Haitian Market in Pedernales

BPL888 · #1 04-08-2009, 08:40 PM

I hope to be visiting Bahia Aguillas at the end of this month and while I was there I would like to spend part of the day in Pedernales. Is there a frontier market similar to Jimani in Pedernales and if so on what days? Does it sell clothes etc or just food? Is it necessary to cross the border? In Jimani the border guards just waved us through and the same comming back.

mariel · #2 04-12-2009, 09:35 AM

I'm going to Bahía de las Águilas next week and would like to know some things as well.

If the market is in Haiti, can we go on foot or do we have to have a car or a motoconcho?

cobraboy · #3 04-12-2009, 10:16 AM

Probably not many conchos or motoconchos in Bahia de Las Aguilas. It's a good distance from Pedernales.

The border crossing and market are just a few blocks from "downtown" Pedernales. Heck, you could just walk.

I don't know if the procedures have changed in Jimani, but you will have to surrender your passport for the Immigrations Officer to take it into town to check it out on their computer. They don't have online access at the border. It takes about 30-60 minutes. And you'll have to pay $US10 to cross.

The market is on the DR side of the border, just a few meters from the gate.

I think the market is open 2 days a week, Friday and another day. Maybe Wednesday? We went on a Thursday and the experience was rather unremarkable.

destinationbarahona · #4 04-12-2009, 08:46 PM

If you are in Pedernales, the market is monday's on the bordersite to DR.
All other days you find a lot of haitian guides who like to "invite" you for a quick visit to Haiti.
You just go to the custom, show your passport and you go over the bridge to "Haiti". This cost nothing and is limited in time.
If you want to see a real market, in Jimani is a daily borderline market. Mal Pase. You can go their also by feet. For tourists mayby interesting for sightseeing, nothing to buy. Most of merchandise is rice, beans. Harina.
I believe you have a car to go to Bahia de Las Aguilas, so go further to Pedernales. 13km
more on thé coast-road. Conchos? I never have seen some in Las Cuevas, waiting for tourists. Taxi? Same. Normally people go with own transport or car, or guided excursion.

cobraboy · #5 04-12-2009, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by destinationbarahona

You just go to the custom, show your passport and you go over the bridge to "Haiti". This cost nothing and is limited in time.

Not anymore. They check passports and give tourists cards, the usual $10 each.

mariel · #6 04-13-2009, 07:34 AM

I assume that on coming back to DR you must buy another tourist card?

Why does it take so long to check the passport? Or is that time counting the time you stand in line, etc.?

cobraboy · #7 04-13-2009, 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mariel

I assume that on coming back to DR you must buy another tourist card?

Why does it take so long to check the passport? Or is that time counting the time you stand in line, etc.?

The last two times we were there there were no lines. The were non-market days.

The Immigration Officer had to moto the passports to town because they had no computer in their office. And, yes, the $10 was for a tourist card upon returning. I had a bad feeling when the passports took off but they came back...in what seemed like hours (but was really maybe 30 minutes.)

I have no idea of the "official" Haitian immigration policy. I've never seen an Immigration Office on the other side, even in jimani, although there may be one.

mariel · #8 04-13-2009, 09:14 AM

Wow, the question is now if we have the guts to surrender our passports just like that....I don't have enough patience or nerves....I have color copies in case our passports get stolen (knock on wood) and the # of our embassy but I don't know if we dare...

So then to summarize: 10US on entering Haiti and 10US on entering DR (tourist card) per head? (sorry for the dumb-a$$ question)

destinationbarahona · #9 04-13-2009, 09:45 AM

Maybe depending what officer? Last time I was there (Feb.2009) they don't ask for money. But to be honest Mariel, what do you like to see? And yes, it is per head! Or per tourist. I think you will see much more in Jimani. My last time there was together with ECOTOURS and we get not charged for anything to enter the market.

If you are interested in products, I just read in Lonely Planet that there is a famous market on the border to Elias Pina. But check what days. As I remember it was Thursday/Monday (no guarantee on that).
This market is more for the locals. Tourists you will not see many in this region.

mariel · #10 04-13-2009, 09:59 AM

Nothing really, I just wanted to cross the border, take a picture of me and that's it. I can live without that

We're not even bringing our passports, we'll visit the sights in Pedernales and that's it.