General Info

[QUOTE=Lucky Streak]This was the only part that confused me. If the girl is employed by BlackBeard's and then goes to Cristal, I do not see why Cristal would charge the salida for the girl to exit the bar if she is a BB employee?[/QUOTE]

It might have been a poor example to use.

If things are slow elsewhere, and the girl chooses to hang out at Cristals in hopes of finding a date, she has to give Cristals their cut to permit her to work out of there, so no matter where she leaves for, there is a "salida" to take her out.

BTW, the only "employees" at BB are the hotel/bar/restaurant/office help and the maids/security. The arrangement with the girls is that they don't work for the hotel technically, since pimping is illegal. The stated deal is that they comply with all the BB requirements, etc. and are permitted to work there "independently", to keep the crooked cops and officials at bay.

[QUOTE=Rodeo9112]Question. Is there any place on the DR North Coast that imports Colombianas to work? Please avoid the obvious comment: "If you want Colombianas, go to Colombia." I just got back from there, I'm looking for a cheaper thrill in DR.

Thanks.

Rodeo[/QUOTE]

I don't think so. Importing women for purposes of prostitution would appear to contravene numerous laws related to trafficking, pimping etc. Which begs the questions of how high-price sex resorts like Viking succeed in importing girls from Eastern Europe and I honestly have no answer to that other than to suspect that officials are paid off.

In any case, the costs associated with importing Columbianas would obviously put upward pressure on the pricing.

Apparently there is a brothel in Curacao that has what you want.

[QUOTE=Yanqui69]It might have been a poor example to use.

If things are slow elsewhere, and the girl chooses to hang out at Cristals in hopes of finding a date, she has to give Cristals their cut to permit her to work out of there, so no matter where she leaves for, there is a "salida" to take her out.

BTW, the only "employees" at BB are the hotel/bar/restaurant/office help and the maids/security. The arrangement with the girls is that they don't work for the hotel technically, since pimping is illegal. The stated deal is that they comply with all the BB requirements, etc. and are permitted to work there "independently", to keep the crooked cops and officials at bay.[/QUOTE]

Except that the example given was a true one. Someone once posted here a picture of a girl he had taken from Cristal for a hefty fee (I think about 4-5K pesos including salida) . The girl in the photo was quite clearly a well-known long-serving Blackbeard's babe who could have been had at Blackbeard's for 1300 pesos or whatever the rate was. (As far as I know she is still at Blackbeards on a daily basis.)

To be honest, any place where you have to pay a salida, you will not be getting a great deal, but people tend to be very critical of newbies paying over the odds when in reality it is not that easy to resist.

For example, you are new to the game and you encounter a woman who seems to you divinely beautiful, more so that any woman you have ever had sex with. In real life you would pay ANYTHING to be able to have sex with such a young goddess (OK, you have had a few beers too) and here she is stroking your leg and feeling your rock hard tool. At moments like this $100 does not seem like a whole lot of money for the most important (as it seems) experience of you life, especially when you remember how much it costs to go to Disney.

As you become hardened to the mongering life, you are less impressed with the chicas and they become more of a commodity, so you will be more laid back and wait for the designer brand chicas to go on clearance before you make your move.

After reading the last few messages, I feel I now understand the "salida" situation quite well. I had pretty much decided that BlackBeards would be a good choice for a newbie, like me, who speaks no Spanish but then I came across a website for Mustang Ranch Resort. I was surprised to see that you can buy inclusive packages that include a "companion" for 4 hours a day. I wonder if the client has any say in which companion he ends up with and whether the client has a say in what 4 hour time period he will have the companion? It would be nice if it was from 10 pm to 2 am or something like that but perhaps the 4 hours is in the afternoon or morning?

[QUOTE=Lucky Streak]After reading the last few messages, I feel I now understand the "salida" situation quite well. I had pretty much decided that BlackBeards would be a good choice for a newbie, like me, who speaks no Spanish but then I came across a website for Mustang Ranch Resort. I was surprised to see that you can buy inclusive packages that include a "companion" for 4 hours a day. I wonder if the client has any say in which companion he ends up with and whether the client has a say in what 4 hour time period he will have the companion? It would be nice if it was from 10 pm to 2 am or something like that but perhaps the 4 hours is in the afternoon or morning?[/QUOTE]

My understanding is that they will drive you to Cristals for you to pick out a girl.
No mention of time.

Any MRR visitors wish to add their input?

Lucky Streak: Here is how it works:

If you do the all-inclusive package(180 per day) it covers: breakfast, lunch, dinner and free drinks from 10 am to midnight and a girl for 4 hrs.

Women: Depending on how many nights you stay at Mustang Ranch determines how many "cards" you are given. For example 3 days/2 nights you would get 2 cards. These cards allow you to pick the woman of your choice from Cristals and it covers 4 hrs. Anytime after 4hrs(i.e. toda la noche) you must pay 50 bucks U.S.

Do not lose the cards as they will not be replaced. You can choose ANY girl from Cristals, they do not chose you or you are not obligated to choose from a select few. Once you have chosen the girl, she will go upstairs to get dressed, during this time you take your card to the bar manager(I believe his name is Fernando) and you tell him the name of the girl you are taking. He signs her name to the card and you are off on your way. If the girl is new, then he will explain the procedure to her(i.e. she must stay 4hrs).

You can get a girl anytime you want. If you want a girl during the day then you pick a girl from the day club called Rio, if you go in the evening then you are driven to Cristals. Just let the front desk girl, whenever your ready and she will call a cab to come and take you. On Thursdays Cristals closes at midnight I believe, so keep that in mind if your planned stay at MRR includes a Thursday.

PS: Upgrade your membership so I could PM you with more info if needed.

Mandingo Al, I don't often comment on posts but i must say I'm impressed with this one. Chances are I'll never stay at MRR, but I appreciate your concise and detailed explanation of their system. No bashing, no bragging, just the facts, ma'am. IMHO, this forum could use much, much more of this kind of report. I guess sometimes the reports of distinction editor is asleep at the switch.

I can only add that it would seem to make sense to spend some time in the club to find a girl who is at least a bit compatible. If as you say they have no choice, then forcing a girl to go with you who clearly doesn't want to could lead to a pretty disappointing experience.

Originally Posted by Deadpan

Been to the DR 4 times, and will be going again at the end of September. Take your Debit card with you, forget the American Express check. They are a pain in the ass and few businesses will take them. Of course you can always get them exchanged at a bank, but not all banks will exchange them either. Be prepared to wait in long lines at the banks. Easiest way to get money is your debit card. Plop in into an ATM at a Banco Populaire, or other banks, and pesos presto! Some ATM's will let you take out only 1500 at a time, others will let you take out 10, 000. You may have to find the right ones. Still, the convenience of the debit card beats carrying cash. Of course you want to have a few C's on you when you arrive. If you have been to the DR before, save a few thousand for the taxis and other things until you can get to the ATM. The best ATM's are at the banks themselves. If you have time to kill, open up an account at a Scotia Bank. It will take a week for processing, you know, references, job verification, etc. But, if you plan to be a regular visitor, go with this Canadian Bank. Use it to transfer money. Also, forget about Western Union, what a rip-off. Go online and set up an account with [url]www.xoom.com[/url]. Send yourself money from your home bank account from a cyber cafe in the DR. Pick it up at Carib Tours locations or Progresso banks. I just sent $400 to my chica and it cost me $15. A lot cheaper than Western Union. AND, never buy VISA Travelers checks, the first time I tried to use them was a nightmare. Very few banks will cash them.

Have fun. RJH

I just read your message on how things work at MRR and it is all nice and clear to me now. It seems to be a pretty good deal for a newbie type person, like myself. I plan to upgrade my membership about 1 month before my trip (in 2009) so that I can accept a PM. At this point in time I am mired in a costly divorce battle with my soon-to-be ex-Filipina wife and that is eating up a lot of money and energy that could be better used elsewhere.

ATM Bank Cards work well. A couple of tips that may help. Make sure you call your Bank before you leave and give them your travel dates. At the same time ask them what you can withdraw each day. This can vary from Bank to Bank and country to country. The same tip applies to traveling out of the country with your credit card(s).....always call the Card Company. Both of these tips were expensive lessons in two different countries...ok I was a slow learner then.

One last potential problem. ATM machines can and have eaten (not returned) ATM cards before. This happened to two people I meet at BB's. Only one of the two guys had a back up plan if that happens.

[QUOTE=Traveler04]ATM Bank Cards work well. A couple of tips that may help. Make sure you call your Bank before you leave and give them your travel dates. At the same time ask them what you can withdraw each day. This can vary from Bank to Bank and country to country. The same tip applies to traveling out of the country with your credit card(s).....always call the Card Company. Both of these tips were expensive lessons in two different countries...ok I was a slow learner then.

One last potential problem. ATM machines can and have eaten (not returned) ATM cards before. This happened to two people I meet at BB's. Only one of the two guys had a back up plan if that happens.[/QUOTE]Just my two cents on this subject as I've been to the DR 9 times and have made mistakes as well. *Read Deadpans post as well as it is very worth reading. This is how I operate in Sosua. This post doesn't apply to BB's in Costambar as there are no banks within walking distance.

On one trip for some reason after calling my bank from home to inform them of my trip they still blocked me from making ATM transactions in Sosua. I had to take a motoconcho to Codetel, call the bank and have them lift my ban. Big pain in the ass! , but eventually worked out.

I do take travelers checks just as a backup but have never had to use them. My bank doesn't charge me for them and I can cash them back in the States free of charge.

Once in the DR I always operate off my ATM card although I know I will get tagged for a fee from Banco Populaire and BOA. To me it's worth the small surcharge from both banks *** If the ATM machine swallows your card don't even bother going into the bank and ask them to retrieve your card. They can't and will tell you to call your home bank and have them work it out. Again, Big pain in the ass!

I take $500 U. S cash with me from the States in $50 denominations and excange $100 into pesos at Miami airport. This helps me pay for the taxi from Puerto Plata airport to the hotel and gives me some breathing room if something goes wrong.

I also carry a credit card but only use it to pay for the hotel. I stay at Hotel Europa in Sosua and if you pay with cash you get a discount. Sorry I lost the discount but for me the cash I bring is only for backup.

Make a copy of your passport and keep it with you. I never carry a wallet, more then small cash or any watch or jewerly. I always stay where there is an in room safe and that's where I keep anything of value. Passport, emergency cash, credit card, ATM card, etc.

Because I like to party I keep all of my stuff in a safe place such as my in room safe box. When I need money I go back to my room, get my ATM card and take what I need only to pomptly return my ATM card back in my room safe.

Lose your cash, ID, Passport, credit card, ATM card because of carelesness will put you in a world of shit. Trust me I've seen it.

Just spread your risks. The last thing I trust is a debit card. Can be cancelled by your bank in a second no matter if you call ahead. Now, in many ATMs do not enter your PIN until the machine returns your card or it can be swallowed. Never attempt to withdraw cash at the remote branch when it is closed. AMEX TC are accepted at the hotels, travel agencies and most banks, just follow the rules when you buy them. With 2 bank references, 2 local references, passport and 500 USD you can open USD account at Scotia Bank. 5K minimum for a CD.Takes about an hour. Bank Popular asks for income verification, etc.

I have been checking flights to and from the DR and the US for Nov and Dec, and noticing that not only have the prices increased, but several carriers seem to have dropped out of some markets.

I realize that the rocketing price of fuel has caused most carriers to cut back on flights and increase pricing, but I feel as though it is hitting the US to DR market hard.

Correct me if I am wrong, but Continental has pulled out of POP and STI and Delta has done the same. American Airlines appears to be the only major carrier still hitting all these locals, but pricing has increased dramatically. Spirit Airlines still goes to SDQ and can offer some nice fares, but they do not service every market and Jet Blue no longer seems to be a discount carrier. I am a frequent flier in the Skyteam alliance and using my frequent flier miles for a trip to the DR seems to be a moot point. Someone please tell me I am wrong here.

[QUOTE=Ponderosa]I have been checking flights to and from the DR and the US for Nov and Dec, and noticing that not only have the prices increased, but several carriers seem to have dropped out of some markets.

I realize that the rocketing price of fuel has caused most carriers to cut back on flights and increase pricing, but I feel as though it is hitting the US to DR market hard.

Correct me if I am wrong, but Continental has pulled out of POP and STI and Delta has done the same. American Airlines appears to be the only major carrier still hitting all these locals, but pricing has increased dramatically. Spirit Airlines still goes to SDQ and can offer some nice fares, but they do not service every market and Jet Blue no longer seems to be a discount carrier. I am a frequent flier in the Skyteam alliance and using my frequent flier miles for a trip to the DR seems to be a moot point. Someone please tell me I am wrong here.[/QUOTE]I have my flight booked on Continental for Nov 28, and it is a straight flight to POP. Now the flight is $545.60, i got it at $425.60, i just missed $384.60 by a day, Bummer!, Still better that $545.60, Check jetblue should be more! American has to many connecting flights for me, and want more money for those flights.

[QUOTE=Bkgee]I have my flight booked on Continental for Nov 28, and it is a straight flight to POP. Now the flight is $545.60, i got it at $425.60, i just missed $384.60 by a day, Bummer!, Still better that $545.60, Check jetblue should be more! American has to many connecting flights for me, and want more money for those flights.[/QUOTE]Another cheap way out would be to catch a Spirit airlines or other low cost carrier to Miami or Ft. Lauderdale, then the flights are cheaper. For instance, my October flight from MIA is costing me $285! I also wouldn't discount flying into Santo Domingo and driving to POP or Sosua...especially if you travel with a wingman. The 3-4 hour drive isn't that bad and its all highway and the roads are good with a nice view of the countryside...of course, if you're not the type that is comfortable in unfamiliar situations, it may not be for you. It also detracts from your mongering time on both ends of your trip. Of course, if you plan in an overnight in Santo Domingo on each end, you get a totally different mongering experience!

Rodeo