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From your post only the shutting down of the bars was enforced so the rest is the usual nonsense that comes and goes. Sosua is back to normal after a few weeks of similar meddling.

I think midnight is a bit early for the bars to close and that would hurt them for sure, it is like the powers to be just want to kill the north coast deliberately, every day something new to hamper business, and that is in the low season too, death by thousand cuts ! Why not have a loud noise prohibition instead of shutting down at midnight !?

If ever common sense avails in these parts...
 
E

Expat-in-Cabarete

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Jan 17, 2009
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The OP said "billiard" bars not all bars

Uzin said:
From your post only the shutting down of the bars was enforced so the rest is the usual nonsense that comes and goes. Sosua is back to normal after a few weeks of similar meddling.

I think midnight is a bit early for the bars to close and that would hurt them for sure, it is like the powers to be just want to kill the north coast deliberately, every day something new to hamper business, and that is in the low season too, death by thousand cuts ! Why not have a loud noise prohibition instead of shutting down at midnight !?

If ever common sense avails in these parts...
Click to expand...
 
E

Expat-in-Cabarete

Bronze
Jan 17, 2009
1,622
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Didn't The OP said "billiard" bars ? I thought that meant just billiard bars not all bars.

Uzin said:
From your post only the shutting down of the bars was enforced so the rest is the usual nonsense that comes and goes. Sosua is back to normal after a few weeks of similar meddling.

I think midnight is a bit early for the bars to close and that would hurt them for sure, it is like the powers to be just want to kill the north coast deliberately, every day something new to hamper business, and that is in the low season too, death by thousand cuts ! Why not have a loud noise prohibition instead of shutting down at midnight !?

If ever common sense avails in these parts...
Click to expand...
 
T

tee

Bronze
Sep 14, 2007
1,054
449
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Cabarete
My wife is a business owner in Cabarete, she is Dominican and she likes to go out with her friends and family to the beach for a girls night out. These are all decent girls that have regular jobs but like to go out and let their hair down every now and then, perfectly normal, right? My wife is very slim and likes to wear sexy clothes, not slutty, but she does like to wear skirts as she certainly has the body to wear such skirts. So now, thanks to our fantastic tourism minister, according to the new laws, cannot go out to Cabarete unless accompanied by a male and can't wear the clothes that she feels comfortable in! I am quite sure that a single female foreigner will not be treated in the same fashion....so where is the justice in this? There are many of you out there that know my wife, and there are many of you out there that have a wife like mine, a normal girl, that likes to go out every now and then to have fun in her own town, in her own country!! So messed up!
 
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uncle226

Member
Sep 11, 2007
62
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18
have been to Cabarete many times with gringa friends when they see the sings that woman are not allowed in bars without a male companion they will not be happy . I do not think they are going dress in long paints at a beach bar or restaurant In August in the Caribbean
 
T

the gorgon

Platinum
Sep 16, 2010
33,997
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0
uncle226 said:
have been to Cabarete many times with gringa friends when they see the sings that woman are not allowed in bars without a male companion they will not be happy . I do not think they are going dress in long paints at a beach bar or restaurant In August in the Caribbean
Click to expand...

i don't think your gringa friends will be the objects of those directives.
 
T

texan

Member
Apr 1, 2014
442
2
18
I have been to clubs in Medellin and Cali Colombia that did not let single guys in. I guess they had problems with single guys hitting on girls. They tried to keep it more for couples. There was three of us (guys) and they didn't want to let us in. My friend and his wife showed up and they let us in. The place in Cali it was a crowded night club and they just did not let two of us (guys) in.

I noticed in Tu Candela in Cartagena they weren't letting in certain girls by themselves. This is in the old city and there are quite a few of tourist that go there. Of course all the press coverage got out after the secret service scandal in Colombia but they try to curtail some of the prostitutes in a place like Tu Candela.

I am normally in Sosua at the beach during the day and Cabarete during the day or until 8 pm or so. I don't notice prostitutes during those hours. My spouse and her family do not want to go to Sosua at night because of the reputation there.

I think a lot of it depends on what they are going to enforce. A dress code seems like something weird to enforce especially at a beach location. Like mentioned above people should be able to sexy clothes. It will be wrong if you are punishing locals that are not prostitutes.
 
H

Harleyssuck

Active member
Jul 24, 2014
127
32
28
Why don't they just make Sosua and Cabarete nudist towns. On second thought I am sure no one wants to see me nude!
 
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