I'm still "Just A Lurker."
The Chinese virus infected the Western world with Chinese-style totalitarian politics. - Gladiator
The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary. – H. L. Mencken
Surgery in Sosua
Sosua is not like Medellin with all the enhanced chicas but more and more chicas are being enhanced.
Cam with the on site reporting
En una tierra de mujeres hermosas, Yo soy El Rey
All I got to say is,YUCK!!! Sosua has diminished greatly since my first trip in 2006. I still go there and manage to find a gem. But it is getting far and few in between every time I go down there.
As long as gems are there, all is good.
Need to weed out more gorda's but I always found something when I was in the mood.... only need one.
El Chivo de Sosua
El Chivo is campaigning for Mayor of Sosua
After campaigning to potential voters it's time to take a fiesta
El Chivo for Mayor...he's got my vote...haaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
Anecdotal Observation
Recently I has a session with a Puerto Plata barrio chic. I was very explicit with what I wanted and she agreed after extensive discussions. When she came over she reneged on our agreement and because I was in my place and didn't want any drama I kept my part of the bargain although she did not keep her part. This situation caused me to reflect on some of the other experiences I have had living here.
I have noticed a pattern, many of the Dominicans I have come in contact with lack the integrity that I am accustomed to. I am not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, however if I say something I have every intention of doing what I said I was going to do unless there a legitimate circumstances that cause me to change course.
This situation is not the first time someone has agreed to very clear and specific terms but not kept their word. When I purchased my truck the person I bought it from agreed to specific mechanical issues being repaired. On the day of the sale I neglected to confirm the issues were resolved and later I discovered what was agreed upon was not done.
What I have discovered is it is common here to make an agreement for the objective of attaining short term gain. In the case of the aforementioned chica I gave her what I agreed upon, but she is not likely to see any more money from me going forward. Therefore she got a short term gain but her actions have caused her to miss out on long term gain.
This situation reminds me of the idiom "action speaks louder than words." In order to have an agreement you need the word of two parties, however unfortunately you do not know if the person you made the agreement with will keep their word until AFTER the agreement has been made.
Lack of integrity is not a uniquely Dominican problem. I realize it can happen wherever I find myself. It is not that I did not encounter a lack of integrity in the United States or the other countries to which I have travelled, it just seems to be a common pattern I am encountering here. I have met people here who fiercely keep their word and are very reliable; I treasure those encounters.
I walk away with a lesson learned that I need to continue to be clear as to my expectations and pay more attention to what people do than what they say.
La Sirena & Jumbo - Puerto Plata
There are 3 major food chains in Puerto Plata, La Sirena, Jumbo and Jose Luis. La Sirena has an extensive history in Puerto Plata and I used them almost exclusively until Jumbo opened within the last few months. As long as I have lived in Puerto Plata I have never set foot in Jose Luis so I cannot speak on what it has to offer.
La Sirena
Both La Sirena and Jumbo have groceries, clothing, hardware and electronics like mini Department stores. The major difference for me has been La Sirena's full kitchen and cafeteria. Jumbo has a small kitchen and the make pizza sandwhiches and some hot foods but they do not have an extensive kitchen and cafeteria with salad bar etc. You can get a decent meal at La Sirena for 300 pesos which makes a great lunch or dinner option.
Jumbo
Jumbo has a small seating area for snacking but not a large seating area like La Sirena. Ingress and egress is a little more difficult at Jumbo than La Sirena. In the beginning there was no traffic light at the entrance and exit of Jumbo which made for a traffic nightmare; now there not only are traffic lights but also a camera however I have no idea if the camera actually works because occasionally I see people still running the light at both the entrance and exit.
Price comparison
Regardless as to which store you choose you can easily spend a fortune. For example:
Haagan-Dazs at La Sirena was 625 pesos or $13.00
Haagan-Dazs at Jumbo was a little less 599 pesos.
Prices between both stores are comparable. La Sirena has a rewards program where the scan a ID card you are issued that gives you money back off future purchases. Jumbo has sale days when certain items are slashed up to 30% off.
Interesting food item such as salmon ranged from 500 - 1000 pesos depending on the cut. Most restaurants I have been to charge the same between 500-1000 pesos for a salmon dinner so in that case you are better off eating out than purchasing salmon and eating it at home unless you simply don't like eating out.
Conclusion
I prefer La Sirena only because of it's cafeteria and kitchen. Prices are comparable at both locations however Jumbo's fruit and vegetables seemed to be fresher and more varied than La Sirena. Therefore I will be visiting both stores depending on what I am looking for.
I find the cost of U.S. brand items can be 10-30% higher than in the United States due to those items having to be imported and those cost are passed on to the consumer. If you are not careful you can drop a bank roll shopping at these 2 stores so if you are on a budget you need to mindful of what you are spending. In my case I am trying to eat healthy and steer away from the high starch Dominican diet so a place with fresh fruits and vegetables is right up my alley.
Puerto Plata Navarette Hwy
When I first arrived in the Dominican Republic I was paranoid about driving and I subsequently discovered there is good cause for that paranoia. Despite the risk in driving here I feel like not having my own transportation would be like a eagle without wings. I enjoy the freedom driving provides. There are times when I am bored I pack a bag and I am off.
The main route between Puerto Plata and Santiago is the Puerto Plata Navarette Hwy. It is a 2 lane road that is currently under construction to widen the road. It is best not to drive at night not only because of the contruction but as you can see in the below photo there are barriers to the right side of the driver and the road currently is very narrow.
There are some sections where it is literally a 1 lane road due to construction
It's a scary thought to think I might get run off the road giving how crazy some Dominicans drive
One of the scariest things to see is an oncoming car approaching you in your lane on a two lane road when you have no place to go other than strike a barrier, bridge abutment or ditch.
Yes, and I don't smoke...haaaaaaaaaaaa!
It's really going to be interesting to see how they widen the road in Maimon where all the fish restaurants are and the tunnel just outside of Santiago.
It is a BLESSING to see this sight when I am driving to Santiago. The Santiago - Navarette junction is where the road changes from a 2 lane terrible highway to a 4 lane highway that is comparable to Interstates in the United States.
I can save a ton of money by not driving to Santo Domingo because of the distance and fuel consumption however the Santiago trip is about even in terms of cost between driving and using public transportation.
Everybody has their own driving temperament but personally I do not rejoice in driving on 2 lane roads that are crumbling and having to dodge oncoming traffic in my lane. I am eager to see what the Puerto Plata Navarette Hwy looks like when they are complete.
Tenga Cuidado
The person on the right is a Sosua chic that can be seen in Merengue and Classicos on a regular basis. The person on the left is trans-gendered I have no idea how deep they are into the process but if you ever get a chance to look at them up close the person has obvious masculine features.
Tenga cuidado there are a few obvious males working the strip in Sosua...play at your own risk...
Malecon -Puerto Plata
The Malecon is the auto-pista the runs east to west on the north side of Puerto Plata facing the beach and the Atlantic Ocean. The are small outside restaurants called cassetas on the north side and on the south side there are restaurants bars and clubs.
Miami is one of the featured clubs on the south side it is an outdoor venue with big screen TV for videos and indoor venue
Malecon Continued
The only 4 star hotels in the Puerto Plata area are the resorts. There are several 1 and 2 star hotels scattered throughout the city. The most famous is Lorimar which the last I looked didn't even have a web site.
Puerto Plata is a city of over 100,000 and the only fire house I am aware of is the fire house on the Malecon. God help us if there is a multiple alarm fire.
La Sirena has easy access do to being on the Malecon
Malecon
There are a few decent restaurants on the south side of the Malecon. Aqua Cero, Casa Mia & Tam Tam all have indoor and outdoor seating where you can enjoy the breeze off the Atlantic Ocean
I saw a long time Sosua street rat at Tam Tam when I was eating breakfast I see she got promoted from the mean streets of Sosua...haaaaaaaaaa!
The Malecon is a primary meeting place on Sunday nights when traffic galore can be seen people drinking and music blasting.
Orange is now Altice
There are two main cell phone providers in the Dominican Republic, Claro & Orange.
It can be debated but IMHO Claro has better service but Orange has better prices. I have a plan which includes my cell phone and a internet hot box which I pay monthly. I spent the entire month of November last year in the United States so I did not pay my bill while I was away. When I returned to the Dominican Republic I searched for an Orange store so I could pay my bill and guess what...GUESS?...There was NO Orange store to be found WTF?
I did not get the memo that Orange changed it's name to Altice. Every location that I went to looking for the familiar Orange sign was now a black sign saying Altice.
This is an FYI for those who do not already know Orange is now Altice.
Happy Birthday Bar, Sosua
I celebrated Tiger's 64th birthday at Happy Birthday Bar
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