Bus depot nearest to the Monument?

[weyland]

I need to visit the Haitian Consulate in Santiago.

Last time I took Caribe Tours to Las Colinas and a taxi from there. It seemed to take ages to cross the city.

Does anyone know whether the other Caribe Tours depot (I don't know what it is called) or the Metro depot would be nearer?

The Haitian Consulate is fairly near the Monument.

Thanks.

[snoozer]

I need to visit the Haitian Consulate in Santiago.

Last time I took Caribe Tours to Las Colinas and a taxi from there. It seemed to take ages to cross the city.

Does anyone know whether the other Caribe Tours depot (I don't know what it is called) or the Metro depot would be nearer?

The Haitian Consulate is fairly near the Monument.

Thanks.

Mi Novia says that the second stop for Caribe is about 15 minutes from the Monumento. The depot for Metro is next door to the main one for Caribe so that will not help. Javilla stops close to Metro and Caribe. Not sure about Transporte de Cibao, I googled their adress and it looks like it is close to the others in the north end of the city. I am sure the taxi unions make sure they are on the edge of the city so they get more business. Hope that helps

[prtyr2]

Yes. Both the Jardines stop for Caribe tours and Metro are closer to the monumento and right down the block from one another.

[DCIronman]

I need to visit the Haitian Consulate in Santiago.

Last time I took Caribe Tours to Las Colinas and a taxi from there. It seemed to take ages to cross the city.

Does anyone know whether the other Caribe Tours depot (I don't know what it is called) or the Metro depot would be nearer?

The Haitian Consulate is fairly near the Monument.

Thanks.

Weyland, I always use the El Caribe bus station in Los Jardines. It's much more central to the rest of Santiago. And the Metro Bus station in Los Jardines is actually right down the street from the El Caribe station. Both are a short 100-150 peso taxi ride to the monument.

[weyland]

OK guys, many thanks. Cost wasn't an issue. It only cost three of us 200 pesos in a private taxi to the Consulate from Las Colinas, a long drive, and the driver had to cruise round asking people where it was, so no complaints there.

Seems the best option for us is the Metro bus, as if we take Caribe we will have to sit in it at Las Colinas until it is ready to move on to Los Jardines. Anyway the Metro depot is slightly nearer my new home in Puerto Plata.

My girlfriend got her passport (including visa) robbed at gunpoint in November. She has been pretty relaxed about getting them replaced (despite the fact that You Know Who will be footing the bill). But this new purge has put the fear of God into her.

[Revolutionrock77]

Good luck, Weyland. Hope she can get them without any problems.

[weyland]

Good luck, Weyland. Hope she can get them without any problems.

We rang this afternoon and they say they are awaiting collection. The Haitian Consulate is strangely elegant, modern, affable and efficient compared with almost everything else in this country. Staffed by helpful guys in suits and neckties who speak near perfect English.

Quite unlike the Dominican Consulate in Cap Haitien which is like a disused storeroom with menacing thugs leaning against the walls, and the toilet is a hole in the yard with a tarpaulin round it:

[bailar]

Good luck, Weyland. Hope she can get them without any problems.

I wish you luck as well. She will need a Birth Certificate and may have trouble providing sufficient paper work. Just a heads up,,,I made the trip there with my favorita last summer and had to leave empty handed. At present, she is going back through the gauntlet to visit family and try and get her papers. I'll be interested to hear how it goes!!!!!

[weyland]

I wish you luck as well. She will need a Birth Certificate and may have trouble providing sufficient paper work. Just a heads up,,,I made the trip there with my favorita last summer and had to leave empty handed. At present, she is going back through the gauntlet to visit family and try and get her papers. I'll be interested to hear how it goes!!!!!

All done and dusted within ten minutes.

Only slight problem was that Metro buses don't run in the middle of the day for some bizarre reason so we had to travel there on Caribe Tours and back on Javilla Tours (as Caribe were booked solid).

I shall always travel on Javilla Tours in future. Much more entertaining. Last time a pet parrot got loose on the bus and flew about shitting on the passengers. This time two drunks at front and back did a sort of "duelling banjos" act all the way shouting jokes to each other. My Spanish is rudimentary and I have nil sense of humor but they must have been really good because the other passengers were embarrassed at first but were shrieking with laughter by the end and gave them High Fives when they staggered off at their respective stops. They had a great repertoire to keep it up for an hour plus and most of the jokes seem to start with "Hay un barracho ..."

[bailar]

A successful and entertaining trip, What a Win-Win!

[DCIronman]

I shall always travel on Javilla Tours in future. Much more entertaining. Last time a pet parrot got loose on the bus and flew about shitting on the passengers. This time two drunks at front and back did a sort of "duelling banjos" act all the way shouting jokes to each other. My Spanish is rudimentary and I have nil sense of humor but they must have been really good because the other passengers were embarrassed at first but were shrieking with laughter by the end and gave them High Fives when they staggered off at their respective stops. They had a great repertoire to keep it up for an hour plus and most of the jokes seem to start with "Hay un barracho ..."

Awesome. Gotta check out this bus service. Where in Santiago is their station located?

[weyland]

Awesome. Gotta check out this bus service. Where in Santiago is their station located?

In (or near?) Las Colinas. About half mile further out of town (in the Navarrete direction) than the Caribe Tours bus station and on the other side of the main road (that is, on the right when leaving town).

They use small local buses, no aircon or entertainment and smaller seats. They also allow standing passengers so it can get crammed when busy. And they make far more local stops so the trip takes 10/15 minutes longer. But the price is the same (110 pesos one way).

On the return trip to PP the buses do not go straight to the La Javilla tours terminus at La Javilla but continue past it to the Hospital (and the parada for Sosúa publicos) then turn left into the town centre before ending up back at La Javilla.

Be prepared to have a baby or sack of platanos dumped on your lap with a smile and cursory "con permiso".

[snoozer]

I have travelled on Javilla a few times, always entertaining. I am not sure why some chica friends prefer this over Caribe/Metro when the price is the same.

[snoozer]

All done and dusted within ten minutes.

Only slight problem was that Metro buses don't run in the middle of the day for some bizarre reason so we had to travel there on Caribe Tours and back on Javilla Tours (as Caribe were booked solid).

I shall always travel on Javilla Tours in future. Much more entertaining. Last time a pet parrot got loose on the bus and flew about shitting on the passengers. This time two drunks at front and back did a sort of "duelling banjos" act all the way shouting jokes to each other. My Spanish is rudimentary and I have nil sense of humor but they must have been really good because the other passengers were embarrassed at first but were shrieking with laughter by the end and gave them High Fives when they staggered off at their respective stops. They had a great repertoire to keep it up for an hour plus and most of the jokes seem to start with "Hay un barracho ..."

Glad to hear all is taken care of. It must not be fun being Haitian without documentation right now. Saw three military trucks roll through Sosua the other morning, one already loaded with Haitians.

What was the cost? I have a very good Haitian friend in Sosua who runs a store and her visa has expired, hopefully she can get the money together to get it renewed.

[weyland]

What was the cost? I have a very good Haitian friend in Sosua who runs a store and her visa has expired, hopefully she can get the money together to get it renewed.

Visa is US$200 and replacement passport was (I think) US$65. One scam is that the passport only lasts five years and the visa only lasts one year.