Cruising Chrissy wrote in
news:07bd301ihqvvpv7i9oa1i02i3amqr7rsbo@4ax.com:
> On 20 Feb 2004 18:03:40 -0600, Earl wrote:
>
>>Currency converter most countries http://www.xe.com/ucc/
>>
>>Today quote 60.33
>>
>>Last time I was there was a couple years ago 40:1, last
>>summer it was 50:1
>>
>>Since then they have had budget problems and massive
>>inflation. They had to finally put the equivilent of our S&L
>>scandle bailout loans on the official national budget, so
>>interest charges skyrocketed. They stay afloat with help
>>from IMF.
>>
>>There have been a number of flakey initiatives to
>>"modernize" with offshore call centers but they went belly
>>up. Then there has been a massive drop in tourist trade
>>since 9/11 with over half the rooms vacant even at peak
>>season.
>>
>>You have to remember that Jamaica is basicly a Socialist
>>nation with a very poor work ethic ruled by coalitions of
>>gangsters. Add in imported fuel, labor unrest, failing
>>agriculture, etc and you get massive balance of payments
>>problems. Just like the US on the BoP problem, but we can
>>talk other countries into buying our government paper but no
>>one in their right mind wants Jamaican bonds-- not even
>>Jamaican investors.
>>
>>There is a big hope that increased cruise landing will give
>>a boost in tourist dollars, but the lines are basicly
>>stiffing the locals in favor of their inhouse shops/ tourist
>>islands. Scenes of local "vendors" mobing tourists off the
>>boats send chills for anyone concerned with safety. And
>>those are "safe" areas in a country with a murder rate that
>>is out of sight even when compared to the worst US slum.
>
> Most cruisers have this "oh isn't Jamaica a pretty place"
> mentality and even more of them have no clue of the dangers
> that may await them.
>
> Thanks for your most informative and straightforward post.
>
Jamaica is a lovely place to visit.
The airline tourists go to Montego on the NW shore.
The cruise lines are docking at the SE towns and N shore
1/3 of the country lives in Kingston !! (SCentral)
Most of the real violence is in Kingston, just like most of the
problems for California are in LA and SF. As an example there
was a gangland killing of 6 in SpanishTown (Kingston suburb), it
only rated a few lines in the paper.
It takes a long time to destroy a prosperous country, but it can
easily happen if the people are determined to live it up and
party instead of work. |