This is the response to my page thus far...
most recent comments are at the top
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| A great companion! |
User-Agent: Microsoft-Entourage/9.0.2509 Date: Tue, 04 Sep 2001 20:44:41 -0500
Subject: FW: [planeta_honduras] barcelo From: Ron Mader
Date: Mon, 3 Sep 2001 14:11:32 -0400 To: "Planeta Egroup"
Subject: Hotel Playa Tambor
Date: Thu, 7 Jun 2001 14:15:29 -0700 X-Priority: 3
Dear Harry, I had completely forgotten the controversy surrounding Hotel Playa Tambor, until I stumbled onto your website. I went there in 1996 and later returned to workæthere as tour guide. My employer had an arrangement with the Hotel to run the ATV, snorkeling, Tortuga Island and nature tours, in return of 40% of the proceeds. I was amused by some of the stories your visitors relayed. I've never understood how anyone, except a squirrel, could call that place a "five-star resort". The "wild-life refuge" or "zoo" as one woman called it was a penæthe size of kiddy swim pool, where a caiman who occasionally popped his head through the slime and a wild-boar resided. One day, to my dismay, a couple asked me where it was. They came back horrified because the wild boar chased them around the trees, until one of the groundskeepers usher it back into the cage until they could make their escape. Also, the toucan and the macaws are not wild. They are domesticated birds who had theiræpart of their wings clipped so they could entertain guests. The ocean water was usually a brownish color. I now realize it was probably because they had tried in vain to turn the black beach to white. In addition, the locals would dump their trash in the two rivers which surrounded the bay. (I don't know about the hotel). I could probably go on about many little things that I witnessed, but for the most part, it was an all-inclusive tropical resort catering to local weekenders and package travelers. It is a shame what people won't do in the name of "progress" and still have the nerve to call it "ecotourism". I know the hotel did help the locals for which many were grateful, but it also hurt many locals as well. I don't know where you or this issue stands today. If you have the time to reply I would love to know. As an end note, this was in 1996. I read they renovated in 1999, so things could have changed. Sincerely curious,
Kathy
In Feb. 2001, Travel and Holiday published a puff piece on Playa Tambor. I penned the following letter. (There has been no response to date).
If anyone cares to add their two cents (or local currency equivalent), the address is travelhol@aol.com
Dear Editor:
I just read your review of Playa Tambor, and I am appalled. Out of all of the places to pick, you choose the one with the worst environmental record. Barcelo's abuse of environmental regulations in Costa Rica has been both systematic and repeated. And they have been fined for these violations. But this fact does not appear in your article. The scarlet macaws (who have clipped wings so they may not fly) are kept there in violation of Costa Rican law. As you point out, Barcelo is running a zoo. I can't believe that Neal Matthews was completely unaware of this (as it was well publicized in your competitor Conde Nast Traveler), but I do believe that he did not pay a penny for his stay. The "excusivity" of the resort is an enforced one, generated by the fact that they have a guardpost at the entry road, and no one without a valid reason may enter. Guests lose a lot by staying here. They miss out on Costa Rica. They might be anywhere. I have a personal reason for my protest as well. Barcelo threatened a lawsuit against my publisher some years back. You can read about it at http://www.catch22.com/~vudu/tambor.html
There are a multitude of coastal resorts in Costa Rica, if one must have a beach. (There are better locales for beaches, to be sure). So it is strange that you chose this particularly unsavory one. Every dollar we spend sends a message. One might argue, and people do, that the resort is built, the damage is done, so why not patronize it? The reason is that planting your dollars in the hands of the likes of Barcelo sends a message loud and clear: the hotel version of white collar crime (i.e. in the form of degrading the environment) pays. This is the reason that Barcelo has continued its expansion in Costa Rica and that similar environmentally-degrading resorts are opening elsewhere in Costa Rica, in Tamarindo, in Puntarenas, in Manuel Antonio. Furthermore, such coverage strengthens the hands of environmental devils at work in places ranging from Mauritius to Mexico. I hope that your magazine will realize that there is life after advertising. There are many ethical establishments in Costa Rica. Perhaps you might undertake to review them.
Harry S. Pariser
Author
Explore Costa Rica.
It elicited the following response from Nicaragua:
Date: Sun, 4 Mar 2001 11:39:20 -0800 (PST) From: Thomas Fletcher
From: "Shirley Gasparin"
my response:
Obviously, you did not read the web page. http://www.catch22.com/~vudu/tambor.html What did you read? This company bribed officials and were fined (not once, but twice) for their activities. Moreover, by supporting such hotels you send a message that this is OK. Animals do not run freely around a hotel. Unless they have been domesticated. I saw scarlet macaw there with clipped wings. As far as deforestation goes, that is a separate issue, and you should know well about it; BC leads the world in this, and what are you doing or have done about it? The same problems you cite about garbage, etc. are equally true where you live. It is just that Canadians do a better job of hiding it. Anyone familiar with reforestatation, knows that you can not easily restore tropical forest, any more than planting pines instead of redwoods is restoration. This is tree farming... Harry S. Pariser
her response:
Date: February 27, 2001 8:48 AM Subject: Re: Just a note. I just received your reply on my letter about Tambor. It is quite obvious that you have some major issues.How would you know if the birds wings are clipped if you have not spent time at Playa Tambor, did you hide out in the bushes? As for the road only being paved to Tambor you obviously have'nt been there for awhile, the road is paved to Montezuma. Oh and what do YOU do with your garbage? I hope you have taken a good look at the way you run your life before you accuse people of doing wrong.!!!! As for reforestation in B.C we take great pride in replanting.Also B.C is known for its many, many national parks, so please I am no fool. If you are going to attack someone in regards to the way they operate then why just stick to one person, why are you not attacking the whole of Costa Rica and the way other people use or misuse their forests. I read the issue you wrote on Playa Tambor, have you written so many you have forgotten what each topic is about? Just to make you feel a bit better I am very active in not distroying what we have and I make a point of living my life in a manner that doesn't disrespect our animal life and our forests.
She doesn't think that BC has a deforestation problem---amazing!
From: Jerryrich2@aol.com Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 13:08:11 EST Subject: GREED IN TAMBOR BEACH COSTA RICA To: internetmail@savethemanatee.com Tambor Beach has became another Jamaica orCancun with 5 greedy american business men leading the way. At one time, PRIOR TO THE GREED it was a beautiful C.R. fishing village, with the nicest people in the world, but along came the people who wanted it all in one year now what they have is dwindling tourism,and those that do come are dismayed and dissapointed,one food establishment raised his prices and the next year everyone else joined in, its like driving thru Canada and seeing all the gas stations have the same prices, the tourist can still go to Tamarindo or Flamingo and be served a great meal comparable or much better at 1/2 the price,with a smile and a nice conversation you will not find this in Tambor Beach there only thought is how much can we get, Hawaii is the place to be treated with dignity and honesty
From: "Margery Banks"
X-POP3-Rcpt: vudu@Radar X-Originating-IP: [216.66.134.115] From: "Edward Herbert"
X-POP3-Rcpt: vudu@Radar X-Sender: mhoare@mail.globalnet.co.uk Date: Fri, 01
Jan 1999 21:23:03 +0000 To: vudu@catch22.com From: Martin Hoare
X-POP3-Rcpt: vudu@Radar Date: Thu, 15 Jan 1998 15:56:28 -0800 From: dwilson
X-POP3-Rcpt: vudu@Radar From: "Ann Farr"
X-POP3-Rcpt: vudu@Radar Date: Mon, 28 Jul 1997 23:44:36 -0700 From: kurtz
X-POP3-Rcpt: vudu@Radar Date: Sun, 27 Apr 1997 10:28:18 +0000 From: Bob Butler
X-POP3-Rcpt: vudu@Radar Date: Tue, 15 Apr 1997 16:58:40 -0400 From: Scott Chudy
X-POP3-Rcpt: vudu@Radar From: Ellysue@aol.com Date: Wed, 5 Feb 1997 00:31:19
-0500 (EST) To: vudu@catch22.com Subject: playa Tambor My husband and I and
some friends just returned from a wonderful week at Playa Tambor. The hotel
is beautiful, the grounds immaculate and full of beautiful flowers, trees, grasses,
etc. Birds and beautiful butterflies abound, as do squirrels, crabs on the black
sand beach and other animals common to that area. The staff was friendly and
helpful, the food excellent. The hotel is large but placed so cleverly within
the trees, that you can barely see it as you approach the beach by boat. I can
certainly understand the viewpoint of those who wish to avoid overdevelopment
of the tourist trade in C.R. at the possible cost of its natural charm. Just
look at Cancun for an awful example of that. But, right now, the country is
still unspoiled and Playa Tambor a luxurious addition to the beauty of the jungle
that surrounds it.
X-POP3-Rcpt: vudu@Radar From: Ellysue@aol.com Date: Wed, 5 Feb 1997 23:41:38
-0500 (EST) To: vudu@catch22.com Subject: Re: playa Tambor There appears to
be two sides to the story, and I certainly am not in a position to know who
is telling the truth. All I can tell you about is what I saw and my experience
at Playa Tambor. I saw healthy animals and vegetation, the natural black sand,
a well kept and clean hotel, pleasant and seemingly not unhappy staff. Some
of the letters I read on the Net sound a little paranoid and others of them
do not impress me as being from someone whose opinion I would value. Thank you
for responding to me. It is nice to know that there truly is a person out there.
p.s. The remark from Dan Quayle is hilarious and true to form!
X-POP3-Rcpt: vudu@Radar From: Ellysue@aol.com Date: Wed, 12 Feb 1997 21:57:55
-0500 (EST) To: vudu@catch22.com Subject: Re: playa Tambor To each their own.
We generally found C.R. lovely, the people charming, the food very good. If
you want to complain about the encroachment of "tourism," try Sarchi, the tchachka
(sp?) capital of central America! It seems to me that it's time to stop beating
a dead horse. Playa Tambor is there and seems to be drawing a very continental
crowd. Those of us who enjoy that kind of place were happy. What the future
holds for the development of similar large hotels remains to be seen. Incidentally,
the local enconomy cannot be suffering from the very many people who gain employment
in a large development like that. We noticed that the buspersons and waiters
and waitresses were young people who might not have had an opportunity at a
decent job if it were not for the hotel. Let us not rush to throw the baby out
with the bath water. (Sorry, but I can't fault much about Hillary. She is correct.
They are the president!)
X-POP3-Rcpt: vudu@Radar From: KDiewert@aol.com Date: Tue, 4 Feb 1997 16:03:00
-0500 (EST) To: vudu@catch22.com Subject: Playa Tambor Having visited the Nicoya
Peninsula in 1991/92 and again in 92/93, we visited the site both before and
after the development. On our first visit we had a room booked at the small
hotel which occupied the sight. We were shocked to see on our return one year
later that the massive hotel had overtaken the site. We went on too spend 9
days (of our 32 days in C.R.) in wonderful Montezuma during which time we spent
talking to many locals about the hotel who generally hated the development.
Talk of the construction workers who died had not been given proper and prompt
medical attention, the beach encroachment and sand excavation. We had such a
great experience there but in the back of my mind was the nagging feeling that
this would all end with the expansion of the development. Already Land Rovers
rolled through town daily to Cabo Blanco. I am inspired that you would take
on Grupo Barcelo for I had considered attempting a smear campaign amongst travel
offices in Canada. I am relieved (for now) to hear that the massive expansion
is at least delayed if not cancelled. It is largely due the committed diligence
of a few indivduals like yourself. My wife and I are waiting for our newborn
son to be old enough to travel with us to visit the most wonderful place we've
ever been. We're hoping the the road is still not paved from Pacquera to Montezuma.
It makes the stay all the more special after surviving that (second only in
our experience to the tractor ride to Rara Avis. But that might be too much
to ask for. Thank-you.
Didn't know Tambor was suing your editor. Don't know where my copy of Adventure
in Costa Rica disappeared to so can't look to see what you said. I've always
made a promise to myself NOT to mention some place that I don't like. It saves
me from personal lawsuits that I just don't need. The first time we visited
Tambor I could tell Most of our readers would be turned off to the place so
we just pretend it doesn't exist. The Costa Rican people like it, especially
those who can afford it. Travel agents like it because they get good commissions.
Sun worshippers like it because there is not much else to do. But frankly, Costa
Rica has too much to offer a traveler to spend time being entertained at a Club
Med type resort.---Anonymous by request
Hi:
You are not alone. I just returned from Playa Tambor as a first time guest.
Many complaints. I even thretened the management team that I would post my own web page (http://www.metro.net/talamanca/) to advertise their poor administrative services.
As a follow-up. I grew up in Costa Rica. I love to fish and beach comb for pure fun. The beach at Playa Tabor is void of life??? I could not even find a live Hermit Crab on the 5,000 acres of the resort. Had to walk with my son 5 Km until off the property of the hotel before we found crabs. Very disturbing to me.
They loaned me a Sailfish and the rudder would not lower when it should have, as a result, I had to jump into the surf to rescue the boat from major damge. The upper spar was bent and the hotel charged me USA $90.00 for the repairs. Nice! I did not cause the damage, but they charged me. A true rip. At home, I have a Sunfish and I have no problems lowering the rudder from the cockpit. This hotel endangered my life with equipmewnt that does not work as required by the manufacturer. Here in the USA I would have filed a Coast Guard complaint.
By the way they never provided a legal, properly fiting, personal floatation device.
A VISA slip I signed for the hotels room safety box has never been accounted for. It toook me over 1.5 hours to check out of the hotel because of this very big administrative error.
I love Costa Rica, my home country, but I do not aprove of a resort that clears away the life that I went home to expect to be still thriving. Please forgive my spelling errors. (Ed. note: I have corrected these!)
What can be done about this type of poor service and rape of nature?
I hope the world hears about this.
Con un cordial saludo!
Wes Sheehy
Talamanca@metro.net
URL: http://www.metro.net/talamanca/
Bravo on a great web page regarding the Playa Tambor. I will review the materials in depth, but I am creating a link from the Eco Travels in Latin America website (http://www.planeta.com/) to your page. I'll also plug your book. I'll have the link available on the Central America page by tomorrow morning.
Saludos,
Ron Mader
Miami, Florida
Ron E. Mader, Publisher
El Planeta Platica: Eco Travels in Latin America
WWW http://www.planeta.com
Ron@txinfinet.com
Here's Ron's review:
Censorship and Costa Rica Harry Pariser, author of Adventure Guide to Costa Rica, has an interesting
web page detailing the Playa Tambor project in Costa Rica. The original description
has been removed from his book. The URL of the web page is http://www.catch22.com/~vudu/tambor.html.
Costa Rica is often cited as a "model" of ecotourism. Here's one of the rough
spots. For more info, contact Harry at (415) 665-4829 or write 1327 9th Av.,
No. 1, San Francisco, CA 94122; Email: vudu@Catch22.COM
Re the hotel, solicitors' letter etc - copy of your stuff sent on by Ron Mader:
This was the approach followed by Ok Tedi Mining Ltd in New Guinea, for example, when an Australian NGO criticised their environmental management. They invited a team from the NGO to go visit the site at OTML's expense. I don't know the outcome but I remember the approach.
Profesor Haynes Goddard M.
X-url: http://www.Catch22.COM/
Date: Mon, 05 Aug 1996 16:09:54 -0600
Hello Harry,
Thank god somebody has had the guts to tell the world about the terrible affect that the hotels are having here in Costa Rica, Playa Tambor being one of the worst.
If those losers are serious about suing you or your publisher, tell us
and we will let you have the real dirt on BARCELO! Whats more, we will be happy to let it be known that they are trying to sue you.
Good luck,
Anny and Leslie
August 05,1996
Dear Ms.Aprill:
I am sorry that the attached document has come to my notice at this late date. I would have liked to have commented on it at the time that it was written but that was impossible. While I am sure that you may find many errors in my use of words, I trust that the message will be plain. As I have used the good services of Holland and Knight in years past, while a resident in South Florida, I am astounded that this outstanding institution has debased itself in defending an organization such as BARCELO. It is obvious to me that your person has not undertaken even the most rudimentary study to verify the facts of the case or perhaps it is that my newly found disrespect for the legal profession is justified in that you just don't care as long as you are paid! How much did they pay you to prostitute yourself to their cause? It is absolutely incredible to me that any institution in the United States of America would publicly defend a corporation that illegally destroys natural habitat. Is this the new face of Uncle Sam, promoting development in virginforest? Is it only your personal expedience at issue or is this the new direction that Holland and Knight is taking? I consider your heavy handed pressure on Hunter Publishing unconstitutional on the basis of free speech and suppression of information. It is obvious that this small publishing house could never sustain a protracted defense and you have therefore used the power of a large and prestigious legal firm to your own selfish ends. Shame on you and a sad day for Holland and Knight! As to the facts, I have added to your original demand with information in italics.
If you have any interest in saving your soul, I suggest that you respond to this enlightening information directly to the institutions and persons listed in the "Copies to:" list.
Sincerely and honestly yours,
Leslie A. duToit
Copies to:
Vice President of the United States, Al Gore
The United States Embassy, SanJose, Costa Rica
The Miami Herald, Miami
The Tico Times, San Jose, Costa Rica
BARCELO International Corporation, Costa Rica Mr. Michael Kaye, President, Costa Rica Expeditions, San Jose, Costa Rica The Ecotourism Society, Vermont Greenpeace,Washington D.C. Harry S. Pariser, Author of "Adventure guide to Costa Rica"
Following is the complete letter from Holland and Knight to Hunter Publishing. The "FACTS" are in Italics, added by Leslie du Toit.
Adventure Guide to Costa Rica. Second Edition
Gentlemen
Barcelo International Corporation has asked this firm to communicate with you on its behalf concerning a reference to Playa Tambor Hotel in Costa Rica (the "Hotel ") in the captioned publication.
The reference to the Hotel appears at pages 333-334 (a copy is enclosed) and contains several false and defamatory statements of which appear to have been published for the specific purpose of disparaging the Hotel and its owner/developers (the "Article"). Moreover, the Article devoted to this intentional disparagement is contained in a section entitled "accommodations, " yet offers the reader little or no information about the accommodations offered by the Hotel, is misleading in its "description," and has harmed and continues to harm Barcelo in its business by imparting falsehoods which can only be intended to convince those who would read the Guide not only to avoid patronlzing the Hotel, but to protest its existence Tour group have cancelled or declined booking due to the Hotel's reputation as a result of the Article.
The specific falsehoods and misleading statements contained in the Article and the truth about each in brief summary are as follows:
A The statement that Barcelo promised to respect Costa Rican Law, but implicitly did not. The construction of the Hotel was fully permitted and in compliance with then existing Costa Rican law.
The statement that BARCELO promised to respect Costa Rican Law, but implicitly did not.
The construction of the Hotel is not and never was permitted and never was and in many respects is not in compliance with any past or existing Costa Rican Laws.
To whit: the construction was halted by FECON in compliance of existing laws and destruction of natural habitat. Construction proceeded after considerable political pressure. (Videos,photographs and supporting documentation is freely available.)
BThe statement that a swamp that was home to hundreds of waterfowl was completely drained, that a hlllside was destroyed to quarry the stone underneath it, that more than 240 truckloads of white sand was moved from Playa Punta Piedra Amarilla and other sand was dredged from the Rio Panica to cover the original black sand beach are false and disparaging. In fact, no swamp ever existed at the construction site which was previously a low lying cattle grazing area with an elevation of no greater than ten feet surrounded by hills, no sand was was ever deposited over the black sand, and the only sand brought into the area was river bottom sand and gravel customarily used in construction which was completely authorized by law. No sand was ever taken from Playa Punta Piedra Amarilla at all, and no damage was ever caused the beach or existing vegetation or wild life--no trees were felled, no waterfowl destroyed and the property has, in fact, been enhanced by the addition of 2,000 to 3,000 plants.
The Hotel complex is built entirely on what was previously a mangrove swamp, contrary to the laws respecting the coastal zone" Zona Maritimo Terrestre" ratified in 1977. All the coastal vegetation was destroyed in the construction. White sand from Playa Punta Piedra Amarilla was trucked in and Rio Panica was dredged. All the existing natural vegetation was destroyed. To the extent of approximately 5%, vegetation has been replaced by exotic ornamental plants contrary to laws governing the coastal zone (Zona Maritimo Terrestre) ratified in 1977. No permission was ever given for the destruction of said vegetation. (Videos, photographs and supporting documentation is freely available.
C The statement that the Hotel was built within 50 meters of the beach in violation of applicable law is completely false and disparaging. The Article's author seems to have confused the Hotel with others that are in violation of the law in this regard.
The following parts of the Hotel are within the 50m exclusive zone: Swimming pools, bars, concrete dance floors,pool pumphouses, bridges, game courts, vending stalls. This is contrary to laws governing the coastal zone (Zona MaritimoTerrestre) ratified in1977. (Videos,photographs and supporting documentation is freely available.) The article's author is absolutely correct!
D. The statement that the Hotel's sewage and garbage is deposited in the Rio Panica, also in violation of applicable law, is false and disparaging The Hotel is one of the few to have constructed its own water treatment plant No waste from the Hotel is or has even been deposited into the Rio Panlca, althouqh other properties are believed to discharge waste into the ocean.
As a point of specific fact, Hotel Playa Tambor is one of the few hotels that does not have a wastewater treatment plant.It is considered by local environmental groups that the political favoritism shown to BARCELO permits this hotel to defy every environmental law in Costa Rica. The levels of fecal coliform measured in the ocean in front of the hotel, by this scribe, in 1995 were +/-400 times higher than those that would force the closure of a beach in the USA. (A simple site visit would suffice to prove the point).
E. The statement that Barcelo is "accused" of havlng repeatedly violated the law in the Dominican Republic with its Bavaro Beach Hotels is a false and disparaging rumor, obviously intended to poison any reader against Barcelo and its properties in general, despite the fact that no violations of law suggested in the Article have been confirmed.
Has Ms.Aprill verified this information with local authorities in the Dominican Republic?
F. The statement that Barcelo is presently planning to build eight hotels in the region of Playa Tambor, implicitly describing an overcrowded and environmentally unsound project, is false and disparaging.
Does Ms.Aprill have access to Costa Rican newspapers in which officials representing BARCELO state their intentions to expand? With our knowledge of BARCELO's environmental record,that expansion is bound to be disastrous.
G The statement attributed to Juan Gallego, accusing Barcelo of "19th century labor practices, " even if made by Gallego, is unfounded and demonstrates a total lack of investigation and balanced reporting by the author. While it is true that two workers were accident victims who unfortunately lost their lives durlng constructlon, th ere is no truth to the statements that archaic labor practices-- or violations of labor laws were responsible for this and it is utterly false to say that these accidents resulted in the pursuit of charges in Costa Rica's highest court. There neither is nor was any legal action concerning these accidents and the statement suggesting that legal efforts by the ASCONA concernlng the Hotel have any legal basis or have been successful is completely misleading.
"archaiclaborpractices..." by whose standards? Those workers were paid,on average,$0.60 an hour and worked 10 hours a day! We do not consider this worth dying for. No doubt Ms. Aprill is from the South where they did not have to pay the slaves. The fact is that ASCONA did enjoy some success as did other environmental organizations, but as any minority organization in the United States will testify, big politics and big legal firms are always one step behind and the small guy almost always gets beaten up!
As we have stated above, the foregolng statements contained in the article have caused Barcelo serious harm and continue to do so. The Article constitutes intentional interference with the business of Barcelo, is an injurious falsehood or trade libel, and is an excesssive publication intended to reach potential patrons of the hotel for an improper purpose. Barcelo demands that the publisher immediately halt distribution of the Adventure Guide until such time as the Article can be removed or concealed and recall those books whivch have been sold to libraries or others that can be identified, Barcelo further demands publiation of a corrective article which omits the false statements set forth above. Failing this or comparable action within 15 days herefrom, Barcelo will be forced to institute legal action to protect its reputation and will seek money damages and other remedies to it.
Sincerely,
Susan H. Aprill
Ms. Aprill As the astute councillor that you surely are, you must concede that TRUTH will never be considered libel in any manner in any society. If the presented information has proven injurious to your clients,so be it.No fault but their own! However, what is unforgivable is that you have used misrepresentation and obfuscation on the part of your client to subdue that truth and that does not bear well with the public. I am sorry that Hunter Publishing was forced into submission by you, as had this case been prosecuted, you and/or yourclient BARCELO would have had to prove that all that was published was false. I challenge you and/or BARCELO to take this issue here in Costa Rica where we all know what the facts are! It is cowardly of BARCELO to have attempted redress in theUSA where it would have been difficult and expensive for the defendant to prove the facts. Notwithstanding the bullying and pressure from highpowered attorneys, we will never bow to you or the BARCELOs of the world, andwewill not stop our justified and provable criticisms of their unholy environmental destruction! Remember this; 50 years after the beginning of the destruction of the Florida Everglades by the Corp of Engineers,we are at last seeing an attempt at redress
X-POP3-Rcpt: vudu@Radar
Date: Fri, 16 Aug 1996 12:20:55 -0700
From: "David G. Smith"
I stayed at this resort and it was really nice. The only complaints I
have are the roads and signs to the resort are barely adequate and they
played the song La CocoBana way too much. I had to leave because I
couldn't stand to hear that song one more time - actually I had to leave
for other reasons but it would have got to that point before long.
Also I cannot find a way to make reservations there on the internet and their internet sight doesn't even leave a fax or phone number, nor does it give its exact location for those that don't know it.
Date: Sun, 25 Aug 1996 08:53:35 -0700
From: "David G. Smith"
I don't see that they are harming the environment; it is but a small
stretch of beach. If it was against Costa Rica Law, why doesn't Costa
Rica shut it down?? From what I have read, the laws they wrote were to satisfy a few but they were not enforcing them due to the revenue being brought to Costa Rica from the tourism. Why is Tambor being singled out here?
I read Barcelo's rebutal and they have countered your arguments pretty
darn well. I agree there had better be a limit to the amount of beach
that can be taken up by resorts, and it should be very small - say one
foot for every 500 feet of beach. I don't know what is correct; that is
just a wild guess to illustrate a point.
I learned about Tambor through the locals in San Jose. All touted this
as the best place to go after I was frusterated with some other rip off
resorts. I (we - 6 of us) tried Tambor out and what a great place. But
it was nowhere near full.
In my opinion they have to do several things:
1. Limit the number of resorts by area and strictly supervise buildings,
plans, and permits.
2. Enforce violations with stiff penalties.
3. Require at least 90% occupancy at least 50% of the time with present resorts before allowing any more to be built. - - You see problems in cities where they keep building new office buildings, shopping centers, apartments, etc. when the existing ones are not full. People move to the new properties and the old ones are left to rot, become eyesores,and perhaps hadens (sic) for crime.
4. Oversee operations to ensure the tourist is not being ripped off due
to the limited resorts - otherwise this era Costa Rica is enjoying to
aid themselves in getting out of debt will be relatively short lived.
There is already negative talk regarding their treating tourists poorly
and gouging where they can. Take Holiday Inn for example. They charge $60 per person round trip bus ride from Aurola Holiday Inn in San Jose to Playa Flamingo. A round trip San Jose bus to Santa Cruz ( a fewmiles from Flamingo) is like $10. If one has a family of 4 what a ripoff - $240 versus say $80 total including taxis. Does Holiday Inn need to gouge tourists like this to make a reasonable profit? When people at the resort discovered the cost of a San Jose bus there, they were furious. They were forced to find other transportation back when the resort was dead as a door nail - that is when they found out how badly they had been ripped off.
I'm sure there are many more details which need be worked out. I don't
know what your real beef is with Tambor as there are others that have
violated the unenforced laws too, but you appear to be well educated and I'm sure much of what you tout is legitimite. If you are really
concerned with the environment, you will concentrate on preventing
future resorts and verifying the waste from the present resorts is
properly treated prior to discharge anywhere. Closing Tambor now will hurt the environment more because no one is going to restore what was there before. I met 2 housekeeping ladies with ninos that were starving and resorted to doing sex work prior to the opening of Tambor. Now they have a respectable job. There is always 2 sides remember.
To: vudu@catch22.com
Subject: RECENT PERSONAL EXPERIENCE @ PLAYA TAMBOR
WISH WE WOULD HAVE READ YOUR ARTICLES PRIOR TO OUR LAST VACATION IN COSTA RICA. WHILE THERE I WAS TOLD BY EMPLOYEES THAT THE RESORT IN STILL DUMPING RAW SEWAGE INTO THE RIVER. FURTHER THEY KEPT FEW OF THEIR PROMISES OF A 5 STAR HOLIDAY. OUR ROOM WAS HOME TO ALL KINDS OF CRITTERS INCLUDING NUMEROUSLARGE THREATENING BEETLES AND AT LEAST ONE RAT. I GOT UP AT 5AM ONE MORNING AND WENT OUT FOR A WALK. UPON EXITING MY ROOM I IMMEDIATELY SMELLED THE AROMA OF A HERBICIDE WHICH SMELLED LIKE THE INFAMOUS AGENT ORANGE I EXPERIENCED IN VIETNAM. THIS HERBICIDE WAS BEING SPRAYED ON THE EDGES OF THE LAWN ON WHICH PEOPLE WALKED BAREFOOT BETWEEN THE POOL AND THEIR ROOMS, AND FURTHER WAS INGESTED BY THE WILDLIFE. THE BEDS WERE ALMOST AS HARD AS BOARDS, AND WHILE PRIOR TO OUR TRIP WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE BEDS WERE QUEEN SIZE, WE ARRIVED TO A DOUBLE BED. UPON OUR COMPLAINT TO THE FRONT DESK WE WERE ADVISED THAT THEY HAD ONLY DOUBLE BEDS. BARCELOS' ADVERTISING FOR THE PROPERTY PROMISED A NUMBER OF THINGS NOT DELIVERED. WHILE THEIR BROCHURE PROMISED THE USE OF A ALA CARTE RESTURANT IN ADDITION TO THE BUFFET UPON ARRIVAL WE WERE ADVISED, IN WRITING, THAT WE WERE WELCOME TO USE THE A LA CARTE RESTURANT ONLY ONCE EVERY THREE DAYS. THE BEACH WAS FILTHY AND LITTERED WITH ITEMS SUCH AS CONDUMS, PLASTIC BOTTLES, ETC. THEIR ADVERTISED SPORTS EQUIPMENT LEFT A LOT TO BE DESIRED, JUST ONE EXAMPLE WAS A NAUTICAT THAT I TOOK OUT TO SAIL, UPON GETTING BEYONG THE SURF LINE AND GETTING OUR FIRST WIND THE MAST COLLAPSED, KNOCKING ME OFF THE BOAT. IN THAT INCIDENT I LOST A $300.00 PAIR OF SUNGLASSES AND $40 I HAD IN MY POCKET. UPON MY PERSONAL INSPECTION, AND I AM A EXPERIENCED SAILOR, IT WAS CLEAR THAT THE MAST COLLAPSED AS A RESULT OF SIMPLE LACK OF MAINTENANCE. WHILE I COULD GO ON FOREVER WITH MY COMPLAINTS I WILL CLOSE WITH THE FOLLOWING; ANOTHER OUTRAGE WAS THEIR "ZOO" WHICH CONTAINED ONE LONELY CROCODILE OR CAYMAN CONTAINED IN A MUDDY PIT SURROUNDED BY A SHORT CYCLONE FENCE. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO BRING MY COMPLAINTS TO THE ATTENTION OF ONSITE MANAGEMENT, THEY WERE TOTALLY UNRESPONSIVE AND APPEARED TO HAVE THE ATTITUDE THAT WE WERE CAPTIVE THERE AND HAD PAID IN ADVANCE, SO TOO BAD.
Date: Sat, 15 Feb 1997 18:08:33 -0500 (EST)
To: vudu@catch22.com
Subject: Costa Rica/ Barcelo Hotel
Dear Harry,
As a native Costa Rican living in the United States I look at the
nation with great disapointment at the realization that the nation is slowly
being sold out out to these resort developments. I am twenty years old and I
fear that the diversity of nature that can be found in Costa Rica is
disapearing and my children will have a harder time in accessing the true
ecosysytem available, I would hate to have them go into a resort and do their
ecotouring in a man-made system.
I was at the Barcelo Hotel this summer and as nice as it was I was
not fooled by their trained "wildlife". I believe that they are causing these
animals great harm by forcing them to co-exist withthe tourists. In addition
I was disturbed by the fact that they have some of their birds in cages. I
was heartbroken by the bison that they are training for tourists to ride on.
This seems more like a circus than an ecologycally conscious development. AS
for the sand I don't know about that it looked pretty dark to me, however as
walked down the beach I have to admit that i did not see any traces of marine
life within the sand.
My largest complaint of the Barcelo Hotel was of the service. When
it was time for me to sign out I was literally kicked out by one of the
cleaning attendants because I was tenminutes late in leaving the room. In
addition They wanted to charge me $15 dollars per person for the ten minutes.
I have never been at a hotel that does not allow a grace period for signing
out. On top of that when I tried to explain this to the man in charge of the
front desk he went to the extreme of telling me that he did not have any more
time to listen to my ":lies." After This insult I asked to speak to his
supervisor. He claimed that his supervisor was not in the building and would
not be returning for another hour and a half. Fourty five minutes later I
found out that the front desk attendant had lied to me. The supervisor was in
fact in the hotel. Not only that he had been in his office all along.
I am glad that someone has chosen to speak out and if you need
any help please contact me .
Goodluck!
Fabiola
Backto
Playa Tambor "Ecotourism" Page
Date: Sat, 20 Jul 1996 18:10:52 +0000
Date: Wed, 31 Jul 96 08:55:38 CDT
Well i don't know anything about that particular hotel or Costa Rican law, but I've been involved in some similar disputes in relation to other industry sectors.
One approach you MIGHT care to take would be to contact the hotel directly and ask if they would be prepared to pay for your transport to their site and take time to show you around and make documents available to support their contentions, and answer any claims made by NGO's or whoever. Better still, would they allow/encourage/support a visit by you as writer plus a representative of the conservation group. That way you can make your own judgement and write accordingly.
Regards
Sounds as though you are being threaten with a SLAP suit, and you may have
specific rights under Florida law against this. A number of states have
outlawed the practice, and Florida may be one.
Date: Thu, 3 Oct 1996 22:37:21 -0400