The following TripReport snippet is taken from 2004/02 - RTGooch - RT Gooch Takes On Santiago, DR

SANTIAGO MUNICIPAL AIRPORT: 19° 23' 581" N, 70° 36' 315" W

The driver asks for $12 to my hotel. I start to remove my bags, and he asks why. I tell him $12 is ridiculous, and I always pay in pesos, anyway. "Oh, Pesos," he says. "The price is 350 pesos ($7)." I put my bags back in.

TIP: Here, more than elsewhere in my travels, there is a great difference between prices in dollars and pesos. Always pay in the local currency, wherever you go. First off, you save money, and second, when in Rome...

Traffic is very light on the way to the hotel. We get to the Hodelpa Centro Plaza fairly quickly, where my reservation is waiting for me. It is about 9 pm at this point.