gringo exodus?

[chic]

ha, i dont believe the rate of tourism in d.r. is growing at the rate it is supposed to...
sure punta cana airport is busy...but people go to a resort and 5% go outside for fear of their lives....Thats not good for bis. or the d.r.
one gringo meets one chica and gets married is multi millions in revenue to d.r. but that is slowed down because of crime..fear...high taxes...

 

[Harleysrock]

So far none of my friends have had any serious problems such as what you are talking about and I have not either.

You clearly don't have many friends here then!

 

[the gorgon]

You clearly don't have many friends here then!

that is obvious, Harley.

 

[islandhopping]

In POP on the east side of town, there were a LOT for sale signs. They did not out number the other nice homes in that area. Just like some parts of L. A., every home had a tall fence.

I saw a report indicating tourism was increasing in the North. Most trends have highs and lows over a period of time. Is the revenue base to government increasing from the North?

Crime, until they reach one body every few days. I will not even blink at that low statistic.

 

[chic]

you did not seem to read my posting with very much insight, or you are not familiar with who i am. i am a Bronx boy; i don't scare easy. besides, i am also Jamaican, and i have seen more than my share of toughs in my life. no need to bid me farewell. you will scare out of here long before me.

you tell em..in jamaica when there is a shoot out or killing traffic slows and everyone files past...takes a looksee..for identification....

 

[ramesses]

So if you feel that way Gorgon and DV8...are you guys moving? So far none of my friends have had any serious problems such as what you are talking about and I have not either. I am out and about nearly every day too. I get along well with my Dominican neighbors. But only on a casual basis. I come from Chicago. Read the newspapers there in Chicago... Full of crime, corruption and such. That is what the newspapers print... the bad stuff. If things are this bad for you then adios... But that is not everyone's experience.

I am with you ohmmmm. Many of your friends are my friends also. I rarely hear about issues either. I myself have been coming here for 15 years and have been here pretty well full time for a year and a half...I have not had one real issue. I have many Dominican friends, more than gringo friends and hang out in Villa Liberation weekly.
Don't get me wrong, I know bad stuff happens here....some pretty terrible stuff but my experience has been pretty relaxed and safe. My biggest fear is riding the moto's....more dangerous than anything I do here.

I can think of one guy I know who has left out of fear....and that was things he had heard, not experienced.

.....I now have to go find a big block of wood to knock on.

 

[dv8]

So if you feel that way Gorgon and DV8...are you guys moving?

in 8 years here i had some issues: i was attacked at a gun point and had someone enter the house and steal some money. nearly everyone i know was a victim of crime in one way or another, including dominicans.

would i move? apart from maybe leaving because of natural disaster or work, no. i'm stuck in here. but in general safety is much less of a concern to me than loneliness.

 

[CristoRey]

interesting article in puerto plata habla today:
Graciela Fermin denuncia extranjeros huyendo a la delincuencia y la inseguridad han abandonado sus viviendas

graciela fermin, who is a PO lawyer and a diputada from PRD says that lots of foreigners in POP area are fleeing DR because of high crime rates and poor situation regarding justice system.

she says they arrived to DR believing it was paradise and after realizing it is hell, they are going back: esos extranjeros que se han marchado a sus pa?ses trajeron todo lo que ten?an para establecerse en Puerto Plata, creyendo que era el para?so, pero al darse cuenta que era un infierno retornaron a sus lugares de origen.

she mentioned cofresi, costambar, munoz, sosua and cabarete and said that some of the properties that have been abandoned by gringo owners are now illegally occupied while others have been "sold" using falsified paperwork.

your thoughts?

What are my thoughts?
I think it sounds like a bunch of people running out of town with their tails between their legs.
I have trouble understanding
why anyone would move to this island if they are not accustomed to living in other areas of the world that have a
very high crime rate. I live in an area of Santo Domingo with a very high crime rate. I was well aware of this when I
chose to move into this area.
I am no different than anyone else and I realize I can be a victim of a robbery or worse at
any point in time. Do I live in constant fear something bad is going to happen to me? Not at all. If/ when something
happens am I going to pick up everything and run? Absolutely not. I realized a long time ago, bad people do bad things
in life no matter where you choose to live so there's no point in running anywhere.

 

[chic]

rich people are different....they come here buy a property...1-300K$ spend as normal and if they have to ,want to., they leave...im not putting all the people who leave as rich and some get $hurt...but they do leave...
peeps came here tp sosua thinking life was gentle...fun rest. an extra girl once in a while...maids servants...ocean breezes... but it is a diffeecult place to live... guards fences accdts. water, lights you know...

 

[chic]

and alot of peeps are not going to fight...

 

[drSix]

I have trouble understanding
why anyone would move to this island if they are not accustomed to living in other areas of the world that have a
very high crime rate.

This is the most annoying of DR1isms...

This is just like people who can't get jobs because employers will only hire people with experience! How am I supposed to get experience if you don't hire me!?!

Some poor fella shows interest in moving here, and you all tell him to rent for a while, that it is expensive, and the only way he's going to know all of the trials and tribulations is if he moves here and lives the life. THEN, when he comes and decides to leave after trying it you all burn him at the stake and say "Well, you should have known better", "We told you so..."

This area doesn't have a very high crime rate. From the research I did the DR is one of the safer Caribbean islands as far as violent crimes go. But, nothing can prepare you for the lack of effort and rampant extortion by the people who are supposed to help you if you are victimized. Yes, bad people to bad things all over the world. That is not the problem.

No amount of preparation, planning, DR1ing can actually prepare you for living here and dealing with the nuances of day to day live. You have to do it. I'm still on the fence. I may stay, I may leave. If I decide to run back home, I'm certainly not going to consider it a failure. I lived on a tropical island with my family, something most people only sit in their cubicles and dream of. I've learned a new language, my kids have experienced a new culture, and I missed a couple Wisconsin winters. It will have been an adventure.

 

[msmfgf]

if life gives you lemons make lemonade
otherwise you starve

 

[cobraboy]

Seems to be more a NC thing.

Often reality meets fantasy and reality wins.

Many come to "Paradise" in an effort to run away from themselves, and when they can't, run away back to where they come from.

Many come here and mingle with a class of people they'd never, ever mingle with where they came from. That rarely turns out well.

Many come here completely unprepared financially. They think it's cheap, the find it's only cheap in areas with more crime.

Being from Florida, I saw this all the time, northerners coming down thinking they'd show those FL rubes "how it's done", meet significant resistance, can't afford to live as they think they should on FL wages, then high-tail home.

"There is a sucker born every minute..."

 

[drSix]

Seems to be more a NC thing.

Often reality meets fantasy and reality wins.

Many come here completely unprepared financially. They think it's cheap, the find it's only cheap in areas with more crime.

"

Those will be my two. I certainly didn't think simply surviving would be so much of a struggle. As far as the finances, I can afford to live here, I am just not sure I want to afford to live here. I really would like a four wheeler, but I just cannot bring myself to pay 30-50% more for it than I would in the states. I can afford the $550 a month electric bill, but there may come a point where I say "WTF am I doing here wasting my money on electricity". If I were back in Wisco, that's $400 a month I could be investing, or a boat payment. I dunno, time will tell.

 

[msmfgf]

$550 electric????????
are you running an hotel?

 

[drSix]

4 bedroom house with a pool, 3 A/C's, 'lectric dryer and 'lectric hot water. I'm hoping it will be less now that it's not so hot.

 

[bob saunders]

4 bedroom house with a pool, 3 A/C's, 'lectric dryer and 'lectric hot water. I'm hoping it will be less now that it's not so hot.

Electric dryer- you sure you need that.

 

[dv8]

gee, guys, you may want to live like paupers but there is no need to diss those who don't. i have a dryer too, albeit a gas one, because i am a tacana. one of the best investments here.

 

[cobraboy]

Electric dryer- you sure you need that.

I've got a nearly brand new high-end Kenmore I'd let go for a song...

 

[cobraboy]

gee, guys, you may want to live like paupers but there is no need to diss those who don't. i have a dryer too, albeit a gas one, because i am a tacana. one of the best investments here.

Gas is fine, we have one also. Electric? Not so much. Any device that creates heat with electricity will be an energy hog...