Friday, March 09, 2007
02/2007: Travelling like the locals in the Domincan Republic
By locals, I don’t mean the few wealthy Dominicans who speed around the roads in expensive four-wheel drives but the ordinary working population who use the local transport.
Living in Santo Domingo in the early 90s, my journey to work involved 2 ‘gua-guas’ (minibus) and a ‘carro publico’ (public car). The minibuses were often without doors and windows and it was quite common to see the ground whizzing by beneath your feet; passengers were packed in like sardines, and meringue music played at full blast at all times (fun when you’re on holiday, hell at 6.30am on your way to work). Drivers were mainly recruited from the ranks of homicidal maniacs and I developed a self-preserving ability to put myself into fatalistic trance for the majority of the trip – not easy when you’ve got someone’s elbow in your ear and most of the passengers are openly gawping at you, as foreign white women were something of a rarity in the country in those days.
As a tourist though, it can be a fun way of getting upfront and personal with the locals – as long as the distance isn’t too far!
Gua-guas
Pronounced gutturally as ‘wah-wahs’, these are small battered minibuses which ply routes between and around towns; occasionally there’ll be ones with air-conditioning which are bit more expensive, but usually it’s open windows and ‘caliente’ (hot!).
Hailed at the side of the road, gua-guas are generally contenders for an entry in the Guinness Book of Records for the most number of people squeezed into one vehicle, and you may end up with someone sitting on your lap. There’s usually no indication of the destination written on the bus, but the driver’s assistant, known as a cobrador (usually a young boy) will be hanging off the side of the bus shouting the destination; he’ll also take your money once you are inside – fares are around 30 pesos (50p).
When you want to get off, either bang the side of the vehicle, shout “la parada!” (stop!) or tap the driver on the shoulder if you can reach him.
Carros Publicos
Usually crumbling saloon-style cars which cruise set routes slowly along the side of main roads picking up short distance passengers. There’s quite a complicated sign language involved between driver and passenger; the driver will wave his hand out of the window to solicit fares and potential passengers will either flick their forefinger and thumb downwards several times to denote they want to go straight along the main road, or point their finger up and to the right or left depending on which direction they want to go in.
It’s always best to say the name of the road/place you are going to the driver before you get in, and it is polite to greet the other passengers with ‘saludos’ or ‘buenos’; expect a crush inside with at least 3 people in the front and 4-5 in the back.
The fare will usually be around 10 pesos (15p) and you pass the money to the driver once inside; to get out, just tap the driver on the shoulder and say ‘por aqui por favour’.
Motoconchos
Small motorbike taxis often seen carrying entire families or old ladies balancing bags of shopping and weaving dangerously in and out of the traffic. Best avoided at all costs, even for the most fearless of travellers as many locals and tourists are killed or seriously maimed on them each year. Not worth the risk.
By locals, I don’t mean the few wealthy Dominicans who speed around the roads in expensive four-wheel drives but the ordinary working population who use the local transport.
Living in Santo Domingo in the early 90s, my journey to work involved 2 ‘gua-guas’ (minibus) and a ‘carro publico’ (public car). The minibuses were often without doors and windows and it was quite common to see the ground whizzing by beneath your feet; passengers were packed in like sardines, and meringue music played at full blast at all times (fun when you’re on holiday, hell at 6.30am on your way to work). Drivers were mainly recruited from the ranks of homicidal maniacs and I developed a self-preserving ability to put myself into fatalistic trance for the majority of the trip – not easy when you’ve got someone’s elbow in your ear and most of the passengers are openly gawping at you, as foreign white women were something of a rarity in the country in those days.
As a tourist though, it can be a fun way of getting upfront and personal with the locals – as long as the distance isn’t too far!
Gua-guas
Pronounced gutturally as ‘wah-wahs’, these are small battered minibuses which ply routes between and around towns; occasionally there’ll be ones with air-conditioning which are bit more expensive, but usually it’s open windows and ‘caliente’ (hot!).
Hailed at the side of the road, gua-guas are generally contenders for an entry in the Guinness Book of Records for the most number of people squeezed into one vehicle, and you may end up with someone sitting on your lap. There’s usually no indication of the destination written on the bus, but the driver’s assistant, known as a cobrador (usually a young boy) will be hanging off the side of the bus shouting the destination; he’ll also take your money once you are inside – fares are around 30 pesos (50p).
When you want to get off, either bang the side of the vehicle, shout “la parada!” (stop!) or tap the driver on the shoulder if you can reach him.
Carros Publicos
Usually crumbling saloon-style cars which cruise set routes slowly along the side of main roads picking up short distance passengers. There’s quite a complicated sign language involved between driver and passenger; the driver will wave his hand out of the window to solicit fares and potential passengers will either flick their forefinger and thumb downwards several times to denote they want to go straight along the main road, or point their finger up and to the right or left depending on which direction they want to go in.
It’s always best to say the name of the road/place you are going to the driver before you get in, and it is polite to greet the other passengers with ‘saludos’ or ‘buenos’; expect a crush inside with at least 3 people in the front and 4-5 in the back.
The fare will usually be around 10 pesos (15p) and you pass the money to the driver once inside; to get out, just tap the driver on the shoulder and say ‘por aqui por favour’.
Motoconchos
Small motorbike taxis often seen carrying entire families or old ladies balancing bags of shopping and weaving dangerously in and out of the traffic. Best avoided at all costs, even for the most fearless of travellers as many locals and tourists are killed or seriously maimed on them each year. Not worth the risk.
# posted by hotelreviewer @ 12:36 pm 
