camaro1257
03-18-2014, 09:25 AM
Santiago Synopsis
Gentleman I just completed a trip to Santiago from Sosua. This trip was an extension of my most recent Sosua/Santiago/Monti-Cristi excursion. The original plan was to spend 2 days in Sosua, 4 days in Santiago then end my trip with another 2 days. There was an impromptu opportunity to go to Monti-Cristi while I was in Santiago and when I returned I decided to cut the Santiago trip short and return to Sosua. The Santiago excursion only resulted in me spending 2 days on the ground. Since the trip was so short the information contained is not as exhaustive as I would like it to be however I hope for most it will suffice. This synopsis will cut to the meat of my experience in Santiago for those who are not interested in reading the entire Santiago trip report.
Below I have listed my notes for your review.
Santiago de los Caballeros
Santiago is the second largest urban center in the Dominican Republic behind the Capital Santo Domingo. Santiago is considered to be La Segundo Capital because of its importance during colonial times, for brief periods it served as the nation’s capital. Santiago is reported to be the intellectual, educational, and cultural center of the Dominican Republic. It is located in the Cibao valley and surrounded by beautiful mountain ranges that kiss the sky. This region is reported to be the wealthiest in the country. The population is just under 2 million people.
Attire
Santiago- what to wear: Santiago like Santo Domingo is not Sosua where you can wear shorts a t-shirt and sandals. Both major urban areas have clubs and night life that require less casual attire. When going out at night in either town it is recommended to where a polo or dress shirt along with long pants and casual shoes that are not sneakers or sandals. You do not want to go out looking like a gringo pendeo...enough said!
Monument to the Heroes of the Restoration
On a hill overlooking Santiago the marble monument began in 1944 on the orders of dictator Rafael Trujillo. He named it the "Trujillo's Monument to Peace." Trujillo was assassinated in 1961, after which the monument was renamed the "Monument to the Heroes of the Restoration", in remembrance of the Independence Restoration War of 1863, in which the Dominican Republic regained its independence from Spain.
The monument is absolutely beautiful at night because it is illuminated. It is the center of attraction for Santiago and also one of the primary places freelances walk the stroll after midnight.
Caribe Tours
I took Caribe Tours from Sosua to Santiago, the ticket was 160DOP which is better than a $100.00 taxi ride. I reflected on when was new to the Dominican Republic how I would spend more than I needed traveling across the country because I feared the unknown. Now that I have overcome my fear I realize how easy it is to travel across the country.
Miscellaneous
Western Union is located on Avenieda Pablo Duarte about 5 minutes from the monument and 10 minutes from the Aloha Sol Hotel. The exchange rate was 43DOP - 1US.
La Sirena is located on Autopista Duarte about 10 minutes from the Aloha Sol Hotel. The hotel had a mini bar with a few items however I wanted my own refreshments so I got what I wanted.
Aloha Sol Hotel
The Aloha Sol Hotel is a nice hotel with staff that was very cordial and helpful. The WI-FI and air-condition worked well. There was a safe in the closet but I made no attempt to use it. The room had a comfortable queen bed and an 18 inch flat screen TV. The primary problem I had was with the key card that had to be swiped multiple times before the door would open.
Santiago Casas de Citas
All of the below listed venues had heavy security and you were either patted down or security used a metal detector wand to check you for weapons. The tarifas reminded me of the Punta Cana casa de citas with the set up and excessive pricing.
Passions Night Club looks like a regular night club inside but it was very dark and very difficult to see the chicas. My first impression was how much staff was on the floor. There appeared to be an army of security guards wearing Passions shirt wondering around. Most of the chicas were 7's and 8's and there were quite a few blancas, (with fake boobs and buttocks) for a minute I thought I was in Medellin Colombia rather than Santo Domingo Dominican Republic.
Many of the chicas were on their phones which I consider to be a turn off but asi es la vida. I found the restaurant that was connected to the club to be interesting because there was a television turned to Christian cable station.
Tarifas: 1 hour 3000DOP in house
3 hours 4500DOP salida
Illusions Night Club looked like a strip inside with the stripper pole and flashing lights. There were less than 6 chicas none more than a 7 in my book and I was not impressed.
Tarifa: 1 hour in house 4000DOP
TLN salida 7000DOP
Casa Blanca was a beautiful venue. You walked in there was a patio with a pool and inside was a very attractive club with couches and chairs. There were about 6 chicas ranging between 6-8. I was told that each chica could set her own price. For example:
Tarifa: 2 hours in house 3500DOP
3 hours salida 4500DOP
Santiago Car Washes
Santiago is like many urban centers in the Dominican Republic where car washes serve as PFP venues also. There are multiple car washes throughout the city however I only visited the below listed venues:
La Colonia car wash is on Autopista Duarte. This is an outdoor venue with a dance floor where they played bachata and people could be seen dancing on the dance floor which was in the center. The chicas ranged from 6-7's and some appeared to be bored and others were entertaining their clients being lively and hospitable.
Each chica sets her own tarifa and the class themselves ranging from 3000 - 5000DOP for whatever period of time you can negotiate. There was no salida I believe the girls pay a fee to the house for each client but I could not get the chica I was talking with to reveal the exact amount.
International car wash is also on Autopista Duarte. This is a dual outdoor and indoor venue. The chicas lounge outside and talk with one another as well as their clients. The inside venue looks like a club with a bar and D-J played hip-hop music.
The chicas in this venue were very attractive definately 7-8's and they were waiting to be chosen. The tarifa was 3000DOP for the chica and 500DOP salida paid to the house.
I went to this venue twice in the same day and there were more chicas during the evening than later a night I supect due to being with clients. At night there were quite a few men and a strip show for those who find that interesting.
Los Dominicanos ricos
Plaza Hermanos Gomez Dias on Calle Pan Americana was a car wash that was clearly a cut above the rest. There were 2 separate outdoor venues on the same property. One venue had pool tables and seating and the other was a club with regular seating with seating and VIP seating along the sides.
First, almost every woman in the joint was an 8 and there were some arguably 9's in the house. Some of the blancas reminded me of Paisas they were that gorgeous. Some of these chicas ...excuse me mujeres had obvious attitudes like their shit didn't stink. The men were mean mugging me like WTF are you doing in our spot type looks. I was told the salida was 500DOP and some of the chicas go as high as 7000DOP but everything depended on the chica.
The straw that broke the camel's back was the BMW's I saw in the car wash. I don't know what the men did but judging by how security was tight and the look on some of their faces I wouldn't be surprised if some if not all were narcos.
This spot had a high class vibe but was very Dominican and was not for the faint of heart.
Semi pro venues
Grand Slam VIP (El Cuarto Frio) located on Calle Principal 17. This was a hole in the wall hood joint where everyone was packed liked sardines. Quite a few people were smoking hookah and the music was blasting reggaeton.
Everyone in there seemed to be in their early 20's and almost every chica I saw was doable 7's-8's they were young tenderonies smiling dancing and having a good time. It wasn't the most comfortable place but I loved the authentic Dominican vibe.
This was not a straight PFP venue, I was advised the chicas will go with you if they like you and you slip them a little something for the salon in the morning.
Extacy Sports Bar located on Calle Pan Americana was a classy spot that put me in the mind of Classicos in Sosua. There were tables and couches on the walls with several VIP areas. The music was salsa and bachata and quite a few people were smoking hookah.
The waitresses were available for takeout for whatever you negotiate and the regular chicas were available like Grand Slam VIP.
The chica stroll Santiago
The area around the Casino Pure and the Monument are known for street walkers of a decent caliber. Some look like PFP and others do not. I saw some 7's-8's in the area.
Calle Resturacion close to Parque El Chechas about 5 minutes from the monument is crack alley. There were a half dozen street walkers in the area mixed in with some transvestites. You can find 3's-5's in this area for 300DOP and there was a short time hotel in the area I did not check the cost because I did not want to get out of the car.
I am only reporting on this venue for intel purposes but I will pass on 300 peso chicas thank you very much.
Closing thoughts on Santiago:
I did not do as much internet preparation for my Santiago trip as I have my previous few trips. I had one internet chica renege and one I chose not to follow up on which made this trip primarily a intel trip.
Santiago is a major urban center that has neighborhoods and venues that cater to different classes of people; I saw the spectrum range from the very rich to the very poor. This does not only include restaurants and shopping centers but also PFP venues.
The most recognized PFP establishments are expensive compared to Sosua standards. The chica who lives in Santiago can command twice and sometimes three times as much in Santiago than she can in Sosua. For the Sosua veteran this makes Santiago and unattractive location for PFP.
Although PFP is expensive relative to Sosua standards there are more cabana short time hotels in Santiago than I have seen anywhere else in the country, therefore there is obviously a lot of PFP taking place.
Santiago has the reputation for being where the light complexioned "mulatoe" Dominicans come from. I saw a spectrum from vanilla to deep chocolate. There are beautiful women in Santiago in all shapes sizes and colors.
IMHO I would not recommend mongers go to Santiago solely as a PFP destination because of the prices but it is an excellent place to hunt for civilian chicas and go from there.
I have spent most of my time in the Dominican Republic on the north coast. Since I am considering the possibility of retiring there I have decided to branch out and see more of what the island has to offer. I deliberately booked my Santiago excursion close to my Santo Domingo excursion last month because I wanted to compare the 2 cities. I have read extensively on both cities on different boards however I wanted to have the Dominican urban experience first-hand as I continue to explore life and culture in the Dominican Republic. Now that I have had the experiences going forward I will be looking at other destinations such as Bonao, La Vega and Higuey.
Gentleman I just completed a trip to Santiago from Sosua. This trip was an extension of my most recent Sosua/Santiago/Monti-Cristi excursion. The original plan was to spend 2 days in Sosua, 4 days in Santiago then end my trip with another 2 days. There was an impromptu opportunity to go to Monti-Cristi while I was in Santiago and when I returned I decided to cut the Santiago trip short and return to Sosua. The Santiago excursion only resulted in me spending 2 days on the ground. Since the trip was so short the information contained is not as exhaustive as I would like it to be however I hope for most it will suffice. This synopsis will cut to the meat of my experience in Santiago for those who are not interested in reading the entire Santiago trip report.
Below I have listed my notes for your review.
Santiago de los Caballeros
Santiago is the second largest urban center in the Dominican Republic behind the Capital Santo Domingo. Santiago is considered to be La Segundo Capital because of its importance during colonial times, for brief periods it served as the nation’s capital. Santiago is reported to be the intellectual, educational, and cultural center of the Dominican Republic. It is located in the Cibao valley and surrounded by beautiful mountain ranges that kiss the sky. This region is reported to be the wealthiest in the country. The population is just under 2 million people.
Attire
Santiago- what to wear: Santiago like Santo Domingo is not Sosua where you can wear shorts a t-shirt and sandals. Both major urban areas have clubs and night life that require less casual attire. When going out at night in either town it is recommended to where a polo or dress shirt along with long pants and casual shoes that are not sneakers or sandals. You do not want to go out looking like a gringo pendeo...enough said!
Monument to the Heroes of the Restoration
On a hill overlooking Santiago the marble monument began in 1944 on the orders of dictator Rafael Trujillo. He named it the "Trujillo's Monument to Peace." Trujillo was assassinated in 1961, after which the monument was renamed the "Monument to the Heroes of the Restoration", in remembrance of the Independence Restoration War of 1863, in which the Dominican Republic regained its independence from Spain.
The monument is absolutely beautiful at night because it is illuminated. It is the center of attraction for Santiago and also one of the primary places freelances walk the stroll after midnight.
Caribe Tours
I took Caribe Tours from Sosua to Santiago, the ticket was 160DOP which is better than a $100.00 taxi ride. I reflected on when was new to the Dominican Republic how I would spend more than I needed traveling across the country because I feared the unknown. Now that I have overcome my fear I realize how easy it is to travel across the country.
Miscellaneous
Western Union is located on Avenieda Pablo Duarte about 5 minutes from the monument and 10 minutes from the Aloha Sol Hotel. The exchange rate was 43DOP - 1US.
La Sirena is located on Autopista Duarte about 10 minutes from the Aloha Sol Hotel. The hotel had a mini bar with a few items however I wanted my own refreshments so I got what I wanted.
Aloha Sol Hotel
The Aloha Sol Hotel is a nice hotel with staff that was very cordial and helpful. The WI-FI and air-condition worked well. There was a safe in the closet but I made no attempt to use it. The room had a comfortable queen bed and an 18 inch flat screen TV. The primary problem I had was with the key card that had to be swiped multiple times before the door would open.
Santiago Casas de Citas
All of the below listed venues had heavy security and you were either patted down or security used a metal detector wand to check you for weapons. The tarifas reminded me of the Punta Cana casa de citas with the set up and excessive pricing.
Passions Night Club looks like a regular night club inside but it was very dark and very difficult to see the chicas. My first impression was how much staff was on the floor. There appeared to be an army of security guards wearing Passions shirt wondering around. Most of the chicas were 7's and 8's and there were quite a few blancas, (with fake boobs and buttocks) for a minute I thought I was in Medellin Colombia rather than Santo Domingo Dominican Republic.
Many of the chicas were on their phones which I consider to be a turn off but asi es la vida. I found the restaurant that was connected to the club to be interesting because there was a television turned to Christian cable station.
Tarifas: 1 hour 3000DOP in house
3 hours 4500DOP salida
Illusions Night Club looked like a strip inside with the stripper pole and flashing lights. There were less than 6 chicas none more than a 7 in my book and I was not impressed.
Tarifa: 1 hour in house 4000DOP
TLN salida 7000DOP
Casa Blanca was a beautiful venue. You walked in there was a patio with a pool and inside was a very attractive club with couches and chairs. There were about 6 chicas ranging between 6-8. I was told that each chica could set her own price. For example:
Tarifa: 2 hours in house 3500DOP
3 hours salida 4500DOP
Santiago Car Washes
Santiago is like many urban centers in the Dominican Republic where car washes serve as PFP venues also. There are multiple car washes throughout the city however I only visited the below listed venues:
La Colonia car wash is on Autopista Duarte. This is an outdoor venue with a dance floor where they played bachata and people could be seen dancing on the dance floor which was in the center. The chicas ranged from 6-7's and some appeared to be bored and others were entertaining their clients being lively and hospitable.
Each chica sets her own tarifa and the class themselves ranging from 3000 - 5000DOP for whatever period of time you can negotiate. There was no salida I believe the girls pay a fee to the house for each client but I could not get the chica I was talking with to reveal the exact amount.
International car wash is also on Autopista Duarte. This is a dual outdoor and indoor venue. The chicas lounge outside and talk with one another as well as their clients. The inside venue looks like a club with a bar and D-J played hip-hop music.
The chicas in this venue were very attractive definately 7-8's and they were waiting to be chosen. The tarifa was 3000DOP for the chica and 500DOP salida paid to the house.
I went to this venue twice in the same day and there were more chicas during the evening than later a night I supect due to being with clients. At night there were quite a few men and a strip show for those who find that interesting.
Los Dominicanos ricos
Plaza Hermanos Gomez Dias on Calle Pan Americana was a car wash that was clearly a cut above the rest. There were 2 separate outdoor venues on the same property. One venue had pool tables and seating and the other was a club with regular seating with seating and VIP seating along the sides.
First, almost every woman in the joint was an 8 and there were some arguably 9's in the house. Some of the blancas reminded me of Paisas they were that gorgeous. Some of these chicas ...excuse me mujeres had obvious attitudes like their shit didn't stink. The men were mean mugging me like WTF are you doing in our spot type looks. I was told the salida was 500DOP and some of the chicas go as high as 7000DOP but everything depended on the chica.
The straw that broke the camel's back was the BMW's I saw in the car wash. I don't know what the men did but judging by how security was tight and the look on some of their faces I wouldn't be surprised if some if not all were narcos.
This spot had a high class vibe but was very Dominican and was not for the faint of heart.
Semi pro venues
Grand Slam VIP (El Cuarto Frio) located on Calle Principal 17. This was a hole in the wall hood joint where everyone was packed liked sardines. Quite a few people were smoking hookah and the music was blasting reggaeton.
Everyone in there seemed to be in their early 20's and almost every chica I saw was doable 7's-8's they were young tenderonies smiling dancing and having a good time. It wasn't the most comfortable place but I loved the authentic Dominican vibe.
This was not a straight PFP venue, I was advised the chicas will go with you if they like you and you slip them a little something for the salon in the morning.
Extacy Sports Bar located on Calle Pan Americana was a classy spot that put me in the mind of Classicos in Sosua. There were tables and couches on the walls with several VIP areas. The music was salsa and bachata and quite a few people were smoking hookah.
The waitresses were available for takeout for whatever you negotiate and the regular chicas were available like Grand Slam VIP.
The chica stroll Santiago
The area around the Casino Pure and the Monument are known for street walkers of a decent caliber. Some look like PFP and others do not. I saw some 7's-8's in the area.
Calle Resturacion close to Parque El Chechas about 5 minutes from the monument is crack alley. There were a half dozen street walkers in the area mixed in with some transvestites. You can find 3's-5's in this area for 300DOP and there was a short time hotel in the area I did not check the cost because I did not want to get out of the car.
I am only reporting on this venue for intel purposes but I will pass on 300 peso chicas thank you very much.
Closing thoughts on Santiago:
I did not do as much internet preparation for my Santiago trip as I have my previous few trips. I had one internet chica renege and one I chose not to follow up on which made this trip primarily a intel trip.
Santiago is a major urban center that has neighborhoods and venues that cater to different classes of people; I saw the spectrum range from the very rich to the very poor. This does not only include restaurants and shopping centers but also PFP venues.
The most recognized PFP establishments are expensive compared to Sosua standards. The chica who lives in Santiago can command twice and sometimes three times as much in Santiago than she can in Sosua. For the Sosua veteran this makes Santiago and unattractive location for PFP.
Although PFP is expensive relative to Sosua standards there are more cabana short time hotels in Santiago than I have seen anywhere else in the country, therefore there is obviously a lot of PFP taking place.
Santiago has the reputation for being where the light complexioned "mulatoe" Dominicans come from. I saw a spectrum from vanilla to deep chocolate. There are beautiful women in Santiago in all shapes sizes and colors.
IMHO I would not recommend mongers go to Santiago solely as a PFP destination because of the prices but it is an excellent place to hunt for civilian chicas and go from there.
I have spent most of my time in the Dominican Republic on the north coast. Since I am considering the possibility of retiring there I have decided to branch out and see more of what the island has to offer. I deliberately booked my Santiago excursion close to my Santo Domingo excursion last month because I wanted to compare the 2 cities. I have read extensively on both cities on different boards however I wanted to have the Dominican urban experience first-hand as I continue to explore life and culture in the Dominican Republic. Now that I have had the experiences going forward I will be looking at other destinations such as Bonao, La Vega and Higuey.