We are some of the luckiest people in history

[wetman]

awap once bubbled...
I think the favorable price was still the effects of the grand opening (Sept), rather than season. So what was your favorite - mexican, mediterranean, or steak - surely not the pizza. Now if they could just rebuild the beach.

Good to hear you enjoyed it.

We ate at the steak place most nights, buffet on the beach every day at least once and had a pre-meal pizza (or 3) before our final steak night on saturday. Only did the mediterranean once as i recall.

We met lots from Texas - all great people. Can't wait to go there and visit some day.

As far as these touristy places go, I know that anywhere we were, there was a lot of tipping going on by us and others. I dont think the people working at the resorts to too badly.

I agree that there are a lot of poor places in the world but i don't necessarily agree that their ways of life are worse or better - just different in a lot of cases. I know I'd give up a lot to live a much simpler life alot of the time but not in our climate - things seem so friggin hectic in our modern society that you can't really say our way of life is better - we live in poluted cities, have typically meaningless jobs when you get right down to it, high divorce rates, suicides etc. Is that really better?

steve

 

[Lawman]

If you accept the premise that money brings "progress" than the diving industry may be the salvation of several countries that would'nt have any tourist industry otherwise. Belieze, Hondouras,
Truck [Chuk] and so many of the Pacific island countries. It's a non-poluting, service intensive business that doesn't use up natural resources. We don't make anyone rich, but we do help.

 

[Epinephelus]

Lwang once bubbled...
Many of the people on those tropical islands are dirt poor. They could afford none of the luxuries that we are enjoying. You go there, enjoy their resource in which they can't, give your money to some international conglomerate that don't give any of it back to them.

You stay home.
Send me your money and I'll deliver it to those poor souls.
E. itajara

 

[MikeFerrara]

We aren't kidding ourselves a little are we? There used to be mangrove where the hotels and resorts stand. Many of the jobs are filled my non-natives. Much of the money goes out of the country. Who owns the resorts and boats? Locals? In some cases raw sewage is dumped. I recently read this about cruise ships. The increased development and population tourism has caused has had a significant impact on the environment in many of these areas. To my knowlege the presence of more people has never done the environment any good.

 

[ianr33]

I would like to think that diving can be a force for good. Dont stay at the Mega resorts,seek out local Guest Houses,that way you get a real feel for whatever island you are on and its probably a lot cheaper as well. Go to places that have marine parks (and let the government know that that is why you went there) If you go to Cayman eat at the roadside food stalls on the East End rather than the Hard Rock Cafe. Avoid all American Chains on principle!

It is a sad reflection on todays world,but the only way many things are going to be preserved,whether Elephants or Reef Fish is if the locals come to realise that they are worth more alive for tourists/divers than they are for ivory/food

 

[O-ring]

Better not ever take any dive trips so you don't wind up a hypocrite...

I'm with Epinephelus, if you feel that strongly about it then don't dive...you may be killing millions of microorganisms when you rinse your gear. Better stop breathing too...you are massacring millions of germs every breath!

 

[Rooster1]

I can't believe some of the crap that is spewed here:upset:

Anywhere in the world that there is tourism regardless of it's a rich country or not, when the tourists show up it helps everyone from the big corportations to the little guy on the street who is making a living out of selling crafts or shirts or whatever he can sell. If you ask the poor people in the poor countries with the nice climate that we (more financially fortunate) love to visit and enjoy; they will tell you in many cases that it is the tourist who helps feed their families!

On the subject of Cozumel (which btw is one of the richest areas in Mexico Cozumel/Mayan Riviera) if you have ever been there just see the frenzy and the money being made when the tourist ships come in which is usually daily.

 

[Rick Murchison]

Lwang once bubbled...
They wouldn't be much worse off.

Ah, but they would be worse off nonetheless.
Tell you what - you get off your soapbox, write your business plan, go out and recruit the venture capital, go bribe all the local functionaries, buy the land, put in the infrastructure, design and build your resort with local labor, staff it, advertise it, promote it, cut the deals with travel agents, get the tourists to come, and pay whoever you think ought to be paid whatever you think they ought to be paid.
Don't whine, just do it.
Don't demand "they" do it, or that "the government" do it.
You do it.
No excuses.
After you've done it yourself, then feel free to throw stones at the ones who have done it for the evil ways they're doing it. Until then, be thankful that someone has the guts to take the risks to build the places we can go to enjoy the far-flung places of the earth.
Rick

 

[King Kong Matt]

The CIA factbook http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html

Its interesting just to persue some of the various countries and see the breakdown of economies by industry.

Matt

 

[DazedAndConfuzed]

Rick Murchison once bubbled...

Ah, but they would be worse off nonetheless.
Tell you what - you get off your soapbox, write your business plan, go out and recruit the venture capital, go bribe all the local functionaries, buy the land, put in the infrastructure, design and build your resort with local labor, staff it, advertise it, promote it, cut the deals with travel agents, get the tourists to come, and pay whoever you think ought to be paid whatever you think they ought to be paid.
Don't whine, just do it.
Don't demand "they" do it, or that "the government" do it.
You do it.
No excuses.
After you've done it yourself, then feel free to throw stones at the ones who have done it for the evil ways they're doing it. Until then, be thankful that someone has the guts to take the risks to build the places we can go to enjoy the far-flung places of the earth.
Rick

No one will go do that kind of thing on their own free will for the sake of the local people or economy. Even if one does, they will not find the investors to finance the whole thing.

Its always the be able to critique after doing it yourself first. If that was the case, then nobody has the right to say anything unless they themself have done it. We cannot criticize the president because we haven't become one ourselve, can't say we need better school because we haven't ran one, cannot complain about pollution by the cruise ships because we haven't ran one ourselve and don't know the amount of garbage it accumulates, the list goes on forever. If that is the case, the voice could only belong to the ones who have achieved at it, not much different from those corrupt dictatorship countries.

I am not saying don't dive, as said, diving is one of those things where the group as a whole embraces the hole in the walls and eat at the local $1 restaurants. But the majority of people goes to the mega resorts and spend $0 on the local business.

What I am saying is that time is not good for everybody.


Cozumel is relatively well off compared to other places. But have you gone to the east side of the island? litter strewed beach, locals in those rocky beaches embracing giant waves. Why aren't they on the western, calm side of the island?