SDQ weekend 7/17-7/21

[El Capitan]

My most recent adventure to my Kingdom on Conde started with an early 6am flight which put me at odds with being on time. So rather than drive 2 hours on a four lane road famous for being shut down due to accidents at night, I booked a room at Fort Lauderdale's Bahia Mar Resort and Marina via the web....great room price was quickly skewed by a ridiculous parking fee...escpecially since I was going to be there for only 8 hours. As luck would have it, one of the bartenders at the marina bar was a cute Colombiana who fell for my rap and showed up at my room after her shift ended at 11pm....so I got lucky and dumped the nusance load on her, instead of carrying my full "bag" to SDQ....I booted her out at 2 so I could make the airport by 4am....and it was a good thing I was early as there was a line at the Spirit counter when I arrived!

This was the first time I'd ever checked a bag and thankfully they got the bag to SDQ on my flight...contrary to the rumours I'd heard. Equally, I had no issues (not even a look) from DR Aduanas, which I was sure would be interested in a 4' long duffle bag that looked heavy.

One good thing about hitting SDQ early is the quickness in getting through Customs and Immigration...perhaps it's because I was recognized....by the girl at the tourist card counter, and three of the immigration agents checking us through....I should have known then....

As I was making my way out of the airport I was hailed by a portly fellow who called me by a name/handle I did not recognize, but it was clear he was looking for someone he'd never met....I saw him leaving the airport with a Steven King looking cat who was on my flight, so if you're a member on this site, I'm sorry we did not meet.

Things in the DR are getting expensive and that includes taxi fares...the going rate of $30 seems to have been disolved by gas prices hitting almost 2100DRP ($6+USD)per gallon....I heard a couple of the "real" taxi drivers quoting $40USD from SDQ to the ZC....I paid my driver Cheeno $40 including propina.....

My room at Hotel Palacio was ready early (10am), the King Kush Leche Suite (room 136) was everything I expected ...jacuzzi tub, nice private terrace and a cheap mini bar...you can empty the bitch for less than $30USD! As nice as the Senior Suite but less money...and next time I stay at Palacio, I may just say fuck the jacuzzi...filling them is a pain in the ass..rooms 124 & 125 as well as the new section which houses the pool should suffice anyone wanting an upscale hotel in the Zona Colonial.

I unpacked quickly...and headed to the streets of "my hood......" in search of my first victim... (more later)

[El Capitan]

Since my ATFs were not going to be available during the day, this dog was left to roam the streets….a blessing since I was about $aving ca$h this trip…this also allowed me to look for fresh flowers which were abundant in the heat of the day…most likely due to the sagging DR economy….there's very little change (moneda) available, and getting large bills exchanged for small purchases has become a pain in the ass since I was last there in March….groceries are UP (the same bag of coffee I paid $34DRP for in March is now $84DRP in La Dispensa)

I grabbed my first beer (50DRP) at the little “artisan store” across from the “department store” so I could scope out a “nooner” when I was approached by a guy I know as “Boca Chica Jose”. I met this toothless piece of work in Boca Chica in 2007….he wanted to be “my boy” there so I offered to drink with him, only to leave him puking at a table Duarte after a three hour Presidente fest…his business card back then said, “Grand Jury” Servicios & Introducciones…I kept it as it was hard plastic and would have made a great cutter in a street fight….

He told me he had a real stunner for me down at the park in front of the Hard Rock….6’1”, 21, long hair….I told him to go get her and bring her to me. He said the best he could do was a “walk by” with her. I was almost ready to leave by the time he showed back up with her and a protégé of his, some pygmy-sized Dominican whose name I purposely forgot….

True to his word, “Nicole” was a tall drink of water with a nice dumper but she had a nose piercing which nixed it for me….it’s funny how little shit like that can blow a deal. I told her she was beautiful and walked away…(thankful I’d left that first load in Lauderdale) As a heads up, I got a picture of BC Jose for anyone who wants to hit him up when you’re there, but I won’t post it…he speaks perfect English learned when he was in jail in Patterson, NJ ….before he was deported back to the DR…and if you don’t think these guys make loot….he drives a Range Rover (I saw him in it) and he claims to live on the Malecon with a seaside view. He’s worked in Santiago, So-sewer and BC, but I’ve found him on Conde numerous times.

I’d barely sat my ass back in the seat when I heard my name being called again…”Gringo” as I am known in the DR…it was some dude I’d written about in previous posts (W)….from NY, dresses in the same shit every day but a different color…Teva sandals, a tank top and nylon shorts…he portrays himself as a “baller” yet his rep in Jaragua, amongst the many hoes, and the taxi drivers is he’s “frugal”….he’ll spend an hour arguing to save a dime...he goes off telling me about this room at Aparta Hotel ROMA for 6 weeks…ROMA is one of the places I’d promised Dr. Kush I’d recon on this trip….I told W I was at the Palacio in a jacuzzi suite, to which he asked, “Why?” The girl he was with replied, “ El Palacio es muy bueno, mas major de la Roma.” I left it at that. His heavily tattooed arm piece had a body was a sold nine from the ground up……to her neck, where she dropped off the scale to “No phuggin way” for me…I asked him if he’d checked out ISOC yet…he said, “No”…I told him do so to increase his knowledge and better his odds….I don’t think he got it.

Aparta Hotel ROMA Calle el Conde 206 esquina Duarte Zona Colonial 809.682.0318
Esperanzar.a@hotmail.com (Esperanzar.a@hotmail.com) The girl at the desk did not know if there was a website. The place is in a great location. A wide ass set of stairs takes you up to the rooms located on 4 floors. I think she said there were 20 total.

A basic room for 2 people is $45USD (that’s you and any puta anytime). These rooms were basic but big. Queen size beds, AC, fan, fridge, a sofa and a couple of chairs with a standard bath and small closet. She said they had larger rooms with kitchens for $70USD per day and another style with two beds in it…no breakfast or coffee in the morning….I declined to look at any other rooms as the place is too spartan for my taste and the door locks were not of the security kind from the outside.

I left ROMA and took a stroll to Meson de Luis for cheese sandwich, fries and a grande or two…got accosted by my shoe shine mafia but they quickly figured out my Tevas don’t need no shinin….I was also introduced to a new member of “the family”, the twin brother of another, making them two of the ugliest little mutha fuckers shinin shoes on Conde…the pitch was they needed notebooks, pens and pencils for skool, so I took them into the department store for supplies…5 kids, $20USD and they were all smiling big. I had a bag of this shit at home that I was planning on bringing on my next trip…kinda pissed at myself that I didn't, but I had that big bag I dragged down for my ATF1. I broke them all off some Tootsie Pops I brought with me and sent them on their way…only to fuck with them another day!

I’d barely finished my food at MdLs when another of Conde’s crew found me…”Jose de Conde”, another “graduate” of the Patterson, NJ lock-up that was “rehabilitated” and deported back to his homeland…this is the beefy boy in a ball cap who’s usually found by the pay phone between La Dispensa and the ripoff Casino on Conde east of Duarte. He too speaks English. I’ve never had an issue with the cat so we shared a beer and I produced a photo of a little hottie seen on this site…(tiny girl, blue jeans, bare midriff, silver belt, red top tied in the center)….he made one call and it was off to Leche King Suite for an “afternoon delight”….Palacio Ana was working the front desk and took my hotties number from her cedula but let her keep the card…(most likely because I’d paid for a double)….I only wish I had a picture of Ana’s face later that evening when I walked in with my ATF1 and handed HER cedula to her…she must have seen lo$t wages walking by her….

Comin up next…an afternoon drinkin with Prtyr2 and a couple more hotels reviewed…

[dijinn]

"and next time I stay at Palacio, I may just say fuck the jacuzzi...filling them is a pain in the ass.."

LoL !
When I stayed in the Palacio, I thought it was just a one time problem with the room/jacuzzi. Those jacuzzi take like 1 hour to fill !

[Drjetman]

Keep it coming Capitan. Great report!

[Dr.Kush]

Yo captain so you found the one you were looking for, good shit. Yeah jose got him a nice little stable going, I see you met his little protege, that muthafucka is on some shit man, but harmless. Jose is a good option if you dont feel like putting in any work, but he will try you if he thinks he can get over on you. Of course a vet like yourself knows this. Damn you passed on a dime piece because of a nose ring thats fucked up, I will look for this bitch with the nose ring next month , I like that shit.Thanks for the report homie.

[El Tiburon]

i cant wait to see pics of these girls... expec the hottie with the nose ring??? post this guys number if its not to much trouble... i might be callin just to see how ugly this nose ring is.....lol

[El Capitan]

So Day 2 has th’ dogg en la calle early…ATF1 had to leave for work at 7am which did not allow time for us to share even a cup of coffee. (pity) One of the perks I’ve enjoyed in past trips at Hotel Mercure is the breakfast buffet that’s included with the room…it works well for me as I usually wife-up with one ATF or the other….Palacio offers breakfast for $8.95USD per person/per day and I’ve tried it in the past….it’s decent, but not an all you can eat three hour event like Mercure. I decided to hit Paco’s for a cheese sandwich, a couple café con leches and a lechosa batido thinking I’d save money but the bill was almost $10USD! Granted the sandwich can feed two people, but I like my coffee and that’s one reason Mercure plays into my game…unlimited coffee….the other is I can just go upstairs and take a dump when I’m done eating….without having to walk back to the hotel….

While I enjoyed the ambiance of Paco’s my solace was unfortunately interrupted by an Italian fellow in his 50’s who chatted me up about having some rooms for rent (“a friend of his has rooms”) and he wanted to know if I was interested in checking them out…although I told him , “NO”...... this piece of Euro-trash sits down and starts giving me his sob story about how hard things are in the DR and how he needs to call his sister in Italy so she can send him money….(“yeah, yeah, right, right”)…his jibberish became intelligible as my mind drifted to understanding why the Italians surrendered to the British without a fight in 5 days during September of ’43 under the crush of Operation Baytown…. Normally, I’d have told anyone fucking with me during a meal to “fuck off” but this day I choose not to be the total asshole that I normally am… I bought him a cup of coffee and allowed him table space until I was through with my food and then hastened my time to go….

Another “Gringo” observation: NOW it’s not only the local boys hustling, the streets, it’s the urchins of Europe too….

Back to Palacio for a quick run to the room finds Ana downstairs with a couple of the other girls at the desk….so I grab some ca$h and head back down bringing her crew a small box of chocolates, some .5 ounce bottles of perfume and a handful of Tootsie Pops….I asked Ana to eat hers while I watched….she laughed and obliged, telling me I was “malo” and I should not be bringing “all these girls” to the room (I’d had 2 so far)…I asked her when she was off from work and the rest of the desk agents laughed out loud….calling me a “cochino” which I think is “pig”….they were joking and laughing with me and I told them I was “El Rey de Conde”….and left.

To La Dsipensa to fill the empty space in the mini bar in the room…another $1000DRP hit! Presidentes were $7USD ($237.95DRP) a 6 pack!!! ….mind you, a 12 pack of Presidentes in my town are $11.99…CHEAPER than in SD. A 4 pack of 16 ounce Bohemia Especials were almost $6.50USD.

Back to the room and call Prtyr2 to set up a lunch meeting on the patio at Hotel Mercure.

He’s right on time…just like the last time I met up with him…we order a couple of beers and rehash the last few months since our last drink fest…but it’s not long before we’re interrupted by a few of “my mafia” who just want to bullshit. I pull Tootsie Pops out to placate them and tell them I have business to tend to. Our conversation must have been interrupted a half dozen times over a couple of beers before we decided to go to Meson de Luis for lunch. The only issue with MdL is the lack of AC…so when you go, grab a table under one of the many ceiling fans…after an “appetizer” of fried mero (the portion was meal sized) Prtyr2 agreed that the place is a “locals” spot in the middle of the Colonial Zone…we decided after three Presidente Grandes apiece (added to the others we’d drank) it was time to change our paradigm….lunch for two with 6 grandes was $1300DRP.

We started for “theArtisan” store and $50DRP Presidentes but by the time we got there all the seats for the “viewing area” were taken. We did see a couple of resident ex-pats I knew from previous trips, one a former UPS guy and another guy, a driver for the Metro in Boston…I chose to go to another place rather than join that sausage party and we ended up at the place La Fora de something on Conde…where we drank a couple more, before I was delegated errand boy for my ATF who called me mid-beer. I put her on the phone with Prtyr2…he whipped upon her with some good Spanish…and all was fine n Conde. He and I parted for the day but I’m sure we’ll meet up next time I’m in town.

THANKS DUDE!!!! I appreciate the time spent.

I was really looking forward to trying a couple new places for dinner this trip however one place, La Palmita which had opened near Hotel Discovery…the phone number on the business card was disconnected. I also tried the piano bar on Hostos, which I was told in March would be opening a kitchen, alas….they’re only serving “tapas”….and being the “impatient when hungry mutha fucker” I am, we ended up at Gran Charolais on Hostos (third time). This is not a cheap Dominican local spot ….GC is the shit if you like to eat great food that’s prepared and presented….part of my enjoyment when I’m in SD is allowing my dates to experience things they would not otherwise ever get to enjoy….appetizers were escargot and a mixed cheese plate, I ordered a churrasco importada and she had chateau-briand….I wish I could detail the conversation as I explained the types of steaks to her. Thankfully our waiter took time to explain the sauces accompanying the chateau to her….dinner was $100USD.

One thing I’ve noticed is some restaurants are dropping the 10% LEY (tip) from the bills and trying to conceal the increases in co$t$. Meson de Luis adds nothing to the bill…!

I also did get to check out a couple of other places to stay:

Camilo House Apartments on Calle Padre Bellini between Palo Hincado & Pina 809.221.1842 www.camilohouse.com (http://www.camilohouse.com/) This place is pretty much like it shows on the website….it’s NEW, it’s nice and they got a decent price…rooms are $70USD for two people, no issues with “guests”. If you stay longer than 7 days, the rate drops. All the rooms have cooking facilities, fridges etc….as the name says, these are apartments. High on my list.

Abyta Hotel calle Merino 309 809.221.2027 www.abytahotel.com (http://www.abytahotel.com/) I was looking for Hotel Europa when we discovered this little gem. 8 suites, 4 rooms, 2 studios all have cooking facilities although the desk clerk said you have to be staying longer than 3 days to use them. The place is cool! Nice courtyard areas, terraces, balconies…very European feel to the place. The rooms are really nicely done and the place is close to La Plaza de Hispania….a little north of the hustle and bustle of Conde…rooms start at $50USD (+$5 for AC)….the best thing….ST rates for putas! $5USD for ST, $10USD for TLN. When you go to the website, click on the ENG /UK flag to get all the info. As an aside, the guy that showed me the room had a beautiful chocolate Labrador Retriever, if you don’t like dogs…this may not be your place…(I’m a dogg so it was playtime!!)

Hotel Europa Arzobispo Merino esquina Emilano Tejera 809.285.0005 www.antiguohoteleuropa.com (http://www.antiguohoteleuropa.com/) OK, there’s a chance you’ve seen this place…it’s near the historical psychiatric hospital…a phatt lookin building on the corner. You enter with the help of a doorman, and a greeter into a balls freezing (COLD AC) lobby with a stone bar and tables that say this is “thee place to stay”….until you get to the elevator….ATF1 says the place had a smell to it…my nose died from abuse in the 80’s…I did not smell anything. The inexpensive rooms ($70USD was quoted) were equal to those at Hotel Mercure but the floors were in bad shape. The included breakfast was a continental breakfast and I got the feeling that multiple “guests” may raise eyebrows….too many better choices in town than to have to consider this place.

That’s all I got, I hope it helps…PM me if you need mugs of the thugs or extra info!



Colonial, Santo Domingo
Dominican Republic
809.221.1842 (Santo Domingo)
829.264.2619 (Cell Number)
718.841.7799 (NYC Number)
camilohouseapts@gmail.com (camiloapts@gmail.com)

[Dr.Kush]

thanks for the recon on camilo house, i was wondering how accurate the pics were. I guess i will give them a try in august. Cant beat the location.

[psriches]

i cant wait to see pics of these girls... expec the hottie with the nose ring??? post this guys number if its not to much trouble... i might be callin just to see how ugly this nose ring is.....lolHey El T, once you start in with these guys, you'll never be able to get rid of them. I've known them for a few years now. Not worth the hassle (stalking) in my humble opinion. You can find the gems on your own without the aid of HAWKS!!

[El Capitan]

Hey El T, once you start in with these guys, you'll never be able to get rid of them. I've known them for a few years now. Not worth the hassle (stalking) in my humble opinion. You can find the gems on your own without the aid of HAWKS!! Yep, I normally dont fuck with them....this Jose de Conde cat hooked up a member here and I brought the pic of the puta so I could meet her.

I know them because I've been to SD many times

El T I dont post pics....sorry