The future of Sosua

[rafael]

In Sosua or any town here, if by 1 in 1000 chance a PD asks a gringo walking down the street for ID and you say "not with me" the only way he will take you into custody is if you take a swing at him and tell him you are a Minnasotta twins fan

Once while in curacao on business, I stopped at a plaza to check out how bad the Dennys food looked, in case I had a jones for bacon and sausage the next morning. I hear loud merengue from bar across the street. I walk across to check it out. Walk upstairs and into dark bar that appeared to be full of dominicans. Too loud and dark so I go out to a terrace, which may have been enclosed. This was maybe 8-10 years ago.

I find a seat and am drinking presidente and notice some chica making eye contact. She comes over and sits down. Asks if ai want company. I politely decline. Not very attractive and I live in DR. Most of the clientele looked local or dominican. While I am declining a police raid happens. Now she is not leaving. People are freaking and trying to flee.

Heavily armed cops come over and ask for my ID. I say my passport is at my Hotel. He asks which hotel and I tell him. He asks what I was doing there. I explain I was across the street and heard merengue and I lived in DR. He asks how long I was there. I said this was my first beer and it was still half full. He asks who the chica was. I say no idea.

They were cool. Asked if I had anything with name on it. Showed CC and business card. He asked what I was doing in curacao and I told him the customers I had visited. He handed me my card and said get out of here. I went back across the street and got a taxi back to hotel.

I have gotten asked for ID in DR a few times and was always able to explain why I don’t carry my passport. These days it is way easier. Whip out phone, and log into bank, airline, hotel, feybu or do google search. They can quickly see who you are.

 

[JDJones]

Once while in curacao on business, I stopped at a plaza to check out how bad the Dennys food looked, in case I had a jones for bacon and sausage the next morning. I hear loud merengue from bar across the street. I walk across to check it out. Walk upstairs and into dark bar that appeared to be full of dominicans. Too loud and dark so I go out to a terrace, which may have been enclosed. This was maybe 8-10 years ago.

I find a seat and am drinking presidente and notice some chica making eye contact. She comes over and sits down. Asks if ai want company. I politely decline. Not very attractive and I live in DR. Most of the clientele looked local or dominican. While I am declining a police raid happens. Now she is not leaving. People are freaking and trying to flee.

Heavily armed cops come over and ask for my ID. I say my passport is at my Hotel. He asks which hotel and I tell him. He asks what I was doing there. I explain I was across the street and heard merengue and I lived in DR. He asks how long I was there. I said this was my first beer and it was still half full. He asks who the chica was. I say no idea.

They were cool. Asked if I had anything with name on it. Showed CC and business card. He asked what I was doing in curacao and I told him the customers I had visited. He handed me my card and said get out of here. I went back across the street and got a taxi back to hotel.

I have gotten asked for ID in DR a few times and was always able to explain why I don’t carry my passport. These days it is way easier. Whip out phone, and log into bank, airline, hotel, feybu or do google search. They can quickly see who you are.

Or carry a copy of your passport.

 

[Big]

Or carry a copy of your passport.

never carry anything except pesos (except when driving). Since this thread is about Sosua, again last night dinner and drinks, countless chicas many gentleman. Went to the beach this morning did not see anything remotely resembling a family anywhere in sight.

 

[jd426]

never carry anything except pesos (except when driving). Since this thread is about Sosua, again last night dinner and drinks, countless chicas many gentleman. Went to the beach this morning did not see anything remotely resembling a family anywhere in sight.

hahaha

yeagh, Singles, Playas, Swingers ,and even Bachelor and Bachelorette Parties... sure
but yeagh not a FAMILY with Kids unless they were European or Canadian, Or maybe American dudes with a Dominican Wifey & kids .. usually its Euros though with the Dominican Wifey.

but the Family From Indiana or Minnesoooota , it aint happening, in Sosua,, not in the near future or maybe even our Lifetimes ..not even straggler Cruisers from the Cruise Ship Port like they promised ...

I did once run into a husband wife and kids at the " NG" Hotel , must have booked thru Expedia or something
. lol ...when they realized what the chicas around the pool were actually there for , and why there were so many "single gentlemen and no other couples " , they checked out the next day .. The look on the teenage daughters face was priceless though.
They were literally the "Bobby and Suzy and kids from Ohio" lol

 

[wrecksum]

So Sosua is changing, wow what a concept. Been going for 15 years and YES, it continues to change. And so now the police want to crack down on flagrant folks that they believe may be soliciting or otherwise actively seeking sex. OK, so come on, chicas will just have to learn to better chill; and oth chicas and fellas will have to be more discreet. Hey lets be real - There continues to be big money invested in this beautiful corner of the North Coast and that's good. From Hispaniola & Infiniti Blu to Sea Horse ranch and Gansevort, to Casa Marina and Caribbean Diamond, and many more, it seems that investment continues apace and fellas and families alike still come to visit. So perhaps we can all be just a little more discreet, share the love and enjoy our new found friends and chicas alike. That copy in yer pocket idea sounds logical too. As to creating an entire area/section of town as a red light district ?? I'm not seeing it, and I'm not drinking the kool aid. Families have many places to stay that are lovely and the fellas do too and IMO, they often mix, with good results. Gracias Hermanos, por tus palabras inteligente.

I read the words but somehow miss the context..?

 

[KyleMackey]

hahaha

yeagh, Singles, Playas, Swingers ,and even Bachelor and Bachelorette Parties... sure
but yeagh not a FAMILY with Kids unless they were European or Canadian, Or maybe American dudes with a Dominican Wifey & kids .. usually its Euros though with the Dominican Wifey.

but the Family From Indiana or Minnesoooota , it aint happening, in Sosua,, not in the near future or maybe even our Lifetimes ..not even straggler Cruisers from the Cruise Ship Port like they promised ...

I did once run into a husband wife and kids at the " NG" Hotel , must have booked thru Expedia or something
. lol ...when they realized what the chicas around the pool were actually there for , and why there were so many "single gentlemen and no other couples " , they checked out the next day .. The look on the teenage daughters face was priceless though.
They were literally the "Bobby and Suzy and kids from Ohio" lol

The real DR that most of the tourists don't get to see LOL.

 

[Big]

I try to keep an open mind about this notion that Sosua is going to be transformed into this Punta Cana/ Disney Land type monolith. I try to humor all the various angles and beliefs. Every time I walk around town and speak with businessmen and real estate owners their response is the same "LMAO" . My time line is 10 years and this pending change is a fantasy.

 

[ramesses]

The way I look at it. The governments of the DR do not have a great track record on making change. I am saying that nicely. I will believe it when I see it.

How is the sidewalk above the beach coming along?

 

[jd426]

The way I look at it. The governments of the DR do not have a great track record on making change. I am saying that nicely. I will believe it when I see it.

How is the sidewalk above the beach coming along?

Essactly,
To Echo your own words , and to repeat what i been saying as well.
The only "Change" in Sosua, is the change which occurs Organically, or just on their own Like Trees Growing, ( or worse yet being taken down and replaced by crappy ones which die) , or Oceans which erode sand, and then later Make a NEW Beach ...
. Its certainly not by virtue of some Master Plan , or even stages of any Plan .
they have been blowing this Smoke up peoples backsides for at least 10 + years now .. it does not take Decades to change something, if there is an actual PLAN.
Not even former Communist Countries needed this long to Transform themselves completely.

I guess it must be just really hard to mix a good quality batch of CEMENT on the North Coast ..

 

[ljmesg]

I try to keep an open mind about this notion that Sosua is going to be transformed into this Punta Cana/ Disney Land type monolith. I try to humor all the various angles and beliefs. Every time I walk around town and speak with businessmen and real estate owners their response is the same "LMAO" . My time line is 10 years and this pending change is a fantasy.

The simple massing of land in Sosua, Cabarete make it impossible to turn it into a PC. The land massing is too narrow and too thin. PC is a gargantuan circular land mass. It isn't pinched in by a highway and a tropical mountain jungle.

 

[ctrob]

The simple massing of land in Sosua, Cabarete make it impossible to turn it into a PC. The land massing is too narrow and too thin. PC is a gargantuan circular land mass. It isn't pinched in by a highway and a tropical mountain jungle.

That's not what's hindering development on the Sosua end. You can design a building to fit on anything. Even Cab, they get pretty creative on the beach side of Rt 5 when they want to.

The real problem in Cab is the 1 meter wide sidewalks, 3 lane road and 5 lanes of cars.

They really need the bypass road in Cab.

 

[Big]

That's not what's hindering development on the Sosua end. You can design a building to fit on anything. Even Cab, they get pretty creative on the beach side of Rt 5 when they want to.

The real problem in Cab is the 1 meter wide sidewalks, 3 lane road and 5 lanes of cars.

They really need the bypass road in Cab.

good point, they also have been talking about a bypass road for ten + years. Then you hear about environmental impact and other bogus excuses. They could limit parking at the choke point and enforce parking regulations, even that is too complex to accomplish. So they just let traffic back up at a very busy highway on the North Coast.

 

[cruzan1]

Wow, the amount of negativity and bitterness in some of these posts.

 

[zoomzx11]

Wow, the amount of negativity and bitterness in some of these posts.

Whats the matter?
You do not agree with environmental impact as a "bogus excuse".

To be realistic it appears nothing is going to happen any time soon.
If the local politicos can cut themselves a big chunk of graft from the project it stands a chance.
When they figure out the payoffs it will progress is my view.
Normally that is how projects get done here, no?

 

[Cdn_Gringo]

People become embittered when blatant issues that cause them inconvenience or hardship are perpetually ignored. Granted, every municipal govt has their priorities but few between Puerto Plata and Nagua seem to be able to compile a list, check it twice and begin correcting the obvious deficiencies that impact the daily lives of tourists and resident alike.

I almost fell over the other day when I saw a public garbage can (blue barrel) outside a comodor. I think it was across the street from the Chinese place on the side street next to Texaco. Probably a private establishment effort, but a place to toss your trash none-the-less if you happen to have any when you pass it. Yes, it was pretty full when I saw it.

Until local govts begin to improve the daily situation for residents, expect more bitterness.

 

[drstock]

good point, they also have been talking about a bypass road for ten + years. Then you hear about environmental impact and other bogus excuses. They could limit parking at the choke point and enforce parking regulations, even that is too complex to accomplish. So they just let traffic back up at a very busy highway on the North Coast.

While I agree that Cabarete desperately needs a bypass, the traffic situation has improved in the last couple of years. There are now municipal police on the street who do their best to enforce the parking restrictions on one side of the street and there are several car parks. The great shame is that when the President himself gave the go-ahead for the bypass a few years ago, it was stopped by environmentalists. I'm all for preserving the natural environment, but there was surely a way the bypass could have been built without harming the lagoon. It would certainly have made the environment in the main street a whole lot better!

 

[ramesses]

Wow, the amount of negativity and bitterness in some of these posts.

It is not about negativity or bitterness on my part...it is over 16 years of hearing and observing the same talking points over and over again. The grand plan is always pushed to the front to the detriment of the very basic things that need to be done where they could actually begin these plans.

 

[USA DOC]

I was actually thinking it looked quite clean and tidy compared with some years back..Pity about those lovely shade trees they took down though.

was in Sosua at the beginning of august...haven't been there for a few years..looks a lot better now...but who was the genius who took the trees out of Sosua beach?..my girlfriend picked the hotel the Valerian, was good place and right between the terra linda and the notorious new garden...good place to watch the entertainment that is prevalent there...talked to a number of single men in sosua they all said they were there for the scuba diving jajajaja...you Dominicans will know what that means...anyway a return trip is planned for November with me girlfriend and my daughter...………..Doc...……….

 

[ctrob]

.who was the genius who took the trees out of Sosua beach?..

How many trees are gone? I haven't been down there in quite awhile.

Did you notice any dozer tracks?

 

[jd426]

was in Sosua at the beginning of august...haven't been there for a few years..looks a lot better now...but who was the genius who took the trees out of Sosua beach?..my girlfriend picked the hotel the Valerian, was good place and right between the terra linda and the notorious new garden...good place to watch the entertainment that is prevalent there...talked to a number of single men in sosua they all said they were there for the scuba diving jajajaja...you Dominicans will know what that means...anyway a return trip is planned for November with me girlfriend and my daughter...………..Doc...……….

How is the steak there at Casa Valeria ? i heard it was really good, and it looked good when they had tables out on the street a while back , not sure they still do that ... The Renovated spaces and Rooms look REALLY NICE ..
..although Terra Linda has really good food as well.. Pizza is off the Hook..
tell us a little more about Casa Valeria if you get the chance .