12/2014 - Newbie in Santiago 1st + BB 2nd + Sosua 3rd

[Hunk Chunk]

Hi Guys,

I'm new here and about to go to DR this Christmas. I will rent a car in Santiago for the duration of my stay. I would like to expand my experience without doing all of the country.

Here is my plan:

- Santiago if I can find some good addresses for bars, etc.

- BBs for several days of rest and relaxation with bedroom service

- Sosua for hardcore intense mongering

I have ZERO experience with DR. I have however the desire to know what can be known in this short period of time. This is why I am opting for three different approaches to rum, food, scenery and sites, not to mention chicas. I want them too, but that isn't the only thing I like. In Thailand half the fun is being there, even if you are busy as a bee. I want a similar experience of a country and its beauties.

If you have advice for any of these three venues, please POST AWAY !

HUNK

[TNT72]

JESUS FUCKING CHRIST!!

Post it once, not three times!

[Irie]

JESUS FUCKING CHRIST!!

Post it once, not three times!

Relax T. Some just need to ensure 'it' gets out to the masses.


(even better for those of us that need to hear things three times to remember )

[deezl]

If you have no experience in DR and speak no Spanish, you may wanna skip Santiago entirely.

If you do stay in Santiago you don't really need (and probably won't want) a car anyway. Taxis are cheap and plentiful.

I'd strongly advise against renting a car anyway. Really strongly. Vociferously, even. First trip - bad idea.

DR has the highest vehicle mortalityrate in the world.

[Irie]

If you have no experience in DR and speak no Spanish, you may wanna skip Santiago entirely.

If you do stay in Santiago you don't really need (and probably won't want) a car anyway. Taxis are cheap and plentiful.

I'd strongly advise against renting a car anyway. Really strongly. Vociferously, even. First trip - bad idea.

DR has the highest vehicle mortalityrate in the world.

Let me get this straight, if I wanted to end it all Thailand is good for big jumps............um...........and the DR is good for 100kph through a tree, no? Third world has soooo much to offer.


Really though, don't do the driving thing first time out Hunk. They've got a whole different set of road rules down there.

[el toro]

I can't even bring myself to say or type this dudes board name.

Like they said---Don't drive in DR on your first trip. Did that and wrecked that on my first trip and I have no problem driving anywhere else in the world.

Do yourself a favor and sign up for Trip Report access. It will be a wise investment.

[tgunz]

Santiago is not very newbie friendly. It can be boring during the day. If your relying on car washes and the well known whore houses it very expensive. Imo cabs can add up quickly bouncing around from place to place. Everything is very spread out. Weekdays are especially slow.

[Westy]

Let me get this straight, if I wanted to end it all Thailand is good for big jumps............um...........and the DR is good for 100kph through a tree, no? Third world has soooo much to offer.

I seem to remember hearing a lot about "The Pattaya Flying Club" on Stickman Weekly ... it didn't take me long at all to discard the impression that it was anything like the Andrews Air Force Base Flying Club, where I got my private pilot's license and my IFR rating. (That was 'interesting' - learning to fly at The President's Airport.)

Yeah, guys. In the DR, I'm glad to leave the driving to the Taxi Mafia, from POP airport to my lodgings. I'm not too uncomfortable with the publicos between Sosua and Puerto Plata, but I'll be damned if I'd ever rent a car or even a moto in the Dominican Republic.

(Fortunately, if I'm staying in the Su, or even at Barba Negra or FOD, there's no need to rent my own wheels!)

[huskerdude]

As others have said, do not drive in the DR as a newbie. There are no rules driving there, no stay on your side of the street, no red light stops, etc,cops can pull you over for nothing and get a bribe from you not to take you to jail. BB is a really great place to start as it is really simple to get a variety of girls, and no spanish needed. There is a beach and several outside restaurants near BB.

[MH16]

As someone with no experience in the DR, was there any particular reason for that route: Santiago to BB to Sosua?

"I have however the desire to know what can be known in this short period of time. "

Trip reports will help... especially those reports with graphics between the text

[JD426]

As someone with no experience in the DR, was there any particular reason for that route: Santiago to BB to Sosua?

"I have however the desire to know what can be known in this short period of time. "

Trip reports will help... especially those reports with graphics between the text

Probably just cuz his flight lands at STI, and he figures he would just simply rent a Car and work his way to Puerto Plata and then Sosua..



H Chunk,
Please add me to the list of people who are telling you point blank , BAD IDEA to rent a car and drive on your very first trip.

Not suggesting you dont have good driving skills , but because Dominicans are crazy ass fucking aggressive drivers, and renting a car when you have absolutely ZERO experience is just not a good idea.. for so many reasons i could not even begin to list them.

but, if you do, make sure you have insurance.
as many of us have said on this topic on other threads, IF you were like a pro CDL driver, or limo driver, or at least rode a Motorcycle or motocross at some point in your life,, then YES.. you might be totally OK...
But if your only driving experience is like to work and around town with your buds.. I would say re think it,

we each learn at our own pace.. so whatever makes you happy..
it will certainly be an Adrenalin Rush, your first time driving , thats for sure.
Make sure you come back and tell us about it.. we love stories..

Best of luck..

[CentralNJDude]

Maybe H Chunk is a new addition to the Marvel Comics Super people that you folks dont know about?

On a different note; I did drive from the NG to the Santiago Country Club the first time I was in DR on my cherry golfing/mongering trip. Keep in mind that I have driven in England, India, the middle east before I signed up to drive for this golfing gig. The laws of chaos theory are put to shame on the roads, leave it at that..

[Dave Diaz]

Maybe H Chunk is a new addition to the Marvel Comics Super people that you folks dont know about?

On a different note; I did drive from the NG to the Santiago Country Club the first time I was in DR on my cherry golfing/mongering trip. Keep in mind that I have driven in England, India, the middle east before I signed up to drive for this golfing gig. The laws of chaos theory are put to shame on the roads, leave it at that..

DR coming in 1st place!!

They drive like there are no rules at all in DR.

[uncle ruckus]

DR coming in 1st place!!

They drive like there are no rules at all in DR.

It's an exhilarating blend of defensive/offensive driving. It's a combination of sensing the weakness/craziness on the face of the other driver and knowing when to treat him like your bitch or when it's your turn to be the bitch. It's being constantly prepared for the completely unexpected stupid action to happen and then just laughing it off when it actually does. It's a roller-coaster without a harness.

Needless to say, I love driving in the DR. There's no other adrenaline rush like it.

[deezl]

It's an exhilarating blend of defensive/offensive driving. It's a combination of sensing the weakness/craziness on the face of the other driver and knowing when to treat him like your bitch or when it's your turn to be the bitch. It's being constantly prepared for the completely unexpected stupid action to happen and then just laughing it off when it actually does. It's a roller-coaster without a harness.

Needless to say, I love driving in the DR. There's no other adrenaline rush like it.

One of the more exciting things is going up a mountain road in a line of cars behind a big, slow moving truck. In a normal world, you'd wait for each of the cars in front of you to find their opportunity to go into the oncoming traffic lane and get in front of the beast, but in the DR there'll be guys 5 cars behind you who just say 'fuck this', start passing cars on the left, then cut back in (usually at the last second) when oncoming traffic gets too close (and you know those oncoming cars NEVER slow down). And if the guy in the right lane (more appropriately described as 'the lane you're supposed to be in') isn't paying attention to what the guy to the left of him is doing (or just plays the 'fuck you' card) and doesn't give him the space to cut back in - you got yourself a head-on collision (or at least a near miss).

Driving through the mountains in the pitch black in the rain - that I could do without.

[snoozer]

It's an exhilarating blend of defensive/offensive driving. It's a combination of sensing the weakness/craziness on the face of the other driver and knowing when to treat him like your bitch or when it's your turn to be the bitch. It's being constantly prepared for the completely unexpected stupid action to happen and then just laughing it off when it actually does. It's a roller-coaster without a harness.

Needless to say, I love driving in the DR. There's no other adrenaline rush like it.

I agree. You become a much better driver when you drive in the DR. You have to be much more aware of what is going on around you, anything or anyone can do something unpredictable at any time!!!!

[BigLongBeach]

Driving is easy in dom rep, nothing will happen

http://news.insearchofchicas.org/for...-Santo-Domingo

[ezsmile]

And the Dominican driving habits are rubbing off on the extranjeros as well.

Last trip I was in a car pulling out left onto the main Sosua highway, this extranjero pulls up on his motorcycle and stops on our driver's side front bumper. Once the road cleared and thankfully before we pulled out, he turned RIGHT, across our nose.

Fortunately Choirboy was driving, and he has been there so long that now he knows that in Sosua the other driver will ALWAYS do the stupid shit. Knock on wood.

[snoozer]

And the Dominican driving habits are rubbing off on the extranjeros as well.

Last trip I was in a car pulling out left onto the main Sosua highway, this extranjero pulls up on his motorcycle and stops on our driver's side front bumper. Once the road cleared and thankfully before we pulled out, he turned RIGHT, across our nose.

Fortunately Choirboy was driving, and he has been there so long that now he knows that in Sosua the other driver will ALWAYS do the stupid shit. Knock on wood.

That is not just unique to Sosua, even worse in the cities. Try taking a taxi in SD and tell him you are in a hurry...you will age 10 years during the ride !!!!

[LJDMV]

Seems like you guys scared him off this thread..