Stop! In the Name of the Law! I Want Some of Your Money!

One of the things we may have to get used to as we travel around the world is the fact that in many places law enforcement is paid very little and must supplement their income with “donations”, whether voluntary or forced. We plan on using taxis, buses or other forms of public transportation most of the time on our travels. However, we rented a car for four days in Punta Cana to explore various parts of the island and to decide where we wanted to settle for about a month. We felt this gave us much more flexibility in checking out different neighborhoods and places to rent. We took a day trip to Santo Domingo, about a two and a half hour drive from Punta Cana. DR-3 is a four to six lane modern highway that goes from Santo Domingo to Punta Cana, about 220km. It is quite a pleasant drive. The highway is supported by tolls. Police truck similar to the one that pulled us over It was late afternoon when we hit the first toll booth outside of Santo Domingo on our way back to ...