Illusion versus Reality--Why I moved away from Sosua/Cabarete

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Papa Benito

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I visited the area several times over the last 5 years and loved it for all the reasons that many of you love it. I began living there full time in February. But in reality, I began to see the dark, ugly things about the area--these are random notes of mine: my Dominican gf afraid to walk on vitually deserted beach, car rear-ended--hit and run and the police refused to help, an armed robbery attempt of my house , an armed robbery attempt of Orilla del Mar(my rental) by 4 bandits= a 30 shot gunfight, bandits return in revenge gunfight with security--owners attempt a cover-up possibly to protect their properties value and/or rental income, pickpockets, police totally corrupt, crime atmosphere, the stories of friends terrorized by criminals, high prices, huge fear of an accident = loco drivers, pedestrians, and motos, police actively seek bribes on jfk, police will not protect me. no laws are observed and no laws enforced, con games, inflated prices = beer, food, cars, gasoline, difficulties of cedulla and registration, impossible to buy a house , must rent cars, gas 4.75 a gal, internet and electricity interruptions, supermarket food expensive , security and police are afraid to come to your rescue, 12 policemen raid a nice restauarant in Juan Dolio with loaded shotguns and semi-automatic rifles terrorizing the patrons--because the music was too loud, and dengue and typhoid fever, police persecution of Haitians seeking bribes.
 

RonS

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Oct 18, 2004
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Wow, Papa Benito. That is a good list of everything negative that I can think of about the DR in general. But, don't the positives outweigh the negatives? And I ask that from the vantage point of someone who does not live there but who only visits regularly. I would really like to know if you who live and endure all this reality everday, don't think that in the long run, the positives outweigh the negatives.
 

miguel

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Jul 2, 2003
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Antes o despues?......

I visited the area several times over the last 5 years and loved it for all the reasons that many of you love it. I began living there full time in February. But in reality, I began to see the dark, ugly things about the area--these are random notes of mine: my Dominican gf afraid to walk on vitually deserted beach, car rear-ended--hit and run and the police refused to help, an armed robbery attempt of my house , an armed robbery attempt of Orilla del Mar(my rental) by 4 bandits= a 30 shot gunfight, bandits return in revenge gunfight with security--owners attempt a cover-up possibly to protect their properties value and/or rental income, pickpockets, police totally corrupt, crime atmosphere, the stories of friends terrorized by criminals, high prices, huge fear of an accident = loco drivers, pedestrians, and motos, police actively seek bribes on jfk, police will not protect me. no laws are observed and no laws enforced, con games, inflated prices = beer, food, cars, gasoline, difficulties of cedulla and registration, impossible to buy a house , must rent cars, gas 4.75 a gal, internet and electricity interruptions, supermarket food expensive , security and police are afraid to come to your rescue, 12 policemen raid a nice restauarant in Juan Dolio with loaded shotguns and semi-automatic rifles terrorizing the patrons--because the music was too loud, and dengue and typhoid fever, police persecution of Haitians seeking bribes.
You should write an "Action Movie" with all the things that happens to you.

Poor of that girlfriend of yours since "bad things" seem to follow you EVERYWHERE you go!.

Having to listen to all your COMPLAINS makes her a Saint, btw.!!.

WHERE DO THEY FIND THESE PEOPLE!!!!!?.
 
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Tee Bone

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Jun 16, 2007
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You should write an "Action Movie" with all the things that happens to you.

Poor of that girlfriend of yours since "bad things" seem to follow you EVERYWHERE you go!.

Having to listen to all your COMPLAINS makes her a Saint, btw.!!.

WHERE DO THEY FIND THESE PEOPLE!!!!!?.

Arnold could play papa Benito and say " asta la vista ,Baby "
 

Squat

Tropical geek in Las Terrenas
Jan 1, 2002
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After reading such a post, I feel kind of funny to be happy & relax in Las Terrenas !!! Things are so easy going that I need to read those posts to get entertained... ;)
 

Lambada

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Mar 4, 2004
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But in reality, I began to see the dark, ugly things about the area ...............

There are dark, ugly things here, it is true. But had you persevered a little while longer I think you would have begun to interpret them not as personal issues against you so much as some of the challenges produced by living in a developing country. Yes, this country has drugs, resultant crime, corruption in law enforcement and in politics, expats who scam people and foreign (& local) child molestors. It also has inhabitants with heart who can't do enough to help (both local & expat) - see Matilda's thread.

I think it all lies in how we perceive all these issues: whether we see them as issues we can contribute to do something about & make a difference or whether we see them as 'not our problem'. After only a few months of full time living here, I don't think you really gave yourself a chance to feel a sense of committment. A pity really, because you deprived yourself of the opportunity to learn from and grow as a person. But, if you're happier where you are now, good. I hope it continues to go well for you. :)

What was it JFK said 'Ask not what my country can do for me............'
 
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oldschool

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Oct 9, 2004
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What did you expect?

Sosua= New A$$hole of the Island

Juan Dolio/Boca Chica= Old A$$hole of the Island

My Advice

GET OUT OF THE GRINGO TOWNS DUDE!
 

MrMike

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Mar 2, 2003
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And learn how to use sentences and paragraphs. I was out of breath halfway through your post. For a post like that even bullet points would make it about 150% more readable.

Yeah I've been living on the island for 8 years and I don't think I would ever live in a tourist area. Whenever I end up in one I get out as fast as I can. I feel like there's a big target painted on me wherever I go.
 

The Virginian

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Mar 16, 2007
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My wife and I live in POP. I read these kinds of things happening on DR1 to a lot of folks. I guess we are pretty lucky. All we have are kids in the neighborhood playing in the street, screaming, laughing and having a pretty good time, kinda like a neighborhood should be. Maybe everyone should move to POP. If I ran into the things I read on DR1 like this thread, I too would move back to the states. Oh the cops came by the other day. I had to give them more water and 50 peso?s. The water they need, the pesos are so they come by and visit. Nice guys. After reading some of these threads I wonder if we are all in the same country. Or perhaps we are just lucky.
 

Lambada

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Mar 4, 2004
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Maybe everyone should move to POP.

NO!

Please P&G what are you trying to do to us..............? :laugh: If they all moved here we'd have an overlarge size gringo population with the consequent problems............

Location for sure is important, but I get the impression this isn't just about location. There must be people in Sosua/Cabarete whose list of 'woes' isn't quite as long as the OP's....................
 

Rocky

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Apr 4, 2002
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You should write an "Action Movie" with all the things that happens to you.
I expect you were more or less making a joke, but the truth is just that.
He has more than enough material for an action movie.
He easily gathered up a lifetime's worth of bad experiences in a matter of months.
We couldn't believe how unlucky he was.
Sure, it affected his attitude and perception of things, so that some small thing would happen and it seemed like the straw that broke the camel's back, but I have never met anyone who moved here who had such a long sting of bad luck in such a short period of time.
 

Tamborista

hasta la tambora
Apr 4, 2005
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PapaBenito posts on a hit and run basis.
He is not likely to follow up for days, sometimes weeks.
I'm not saying it's something negative, it just is that way, so to answer your question, Argentina.

People occasionally have a life away from their computer screen?

obmat'
 

miguel

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Jul 2, 2003
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Jugando?, no, no, nooooooo.......

I expect you were more or less making a joke, but the truth is just that.
He has more than enough material for an action movie.
He easily gathered up a lifetime's worth of bad experiences in a matter of months.
We couldn't believe how unlucky he was.
Sure, it affected his attitude and perception of things, so that some small thing would happen and it seemed like the straw that broke the camel's back, but I have never met anyone who moved here who had such a long sting of bad luck in such a short period of time.
No, I was not making a joke as I am so tired of this guy's complains that he has been the lucky recipient of my somewhat famous chant:

"You don't like the country, get the F out!!".

Phil&Gerry:

I promise you that if he moves to POP, he'll even complain about the wind!. Promise!.

Again:

"WHERE DO THEY....." aahhh whatever!!.
 

La Mariposa

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How many of you have been victim of an armed robbery in the D.R. ? After you get the gun pointed at your head you won't be laughing any more.
 

Rocky

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How many of you have been victim of an armed robbery in the D.R. ? After you get the gun pointed at your head you won't be laughing any more.
Nobody laughs after having a gun pointed at his head in any country.
But it's not a country related thing.
You would feel exactly the same way in any country.
The only country where it happened to me was Canada.
The point is that PB had the most bad luck per time spent here that I have ever seen, and we wish him an equal amount of good luck in his new homeland of Argentina.
 
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