Hi there, and many thanks for tuning in! If you feel my videos over time, has added great value, savings, awareness and safety to your travels or plans, then feel free to help me out down here, to afford producing more of such content, by making a donation, many thanks in advance from Mr.T!! - You can donate through the following link: educatedtraveler.info/
Mr T .i live in New York, but i am from the Dominican republic and i appreciate your videos and what you do to help my country because some day i would like to return back to my country. I live in the United states, but after living in the United states for 37 years, i realized the this is not the place i want to live for the rest of my life.Here i feel that i am living to work only. God bless you.
Hi Joseph, and many thanks for watching! Most Westernized countries have economies that offer the opportunity to save more money, than what's maybe possible in DR. So if I was a Dominican who had moved overseas, then it would only be to save enough money to come back here to enjoy the fruits of my success. With money in DR, one can live a nice and relaxed lifestyle, among people who in general are friendlier and more focused on relaxation, parties and family bonding, than trying to be better than the Jones family next door. Also here there are laws and rules, however the Dominican system is not structured to "hunt" people for money in hundreds of crazy and invading ways like you see in over regulated countries (police/Nanny states) - So if I was you, then yes, definitely get back to DR with a sufficient income stream or savings to create your own paradise back here. I hope that helps :) Saludos! Mr.T
Hi Cerise, and many thanks for watching and your kind comments! Progress usually only happens when enough influential people get sufficiently upset and decide to challenge the culprits that are wrecking things. All of Sosua's business people need to come together and fight for what they want, otherwise they can't complain about what they keep getting. Brgds Mr.T
Thanks for the update. I've been to Sosua a few times, brought friends and in general had a great time. And, I've noticed that things seem to be slowing down. I'm sure the governing officials have their plans and it would be nice to know if they had a place for my friends and I ... but it seems that they aren't interested. So, I'll be taking that trip to Thailand, even though the flight is longer and a few hundred dollars more expensive. At least I'm sure the local businesses will appreciate my money and time. So, farewell to Sosua, and to the friends I've made there. I hope the future plans bring the economic impact they are hoping for; it seems to be such a shame that we single men are no longer wanted. BTW, I had multiple encounters with the police and found them to be nice folks and even bought lunch for a couple of them. We enjoyed chatting about the freedoms and sights of the Dominican Republic, not just the salacious aspects of Sosua. Also, enjoyed meals at several restaurants around town; got to know staff at some of the hotels and restaurants ... great town. Well, time to book those tickets and make sure the passport is ready.
Hi Wayne, and thanks for both watching and your comments! It's hard to know how it's going to be in 6 months time. I had a night out last night and it was actually pretty packed everywhere, however it was a Saturday night. So time will tell tell how it's all going to pan out, but all the Municipalities lame attempts to suffocate the type of tourism Sosua's had for the past 40 years, keeps failing, as people will be people! Have a great trip to Thailand and maybe we'll see you over here again some day :) Brgds Mr.T
Excellent presentation Mr. T. I hope the municipalities involved make their decisions wisely & that the locals & tourists in Sosúa aren't negatively affected by this ambiguous planning.
Great video Mr t. I was their for Halloween this year. And I talked to people who have comming down their for years they told how much crowded sosua used to be. It's sad the officials on the north coast believe they can have the same type of tourists in punta cuna would come to Sosua is a very small town it would hard to build those 5 star luxury resorts. And I also heard they wanted cruise ships to dock at sosua beach like they do at pop. But first they need to clean up the begging kids and homeless people and local police corruption first. I also hear that dont want business to attract young African Americans like playing hiphop in the discos. But blacks from the states spend more down their and give back to economy then anyone at the end of the day the Dominicans will end up suffering.
Hi Ant! Yes these chiefs are committing "financial self-sabotage", however they must be doing ok with their twisted way of running things, so they just keep pushing in the same direction. Everyone is suffering because of this, and if they close all the party spots, then they will have a mini revolution on their hands. Let's see how the stupidity unfolds.
@@EducatedTraveler Yes I cant wait to see how it unfolds i wonder if all the local businesses owners get together and put the mayor and other politicians out of office by putting money together and backing another campaign candidate and beat them at their own game!
9 Times out of 10, big money and religion always in the back ground influencing these politicians. It’s all about money Mr T. Great Great video. Like the fact your not afraid to touch on these issues.
Hi Dee, and many thanks for your kind compliments and for watching again! Yes you're right about the influences going on behind the curtain. It has unfortunately been killing the economy of this town for years now, and it's time everyone pushes back and put them in their place. Take care! Brgds Mr.T
Educated Traveler when I come there I mostly stay in puerto plata because my girlfriend lives there in puerto plata. But have been thinking about opening a little business on the Sosua beach next year. Not sure what I want to do yet. Now I am hearing about all these changes that’s coming I now have to take a wait and see attitude. I may not even be able to do it next year because no one seems to know for sure what’s going to happen. Sad
LOL - Thanks for the confidence!! (however politics is not my cup of soup, and I'm a Gringo) - Thanks also your great compliments, cheers! Brgds Mr.T :)
Hello MR T , I’m from the north side of DR , also I fallow all you publication about sosua, puerto plata, cabarete, I learning from you video about the north costs on I wants living there on the future buy my house there . I wants you to talk more about business.
excellent video. the key is to attract "well behaved tourists". unfortunately that is not presently the case. also, remember that most of the ladies working in Sosua are not from Sosua. good luck to all of the business owners and employees . there may be a downturn in business for awhile but it will come back even better
Hi Joseph, and many thanks for your compliment on my video! Unfortunately the leaders here have already demonstrated again and again that they are willing to nearly kill the town off, to rid themselves of the "element" that they dislike, yet hypocritically their police force is out there every night making money in a multitude of scrupulous ways (and who knows what might be paid upwards in the food chain from what they "score" doing this), and all of this insane behavior is a big turnoff to tourists and business owners. In short, they are not trying to grow the economy, but instead thinking and acting like typical hustlers (get as much as I can get right now!!) and this is what folks get when they elect incompetent / scrupulous people into such positions.
Great video, nothing lasts forever. I think people really miss the point. Some people adapt some fold when change comes. the key to continued success is resilience. There is more money to be made with expensive restaurants and $4 buck bottles of water then cheap girls. a lot less trouble too.
Hi Paul, and thanks for watching! Their way of going about getting to such a situation has repeatedly backfired, as here they have a high percentage of residents who only know how to hustle. However these uneducated hustlers will turn this town upside down if they are denied access to the tourists, and the leaders are also placing themselves in grave danger by trying to kill off the economy even further. As I covered in the video, with the way things are, the only "safe" way to achieve happiness for both the hustlers and the folks who only prefer family tourism, is to give the area a designated "Red Light District" and then create a nice family atmosphere in town - anything else will backfire for sure!
Good video, Sosua could and would be way better if the local government had a real 1-3 year plan to better its self. Lower the landing fees at the airport and the planes full of people. As a property owner I see what's going on and it makes me shake my head. They just don't get it.... Cheers
Thanks Paul, and for watching and commenting! Unfortunately the way things are run, seem very short sighted (however there could be some hidden long-term plans on their table) but they certainly aren't publicizing such plans to anyone. The landing fees are due to corruption from even further up the food chain - again pathetic and sad! As you said "They just don't get it!"
Lol- I will take that as a compliment, however I'm a Gringo, and we don't have many rights, only the ones we can pay our way to, and we can't vote, and certainly not run for being Mayors - In the end of the day, I'm just another visitor! :) Brgds Mr.T
My advice for DR is to look at places like Thailand as a model for economic growth. Protect investment so that the locals always benefit from foreign investment (99year lease model), the sex tourism is a draw, to sabotage that is a mistake. However, different parts of the island could cater for different things. The main issue is safety. Bar girls aren't keeping tourists away, corruption , theft and danger keeps people from places. So, they should invest into the infrastructure more prospects for the locals, to keep it a place of smiles, friendliness and warmth. Having a designated "red light" zone changes the whole idea of easy going sexual liberation on a tropical island holiday. Red light zones make it sex tourism and it makes it dirty. The problem is the corruption. Short term gain for long term deficit. Make the locals happy, keep inflation down, offer prospects and encourage industry/agricultural , etc.
Well Mr. T, assuming that lectures are fair in the Dominican Republic it's going to come within the people in sosua and the surrounding area to vote out those individuals that are causing these problems!!
Thanks for watching Matt! Yes and just after this, Sosua got it's new chief - it's been a financial downhill slide ever since :( When Governments meddle in things they shouldn't, then everything falls apart!
@@EducatedTraveler Sosua is a fun town, party town, and hoes are parts of this town, most of tourist goes there for party and the girls.. Family goes to Punta Cana, La romana... They are slowly killing Sosua :( I love this town, its pretty good because all things can do be walking, i mean, restaurent, beach, bars, banc, market, hotel etc.
Yes, lots of potential, yet as I said in the video "If the fish stinks, it stinks from the head!" and the current chiefs want to flush the baby out with the bath water, big shame, but let's see how it unfolds.
I'm only a one time visitor to Sosua, so my opinion and experience will be limited via my own lens. In addition to yourself, Mr. T, I know there are a lot of experienced travelers here who know Sosua from the inside out . From my observations flying in and out recently, both on weekdays, there are planeloads of Americans coming in and out of POP/SOS, ready to spend $$$. The streets were packed most nights and Sunday, my last night, was bustling like nobody's business. By closing the clubs , discos AND allowing the extortion of tourists to remain in perpetuity, people are simply going to board planes destined for other lands with their aforesaid money.
Thanks for watching and commenting! None of these leaders will ever get anything close to a stone medal, let alone a bronze medal in doing business. They are so far behind in their way of thinking that they actually think they are ahead! (just like the hustlers in the streets) Sad, but their inability to listen, learn and be straight, is their biggest bottleneck for success in life + Business. take care! Brgds Mr.T
Why remove or change what is bringing in the Tourist $$$'s, if it works, Don't fix it. The Next time I' see my friend Pedro, he is a Senator, living in Santa Domingo, but also got a place on Brickel Av. in Miami, his daughter stayed in my House in Vinja Chile, so we are fairly good friends, besides his sister in law is my second wife, living here on the Gulf coast of Florida. I'll see if he got any pull on the issues in Sousua, can always ask and get his opinion. Noticed that some of my watering holes had closed up the last time I' was there. Mr. T. Thanks, Love your Videos, the next best thing to be there.
For now everything is buzzing as usual (bars and clubs). The Mayor/Municipality would commit "financial suicide" to Sosua if they dare to proceed with any of the threats of closing all the action spots, so let's see. If you're concerned, then just check in here occasionally and I'll give you the latest scoop - Brgds Mr.T
Thanks man, My group is flying into santo domingo/santiago and catching the metro/caribe buses due to the airline prices. It's ridiculous how the flights into those cities were $350-$500 usd roundtrip vs $700 minimum for puerto plata. One friend paid $360 to go into santiago vs $900 into puerto plata
Hi there! It's changing often as folks here are brainwashed slaves who in general act like "leaves in the wind" - so one can never tell just what's next in this scamdemic. Right now the psychopath Government is pushing to make it obligatory to take the "kill jab" - hopefully many will rise up and shoot the bastards, let's see.
I lived and owned several properties in Sosua back in 2002 thru 2008. Those were the years when I thought Sosua was vibrant and lively. In 2010 to the present the tide started to change. It is the current politicians that is responsible for the reversal. I would be willing to buy airplane tickets or contribute money for the current decision makers take to take a trip to Pattaya Thailand and visit Walking Street and see what a great Business Model looks like.
Thanks for watching and commenting! The current chiefs here would even find a nice picture of a bikini dressed babe vulgar, so we already know what they would think of Pattaya - Save your money - LOL
Closing bars/restaurants makes absolutly no sense to me, because nowadays the most girls are not in those facilitis. They stand on the pavement or sit on stairs of closed shops. In the past the girls were in the discos and then the discos were shut down.
Hi Maik! Thanks for both watching and commenting! As I said in the video, here we have law abuse, not law enforcement, hens the reason everything is always in a mess here. Police is not respected because of their corrupt behavior and harassment + extortion of people, and this puts off tourists (which the leaders are obviously to short sighted to recognize). A real shame, as with the right leadership, this place could be rocking!
you should think about putting spanish subtitles in your videos. your content should be seen buy dominicans as well. they are the ones who will help affect the situation
Already got too much work involved producing these on a shoe-string budget, so I'll have to pass on that one! But thanks for staying tuned - Brgds Mr.T
Educated Traveler it's a necessary step. email me the audio file of this video and I'll have it translated for you. rickspizzaonline@gmail.com Part of video production is getting more viewers. Unless I'm mistaken.
I live in Santiago De Los Caballeros, we visit Sosua often. My wife’s complaints is that they have too many prostitudes. She is right. You have a big influx of older European single men looking for a Dominican girlfriend for a week at some rates that you couldn’t get anywhere else in Europe. Not even in Amsterdam can you get as cheap as in Sosua. Something has to change. I don’t want to have to walk thru all of that with my children.
Hola Richard, and many thanks for watching + commenting! You're right that there is a problem here, yet how the chiefs are running things is the main reason for this problem. 10+ years ago there was ladies in town whom you wouldn't know if they were someones classy wife or a prostitute. Many of these ladies were ordinary people working in offices and shops during the week (many from Puerto Plata, SA and SD), who just got a bit adventurous in the weekends to try finding a foreign boyfriend who could potentially afford them a better lifestyle. These classier ladies quickly disappeared about 8 years ago when we got the new chiefs of Sosua, as from that moment onward the police were ordered to harass any girls in town with their stupid system of "cops chase the girls down the streets in front of the tourists, arrest them, extort them for $$$, and then release them again to get more money from the guys". The police are still instructed to do the same crap here every day, resulting in what we have now, which is a true hardcore prostitute, no stilettos (ready to sprint), bad attitudes, full of tricks, many steal, many help police extort tourists by showing fake ID's of age etc.. etc... In other words what we now have is the roughest characters running around Sosua's streets that we've ever seen. I've been to places like Spain and Columbia, and at their beach towns it can be very difficult to tell who's a lady with her boyfriend and who's an escort with some tourist, and there one can walk with one's family without feeling uncomfortable, intimidated or unsafe. Yes there needs to be a change!! as Sosua has now turned into a real "Ghetto" with drugs, extortion's, theft, disrespectful behavior, crazy driving, crazy loud noise etc... yet with the thousands of locals who have now become accustomed to making a living the way they do and from the current type of tourists, then the big danger will come if they try to shut down the clubs and bars without creating a new area for all of this I.e. a "Zona Erotica" and become strict on the fact that if you want to go clubbing and all that comes with it, then go to this new zone and do your thing! What's really missing here is wise and non-corrupt leadership, then the same in the police force with better paid police and higher caliber officers. Sosua needs true law enforcement, (not the current law abuse) where there's consequence for bad behavior, tourist harassment, theft, vulgar behavior etc... Maybe it seems impossible to some, but we have to try changing it in a way that doesn't create a mini revolution here, as when these locals want to make their money to feed their families, then neither police or military will stop them. Saludos! Mr.T
MR. T it sounds like you have your finger on the button of things so to speak. You are right in many ways, however, prostitution is not a legal profession in the Dominican Republic. Corruption is rampant in the DR you are right, and since some of this club owners- which many of them are foreigners - cater to that type of clientele is not going to help things much. Is a vicious cycle of police harassment to shake up people for money and the hardcore criminal groups moving in to take advantage of the situation. Don’t be surprised if we start to see human trafficking for prostitudes climb in the DR. Already in some other parts of the Carribean like Trinidad it has become an epidemic. Having a red light district in my humble opinion is not what we should strive for. Think about it, the type of men that stup down to that level to pay for sex and the people that provide for that kind of service are not the kind of folks we should be attracting and catering to bring the economy of Sosua up. You have no further than to look to punta cana. Why is punta cana thriving? Because they have created a Disney land type of atmosphere which is more conducive to greater foreign investment and tourism. When I was in the ARMY station in Germany I took a trip to Amsterdam to check the infamous red light district. I was a young single man with a group of my ARMY buddies, I was appalled by the grittiness of the place. Seedy doesn’t even begin to describe it. Open drugs, sex and party is not what tourism should be. Well I checked that from my bucket list, seeing it but no thanks. Thanks for your response. And keep up informing everyone with your channel.
Thanks Richard, let's see how it all unfolds, as corruption is the biggest bottleneck in straightening things up. Yes and more videos are on the way - Take care!
Let's see how this circus show unfolds, everyone is kept in the blind about everything, elections are often rigged, so hard to tell how anything here will pan out
The DR is a beautiful country with beautiful people. My family and I are considering buying a property there as a vacation and retirement choice. However, Sosua is an area that throws up a red flag for me. While I have no problem with ladies of the night working, I don't want to see them or their customers out on the streets. Drugs, robbery and organized crime come with this profession and that's not something I want to be around or for my family to be around. The women who choose this profession should also have safe working conditions. I think Sosua has a natural beauty that could be a goldmine for the locals and local businesses, but it needs to be a safe, clean place for visitors and locals alike. Then it will prosper.
Thanks for watching and commenting! Only when the corruption gets fixed from the top down, will we potentially see actual law enforcement. After that then everything else would fall into place as it should be.
There might be a small bunch of new investors, but they will soon warn their connections of the harsh reality of this sick economy, and they too are looked at by the locals as Gringo's, so their learning curve will be as hard as for everyone else who haven't been sufficiently warned about how to go about things here. However time will tell as always! Brgds Mr.T
I had to think about this for a second, the real business people see change as a good thing, this cant continue for this place to be known as a party place and a place where working women are. This should be a city where families and others can come. In the long run this is a great move, if they do have ships coming into port then the place can be very busy and they can still have the sex workers in another part of town. Not everyone is looking for a place with tons of people just coming to pay for sex or party.
The whole point is that they are not taking any action on getting this red light district going, instead they want to flush the "baby out with the bath water" (the baby means - killing every type of business here as everything is connected) in their show off attempts to eliminate the girls from the streets and bars, yet they release them again within hours, so they can hunt for more money, so in other words they don't really want it gone after all! The leaders here keep everyone in the blind, run corrupt cops for profit in multiple ways, threaten hard working business owners, close down the nightlife at midnight, destroy the parking to allow business to thrive and so on... as I said in my video -"If the fish stinks, it stinks from the head!" Let's focus on fixing this 1st.
Hi Kevin, I believe it's in about 1.5 years from now, but I will have to double check that. As I said in the video "If the fish stinks, it stinks from the head!" - thousands of tourists have chosen to take their hard-earned dosh elsewhere, but here that obviously doesn't matter, as the general mentality is very short sighted - it's called "Financial self sabotage"
But 25 30 years ago there was more tourist and money in Sosua, without the clubs. So if they clean it up people will return. I use to go there all the time and no why I will bring my family there.
Hi Kevin! The answer to your question is Yes!! Because even hustlers and beggars need to feed their families, and if the leaders place too much strain on the residents here, then they will retaliate. Good luck keeping these locals away from families if that was the only tourists who suddenly came here. When they want their RD1000+ for the day, they will hunt for it no matter who tries to get in their way. I've watched this pathetic arm-wrestle for a decade now and it's not going to end well unless they change their plan dramatically.
People on here talking about they would travel to Sosua if it would change, that is BS. Your economy will suffer, there are more beautiful beaches other places, Roatan, Utila, etc. But they are not bringing in the type of money that Sosua does
Sosua has the beaches & beautiful land, however it can't be a family destination because there no other attractions for the kids & parents, The Monkey Jungle is not enough. The water park is no more, what is left? I am sad at the lack of common sense of our "political Leaders". I've been here for decades, & doubt Sosua can survive with the present local government. Parents who take or let their kids out on the streets after 10 o'clock are not doing their responsibilty as parents. Save Sosua, I love this country & town..
Tried to visit, he wasn't there at the time, no-one seemed to know anything. Tried calling him twice, no answer? Do you know any more about his whereabouts?
Hi there, and many thanks for tuning in! If you feel my videos over time, has added great value, savings, awareness and safety to your travels or plans, then feel free to help me out down here, to afford producing more of such content, by making a donation, many thanks in advance from Mr.T!! - You can donate through the following link: educatedtraveler.info/
Mr T .i live in New York, but i am from the Dominican republic and i appreciate your videos and what you do to help my country because some day i would like to return back to my country. I live in the United states, but after living in the United states for 37 years, i realized the this is not the place i want to live for the rest of my life.Here i feel that i am living to work only.
God bless you.
Hi Joseph, and many thanks for watching! Most Westernized countries have economies that offer the opportunity to save more money, than what's maybe possible in DR. So if I was a Dominican who had moved overseas, then it would only be to save enough money to come back here to enjoy the fruits of my success.
With money in DR, one can live a nice and relaxed lifestyle, among people who in general are friendlier and more focused on relaxation, parties and family bonding, than trying to be better than the Jones family next door.
Also here there are laws and rules, however the Dominican system is not structured to "hunt" people for money in hundreds of crazy and invading ways like you see in over regulated countries (police/Nanny states) - So if I was you, then yes, definitely get back to DR with a sufficient income stream or savings to create your own paradise back here. I hope that helps :)
Saludos! Mr.T
Mr.T, going to be in sosua for a week in march, hope to see you, and buy you a drink or two..good luck to you!!!
Thanks a lot, and sounds good about the drinks :) Safe travels ahead - Brgds Mr.T
Very good journalistic work for locals and travelers interested in Sosua.
Thanks a lot Jay! Brgds Mr.T
The quality of your videos are superb!
oops is superb!
Many thanks Pam!!! Brgds Mr.T :)
Wow! Sosua Batman in the house! These are such brilliant suggestions. Hopefully your words will move moutains and not fall on silent ears.
Hi Cerise, and many thanks for watching and your kind comments! Progress usually only happens when enough influential people get sufficiently upset and decide to challenge the culprits that are wrecking things. All of Sosua's business people need to come together and fight for what they want, otherwise they can't complain about what they keep getting. Brgds Mr.T
Thanks for the update. I've been to Sosua a few times, brought friends and in general had a great time. And, I've noticed that things seem to be slowing down. I'm sure the governing officials have their plans and it would be nice to know if they had a place for my friends and I ... but it seems that they aren't interested.
So, I'll be taking that trip to Thailand, even though the flight is longer and a few hundred dollars more expensive. At least I'm sure the local businesses will appreciate my money and time.
So, farewell to Sosua, and to the friends I've made there. I hope the future plans bring the economic impact they are hoping for; it seems to be such a shame that we single men are no longer wanted.
BTW, I had multiple encounters with the police and found them to be nice folks and even bought lunch for a couple of them. We enjoyed chatting about the freedoms and sights of the Dominican Republic, not just the salacious aspects of Sosua. Also, enjoyed meals at several restaurants around town; got to know staff at some of the hotels and restaurants ... great town.
Well, time to book those tickets and make sure the passport is ready.
Hi Wayne, and thanks for both watching and your comments! It's hard to know how it's going to be in 6 months time. I had a night out last night and it was actually pretty packed everywhere, however it was a Saturday night. So time will tell tell how it's all going to pan out, but all the Municipalities lame attempts to suffocate the type of tourism Sosua's had for the past 40 years, keeps failing, as people will be people! Have a great trip to Thailand and maybe we'll see you over here again some day :) Brgds Mr.T
MR T👍👍👍
Thanks, and for watching!!! Brgds Mr.T
Excellent presentation Mr. T. I hope the municipalities involved make their decisions wisely & that the locals & tourists in Sosúa aren't negatively affected by this ambiguous planning.
Thanks Marcus! So far we haven't seen may wise decisions, so it's going to be interesting how it's all going to unfold. Take care! Brgds Mr.T
Great video Mr t. I was their for Halloween this year. And I talked to people who have comming down their for years they told how much crowded sosua used to be. It's sad the officials on the north coast believe they can have the same type of tourists in punta cuna would come to Sosua is a very small town it would hard to build those 5 star luxury resorts. And I also heard they wanted cruise ships to dock at sosua beach like they do at pop. But first they need to clean up the begging kids and homeless people and local police corruption first. I also hear that dont want business to attract young African Americans like playing hiphop in the discos. But blacks from the states spend more down their and give back to economy then anyone at the end of the day the Dominicans will end up suffering.
Hi Ant! Yes these chiefs are committing "financial self-sabotage", however they must be doing ok with their twisted way of running things, so they just keep pushing in the same direction. Everyone is suffering because of this, and if they close all the party spots, then they will have a mini revolution on their hands. Let's see how the stupidity unfolds.
@@EducatedTraveler
Yes I cant wait to see how it unfolds i wonder if all the local businesses owners get together and put the mayor and other politicians out of office by putting money together and backing another campaign candidate and beat them at their own game!
that's very unlikely to happen. Unfortunately folks down here have a very hard time joining together in common causes
@@EducatedTraveler
Wow that's sad. All expats business
Should stick together.
Yep!
9 Times out of 10, big money and religion always in the back ground influencing these politicians. It’s all about money Mr T. Great Great video. Like the fact your not afraid to touch on these issues.
Hi Dee, and many thanks for your kind compliments and for watching again! Yes you're right about the influences going on behind the curtain. It has unfortunately been killing the economy of this town for years now, and it's time everyone pushes back and put them in their place. Take care! Brgds Mr.T
Educated Traveler when I come there I mostly stay in puerto plata because my girlfriend lives there in puerto plata. But have been thinking about opening a little business on the Sosua beach next year. Not sure what I want to do yet. Now I am hearing about all these changes that’s coming I now have to take a wait and see attitude. I may not even be able to do it next year because no one seems to know for sure what’s going to happen. Sad
Things are in a limbo for now, so it's best not to rush into anything now.
Dee brown Hi 👋Dee. I was looking at opening a business as well. If your interested in a partnership, email me atlanta9944@gmail.com
Mr.T for Mayor of Sosua problem solved. Great video, very informative and colourful as alway, great job MrT
LOL - Thanks for the confidence!! (however politics is not my cup of soup, and I'm a Gringo) - Thanks also your great compliments, cheers! Brgds Mr.T :)
Wao, it´s the second video I see from your channel and they are realy fantastic. I still love Sosua, is a great, great small city.
Thanks so much Angelo! I'm happy you like them - more on the way :) Brgds Mr.T
I better hurry up and get down there!
absolutely, come on down! :)
Hello MR T , I’m from the north side of DR , also I fallow all you publication about sosua, puerto plata, cabarete, I learning from you video about the north costs on I wants living there on the future buy my house there . I wants you to talk more about business.
Hola Estany! Please e-mail me at info@educatedtraveler.info and we can communicate there instead, cheers! Mr.T
Happy New Year Mr T 🥂
Thanks Eric and you too! :) Brgds Mr.T
Great content sir!
Many thanks!! Brgds Mr.T
Hi Mr T love your video
Thanks!! and for watching - Brgds, Mr.T
excellent video. the key is to attract "well behaved tourists". unfortunately that is not presently the case. also, remember that most of the ladies working in Sosua are not from Sosua. good luck to all of the business owners and employees . there may be a downturn in business for awhile but it will come back even better
Hi Joseph, and many thanks for your compliment on my video! Unfortunately the leaders here have already demonstrated again and again that they are willing to nearly kill the town off, to rid themselves of the "element" that they dislike, yet hypocritically their police force is out there every night making money in a multitude of scrupulous ways (and who knows what might be paid upwards in the food chain from what they "score" doing this), and all of this insane behavior is a big turnoff to tourists and business owners. In short, they are not trying to grow the economy, but instead thinking and acting like typical hustlers (get as much as I can get right now!!) and this is what folks get when they elect incompetent / scrupulous people into such positions.
Very informative video!!!!!
Many thanks!!
Great Info. Bro
Many thanks, and for watching! Brgds Mr.T
great video! looking good in TTC shirt...we would love to have MR T here
Thanks Janet, and for watching! It was hot wearing a tie again. Take care! :) Brgds Mr.T
good video, keep it coming
Thanks heaps!! Brgds Mr.T
Rich sees all! Lol
Yo where you at next?
@@Nessman99 brazil
@@RollTheTape which month..?
Great video, nothing lasts forever. I think people really miss the point. Some people adapt some fold when change comes. the key to continued success is resilience. There is more money to be made with expensive restaurants and $4 buck bottles of water then cheap girls. a lot less trouble too.
Hi Paul, and thanks for watching! Their way of going about getting to such a situation has repeatedly backfired, as here they have a high percentage of residents who only know how to hustle. However these uneducated hustlers will turn this town upside down if they are denied access to the tourists, and the leaders are also placing themselves in grave danger by trying to kill off the economy even further. As I covered in the video, with the way things are, the only "safe" way to achieve happiness for both the hustlers and the folks who only prefer family tourism, is to give the area a designated "Red Light District" and then create a nice family atmosphere in town - anything else will backfire for sure!
Good video, Sosua could and would be way better if the local government had a real 1-3 year plan to better its self. Lower the landing fees at the airport and the planes full of people. As a property owner I see what's going on and it makes me shake my head.
They just don't get it....
Cheers
Thanks Paul, and for watching and commenting! Unfortunately the way things are run, seem very short sighted (however there could be some hidden long-term plans on their table) but they certainly aren't publicizing such plans to anyone. The landing fees are due to corruption from even further up the food chain - again pathetic and sad! As you said "They just don't get it!"
Mr. T, are you eligible to run for Mayor in Sousa?
Lol- I will take that as a compliment, however I'm a Gringo, and we don't have many rights, only the ones we can pay our way to, and we can't vote, and certainly not run for being Mayors - In the end of the day, I'm just another visitor! :) Brgds Mr.T
My advice for DR is to look at places like Thailand as a model for economic growth. Protect investment so that the locals always benefit from foreign investment (99year lease model), the sex tourism is a draw, to sabotage that is a mistake. However, different parts of the island could cater for different things. The main issue is safety. Bar girls aren't keeping tourists away, corruption , theft and danger keeps people from places. So, they should invest into the infrastructure more prospects for the locals, to keep it a place of smiles, friendliness and warmth. Having a designated "red light" zone changes the whole idea of easy going sexual liberation on a tropical island holiday. Red light zones make it sex tourism and it makes it dirty. The problem is the corruption. Short term gain for long term deficit. Make the locals happy, keep inflation down, offer prospects and encourage industry/agricultural , etc.
Thanks Mikey for watching and commenting! Brgds Mr.T
Well Mr. T, assuming that lectures are fair in the Dominican Republic it's going to come within the people in sosua and the surrounding area to vote out those individuals that are causing these problems!!
Yes, and unless the voting becomes rigged, then I believe most are ready for a change of leadership, as the economy is bleeding
i started goin to sosua in 2011, and thing where better! lots of open air bars!!
Thanks for watching Matt! Yes and just after this, Sosua got it's new chief - it's been a financial downhill slide ever since :(
When Governments meddle in things they shouldn't, then everything falls apart!
@@EducatedTraveler Sosua is a fun town, party town, and hoes are parts of this town, most of tourist goes there for party and the girls.. Family goes to Punta Cana, La romana... They are slowly killing Sosua :( I love this town, its pretty good because all things can do be walking, i mean, restaurent, beach, bars, banc, market, hotel etc.
Yes, lots of potential, yet as I said in the video "If the fish stinks, it stinks from the head!" and the current chiefs want to flush the baby out with the bath water, big shame, but let's see how it unfolds.
I'm only a one time visitor to Sosua, so my opinion and experience will be limited via my own lens. In addition to yourself, Mr. T, I know there are a lot of experienced travelers here who know Sosua from the inside out . From my observations flying in and out recently, both on weekdays, there are planeloads of Americans coming in and out of POP/SOS, ready to spend $$$. The streets were packed most nights and Sunday, my last night, was bustling like nobody's business. By closing the clubs , discos AND allowing the extortion of tourists to remain in perpetuity, people are simply going to board planes destined for other lands with their aforesaid money.
Thanks for watching and commenting! None of these leaders will ever get anything close to a stone medal, let alone a bronze medal in doing business. They are so far behind in their way of thinking that they actually think they are ahead! (just like the hustlers in the streets) Sad, but their inability to listen, learn and be straight, is their biggest bottleneck for success in life + Business. take care! Brgds Mr.T
@@EducatedTraveler Same to you, sir
Thanks!
Great video
Many thanks Beau! Brgds Mr.T
Why remove or change what is bringing in the Tourist $$$'s, if it works, Don't fix it. The Next time I' see my friend Pedro, he is a Senator, living in Santa Domingo, but also got a place on Brickel Av. in Miami, his daughter stayed in my House in Vinja Chile, so we are fairly good friends, besides his sister in law is my second wife, living here on the Gulf coast of Florida. I'll see if he got any pull on the issues in Sousua, can always ask and get his opinion. Noticed that some of my watering holes had closed up the last time I' was there. Mr. T. Thanks, Love your Videos, the next best thing to be there.
Geez are they still shutting down the bars. Im trying to plan my vacation for july
For now everything is buzzing as usual (bars and clubs). The Mayor/Municipality would commit "financial suicide" to Sosua if they dare to proceed with any of the threats of closing all the action spots, so let's see. If you're concerned, then just check in here occasionally and I'll give you the latest scoop - Brgds Mr.T
Thanks man, My group is flying into santo domingo/santiago and catching the metro/caribe buses due to the airline prices. It's ridiculous how the flights into those cities were $350-$500 usd roundtrip vs $700 minimum for puerto plata. One friend paid $360 to go into santiago vs $900 into puerto plata
Yes those buffed up prices are all due to the corruption. Anyway, have a great vacation and I hope to see you all in Sosua! Brgds Mr.T
Hi Mr T, how is the situation in Sosua now?. Did the government change anything? thanks
Hi there! It's changing often as folks here are brainwashed slaves who in general act like "leaves in the wind" - so one can never tell just what's next in this scamdemic. Right now the psychopath Government is pushing to make it obligatory to take the "kill jab" - hopefully many will rise up and shoot the bastards, let's see.
I lived and owned several properties in Sosua back in 2002 thru 2008. Those were the years when I thought Sosua was vibrant and lively. In 2010 to the present the tide started to change. It is the current politicians that is responsible for the reversal. I would be willing to buy airplane tickets or contribute money for the current decision makers take to take a trip to Pattaya Thailand and visit Walking Street and see what a great Business Model looks like.
Thanks for watching and commenting! The current chiefs here would even find a nice picture of a bikini dressed babe vulgar, so we already know what they would think of Pattaya - Save your money - LOL
What was the name of your guy that was teaching español?
Please email me, as then I can discuss personal names / contact details of folks, cheers! info@educatedtraveler.info
@@EducatedTraveler thank you
Guy in the white shirt broke it down
I just want to know is classicos going to have to move.....
It is supposedly one of the businesses on their list. It will all be interesting what will happen next year
Most business owners tell me, round June 2019
Discover very channel should hire you
Thanks George!! and for watching - Brgds Mr.T
Closing bars/restaurants makes absolutly no sense to me, because nowadays the most girls are not in those facilitis. They stand on the pavement or sit on stairs of closed shops. In the past the girls were in the discos and then the discos were shut down.
Hi Maik! Thanks for both watching and commenting! As I said in the video, here we have law abuse, not law enforcement, hens the reason everything is always in a mess here. Police is not respected because of their corrupt behavior and harassment + extortion of people, and this puts off tourists (which the leaders are obviously to short sighted to recognize). A real shame, as with the right leadership, this place could be rocking!
you should think about putting spanish subtitles in your videos. your content should be seen buy dominicans as well. they are the ones who will help affect the situation
Already got too much work involved producing these on a shoe-string budget, so I'll have to pass on that one! But thanks for staying tuned - Brgds Mr.T
Educated Traveler it's a necessary step. email me the audio file of this video and I'll have it translated for you. rickspizzaonline@gmail.com
Part of video production is getting more viewers. Unless I'm mistaken.
I live in Santiago De Los Caballeros, we visit Sosua often. My wife’s complaints is that they have too many prostitudes. She is right. You have a big influx of older European single men looking for a Dominican girlfriend for a week at some rates that you couldn’t get anywhere else in Europe. Not even in Amsterdam can you get as cheap as in Sosua. Something has to change. I don’t want to have to walk thru all of that with my children.
Hola Richard, and many thanks for watching + commenting! You're right that there is a problem here, yet how the chiefs are running things is the main reason for this problem. 10+ years ago there was ladies in town whom you wouldn't know if they were someones classy wife or a prostitute. Many of these ladies were ordinary people working in offices and shops during the week (many from Puerto Plata, SA and SD), who just got a bit adventurous in the weekends to try finding a foreign boyfriend who could potentially afford them a better lifestyle.
These classier ladies quickly disappeared about 8 years ago when we got the new chiefs of Sosua, as from that moment onward the police were ordered to harass any girls in town with their stupid system of "cops chase the girls down the streets in front of the tourists, arrest them, extort them for $$$, and then release them again to get more money from the guys".
The police are still instructed to do the same crap here every day, resulting in what we have now, which is a true hardcore prostitute, no stilettos (ready to sprint), bad attitudes, full of tricks, many steal, many help police extort tourists by showing fake ID's of age etc.. etc...
In other words what we now have is the roughest characters running around Sosua's streets that we've ever seen. I've been to places like Spain and Columbia, and at their beach towns it can be very difficult to tell who's a lady with her boyfriend and who's an escort with some tourist, and there one can walk with one's family without feeling uncomfortable, intimidated or unsafe.
Yes there needs to be a change!! as Sosua has now turned into a real "Ghetto" with drugs, extortion's, theft, disrespectful behavior, crazy driving, crazy loud noise etc... yet with the thousands of locals who have now become accustomed to making a living the way they do and from the current type of tourists, then the big danger will come if they try to shut down the clubs and bars without creating a new area for all of this I.e. a "Zona Erotica" and become strict on the fact that if you want to go clubbing and all that comes with it, then go to this new zone and do your thing!
What's really missing here is wise and non-corrupt leadership, then the same in the police force with better paid police and higher caliber officers. Sosua needs true law enforcement, (not the current law abuse) where there's consequence for bad behavior, tourist harassment, theft, vulgar behavior etc...
Maybe it seems impossible to some, but we have to try changing it in a way that doesn't create a mini revolution here, as when these locals want to make their money to feed their families, then neither police or military will stop them.
Saludos! Mr.T
MR. T it sounds like you have your finger on the button of things so to speak. You are right in many ways, however, prostitution is not a legal profession in the Dominican Republic. Corruption is rampant in the DR you are right, and since some of this club owners- which many of them are foreigners - cater to that type of clientele is not going to help things much. Is a vicious cycle of police harassment to shake up people for money and the hardcore criminal groups moving in to take advantage of the situation. Don’t be surprised if we start to see human trafficking for prostitudes climb in the DR. Already in some other parts of the Carribean like Trinidad it has become an epidemic. Having a red light district in my humble opinion is not what we should strive for. Think about it, the type of men that stup down to that level to pay for sex and the people that provide for that kind of service are not the kind of folks we should be attracting and catering to bring the economy of Sosua up. You have no further than to look to punta cana. Why is punta cana thriving? Because they have created a Disney land type of atmosphere which is more conducive to greater foreign investment and tourism. When I was in the ARMY station in Germany I took a trip to Amsterdam to check the infamous red light district. I was a young single man with a group of my ARMY buddies, I was appalled by the grittiness of the place. Seedy doesn’t even begin to describe it. Open drugs, sex and party is not what tourism should be. Well I checked that from my bucket list, seeing it but no thanks. Thanks for your response. And keep up informing everyone with your channel.
Thanks Richard, let's see how it all unfolds, as corruption is the biggest bottleneck in straightening things up. Yes and more videos are on the way - Take care!
Will there be a big good major change when the woman mayor of sosua is finished from office?
Let's see how this circus show unfolds, everyone is kept in the blind about everything, elections are often rigged, so hard to tell how anything here will pan out
The DR is a beautiful country with beautiful people. My family and I are considering buying a property there as a vacation and retirement choice. However, Sosua is an area that throws up a red flag for me. While I have no problem with ladies of the night working, I don't want to see them or their customers out on the streets. Drugs, robbery and organized crime come with this profession and that's not something I want to be around or for my family to be around. The women who choose this profession should also have safe working conditions. I think Sosua has a natural beauty that could be a goldmine for the locals and local businesses, but it needs to be a safe, clean place for visitors and locals alike. Then it will prosper.
Thanks for watching and commenting! Only when the corruption gets fixed from the top down, will we potentially see actual law enforcement. After that then everything else would fall into place as it should be.
Is he related to the dealer moya that was in the bronx he looks like him
not sure
I won't be surprised if Chinese investment takes over the tourist industry in that area
There might be a small bunch of new investors, but they will soon warn their connections of the harsh reality of this sick economy, and they too are looked at by the locals as Gringo's, so their learning curve will be as hard as for everyone else who haven't been sufficiently warned about how to go about things here. However time will tell as always! Brgds Mr.T
They already opened a clothing store great prices for locals and tourist
I had to think about this for a second, the real business people see change as a good thing, this cant continue for this place to be known as a party place and a place where working women are. This should be a city where families and others can come. In the long run this is a great move, if they do have ships coming into port then the place can be very busy and they can still have the sex workers in another part of town. Not everyone is looking for a place with tons of people just coming to pay for sex or party.
The whole point is that they are not taking any action on getting this red light district going, instead they want to flush the "baby out with the bath water" (the baby means - killing every type of business here as everything is connected) in their show off attempts to eliminate the girls from the streets and bars, yet they release them again within hours, so they can hunt for more money, so in other words they don't really want it gone after all! The leaders here keep everyone in the blind, run corrupt cops for profit in multiple ways, threaten hard working business owners, close down the nightlife at midnight, destroy the parking to allow business to thrive and so on... as I said in my video -"If the fish stinks, it stinks from the head!" Let's focus on fixing this 1st.
Mr. T when are the elections in sosua? Is the mayor the main problem? The tourists will go elsewhere if this nonsense persist!
Hi Kevin, I believe it's in about 1.5 years from now, but I will have to double check that. As I said in the video "If the fish stinks, it stinks from the head!" - thousands of tourists have chosen to take their hard-earned dosh elsewhere, but here that obviously doesn't matter, as the general mentality is very short sighted - it's called "Financial self sabotage"
But 25 30 years ago there was more tourist and money in Sosua, without the clubs. So if they clean it up people will return. I use to go there all the time and no why I will bring my family there.
Is this report current? When was it recorded?
Every interview was recorded within the last 2-4 weeks
You should become a Dominican citizenship and become a mayor i like the way you think
Thanks Ramon, I appreciate your confidence in me :) Saludos! Mr.T
downfall started when Punta Cana started
Shouldn't this mayor watch her back ? I'm just saying.
Hi Kevin! The answer to your question is Yes!! Because even hustlers and beggars need to feed their families, and if the leaders place too much strain on the residents here, then they will retaliate. Good luck keeping these locals away from families if that was the only tourists who suddenly came here. When they want their RD1000+ for the day, they will hunt for it no matter who tries to get in their way. I've watched this pathetic arm-wrestle for a decade now and it's not going to end well unless they change their plan dramatically.
People on here talking about they would travel to Sosua if it would change, that is BS. Your economy will suffer, there are more beautiful beaches other places, Roatan, Utila, etc. But they are not bringing in the type of money that Sosua does
Sosua has the beaches & beautiful land, however it can't be a family destination because there no other attractions for the kids & parents, The Monkey Jungle is not enough. The water park is no more, what is left? I am sad at the lack of common sense of our "political Leaders". I've been here for decades, & doubt Sosua can survive with the present local government. Parents who take or let their kids out on the streets after 10 o'clock are not doing their responsibilty as parents. Save Sosua, I love this country & town..
"If the fish stinks, it stinks from the head!" - Governments anywhere today, are the parasites to society, as they've all gone rouge!
Dam mike still in jail?
Tried to visit, he wasn't there at the time, no-one seemed to know anything. Tried calling him twice, no answer? Do you know any more about his whereabouts?
Educated Traveler i heard hes in jail
Another great video as always...
Btw what type of camera ur using? Great color
Thanks a lot!! I just use my Samsung for most of it, and then I adjust the colors in the editing program :)
@@EducatedTraveler ok gotcha...great work