Sosua Reports

[QUOTE=Rahsta;1547163]In 2009 a passport agent stamp my passport then pointed down to a note that said something like " Today is my birthday, can can you give me 100 pesos". She had the note out of site of everyone else. It was written in english. I just took my passport and kept it moving.[/QUOTE]In 2008 I had a passport agent befriend me for nothing. Then occasionally she would give me money to buy somethings in the duty free. Never really asked me for anything. If she saw me in the line she would bring me to the head of the line.

Sadly she no longer works there.

[QUOTE=Cagep1967;1547547]If you are born in the DR and have a US passport you do not pay for the 10 tourist Visa. I have a family member that was born in the DR has dual citizenship and no DR passport. He does not pay to enter only travels on his US passport.[/QUOTE]That's what the guy told me and that is what I will try the next time around. I love to tip. I tip the waiters and waitresses in the bars and restaurants, I tip the cab drivers. I tip the service staff in the hotel. But I hate being forced to pay a tip to enter just because I was not born there.

[QUOTE=Phuquer;1547552]That's what the guy told me and that is what I will try the next time around. I love to tip. I tip the waiters and waitresses in the bars and restaurants, I tip the cab drivers. I tip the service staff in the hotel. But I hate being forced to pay a tip to enter just because I was not born there.[/QUOTE]It is not a tip. It is a tax.

[QUOTE=Wrx2005; 1547443]Of course you arent sure. But one doesn't have to be sure, just aware that enough individuals in the DR own and carry expensive phones. So there is no reason to be all paranoid over bringing ones phone or other gadgets with them on vacation as if nobody else in the DR has the same stuff.

Thats just an asinine statement not worth addressing.

I think it's quite apparent people can chose either option. However for those individuals who arent easily swayed by vets with an agenda, they don't have to fear carrying and using their equipment while on vacation. Especially when enough chicas are walking around owning and carrying phones they don't want to lose either. The key issue here is, if you choose to bring your equipment on vacation, do so but don't do obvious stupid shit.

Any item left out in the open will garner the wrong type of attention. It doesn't have to be an expensive item. The key is to secure anything you value. If you don't need your phone or any other item while out of your spot / hotel, then leave it in your spot and / or lock it up.

The mere fact a person on vacation is there spending money, living in a hotel, can attract the interest of the wrong kind. You don't need an expensive item for that to happen. Whatever it is you are trying to deflect from, the bottom line is, it is not asinine to spend money on an expensive phone, nor is it to carry and use one while on vacation in the DR. If one chooses to leave their phone home, so be it. No shame in that. I still have a iphone 3gs that I used when I 1st came to Sosua. That was the expensive phone at that time. And yet I still have it. Same with my 1st gen ipad. Now with all that wrong kind of interest all around me, I should have had the shit stolen by now. But I don't live by individuals that say the sky is falling because they want to be an authority for the masses. I simply use basic common sense when it comes to anything, especially stuff in my possession. Most people losing stuff to theft is through not being aware of the company they keep or not securing their stuff. Issues I have not have had problems with since 2008 when I 1st started going to the DR.[/QUOTE]Well, I would not bring a $700 laptop, wristwatch, phone, camera, piece of jewelry, or a $700 anything else if I was planning to spend a few days screwing chicas in Sosua. Maybe that makes me eccentric.

The valuables that you can't avoid bringing are your passport, driver's license, cash, and a debit or credit card, and managing these items and not losing them is all the stress I want.

The percentage of people carrying the latest model $700 phones in the DR is much, much lower than in the US. Of course chicas value their phones, but hardly any have the latest $700 models, and even so they often have their phones stolen or lose them. Phones are particularly vulnerable because people carry them with them, place them on restaurant tables, lay them down to wash their hands, have sex, etc. They can fall out of pants pockets when sitting down in taxis.

I have no particular agenda. I just want guys to have happy and safe trips and great sex.

[QUOTE=Frannie;1547555]It is not a tip. It is a tax.[/QUOTE]Tip, tax, it's the same in my book. I paid an airport use tax on my ticket so I consider this redundant. Unless this tax pays for the dudes playing Merengue on arrival. Then I guess it's ok.

[QUOTE=Phuquer;1547564]Tip, tax, it's the same in my book. I paid an airport use tax on my ticket so I consider this redundant. Unless this tax pays for the dudes playing Merengue on arrival. Then I guess it's ok.[/QUOTE]No it is a tax that goes to central government, not to the guys who play the tunes. Most people would regard $10 per passenger as excessive for a tip for those guys who play the same few bars as each tourist approaches and shake a hat for pennies. The tourist tax is only payed on arrival, but the bachata band guys play on both arrivals and departures. Mostly they collect on departures because people give them the small change pesos they got stuck with in the duty free shop.

[url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWdUTTOiFD0[/url]

The reason the tax is not included in your ticket price is that natural born or naturalized Dominicans do not have to pay it and the airlines can't make that determination.

Here in Florida if we buy a computer online from Tiger Direct which is based in Florida, we have to pay an extra 7% sales tax plus variable county taxes, but people who order from out of state don't have to pay it unless they live in a handful of other states that charge various rates of sales tax. See how this works? Not everyone pays the same price. It is a bit similar to that business with the tourist tax in the DR. Some people are exempt from paying it. Of course some people cheat by various manoeuvers, for example mailing something to a friend who lives just over the border in Georgia. Such is life.

The rest of your report was excellent, by the way.

Actually there are two parts to the tourist tax, but most people only see the first part, a $10 fee for a stay of up to 30 days, however if you stay MORE THAN 30 DAYS, then additional fees kick in based on length of stay, as follows.

[url]http://www.migracion.gob.do/web/tarifas.php[/url]

025 Menor de 30 dias Hasta 3 meses 800. 00 .

026 Mayor de 3 mese Hasta 9 meses 1, 000. 00 .

027 Mayor de 9 meses Hasta 1 año 2, 500. 00 .

028 Mayor de 1 año Hasta 1 año why 6 meses 4, 000. 00 .

029 Mayor de 1 año why medio Hasta 2 años 5, 000. 00 .

030 Mayor de 2 años Hasta 2 años why 6 meses 6, 500. 00 .

031 Mayor de 2 años why medio Hasta 3 años 9, 000. 00 .

032 Mayor de 3 años Hasta 5 años 14, 000. 00 .

033 Mayor de 5 años Hasta 7 años 17, 000. 00 .

034 Mayor de 7 años en adelante por see / año adicional 500. 00 .

These fees (or tips if you like) will be charged to you on departure, based on the date of entry stamped in your passport. In Santo Domingo you can go straight to the overstay tax desk and pay, then take your receipt to the passport control officer. I think it is the same in Santiago, not sure about Puerto Plata as I have not used that airport in the last few years.

At Santiago and Santo Domingo they normally look at your passport where your place of birth is shown when they issue the card on arrival. They may be a bit slack at Puerto Plata. In any case, if you try to pass through the tarjeta collection check point without one, you will be sent back (I see it all the time with people who do not know about purchasing the tourist card) , or if you explain that you are Dominican born, I imagine they might check your place of birth on your non Dominican passport to verify this claim. It probably is not worth trying to cheat to save $10.

[QUOTE=Frannie;1547559]Well, I would not bring a $700 laptop, wristwatch, phone, camera, piece of jewelry, or a $700 anything else if I was planning to spend a few days screwing chicas in Sosua. Maybe that makes me eccentric.[/quote]What you decide not to bring for whatever reason is your business. Were not in HS here, where everybody has to feel a certain way just because you don't want to do something.

[quote]The valuables that you can't avoid bringing are your passport, driver's license, cash, and a debit or credit card, and managing these items and not losing them is all the stress I want.[/quote]Great, nobody else thinks in your head anyway, so I doubt what might stress you will affect anybody else one way or the other. It hasnt up to this point.

[quote]The percentage of people carrying the latest model $700 phones in the DR is much, much lower than in the US. Of course chicas value their phones, but hardly any have the latest $700 models, and even so they often have their phones stolen or lose them. Phones are particularly vulnerable because people carry them with them, place them on restaurant tables, lay them down to wash their hands, have sex, etc. They can fall out of pants pockets when sitting down in taxis.

I have no particular agenda. I just want guys to have happy and safe trips and great sex.[/QUOTE]And guess what? Those chicas it's happened to eventually get another one and tries to be more careful in the future. Thats life. That can happen with the passport, credit card, cash or drivers license. The expense of the phone isn't the most important issue. Also, the % of who is carrying the latest model or if it cost $700 is irrelevant. The point is, any device one possesses may be valuable to that individual. And since you refuse to grasp a basic point, I am going to say it a little differently. In the DR people from all over own devices that are valuable to them. The device may be considered expensive to them as well. In spite of that, many people (dominicans, foreigners, expats etc) are owning and using these devices daily and not had problems with theft or loss just because they are in the DR. What you are talking about is not enough reason for a person to entertain not buying an expensive device, nor a reason not to bring it on vacation.

Moreover, many folks can afford such devices, have no problem buying another one if the need arises. Now if you can't do that or have a problem doing that for whatever reason, thats entirely your issue alone. If the theft or loss of an expensive phone is going to cause you grief and sorrow, again thats all on you. For you to come on here to claim it's asinine to buy an expensive phone or to have a US sim card in the phone in the DR, you got something else going on besides supposedly trying to help people.

[QUOTE=Wrx2005; 1547612]What you decide not to bring for whatever reason is your business. Were not in HS here, where everybody has to feel a certain way just because you don't want to do something.

Great, nobody else thinks in your head anyway, so I doubt what might stress you will affect anybody else one way or the other. It hasnt up to this point.

And guess what? Those chicas it's happened to eventually get another one and tries to be more careful in the future. Thats life. That can happen with the passport, credit card, cash or drivers license. The expense of the phone isn't the most important issue. Also, the % of who is carrying the latest model or if it cost $700 is irrelevant. The point is, any device one possesses may be valuable to that individual. And since you refuse to grasp a basic point, I am going to say it a little differently. In the DR people from all over own devices that are valuable to them. The device may be considered expensive to them as well. In spite of that, many people (dominicans, foreigners, expats etc) are owning and using these devices daily and not had problems with theft or loss just because they are in the DR. What you are talking about is not enough reason for a person to entertain not buying an expensive device, nor a reason not to bring it on vacation.

Moreover, many folks can afford such devices, have no problem buying another one if the need arises. Now if you can't do that or have a problem doing that for whatever reason, thats entirely your issue alone. If the theft or loss of an expensive phone is going to cause you grief and sorrow, again thats all on you. For you to come on here to claim it's asinine to buy an expensive phone or to have a US sim card in the phone in the DR, you got something else going on besides supposedly trying to help people.[/QUOTE]To make it simple, and get back more on topic issues, why don't you guys agree that if you bring your shit, it is at your own risk, and if you get ripped off promise to not complain about it here?

[QUOTE=Charles Pooter; 1547513]Fair comment, Bimmy. I am sure 99% of guys have a good time in Sosua without following all my advice, and 90% have a good time without following any of it.

But remember the context in which I posted it. I was replying to someone who was so nervous after reading all the horror stories online that he might not visit the DR at all. Which would be a shame and quite unnecessary. I went way over the top to try and ensure a 99. 9% safe environment for him.

A quicker way would have been to say "go to Blackbeards or Field of Dreams" but from the tone of your post I would imagine you would be the first to agree that he would be missing out on a lot by doing that,

However you have shamed me into modifying my rather smartass and over-casual comments as above [b]in bold[/b].[/QUOTE]While you're in your retracting mode, Pooter, you may want to revisit why you called me a pervert a couple posts back. Totally uncalled for.

Unless you want to explain to the group why you came to that conclusion?

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[QUOTE=Mr Enternational;1547517]Reminds me of an older guy a while back who said he has never had a cell phone and can't understand why others own them. I'm sitting wih a chica in La Sirena in San Francisco and there is a table full of people playing with expensive devices.[/QUOTE]I did not know there was a La Sirena in SFM. The only one I have been to is in Moca, on the way to SFM. But perhaps this is a new store?

[QUOTE=Phuquer;1547552]That's what the guy told me and that is what I will try the next time around. I love to tip. I tip the waiters and waitresses in the bars and restaurants, I tip the cab drivers. I tip the service staff in the hotel. But I hate being forced to pay a tip to enter just because I was not born there.[/QUOTE]LOL. You pay "tip" to many countries as you enter but they might be invisible to you as it is often included in the airline ticket price. I recall this very well during my Asia trips. Given that you know Thailand, it is the same there. Once one had to pay separately and then they changed the rules so you may not even know.

Can anyone comment on the road that takes one from San Francisco de Macoris to the North Coast (at Gasper Hernandez) via Tenares? Google map is showing some strange routing on checking directions and I was wondering if the road condition is comparable to the one at Luperon that brings you to Sosua across the mountain from Santiago.

Thanks in advance!

Frannie, that's a lot of info on tourist taxes.

Yes, I understand how it's supposed to work. And I understand the concept of the tax. In theory, the immigration agent that stamps your passport should look at the receipt and if she doesn't see it she should send you back to the tax collector to pay your tourist tax. In practice, that's not how it seems to work, at least not for me in Puerto Plata. The agent that collects the tax told me that I should have said that I was born in DR and I wouldn't have had to pay the tax. He gave me the receipt when I paid and I put it in my pocket. The immigration agent that stamped my passport never saw the receipt.

Like I stated in my post, this is not for everybody to try. If you can speak decent Spanish, look Hispanic, or can pass for Hispanic, you might give it a try.

The hassle might not be worth it for some travelers. Then again, some enjoy the challenge of seeing what they can learn, what they can get away with, and trying something they might not normally try in their everyday lives.

It's not too different than the guys who recommend arriving travelers go upstairs to the departure hall to catch a taxi to avoid the taxi fee in Bangkok, or the guys who recommend trying to take the employee airport shuttle from the airport into the city. In Macau, I regularly take the casino shuttle from the ferry terminal to the casinos and store my luggage in the casino baggage check before I promptly walk out of the casino and straight to the nearest sauna for my good time. I don't spend a dime in the casino, yet I use their services. I do tip the agent at the baggage check, and the driver of the shuttle.

I see this as just another way of trying to save a penny here and a penny there. If anybody is in any way uncomfortable trying it, then I definitely recommend just paying the $10 and avoiding the stress.

Again, the tourist tax collecting agent himself told me I should have said I was born in the DR. I didn't invent the scheme. I just passed it on to my fellow mongers.

I am glad you enjoyed my post, as I enjoyed putting it together. I hope it can help someone who has never been there visualize what they will see and experience when they get to Sosua. It is definitely not all the gloom and doom that some report. If anyone is thinking of going there, stop thinking and just go. It is too easy to have a great time there.