mature clueless gringo

[mike775103]

I am, as the title implies, a mature clueless gringo. I will be flying in to Santo Domingo on the 4th of December, then going up to Sosua for diving. I would like to know if there are any Discothèques where a gentleman in his forties would not feel totally out of place. I have seen the photos of Discothèques posted elsewhere on the General forum, and all the partiers seem to be in their early twenties. I prefer Merengue and Salsa, but will take rock type disco music (would prefer no rave, techno, or house). There are only a limited number of latin dance venues in the Minneapolis metro area, so they attract a broad range of ages.

Also, what clothes should I bring for going out dancing in DR in December. I've read some posts that allude to what not to wear; shorts, sneakers, and t-shirts. I don't need to be a fashion plate, but I would like to make my cluelessness as inconspicuous as possible. I will only be packing one checked bag and it will have a lot of scuba gear in it. So, I am looking for a minimally socially acceptable in the DR clothing list. I will want to go out in both Santo Domingo and Sosua if that makes any difference. In the US I know that sometimes beach towns are a little more casual.

Thanks in advance. This forum has been very helpful to me, a first time visitor to DR.

[Hillbilly]

But in Santo Domingo you will need your best jeans/khakis and best short sleeve shirts. Some places might even like to see a blazer, even with jeans.

I don't think you will go far wrong. Seems like you have a handle on things.

BTW,buses, many restaurants and pther places are ice cold from air conditioning, so at times a long sleeved shirt is nice to have...

HB

[mike775103]

Shoes take up a lot of baggage space. I hate to pack a pair just for dancing. Otherwise, all I was going to bring was sneakers and sandals.

[andrea9k]

Originally Posted by mike775103

Shoes take up a lot of baggage space. I hate to pack a pair just for dancing. Otherwise, all I was going to bring was sneakers and sandals.

Travel with your dancing shoes on!

Jess

[Bartolomeo67]

Hi Mike,

in Sosua you will definitely not feel out of place.
Go party at D'Classicos, D'Latinos on main street or High Caribe disco if open.
They play a mix of dominican and pop music. If you like all dominican music, go to Plaza Caribe or the Sosua Car Wash or Parada de Alex on weekends.
Don't wear shorts though if you want to go inconspicuous.

in Santo Domingo the trendy place to go nowadays is Trio Café on Av. Winston Churchill. It gets busy from Thursday to Sunday but people go really late, it's busiest between 2-5 am. We went on a Sunday around 1am and left at 4.30am with still a lot of people there. Music was OK, every hour they play 3-4 merengues and 2-3 salsas, the rest is reggaeton and R&B. It's not too snobby even though a lot of local VIPs come there (actors, tv presentors, etc). All ages are present.
Salsa discos are only busy on weekends and mostly located on the East bank of the Ozama river: Makumba is a well-known salsateca on Av. Venezuela and there are more on Av. San Vicente de Paul.

Have fun,
Bartolomeo