Cali safety

I read an artical in El Pais that claimed the U.S. has labled Cali the most dangerous city in Colombia.

I read the new State Department Report and couldn't find were it came right out and said Cali was the most dangerous. Maybe someone else has a link to it.

What it said was that the safety situation in all of the major cities of Colombia has improved but that Cali and the surrounding area was still considered dangerous.

Just got off the phone with my girl and she said she could hardly get home because of all the backed up traffic. She said that people are striking and standing in the streets holding signs and really slowing traffic down.

I was wondering if our resident experts (Walter and Ramon) could shed some light on the security situation in Cali and tell us a little bit about how they might keep an american client safe who doesn't know his way around Cali at all.

[SScott]

My girl was the best at making the taxie drive out of the way to miss a bad area.
One time she stoped a taxie that we were in,I said why did she stop us short of our plan and she said she did not like the way the driver was talking on his raido she said that she did not want to get set up or tracked....

she told me that the driver was talking to some one that he had a rich bird in his taxie.
I belive that no one is looking for gringos to kid nap, but if you get noticed that they will get you if they want you. a good woman will do the talking for you and keep you on short rope.

[Sailover]

Hey boys. The traffic is probably due to the MIO, the new commuter bus system which has Calle 5 blocked. The people with the signs are selling pizza. Cali is a great place and seems less dangerous than Miami.

[John]

Originally posted by calipro:
I read an artical in El Pais that claimed the U.S. has labled Cali the most dangerous city in Colombia.
...Maybe someone else has a link to it.
.

http://elpais-cali.terra.com.co/pais...05/B227N3.html

"Estamentos políticos y económicos rechazaron la comunicación del Gobierno de Estados Unidos que señala a Cali como la ciudad más peligrosa de Colombia e insta a sus nacionales a que no visiten la capital del Valle." - El PAIS Newspaper: 09/27/05

Cliff Note's Translation:
"The United States government warns all American citizens not to travel to Cali because it is the most dangerous city in Colombia."

This sort of continuous warning from the State Department is nothing new under the sun.

And about the traffic problem, Sailover is correct

John

"The traffic is probably due to the MIO, the new commuter bus system which has Calle 5 blocked. The people with the signs are selling pizza. Cali is a great place and seems less dangerous than Miami." <--------Sailover, I couldn´t agree more.

But let´s wait a few days and we will be warned how terrible the situation is down here

[Lostagain]

The traffic in Cali has always been interesting, it's just a little more interesting with the new bus system going in. But I traveled down Calle 5 and don't remember seeing the construction there. My sister-in-law lives just beyond the end of the line near the Colmena La 14, on Cr. 1, barrio Los Alcarzares, and I could swear I saw these really nice stations and special bus lanes installed up to about Calle 34 or so, but what the f. do I know. Maybe it was some of that sh*t that el-fin sold me that got me confused. Or maybe it was when I was thinking of the Tonk's cell phone list with all them models just waiting to go out with me if I could only convince my Sevellana wife that I could have a few amantes on the side.

el-fin, were you agreeing that Miami is safer than Cali in the quote from sailo' you posted or that the new Transmelenia style bus route is on la 5? Just want to be sure so I can post how safe it is in the Iron Triangle of Richmond, CA, and invite you and sailo' to come north for a short stay.

[Sailover]

Interestingly, on a recent return to Cali, military and security activity at CLO were much higher than I can remember, and they have installed heavy duty barriers at this apartment. It DOES make you wonder. I have noticed people seem to be watching me more as I walk around places like Chipichape too. Just paranoia? I hope so.

Sorry I am not interested in coming over to Richmond, CA, already been there. Thanks anyway.
But post it, we all need to know how safe it is there

And travel again, will take something like an hour to get from the river to Ciudad Jardin. Explore the new Cali with its jammed traffic

[Lostagain]

el-fin, so you agree that the new bus system is on Cr. 1, not Calle 5? And how could you pass up the chance to renew acquaintences in Richmond, CA. Tell us, is Richmond safer than Miami too?

Has the north / south traffic changed that much since I left Cali at the end of this past August? From Los Alcazares we usually took Simon Bolivar all the way south to just north of Clinica Valle del Lili then, cut over to Pasoancho to get to Multi-Centro. It was congested with the usual insane Papa Gallo bus drivers and such, but it never took more than a half an hour, and usually less, to get from north to south. And when you got to Cr. 100, you could cut over to Pasoancho to get to C. Jardin. I don't recommend this route to people who haven't or don't live there because it goes through some not so nice areas, though I'm sure much safer than Miami.

¡Respecte las normas de conducción!

[Lostagain]

Damn I wish I could spell and now I'm messing it up in Spanish too! :mad: