The light still shines

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jackquontee

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It has been quite a while since I've posted on this site. Quite frankly, I decided to do what has often been recommended on this site when posters ask questions about goings on in the DR---I traveled there and found out for myself firsthand.

Over the past several months I've noticed that there have been a number of posts regarding a rise in (migration of?) crime and ,while that might very well be the case, I had a couple of experiences on my last month long trip that reminded me of what attracted me to the country in the first place, and thought I would share them so as to provide a little balance for those who might still consider the DR a vacation destination, or a future home.

I traveled to POP in early June and made a plan to visit a cousin who lives in Constanza. While there we decided to visit some waterfalls. If I remember correctly the name is Agua Blanca. My cousin told me that the falls were about a 30 minute drive. About 45 minutes later the road became so bad that I couldn't continue any further in the rented jeepeta. We decided to walk what I was told was only a 10 minute walk, but after about 30 minutes of continuously winding, uphill trekking we stopped for a rest. At this point someone came along in a truck and offered us a ride to the falls.

After enjoying the falls we decided to start the trek back down which, at this point, I was really dreading. However, there was a guy there (there is some work being done at the falls, e.g., retainer walls, walkways) who offered us a ride back down the mountain. This guy had so little gas in his tank that we had to push his truck to a level point so that he could get gas to his carbuerator in order to start the truck. Once down hill I offered him a couple of hundred pesos. I was shocked when he refused the money. I couldn't fathom that a poor man who barely had enough gas in his truck to start it would offer a ride to 5 people, and then refuse money for gas.

In late June I had to return home to take care of a bit of business, but returned to POP because I had to go to SD to pick up a vehicle that I had shipped down. After arriving at POP airport I took a taxi to my house. I usually carry a shoulder bag as it is convenient for carrying all of my little things in when I want to zip through security. When I arrived home, for some reason I was focused on getting my carry-on suitcase out of the taxi and forgot my shoulder bag. After realizing that I had left my bag, I called a Dominican friend, and he arrived at my house in a taxi and we rushed off to the airport. I knew in my heart of hearts that I would never retrieve my bag. I was certain that the taxi drivers at the airport were sitting at that moment divvying up the spoils. In it was my passport, a US based cell phone, an Ipod, a set of Bose headphones, a few hundred dollars in pesos, and some other important documents and items.

After arriving at the airport my friend and I began walking around trying to find the taxi driver. We came across the taxi manager who remembered that I was picked up and had been informed that I left my bag in the taxi. He informed me that he had the bag, and that the taxi driver had gone to get some gas so that he could return it to my home in POP. Needless to say, I was relieved and tipped them very well for their honesty.

On my return back to Puerto Plata I started to feel guilty and ashamed for thinking the worst. But, I was also reminded of the very thing that first attracted me to the island, and that was the goodness of the people.

Is there crime in the DR? Sure there is, as there is everywhere else in the world, and I'm not foolish enough to believe that you can walk around with blinders on. But, there are also a good number of hardworking and honest people who would not only not think about robbing you, but who will go out of their way, at times at their own expense, to accommodate you.

Sorry this post turned out so long, but I just thought that people ought to know.
 

drny

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A good post never is too long.
It shows that the majority of people here are good, friendly and helpful.
And this, I guess, is tipping the scales, even after bad experiences.

m'frog

I 2nd that. It was a very interesting read.
Thanks for sharing.
 

miguel

I didn't last long...
Jul 2, 2003
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Dale mas.....

Over the past several months I've noticed that there have been a number of posts regarding a rise in (migration of?) crime and ,while that might very well be the case, I had a couple of experiences on my last month long trip that reminded me of what attracted me to the country in the first place, and thought I would share them so as to provide a little balance for those who might still consider the DR a vacation destination, or a future home.

I traveled to POP in early June and made a plan to visit a cousin who lives in Constanza. While there we decided to visit some waterfalls. If I remember correctly the name is Agua Blanca. My cousin told me that the falls were about a 30 minute drive. About 45 minutes later the road became so bad that I couldn't continue any further in the rented jeepeta. We decided to walk what I was told was only a 10 minute walk, but after about 30 minutes of continuously winding, uphill trekking we stopped for a rest. At this point someone came along in a truck and offered us a ride to the falls.

After enjoying the falls we decided to start the trek back down which, at this point, I was really dreading. However, there was a guy there (there is some work being done at the falls, e.g., retainer walls, walkways) who offered us a ride back down the mountain. This guy had so little gas in his tank that we had to push his truck to a level point so that he could get gas to his carbuerator in order to start the truck. Once down hill I offered him a couple of hundred pesos. I was shocked when he refused the money. I couldn't fathom that a poor man who barely had enough gas in his truck to start it would offer a ride to 5 people, and then refuse money for gas.

In late June I had to return home to take care of a bit of business, but returned to POP because I had to go to SD to pick up a vehicle that I had shipped down. After arriving at POP airport I took a taxi to my house. I usually carry a shoulder bag as it is convenient for carrying all of my little things in when I want to zip through security. When I arrived home, for some reason I was focused on getting my carry-on suitcase out of the taxi and forgot my shoulder bag. After realizing that I had left my bag, I called a Dominican friend, and he arrived at my house in a taxi and we rushed off to the airport. I knew in my heart of hearts that I would never retrieve my bag. I was certain that the taxi drivers at the airport were sitting at that moment divvying up the spoils. In it was my passport, a US based cell phone, an Ipod, a set of Bose headphones, a few hundred dollars in pesos, and some other important documents and items.

After arriving at the airport my friend and I began walking around trying to find the taxi driver. We came across the taxi manager who remembered that I was picked up and had been informed that I left my bag in the taxi. He informed me that he had the bag, and that the taxi driver had gone to get some gas so that he could return it to my home in POP. Needless to say, I was relieved and tipped them very well for their honesty.

On my return back to Puerto Plata I started to feel guilty and ashamed for thinking the worst. But, I was also reminded of the very thing that first attracted me to the island, and that was the goodness of the people.

Is there crime in the DR? Sure there is, as there is everywhere else in the world, and I'm not foolish enough to believe that you can walk around with blinders on. But, there are also a good number of hardworking and honest people who would not only not think about robbing you, but who will go out of their way, at times at their own expense, to accommodate you.

Sorry this post turned out so long, but I just thought that people ought to know.
'Sorry for the long post", are you kidding me?. Please keep them coming!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

Perhaps you should be sorry that mine WILL be longer, wahahahahaha!!.

This post it's an amazing "tale" because at times people forget that this is DR1.com and NOT Anti-DR.com, concentrating only on the bad and not remembering what made them move to the DR in the first place.

Is there crime in the DR?, YES. Is it worse than before?, MAYBE. Will it get better, just like the last time?, YES!. Were there crimes generations ago, YES. Will there be crimes generations from now, OF COURSE!.

All I know is that if you find me a person who says that the DR is bad, I can find you one that says that it's not bad at all (including my foreign friends living in the DR).

Doesn't it makes you wonder if some of these people, the ones ALWAYS talking about crimes in the DR, if they ever witnessed ANY type of crimes in their home countries?. Perhaps they lived in Heaven.

It's very nice that you reminded SOME of us that NOT ALL Dominicans want to do something for you with their hands "sticking out" or that they will rob you blind at the blink of an eye!.

The DR is "FULL" of stories like yours. But SOME just like to concentrate on the negative and put the positive in the back of their heads.

Let me share one of the many I have:

A few years ago, my friend, his g/f and me and my g/f (a foreign visiting the DR for the first time), were driving from my home in Cabarete to the Capital at about 3am when all of a sudden we had a flat fire on a semi-dark road.

As it happens so many times, my buddy left the "gato" to change the tire in his house (I guess we needed the space in the trunk for the BIG cooler with the Cervezas and wines, ahahaha).

We saw 2 "motores" approaching and I told the girls to get back inside the car and let us handle it.

The first thing I told my friend was to NOT try to be Superman and to not wave his gun around. He said "you don't know, this is the DR", to which I reply: "not all Dominicans are bad, let's see what happens first before we start making conclusions".

This is what happened:

After we told them we didn't have a "gato", one said to the other: "Do you know someone who has a "gato"?. The other replied: "yes, but he lives about 30 minutes away (I guess that would be 2 hours in Dominican time, haha) and he should be sleeping".

The older gentleman instructed the younger one to go and wake the guy and to get the "gato" no matter what.

He said he was going to stay with us just in case "hay tigures en la costa" (a Dominican saying meaning "hoodlums around").

We offered beers and he declined saying he had promised his wife and kids he wasn't going to drink for one year (AMAZING!).

While we waited, he started telling us WONDERFUL stories about the DR. Everything from before Trujillo to the present. Even my Dominican friend told him that he sounded like a very proud Dominican. He said "yes, poor but proud to be Dominican".

After about 2 hours, he we saw his friend coming but he was not only bringing the "gato", he was also bringing the "gato's" owner who said something like: "since I was awaken, I decided to come just in case there was some type of problems with some "tigures".

My buddy and the younger kid changed the tire and at the end.

When we were saying "thanks and goodbye", I decided give them some money.

I handed the younger kid a 500 pesos note when all of a sudden the older gentleman said to the kid: "eeeey mira, give him back the money". Then immediately looked at me, put his hand on my shoulder and said: "Mi hijo, deja que Dios nos pague este favor"(son, let God pay us this favor).

I begged him to at least take gas money and he just wouldn't take it.

The last thing he said to me was "por favor no ofenda a este Dominicano orgulloso, manejen con cuidado mis amigos" (please don't offend this proud Dominican, drive carefully my friends).

And just like that, off they went.

The girls were shocked and even Ramon said that he couldn't believe what had just happened.

See, not everybody in the DR is out to get you, to steal from you and to kill you.

Btw: As Humphrey Bogart said:

"That was the start of a beautiful friendship". Hehe!.

Btw 2: Thanks for making me remember this episode, jackquontee.
 
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Ladybird

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Dec 15, 2003
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Thank you

Jackquontee.

Thank you so much for this great post. This for me is the true essence of the DR. As you so rightly said crime is in every country of the world and the crime here is only a small fraction of some you see happening in other countries. The reason we know about it is we read about it on this and other sites when anything occurs here.

It was so good to read of the good actions of some of the Dominican people. I have experienced some great kindness and help from them on many occasions. Your post, for me, describes the heart of the DR. Thank you so much.
 

jackquontee

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No problem with sharing. I just thought it should be done.

Miguel, my guess is that alot more of this happens than is reported. But, even mainstream media tends to focus on the negative. Tends to get higher ratings.

And, finally, just as a disclaimer for those who might wonder, I don't have any type of business there and so don't have a vested interest in trying to either encourage or discourage anyone from visiting or moving to the area. Just wanted to share some experiences.
 

StellaRay

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I just wanted to echo everyone else's opinion in thanking you for a great post. I think it's just human nature to let the negative overshadow the positive, and that does occur quite frequently on this board. However, posts like this remind me of why I'm choosing to move back next month--the camaraderie amongst people in the DR is wonderful :)
 

whirleybird

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Feb 27, 2006
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It's really good to read these sort of reports.... unfortunately, the world over, bad news is what everyone wants to hear (and sells newspapers) and, that is why, for the most part, good news never makes the headlines. It is also interesting to note that any major accident holds up traffic on the other side of the motorway due to the "morbid onlookers"!!!
 
Jackquontee

great post, more like this should be posted, when it happens.

I know how much you travel to the DR and have heard many stories of you from others on other internet locations, your posts instills much more confidence in travelling to the north coast.

thanks for the report.

Wud
 

jackquontee

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great post, more like this should be posted, when it happens.
I thought about this as well and wondered how many similar instances of kindness had occured in the past that I hadn't taken note of because I was too busy in my own little world.

I know how much you travel to the DR and have heard many stories of you from others on other internet locations,
All I'm going to say is that I can't be held responsible for things that happen under the influence of Tequila. LOL

your posts instills much more confidence in travelling to the north coast
This, I think, is key. Be confident. I've noticed that those people who do look to take advantage of you and, believe me, they're not all Dominicans, spend time studying you and looking for weaknesses, as a predator would. In any event, I've enjoyed the DR and will continue to do so.
 

MommC

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Your post tells the story of why we continue to make the DR our winter home.
Even though bad things do happens (sometimes VERY close to home) the good for us still outweighs the bad.
We still laugh and marvel and find beauty and friendship all around us on a level not to be found in our "home" country.
 

miguel

I didn't last long...
Jul 2, 2003
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Te endiendo......

Miguel, my guess is that alot more of this happens than is reported.
Jack (hope you don't mind me calling you "Jack"), I know EXACTLY, 100%, what you are saying.

This is a great thread, GREAT INDEED, but as you can see, if have gotten so little "traffic" because SOME (NOTE: SOME) people on this site rather concentrate on the bad than the good.

There are thousands and thousands of stories that can be told on this thread but the ones getting all the "traffic", if you haven't noticed, are the ones(now and before) saying ANYTHING negative about the DR and it's people!!.

When it comes to talk shyt, all come out. But when it comes time to share good memories, SOME (NOTE: SOME) forget a few of the reasons why they relocated to the DR in the first place, the beauty of the place and it's people being two of them!.

Well, I have TONS of stories and I will post another one. Straight to the point, short and simple:

Once I was staying in Zona Colonial and decided to buy some Cohiba Cigars for a friend of mine in the US at a place by the Cathedral.

I went in, bought the cigars and left.

2 or 3 days later, the guy who sold me the cigars saw me having a coffee in one of the cafes in front of the cigars store.

He immediately came to my table, shook my, told me he recognized me and asked if I could please follow him to the Cigar store for a second because he had made a mistake when he sold me the cigars and that he had charged me the wrong amount.

I thought, "ohh shyt, this guy is now going to tell me that the cigars are more expensive, shyt, shyt, shyt".

Fat chance!!.

He was sorry that he OVERCHARGED ME!!.

After giving me back like 220 pesos, I felt ashamed for thinking the worse.

"How you like them apples?".......
 
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Chirimoya

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Dec 9, 2002
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Good thread, I agree. We all have dozens of stories like this, and we should make more of a point of remembering them and telling others about them. In my case it takes a visit to Europe to remind myself that on the whole, people are nowhere near as friendly and not really that much more efficient as in the DR to make us value what we have there. Not to mention all the B.O. :D Next time I will travel with a gas mask.
 

jackquontee

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Miguel, AnnaC, yes, I noticed very early on the types of posts that tend to get the greatest responses. However, my intention was simply to share and to let those who could/would take something from it, do so. I don't particularly care that people don't respond. Based upon the number of views, people have gotten the message.

BTW, Anna, I apologize for not posting in your thread. Unfortunately, I didn't know it existed.
 
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jbars

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Jul 6, 2007
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I have been to Santiago many times because I have friends of friends that live there, and I have been to many neighborhoods and the people have been nothing but welcoming. I have never experienced any problems other than the occasional overcharging of a few pesos. If anything, the people were very accomodating and went out there way to make conversation and smile towards me. In many ways I wish the people were like that here in the US.
 
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