I heard Dennis Levy got mugged and may have been seriously or fatally injured in Medellin this morning from an unreliable source. Can anyone confirm or hopefully rectify this terrible news?
I heard Dennis Levy got mugged and may have been seriously or fatally injured in Medellin this morning from an unreliable source. Can anyone confirm or hopefully rectify this terrible news?
wow that sucks!!!!!!! i tell everybody here, medellin is a dangerous city, but nobody listens.well mudd obviously this is a terrible evidence for what you have been preaching.
well mudd obviously this is a terrible evidence for what you have been preaching.
now i don't know if it is a coincidence or not, but just yesterday dennislevy casually mentioned on the board that he had up to 10000pesos at times with his wife, that is a helluva lot of money in colombia, and if a bandit somehow got hold of that information i could easily see a scenario like the one latinintro said happened...but still you gotta let go of the wallet in colombia when confronted, these robbers are just vicious/heartless....
poor dennis.
Fathertime!
wow that sucks!!!!!!! i tell everybody here, medellin is a dangerous city, but nobody listens.
now i don't know if it is a coincidence or not, but just yesterday dennislevy casually mentioned on the board that he had up to 10000pesos at times with his wife, that is a helluva lot of money in colombia, and if a bandit somehow got hold of that information i could easily see a scenario like the one latinintro said happened...but still you gotta let go of the wallet in colombia when confronted, these robbers are just vicious/heartless...
Yes but you are living there!!! Your not listening to yourself too!!!
So typical of some here on P-L. You do not have enough home training, let me help you. Say something nice or STFU!
Micky
most likely, and im just speculating from past muggings/ robberies in medellin. somebody was probably watching him, either for 30 min, or a week. you can be in a mall, at the store buying something and somebody is watching you and your a walking target when you leave, or somebody talked/ blabbed or bragged about $$$ and somebody targeted him. i doubt he was dumb enough to be wearing fancy clothes or jewelry living there.
So typical of some here on P-L. You do not have enough home training, let me help you. Say something nice or STFU!
Micky
It's hit the news now. Very sad to hear.... RIP Dennis.
http://www.elcolombiano.com/BancoConocimiento/A/asesinado_turista_en_un_hostal_de_el_poblado/asesinado_turista_en_un_hostal_de_el_poblado.asp?CodSeccion=211 (http://www.elcolombiano.com/BancoConocimiento/A/asesinado_turista_en_un_hostal_de_el_poblado/asesinado_turista_en_un_hostal_de_el_poblado.asp?CodSeccion=211)
Tourist killed in a hostel of The Town
A U.S. citizen identified as Denis Ian Levy, 49 years old, was killed on Wednesday morning in a hostel in the district the village. The tourist was hit by a bullet in the chest and was found in the room he was staying. Officials said three people who stayed at the place from Tuesday night are the alleged perpetrators of the murder.
The Metropolitan Police Commander, General Yesid Vázquez Prada said that the perpetrators entered the room of New York and after a struggle was dealt the killing.
Levy, who was two months in the city, was taken to the village of Medellín Clinic, but died before being seen.
This is bad news
I thought Dennis was older then 49. Is it possible that this is a different guy and why was he at a Hostal when he was married?
KB
I didn't know Dennis really well, mostly from his posts on various forums, and a few emails, but we did share a coffee together (yes, just coffee) and so he was very real to me ...He was always positive and welcoming to new members here, and open enough that he even used his real name as his screen name...His contributions to this forum will be missed....For me as someone who will be marrying in Colombia and visiting my wife's family repeatedly, this serves as a sobering reminder of how dangerous a place it can be.....
I'm very saddened and troubled by his death, especially at this time and in that way, and my heart goes out to his wife Gloria, his family, and friends.
It's particularly sad and sobering for those of us with Colombian wives or novias, who may be living in Colombia, or who may just be thinking of traveling and/or retiring there ... life is cheap in Colombia, and you never know what could happen, no matter how experienced you are.
Dennis always had a kind word for me and for Nazly, in fact that was one of the last things he posted on this site the night before he died. I've never understood the depth of dislike some of his detractors had. Dennis always seemed to me to be a straightforward guy, who told of his life in Colombia in much detail (maybe too much for some), and honestly tried to impart advice.
He made no bones about the fact that he enjoyed dating lot's of women, that he enjoyed speaking with them, having coffees and lunches, and learning the culture from them. And occassionally, if they both wanted, more than just coffee. He wasn't working, had a lot of time on his hands, and I think this was basically his passion, hobby, and way of learning Spanish ... until he'd had enough after 2 or 3 years and decided to settle down. I chose to take him at his word on that ... others just seemed to get inflamed about it.
He also detailed his expenses in many of his posts, which were always modest as I believe he was trying to live within a relatively modest pension. Some people, instead of finding this information to be useful, chose instead to consider him cheap.
It's truly a sad day, I will remember Dennis, and I'm not sure I'll be able to look at Colombia the same way again.
Bendiciones amigo ...
but we did share a coffee together (yes, just coffee) and so he was very real to me ...Even when he stopped posting for a long time, whenever someone talked about having "coffee" it reminded me of him and I didn't even met the guy in person or had any interaction with him other than the forum ;D it became a bit like his personal signature
He was an adventurer and one that LIVED LIFE FULL. I think he lived more in his last 3 years than most men live in 3 life times.Very true. Both to his credit and as a sad commentary on the modern western male that's willing to settle for so much less.
I have joined the forum and am posting to refute the drivel that has been perpetrated on us by someone pretending to be one of Dennis' two ex-wives.
Incidentally, he was married much longer than 2 months to his second wife, for whatever that is worth.
. At one time Dennis was thinking about doing a Conjugal Visa but he gave up the idea when it began to look like he would marry Gloria. BTW, Gloria was not the woman involved at the time Dennis was considering the Conjugal Visa.
Dennis was well over 6 feet tall and close to 300 pounds. He could be very intimidating and aggressive in his own right. He was not apt to back
Cherub
Single father:
i enjoyed talking with you a couple of nights ago, I talked with Rocky last night and he said that he had just gotten off the phone with you. You're a good guy, a really good guy and you know that you need to move on. All of us on the board have been there (the crushing death of a beloved wife,like you, a marriage that lasted 62 days--and 14 hours, "if you count the loose change" like me). I can't imagine the grief that you have felt afte rlosing your wife.
It took me a year to get over my last American marital venture and I'm getting on the plane on January 16. There was something I did that moved me from depressed to happy, i bought non refundable plane tickets! Even if you go this summer,let me suggest you buy the tickets now. Jamie's agency in Baranquilla or Bogota, put them in a hat and pick one, there is no perfect choice, but if you analyze this 40 ways to the ace (like a lot of guys do) it gets harder and harder to get on the plane.
Go for it!
Regards
Dennis
Gents:
Thank you for all the advice, some of it was thoughtful and some of it was rather funny. I liked the list that singlefather sent and I particularly want to thank Sean for his thoughtful comments.
I am what Fathertime described as an older decent guy, 54, bald as an egg, 5'10 235 with a friendly face and a lot of experience with American girls when I was younger, but not very much in the last 25 years, 22 1/2 of them in a first marriage.
Of the last 40 months, I've spent 38 of them as a single man (I'm recovering from a 2006 marriage of 62 days and 14 hours (if you count the loose change) to an American woman. She paid for the divorce and she didn't want anything, just to be free, and it was my fault, while we dated, there were enough red flags for a May Day parade at the Kremlin, I just didn't understand how "complex" her pathology was (until well after it was over) I was just too much in love.
I'm going to Bogota in mid January for three weeks, looking between 36 and 52 and they have to have a full time job, to make my list for possible first citas. The LLM agency sales man (Jim Southard, a guy some of you may you know) says he'll look out for me, make sure I don't date any sharks. He's had nothing but good things to say about the women I'm corresponding with so far--and I told him that if I even looked interested in any woman under 36 (and I think that is still way too young for me) he was allowed to "pick me up by my ankes and smack my head against the wall."
I am concerned about the language barrier, and I've got three months of studying conversational Spanish every night under my belt. We'll see what happens.
If anyone wants to add anything to this thread, go ahead. Thanks again to all the guys on the board who wrote. I'll try to post trip reports as often as possible, if anyone wants to talk with me while I'm there (1/16-2/6), just say so on the PL latin board, leave a telephone number where I can call you, the agency gives free calls to the US.
Vaya con dios, caballeros!
Dennis
Once again, she NEVER asked me to pay for a false conjugal visa....Last summer she offered one without charge because she wanted to keep me in Colombia.
The story about me wanting to pay her for a false visa was concocted by a cyber wing nut who had been banned and then was posted by the other guy.....who so frequently is assumed to be your.....clone.....
jejejeje
When I explained to her the consequences of a false conjugal visa, she understood it wasn t the right thing to do. And I wasnt ready to live with her and to make the commitment for a real visa.
I left Colombia for Ecuador and Peru, we chatted almost every day for close to seven months and when I came back, I loved her as much as she had always loved me.
And we are now married.
As far as I know, sometimes people are banned with all their information showing but they are unable to post or send PMs, and other board members are not aware that that person has been banned.
It almost looks like you made this post in order to start a disagreement. I will post 3 statements that are very different than the ones dennislevy made to us. , What you say is not inaccurate because I say it is inaccurate, but because they are opposite of what dennislevy said.
Very recently, dennislevy told the forum that a conversation DID take place between his final wife and himself about a visa based on conjuntal visits. He said he told his wife that it wouldn’t be right and it would be breaking the law. Now you are saying that conversation took place with another woman. I've provided several quotes to back up what DENNIS said, and refute the statements you just made,
1. about his size, 2. the duration of his second marriage, 3. the conversations regarding conjugal visa's occurring with his wife, NOT another woman.
How can you explain the discrepancy between what you are say now and what dennislevy was saying when he was alive? It calls into question a lot of the other things you said about him being a Bishop and whatnot. With all due respect, are you sure you are not another poster, just yanking chains, like 1/2 the other 'new' posters I've seen suddenly emerge on other forums. I mean you gotta understand you posted a lot of stuff that Dennislevy never said, implied, or maybe would even agree to. The nice stuff you said was very nice though and I tend to believe he was a fairly nice person to meet in person.
Fathertime!
The post from the alleged ex-wife occurred on Gringos.com and was deleted.
Huh?It looks like a cut and paste from an argument on another forum. I'm not arguing with the meat of Cherub's comment, but a little pre-editting before they hit the "Post" button would have been value-added effort.
I'm sorry, but which "drivel" are you speaking of?
Did I miss something? I don't recall reading any posts by someone claiming to be his ex-wife...??
Why can you gringos just give up the wallet??
Why can't you gringos just give up the wallet??
Why can't you colombians quit stealing!!?? Get a freaking job and earn an honest living!!
What htown you got offended because I said gringo??
Get a job? There are people who steal in every part of the world.. everywhere and everyday....Even in THE GOOD USA!!! ( breaking news for you right?) . where people do far worse things while working a 9 to 5..
You are very much welcome to never come back or visit if that is your take on ALL Colombians..
So with your type of Narrow thinking I must ASSume that just because some Americans walk into schools and theaters with the sole intention of killing dozens of innocent people even children.. I need to state that ALL Americans are crazy killers?
And since we are at it .. might as well stay away from the middle east because they are all terrorist and might get kidnapped, don't go to the Amazon or Africa because they are all cannibals and might eat you alive... Don't dare to visit India because it stinks and you will get sick ..Don't go to Japan because they have a lot of Ninjas and they may assassin you... Hell stay home .. but back home you can't find what you find here among all the jobless Colombian thieves a good loving wife...right??
It is that Chuck Norris attitude that has gotten killed every Gringo I have ever heard news about.. I am real sorry Denny's died. . Guess what I had a loved one killed trying to protect her children .... so I am not being a jerk like you when I SAY give it up..
I tell every person I know even Colombians life is by far worth more than any laptop, phone or cash.. Peace I guess I did not miss much while I was not coming to this forum..
So enjoy the beer guys which most likely would be at a Colombian bar.. And Sorry for the Typo I CAN´T Believe I missed that...
^^^^^
It sounds like YOU are the one who is a little confused there Maria.
To attempt to put the blame on Americans for failing to cooperate with YOUR thieves is just plain stupid IMHO...
:-*
Ray
I should be in Colombia sometime this year and I will be purchasing a gun and carrying it with me when I'm in the streets.
I am not sure if you heard or remember of a similar story about 2 years ago here in Barranquilla the guy did not give up a laptop and got killed in front of his home..
SAD REAL SAD..
Why can't you colombians quit stealing!!?? Get a freaking job and earn an honest living!!
Well I hate to tell you this and wake you up from your ignorance..
I agree with you there, but why do you come to Colombia when you already know the risk ? !!
If we do not visit Colombia, then they have nothing to steal !!!
One thing I've noticed with some latino people is if you're standing in line and you're not literally breathing on the neck of the person in front of you, someone is probably going to cut in front of you in the line. I've had this happen to me several times. I just kind of stand there thinking "did this just happen?" lol. Does this happen in Colombia?
Fyi, I am latino, but had a pretty much all american upbringing.
Well, damn. That just sucks. I was hoping he'd be able to morph into the Dave H of Colombia, livin' the dream in-country with his best gal by his side. I'll miss his contributions to the forum. My sympathies to his family.
One thing I've noticed with some latino people is if you're standing in line and you're not literally breathing on the neck of the person in front of you, someone is probably going to cut in front of you in the line. I've had this happen to me several times. I just kind of stand there thinking "did this just happen?" lol. Does this happen in Colombia?
Fyi, I am latino, but had a pretty much all american upbringing.
If you're using an agency, they'll look out for you as long as you're with them. However, if you're not using an agency, as I didn't, you'd better hope your lady friend is trustworthy. My now-wife (then girlfriend) and her family went out of their way to keep me safe and from being taken advantage of. She told me another guy who visited her had his hotel room robbed, and had to travel to the embassy in Bogota because they stole his passport (along with everything else). The reality is if you're an American in Barranquilla, everyone will BELIEVE you're rich beyond belief,and Caucasians like me especially have trouble blending in, so be careful fellas...
HTown,
I can't say this is a horrible idea. A little risky, but not exactly stupid. I've also thought of carrying a handgun in Colombia many times and I know a few places where I could purchase one. The absolute worse that would probably happen to you is a police officer finding it, and you having to bribe him to stay out of jail (he'd most definitely confiscate the gun as well), so just make sure you're carrying plenty of cash too! I mean why not?! You'd be strapped! :o
Seriously, all joking aside...I don't know Maria and have only heard a few stories about her in Barranquilla from other people; so this isn't saying anything about her personally. But the attitude she portrays in her post is one I've found to be pretty common in Colombia. Outside of their family and friends, the well-being of other people is simply not the average Colombian's concern. You can tell by the way people drive. There is a serious risk of any pedestrian that's not always very careful being hit by a car. I've seen it happen many times when someone didn't yield to traffic for one reason or another. Most strangers I've tried to do business with (especially along the coast) almost always try to overcharge me for whatever product or service they are trying to sell me. Even after I explain to them that they're going to lose my business before I pay the price they are insisting on, most will not budge an inch simply because I'm a gringo. In situations like that it's almost as if screwing me over is more important than them making a profit, because on numerous occasions they allowed me to walk away rather than give me a reasonable price. If you give a Colombian cash to buy something for you, you will almost always have to ask for your change when they return no matter how much it is. A common saying along the coast is, "The opportunity makes the thief." Which means if you give someone the opportunity to steal from you, you should expect to be stolen from. The most honest Colombians I know, even devout Catholics, steal; even if it's only petty things they don't really need. The first time I was working in Bogota, we were leaving the office for lunch and a co-worker mentioned I should lock up my laptop in the server room. When I asked him why his exact words were, "because someone will steal it!" I replied, "SOMEONE HERE IN THE OFFICE?!!!" And he told me, "Most definitely!"
Life is cheap in Colombia and the poorer someone is, the less they are worth. After a man was shot during Carnaval in Barranquilla two years ago, his body laid in the street for days before someone was sent to pick it up. What's worse is most Colombians absolutely refuse to take responsibility for something they've done wrong. If you catch someone stealing from you there, they will deny it at first and continue to deny it even if they are the obvious culprit. When you confront them with overwhelming evidence, they would rather flee than admit they have done something wrong.
From my experience this type of behavior is the norm, especially along the coast. The lying, stealing and unwillingness to take responsibility for their actions is something I've seen a lot of gringos have to deal with after bringing women from Colombia stateside...sometimes to the detriment of a marriage's success.
"From my experience this type of behavior is the norm, especially along the coast. The lying, stealing and unwillingness to take responsibility for their actions is something I've seen a lot of gringos have to deal with after bringing women from Colombia stateside...sometimes to the detriment of a marriage's success."
Thank you Benijo - this has to be one the FUNNIEST understated quotes i have ever seen on P-L!!! Next time I look with disdain at the women around me and think "damn, it can't get much worse..", I'll remember your words and consider myself truly blessed!
Well, just to add some balance, this is only one side of the coin. My wife, her family, my friends in Barranquilla, and my friends from Barranquilla here in Canada are not like this.
I think what Whitey found in a wife in Barranquilla and in his many trips thereabouts, goes to show that generalizations and stereotypes of Colombian women (really any nation’s women) are just that--narrow minded overviews, applied broadly to what's really a more diverse population than many of us realize. Sure there are pitfalls in meeting women on-line in any nation, but the more carefully you choose, the more likely your chances of finding a match that should you desire, falls along the lines of what Whitey found---pretty much striking gold by using his head, 'getting down there' and taking the time to make sure it was 'right'.
I have said that were I looking, I don’t think that my mind set is suitable to finding a match easily in Colombia, that from what I see (from the outside looking in), I'd have to be a "lion tamer" to make it work and that it's just not my style. But obviously, there are Colombianas who have more even temperaments than we might expect.
Whitey and I have noticed some striking similarities between our spouses, even though they came from opposite sides of the world, nations where the women are often described in stereotypical fashions. Both came from lives where their family, career, home ownership, and friends are truly important and they brought that with them to our countries. Whitey's wife again proved her mettle at a crucial juncture, when Whitey was suddenly without a job and the path to her immigration to Canada suddenly wasn't as clear anymore. She stuck by him and job wise, things actually worked out for the better I think, but many lesser women would've created distance or cut him loose and explored other options. In my book, that beautiful woman showed her true colors before she even got on the plane to Canada.
Seeing Dennis's name as the topic of this thread, I'm surprised I'm even continuing what in the time honored tradition of P-L, is called "veering off thread". I sort of feel that this thread should just be in memory of Dennis Levy. His senseless murder really bummed me out--we were pals outside of the P-L fold. Dennis was maybe the world's greatest Yankee's fan, following their games wherever he went. Alas, in one of the last letters we exchanged, he said that with a 162 game season coming up, he would "live and die 162 times". I wish that were true and perhaps somewhere, Dennis is content Yankee wise, knowing they're in first place right now.
But in a way, this 'off thread' angle really applies to what Dennis proved and probably would've shared here. His wife Gloria, who as he once wrote to me, exalting that she made him the "happiest man in the world" was patient, stable and wise with him—not a whiff of scam or money grubber about her. They were quite close in age and before Dennis left on his extended journey through Colombia and surrounding nations, she predicted he'd be back. She too was a calm, supportive influence, a family and career focused woman, not the sort who longed to get to the USA and make a pilgrimage to Disney World. Gloria, bless her heart, and Dennis, bless his soul, did not fit the characterizations that we more typically found on P-L
So gentlemen, search and take your time. Travel if you can and with an open mind. If you know what you want and can divine what you want from what you really need and find the right combination there----if you can have the patience to make the right decision, but not stall so long as to lose the ability to be decisive, you too may 'get lucky'. But in a way, you'll also have created your own luck. Hopefully it'll last a good while too!
I agree with Whitey-I miss Dennis and his posts. I have not read all the recent posts here but want to take exception with ones that imply Dennis died because he refused to give up his wallet or other possessions. Fox News Latino reported that he was killed after attempting to help the lady working the front desk. She was being attacked by two women and a man. I highly doubt that Dennis would have resisted armed robbers. The far more likely scenario is that Dennis reacted to the assault and one of the assailants pulled out a gun and shot him. Here is a link to Fox News Latino story:
http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2012/04/26/asesinan-estadounidense-en-colombia/ (http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2012/04/26/asesinan-estadounidense-en-colombia/)
I also saw a video clip on youtube of the police general referenced in the Fox News Latino story giving a statement about the crime, but I have not been able to find it again.
Thanks Benjio, but when I meet a guy who wants to get 'the feel' for what it's like 'down there' I suggest that they read back on YOUR posts and for a more Colombia specific study, also on Dennis's posts. You have been to a good number of places, speak the language and seem to blend in well. You are far, far from the more typical guy here--the guy who might go 1 to 3 times, get a bride, and bring her back. You've seen the good the bad and the ugly and the highs and lows of societal levels down there. You express yourself so well, but yet you never have a 'Oh--I've seen it ALL" kind of attitude--none of the holier than though, I'm infalliable stuff some folks project. When I see you write something like:Nobody is like that here, you are expelling gas and a shameless brownose as usual robertangle. :D
Statements like that just add value to your stock here. I really don't like the word 'envy' but I guess had that for a while in a sense with Dennis and yea, I read about your travels and think how it'd be great to be employed and working while having some time off there, knowing how to speak the language, making money and seeing all the places you see. I guess it's normal to an extent. I have a pretty good, stable situation going with a wonderful woman that I don't want to throw away, but it's probably human nature to sometimes want to fly to a place like Brazil or Colombia and be single again. I'd like to have a new Porsche Turbo S too, for that matter!--although that's obviously different than relationships, marital fidelity and travel!
Sad to this this today. I was one of the people that first helped influence his decision to go to Colombia in the first place. Back in 2007 I talked to him a couple times on the phone. each time was a really long conversation. First time while I was still in the USA. Another time was while I was at LLM. He asked a lot of questions about how I felt about being there, and all of my experiences I had before my trip in 2007. He eventually went and even later worked a short time for LLM. I chatted a few times with him on the internet. I can tell you much of what Cherub said in his long write up was true. I didn't know about him being a Mormon but he did tell me his past life was not a happy time for him. But he was so much happier travelling around Colombia and meeting many women. He told me also his first meets were usually for coffee and then see if there was chemistry. I think one of the last times I talked to him he was enrolled in a university and was using that to stay longer in Colombia. I didn't agree with everything he said but he was a very nice guy. He offered advice and told me he would even help me out if I ever returned there. So this happened several months ago and I am now just learning about it. I just don't visit this site much any more because in the past there was so much fighting and so many trolls that I just left. Yes I did take part in some of those things and I can say I am not happy with myself about it. I hope you all find a little peicee of heaven in what you are searching for, and for the ones that have found happiness hang on to it. RIP Dennis. Peace to everyone else
I knew Dennis from the boards and spoke by phone a few times with him about our experiences in bogota. We compared notes about a girl we both dated from Nelson's agency. In fact he worked for Nelson for a while selling their service, but it ended poorly. Anyway I always thought he was a good guy. Rip Dennis sad to hear this news. :'(
Too bad with Dennis gone, the guys who had such fun sniping at him have to double up on Zon nowadays to get their jollies.... ::)
Here we go again...
Robert, I know this is how YOU get YOUR jollies...by making unsolicited and unwarranted snide remarks and petty insults in an inappropriate place where you only screw up another thread.
May I suggest that you at least have a little respect for the deceased and go vent your personal hatred in a new thread in the flame room?
Thanks...
Ray