- Thread starter Robert
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"Puerto Plata Is It Safe"(*PIC*) *PIC*
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JOHN MONAGHAN
Guest
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oscar
Guest
G
Grahame Bush
Guest
Re: "Puerto Plata Is It Safe"(*PIC*)
Robert, This LOOKS as though it was taken at "Long Beach" area of Puerto Plata which is NOT a tourist area but mainly inhabited by European Ex-Pats or the poorer Dominican families. The section of "Beach?" is NOT usually visited by anyone (not that this excuses the garbage tipping) so is only an eyesore for the locals NOT the tourists. The "infected area is only approx 400 yards & is the only section covered by these rocks/bolders.
300 yards further on from this picture (taken you will note at a low camera angle to give greater emphasis on to the garbage & most likely used by a tourist to claim a rebate on his/her holiday costs from the tour company concerned) is a beach raked all day by hotel staff to keep it pristeen clean & free of all garbage (except the tourists that misrepresent the true scene unfortunately & only complain unjustfiably!!!). Go on to Debbies page & have a look at some of the REAL beaches here. YES, you DO weant to holiday here, it will show you what hospitality & welcome is all about. You'll have a great holiday, just check out what other contributers to this board say- Grahame.
Robert, This LOOKS as though it was taken at "Long Beach" area of Puerto Plata which is NOT a tourist area but mainly inhabited by European Ex-Pats or the poorer Dominican families. The section of "Beach?" is NOT usually visited by anyone (not that this excuses the garbage tipping) so is only an eyesore for the locals NOT the tourists. The "infected area is only approx 400 yards & is the only section covered by these rocks/bolders.
300 yards further on from this picture (taken you will note at a low camera angle to give greater emphasis on to the garbage & most likely used by a tourist to claim a rebate on his/her holiday costs from the tour company concerned) is a beach raked all day by hotel staff to keep it pristeen clean & free of all garbage (except the tourists that misrepresent the true scene unfortunately & only complain unjustfiably!!!). Go on to Debbies page & have a look at some of the REAL beaches here. YES, you DO weant to holiday here, it will show you what hospitality & welcome is all about. You'll have a great holiday, just check out what other contributers to this board say- Grahame.
A
Another Gringo in Pto.Pta.
Guest
Re: "Puerto Plata Is It Safe"(*PIC*)
sorry Graham,
but it is the "upper Malecon" (not at Long Beach=lower), just downtown, across the disco (ex)hode. There was a dayly (nightly*lol*) big fiesta and crowd at that time at the Malecon with many "Casettas". So they dumped there garbage just "over the wall" to the atlantic ocean. There is anyway no beach, its a verry "rocky" dangerous part (natural save area*lol*).
And they clean it up years ago, and sometimes now........
cu/charly
sorry Graham,
but it is the "upper Malecon" (not at Long Beach=lower), just downtown, across the disco (ex)hode. There was a dayly (nightly*lol*) big fiesta and crowd at that time at the Malecon with many "Casettas". So they dumped there garbage just "over the wall" to the atlantic ocean. There is anyway no beach, its a verry "rocky" dangerous part (natural save area*lol*).
And they clean it up years ago, and sometimes now........
cu/charly
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Bob Morris
Guest
Re: "Puerto Plata Is It Safe"(*PIC*)
Some of the previous remarks are by 'locals' who know the area. As a tourist, with my 4th visit sheduled for the month of Feb. I have NEVER seen any beach in this condition. I have a picture (and having no scanner I can't get it on the board) which shows a clean-up crew working with a horse drawn cart on the beach near the resort I stay at. One of the features of the picture is a stategicaly placed bag so that the animal will not leave any evidence of it's passing that way!
I suspect that one of the earlier replies has the straight of it and some tourist is loooking for a way to get money back from a travel agent or tour company.
Some of the previous remarks are by 'locals' who know the area. As a tourist, with my 4th visit sheduled for the month of Feb. I have NEVER seen any beach in this condition. I have a picture (and having no scanner I can't get it on the board) which shows a clean-up crew working with a horse drawn cart on the beach near the resort I stay at. One of the features of the picture is a stategicaly placed bag so that the animal will not leave any evidence of it's passing that way!
I suspect that one of the earlier replies has the straight of it and some tourist is loooking for a way to get money back from a travel agent or tour company.
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Ronald Heyne
Guest
Why not look at this? *PIC*
Robert,
you should have named the place where you found the photo. At www.hovik.com you can find a lot of nice pictures. There are photos of two vacations, only the links are a little difficult to find (you have to click on the city-names).
Ronald
Robert,
you should have named the place where you found the photo. At www.hovik.com you can find a lot of nice pictures. There are photos of two vacations, only the links are a little difficult to find (you have to click on the city-names).
Ronald
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Andy
Guest
Sorry, Robert's correct to condem litter
Robert is doing us a service to point out a continuing problem here in the DR: littering. In my travels around the DR, I continue to see common garbage littered about; from the Malecon in Santo Domingo to even the pristine beaches of the Samana Peninsula, and all places in between. No one, especially our tourists (our economic lifeblood), likes to see litter strewn about. It is a major problem in the DR.
It took a major public service campaign effort to correct this problem in the US (and many other countries as well). And until the people of the DR are made aware of the consequences of littering garbage (including health and economic reasons), it will continue to be an eyesore and more.
Robert is doing us a service to point out a continuing problem here in the DR: littering. In my travels around the DR, I continue to see common garbage littered about; from the Malecon in Santo Domingo to even the pristine beaches of the Samana Peninsula, and all places in between. No one, especially our tourists (our economic lifeblood), likes to see litter strewn about. It is a major problem in the DR.
It took a major public service campaign effort to correct this problem in the US (and many other countries as well). And until the people of the DR are made aware of the consequences of littering garbage (including health and economic reasons), it will continue to be an eyesore and more.
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carsey700
Guest
Re: Sorry, Robert's correct to condem litter
Absolutely right ! Is there a possability that some of this mess is caused by tourists? The ones with the same type of mentallity as the people who drive by My house ( I am rural )and indiscriminatly toss out whatever fast food bag or cups etc. that they have just finished gobbling down ? I think so , anyway I will be going to POP in feb. early march and will assure you
I will nothing behind but money.
Absolutely right ! Is there a possability that some of this mess is caused by tourists? The ones with the same type of mentallity as the people who drive by My house ( I am rural )and indiscriminatly toss out whatever fast food bag or cups etc. that they have just finished gobbling down ? I think so , anyway I will be going to POP in feb. early march and will assure you
I will nothing behind but money.
A
Another Gringo in Pto.Pta.
Guest
Re: Sorry, Robert's correct to condem litter
hola Andy,
as long as people don't know how they will have there alimentation at the next day, they never will give just a sip of thinking to garbage probs.
The trap (garbage becomes one of the biggest business)of the 1st. world don't belong -save god- not to the 3th.
cu/charly (who don't litter.....)
hola Andy,
as long as people don't know how they will have there alimentation at the next day, they never will give just a sip of thinking to garbage probs.
The trap (garbage becomes one of the biggest business)of the 1st. world don't belong -save god- not to the 3th.
cu/charly (who don't litter.....)
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Andy
Guest
Re: Sorry, Robert's correct to condemn litter
Hi Charly, good to hear from you.
Yes, waste disposal is a big business in developed countries (and in Santo Domingo), but we humans tend to produce mounds of trash in our increasingly disposable societies. In the DR it is true that many people are more concerned about their next meal, but there will be even less meals available if the tourists quit coming because the DR is buried under it's own mound of trash.
Also, I don't think it is the poor people of the DR who are producing much of the waste, especially plastics and other non-biodegradeable waste. Have you ever noticed the empty Presidente bottle or the styrofoam meal box flying out of the new Toyota Land Cruiser traveling in front of you?
Hi Charly, good to hear from you.
Yes, waste disposal is a big business in developed countries (and in Santo Domingo), but we humans tend to produce mounds of trash in our increasingly disposable societies. In the DR it is true that many people are more concerned about their next meal, but there will be even less meals available if the tourists quit coming because the DR is buried under it's own mound of trash.
Also, I don't think it is the poor people of the DR who are producing much of the waste, especially plastics and other non-biodegradeable waste. Have you ever noticed the empty Presidente bottle or the styrofoam meal box flying out of the new Toyota Land Cruiser traveling in front of you?
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Punto INTERNET Luper?n
Guest
Re: Sorry, Robert's correct to condemn litter
Don't forget to observe all the "Publicos" in Sto. Dgo., there is NOT A SINGLE ONE who does not throw out any kind of garbage every 5 min.
Don't forget to observe all the "Publicos" in Sto. Dgo., there is NOT A SINGLE ONE who does not throw out any kind of garbage every 5 min.
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J.H.H.
Guest
Re: Sorry, Robert's correct to condemn litter
It does amaze me how the Dominicans keep their homes spotless and yet throw every thing out the window.My wife was that way until she got here and saw a world that is clean and now she is very careful not to litter.I think it is a habit that they have all grown up with,just as it used to be here in the states.The people can learn to be more careful,but they also need some where to dispose of all the garbage that the people can afford.I have not traveled much of the Island as my wife's family is from Santo Domingo ,and from what I see there it would take ALOT of money to clean it up and money is one thing they don't have alot of,as was said earlier an ad campaign would be a good place to start
It does amaze me how the Dominicans keep their homes spotless and yet throw every thing out the window.My wife was that way until she got here and saw a world that is clean and now she is very careful not to litter.I think it is a habit that they have all grown up with,just as it used to be here in the states.The people can learn to be more careful,but they also need some where to dispose of all the garbage that the people can afford.I have not traveled much of the Island as my wife's family is from Santo Domingo ,and from what I see there it would take ALOT of money to clean it up and money is one thing they don't have alot of,as was said earlier an ad campaign would be a good place to start
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Bob Morris
Guest
Re: Sorry, Robert's correct to condemn litter
My earlier response was not intended as condoning garbage. As some have pointed out that is a universal problem, however the original picture was captioned "Is DR safe" or something like that. My endeavour was to point out that, as far as I am concerned, DR is quite a safe place to vacation. Like one of the other respondents I intend to leave nothing behind but money.
I trust the conditions haven't worsened so much in the past year that I am likely to run into anything like the original scene posted.
My earlier response was not intended as condoning garbage. As some have pointed out that is a universal problem, however the original picture was captioned "Is DR safe" or something like that. My endeavour was to point out that, as far as I am concerned, DR is quite a safe place to vacation. Like one of the other respondents I intend to leave nothing behind but money.
I trust the conditions haven't worsened so much in the past year that I am likely to run into anything like the original scene posted.
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Ronald Heyne
Guest
Re: Sorry, Robert's correct to condem litter
Andy,
again, I don?t say that there are no dirty beaches in the DR.
The original post was "Do I realy want to vacation here!". It is very unlikely that you as a tourist will have to swim on a beach like the one on the photo.
I wanted to point readers of DR1 to the site where the picture is taken from as it contains many nice photos from Puerto Plata to Samana.
It is less than two years that in the village where we have a house (Abreu) they started to have a weekly garbage collection. This is a first necessary step for an improvement, but a long way to go.
It hurts to see a beach after a public holiday when hundrets of dominicans (Sorry, but it is true) visited. Or ever seen where the used oil from your car goes (if not burned in an engine like mine ;-))?
Ronald
Andy,
again, I don?t say that there are no dirty beaches in the DR.
The original post was "Do I realy want to vacation here!". It is very unlikely that you as a tourist will have to swim on a beach like the one on the photo.
I wanted to point readers of DR1 to the site where the picture is taken from as it contains many nice photos from Puerto Plata to Samana.
It is less than two years that in the village where we have a house (Abreu) they started to have a weekly garbage collection. This is a first necessary step for an improvement, but a long way to go.
It hurts to see a beach after a public holiday when hundrets of dominicans (Sorry, but it is true) visited. Or ever seen where the used oil from your car goes (if not burned in an engine like mine ;-))?
Ronald
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Andy
Guest
Re: Sorry, Robert's correct to condem litter
Ronald,
No slight was intended towards you for posting some nice pictures. We see them all the time and they surely remind us of what a paradise the DR can be. But I as I understand it, the intent of the original post was to call our attention to some conditions in the POP area. And as I said, this problem is by no means limited to that particular area. There were several mounds of garbage on Las Galeras' main beach not too long ago until I sent a photo of it to the PLD website and also to then President-Elect Mejia. Several days later it was gone and the beach has stayed reasonably clean since. Sometimes we can make a difference by publicising problems such as this.
Many times when I shoot photos for Samana.Net, I have to police the trash from the area I'm shooting. Just one carelessly discarded plastic cup can spoil the magical effect that Mother Nature took so much time and effort to produce. Hopefully, one day all of us, locals and visitors alike, will be able to go to that same place and leave nothing but our footprints.
Ronald,
No slight was intended towards you for posting some nice pictures. We see them all the time and they surely remind us of what a paradise the DR can be. But I as I understand it, the intent of the original post was to call our attention to some conditions in the POP area. And as I said, this problem is by no means limited to that particular area. There were several mounds of garbage on Las Galeras' main beach not too long ago until I sent a photo of it to the PLD website and also to then President-Elect Mejia. Several days later it was gone and the beach has stayed reasonably clean since. Sometimes we can make a difference by publicising problems such as this.
Many times when I shoot photos for Samana.Net, I have to police the trash from the area I'm shooting. Just one carelessly discarded plastic cup can spoil the magical effect that Mother Nature took so much time and effort to produce. Hopefully, one day all of us, locals and visitors alike, will be able to go to that same place and leave nothing but our footprints.
R
Randy
Guest
Re: Sorry, Robert's correct to condem litter
For what it's worth- most times when I travel there we enlist the services of one of the caddies who owns a car. Frist few times out would notice that when they finish with a bottle thay would toss container out "wherever". After some long discussions about the practice and explaining the mess we have created in the US, am happy to report they now wait until our destination to clean the car. Will check up on them again (and mention this post) Feb.24.
For what it's worth- most times when I travel there we enlist the services of one of the caddies who owns a car. Frist few times out would notice that when they finish with a bottle thay would toss container out "wherever". After some long discussions about the practice and explaining the mess we have created in the US, am happy to report they now wait until our destination to clean the car. Will check up on them again (and mention this post) Feb.24.
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Susanne
Guest
Re: Sorry, Robert's correct to condem litter
I do think this garbage problem really is a problem. It is true that you are not likely to see anything like the original picture on a tourist spot. But in big towns, on more deserted beaches and other places it is not uncommon.
On our first day in Costambar the weather had been quite rough for some time so the beach was polluted with all kinds of debris and garbage that had floated in from the sea. A lot of that was no doubt discarded by rich tourists in their yachts etc. But some of the stuff was no doubt local as well.
I must say that the local community got working pretty fast and after a day it was cleared. But I can still feel my first impression and disappointment after seeing the tropical beach I had dreamed of turning into litter.
Fortunately, the rest of the time travelling we never saw anything as bad as that again. Most of the beaches looked like picture postcards.
But I agree: Even if you do worry where your next meal is going to come from, the government and other heads of society can start a campaign to do something about it. Not just because it hurts the eye. It is a major health problem as well. It is no coincidence that Dengue mainly spreads in big cities because of the trash and dirty, stagnant water there.
Regards,
Susanne
I do think this garbage problem really is a problem. It is true that you are not likely to see anything like the original picture on a tourist spot. But in big towns, on more deserted beaches and other places it is not uncommon.
On our first day in Costambar the weather had been quite rough for some time so the beach was polluted with all kinds of debris and garbage that had floated in from the sea. A lot of that was no doubt discarded by rich tourists in their yachts etc. But some of the stuff was no doubt local as well.
I must say that the local community got working pretty fast and after a day it was cleared. But I can still feel my first impression and disappointment after seeing the tropical beach I had dreamed of turning into litter.
Fortunately, the rest of the time travelling we never saw anything as bad as that again. Most of the beaches looked like picture postcards.
But I agree: Even if you do worry where your next meal is going to come from, the government and other heads of society can start a campaign to do something about it. Not just because it hurts the eye. It is a major health problem as well. It is no coincidence that Dengue mainly spreads in big cities because of the trash and dirty, stagnant water there.
Regards,
Susanne
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paula
Guest
going to dr. have to confirm on 1-22-01
we have reservations at occidental flamenco bavaro and sol de plata beach resort. i like being right on the beach but i need to know if it's nice or not. pleae respond asap!!!!! my husband likes to shop, any markets close by? how are the tours? safe or not? polio scare bother anyone??????? i sent this before but it looks like it came back so if i'm repeating myself, sorry about that, thanks paula and by the way today is the 21st and i need to know like right now, thanks
we have reservations at occidental flamenco bavaro and sol de plata beach resort. i like being right on the beach but i need to know if it's nice or not. pleae respond asap!!!!! my husband likes to shop, any markets close by? how are the tours? safe or not? polio scare bother anyone??????? i sent this before but it looks like it came back so if i'm repeating myself, sorry about that, thanks paula and by the way today is the 21st and i need to know like right now, thanks
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Beatriz
Guest
For Paula
Paula, Occidental Flamenco Bavaro, as its name says, is in Bavaro not in Puerto Plata (which is in the north).
Beach is beautiful, the same you see in the brochures.
There is not a big shopping area, there is a little shopping mall called Plaza Bavaro where you can find all type of souvenirs (not very cheap, so bargain....), and not many things more... If you like to find cheaper prices, you can visit Higuey, the nearest town, about 30 minutes by bus. A bit of spanish is good to make yourself understood outside the resort, but I'm sure you will enjoy your holiday.
Of course it's safe. I've been four times in DR, so I'm sure about it. And Bavaro is almost a "closed" place in the country, so problems don't arrive there (so, if you like to keep a good contact with locals, you will find quite isolated in Bavaro).
If you want to see photos of Flamenco Bavaro, and of other places of DR, you can visit my web page, try the photos section (in english and spanish, don't worry).
Paula, Occidental Flamenco Bavaro, as its name says, is in Bavaro not in Puerto Plata (which is in the north).
Beach is beautiful, the same you see in the brochures.
There is not a big shopping area, there is a little shopping mall called Plaza Bavaro where you can find all type of souvenirs (not very cheap, so bargain....), and not many things more... If you like to find cheaper prices, you can visit Higuey, the nearest town, about 30 minutes by bus. A bit of spanish is good to make yourself understood outside the resort, but I'm sure you will enjoy your holiday.
Of course it's safe. I've been four times in DR, so I'm sure about it. And Bavaro is almost a "closed" place in the country, so problems don't arrive there (so, if you like to keep a good contact with locals, you will find quite isolated in Bavaro).
If you want to see photos of Flamenco Bavaro, and of other places of DR, you can visit my web page, try the photos section (in english and spanish, don't worry).