RT here. This report covers my long weekend in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic for the dates of June 11-15, 2009.

I worked in the DR for the better part of five years, in Puerto Plata, Santiago and finally Santo Domingo. In the beginning, I mongered like it was going out of style, but as the time passed I developed a healthy dose of dislike for the country. Things were expensive, everything was a hassle, the lights don't stay on, service levels were the pits, I didn't like the people all that much… all in all, familiarity bred contempt.

Once my jobs there ended, I said I would never go back again. Shows what I know.

I had an expiring credit with Spirit Air and about 45,000 pesos (US$1,275) sitting in my apartment. I figured, what the hell, and booked a flight and a hotel room.

I have been spending most of my discretionary time in Peru, and I just love the place. To me, it's the 'anti-DR'. My years in the DR were funded by work and powered by derision for the country, whereas I am always on vacation when I am in Peru, so I am not sure if any comparisons I make to Peru are fair or not, but they're my comparisons, so there you have it.

THURSDAY, JUNE 11

The flight left Fort Lauderdale on time. It was - how can I put it -- very Spirit. They sold, sold, sold. One bonus: the flight was full, so they gate checked my bag for free.

Things went quickly in the Santo Domingo airport. One strange thing was that my tourist card was collected before I went through Immigration and was not scanned by the girl doing the collecting. There was nothing to stop her from returning the card to the sales kid and having him sell it again. Nice work if you can get it! My bags came quickly, and I could have smuggled my atomic bomb through customs.

Instead of exiting through the first floor into the throngs of taxi drivers, I headed upstairs. I found a driver standing around and asked him how much he wanted to my hotel. He then proceeded to discuss it with three other taxistas, like no one ever took a cab to Gazcue before. He finally asked for 1200 pesos, I walked, he called me back and re-offered to take me for 1000, and we finally settled on the 900 that we both knew I would pay. There was little traffic and we got there quickly, so I paid him the 1000 pesos he had hoped for.

I was all checked in at the Courtyard Marriott and in my room by 8:50. The front desk guy was VERY professional... I would hire him in a heartbeat. The rate (booked on the Marriott web site was $89 + 26% tax (I could have done a little better with a third-party travel site, but then I would have had to pre-pay with dollars. I was planning on using my pesos, so I paid a few dollars more. The hotel features all the American TV networks, is girl-friendly, and has free internet, good beds, and the air worked like a champ. The posted exchange at the hotel was 35 pesos to one dollar. It was about that much everywhere I went.

I shaved, showered and unpacked while watching the first quarter of the NBA Finals and left the hotel at 9:40 and walked to the Malecon to check out the casinos. It was hot and humid during this walk and remained so for the entire trip. I won't include it, but every time I mention that I left the hotel, it was hot and humid.

My first stop - the casino at the Jaragua hotel. This is one of the largest casinos in the city, and though the hotel is famously chica unfriendly, the casino is very hooker-centric. It's also famous for blackjack dealers that think that 8+7+8=21, or maybe 8+5+4=23. It's pretty annoying to play there.

Not that I will get annoyed tonight. At least not this early, anyway. Despite (or maybe because of) the math challenges, the one 100 peso table was full. I watched more basketball on the big screen, looked around for some working girls (don't think that I saw any) and left at halftime.

Next door at the Diamante Casino at the Melia Hotel, the people were miserable. The dealers, staff, drink girls, customers… everyone. I managed to win 300 pesos before I got disgusted and left.

I moved along the Malecon to the casino at the Hotel Intercontinental. That was always my favorite casino in Santo Domingo. It's not too big, it's quiet, you can get a grilled cheese sandwich without too much hassle, and you can double down after your third or fourth card, if you want. I played for about an hour, breaking even.

I left the casino, made a right, walked to the corner, made another right and walked halfway down Calle Pasteur to The Girls House. Somehow, I avoided the piranhas that surround you when you enter and got a bottle of water at the bar. The prettiest girl there (Mia) got my attention. In less than a minute, she snuggled up to me and asked me to buy her a drink I had never heard of. I asked what it was, and she told me that it was champagne-based.

"I'm not buying you champagne," was my clever comeback. She immediately dropped down to a beer, but I wasn't having any of it, so she deserted me.

I was about to finish my water and leave when two things happened: They put the ball game on, and a pretty, young girl was magically standing next to me. I started to chat up Yenifer, and asked her if she wanted a drink. It was loud in there, so when I asked her to repeat what she wanted, she said, "Oh, nothing. Just tip me later." My kind of girl!

Yenifer is from Puerto Plata, 23-years-old, and has been in town working for two weeks, she said. I could tell that she wasn't a hardened pro, and as we watched the game, I asked what the salida was these days.

"RD$2,500 for two hours or $5,000 for all night," she said. It turned out that she really wanted to do a TLN because first, she made more, second, she would get to sleep in a better bed, and third, that's how they trained her. I was playing with free money, so I got her to agree to photos and a 9:00 am quitting time, and paid the barfine for the night. Waters were priced at 100 pesos, and although high, it was reasonable for that type of joint.

As we were leaving, she had to stop at the cash register to get her ficha or something, and some American kid pointed to her ass and said, "Is that you?" I pretended not to hear him, so he tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I spoke English. When I said that I did, he again pointed at Yenifer and asked, "Are you going to fuck her?"

Now, yes, I'm in a whorehouse. And yes, these girls are hookers, but I couldn't keep the disgust out of my voice when I told him that yup, we were leaving together. The guy told me that I shouldn't have an attitude, as we were in a whorehouse.

Don't get me wrong, I often objectify young women. Hell, I LOVE to objectify young women. But I at least try to make a show of some sort of respect for these people, and this guy really made me embarrassed to be there. Maybe it's just me and I'm too sensitive, but I am assuming that these girls didn't all want to be hookers when they grew up, and treating them like girls, and not pieces of meat will pay off in bed later. Attitudes like this guy's sometimes keeps me from meeting up and spending time with people that I don't know.

The taxi thieves were at the front door, and when I told them where we were going, the head thief asked for 300 pesos. I told him that I wasn't crazy, and counter-offered 150. He told me no, so I had Yenifer call Apollo Taxi for a ride for 120 or 150 Pesos. Immediately, the first guy dropped his price, and three more came over and offered 150. I had Yenifer pick one of the three new taxi drivers, and off we went.

There was no problem at hotel - she just let them copy her cedula and had me sign her in. We got to my room, and as she checked her email, I started shooting some pictures.

After a while, we got into bed and Yenifer proved to be not all that skilled or experienced in being a professional bedmate. The sex was disappointing, but she cuddled well while we slept, and was a willing (but not all that eager) participant during the second round in the morning.

Right at 9:00, I sent her on her way with a CD of her photos and a 500 peso tip. She left her number, but I don't think that I will be calling it again.

Photos: Yenifer - The Girls House 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16


FRIDAY, JUNE 12

I Slept after Yenifer left until 10:30. I walked to bank to close out an old account that still had about $20 in it - this went surprisingly well. After, I stopped at supermarket to pick up some drinks and at a 'pica pollo' (fried chicken) place to get lunch to go.

My plans to chill by the hotel pool were squashed by the rain that started on the way back to the hotel, so I ate lunch and slept until 4:30 - that's a great bed at the Courtyard!

I left the hotel at 6 to meet a friend in the Colonial zone by 8. I even took a bus!!! For just 15 pesos. Since it was early, I walked the Conde; it is pretty embarrassing when it is touted as the 'premier tourist spot' in Santo Domingo. It's dirty and in disrepair, the stores are nothing but crap, and half of it is closed. Yes, some of the touristy 'firsts' are cool, as is all the Christopher Columbus stuff.

But give me a fucking break. I stop in one of the fast food spots on the Conde, and my bill comes to 150 pesos. I hand the girl a 200 peso note, and I spend the next 6 minutes watching EVERY restaurant employee look through their stuff to find a 50 peso bill for my change. I just find it incredible that a national chain restaurant, on the 'premier tourist spot' in the country's capital, after being open for 8 hours doesn't have a dollar and a half for change. And none of the workers saw this as odd or inconvenient for the customer. For me, that sums up the whole country in a nutshell.

I get to the meeting point at 7:45 and wait. And wait. And wait some more. No one shows. I'm hot and sweaty and didn't feel like dripping on people in the casinos, so I bought some fried chicken to go and took a taxi back to the hotel (150 pesos, negotiated down from 200).

I called my friend, and it turned out that we had our wires crossed - he was waiting for me a block away. We made new plans for tomorrow (he's coming to the hotel), so I settled in to watch the Stanley Cup Finals Game 7, and maybe I will go out later when I cool off.

SATURDAY, JUNE 13

Well, the hockey game ended and I fell asleep and woke up at 9:00 a.m. I confirmed with my friend again for this afternoon, took a shower and went forward into the world of Santo Domingo, this time to the MegaCentro Mall.

First, I had to fight my way past the hotel taxi driver who wanted 500 pesos for the trip, and wouldn't let me leave, even after I only offered 250. After finally extricating myself, I flagged a guy down on the street and we agreed on 225 and we were on our way.

Supposedly, MegaCentro is the biggest mall in Santo Domingo. It might have been big, but it wasn't that great. The common areas were full of people, as was the food court, but other than the supermarket and the hardware store, nobody was buying anything. I stopped into the Converse outlet and priced a pair of Chuck Taylors, and they were 2000 pesos, just over $57. I could see why there were no customers, hell, even I wouldn't pay $60 for a pair of Chucks, and I will pay just about anything for anything.

I had lunch in the food court and grabbed a taxi back to the hotel (150 pesos - no negotiating) and chilled by the pool until my friend showed up. We trudged over to another friend's house, shot the shit for a couple of hours, and went to a roadside hamburger stand in the middle of nowhere. The burgers and steak sandwich were fabulous. We split up at 10:00 and I headed to casino row.

The first stop was the Jaragua. Like Friday, I could not spot any apparent hookers in the casino. I wonder if any of our regular visitors can comment on this - have they chased them, or was it just a case of bad timing on my part? I wound up losing 200 pesos at 3-card poker, and headed for the Intercontinental via the rear exit (Av. Independencia) of the hotel.

There were some street girls between the Jaragua and Calle Pasteur, but no one that made me want to talk to or get prices from, but I am sure that their list price is around 1,000 pesos and can be negotiated down.

At the Intercontinental, I played for an hour and won 1,050 pesos. I decided to quit while I was ahead and cashed in and left for greener pastures.

I stopped in the Sky High Club (also known as The Place to the Right of the Girl's House) after confirming with the security guy that the salida was 2,500 pesos (they sometimes spring surprises on you there).

I tried to avoid the 'piranha attack' by heading right to the bar. It kept some of them away, but a few tried to annoy (I mean enchant) me and just wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. I moved further down the bar, and one got the hint, but another kept bothering me. I finally told the bartender to give me my check. She asked why, and when I told her, she got them to leave me alone.

We got to talking. Beronica (yes, with a 'B') remembered me from a year and a half ago, and even remembered who my regular girl then was. She (Beronica) had blonde extensions, a lovely cleavage, and was much calmer than the other girls. One thing lead to another, and Beronica let me know that she was available for a salida if I wanted. Well, despite her advanced age (she was mid- to late-20s), I decided that I liked her, and it would stick it to the annoying girls, so I barfined her and we left.

One advantage of leaving with the bartender was that she took no shit from the taxi drivers, and when I told her that we were only paying 150 pesos to the hotel, she handled it without me saying a word.

At the hotel, we had an excellent time. In addition to there not being any disappointment with major sag when her bra came off, we did all of the things that I wanted to do, and she seemingly was in no rush to leave. She allowed me to take some photos, too. I'm not sure why, but she looks much better in person than in the pictures. Part of it is her dark eye makeup, which is probably great in the dark club, but not so beautiful in the flash of a camera. Before she left, I took her phone number, and if things don't go well tomorrow (Sunday) night, I would consider calling her again.

Photos: Beronica - Sky High 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

SUNDAY, JUNE 14
I slept until 10:00 a.m. I've said it twice now, but this hotel and its beds are absolutely delightful. I got dressed, and as a result of either winning or not losing at the casino so far, I had way more pesos than I needed, so I walked to the Supermarket and picked up a couple of boxes of cigars to bring back and give as presents back home. After that, I took a book out to the pool and laid out in a shady spot for a while.

My local friend came by at 2:30. We hung out together until 7:30.

Part of our hanging out included taking a ride on the brand new Metro train system. This multi-zillion peso train line runs up and down Maximo Gomez from 6 in the morning until 10 at night. Aside from being deliciously air conditioned, it is shiny, clean, well designed out and cheap - just 20 pesos per ride! It really changes the dynamic of getting around town for the locals in a big way. or example, it took us a total of fifteen minutes to get from my hotel to my friend's apartment. If we had to resort to the usual methods of public transportation, it would have cost us 30 pesos each and delivered us to his house an hour later, in a dripping hot and sweaty condition. The whole thing was really anti-Dominican, with one exception: when I went to the ticket booth to pay my fare, the ticket clerk wrote out the receipt by hand. I can only imagine the chaos when it is crowded. There's supposed to be a permanent card system, but it wasn't available or working during my rides that day. It's only the one line, and it almost bankrupted the country, but I give it big thumbs up.

After de-metroing by the hotel, I picked up a Chinese dinner to go and, watched the first half of the basketball game. I tried to call a girl I knew from last year, but only got her voicemail. I then called Beronica from last night, but she said that she couldn't make it later. The Lakers seemed to have things well in hand, so out hunting I went.

First, I took a taxi to El Embajador, where I lost 500 pesos at blackjack. Then, to the Jaragua (two hookers spotted), where I lost only 50 pesos at 3-card poker. Then the Intercontinental, where I won 300 pesos at blackjack and 45 dollars at a slot machine that they also have in Peru that I like.

The walk from the casinos to the clubs was everything I can't stand about the DR in a microcosm. In the half block walk, I fended off three touts on the street corner, two shoeshine kids (all five of them referring to me as, "Hey! My friend!"), and almost broke my ankle on a hole in the sidewalk the size of Cabarete. Then later, when I left the club, the security guy asked me for a tip. This is the guy that watched me try to chase the kids, and did/said nothing. I politely declined.

Back to the Sky High Club. It was just me and one American guy there, his second day in the country. He was slightly overwhelmed by the whole thing, and in the midst of being overcharged. The bartender (it was Beronica's night off) was a total bitch.

I was looking for one girl who caught my eye last night, but was otherwise occupied. She wasn't there, but one of the piranhas looked very familiar to me. I called Frances over, and we agreed that I knew her from when she worked at the Casa de las Modelos (she told me that Casa de las Modelos was now permanently closed, but this is not confirmed). Frances is 23, with a nice, brace-aided smile and a generous rack. I bought her a beer and we left at around 12:30.

Frances looked pretty good out of her clothes, too. She had a lot of rules in bed, and although I can't say that the session was a failure, it wasn't one that I am dying to repeat anytime soon. Being a completist, I did get a few pictures of her, and took her phone numbers for future reference, but I really wouldn't recommend her to someone I liked.

Photos: Frances - Sky High 29 30 31

She left after 55 minutes of our purchased two-hour time frame with a small tip (much smaller than the other girls got), just enough for her taxi back to the club. I went to sleep at around 2:15.

MONDAY, JUNE 15
I woke up at 8:15 (the beds here remain wonderful) and checked with the front desk guy about a late checkout. My flight is at 9:00 tonight, so the later the better. The front desk guy (a new one to me) gave me 3:00 pm! I was willing to pay to go to 5:00, so 3 o'clock for free is ideal!

But that gives me the day to do something with. I wait until 10:00 and call Beronica (the bartender) from the Sky High Club. She doesn't go to work until 2:00.

"Sure," she says. "I will be over at 11:00." So that's settled, and I pack and go wait in the lobby at 10:50.

Right at 11:00, there she is. We sign her into the hotel, go up to the room, and she shows a lot of gratitude for the opportunity to make a few extra bucks this morning. I really enjoyed myself.

An hour later, I put her in a taxi and head for the Metro station to randomly wander about. I get off on Av. Abraham Lincoln, see how hot it is and decide to take a bus somewhere. I wait with a crowd, and when a bus from a seemingly popular route shows up, I follow the crowd on.

Wouldn't you know it? It doubled right back to the corner of my hotel! So much for exploration. I grab some chicken guisado at a corner restaurant, stock up at the supermarket on things like rum, vanilla and pasta de ajo, and head back to the hotel to wait until check-out time.

I check out right at 3:00. There were no surprises on the bill. I had the desk clerk call Taxi Apollo, but one of the hotel taxistas decided that he'd rather make something than nothing, so I rode in style and air conditioning to the airport for 1000 pesos.

The Spirit counter doesn't open until 3 hours prior to the flight, so I had to kill time until 6:00 before checking in. I had to check my bag this time, due to the rum and vanilla I was bringing back, so I just had my computer bag to lug around until the 9:00 p.m. flight.

The flight was an hour late, but we finally got to Fort Lauderdale at midnight. I cleared immigration and customs quickly, and the taxi deposited me at my apartment back home before 1:00 a.m.

So that's it. I'm pretty sure that I won't be going back to the Dominican Republic again, but I'm keeping the 1,700 pesos that were left over - just in case.


WRAP UP

In comparing Santo Domingo to Lima (both capital cities of poor, Spanish countries), Santo Doming gets its ass kicked, hands down. Santo Domingo is more expensive, dirtier, with worse food, less fun, and not as many pretty (to me) girls.

I really can't recommend Santo Domingo as a mongering spot. IF (and this is a big if) - you're OK with dark-skinned girls who may not top out above a 7, are not all that picky about infrastructure, like the beach, and have a very high tolerance level for not top-notch thinkers, then I would guardedly recommend Sousa for a few day vacation. The prices are lower, and hey, you get to pound Presidentes on the beach and get laid at night. Compare that to dealing with hustle 24/7 and paying around US$100 for mostly sub-par sessions, and Sosua gets the nod over Santo Domingo.

Yes RT, we got the point, you don't like the DR as much as Peru.

It's true that I came in with a lot of unhappy work history here, and was pre-disposed to abhor the place, and by the fourth night, I did once again. But up until then, I really couldn't work up a good hatred. The country isn't as developed as other places that I get to visit, and that's not the Dominican Republic's fault. Do I feel ripped off, considering that I spent absolutely none of my money for the trip? No. But would I voluntarily return? Not very likely.

"Don't get me wrong, I often objectify young women. Hell, I LOVE to objectify young women. But I at least try to make a show of some sort of respect for these people, and this guy really made me embarrassed to be there. Maybe it's just me and I'm too sensitive, but I am assuming that these girls didn't all want to be hookers when they grew up, and treating them like girls, and not pieces of meat will pay off in bed later. Attitudes like this guy's sometimes keeps me from meeting up and spending time with people that I don't know."

I could not agree more with the above quote. Some dudes out there just show no class...they think cuz they have a few bucks to spend they can treat others like shit.

Thank you very much for the report. I am vary luckwarm about the DR nowadays. Would never recommended unless you have a very short amount of free time and are comfy with spanish as it can lead to more fun interactions.

Spirit Air sucks , suprised they redeemed your miles , its worse then dealing with the irs.

Spirit Air= no customer service , hopefully they will be out of business soon.

great tr

-smuckin

RT here. I said this about Frances from Sunday night:

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quote:

one of the piranhas looked very familiar to me. I called Frances over, and we agreed that I knew her from when she worked at the Casa de las Modelos (she told me that Casa de las Modelos was now permanently closed, but this is not confirmed). Frances is 23, with a nice, brace-aided smile and a generous rack.

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Nice touch RT. I checked out the rest of your videos. very cool....JR

She seems to have a great body...

Another excellent report, RT, I always enjoy your writing. And most of your choices. Yenifer is very cute, and Beronica is very much to my tastes.

I've only been to DR once, in SD for several days, and share your lack of enthusiasm for it.