well WW - what can I say... or what do I care to say, except I have been going there a helluva lot longer than '99 and have NEVER seen anything like you describe. And trust me, I walked & stopped ALL along the beaches - day , night & in between - alone, mostly, and NEVER had a problem..nor did I see lots of "guards' save for the locals hired to hang out on the beach in front of the hotels.

Maybe it's my angelic disposition & looks

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But then what do I know, I am but a mere caveman