Posted on 06/29/2005 4:13:53 PM PDT by CHARLITE
The disappearance of an 18-year-old girl from Alabama in Aruba is not only terrifying, but a harbinger of just how much danger Americans expose themselves to when they step outside the boundaries of the U.S.A.
In the first place, the rights we are guaranteed under our constitution do not exist outside our borders. If you have the misfortune of being incarcerated in a foreign country you can forget about the mandatory phone call and anything else you’ve been guaranteed under our form of government.
Take it from one who knows. Back in my wild old days I was once put in jail in Juarez, Mexico. It’s a lowdown, lonesome, helpless feeling, being a gringo in the hands of the Mexican police. Thank God some people came over from El Paso and got me out.
But another and very salient point is that I don’t think a lot of foreign countries appreciate our patronage and our Yankee dollars.
Take France for instance. Do you really think they respect us when we go over there? No, they just put up with us, just tolerate us. They want to sell us their wine but that just about sums up their sincere feelings toward us.
In my opinion Mexico and the other Latin American countries have become dangerous for Americans to travel in. The reason being that they are so inundated with the drug trade and the thugs who run it who have neither decency nor conscience. Kidnap and murder are all in a day’s work for them.
And of course we know about the Middle Eastern and Southwest Asian countries.
Of course good old Australia is always happy to have us and have been one of our best friends for a long time and a great place to visit. Ditto new Zealand and the British Isles.
If you would believe the media in Canada you would think that we were not welcome there. But I don’t happen to ascribe to their theories. I believe that the vast majority of the Canadian people still welcome us with open arms. And it’s certainly not a dangerous place.
The point is there are a lot of places in the world that just don’t like Americans and maybe we’d be better off if we just stayed at home for a few years, if we devoted our foreign aid dollars to repairing our infrastructures and policing our inner city streets.
Has anybody noticed a marked difference in Russia after we gave them billions of dollars to bolster their fledging democracy? The Russian mafia has just grown stronger and the people the money was intended to help are still suffering.
Our politicians continue to pour American dollars down the bottomless abyss while the world at large just doesn’t seem to like us. And do you know something? That doesn’t bother me a whole lot.
Maybe it’s time we just stayed at home.
Pray for our troops.
What do you think?
God Bless America
Charlie Daniels
June 27, 2005
Agreed, although I think corruption in government (Mexico, for example) has a direct effect on how law abiding individual societies are.
I would be interested in hearing your recommendations re: Costa Rica.
Right.I think we should spend more of our money here. There are some beautiful and interesting places right here in this country that i'd love to see,and hope to,someday soon.
HEAR HEAR!!!!!
This surprises me a great deal, coming from C.D.
It bothers ME a great deal that we waste our money on the rest of the world.
I read that a couple of times, too. I think he was ambiguous in what 'That' in his last sentence referred to. I think he was talking about the world not liking us, not our throwing our money away. I could be wrong, but I think it was just a poorly written sentence.
Did they tell you you were born there?
Tabacon Springs is like a manicured park at the base of the volcano where streams of hot water mix with streams of cold water and they've created a series of tiled ponds and some real swimming pools where you can choose your temperature and lie on your back in built in lounges and stare up at an erupting volcano basically a few hundred feet away. Awesome. There are plenty of other activities to do in the area, as well.
There are a lot of nice resorts in Guanacaste province especially on the Nocoya Peninsula, many of them offering all-inclusive meals and booze for remarkably low prices. Further south along the Pacific Ocean there is the surfing beach at Jaco and a bunch of destinations in the Manuel Antonio/Quepos area. Great parks, great people, most of whom speak english. The fishing, both in Arenal Lake and in the Pacific is world class. A lot of windsailing on Lake Arenal as well.
The Caribbean side is less developed and has the Caribbean flavor. I wouldn't recommend it as a destination on your first trip to the country.
Watch out for the Howler monkeys in Guanacaste province. If you get too close and they're not used to much human contact, they might make a handful of poop and throw it in your general direction. It makes for a great Kodak Moment.
I was on a Backroads tour which was great. I think Dog Gone has better hints, though.
Have always wanted to see the BVI. It's on my list!
It can be a very quiet vacation VERY quiet, depending on where you go. On one of the best beaches there, there might be 10 people total in the water and on the shore.
Thanks for the advice! Is this an area you would feel safe exploring by yourself, or would sticking with a group be a better idea?
I've never thought it a good idea to continue financial aid/support with countries/people that don't afford us mutual respect.
Go with a group if it makes you feel more secure, but it's not necessary at all. Americans tend to think of all central american countries as being like Mexico, but they couldn't be more wrong. There are no gangs, the place is spotlessly clean, the people are genuinely friendly, and I never have seen a beggar there even once.
I see beggars in Houston everyday.
You can drink the water out of the tap and it's good. If you want a travel agency that specializes in Costa Rica at incredible prices, freepmail me. You can't vacation here in America for twice the cost.
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