General Info

[QUOTE=Mexicano1208; 1255287]Does anybody know if there is a place in Santo Domingo to unlock an Iphone? My brother sells me an Iphone 4S and would love to unlock it and use it when I travel around Latin America.

Thanks[/QUOTE]Send Gagoo a PM. I don't know anything about Apple Iphones. He met a chica in Santo Domingo who had the latest Iphone which was locked to ATT in the States. The DR chica could not use that latest Iphone in Santo Domingo because supposedly she could not get it unlocked. Seems older model iphones can be unlocked both in the US and in the DR.

I've been reading all the comments about semi, pro, and non. I have an advantage as I was friends with the owner of 360 and actually helped him set the place up and worked there a few nights for fun Here is my take.

Pro: Casa Chica: one girl I know, very pretty, works almost everyday she has at least 25 clients per month. She's told me she's made upwards of 40-50k in one month before, so that equates to more than 25 guys in a month, unless she gets the to pay for extended time, but I'm a friend with privileges (don't pay) and she will stay with me for extended periods of time, sleep over spend the day with me. She states she does not do that with most guys because she doesn't feel comfortable. She will leave me to go to a paying client, as I don't want to impede on her making money. With that said, I assume an average of 25 per month for a total of 300 a year. She's been doing this for around 4 years, so more than 1200 clients. Covered sex / anal, BBBJCIM.

Semi: Another girl, has a novio, he bought her a condo, she goes to school for legal studies, and screws on the side to make extra spending money. She picks up about 3 guys a week when he is not in town. He is only around about 3 months per year. She screws around 90-100 guys a year. Covered sex / anal, BBBJCIM. She's been semi pro for 3+ years and was pro before that (don't know how long). Her count is around 500 lifetime at a minumum,

Non-pro: My girl, met her when she was 18 almost 19 in a rural area, took her to live in the big city (she had never been there before). I have an apartment that she takes care of. I have keyloggers on the computers in the house, I have tracking info on her cell. The landlord looks after my interests when I'm not around (but I'm here 75% of the time). This girl is 100% not running around on me. Past novios 6 (I'm thinking around 10 is the real number) , we've both been tested for STD's and AIDS, she is on the pill and everything is uncovered, sex, anal, BBJCIMWS. My girl, I'm sure her number is less than 20 guys.

[QUOTE=Cagep1967;1255784]I've been reading all the comments about semi, pro, and non. I have an advantage as I was friends with the owner of 360 and actually helped him set the place up and worked there a few nights for fun Here is my take.[/QUOTE]Very interesting extrapolation of data to hit some numbers one can grapple with. Thanks.

Personally, it is all a gray zone with all women placed somewhere on the continuum. (wonder what women think of men in this context!). I TRY to have no expectation so there is less of surprise and recriminations. Also, I wonder, what happened to the trust factor. If I have to monitor the "non-pro" 24/7; the other vexing issue: should she be aware of that?

[QUOTE=Jaosousa;1255502]Send Gagoo a PM. I don't know anything about Apple Iphones. He met a chica in Santo Domingo who had the latest Iphone which was locked to ATT in the States. The DR chica could not use that latest Iphone in Santo Domingo because supposedly she could not get it unlocked. Seems older model iphones can be unlocked both in the US and in the DR.[/QUOTE]Yeah, that is my concern. I have heard of many unlocking 3G's, but not the latest which is 4S. I am very tempting of getting 4S because my brother sells it for $200, but it sucks if I buy it and can't use it.

[QUOTE=Tempoecorto; 1255872]Very interesting extrapolation of data to hit some numbers one can grapple with. Thanks.

Personally, it is all a gray zone with all women placed somewhere on the continuum. (wonder what women think of men in this context!). I TRY to have no expectation so there is less of surprise and recriminations. Also, I wonder, what happened to the trust factor. If I have to monitor the "non-pro" 24/7; the other vexing issue: should she be aware of that?[/QUOTE]The monitoring of the live in Novia, at first was protection on my investment, both financial and emotional. Now, almost 2 years later has become a habit. I never encounter anything bad, sometimes she complains about me when chatting with her friends, but I can be a pain in the ass.

[QUOTE=Mexicano1208;1255921]Yeah, that is my concern. I have heard of many unlocking 3G's, but not the latest which is 4S. I am very tempting of getting 4S because my brother sells it for $200, but it sucks if I buy it and can't use it.[/QUOTE]Here in Thailand they said the iPhone 4 could not be unlocked. Instead they put some type of thin chip over the SIM which they sell for $30. I was taking a guy from Canada around yesterday and we went to unlock his 3G phone. It could not be unlocked either. He said that it depended on the first few numbers of the IMEI of the phone as to whether it could be unlocked the bootleg way or if you would have to get the code from the carrier. I think it is getting to where most smartphones can't be unlocked the bootleg way. This website talks about going around your carrier's lock function the computer chip way. [url]http://www.unlockiphone4help.com/how-to-unlock-iphone-4-4-1[/url]

[QUOTE=Cagep1967;1256091]The monitoring of the live in Novia, at first was protection on my investment, both financial and emotional. Now, almost 2 years later has become a habit. I never encounter anything bad, sometimes she complains about me when chatting with her friends, but I can be a pain in the ass.[/QUOTE]Thank you. You are saying she is more trustworthy than you had expected her to be? I think all young people are qualitatively a lot better. Until they hit the bad old creeps like me with no faith in anyone. .

I know what you mean by your being a "pain in the ass". I am one too, grumpy always and getting old does not help. Eh, que voy a hacer?

[QUOTE=Tempoecorto; 1256100]Thank you. You are saying she is more trustworthy than you had expected her to be? I think all young people are qualitatively a lot better. Until they hit the bad old creeps like me with no faith in anyone. .

I know what you mean by your being a "pain in the ass". I am one too, grumpy always and getting old does not help. Eh, que voy a hacer?[/QUOTE]She chatted a while ago to a friend of her's that I can be such a pain sometimes.

But on other notes she chatted to friends to thank god for me, I was there to take her to the doctor when she was really sick and took her to the dentist when she had an impacted wisdom tooth. Running out to the pharmacy in the middle of the night, etc. She was complaining to her friend that her family did not help or even offer, but Gracias a dios, por mi novio.

I've been lucky with Novias from here in the past, and not have come across the bad element, and the with the pro's I know what I'm getting into and I do not go for the street walkers.

Has anybody been to Monte Cristi? I have been up and down the North coast, South coast and Punta Cana areas but never to Monte Cristi. From reading about this area there does not seem to be much to see other than the national park. I thought if I had a rainy day on this trip it might be worth the drive just to see more of the DR. Does anybody have any feedback on if it might be worth my time to make the trip.

Thanks

[QUOTE=Bogiemaker; 1256376]Has anybody been to Monte Cristi? I have been up and down the North coast, South coast and Punta Cana areas but never to Monte Cristi. From reading about this area there does not seem to be much to see other than the national park. I thought if I had a rainy day on this trip it might be worth the drive just to see more of the DR. Does anybody have any feedback on if it might be worth my time to make the trip.

Thanks[/QUOTE]I had the opportunity to venture out to Monti Cristi a year ago in February with a Dominican friend who drove me. Not alot to see along the way, as you go from the green rice fields west of Santiago to an almost desert-like scenario as you head west. The national highway ends at the ocean between 2 mountain peaks you can see from many miles away, I'm assuming this is the park. Monti Cristi itself has little to see, the beaches not near as nice as the north coast. Visited an area where ocean water is pumped inland and evaporates leaving piles of sea salt because it is so arid there.

From there we headed inland to Dajabon, again very little to see until we crossed on foot into Haiti. That in itself is worth the 4 hour drive from Sosua. Words cannot describe what you will see as the border crossing has a large wall that prevents you from seeing the other side. We were only able to walk on the bridges that span the river as the gates were closed to traffic on a Sunday. From there we were able to take photos, it is an image that is burned into my memory forever and I would recommend the drive to see that alone. There is a huge market in Dajabon and many Haitians come across to sell their products and vice versa. I believe it is held once a week but on which day I am not sure. On Sunday various articles were being brought it to prepare for an upcoming sale.

On the drive home, be prepared to be stopped by police looking for Haitians being smuggled into the country as this is the only route they can take. I believe we were stopped and checked / questioned 5 times on our trek back. It as a full day but well worth the effort.

[QUOTE=OldKool;1251315]I use popalar Bank and you can get 10000 pesos which is close to 250 dollars. 5000 pesos is max at one time / 2 withdrawls per day.[/QUOTE]I quit using Banco Popular because it would always go over to my credit card as a cash advance where you are charged interest. Talked to others who had the same problem.

Next I tried Banco Santa Cruz which I liked until they limited their withdrawls to 8000 peso per withdrawl with a $5 charge per withdrawl. Withdraws had a nice mix of different denominations.

Curently I use Progresso which will give you the full amount of the daily limit on your card, the only downside being it is all 1000 peso bills.

These banks are all in Sosua BTW

[QUOTE=Funinthesun63; 1256665]I quit using Banco Popular because it would always go over to my credit card as a cash advance where you are charged interest. Talked to others who had the same problem.

Next I tried Banco Santa Cruz which I liked until they limited their withdrawls to 8000 peso per withdrawl with a $5 charge per withdrawl. Withdraws had a nice mix of different denominations.

Curently I use Progresso which will give you the full amount of the daily limit on your card, the only downside being it is all 1000 peso bills.

These banks are all in Sosua BTW[/QUOTE]Use numbers like 5900 and you will receive a 500 peso bill along with 4 one hundreds

[QUOTE=Riky Rapido;1256713]Use numbers like 5900 and you will receive a 500 peso bill along with 4 one hundreds[/QUOTE]True. A few ATMs will only accept requests for round thousands, but they are rare. Even better is to use your card inside the bank. (You will need your passpost. A photocopy won't do). Then you can ask for whatever mix of denominations you want. I usually ask for 1000 in coins. 1000 in 50's. 1000 in 100's and 2000 in 200's, with the rest in large denominations.

Many people find their bank card won't work in an ATM. If that happens, try entering that you are withdrawing from a "Savings Account" rather than from a "Current Account". That might do the trick. For some reason many ATMs in Pto Pta and Sosua are set up wrongly in that respect. I don't know if ATMs elsewhere in the country suffer the same quirk.

[QUOTE=Charles Pooter;1256772]Many people find their bank card won't work in an ATM. If that happens, try entering that you are withdrawing from a "Savings Account" rather than from a "Current Account". That might do the trick. For some reason many ATMs in Pto Pta and Sosua are set up wrongly in that respect. I don't know if ATMs elsewhere in the country suffer the same quirk.[/QUOTE]As mentioned in previous threads, the [B]Banco Popular[/B] Will normally only work if you use the Spanish language menus. Using my ATM card I have been able to get up to 10, 000 peso at a time at Banco Popular. I have not tried to get more than that at one time. When in the States, I use the Spanish menus in order to learn the correct buttons to push while in the DR.

[QUOTE=Bogiemaker;1256802]As mentioned in previous threads, the [B]Banco Popular[/B] Will normally only work if you use the Spanish language menus. Using my ATM card I have been able to get up to 10, 000 peso at a time at Banco Popular. I have not tried to get more than that at one time. When in the States, I use the Spanish menus in order to learn the correct buttons to push while in the DR.[/QUOTE]I have been to SD many times and never had a problam. I get my Pesos from the machines in the Casinos or Hotels. I find the rates very competitive. I don't worry about a few dollars. I never use the airport exchanges. That is a total ripoff. Going next week to SD.