JORGES GANG DOS

JORGES GANG

JORGE AND THE HEAT

Veterans Day is just around the corner! That means "Feel The Heat," sponsored by Dominican-Heat.Com, is about to jump off. It sounds like it will be an awesome event, the final circuit party of the year! If you will be anywhere in the Dominican Republic during this time, you MUST go by and join the festivities in Boca Chica.

Just in time for the event, Jorges Gang turns up the heat with the re-launch of their website! Some of you have anticipated this since I first mentioned it in a previous post. Many of the models are from the Boca Chica area, so don't be surprised if you see familiar faces at the activities. I will be sharing more information about Jorges Gang (and pics) this week.

FRIDAY FANTASY 57

Jose Luis is yet another Brazilian bombshell to fantasize about!

MORE FROM JETBLUE

Low-fare carrier JetBlue has announced that it is adding a new service to Puerto Plata, on the north coast of the Dominican Republic as of 10 January 2008. JetBlue is marketing itself as the low-fare, low-cost airline with the most flights to the Caribbean. The flight will come just in time to fly snowbirds down from the US northeastern region. Customers flying JetBlue to/from Puerto Plata will travel on the airline's modern Airbus A320 fleet, which features all-leather seating and the most legroom in coach (based on average fleet-wide seat pitch for US airlines).

The airline is also highlighting the fact that passengers will be able to view complimentary first-run movies and bonus features from FOX InFlight(tm) on JetBlue's signature seatback televisions. Through its largest focus city at New York's JFK Airport, JetBlue also offers Caribbean travelers convenient connecting services to destinations coast-to-coast. JetBlue's new service is promoting fares starting at $109 each way, plus taxes and charges. The flight departs JFK International at 10:30am and arrives in POP International at 3:20pm as of 10 January 2008. The flight is scheduled to depart POP at 4:15pm and arrive at JFK at 7:05pm. The airline advises that the best fares are found on midweek travel dates.

DAY TRIP TO BANI

As you know, I advise travelers to get out of the city and experience different parts of the country. On my recent vacation I took a day trip to Bani. Didn't know exactly what to expect. I figured it was far enough away from the city to offer a different vibe, yet close enough not to have to spend the night. In my internet surfing I had noticed that Bani had it's share of beautiful muchachos.

Interesting coincidence: My friends and I were sitting on the Mercure veranda having a late lunch when this guy (whom they had seen earlier) came over to chat with us. Surprise, he was from Bani! He was headed home that evening, but agreed to meet us in Bani the next day.

We started out for Bani the next morning, but stopped by San Miguel to visit our friend Narciso. He was excited to see us and we made arrangements to stop again on our way back from Bani.

I can't emphasis enough how different Bani is from the city. It is unbelievably clean and charming. (Sort of like the way they clean Disneyland every night so the next days visitors will also be awestruck.) And the muchachos didn't disappoint. I will definitely spend more time there on a future vacation. While we were relaxing and taking pictures in the park, two guys (who spoke english well) approached us to inquire what type of services we may need. They appeared somewhat questionable so we basically ignored them. We then went across the street to have lunch at a chinese-operated buffet. DE-Lish! During this time, two guys had taken the booth behind ours and kept glancing our way. When they finished they sat outside across from our van. (an obvious gesture for attention) Unfortunately, our time was short. However, all this action in such a short amount of time is why I will definitely be going back to Bani!

We stopped at a river on the outskirts of town, the view of the nearby mountains is stunning. We said our goodbyes to a new friend, then headed back to San Miguel where Narciso had arranged a small party. What a day!

FRIDAY FANTASY 56

Mmmm, a dark chocolate delight!

CHANGES

There are some changes that have been positive. The educational system is one of them. Families used to have to pay for their children to go to school. Recent changes have eliminated most of those fees, but many children still cannot afford the uniforms, books, etc. But at least it is a step in the right direction. I also appreciate the artwork that is displayed at Independence Park. It is changed periodically and allows viewers to learn about culture and artists from different countries. The current display is of works at the Louvre in Paris, France. It was refreshing to see students with their pads and pens taking notes about the works of art.















Another change, which was inevitable, is the amount of new condominiums and apartments going up. Many of these are on the Malecon, but there are others springing up throughout the city. Whereas many of these have modern architecture, I would like to see more of them reflect the classic deco style of some of the older buildings. In any case, this gives investors, retirees and those Dominicans who can afford them, some variety when choosing a new place.

PARTY SCENE

I enjoyed being in Santo Domingo this time of year. I have visited at various times of Spring and have been there in December. I must say that October was quite nice! There were no events, no holiday travelers, no crowds. Wherever we went to party there were no more than about 10 tourists. The discos were still full of patrons though, the locals do love to party!

Bar Friends was the only establishment where the numbers were sparse. I guess the buggies were not there in large numbers due to the lack of tourists. That suited me just fine. The only issue with that is the way the buggies swarm the few tourists that are present. Because it is considered the "off season" they all vye for your attention and your dollars. This is a time when one can get highly discounted rates for services.

JayDee's Disco Bar continues to be packed on Friday and Saturday nights. The Dominican gays, the buggarones and tourists keep the place jumping. They are no longer open on Sundays.

CHA, the new kid on the block, is the place to go if you want to party with the "club kids." It is a mostly young crowd that likes the high energy scene similar to clubs in New York or South Beach. Conspicuously absent is the presense of the buggies. We attempted to go on Sunday after we closed Bar Friends. The taxi driver got lost because Bolivar Avenue evidently splits and he went the wrong way. By the time we got there it was 15 minutes till closing. We sat there on the Malecon to relax and talk, when all of a sudden the doors swung open and this massive throng of people came pouring out. The few masculine guys I saw appeared to be the dancers. It was interesting to see the kids hang around, laughing and talking, rather than split the scene so quickly as they do at other clubs.

After we left CHA we decided to check out Duarte Park, since we were told that people congregate there after the clubs close. Not a soul. I reminded myself that Sunday is usually a much quieter day in Santo Domingo. People do the Malecon Libre or the beach during the day and by evening the streets are empty. So we'll have to check out Duarte Park on our next visit.

Overall, the clubs are hot!! Some changes have been made in scheduling and hours of operation due to the new liquor laws. However, a good time can still be had. If you're a night owl you will have to be more creative since things close earlier during the week. CHA has now been given permission to remain open until 3AM on the weekend.

COLONIAL ZONE

If I wrote the entire contents of my recent vacation in one post it would be much too lengthy. Therefore, I will make several posts over the next few days.

Of course when you visit Santo Domingo you can't help but view the historic structures in the Colonial Zone (regardless of how many times you have visited). Something that was painfully obvious to me on this trip was the filth in the streets and the unkept condition of many of the structures and businesses in the area (which appeared so attractive only 18 months ago). There is no doubt that the economy and the citizens of the country are suffering. I hope they are both able to have a rapid recovery once the Metro is complete and the government does not have to funnel so many resources into it.

all photos taken in the Plaza Espana area

FRIDAY FANTASY 55

There's just something about those Brazilian men!

BLOGGER ISSUES

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TIEMPO PARA VACACION

Hola everyone!! It is time for a vacation. I will be flying to Santo Domingo on tomorrow morning so here are some pics to hold you until I return. Hasta lluego!