Relaxing

Independence & Carnaval

The Dominican Republic celebrates Independence Day on February 27th. Many people will take this opportunity to have a very long weekend as Carnaval is to be held Sunday along the Malecon.
The Ministry of Culture has announced that 180 dance troupes from 31 provinces and the National District will be parading along the Malecon on Sunday 2 March. The event brings together the best of carnival from all around the country. The Ministry of Culture announced that this year's parade would begin at 10am from Malecon Center to the Obelisco Macho. TV host Frederick Martinez (El Pacha) is the King of Carnival this year. The queen is former Miss World Mariasela Alvarez.

Catch the live broadcast Sunday afternoon on HERE.

Bamboo Is Better

JamDown Production has many hot Jamaican models with good bamboo!

Vacation Planning 101

Be sure to visit the Travel Info Page for helpful tips when planning your vacation to the Dominican Republic. Click on the ads for great deals!

Are Spandex Still Fashionable?

Asir

See the FULL spread for Asir at UOMOTV.COM

Barahona In The News

Barahona, on the southwest coast of the Dominican Republic, has made the list of The New York Times 52 Places To Go in 2014. The places are chosen by the newspaper's travel editors by asking dozens of their contributing editors and then aiming for a selection of places that they expect to be particularly compelling in the coming year; reasons might include a museum opening, a new transportation option or a historic anniversary. The main goal is to have a variety of regions and interests, with some surprises mixed in. They also try for a mix of scale, including cities, regions and even entire countries. 
Barahona is mentioned for being a "scenic, low-key destination on the verge of discovery." 
Editor Sanjay Surana writes: "Most vacationers to La Republica hole up in the all-inclusives north and east, overlooking the rarely traveled southwest. The port town of Barahona is the gateway to the cactus-strewn region's riches, like the hauntingly beautiful Bahia de las Aguilas beach and the eight climate zones at the geological depression Hoyo de Pelempito, both blissfully devoid of people. But there are signs of the government's vision to develop the area. The abandoned former Barcelo Bahoruco Beach Resort will partly open in 2014, and two separate 300-room projects - near La Canoa and San Rafael Beach - are in the final stages of design approval. For now, you can experience the quiet life at the thatch-roofed Casa Bonita, or at Rancho Platon, which has a tree house raised between the palms." 
www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/01/10/travel/2014-places-to-go.html

Believe It!

A Reminder

In case you're vacationing in SDQ during Carnaval.
Santo Domingo carnival organizer Jose Miguel Martinez says that this year's parades will take place on Sunday 9, 16 and 23 along Av. Maximo Gomez between Jose Contreras Avenue and the Malecon (Av. George Washington). He said 85 groups have already booked their participation. 

For more on upcoming events, see www.dr1.com/calendar

Marvelous Mario

Check out Mario's FULL spread at LatinBoyz! 

Wow Wednesday

A Friendly Gesture

Jose Luis

Jose Luis is another hot model at LatinBoyz!

Cute

Coco Shortage

It appears that the people at FlavaWorks have some issues keeping the famed Cocodorm up and running. The Dorm, once the flagship of the company and the premiere site on the web for live shows featuring black & latin men, has had serious legal battles in recent years.

Though the courts ruled in the company's favor in those cases, it seems damage control has not been as favorable. There is often a lack of models at the Dorm or they rehire past models who may not be as popular anymore with viewers. Some models have even had extended stays, remaining in the Dorm for months at a time. Even then, the once revered scheduled shows and late-night activity have become lukewarm at best or non-existent.

The multi-million dollar company has appeared to shift its focus to earning even more money by charging for the product once included with a membership to the Dorm. They have a new site, a spin-off, that now features the scheduled shows for a separate fee. That site hasn't seemed to catch on with customers en mass, according to popular opinion.

Further frustrating customers, old & new alike, is the lack of updates at the Dorm. The "Streams" section, formerly updated daily, has not been updated for many months. The live cams that allow viewers to take a peek inside the daily (and nightly) happenings between models in the Dorm are often malfunctioning or "Down For Service" for days at a time. Speaking with anyone about concerns is futile. The phone number provided for customer service is never answered by personnel, a return call from management never happens. Some sites place information on their homepage so members or potential members may be aware of current issues, not so at the Dorm.

I hope FlavaWorks can pull themselves together and return the Dorm to it's former glory. At this time however, it appears as though the Dorm, once filled with hot gourmet Coco, is just a cold Swiss "miss."