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#221241 07/02/06 01:47 AM
Joined: Jul 2006
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I have been a reader of this board for quite some time and have found it interesting and a good source of info to travellers. I do agree it is important to post items, even though they may seem negative to some but also a caution to others, and hence my post about my experience on CC: a warning to the innocent,kind and good hearted traveller. I was on the island end November last year for a couple of weeks and it was my first overseas trip and first time travelling on my own. I did a snorkel trip with a shop up near the split opposite a dive shop. Anyway, my guide was Harry and he seemed at the time one of the best person I had ever met - friendly, caring, fun and made one feel so wonderful. We ended hanging out together most of my time on the island - breakfast, lunch, dinner, nights out, drinks, he practically moved into my hotel room. I thought I had found Mr Right and as they say love is blind, I never thought twice about paying for everything as he told me he had trouble making ends meet to support his kids and it was slow season or he hadn't been paid. We had many a long talks, which included his dreams of his own house and how he has saved nearly enough money and just needed a little more to move in with his kids by Christmas. He ask if I could lend him some, with his promise of paying me back as busy season was coming. At the time I thought life couldn't get better, with promises of waiting for me when I return and our relationship was so special ....I guess I was sure caught hook, line and sinker and gave him some money but explained it meant my finances were now very low as I had also extended my stay on the island.Things then started to change when I decided to let him pay for a meal or a drink..in which he never did as he seem to have an excuse of not being paid or a promise to pay me back later. Also started making himself scarce, saying he had things to do and on the day I was leaving we had breakfast together and then couldn't find him anywhere when it was time for me to go. I asked around hoping to find him before I left CC and was told he gone to the city as he didn't have a trip.I realised then what I had started to suspect, that I had been scammed and cheated big time and how everything he said was such a lie and I was just a provider of food, sex and a good life. I was upset and angry but felt more foolish, embarrassed and stupid than anything else. A few days after I had left the island I met up with some travellers who were regular visitors to the island and I told them what happened. They didn't seem at all surprise as Harry had tried it on them once before and had asked them to 'invest' in a boat for him and that he will repay them back. They also told me they had seen him on the island in the last days of their stay and he was all over another tourist girl (and so his good life starts again). They said he had been doing the same routine with innocent tourist for years... Well call me stupid, foolish, an idiot and I agree, and I have learnt a huge lesson in life and a much wiser person, which cost me some dollars as well, but if this post saves some innocent naive good hearted tourist from being scammed and used by Harry then it was worth it. I know I probably wasn't the first to be scammed and unfortunately won't be the last, but just beware, he can put on a real good act and make it all sound so sincere and genuine and he probably isn't the only one out there who does this. Call it survival or whatever you like, but for me it just showed what lengths a person would go to for their own selfishness and greed, so sad. And is just another example in regards to Lawydy comments......when you have something to give, then they want to know you, once you have no more to give, then you are nothing. Lastly, I must say Harry is an excellent tour guide and he does his job well, but it is such a shame he uses it to find his next innocent victim. I don't know if Harry is still working for the same shop or another but this post is in no way reflective of the shop I did my trip through which provided professional,friendly and helpful service.
I hope this isn't deleted from the message board as I didn't put it as a negative comment and it is directed only at one person, plus I gave a lot of thought whether to post it or not; it is just a warning for the innocent and good hearted travellers in the world. Scammers and cheaters are all over the world but here is one to watch out for.

#221242 07/02/06 10:36 AM
Joined: Apr 2005
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Hi, Hope you are doing well, This is from your neighbor. I was raised in Hawaii on an outer island spent 27 yrs of my life their I was as local as a white girl could ever be. Mt friends were all natives and we spent most of our time at the beach. My young men friends were constantly hussling the tourist girls, it was their job. Its pretty much the same here with some exceptions, This is only my opinion. Most of the Harrys here and most of every native here are to our standards poor. Their parents and grandparents did not have the tourist to suppliment their income. We come here go out to eat everynight wave our money around talk about what we have and where weve been and leave to go back to our mansions and expensive cars and all our things. This however may not be the case alot of us dont have at all what we are typecast to have. I know this was your first time here and I dont know how much you have traveled to places were alot of people are dependent on tourist, where a slow season can mean you literally dont have food. But its always tourist beware. I know you are a genuine person and the emotional rape was probably worse that loosing the money and SHAME ON HARRY. Their are probably 20+ Harrys on the street here and not all of them are bad people perhaps they dont respect us because they think we have life to easy, we have to much. I would suggest a warning to everyone, especially young women to be very wary of the to good to be true person you met here that wants to be your best friend because its just a job they do. Its not just here in Belize, its the beach boys of Hawaii, any city or town or village that is poor thet depends on tourist dollars. I am so sorry for what happened to you. I know you cared alot. Its a shame that the wonderful time you had here and all the new friends you made had to be ruined by one persons actions. I am not at all saying what these guys do is right and not all locals here are like that, but it happens alot you are not alone. Thanks again for the pot of Chili you brought us, God bless you.


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#221243 07/02/06 03:00 PM
Joined: Feb 2006
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It made me really sad to read your post. I guess some people feel it's OK to use a kind, giving person..their feelings, their money, their bodies, and their trust, and have no thought about how the consequences of their actions affect the other person. I just dont get it.
I hope that you are healing from this and the next person you meet will treat you with the respect and kindness you deserve.

#221244 07/02/06 10:44 PM
Joined: Jul 2006
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Does 'Harry' go by the name of 'El Rey' and spend time on Ambergris Caye?

#221245 07/03/06 10:38 AM
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 477
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Indeed, this same thing happens every day on every tropical island in the land.

I am sincerely glad that you posted this and I am impressed how genuine you were in your trust of him prior to his disappearance. It reflects well on you coming to a strange place with such an open mind.

Aside from posting a list of good guys and bad guys on Caye Caulker, the best way to check on someone is to ask. If the certain someone has been on the island for a while, everyone knows if he is a gamer or not.

Unfortunately, there are VERY FEW genuinely single and employed men on the island with the time to fall in love with you. When REAL MEN fall on hard times, they work harder, taking on new and different jobs.

#221246 07/03/06 04:50 PM
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 35
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Here's a story, A poor boy comes to the island and starts to work for his living, Then he meets a white girl and falls in love with her, the problem is she's a tourist. She promises him she'll be back but she never returns, His heart is broken, It happens again. He becomes harder, smarter. If a she can come and steal a heart so can he. Tourists do things on holidays, they'd never do at home. Including sleeping with strangers before they know him.
Before his heart gets broken again, he developes the hustle, do unto others before they do unto you and get dinner and beers bought for you. Unfortunate but true. The facts are that most of the men on these tropical islands have wives, children, sweethearts and one night stands. If only the tourist girl would stay away from the local guys, many wives and girlfriends wouldn't have venereal diseases, and liars for partners. There is no way a man has enough strength not to take what is offered so freely from the girls who come for it.
Maybe you will warn others I hope you do. Just remember, AIDS and Herpes exist on this island, Hope you used condomes and next time ask around before you get serious with a local. Oh yeah, don't ask his friends because they'll lie for him.
Just the facts ma'am, just the facts.

#221247 07/03/06 06:15 PM
Joined: Apr 2005
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Hey Allie, What you say is very true, everyone agrees tourist beware, tourist behave, and one big thing to have respect for being a visitor in someone elses home, but no need to get mad at this woman as it did not happen the way you depict. I am sure many times the way it is is the way you said. What you said was good to hear so others can keep it in mind. I lived next door to this woman for almost 2 months and slamming her at the end of your reply was wrong. I know Harry to, I like him what was said about him dosnt change that. I love going snorkling with him theirs just no way I would find myself in a position with him to be taken in or better to say blindly in love. So I have no problem with him. The woman in question was not the type you wrote about. Yes she should have known better.


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#221248 07/04/06 05:06 PM
Joined: Jul 2006
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You are a fool. You are giving license to the gaggle of losers who prey on tourists. There is absolutley NO excuse or reason for ANYONE to do this for ANY reason no matter where. Is it ok for ANYONE no matter where to screw their business partner, wife, friend, etc... because it is an island in the Caribbean, Central American country, member of CARICOM, island in he Indian Ocean, town in North America, ...

y'all are waaaaayyyyyyyyy off and cannot possibly justify this behavior.


I suspect you have an interest on Caye Caulker touirism wise but you know what, that doesn't cut it. Just as I followed orders at Nuremburg didn't either.

Zeig Heil...

#221249 07/04/06 06:35 PM
Joined: Apr 2005
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I am not defending Harry, It would be great if we had a welcome wagon to greet everyone when they got here with a list of names of people to beware of. We should probably tell EACH person not to drink water from the tap and dont swim after dark on the backside. Baby oil helps with the thimble jelly fish etc etc. I had a great trash guy for a few months then he stole from me. My neighbor had a great yard guy then he took a machette to a young man. Harry has a reputation not a very good one. I have seen alot of locals do real great things and not real great things. The woman in question was to me a real great gal she didnt deserve what she got, but people have to wise up and not get themselves into these positions. It dosnt mean you cant help out, its great when people give to this community, the school really needs computers, With all the great people on this island its sad these things happen, tourism has been the root of spoiling alot of culture in small places, we have had several incidents here the last few weeks. Its hard to move in on another culture, it usually means the loss of the culture. It just isnt cut and dry, it just isnt always that the person who got ripped off is 100% in the right, and the other guy is always 100% wrong, it should be that way, Harry was wrong all these guys are wrong but if the person on the other end was a little wiser The Harrys may be forced to get their income in a little more legitimate way. I suppose the native Americans were wrong when they fought to save their country, oh lets see rape, theft,killing etc etc, Its a topic with too many sides to the story.


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#221250 07/05/06 10:10 AM
Joined: Jul 2006
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Scammers, cons, users...people who prey on other's kindness and generosity, they are all over the globe. If it barks like a dog it is a dog, no matter where in the world it is!
Geography and economic status should not be an excuse for anyone to do this to someone else.

You don't have to be a tourist woman to go after someone else's man and have no morals and you don't have to be an "island boy" to be a user and loser. Neither behavior should be condoned or excused.

People get their heart broken all the time, does that mean they can now hurt the next person they chose to be involved with because someone else broke their heart?

Jools you were a victim because you believed in someone. A lesson learned, for sure, and a heads up for other people too.

[This message has been edited by sea4me (edited 07-05-2006).]

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