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View Full Version : Ajax- Summer Trip Report: Part 1 Santo Domingo



ajax718
07-30-2005, 03:47 PM
My trip started off on the wrong foot. I was sick before even getting n the plane and took many strolls down Hershey Highway. I took American Airlines flight for 390 dollars to Santo Domingo. I use American airlines because of frequent flier miles. This is my third trip to SD this year. When I got to the airport, I walked right through customs without anyone checking my bags or asking me questions. Never have I been asked by customs in SD airport to pay a bribe.

I ended up renting a car for my whole trip down here, which is a month. Used the Europa car company, 28 dollars a day plus insurance and tax. I booked in advance online. I prefer using a known car rental company so I am less likely to worry people from the company will steal the car so they can claim insurance money. A big money saver for renting a car is this: Since one of my credit cards has a type of car rental insurance plan, I only have to pay 5 dollars a day instead of 24 dollars a day for the car companies insurance. Savings add up when renting for a long period of time.

I enjoy renting a car because it gives me the freedom to travel in ares where there are less tourists. I learned if you have your own car you can use it to literally pick up chicas. I noticed here in the major streets of SD there are always tons of chicas on the sides of the roads waiting to get a guagua or taxi. If you have a rental car with AC, in this hot summer heat your car is even more appealing.

No keep in mind, I would not just drive around picking up chicas and taking them where they want to go. If I know I have to travel in a certain direction, then I might pick u a chica who is going my way. I tried this once. The other day I saw this chica with a hot body in tight ass pants on the side of the road with a little girl. I offered to pick them both up. The little girl gave me an opportunity to have something to talk about with the chica. By the end of the ride I got her number. Have not had the chance to call her yet but I will.

Be careful of corrupt police. When you are a foreigner in a rental car you do become a target for extortion. I was driving on the malecon and pulled over for a guy claiming to be police. After a half hour of bullshit I paid him 200 pesos to get out of the situation. I know I got screwed.

LEARN FROM MY MISTAKE: When ISOC posts say never pull over for a cop, unless it is cops in a marked car vehicule with sirens, do not pull over. If some guy claims to be a cop, ask for identification from him first, ID should be on his uniform and he should be carrying an ID called a Cane. Looking back, the guy was wearing clothing similar to PN but he had no clearr ID. Also, You do not need a passport to travel in DR until 2006. Having a driver{s license is more then enough. If you rent a car and have a license plate on teh front that simply says the name of the rental company, take it off and simply put it back on when you return the car. Those type of license plates clearly give away that it is a rental.
I will post all about chicas in a second post

psriches
07-30-2005, 05:05 PM
Good information......

Tonto4
08-30-2006, 04:22 PM
A similar thing occured to me in Santo Domingo Oct 2005 when two policia on a motorcycle pulled me over. It cost me over 1000 pesos to get my license back. It would have been better to not have pulled over and kept going.

prtyr2
08-30-2006, 04:33 PM
Here is what I do. . . .I tell them let's go to the US Embassy so I can ask my embassy what I should do as I was told never to pay a fine in the street. I have gone so far as to say my brother works for the embassy and I pull out a cell phone to call him. . . . of course I don't even have a brother;-)

Cheeno
09-22-2006, 10:58 AM
Here is what I do. . . .I tell them let's go to the US Embassy so I can ask my embassy what I should do as I was told never to pay a fine in the street. I have gone so far as to say my brother works for the embassy and I pull out a cell phone to call him. . . . of course I don't even have a brother;-)


I thought I was your brother?!? :(
































J/K :smile:

ajax718
09-22-2006, 12:55 PM
Notice this is a trip report from 2005, not a recent trip report! Look at the date above my avatar