are there safe barrios in the DR?

Manuel832

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hi,

i have wondered this for a while now however i never get the chance to ask the question because i get so busy.

are there barrios or campos that foreigners can go to and hang out with regular and respectable dominicans without the fear of getting a bullet put in his chest.

ofcourse i speak passable spanish so that wouldn't be a problem. i just like that idea of mingling and hanging out with normal people from the barrios or campos but would like to blend in and not worry about safety too much.

thanks
 

CFA123

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are there barrios or campos that foreigners can go to and hang out with regular and respectable dominicans without the fear of getting a bullet put in his chest.

unfortunately as most dr1 members can attest, hanging out with regular and respectable Dominicans often results in bullet wounds to the chest. If that's not to your liking, perhaps you should target hanging out with extremely tall or midget respectable dominicans. Most gunfire would then go over your head or in the case of a midget respectable Dominican, at worst graze your thigh.
 
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amstellite

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not wanting to sound flippant but the DR is in my opinion a far safer place than say New York where I live.. Just speak to a Dominican- many areas are very poor- but I find they can be the greatest places to be.. Dominicans are very fine people and will help you out-don;t listen to all the press about you being a dead man if you walk outside the resort compounds- they will let you know if you are somewhere where you are not- many times people will tell me to watch myself in an area- one day an old woman just came over to me and put her hands on my neck- I jumped -even though she was about 70, but she was merely telling me to take off my gold chain which I had foolishly left showing - so they will let you know - but she but are you talking just getting off a gua gua in the middle of anywhere and setting foot in a colmado. I travel the country by bus and gua gua all the time- I have never had anything bad happen to me ( there , now I've jinxed myself and I go back in two weeks!! Darn!!!) I regularly " mix" with the locals in the colmados, dance bachata , drink a Jumbo presidaente and share with others
in places like La caleta or Andres andI have an awesome time- is there the chance of trouble??? sure- like anywhere else- but it's more likely to be in the fashion of getting ripped off for the price of a beer or someone asking for cash for something.
Still , it is not wise to wander into any areas you don;t know- some areas are quite bad and you can get in some trouble. but befriend a Dominican and go with them to their colmado- you'll have a ball- and hopefully you shouldn;t end up in the emergency room. ?
 

Hillbilly

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I believe that the OP was trying to get a closer look at real Dominican life. And while that is laudable, it is not necessarily practical.
In the first place, you will stick out like a sore thumb. You cannot possible "blend" into the scene. Your color, your clothes, even your facial and hand movements as well as your speech will mark you instantly.
In the second place, a reality check: Where do you "hang" in the States or whereever you are from? Is it the hood? Is it the neighborhood bar and grill or tavern?
Why on earth would you want to venture into a hood here, if you don't go there in your home town?

Regarding a campo, you would probably be better off safety-wise, but again the issue is: "Does it really make sense to go to a campo colmado and sit on a beer crate and drink beer and look a locals?" You cannot fit in. That is a given. They will think you are a missionary, a social worker or something similar. You will be given answers that they think you want to hear. In a few years of going back year after year, you might make some friends that would be on the up and up with you. There are lots of "instant VBFs" in the DR, since the right VBF might get them a visa....

That said, you have received some good advice. If you can hook up with a local, say a taxi driver, office worker, or whatever, they will probably invite you to their house, be it ever so humble. You would be safe, certainly not a target for the local criminal element, and yes, there are many places you could hang out (with local escorts) with no problems. You had better not flash money or bling--it is bad taste in the first place--or you would be likely to be relieved of all that stuff, you don't do it at home do you?

Finally, think about this. Can it be done? Yes. Should it be done? Depends on who you meet and who you hook up with. That will be up to you. If you sleep with dogs you get fleas.

HB
 
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Manuel832

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I believe that the OP was trying to get a closer look at real Dominican life. And while that is laudable, it is not necessarily practical.
In the first place, you will stick out like a sore thumb. You cannot possible "blend" into the scene. Your color, your clothes, even your facial and hand movements as well as your speech will mark you instantly.
In the second place, a reality check: Where do you "hang" in the States or whereever you are from? Is it the hood? Is it the neighborhood bar and grill or tavern?
Why on earth would you want to venture into a hood here, if you don't go there in your home town?

Regarding a campo, you would probably be better off safety-wise, but again the issue is: "Does it really make sense to go to a campo colmado and sit on a beer crate and drink beer and look a locals?" You cannot fit in. That is a given. They will think you are a missionary, a social worker or something similar. You will be given answers that they think you want to hear. In a few years of going back year after year, you might make some friends that would be on the up and up with you. There are lots of "instant VBFs" in the DR, since the right VBF might get them a visa....

That said, you have received some good advice. If you can hook up with a local, say a taxi driver, office worker, or whatever, they will probably invite you to their house, be it ever so humble. You would be safe, certainly not a target for the local criminal element, and yes, there are many places you could hang out (with local escorts) with no problems. You had better not flash money or bling--it is bad taste in the first place--or you would be likely to be relieved of all that stuff, you don't do it at home do you?

Finally, think about this. Can it be done? Yes. Should it be done? Depends on who you meet and who you hook up with. That will be up to you. If you sleep with dogs you get fleas.

HB

hi bh,

thanks for the post. and yes i have lived in africa for some years and lived with the locals before and it really wasn't that scary.

imho the criminal element in any place is marginal if that and for the most part if you use your witz. i.e. don't stay out too long and be with people you trust it shouldn't be a problem. hanging out with high class people is fine but it can in fact get boring. they just hang an ego that ****es me off. it must be a 3rd world thing.
 

RacerX

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hi bh,

thanks for the post. and yes i have lived in africa for some years and lived with the locals before and it really wasn't that scary.

imho the criminal element in any place is marginal if that and for the most part if you use your witz. i.e. don't stay out too long and be with people you trust it shouldn't be a problem. hanging out with high class people is fine but it can in fact get boring. they just hang an ego that ****es me off. it must be a 3rd world thing.

I was thinking about your post as I was walking back from the supermarket in the rain. I think you ll be fine. The thing that Hillbiilly assumed was that your appearance is similar to his and this will make you standout. In fact we dont know your appearance. I d like to say that you can go wherever you want as long as you keep your wits about you. In Santiago, I was walking around and went down this street that has Fortaleza San Luis on it and it progressively got uglier. And then at the base of the hill on Circulavacion I crossed the bridge over a river into Bella Vista and it got better looking. Now I knew absolutely no one there. And I m sure it wasnt a cool place to be lost at night. But overrall I believe if I had known someone there with whom to hang out with I d be fine. And also if I had my own way(car) of leaving that area I d be fine. This was in walking distance of my location but you may want to go out further in search of locals.
 

Hillbilly

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When did it rain? In Santiago? Humm, there was a teensy-tiny mist, but no freakin' rain....and it is getting serious.

But back to the point.

I "assumed" nothing. I did not want to make any comment that could be construed as race related since that is "vorbotten" (sic) on the site.

But no matter: Black or white, brown or yellow, he will stand out and be immediately identified and "not from there."

However, if that is what he wants, `so be it.

I cannot imagine any meaningful conversation in a barrio, can you? Beyond the plight of the ?guilas who are not winning, and the price of "combustible", what could they talk about...>>??

However, to each his own..

HB
 

Chip

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I cannot imagine any meaningful conversation in a barrio, can you? Beyond the plight of the ?guilas who are not winning, and the price of "combustible", what could they talk about...>>??

Ditto.

To the OP, I'm a gringo and have lived here in the DR for 4 years with my Dominican wife and kids and get along fairly well in the language. Nonetheless, my experience tells me the types of conversation that are to be had in the local colmados are very boring and mundane. Maybe you would find it interesting discussing the local baseball team or worthless politicians or somebody's neighbor's business or some wacky way to make money but the reality is that you will be seen as a business opportunity, plain and simple, as you really will never fit in. Not unless you buy a house in the immediate area and get to know your neighbors. Otherwise you will just be considered a tourist.

My experience tells me you have no idea what relatively uneducated people speak about at such places, and if you are a missionary per chance, colmados aren't the place you would go to talk anyway. If you have some ulterior motive, beware who you run with, ie if you are looking at getting local chicas you never know you might run unwittngly run into her primo hermano, and that wouldn't be good to say the least. There are a lot of "primo hermano's" out there too, for example my wife probably has ten of them.
 

Lambada

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i have wondered this for a while now however i never get the chance to ask the question because i get so busy.

So...........it isn't that much of a priority, then, asking this question? I'm not being critical, I'm merely suggesting you should examine your motivation for asking it and also your motivation for 'wanting to hang out in the barrios'. If there is a vision that this is 'normal' life in the DR and that you would be off the tourist track, then yes you are correct. But 'normal' does not necessarily equate with 'quaint'. Life in the barrios isn't a spectactor sport. Most of us who live here go to visit long term friends or after emergencies like flooding, to do something useful. Developing real friendships in this country takes years and the product of a tourist tripping through some barrios isn't real friendship, although you will get the 'act' put on because people are extremely courteous and do not want to offend. So you have to ask how 'real' is that act and whether you want people 'performing' for you? Or whether by your action you are pushing them to do so? On the other hand, if your car breaks down anywhere, including in the middle of nowhere, you will get offers of help and that IS real.

It is entirely different if, as stated above, you are invited to visit an person who lives in a barrio who is already a friend. They would look out for your safety so it would not really be an issue. But you can't manufacture these situations and if you 'hang out' without prior invite that, in the main, is what the situation would be, manufactured.
 

RacerX

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When did it rain? In Santiago? Humm, there was a teensy-tiny mist, but no freakin' rain....and it is getting serious.

But back to the point.

I "assumed" nothing. I did not want to make any comment that could be construed as race related since that is "vorbotten" (sic) on the site.

But no matter: Black or white, brown or yellow, he will stand out and be immediately identified and "not from there."

However, if that is what he wants, `so be it.

I cannot imagine any meaningful conversation in a barrio, can you? Beyond the plight of the ?guilas who are not winning, and the price of "combustible", what could they talk about...>>??

However, to each his own..

HB

HA! Bro you are funny! Not them Damn Yankees, but them Damn Aguilas, right? Ha! No, I was referring to the rain in NY at this very moment. And German words written with an F are pronounced like V, so forbidden=forbitten which sound verbitten(which is why Volkswagen is actually pronounced Folks Wagon=the peoples car, and if you notice the W is a double v sound Vagon).

But anyhow you re right. I m not sure how interesting conversation could be with a gueto tipo. In 1999 I went there with my friend who is Portorican but had never been to DR. He told me, it is very hard to have a conversation with these people because almost everyone is unemployed or underemployed...they dont do anything. I was talking to this woman from Conani neighborhood and we went to see her sister who lived over on Don Pedro. The brother in law kept saying there is mucho delincuencia and mucho tigres aqui, but not much more of substance.
So you may be right, because if you offer to talk about some mundane issue over a beer(maybe who has the fattest ass or whatever) you might meet some buds, but overall I dont know if its worth it.
 

amstellite

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well maybe I 'm missing something but I have been going to the same barrio in Santo Domingo now for the lasthree years and I love it- I won;t even consider going to a resort anymoire... sure I stand out and that's not so bad... I practice my Spanish, I do some good, I get to dance, and mundane conversation sometimes is a blessing- who wants to always try to solve the problems of the world over a beer- sometimes it's good to just let go, listen to some Antony Santos, cry into the beer over love lost and dance the night away- I love it - it's real, and for me a holiday. Sure I am the one who always gets nailed to buy the beers, but I don;t mind- I get to ride al over on the back of a motoconch - see things tourists never see, eat coconuts cut from the trees and scooped as the locals do, and it is to me far more worthwhile than sitting on a beach next to a bunch of guys I could find anywhere where I live , getting drunk and talkiing about the Yankees( although that is a a major topic down in the colmados of the DR tooo!) I'm just saying that I actually like sitting in a colmado talking wiht an old guy about the past and what he has done, or whatever- something banal even- my Spanish isn;t that great so more simple is better- and I have developed a feeling for many of the people there and , yes, you've guessed it , I do assist wherever I can.... in the big picture it amounts to little but so much to them....just my musings- I go back in three weeks from today and cannot wait- I will put up with the heat, the flies, & the lights going out, so long as I can get to play a decent game of dominoes and sink down a nice cold vestida de novia Presidente with my new found friends.....aaaahh luxury...................................................so I say try to find a Dominican you get along with and give it a shot as I did. I met mine three years ago at Las Americas airport when I tried to cut costs by walking to the carretera for a gua gua rather than pay the extortionate taxi fare - he picked me up- it was hot, I said let's have a beer- next thing I know I'm in la Caleta for three days boozing away and ancing with his mates and I never looked back... funny how things just happen- I never did make it to the hotel in Santo Domingo that trip........................................sometimes it's just luck
 

all is lost

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Nay sayers

Manuel, don't listen to the nay sayers, I have traveled all over these islands and central America, and I can't remember one conversation with a educated person. On the other hand, once I was sitting on a box in front of a colmado, in Mexico, next to me was an old, and I mean old, Yaqui Indian. It was night and I was drinking a beer and he some kind of orange juice and tequla. After a while he looks at the sky, so bright and full of stars, turns to me and asked" Do you think there is only one God" no, I said I don't. He bobed his head and said " me neither, it's too big for just one God"
Him I'll never forget.
 

amparocorp

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if you are anywhere with even the slight chance that there may be drugs around leave, if the crowd gets rowdy leave, don't have an auto accident, if a female smiles at you this does not mean she likes you, they smile at clowns in the circus, you could be mere amusement, that will keep you away from 90% of potential bullets.............
 

La Profe_1

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HA! Bro you are funny! Not them Damn Yankees, but them Damn Aguilas, right? Ha! No, I was referring to the rain in NY at this very moment. And German words written with an F are pronounced like V, so forbidden=forbitten which sound verbitten(which is why Volkswagen is actually pronounced Folks Wagon=the peoples car, and if you notice the W is a double v sound Vagon).

I am not sure where you learned German, but the word Hillbilly was looking to use is verboten.
 
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Hillbilly

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Thanks Profe yes that is the one. I wasn't going to call him on that trite linguistics lesson...

HB
 
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Here, one need invoke The Pareto principle. I find that 80% of the "barrios" into which you venture, if you use 20% of your common sense (n.b. intentional misuse of the rule), you won't have any problems.

Aside from the humorous anecdote above, if one just maintains his composure, grace and implements good social skills, nobody is going to bother you (in any serious way). many will never blend in no matter how many decades they have here, but there is ALWAYS something to be said for good manners (and that doesn't mean picking up the tab for every round at the local colmado).
 
Here, one need invoke The Pareto principle. I find that 80% of the "barrios" into which you venture, if you use 20% of your common sense (n.b. intentional misuse of the rule), you won't have any problems.

Aside from the humorous anecdote above, if one just maintains his composure, grace and implements good social skills, nobody is going to bother you (in any serious way). many will never blend in no matter how many decades they have here, but there is ALWAYS something to be said for good manners (and that doesn't mean picking up the tab for every round at the local colmado).

You are 100% right El Rey, You dont have to be a walking ATM with sneakers all the time, have good manners and some social skills and you will be ok. If your only social skill is buying every round I hope for your sake you dont run out of pesos because all your new friends could be gone in a NY minute.
 

amstellite

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buying beers for the entire colmado

I have a question in relation to the beer buying thing.. at first I thought - well it's only a few bucks- but I can tell you those pesosfly out of the pocket really fast....but I kept on buying - because the guy I was with was cool, I liked him, and I got to go everywhere where I was the only odd one out shall I say... it felt good- people waved, made small talk- grabbed my hand- I felt like the Pope... then before I realized it the crowd at the colmado was about 10 and one Presidente jumbo doesn;t go that far- so before I knew it the 100 peso per bottle drinks were speeding along- till I went whooaaaaaa... grabbed my mate and said let's move on- people will absolutely take advantage if you let them. My question is - what do they do at the colmados when I am not there buying beers? Do they share amongst themselves or do they just hang... surely because I am the outsider it can;t be that I'm the only one keeping the colmado in business- I think not......what do you guys think I should do? Tell evereyone to get lost, and stick to just treating my mate with the bike, or remind them it's their turn to cough up and buy a beer? They are poor, but something tells me they still manage to have a beer or two when I'm not there...............
 
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I have a question in relation to the beer buying thing.. at first I thought - well it's only a few bucks- but I can tell you those pesosfly out of the pocket really fast....but I kept on buying - because the guy I was with was cool, I liked him, and I got to go everywhere where I was the only odd one out shall I say... it felt good- people waved, made small talk- grabbed my hand- I felt like the Pope... then before I realized it the crowd at the colmado was about 10 and one Presidente jumbo doesn;t go that far- so before I knew it the 100 peso per bottle drinks were speeding along- till I went whooaaaaaa... grabbed my mate and said let's move on- people will absolutely take advantage if you let them. My question is - what do they do at the colmados when I am not there buying beers? Do they share amongst themselves or do they just hang... surely because I am the outsider it can;t be that I'm the only one keeping the colmado in business- I think not......what do you guys think I should do? Tell evereyone to get lost, and stick to just treating my mate with the bike, or remind them it's their turn to cough up and buy a beer? They are poor, but something tells me they still manage to have a beer or two when I'm not there...............

They wait for the next "Gringo" or for the one who just got his remittance;)