- Thread starter Ken
- Start date
Pepper Spray In the Eyes
A well done website and nice looking tours, I've seen it before just couldn't remember the site name. As always, it leaves a good impression.
I'll leave it at that, but stand by what I've stated previously regarding your comments in this thread.
I hate to have taken this so off topic but feel the commentary was warranted.
I'll leave it at that, but stand by what I've stated previously regarding your comments in this thread.
I hate to have taken this so off topic but feel the commentary was warranted.
I came here for the first time, around 20 years ago... and even then the hotel in Sosua told me it was very unsafe to leave the hotel, unless it was on one of their organised tours...
Now I was, and still am, a very disobedient boy, and if they tell me I cannot do something, I'm sure to try it... So, at that time, and even with some pushing, I left the hotel, rented myself a moto (not concho), and went for a ride... yes, I got picked up by some guy offering himself as a guide for the day... had a great day, for a few hundred pesos... and an incredible sunburn on my arms and hands (when I got of the bike, I could not bend them... lol)...
Did I ever feel unsafe???... heck no... the guide did a perfect job... was polite... saved me a some bucks because of getting drinks at local prices, and not gringo prices, and was worth every peso...
The fact is, and that is the one CB is referring to, I believe... is that at the moment the DR in general, and especially the NC is described by travel agents as very unsafe and dangerous... killing tourism very effectively...
On top of that, the NC is becoming known as the sex tourism place to go to as a dirty old man/woman..., and to be honest, I am embarassed as European, when I take a flight back or forth... all you hear is about their "conquests" (Belgians, Dutch, Germans, Anglo...) and the high disregard they have about their "women"...
Is this the reality???... Probably not... what is a fact though is that the locals on the NC become less and less friendly towards tourists... (and I cannot really blame them, as they are treated with disrespect, and the kind of tourists they are getting are the ones showing how much money they have)... another fact nevertheless is that, as a foreigner, you are proposed several times on a visit on Sosua beach f.e. (I was there a couple of weeks ago, with my wife, and 2 female friends, on a visit from Belgium, ordered some drinks from one of the many bars, and when my wife and friends were enjoying the sea was asked by the waiter if I would enjoy some female company... when I declined politely, he asked whether I would prefer a boy... hmmmm)
Another friend of ours who visited us 2 weeks ago, and female and 26 years of age, had to convince her extremely worried parents that she was staying with friends (and her parents knew us...) so we could prevent her from being murdered, kidnapped, raped, etc..., and this was info about the DR her parents got from the internet...
I think it is time Sosua, Cabarete, POP, BC, and probably a lot of other cities at the coast, wake up... and realise that this small bunch of bad apples, destroys the tourism industry...
It does not matter what reality is... and it is the same all over the world... if you come here as a tourist, showing the necessary respect and courtesy to the locals, you will have a great time here, and be treated friendly and respectfully... if you come here as a tourist, waving the big bucks around, and being disrespectfull of local customs, you will become a target...
The sad reality is, that tourism and its income depends on the way you are described by the travel agents and by the government websites, and the DR is not doing a good job, as far as those descriptions are concerned...
We know differently... but then again we live here...
My 2 cents worth... the DR tourism industry does have a problem, and will have to deal with it soon...
Now I was, and still am, a very disobedient boy, and if they tell me I cannot do something, I'm sure to try it... So, at that time, and even with some pushing, I left the hotel, rented myself a moto (not concho), and went for a ride... yes, I got picked up by some guy offering himself as a guide for the day... had a great day, for a few hundred pesos... and an incredible sunburn on my arms and hands (when I got of the bike, I could not bend them... lol)...
Did I ever feel unsafe???... heck no... the guide did a perfect job... was polite... saved me a some bucks because of getting drinks at local prices, and not gringo prices, and was worth every peso...
The fact is, and that is the one CB is referring to, I believe... is that at the moment the DR in general, and especially the NC is described by travel agents as very unsafe and dangerous... killing tourism very effectively...
On top of that, the NC is becoming known as the sex tourism place to go to as a dirty old man/woman..., and to be honest, I am embarassed as European, when I take a flight back or forth... all you hear is about their "conquests" (Belgians, Dutch, Germans, Anglo...) and the high disregard they have about their "women"...
Is this the reality???... Probably not... what is a fact though is that the locals on the NC become less and less friendly towards tourists... (and I cannot really blame them, as they are treated with disrespect, and the kind of tourists they are getting are the ones showing how much money they have)... another fact nevertheless is that, as a foreigner, you are proposed several times on a visit on Sosua beach f.e. (I was there a couple of weeks ago, with my wife, and 2 female friends, on a visit from Belgium, ordered some drinks from one of the many bars, and when my wife and friends were enjoying the sea was asked by the waiter if I would enjoy some female company... when I declined politely, he asked whether I would prefer a boy... hmmmm)
Another friend of ours who visited us 2 weeks ago, and female and 26 years of age, had to convince her extremely worried parents that she was staying with friends (and her parents knew us...) so we could prevent her from being murdered, kidnapped, raped, etc..., and this was info about the DR her parents got from the internet...
I think it is time Sosua, Cabarete, POP, BC, and probably a lot of other cities at the coast, wake up... and realise that this small bunch of bad apples, destroys the tourism industry...
It does not matter what reality is... and it is the same all over the world... if you come here as a tourist, showing the necessary respect and courtesy to the locals, you will have a great time here, and be treated friendly and respectfully... if you come here as a tourist, waving the big bucks around, and being disrespectfull of local customs, you will become a target...
The sad reality is, that tourism and its income depends on the way you are described by the travel agents and by the government websites, and the DR is not doing a good job, as far as those descriptions are concerned...
We know differently... but then again we live here...
My 2 cents worth... the DR tourism industry does have a problem, and will have to deal with it soon...
Coming back to the 'taxis without a/c'.
When I was flying over SDQ the taxi drivers to and from Caribe tours didn't use central locking.
My Italian colleague has an automatic locking system in his car (brought from Italy). He wears his watch on his right hand, because watches get snatched if you leave your left arm out the window. In Italy!
In St. Petersburg (Russia) car doors lock automatically too when they drive off. At least the cars, not taxis, I've driven in with friends.
I've been in 3 private taxi's in DR and none lock the doors while driving. I would expect that to be common practice in a place like DR.
When I was flying over SDQ the taxi drivers to and from Caribe tours didn't use central locking.
My Italian colleague has an automatic locking system in his car (brought from Italy). He wears his watch on his right hand, because watches get snatched if you leave your left arm out the window. In Italy!
In St. Petersburg (Russia) car doors lock automatically too when they drive off. At least the cars, not taxis, I've driven in with friends.
I've been in 3 private taxi's in DR and none lock the doors while driving. I would expect that to be common practice in a place like DR.
I have always gone to Sosua with my girlfriend and have never been approached by any of the working women when in her company.
My last trip about 2 weeks ago was a one night stay and I went alone.
As I was walking down the street on my way back from the beach I passed 3 Haitian working girls and one of them actually grabbed my wrist with the grip of a man and asked me "what are you doing tonight baby". I didn't make eye contact or act in any way that I would be the least bit interested. I pulled my arm away and looked at her with the meanest look I could muster and said I am not your baby. When it gets to the point that they are grabbing men physically who are not the least bit interested in what they have for sale, It will keep the decent people away.
I was extremely offended because I was immediately put into that group of sex seeking old men that only have one thing on their diluted minds.
These men that consider it a conquest by having sex with prostitutes are IMO, disgusting men who are a disgrace to themselves and their families.
I can only imagine how they are in the company of their loved ones.....
Working girls in dr
Its sad to see such beautiful women belittle themselves for what in reality is little money to these tourist. There you have the reason for feeling superior to dominicans. These sex craved tourist are what are bringing the dark cloud to the paradise setting of d.r. The solution to this problem is the complete legalization of prostitution in d.r. Following the examples of european nations, who tax and regulate the workers in the trade. Imposing arrest and fines to unregulated sex workers and pimps would curtail crime. Also, mandatory testing will prevent the spread of diseases. The system will be corrupted eventually, but some regulation is better than none.
Its sad to see such beautiful women belittle themselves for what in reality is little money to these tourist. There you have the reason for feeling superior to dominicans. These sex craved tourist are what are bringing the dark cloud to the paradise setting of d.r. The solution to this problem is the complete legalization of prostitution in d.r. Following the examples of european nations, who tax and regulate the workers in the trade. Imposing arrest and fines to unregulated sex workers and pimps would curtail crime. Also, mandatory testing will prevent the spread of diseases. The system will be corrupted eventually, but some regulation is better than none.
Prostitution is legal in the DR. Pimping is not.
But controlling it? Impossible. The gubmint can't even get folks to license their motos...
I see nothing wrong with a fair warning of a governement towards its people with some practical advice when traveling to another country.
For me the statement that Cobraboy quoted is a true American statement meaning thats typically American writing, making sure that everything is covered, I know such statements for many other purposes as an auditor working for American Compagnies so I do recognize this kind of long epistels to reach an almost 99 % coverage so nobody can accuse you that it was not written down so they did not know...
Now, what traveling is concirned to the DR or for that matter to any other country, I found it just common sense that you do not carry a lot of money (cash) with you, you do not expose yourself that you are a tourist (dress code, camera's not on my arm but in a regular bag), I left any juwelry at home (don't need that on holiday), creditcards where never show in public and I went alway's with the guy if my creditcard was taken behind the counter for checking, drinking...only in the bar of the hotel (hey I AM on holiday and for me thats coctails with a beautiful sunset after a traveling day), inoculations...what the doctor prescribed but not alway's the full coctail and what he had to say about it didn't bother me, it was my holiday and being a para medic, I am a quite a bit "allergic" to swollowing everything a doctor tells me. A lot of reading about the country I was going to travel to helps a lot especially the nice guides such as ...., who are up to date, no nonse travel guides are the ones to read.
I prepared my travels in advance since most of them where backpacking travels and alway's had a backup plan when something should go wrong.
I traveled through Thailand (with the Golden Triangle), Mexico (with Mexico City), Sri Lanka, South Africa, Kenia, Egypt, Morocco, Senegal, Gambia, Israel, Jordania, I stayed at beach holdiday's in the Malediven, Egypt and the Dominican Republic without any problems at all and I got robbed in the metro station in Brussels Belgium
I know 85 % of the people who travel do not have travel experience, for many its their first far away holiday to the Dominican Republic and they take in every word their travel company or governement tells them and really you can not blame them. For me its up to the people of the Dominican Republic itself to try to convince travel agencies that the Dominican Republic IS a beautiful holiday island and really worth to visit, so instead of spreading bad news around - which I do not diminish - rather make a positive effort in word and in practice to prove that its worth to visit the NC and the whole island and that it can be perfectly possible to have a nice and safe holiday here.
Just my two cents worth (having said this last sentence I will get bad points of my hubbie because this is his one liner :bunny
For me the statement that Cobraboy quoted is a true American statement meaning thats typically American writing, making sure that everything is covered, I know such statements for many other purposes as an auditor working for American Compagnies so I do recognize this kind of long epistels to reach an almost 99 % coverage so nobody can accuse you that it was not written down so they did not know...
Now, what traveling is concirned to the DR or for that matter to any other country, I found it just common sense that you do not carry a lot of money (cash) with you, you do not expose yourself that you are a tourist (dress code, camera's not on my arm but in a regular bag), I left any juwelry at home (don't need that on holiday), creditcards where never show in public and I went alway's with the guy if my creditcard was taken behind the counter for checking, drinking...only in the bar of the hotel (hey I AM on holiday and for me thats coctails with a beautiful sunset after a traveling day), inoculations...what the doctor prescribed but not alway's the full coctail and what he had to say about it didn't bother me, it was my holiday and being a para medic, I am a quite a bit "allergic" to swollowing everything a doctor tells me. A lot of reading about the country I was going to travel to helps a lot especially the nice guides such as ...., who are up to date, no nonse travel guides are the ones to read.
I prepared my travels in advance since most of them where backpacking travels and alway's had a backup plan when something should go wrong.
I traveled through Thailand (with the Golden Triangle), Mexico (with Mexico City), Sri Lanka, South Africa, Kenia, Egypt, Morocco, Senegal, Gambia, Israel, Jordania, I stayed at beach holdiday's in the Malediven, Egypt and the Dominican Republic without any problems at all and I got robbed in the metro station in Brussels Belgium
I know 85 % of the people who travel do not have travel experience, for many its their first far away holiday to the Dominican Republic and they take in every word their travel company or governement tells them and really you can not blame them. For me its up to the people of the Dominican Republic itself to try to convince travel agencies that the Dominican Republic IS a beautiful holiday island and really worth to visit, so instead of spreading bad news around - which I do not diminish - rather make a positive effort in word and in practice to prove that its worth to visit the NC and the whole island and that it can be perfectly possible to have a nice and safe holiday here.
Just my two cents worth (having said this last sentence I will get bad points of my hubbie because this is his one liner :bunny
Why doesn't make sense?
Robbers don't have a tattoo on their forehaed or a sign on their chest that identifies them as undesirables?
Just like any other purchase, they pick one up, put the money on the counter, and walk off with their purchase.
Spray & Hammer
Quite right.
And others buy (or borrow) a hammer...
Puerto Plata Digital
Maxwells Silver Hammer
donP
Quite right.
And others buy (or borrow) a hammer...
Puerto Plata Digital
Maxwells Silver Hammer
donP