Several of us long-term CRT members have posted in multiple threads our dissatisfaction with the direction which the new owners of the CRT website have either chosen to head or allowed Admin 3 a/k/a Don Carlos to take it. When you take into account how well the CRT owners operate their hotel venues, we are all surprised by the poor treatment of the CRT members which they have tolerated from Admin 3 when we know they would not tolerate for a minute similar behavior from their hotel staff.
Likewise, from the Admin 3 point of view, he’s likely perplexed and defensive as to why us long-term CRT members would be offended since we only paid $99 for a life time membership and he’s likely asking “What do these cheap bastards expect? CRT exists to promote the hotels of our owners and the venues of our paying sponsors.” Somebody tell these assholes to just go away!”
So let me try to address this so the owners of CRT can decide which is more important to their hotel business and the CRT website.
For many long-term CRT members, CRT became more of a club of like minded gentlemen than just a website promoting Costa Rica. Many have established close friendships (in real life) which they would have been unable to do if the CRT website had been just a travel promotion website for Costa Rica. These friendships extend even into the local communities of the US since many CRT members get together in the States to sip a few, talk about chicas in CR and bitch about women in the US. Many of these meet ups were announced and arranged through the old CRT website. Not so much anymore. Trips to other places like Colombia, Thailand and the Philippines were coordinated with other members through the CRT website even though other websites are more robust for information about these locations.
The greatest beneficiary of this social club connectivity has been the Sportsmens Lodge and the greatest loser due to the collective rejection by the CRT membership was the Dunn Inn. These two actions indicate the collegiality and club mentality that exists among the long-term members of CRT. The contributions of Members like Vegas Bob, Bang Bang 57, Paco Loco, Third World, Bilko, Gamingman, Phoenix Rising, Proloijio, Mucho Gusto, El Ciego, BlueDevil, RBC 100, El Silencio, ChilliMike, BuzzFla, , DonGordo, GringoTim, CioCio32001, Orange, EsposodeBarbie, Dr. Mario, LaDiablio, Tman, ZigMonger, SafaDino, Twarag, Witling, SinCity, Irish Drifter, Dapanz1, Scuba 1, Scubabum, MuffDiver, Hank Daman, TraylorPark, Redman69, Santas Bro, LionKing, Chi_Trekker, Haywood Jablommi, Rainman3, Shawn4DelRey, HolaB, Ruffnutz, Osgood, Astroglide, Pidd, Papichullo, Vince the Prince, Flyboy, Seawub, CRGolfer, came from their heart and they were sharing their insight with a club of likeminded gentlemen. Many of these guys are no longer posting on CRT, some because of life events, but others because of the direction which the new owners and Admin 3 are taking the CRT website. The CRT website and the hotel owners of CRT are the ones who lose from this – out of site/out of mind.
Although it’s understandable that Admin 3 would not value this since he also owns a travel website that promotes Costa Rica and Sosua travel (
http://www.latintravelvip.com/), it’s unacceptable and his behavior has systematically been destructive to the collegiality and gentleman social club aspects of CRT. If it continues for much longer, I fear that it can also diminish the strong brands which the owners and sponsors of CRT have paid dearly to develop.
Many of my fellow CRT member friends tell me to give it up. It’s a lost cause. CRT as we knew it is No More. I make this last effort only to encourage my fellow CRT members to respond whether you agree or disagree with me. Since Sportsmens Lodge has been the greatest beneficiary of the club like aspects of CRT, maybe you sending TrueSportsman a PM expressing your agreement or disagreement can be helpful. I’m sure that Bill would be delighted to hear from you. He genuinely cares about CRT and is appreciative of what it’s meant to the Sportsmens Lodge business.