In defence of Costambar

CANUCK2

New member
May 24, 2002
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We have lived in Costambar since 1988, built our home here in 1993, started a successful business here and raised our children here. Since they have grown up, our children and their spouses and my grandchildren have also chosen to live here. We pay all our taxes both on our home and business, buy our vehicles, groceries, clothes, building materials, appliances, generators, etc. here. We have seen many changes over the past 20years...some good ...some bad. While the road into Costambar is one of the "bad" changes...it's certainly not such a negative that we would not live here.
The locals arriving on Sundays for their day at the beach are, for the most part, well-behaved and in family groups. While we don't always choose to join them, when we do, we enjoy their presence. After all, we are really the "visitors", aren't we?
On another note, we feel that over-all the APC(our local maintenance group) is doing an excellent job of keeping the beach cleaned up and improving many other things in our little community. Theirs appears to be a rather "thankless" job from some of the comments I've read, but for our part we really do appreciate all their hard work in our behalf ( and no, I am not connected to anyone in APC!)
Of course, over the years we have encountered our share of problems. We've been robbed a few times and lost a number of computers, cellphones, money, etc. Each time we beef up our security and bemoan our stupidity (leaving doors open, etc) but thankfully, for the most part, the thieves have generously separated and left us the things that would have been more difficult to replace....like passports, legal papers, etc. They haven't simply destroyed things for the sake of it, as happens in our 'mother country', Canada. Now with iron on my windows and doors, video cameras, generator, battery backup, dogs etc. I continue to feel quite comfortable. Who knows what will be next? But overall, it is "vale la pena"...worth the pain.
We have never really worried about our personal safety and have many good friends? Dominicans, Haitians and Ex-Pats. Some are well-off and others are very, very poor?and still we haven?t encountered problems because of the disparity in our circumstances. We do what we can to help but still feel humbled by the generosity of many with much less than us.
As a note of warning...in my humble observation and experience, the thievery
does tend to occur when the rentals fill up around "Christmas" and "Easter"
and I believe they aren't usually caught because they're living here during those times and can leave with their spoils at any time later when things have calmed down.
We don't like the prostitution or the drugs(to put it mildly), but for the most part we personnally haven't had them in our faces as is often the way it is in poor countries. Walking in downtown Vancouver, Canada is much more intimidating than here.
We frequent local restaurants regularly and really enjoy the variety and different 'cuisines'. The locals, ex-pats like ourselves, are friendly and helpful, on the whole. Maybe not a complete paradise...but home to us.
I just thought it was time for someone to express why a person would like to live in Costambar...a fairly well-kept secret... a jewel in the rough.
TIP:
If driving in the DR, carry a disposable camera with you. If you are unfortunate enough to be involved in any kind of accident, immediately get out your camera and take pictures of anything and everything you can( even if you have no film in the camera pretend to do so) If anyone is involved, ask them to produce their identification (cedula, for Dominicans) and take pictures of it and of them.......demand that they go to the police with you...if it's a scam (some think we are just dumb tourists)... you may very well find everyone running for the hills!!
 

jackieboo

On Vaction without a return ticket!
Mar 18, 2006
362
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Great post, you summed up the way I feel and possibly the way many others feel as well. We are the 'guests' here and sometimes we loose sight of what that means. You make me wish I lived in Costambar.