We were recommended by a supposed Dominican friend that his father could help us build a house on a small plot of land. It was supposed to be 200sq feet but later we found that it was only 170. When we exchange the papers we found that what we paid 85,000pesos for only cost the previous owner 10,000.
Anyway the father helped and we paid him the going rate per day for the little help that he gave. The house was built and we moved in. On the day we had a house warming party, I went to the nearby store to get some things and on the way back the father was chatting to a local guy. I was in the house and saw the guy walk around to the neighbours land and set fire to it and walk off. The wind was coming our way. Luckily we put it out but things in our neighbours garden caught fire. Surprisingly there was quite a turn out to watch the spectacle. I think that they all knew what was happening. The fire blazed quite fiercely and I think that our roof could have caught fire. As it was just a lot of dust had to be cleared away.
Every other day the father came to the house with his hand out asking for some dineros. One day I asked him how much he wanted and he said 500,000pesos because he helped us.
One evening soon after I was coming home on my bike and there was a car in the lane. It was blocking my way so I stopped. About 4 people had their heads under the hood. They put the hood down and looked away and the car reversed hard into me knocking me out.
One month I had a good job and I asked the father if he wanted to help me. He was talented in that area. At the end we had a nice payout. My wife and I went into town at 4:00pm for a beer most afternoons and one day, the father was playing dominoes with some people. Two of these people robbed us while we were out.
We called the police and they managed to recover most things and the family paid us back the money that was stolen. The kids were thrown in jail for the day in Puerto Plata.
While we were waiting to go to the jail the father who helped us came down looking very concerned. I thought he came to commiserate with us but he walked straight past and chatted with the thieves - one who was his cousin.
The kid who was skinny enough to squeeze through our pillars to get into the house has turned up recently and today was sat at the end of the lane with a big knife whittling away staring at me.
I feel quite stressed about all this and really don't feel that the people here like having gringos around. They don't mind going to gringo countries but they don't feel the same way for us.
I am not sure if things could escalate and is this natural? Some friends had a similar thing happen to them until the wife had her arm hacked with a machete andf hubby lost a lot of his ear when he went to help. Do you recommend that we run for the hills?
Anyway the father helped and we paid him the going rate per day for the little help that he gave. The house was built and we moved in. On the day we had a house warming party, I went to the nearby store to get some things and on the way back the father was chatting to a local guy. I was in the house and saw the guy walk around to the neighbours land and set fire to it and walk off. The wind was coming our way. Luckily we put it out but things in our neighbours garden caught fire. Surprisingly there was quite a turn out to watch the spectacle. I think that they all knew what was happening. The fire blazed quite fiercely and I think that our roof could have caught fire. As it was just a lot of dust had to be cleared away.
Every other day the father came to the house with his hand out asking for some dineros. One day I asked him how much he wanted and he said 500,000pesos because he helped us.
One evening soon after I was coming home on my bike and there was a car in the lane. It was blocking my way so I stopped. About 4 people had their heads under the hood. They put the hood down and looked away and the car reversed hard into me knocking me out.
One month I had a good job and I asked the father if he wanted to help me. He was talented in that area. At the end we had a nice payout. My wife and I went into town at 4:00pm for a beer most afternoons and one day, the father was playing dominoes with some people. Two of these people robbed us while we were out.
We called the police and they managed to recover most things and the family paid us back the money that was stolen. The kids were thrown in jail for the day in Puerto Plata.
While we were waiting to go to the jail the father who helped us came down looking very concerned. I thought he came to commiserate with us but he walked straight past and chatted with the thieves - one who was his cousin.
The kid who was skinny enough to squeeze through our pillars to get into the house has turned up recently and today was sat at the end of the lane with a big knife whittling away staring at me.
I feel quite stressed about all this and really don't feel that the people here like having gringos around. They don't mind going to gringo countries but they don't feel the same way for us.
I am not sure if things could escalate and is this natural? Some friends had a similar thing happen to them until the wife had her arm hacked with a machete andf hubby lost a lot of his ear when he went to help. Do you recommend that we run for the hills?