Re: 08/2014 - Street smarts for the North Coast / Cabarete
i use my atm and credit card all the time, we have fraud protection, and travel alerts. If lose it (which i have done) I call them and we review the charges; if something is wrong they fix it. They send a replacement.
In ny a replacement id is like $20?
Originally Posted by
jose1234
Damien's Guide to Surviving Cabarete
Some notes from living in Cabarete for 8 years, and travelling the world for 20.
- If you go out on Cabarete beach into crowds, make sure everything of value is tied to you with string. Wallet, Keys, Phone. Most of the hookers are also pickpockets, and some of them are really good. This especially applies to Semana Santa, the easter festival, when gangs of pickpockets come into town.
- Do Not take your credit card or ID with you when you go out. All you need is some cash. Take a photocopy of your ID if you have to.
- Do Not wear jewelry when you go out, it can be ripped off your body.
- If you are walking home and a Dominican chick approaches you, wanting to get close, hold a lit cigarette between you and her so she keeps her distance. If she is touching you, you are likely being pickpocked. Do Not let strangers get close enough to touch you.
- Do Not leave your brand new iPhone on the table. This is worth more than a month's wages for a dominican, and someone will be tempted to swipe it.
- If you are drunk and its getting close to closing time and a local girl is coming onto you, its probably not because you are especially charming or handsome, but rather because you have money. Best to clarify what she wants ahead of time.
- This can be a violent place. When dealing with angry or hostile people, keep your distance, and dont take your eyes off them. Keep your hands in front of you, at a level between your belly button and your ribcage, fingers touching or overlapped, with the backs of your hands facing outwards. This is a non-aggressive ready stance.
- Dominican women have special protections under the law. If you get into a fight with one, its better not to leave any marks. A punch in the tit is extremely painful and leaves no marks.
- If you are walking home along the beach late at night, walk by the waters edge - that way, you only have to keep an eye out on one side, and most dominicans cant swim, so you can escape by swimming away if you have to. You are better off paying 50 pesos to a moto concho who will take you home.
- Moto conchos can be your friends. Each pickup spot is run by a different gang. Pick one gang and give them your loyalty. They will give you theirs.
- Do Not give your actual drivers license to a policeman. They know exactly how much it will cost to replace, and can hold it to ransom. Always give them a photocopy.
- Do Not give anyone your passport. Ever. Some car rental places will insist on it. Find one that doesnt.
- Just say no to drugs. The Dominican government sent out agents to make street buys around the counrty, then tested what they bought. They found that the purity of street drugs was in the 3-5% range. You will have more fun drinking redbull.
- Do Not try to be polite. If you try to reply nicely to every street hustler or beach vendor, you will lose your voice and your mind. Just shoo them away like flies. For anyone who is persistent, say Dont Talk to Me! "No me hablan", or Drop It! "Suelta eso". If you say "No Gracias", you are signaling that you are a naive tourist in need of special attention.
- If youre staying in an all-inclusive and you go out at night, dont wear your wrist band - it just marks you as a naive tourist and you will get special attention from the vendors, hustlers and whores.
- Muffler burns, dominican tattoos, are extremely common. Put your left foot on the ground and swing your right off the bike. I used fresh aloe plant to treat mine, but be careful, aloe stains everything green.
- If youre riding a motorbike, plan to fall off at some point. Wear jeans and shoes and stuff that will protect your body. Dont go faster than you are willing to fall off or crash at - you are on vacation, no need to hurry. Wear your helmet.
- If you are driving and run over a dog or other animal, keep going. If you stop, some local will claim the animal is theirs and demand compensation. Its better to avoid such confrontations.
- If you are being quoted prices in US dollars, you are likely being ripped off.
- The best way to negotaiate is an impromptu dutch auction. Name your price, about 1/4 to 1/2 of their asking price, and then lower it every 10 seconds until they accept or walk away. This is best done with a partner who is pulling you away, increasing the time pressure on the vendor.
- If you are talking to a chick and she says she has a boyfriend, the best response is "I have one too, but he thinks I am gay". Note well: item 7.
A surprisingly large number of people have taken objection to this list as an insult to Dominicans or bad press for Cabarete.
When I wrote this list, I was thinking, "Here is some good advice for newcomers", not "hahahaha, this is going to piss a lot of people off"
Let me be clear, there is an actual real Cabarete story behind every single one of these peices of advice. I or someone I personally know, had an unpleasant experience, which might have been avoided by following this advice.
"If pussy was a stock, it would be plummeting right now, because you flooded the market with it, you are giving it away too easy" -Dave Chappelle
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