So You're Going On Spring Break

Spring Break: it's finally almost here. In the interests of public safety and having as much of our shit together as possible, we thought we'd provide you breakers with some basic facts on the most popular destinations.

Yes, we realize there's an internet out there (aka where we copy and pasted all this information from), but maybe it helps to have it all in one place! Or maybe your drunk-ass selves will remember nothing but this post. We're here for you if/when that happens.

Haven't made your plans yet? No worries, tomorrow we'll have a really serious quiz for you to take to find out which of these lovely destinations should be graced with your presence. Until then, on to a large list of facts!

Punta Cana

US Embassy website: http://santodomingo.usembassy.gov/index.html

Emergency Info:

• Centro Medico Caribe Bavaro: (809) 552-1415 Located in Plaza Brisas de Bavaro, suite 207. It features a bilingual staff for out-patient medical attentions. Open 24/7 for emergencies
• Centro Medico Punta Cana: (809) 552-1506 Near Plaza Bavaro and the local bus terminal It features a multilingual staff and in-house pharmacy. Open until 9pm for visitors and 24/7 for emergencies
• Hospiten Bavaro: (809) 686-1414 Situated near the airport, Hospiten's multilingual staff and fully equipped facility is available 24/7 for emergencies
• Police: (809) 686-8227, but the emergency number is still 911

• Barcelo Punta Cana

Phone no.:(809) 221-9898  | Fax: 1 809 412 2288 | E-mail: puntacana@barcelo.com | Cerretera Macao Km 1, Punta Cana

• Hard Rock

Front Desk: 1.809.731.0000 | Blvd. Turístico del Este, km 28 #74, Macao. Municipio de Higüey, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

• Women should always avoid walking alone on deserted sections (unpatrolled) of beach. No matter the level of safety in Punta Cana, err on the side of caution.
• Only bring the amount of money that you need when going shopping
• If you’re going somewhere at night – traveling in groups or with a guide is recommended.
• Salespeople can be very aggressive, don’t be rude to them! The best way to avoid looking at their goods is to tell them you didn’t bring any money and promise to go back later.
• Leave all your valuables in the safety deposit box in your room – not on the beach while you’re swimming.
• Teach your family about how to get out of a riptide – they probably won’t ever need it but it could save their life.
• Wear water shoes if swimming out to the reef.
• Taxis or tour buses are the safest way to get around; “gua-guas” the local buses are a great way to check out local culture but are not quite as safe (seasoned travelers only).

General Info: http://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/faq.html#19

Parade Schedule: http://www.nola.com/mardigras/parades/

Tips:

• Travel Together:  Always travel in groups, preferably with at least four or more people.
• Know Where You are Going: If you are walking through the city, stay on well-traveled and well-lit streets.
• Have a designated meeting spot: If you get lost or separated from your group, pick an easy to find location and a designated time so that you can find each other.  Make sure the location has a specific landmark – because of the crowds, it can be difficult to spot others in your group even if they are only a few feet away.
• Don’t carry a lot of money around: Pickpockets have a field day in large crowds.  Try to limit what you carry to a few bills, a credit card, health insurance info and some form of ID.  Also, keep a list of all credit cards and their 1-800 customer service numbers at home in case you lose your wallet or purse.
• Don’t get too close to the floats: Every year, someone is injured by a passing float when trying to grab something thrown from a float.  Stay behind barricades or on the curb of the parade route.
• Respect the police! These guys are overworked during Carnival. They are the world's best at crowd control, and during Mardi Gras they have to be tolerant of usually unacceptable behavior. Long shifts, Parade Duty, drunks, traffic accidents, lost kids, fights, rowdy crowds, nuisance complaints and a myriad of other incidents keep them busy 24 hours a days. If an officer tells you to do something...cooperate!
• Most Importantly... DON'T PEE IN THE ROAD! You will get in trouble! Trust us on this one.

Emergency Info:

• Emergency, Police/Fire: 060
• Fire Dept: 223-9476, 223-9478
• Police Dept: 290-0507, 290-0512
• Red Cross & Ambulance: 222-1533
• Motor Vehicle Dept: 224-8484
• Consumer Protection (Profeco): 225-0000
• Immigration Ofice: 221-1380
• American Consulate: 222-0069, 223-0074 - After hours: 01-333-268-2145
• Canadian Consulate: 293-0098, 223-0074 - After hours: 01-800-706-2900

• Ameri-Med: 226-2080
• CMG: 223-1919
• Cornerstone: 224-9400
• I.M.S.S.: 224-3838
• Medasist: 223-0444
• Regional: 224-4000
• San Javier: 226-1010

• Exercise caution here as in any place that you are unfamiliar. Keep an eye on your possessions (purses, cameras, etc) at all times. Do not flaunt large amounts of cash and wear a concealed money belt to secure large bills and your passport. Make sure you always have small bills/ coins on hand to pay for small items.
• The beaches and hotels have security people who are familiar with the area and tend to ward off most undesirable characters. As in many "tourist destinations", there is a local "tourist police", who concentrate on keeping the area safe for visitors. They, and the locals, understand the value of visitors and make life very difficult for those who may ponder preying on visitors.
• Avoid confrontations with the police. In the event you do have a disagreement with them, expect to be treated poorly and expect to pay many a peso to regain your freedom. Respect and co-operation goes a long way with them, disrespect usually will not be tolerated.