Can anyone tell me about an area or neighbourhood in Santiago referred to as Cienfuegos. Any pics would be helpful too.
Thank-you.
Thank-you.
- Thread starter snowflake42
- Start date
info about cienfuegos area please
You can just look at a photo of Iraq and you will not know the difference, especially after a bomb hit.
Unfortunately, it is a low/no income, crime ridden, crowded barrio to the west of Santiago. Created when an "accidental" fire (cienfuego = 100 fires) wiped out a squatter settlement near the Bermudez distillery (the aging barns) many years ago.
it is where the police go to look for stolen cars. Rife with drugs and gangs, not a place for the unwary.
HB
it is where the police go to look for stolen cars. Rife with drugs and gangs, not a place for the unwary.
HB
Thanks for replies and I appreciate the history lesson as well. I had already guessed that this working vacation would be different than any others I have participated in. DR1 has been a great resource & I am looking forward to visiting DR soon.
I guess I must be "wary".......
It may be a lot of crime, but it does not look like Iraq.
I have friends that live there and I have no problems going there.
The place that does scare me tho is West of here a couple miles or so past the entrance to the golf course, La Herradura, and yet I have been there many times. My wife lived there and I visit quite often to her mom's house.
(Never at night !!!!!!)
Hey AZB tell everyone about the night you went with me to drop the girl off in Cien Fuegos, man were we both happy to get out alive!!! 
All of you are very entertaining. When I visit I will not dress like a politician, carry a purse, go out at night etc...... I am also very respectful of anyone carring an UZI. It is difficult to find information about this area and trying to find a map of Santiago area is next to impossible. I am depending on all of you for my information & I appreciate the sense of humor. I am really looking forward to my visit but I am beginning to wonder if I should be posting for bodyguard services?????
No worries AZB, my reason for going is not a love interest LOL. I take working vacations with differrent organizations as I love to travel but prefer to really experience the places I visit. I spend a lot of time researching my host countries and even try to learn some basic language skills. I will be visiting different parts of DR for a few weeks and have really enjoyed DR1 posts. One of the areas I am visiting (working) is Santiago and I wasn't able to find much info. The description of the area was pretty much what I expected, (although I have not personally been to Iraq . Often the information from people who live in the area is more realistic and I like to be prepared.
. Often the information from people who live in the area is more realistic and I like to be prepared.hola,
i will tell you one more thing,,
i live in Santiago and always thought CienFuegos was as dangeroues as it was before but i realized it isnt...
It depend alot to what part of CienFuegos you are going since it has many Barrios itself and the only basic recomendation i can give you is to dont go there at nights and to be sure you know the way to get out in case you need to run lol
take care and best of lucks
i will tell you one more thing,,
i live in Santiago and always thought CienFuegos was as dangeroues as it was before but i realized it isnt...
It depend alot to what part of CienFuegos you are going since it has many Barrios itself and the only basic recomendation i can give you is to dont go there at nights and to be sure you know the way to get out in case you need to run lol
take care and best of lucks
god be with u if u want to live there mate, maybe u can spend there the first week without be rob .
I have been to scarier places, maybe the real bad people were sleeping though!! ha ha...
poor isnt the overriding factor of safety..
i think the number of males from 16 to 30 that live in a very poor place is more of a determining factor....
if you go in looking like frightened lamb, you will come out burnt mutton..
most crime is one of opportunity.....
bad bob
poor isnt the overriding factor of safety..
i think the number of males from 16 to 30 that live in a very poor place is more of a determining factor....
if you go in looking like frightened lamb, you will come out burnt mutton..
most crime is one of opportunity.....
bad bob
Cienfuegos, triumph and tragedy.
Whats wrong with people from cienfuegos?!
My fianc?e and much of her family are from there. I have been to cienfuegos numerous times, day and night. Yes it is poor and crowded and dirty with all of the possible problems that go with such an area BUT I have had very good experiences there. Some of the most generous, hospitable and beautiful people I have ever met live in that barrio. I am by no means an expert as some of you seem to be and I can only speak from my personal experiences. At first I was taken aback by the place, and by Santiago in general but as I came to know some of the people living there I could see beyond the poverty and chaos and dirty streets. There are decent hard working people there, raising families and coping with a reality that would be daunting for most westerners. The poverty and uncertainty they seem to take in stride; not that they don't want a better standard of living but they seem to have an unyielding zest for life. I don't know if I could give any useful insight to anyone going to cienfuegos but I don't find it a particularly scary place but I would certainly take reasonable precautions when traveling there. I would not recommend walking alone, particularly at night. It would be best if you were with a local. As my fianc?e says "hay muchos tigres". I will be going to cienfuegos in November to be married. I have a second family there. I have been so warmly welcomed and instantly adopted. I see cienfuegos as tragic and triumphant. There is obviously many ills and many problems, such as poverty, violence, crime and drugs. But it is my opinion that most of the people there are kind, loving, honest and vibrant. They are to me an example of the triumph of the human spirit in the face of adversity.
PS. SNOWFLAKE42, I have a map of Santiago and some pictures and video of cienfuegos if you are interested. I don't think I can post pictures here but perhaps if you PM me it might be possible. Best of luck on your trip.
Whats wrong with people from cienfuegos?!
My fianc?e and much of her family are from there. I have been to cienfuegos numerous times, day and night. Yes it is poor and crowded and dirty with all of the possible problems that go with such an area BUT I have had very good experiences there. Some of the most generous, hospitable and beautiful people I have ever met live in that barrio. I am by no means an expert as some of you seem to be and I can only speak from my personal experiences. At first I was taken aback by the place, and by Santiago in general but as I came to know some of the people living there I could see beyond the poverty and chaos and dirty streets. There are decent hard working people there, raising families and coping with a reality that would be daunting for most westerners. The poverty and uncertainty they seem to take in stride; not that they don't want a better standard of living but they seem to have an unyielding zest for life. I don't know if I could give any useful insight to anyone going to cienfuegos but I don't find it a particularly scary place but I would certainly take reasonable precautions when traveling there. I would not recommend walking alone, particularly at night. It would be best if you were with a local. As my fianc?e says "hay muchos tigres". I will be going to cienfuegos in November to be married. I have a second family there. I have been so warmly welcomed and instantly adopted. I see cienfuegos as tragic and triumphant. There is obviously many ills and many problems, such as poverty, violence, crime and drugs. But it is my opinion that most of the people there are kind, loving, honest and vibrant. They are to me an example of the triumph of the human spirit in the face of adversity.
PS. SNOWFLAKE42, I have a map of Santiago and some pictures and video of cienfuegos if you are interested. I don't think I can post pictures here but perhaps if you PM me it might be possible. Best of luck on your trip.
You definately are walking around with rose colored glasses my friend, Of course your fiance's family are kind and loving to you, They are looking at you as their personal ATM!!! You will marry their daughter and you will be sending them money for the rest of your life or for as long as you are married or engaged to their daughter, so enjoy the ride my friend and keep those rose colored glasses on.
So Badpiece, you got burnt and now you know the story on every other relationship in the DR?
You might be correct in you assessment, but the question is, what are you basing it on? My guess is your own unfortunate experience or one of your friends. There is little different in rose colored glasses and glasses painted black. Both will transform reality into what the viewer has predetermined.
So while you might or might not be correct in this instance, you have no idea about what the reality is, so perhaps it would be better if you weren't so definitive in your manner, and if you weren't so quick to judge others in the way they choose to live their lives. Offering an opinion is one thing, being out and rude and nasty is quite another.
You must have been burnt terribly to so vindictive toward others now.
You might be correct in you assessment, but the question is, what are you basing it on? My guess is your own unfortunate experience or one of your friends. There is little different in rose colored glasses and glasses painted black. Both will transform reality into what the viewer has predetermined.
So while you might or might not be correct in this instance, you have no idea about what the reality is, so perhaps it would be better if you weren't so definitive in your manner, and if you weren't so quick to judge others in the way they choose to live their lives. Offering an opinion is one thing, being out and rude and nasty is quite another.
You must have been burnt terribly to so vindictive toward others now.
No I haven't been burnt but I am a realist and some people should really read up on Hillbilly's sticky thread,rules to dating or marrying a dominican. I hope for the posters sake that I am wrong but if I were a betting man I would definately like my odds of being right. I would say I have a 90-95 percent chance of being right on target.
The original poster who's username is snowflake42 isn't asking for relationship advice
No worries AZB, my reason for going is not a love interest LOL. I take working vacations with differrent organizations as I love to travel but prefer to really experience the places I visit. I spend a lot of time researching my host countries and even try to learn some basic language skills. I will be visiting different parts of DR for a few weeks and have really enjoyed DR1 posts. One of the areas I am visiting (working) is Santiago and I wasn't able to find much info. The description of the area was pretty much what I expected, (although I have not personally been to Iraq