La Babarika: Anyone familiar with this place?

[Chris_NJ]

I believe the "at risk" group is the drunken single male(s) out at a "car wash" or sleazy bar or disco late at night.

This is definitely true - I burnt 1 of my 9 lives the night when I was drinking alone in Sosua and heard about a Frank Reyes concert at Puerto Plata car wash. I got a motoconcho who said he knew exactly where the carwash was and agreed upon a price (I think 150 pesos). We got to POP and I could tell he was getting agitated because he wasn't sure where to go and he could see that his quoted price wouldn't be sufficient. We finally arrived (it turned out to be in the far side of POP) and he demanded 250 pesos. A heated argument broke out because he kept saying this was farther than POP and I kept reminding him that we were standing in front of the Puerto Plata Car Wash which we could assume was in POP. After screaming at each other in front a gathering group of people I asked someone in the crowd and said "Donde Estamos?" - the guy said "Puerto Plata." Satisfied with that I pushed the 150 pesos into the chest of the irate motoconcho who told me something like "recordare tu cara - nos vemos en Sosua."

Luckily I never did see him again and I for the most part learned my lesson.

 

[Golo100]

Funny how what I wrote about police seems to make the press daily

Just look at the news(see DR1 news) about the bank hold up where the four assailants and two police officers were killed. Except that one of the policemen killed was on the other side(with the thieves), in other words he was one of the robbers. As I have mentioned before, in every major criminal activity in this country, there is always a military or police officer involved.
TW

 

[frank alvarez]

the shakedowns

Just look at the news(see DR1 news) about the bank hold up where the four assailants and two police officers were killed. Except that one of the policemen killed was on the other side(with the thieves), in other words he was one of the robbers. As I have mentioned before, in every major criminal activity in this country, there is always a military or police officer involved.
TW

Of course! A brief anecdote: Yesterday I was out exercising and got caught by a rainstorm in the small town where I reside (I have to, due to my job with a U.S. manufacturer located in a Free Zone in a back water town) and went into the local police station looking for cover. Speaking with one of the local cops about the high cost of living, he told me he makes 3,000 pesos a month (about 70 dollars right now) but needs a minimum of 12,000 just to survive. When I asked how he makes up the difference, he told me "oh!, macuteando!" (shakedowns). They stop trucks, motorcycles, cars, etc. and ask for money and go to the local businesses and ask for contributions. In fact, recently they were painting the police station and this same cop waved me down and asked me to cooperate with a gallon of paint. I gave him 10 dollars but kept seeing the station half painted for many days which means they asked and got 'contributions' to paint the police station many times over and made some nice extra cash. That is the sad reality of life in the DR.

 

[Yini]

La Barrica

Everyone dances in couple in DR. Women don't dance with other women and act like lesbians like in USA.
Anyway, Labarica is the most slimiest disco in Puerto Plata where all the low lives of the city go there to have fun in the dark ex: taxi drivers, motoconcho and cheap whores from slumbs. Don't touch the walls there, they are sticky (no its not the wet paint). Try going to Hemmingway cafe in Playa dorada.
Good luck.
AZB

You must not know how to dance. Hemmingways is a pub with some dancing, but not a place to latin dance.

 

[Nelly]

Just look at the news(see DR1 news) about the bank hold up where the four assailants and two police officers were killed. Except that one of the policemen killed was on the other side(with the thieves), in other words he was one of the robbers. As I have mentioned before, in every major criminal activity in this country, there is always a military or police officer involved.
TW

What about the Politur? I thought they are in place to protect tourist. What is their role?

 

[Dragonfly32837]

For tourists, I believe the "at risk" group is the drunken single male(s) out at a "car wash" or sleazy bar or disco late at night.

This is true even for locals. One of my friends was at a sleazy disco in a bad neighborhood about a year ago. I don't even know what he was doing there because he usually goes to nice clubs in the capital where decent people with money go to. He started to talk(enamorar) one of the girls at the disco and someone called the girl's boyfriend that lives in that same bad neighborhood. Next thing he knows there are two guys outside beating the hell out of him. Security at the disco did nothing to help him. Ever since that happened he only goes to nice high class discos in the capital or to the discos in our hometown.

 

[la_barbie]

Anyway, Labarica is the most slimiest disco in Puerto Plata where all the low lives of the city go there to have fun in the dark
AZB

Im surprised your not there than....


As for the two discos... BOTH are fun !!! Danced on the tables at Barrica and did some *stuff* at Orion...

....Oh the memories ..... Can't wait for more !!!

 

[Onions&carrots]

I guess depending on blood sugar levels some

have a flair for the dramatic. I have been guilty of this in the past (dr1 past, that is!) No, DR is not the wild, wild west. Yes many people carry guns and many have never used them and this includes cops. Its more of a status thing. The DR is safe. The tough thugs are never safe but dr1 members are not thugs. So venture out of the resorts and see the real DR. Many of the posts are comical with their gunslinging tales.

I have never ever had any trouble in the DR. Born and bred there, I can tell you that you are more likely to be gored by a jabali (little cute wild pig from the mountains) than to be assaulted, robed, mugged etc. The Policia Nacional while having some members who r derelict in their duties have an overwhelming amount of hardworking trustworthy officers. The small amount of bad cops always make the most noise.

There are very few areas in the DR where a tourist should heed caution. These are evident in any major city of the world so nothing new here. So move around, have fun and just exercise the common sense u would at home.