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Jimmydr
10-08-2016, 07:56 AM
How many trips were made to a place, how many places were checked out before the big move?


http://news.insearchofchicas.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=68294&d=1359246525

Jimmydr
10-08-2016, 08:00 AM
I started going to DR in 1997 and by 2007, I was going to Meddy, Colombia.


I still did DR but Boca instead of Sosua.


9 years in, I determined Meddy was better for my FUTURE move.

BlueDevil
10-08-2016, 08:47 AM
I lost count, but I think around 20. Some trips were as long as 6 weeks...others as short as 7 days.

Jimmydr
10-08-2016, 09:12 AM
I lost count, but I think around 20. Some trips were as long as 6 weeks...others as short as 7 days.

And then you knew it was for you.


http://news.insearchofchicas.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=68298&d=1359246551

BlueDevil
10-08-2016, 09:48 AM
Yep. We are talking about that subject right now over breakfast.

Westy
10-08-2016, 09:54 AM
How many trips were made to a place, how many places were checked out before the big move?
I don't know yet. There are going to be more...

Jimmydr
10-08-2016, 09:59 AM
Yep. We are talking about that subject right now over breakfast.

Crepes and waffles later?

Jimmydr
10-08-2016, 09:59 AM
I don't know yet. There are going to be more...

http://news.insearchofchicas.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=76642&d=1368488787


For me, its at least 20.

http://news.insearchofchicas.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=76643&d=1368488792

Plenty of places to sit and have coffee.

BlueDevil
10-08-2016, 10:09 AM
Crepes and waffles later?

LQ Hotel on Las Palmas.

Happyhorn
10-08-2016, 10:18 AM
I plan on making the move as soon as I sell my house. The oil market crash is slowing down the process but hopefully 2017 will be the year. My goal is to find a place close to the beach and not to far from the ladies.

Westy
10-08-2016, 10:28 AM
I haven't even come close to settling on "where," yet.

I do know what I want, at least as of now ... the tropics, on or near the water, good diving, good night-life, but not a MAJOR city. (As you put it, Happyhorn, "close to the beach and not too far from the ladies.") I've been to a few good destinations like that, and there are more I haven't explored.

Heck, I'm still pondering the idea of getting a sturdy, sea-kindly sailboat and making THAT my home. "Now coming to an anchorage near ... who?"

quietcorner911
10-08-2016, 10:40 AM
I did about 20 trips each to DR and Colombia then did six months straight in each country with the intention of splitting my time between the two. If Colombia had nice beaches in easily accessible areas the choice would be hands down Colombia for me without question but I enjoy the beach just way too much to give it up so I decided on 8 months a year in the DR and 4 months a year in the U.S.with visits to Colombia. In the future all options are on the table,I have no reason to plant my flag firmly in one spot.

snoozer
10-08-2016, 10:40 AM
Any new place I go to I think....I could live here.

After 10 years of 3 months per year in the DR I thought I had found my happy place. Then I went to Thailand and..... forget about DR, this is for me.

This winter, after 4 years of 3 months per year in Thailand I am returning to the DR.

I think the Smooth One is onto something when he talks about living for 3 months in each of his happy places after he retires.

Westy
10-08-2016, 10:54 AM
Any new place I go to I think....I could live here.

After 10 years of 3 months per year in the DR I thought I had found my happy place. Then I went to Thailand and..... forget about DR, this is for me.

This winter, after 4 years of 3 months per year in Thailand I am returning to the DR.

I think the Smooth one is onto something when he talks about living for 3 months in each of his happy places after he retires.I
That actually makes a lot of sense, to me ... for me, certainly for now. (Or for that time in the future when I can spend two or three months away from home. at a time.)

Mr. Smooth
10-08-2016, 12:39 PM
Any new place I go to I think....I could live here.

After 10 years of 3 months per year in the DR I thought I had found my happy place. Then I went to Thailand and..... forget about DR, this is for me.

This winter, after 4 years of 3 months per year in Thailand I am returning to the DR.

I think the Smooth One is onto something when he talks about living for 3 months in each of his happy places after he retires.

Assuming you are referring to me? :corky:

Yeah, it would be nice to be able to plan all that out. Am looking at the DR, Thailand and Kenya. In doing that though, the additional expense of airfare becomes a big factor in being able to afford that type of lifestyle.

For me, I think it would require an income close to $4,000 per month. If I can't, then maybe just cut it down to two different spots per year and swap one place out for the other the following year.

Each place has it's benefit. For convenience and that small town atmosphere where you can walk everywhere and be close to the beach, it's the DR.

For the multitude of available low cost accomadations and overwhelming entertainment options, as well as normal, everyday activities that have nothing to do with mongering, it's Thailand.

And for the ladies themselves, both in expense and the superior attitudes and personality, it's Kenya hands down.

With what I enjoy doing, on my own potential budget, I can't lose in any of those destinations.

greydread
10-08-2016, 04:11 PM
I haven't even come close to settling on "where," yet.

I do know what I want, at least as of now ... the tropics, on or near the water, good diving, good night-life, but not a MAJOR city. (As you put it, Happyhorn, "close to the beach and not too far from the ladies.") I've been to a few good destinations like that, and there are more I haven't explored.

Heck, I'm still pondering the idea of getting a sturdy, sea-kindly sailboat and making THAT my home. "Now coming to an anchorage near ... who?"
Have you been to St. Martin/ St. Maarten? The marinas there are top notch and filled with ex-pats from all over the world. Many take island hopping tours to pass the time. If I were a boat guy I'd definitely consider that as a next step. It's really not that much more expensive than the other Caribbean destinations mentioned and there's tons of imported Pum-Pum in the legal, government inspected brothels of the Dutch side.

The main difference is that unless a major hurricane passes over the island there are no power/ communications outages to speak of and you can safely drink water right out of the tap. Food is cheap and plentiful and everything is duty free as they have no "sin tax". I buy American cigarettes, Cuban cigars and French booze there for much less than they cost where they are made and you would need to go as far inland as possible to find some locals who don't speak English. The poor folks (both of them) in the interior speak Papiamento which is to Dutch what Tagalog is to Spanish and what Kreyol is to French.

You could probably talk me into returning there just to show you around.:smile:

Westy
10-08-2016, 04:45 PM
Have you been to St. Martin/ St. Maarten? The marinas there are top notch and filled with ex-pats from all over the world. Many take island hopping tours to pass the time. If I were a boat guy I'd definitely consider that as a next step. It's really not that much more expensive than the other Caribbean destinations mentioned and there's tons of imported Pum-Pum in the legal, government inspected brothels of the Dutch side.

The main difference is that unless a major hurricane passes over the island there are no power/ communications outages to speak of and you can safely drink water right out of the tap. Food is cheap and plentiful and everything is duty free as they have no "sin tax". I buy American cigarettes, Cuban cigars and French booze there for much less than they cost where they are made and you would need to go as far inland as possible to find some locals who don't speak English. The poor folks (both of them) in the interior speak Papiamento which is to Dutch what Tagalog is to Spanish and what Kreyol is to French.

You could probably talk me into returning there just to show you around.:smile:

I spent a day there in December 1997, on a big-ship cruise, with my mother. It is a beautiful island, no question about it, and a destination worth exploring; indeed, that whole spread of islands, from Trinidad to St. Thomas, are justly renowned as a cruising ground.

The Lesser Antilles are just what I have in mind when I speak of sailing down to "de islands, mon." Well, actually, I'd include the Greater Antilles in that (Puerto Rico to Jamaica, and Cuba, too, when it's open enough to US-flagged cruisers.)

yayow
10-08-2016, 05:40 PM
Have you been to St. Martin/ St. Maarten? The marinas there are top notch and filled with ex-pats from all over the world. Many take island hopping tours to pass the time. If I were a boat guy I'd definitely consider that as a next step. It's really not that much more expensive than the other Caribbean destinations mentioned and there's tons of imported Pum-Pum in the legal, government inspected brothels of the Dutch side.

The main difference is that unless a major hurricane passes over the island there are no power/ communications outages to speak of and you can safely drink water right out of the tap. Food is cheap and plentiful and everything is duty free as they have no "sin tax". I buy American cigarettes, Cuban cigars and French booze there for much less than they cost where they are made and you would need to go as far inland as possible to find some locals who don't speak English. The poor folks (both of them) in the interior speak Papiamento which is to Dutch what Tagalog is to Spanish and what Kreyol is to French.

You could probably talk me into returning there just to show you around.:smile:


But what is the general cost of living there, housing, food etc?

greydread
10-08-2016, 06:28 PM
But what is the general cost of living there, housing, food etc?
Housing is not cheap but in Westy's case a live aboard gives him the advantage of only needing to pay slip fees and utilities which are cheap by our standards and reliable by our standards as well.

Food is extremely inexpensive and the variety is what struck me the most as it exceeded what I'm used to in the USA. As I stated earlier there is no import duty in St Maarten and all the brands that we're used to were there in addition to some very fine foods straight from European distributors, for instance, they don't have several types of Gouda and several brands...they've got a whole entire Gouda aisle. The produce was plentiful, fresh and far less expensive than what I pay for the same stuff in the USA, same for packaged foods.

If I had to rate Sint Maarten / Saint Martin as a travel destination I'd give it the highest marks for beaches and food and put it in the top 3 for Pum-Pum, gambling and clubbing among Caribbean islands in my experience. Dining out there is just a bit less than in the USA but the cuisine is widely varied and fantastically prepared and service is excellent everywhere I've been. They've got two locations in Phillipsburg for a restaurant named "The Jerk" with better Jamaican cuisine than I ever had in Jamaica. The owner (we nicknamed him 'slick' because he wears a perm under his hairnet) is a bit on the flamboyant side but that sumbitch can cook like nodody's business. Don't look for him during Carnival week though (last week in April) because he'll be at the carnival grounds in a dress dancing until he drops every night. :rofl:

Sint Maarten is no place for the budget tourist and definitely no place for the budget monger but there are no beggars and there aren't many thieves (LE is zero tolerance on crime and the cops will beat a thief within an inch of his life in the precinct parking lot, I've seen this). There are so many jobs available there that they import most of their labor force and they pay decent wages too. The French side is more laid back and they have the best restaurants and beaches but they have no gambling, prostitution or duty free jewelry and Cuban cigars so fuck them.

There are many ex-pat Dominicans living great middle class lives in Sint Maarten and they have a very relaxed immigration policy. Many of these expatriate Dominicano's 1st came to the island as temporary workers, made their mark as reliable, competent and honest and were offered permanent status.

ezsmile
10-08-2016, 07:37 PM
I started going to DR in 1997 and by 2007, I was going to Meddy, Colombia.


I still did DR but Boca instead of Sosua.


9 years in, I determined Meddy was better for my FUTURE move.

Werent you building a house in sosua during that time?

QueGuapo
10-09-2016, 04:10 AM
Have you been to St. Martin/ St. Maarten? The marinas there are top notch and filled with ex-pats from all over the world. Many take island hopping tours to pass the time. If I were a boat guy I'd definitely consider that as a next step. It's really not that much more expensive than the other Caribbean destinations mentioned and there's tons of imported Pum-Pum in the legal, government inspected brothels of the Dutch side.

The main difference is that unless a major hurricane passes over the island there are no power/ communications outages to speak of and you can safely drink water right out of the tap. Food is cheap and plentiful and everything is duty free as they have no "sin tax". I buy American cigarettes, Cuban cigars and French booze there for much less than they cost where they are made and you would need to go as far inland as possible to find some locals who don't speak English. The poor folks (both of them) in the interior speak Papiamento which is to Dutch what Tagalog is to Spanish and what Kreyol is to French.

You could probably talk me into returning there just to show you around.:smile:

we ( you and me on another topic) have already talked about it.
i really liked the island but I cannot see how you can say it's not expensive. i have found it expensive compared to DR or Jamaica for example.. restaurant prices, groceries, apartment rent...

QueGuapo
10-09-2016, 04:12 AM
I have been an ex pats in US for 9 years and planning on making the move to Sosua in the near future.. I am already all set since I have a brand new house there and 2 apartemts that I rent..
i cannot pull the trigger yet because I love my work and cannot see myself retire completely.. Anyway I am not in a rush to decide because I really enjoy my life...

Jimmydr
10-09-2016, 07:31 AM
Werent you building a house in sosua during that time?

Sold it many years ago.

ezsmile
10-09-2016, 10:32 AM
Sold it many years ago.

good that you recognized you preferred somewhere else and so altered your plans.

Jimmydr
10-09-2016, 11:55 AM
good that you recognized you preferred somewhere else and so altered your plans.

You need to keep your options open.

greydread
10-09-2016, 06:59 PM
we ( you and me on another topic) have already talked about it.
i really liked the island but I cannot see how you can say it's not expensive. i have found it expensive compared to DR or Jamaica for example.. restaurant prices, groceries, apartment rent...
Rents.....very expensive but slip fees and utilities for a live aboard boat are the best value, way cheaper than in the murky waters of U.S. marinas (North of NC if we're talking about the East Coast).

Food.....inexpensive at the markets. I can buy the same exact items (I'd have to go to several specialty markets to find them all) in the USA and pay 3x as much. When I say cheap, I'm speaking in terms of value, not plantains and pork fat mushed up in a ball. Let me give you a f'rinstance...if I want a 2" thick Delmonico chop with turnips, brussels sprouts, maybe put the chops on a bed of grits or deep fried carrots, possible mash of baby reds with a little parsley, burdock and lemongrass to light it up. We'll throw in a generic CA Pinot Noir and that's 140 bucks at Carmine's for two people while it's less than half that much in Sint Maarten, the food is fresher and the service is better at a wide variety of eateries. The real proof is in the grocery line. You have to experience it to understand the difference. I spent 20 minutes in the cheese section trying to find a cheese with any hint of flavor in the D.R. with that colorless, tasteless shit that passes for cheese there. In that same 20 minutes I found a half dozen "must try" cheeses to go with my assortment of fresh fruit in Sint Maarten.

Rent is always going to be cheaper where the power goes off for hours or even days at a time and there's a good chance that if you leave your home empty for more than a few hours you are a candidate for a B&E. Where some days it seems like there are more People begging than there are People working, mostly because the People who work also have to beg just to make ends meet. That is the D.R./ and Jamaica, that is not Sint Maarten.

Keep it real, if you are going to quote me, please. I have NEVER stated that Sint Maarten was "cheap" but I have always maintained that it was among the best value when figuring in the agony index issues of other (cheaper) Caribbean destinations.

QueGuapo
10-09-2016, 07:16 PM
Rents.....very expensive but slip fees and utilities for a live aboard boat are the best value, way cheaper than in the murky waters of U.S. marinas (North of NC if we're talking about the East Coast).

Food.....inexpensive at the markets. I can buy the same exact items (I'd have to go to several specialty markets to find them all) in the USA and pay 3x as much. When I say cheap, I'm speaking in terms of value, not plantains and pork fat mushed up in a ball. Let me give you a f'rinstance...if I want a 2" thick Delmonico chop with turnips, brussels sprouts, maybe put the chops on a bed of grits or deep fried carrots, possible mash of baby reds with a little parsley, burdock and lemongrass to light it up. We'll throw in a generic CA Pinot Noir and that's 140 bucks at Carmine's for two people while it's less than half that much in Sint Maarten, the food is fresher and the service is better at a wide variety of eateries. The real proof is in the grocery line. You have to experience it to understand the difference. I spent 20 minutes in the cheese section trying to find a cheese with any hint of flavor in the D.R. with that colorless, tasteless shit that passes for cheese there. In that same 20 minutes I found a half dozen "must try" cheeses to go with my assortment of fresh fruit in Sint Maarten.

Rent is always going to be cheaper where the power goes off for hours or even days at a time and there's a good chance that if you leave your home empty for more than a few hours you are a candidate for a B&E. Where some days it seems like there are more People begging than there are People working, mostly because the People who work also have to beg just to make ends meet. That is the D.R./ and Jamaica, that is not Sint Maarten.

Keep it real, if you are going to quote me, please. I have NEVER stated that Sint Maarten was "cheap" but I have always maintained that it was among the best value when figuring in the agony index issues of other (cheaper) Caribbean destinations.

and I have never stated that you said that was cheap. I am keeping it real. I said I find it difficult to see how it could not be way more expensive compared to other Caribbean destinations. Then you mention going out at restaurants compared to a place (Carmine's, wtf is that?) I believe in US... again I was comparing St. Maarten to other Caribbean destinations... i have been there once, I really liked it but in my experience it's way more expensive than other the Caribbean Islands mentioned above (Dr, Jamaica).
I am talking about direct comparison: same type of groceries in supermarkets, same type of apartments in similar locations, same kind of restaurants... I cannot compare gas, power and other utilities and because I did not experience that...

greydread
10-09-2016, 08:05 PM
and I have never stated that you said that was cheap. I am keeping it real. I said I find it difficult to see how it could not be way more expensive compared to other Caribbean destinations. Then you mention going out at restaurants compared to a place (Carmine's, wtf is that?) I believe in US... again I was comparing St. Maarten to other Caribbean destinations... i have been there once, I really liked it but in my experience it's way more expensive than other the Caribbean Islands mentioned above (Dr, Jamaica).
I am talking about direct comparison: same type of groceries in supermarkets, same type of apartments in similar locations, same kind of restaurants... I cannot compare gas, power and other utilities and because I did not experience that...

One day I hope to enjoy a late afternoon shared bottle of vino tinto while you point out the fundamental difference between "less expensive" and "cheap" as those expressions are used in the English language.

"Carmines, WTF is that"??? Jeezuz!

C'mon Man... you've been to New York City, Washington, DC, Atlantic City, N.J. and never heard about Carmines? It's a moderately price family restaurant with comparable quantity and quality to the food in Sint Maarten restaurants versus the lack of that quality or quantity on the relatively impoverished islands which you mentioned.

http://www.carminesnyc.com/

My 1st time grocery shopping in Montego Bay was my last. I'll stop for supplies, like mixers and munchies but if you've ever cracked an egg from a Jamaican grocery store or tried to cook the beef they sell there I wouldn't have to explain it. I'll put it like this...you can't try to cook eggs for breakfast with fresh eggs that you went shopping for that day like I did. What happens next will not look like eggs, smell like eggs or even cook like eggs and the Jamaican breakfast of ackee and salt fish will be a welcome alternative. Same thing with beef, you can buy the cut of beef and it will look like the butcher had a seizure in mid cleaver stroke. It smells like something else, especially when you cook it, I'm thinking a cross between the smell of deer liver and the goat entrails used in voodoo ceremonies.

It's okay though, I gained a fondness for ital cooking resultant from my DIY in Jamaica dining experiences. Either way, my point is just this and nothing else: Sometimes I want cheap and I look for inexpensive but sometimes I want good and I look for best value. It really is just that simple. :)

SeaWeed
10-09-2016, 08:34 PM
mi visited probably close to 20 countries since 1982......thru Latin America and most of the Caribbean....mi love da water and beaches....
but never flown to Asia as it just to far from the USA and mi want to be close to the states for medical stuff if the need occurs
overall Jamaica gives mi what mi needs are...language is English...girls sex great....great beaches...good food....nice music....and a lot to do
drawbacks are the expenses involved..food can be expensive in the markets...and real estate is expensive but renting isn't...vehicles are expensive
taxis are elcheapo in Jamaica.....like any place once you know the runnings you can save money here and there like any place mi guess.......
mi alternative place is the DR where the beautiful ladies are more plentiful......but the language thingy is a killer for this guy and hate not knowing what a gurl is saying to mi.....lol

QueGuapo
10-10-2016, 01:16 AM
One day I hope to enjoy a late afternoon shared bottle of vino tinto while you point out the fundamental difference between "less expensive" and "cheap" as those expressions are used in the English language.

"Carmines, WTF is that"??? Jeezuz!

C'mon Man... you've been to New York City, Washington, DC, Atlantic City, N.J. and never heard about Carmines? It's a moderately price family restaurant with comparable quantity and quality to the food in Sint Maarten restaurants versus the lack of that quality or quantity on the relatively impoverished islands which you mentioned.

http://www.carminesnyc.com/

My 1st time grocery shopping in Montego Bay was my last. I'll stop for supplies, like mixers and munchies but if you've ever cracked an egg from a Jamaican grocery store or tried to cook the beef they sell there I wouldn't have to explain it. I'll put it like this...you can't try to cook eggs for breakfast with fresh eggs that you went shopping for that day like I did. What happens next will not look like eggs, smell like eggs or even cook like eggs and the Jamaican breakfast of ackee and salt fish will be a welcome alternative. Same thing with beef, you can buy the cut of beef and it will look like the butcher had a seizure in mid cleaver stroke. It smells like something else, especially when you cook it, I'm thinking a cross between the smell of deer liver and the goat entrails used in voodoo ceremonies.

It's okay though, I gained a fondness for ital cooking resultant from my DIY in Jamaica dining experiences. Either way, my point is just this and nothing else: Sometimes I want cheap and I look for inexpensive but sometimes I want good and I look for best value. It really is just that simple. :)

sorry but I try to avoid those kind of restaurants as much as I can. I could be wrong since I haven't been there, but the fact that the same restaurant exists in many different places, with actually the same menu everywhere, suggests me that is a kind of a chain... just the name of the items in the menu with fake Italian names horrifies me. As a good food lover and very knowledged about authentic Italian food, I am really not interested in that... I have never cooked food in Jamaica, but I do on a constant basis in DR and whoever has been my guest can testify the quality of it, and the merit goes to the good quality ingredients I buy into the grocery stores... obviously you do not have the variety you could find in US or Europe but we are not talking about that. I truly believe you can find the same quality of food at Playero if not better than what you can find in a grocery store in Saint Marteen.
It would my pleasure to share a bottle of wine with you as well as some experience and ideas... it would be an honor to cook something for you as well... do you ever happen to be in Sosua?

Jimmydr
10-10-2016, 05:58 AM
"Carmines, WTF is that"??? Jeezuz!

C'mon Man... you've been to New York City, Washington, DC, Atlantic City, N.J. and never heard about Carmines? It's a moderately price family restaurant with comparable quantity and quality to the food in Sint Maarten restaurants versus the lack of that quality or quantity on the relatively impoverished islands which you mentioned.

http://www.carminesnyc.com/

:)

We had an ISOC dinner there

BlueDevil
10-10-2016, 07:59 AM
One day I hope to enjoy a late afternoon shared bottle of vino tinto while you point out the fundamental difference between "less expensive" and "cheap" as those expressions are used in the English language.

"Carmines, WTF is that"??? Jeezuz!
C'mon Man... you've been to New York City, Washington, DC, Atlantic City, N.J. and never heard about Carmines? It's a moderately price family restaurant with comparable quantity and quality to the food in Sint Maarten restaurants versus the lack of that quality or quantity on the relatively impoverished islands which you mentioned.

http://www.carminesnyc.com/

My 1st time grocery shopping in Montego Bay was my last. I'll stop for supplies, like mixers and munchies but if you've ever cracked an egg from a Jamaican grocery store or tried to cook the beef they sell there I wouldn't have to explain it. I'll put it like this...you can't try to cook eggs for breakfast with fresh eggs that you went shopping for that day like I did. What happens next will not look like eggs, smell like eggs or even cook like eggs and the Jamaican breakfast of ackee and salt fish will be a welcome alternative. Same thing with beef, you can buy the cut of beef and it will look like the butcher had a seizure in mid cleaver stroke. It smells like something else, especially when you cook it, I'm thinking a cross between the smell of deer liver and the goat entrails used in voodoo ceremonies.

It's okay though, I gained a fondness for ital cooking resultant from my DIY in Jamaica dining experiences. Either way, my point is just this and nothing else: Sometimes I want cheap and I look for inexpensive but sometimes I want good and I look for best value. It really is just that simple. :)

Love Carmines. It's must do when in AC. We usually stay at Tropicana, so it's a no-brainer to eat at Carmines.

BlueDevil
10-10-2016, 08:04 AM
I lost count, but I think around 20. Some trips were as long as 6 weeks...others as short as 7 days.

In addition to the 20 or so trips to Colombia, I made many trips to other countries to check out retired living including: Costa Rica, the DR and Europe. I once thought Costa Rica would be a good spot for retirement, but after looking at the cost of living, housing and the large number of gringo ex-pats already living there, I decided to move on. Glad I did.

Jimmydr
10-10-2016, 02:42 PM
Love Carmines. It's must do when in AC. We usually stay at Tropicana, so it's a no-brainer to eat at Carmines.

Next year?:corky:

BlueDevil
10-10-2016, 05:03 PM
Next year?:corky:

Yeah... February, when the room rates at Tropicana are $29 per night. :iconTU:

Jimmydr
10-10-2016, 05:52 PM
Yeah... February, when the room rates at Tropicana are $29 per night. :iconTU:

The month I can't go.:mad:

greydread
10-10-2016, 08:03 PM
sorry but I try to avoid those kind of restaurants as much as I can. I could be wrong since I haven't been there, but the fact that the same restaurant exists in many different places, with actually the same menu everywhere, suggests me that is a kind of a chain... just the name of the items in the menu with fake Italian names horrifies me. As a good food lover and very knowledged about authentic Italian food, I am really not interested in that... I have never cooked food in Jamaica, but I do on a constant basis in DR and whoever has been my guest can testify the quality of it, and the merit goes to the good quality ingredients I buy into the grocery stores... obviously you do not have the variety you could find in US or Europe but we are not talking about that. I truly believe you can find the same quality of food at Playero if not better than what you can find in a grocery store in Saint Marteen.
It would my pleasure to share a bottle of wine with you as well as some experience and ideas... it would be an honor to cook something for you as well... do you ever happen to be in Sosua?
I usually travel to the South Coast but I think that an evening of good food, good conversation and the benefit of sharing the experiences of someone as well traveled as you could tempt me into a field trip. :iconTU:

Jimmydr
10-11-2016, 06:42 AM
I usually travel to the South Coast but I think that an evening of good food, good conversation and the benefit of sharing the experiences of someone as well traveled as you could tempt me into a field trip. :iconTU:

You can't do both?:iconTU::iconTU::iconTU::iconTU::iconTU:

greydread
10-11-2016, 06:14 PM
You can't do both?:iconTU::iconTU::iconTU::iconTU::iconTU:

I need a trip of at least a weeh duration. In the last 13 months I've spent 6 weeks travelling to Africa and made 2 trips to Negril. There's only so much of me to go 'round.

QueGuapo
10-11-2016, 10:19 PM
I usually travel to the South Coast but I think that an evening of good food, good conversation and the benefit of sharing the experiences of someone as well traveled as you could tempt me into a field trip. :iconTU:

Let's make it happen then.. i will make some good pulled pork and great wine or beer.. and later on, if you want I have a couple of nice chicas as well... everything on the house... how does that sound?

greydread
10-11-2016, 11:27 PM
Let's make it happen then.. i will make some good pulled pork and great wine or beer.. and later on, if you want I have a couple of nice chicas as well... everything on the house... how does that sound?
Sounds good

Not "everything on the house" though. I carry my weight. A new friend is always welcome.

QueGuapo
10-11-2016, 11:42 PM
Sounds good

Not "everything on the house" though. I carry my weight. A new friend is always welcome.

Well I am Italian... We like to treat our guests, but as you wish... it will be fun..
by the way.. when is the next time you go to Negril?

greydread
10-12-2016, 07:13 AM
Well I am Italian... We like to treat our guests, but as you wish... it will be fun..
by the way.. when is the next time you go to Negril?

My 1st few years coming to Santo Domingo I stayed at Hotel Acuarium exclusively which is the only resort I've seen in the D.R. with a bocce court. I kinda stopped going there when the chef took ill and returned to Italy and Dominicans took over in the kitchen. We had some great meals there and our evenings always began with fantastic dinner experiences. I was saddened as the original owners aged into ill health and went back to the old country. As we got to know the folks there, every time the chef saw my friends and I congregate at the bar he'd go back into the kitchen and whip up some antipasto and serve it on the house. They were a very lively bunch of guys and it wasn't odd to see 70 year old guys with a 20 year old Chica....pushing a baby stroller from their apartment. A few of their kids came in from Italy and took over the condos but they couldn't keep it real like the old guys did and the place went to shit for awhile. Those old guys had an exclusive "friends-of-friends" network and some of the Chicas they had rolling through there were traffic stoppers. One of these days I'm going to dedicate a thread to Hotel Acuarium as it was back in the day. It was a special place in a special time and I've got a lifetime of memories from those days.

http://news.insearchofchicas.org/forum/imagehosting/87594a1ef212e4fe7.jpg

http://news.insearchofchicas.org/forum/imagehosting/87594a216ee994d1e.jpg


I know for sure that I'll be in Negri for the15-22 July invasion and in BC in late Feb for the 'El Toro' b'day bash but I will definitely require some mental health down time in the late March/ early April time frame and that will more than likely be a trip to Negril at the end of the high season. I went in March this year and it was very nice as every spot on the beach was at full capacity and I met a ton of folks from all over. The couple of lackluster hooker encounters I had on that trip were far overshadowed by my time spent with a local (civilian) Lady who took me under her wing and showed me her Negril. It was nice to find that not everybody in Negril is a hustler.

QueGuapo
10-13-2016, 01:20 AM
My 1st few years coming to Santo Domingo I stayed at Hotel Acuarium exclusively which is the only resort I've seen in the D.R. with a bocce court. I kinda stopped going there when the chef took ill and returned to Italy and Dominicans took over in the kitchen. We had some great meals there and our evenings always began with fantastic dinner experiences. I was saddened as the original owners aged into ill health and went back to the old country. As we got to know the folks there, every time the chef saw my friends and I congregate at the bar he'd go back into the kitchen and whip up some antipasto and serve it on the house. They were a very lively bunch of guys and it wasn't odd to see 70 year old guys with a 20 year old Chica....pushing a baby stroller from their apartment. A few of their kids came in from Italy and took over the condos but they couldn't keep it real like the old guys did and the place went to shit for awhile. Those old guys had an exclusive "friends-of-friends" network and some of the Chicas they had rolling through there were traffic stoppers. One of these days I'm going to dedicate a thread to Hotel Acuarium as it was back in the day. It was a special place in a special time and I've got a lifetime of memories from those days.

Click to see pic (http://Click to see pic

Click to see pic (http://Click to see pic


I know for sure that I'll be in Negri for the15-22 July invasion and in BC in late Feb for the 'El Toro' b'day bash but I will definitely require some mental health down time in the late March/ early April time frame and that will more than likely be a trip to Negril at the end of the high season. I went in March this year and it was very nice as every spot on the beach was at full capacity and I met a ton of folks from all over. The couple of lackluster hooker encounters I had on that trip were far overshadowed by my time spent with a local (civilian) Lady who took me under her wing and showed me her Negril. It was nice to find that not everybody in Negril is a hustler.

I agree, these are the best experiences.. I am actually going to Montego Bay at the end of November to spend few days with the girl I met last year in July.. she has a little business in Montego and she never asked for money... we had a great time in Negril.. so this time I will treat myself with a 3 days in Montego with her... keep me posted about when you want to come down to Sosua....

Atlantic City Jimmy
12-08-2017, 06:30 AM
How many trips were made to a place, how many places were checked out before the big move?


Click to see pic (http://news.insearchofchicas.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=68294&d=1359246525)

Lets revisit.

Happyhorn
12-08-2017, 06:01 PM
For me I only made one trip to Angeles before the relocation, but I did check out the DR, Costa Rica, Colombia and Thailand before deciding on the Philippines. Again I like the fact that Filipinas speak English, they are a great girlfriend experience, and the price of freelancers is around 1,000p.

BlueDevil
12-08-2017, 08:24 PM
For me I only made one trip to Angeles before the relocation, but I did check out the DR, Costa Rica, Colombia and Thailand before deciding on the Philippines. Again I like the fact that Filipinas speak English, they are a great girlfriend experience, and the price of freelancers is around 1,000p.

If I lived in the PI, I probably would pitch my tent in Baguio City with frequent trips to outlying areas like Subic and other spots that I have never been to.

Atlantic City Jimmy
12-09-2017, 09:16 AM
For me I only made one trip to Angeles before the relocation, but I did check out the DR, Costa Rica, Colombia and Thailand before deciding on the Philippines. Again I like the fact that Filipinas speak English, they are a great girlfriend experience, and the price of freelancers is around 1,000p.

Sounds like you found a good place