[lili4ever]

I've returned from the DR this past Saturday from my 7th time visiting the country and going to see my fiancé and this time...I'm ****ed...why do us tourist have to pay sometimes 3 times as much as locals...tell you some episodes that we went through...my fiancé is Haitian and owns a business and lives in Santo Domingo. He speaks and writes 7 languages. He met up with my son and I in POP last week. We stayed at a resort but since he knows the country...we adventure out most of the time. He will pretend that he, also is a tourist knows no spanish and when we go to markets or private shops...he overhears what the owners or workers will say behind our back in spanish and being tourists, they figure that we can afford to pay full price. Surprisingly, he will start talking spanish and tell them that he's live in DR and why do they have to charge full price to the tourists. They answer back well, they can afford it. That's a rip off and very insulting...thank god he can manage to wheal and deal with them but if one does not have anyone with them to know the language...YOU ARE GETTING RIPPED OFF. Another example...we went to the cable cars...the girl behind the counter says to my fiancé...you are a tourist guide?...Well he replies of course...instead of being charged $10 each for the 3 of us...she charged him only $10 for all of us...can you believe that?....BEWARE THE TOURIST TRAP...back in Canada...we don't charge different prices because of your colour or ethnic background...that's unethical!!!!!!
Don't get me wrong...I LOVE DR and will be living with my fiancé ...soon to be my husband there in a couple of years...but I am so glad that I have him as he knows the country....I guess...I really need to learn more of the language so I can be more independant!!

That is my 2 cents of the day ...opinions welcome!!!