Trip Report: Back from my Colombia, all the wiser.

[AltoHombre]

Just a quick report, wanted folks to know I was back. Had a great time, really enjoyed it. I stayed with my novia Luza, in Palmira for most of my short trip. She and her family are really lovely people and I'm a very happy man.

Right now, I'm hoping to get back toward the end of May beginning of June. Her birthday is June 2d and she asked if I could return then. I"d really like that.

When I get to my trip report, it's going to be less about the Cali and Palmira, and more about the mechanics of the trip. That's because I spent all my time with one woman, and most of it at her house and the home of her Tia.

There are some interesting aspects to my trip, things I have to think about for a bit. But overall it was positive. I also have to say at this point that I've probably discarded most of the standard advice given on this board, and I'm pretty aware of that. I'm cautiously optimistic about the outcome. Of course she's ready to get married tomorrow. But that's the enthusiasm of youth speaking. I'm a bit more jaded and am glad it's going to take some time.

Let me be clear about that point. I don't doubt her heart, or her feelings, or her motivations. I just think she's wildly optimistic. Probably like I was when I was her age. She has a good heart, and a good temperament. Though all weekend I referred to her as 'Mi Tirana.' Strong opinions, strong heart, strong mind. She wants her way, but then again don't we all.

She was very concerned for my security and the security of my possessions. I carry a shoulder bag (a purse in manly guise). When it would hang at my side, she would chide me about carrying it more to the front, point and say "Seguridad". So much so that it became a running joke. "Luza: Seguridad. Tony: Si, mi tirana."

Another running theme, "Luza: Tony are you happy? Tony: Si, muy bien." This from a woman who barely speaks any English and a man who speaks even less Spanish.

I will also add I purchased before I left a $80 English/Spanish Electronic Dictionary. I had thought I was buying a translator, but I misread the label. Single word E/S dictionary. Still it was immensely helpful.

The interesting thing is that we've been talking on line by chat for most of the last year. As a result we each can read and write more of the others language then we can speak. I understand very very little of spoken Spanish. However, I can read much more.

As part of my own travel process, I kept a room at the hotel San Fernando Real For the entire stay. That was my safety net. First I kept all my valuables in the safe at the hotel. My passport, my drivers license, my credit cards, my car registration, all my official documents stayed in the hotel, in the safe. The only things I carried with me in my wallet where a debit card, one old expired credit card and photo copy of the front page of my passport. The expired card was meant as a decoy, to offer in case of robbery. Luckily this was an unnecessary precaution.

The second purpose of the room was my personal safety. On a first trip, no matter how much you think you know someone and the situation you can never be sure. So I wanted a rabbit hole I could return to in care I needed to leave her family's home for any reason I felt required it. Again this proved to be unnecessary, but I felt much more at ease knowing I had it available.

Finally in the safe I had my safety cash. Enough to be sure that were I to lose my wallet I would have access to enough cash to get a ride to the airport and get my car out of long term parking. Enough to get home.

I think Luza thought I was some kind of innocent babe in the woods, not really aware of how to deal with Colombia and the dangers she worries about. At one point I had withdrawn about 200,000COP from an ATM. We were getting ready to go out and she asked me for my wallet, indicating that she wanted to show me something. At that point I took out the wallet and offered it to her. She took out about 10,000COP and then pointed at the rest to indicate that we would only need a small amount, and that I shouldn't carry the whole amount with us.

I nodded and took the rest of the money out, folded it over and put it in the upper portion of my sock, a place unlikely to be found in a robbery. In case of a robbery I now had enough in the wallet to satisfy someone so that it wouldn't escalate, but still had enough safely "hidden" that I felt comfortable I would have the cash I needed if I wanted to shop. This was a habit I learned living in NYC long ago.

I think that move, "money in the sock" raised her level of confidence in my ability to deal with life in her Colombia.

PS More to come later.

[rpcv]

Sounds like you planned things well! I hope all works out for u and your girl and give us any updates about Palmira if u get a chance.

[Micky10]

T -

Bitten, toast, done, stick-in-the-fork. Colombia owns you now! Of course I mean all of that in a very good way. Waiting on the rest, very happy for you and that all went well.

Love - Micky

[HonkyTonk]

Glad things turned out Alto! I'm looking forward to "the rest of the story". (RIP Paul Harvey)

"I also have to say at this point that I've probably discarded most of the standard advice given on this board..."

Havn't we all at some point. I could name a laundry list of things I've done that go against the general consensus on the Board.

What did you fine helpful and what did you not?

[Micky10]

Tonk -

I am going to start a BIG thread the FIRST time that I go with the ''correct'' or ''standard'' move. Also very, very bad about personnel safety thing, I just go and do. I recommend to others > NOT do like stupid Micky.

Love - Micky

[LastLion]

Alto, can't wait to hear the whole deal bring it on man!! Who cares if you broke the rules, what fun would it be if you didn't..

I hope you got out of Palmira a bit, other than the surrounding millions of acres of sugar cane, it aint all that pretty... But than again I guess it depends on what your eyes are focused on..

[AltoHombre]

Trip Report

Day 2.

I arrived late the night before. I had thought I had a hotel reservation including transport from the airport to the hotel, with San Fernando Real, but when I got to the curb, no cab driver. Ok, so I sweated this a bit. A number of guys at the curb offered a ride, and I was uncertain about taking a ride with any of them. Having heard about safety concerns here. First mistake of the trip, I didn't readily at hand have the phone number for the hotel. So no way to contact them. I will say that several of the drivers who were hoping to find a fare offered to let me use their cell phones to call the hotel. Had I had the number I might have done that, not that there was much to do at that point. I had to get into the city.

Luckily there was a guy there from Avianca, so he helped me finding a cab that I assumed at that point would be safe. The rate for the trip to Cali, 48,000COP. That was about 12000COP less then what they had quoted me at the Hotel that morning. I figured I was as safe as I was going to get, so in the cab I jumped.

I will say that I had a fair idea of what the lay of the land should look like from having looked at this route a few times in Google Earth. So I was reasonably happy with understanding the basics of getting from the airport to Cali. I knew where we should be turning, and how we should be traveling. Not that big a deal really, but gave me some peace of mind.

Driving in Colombia is everything I had expected based on chats here. Personally I prefer to pick a lane and stay in it, my driver clearly felt the best way to travel was follow the dotted white line between the lanes. It was late, and once we got into the city I had no idea where I was going. I will say I had one moment of WTF, when the rode we were supposed to be taking was closed off by a barrier and he had to detour around through what looked like some pretty shady streets. But eventually we arrived at the hotel and all was good.

To get in to the hotel, the driver pulls up to the gate outside the courtyard and waits for the gate to be opened by the security guard. We're not in Kansas anymore Toto.

I get to the desk, no reservation. No surprise, to me, so I ask, yes they have rooms and soon I'm all set. With one small exception. I really wanted internet access in the hotel, In my room if possible, they had assured me that was the case when I had picked this place that morning. Of course now I'm here, and they clerk tells me, "I'm sorry Señor, the internet is down now". Great, no way to check in with email or to let my friend in the states know all is good.

Of course it's too late for the restaurant in the hotel, but the desk clerk tells me there's a delivery place that's open. I order some polllo y arroza. It comes about 40 minutes later. I eat and call it a night.

I get up the next morning, and first order of business is internet access. I explain to the new desk clerk that I need a SIM card for my mobile phone and internet access. He points me at the local market. I go but they don't have any. They point me at a store across the way. Moviephone, I talk to the folks in the store. A nice woman who speaks no english, and a guy there who's either a customer or another clerk, not sure which, who does speak some. He helps me explain to the woman what I want, the transaction takes about 40 minutes, but i walk out with a new SIM card in my phone. I know have a local phone number in Colombia. Cost me 20,000COP (8USD) for the card, and it has 40,000COP in credit on it. The internet cafe is next door. I quickly rent for an hour (2800COP) and I'm on-line checking email and the financial news and touching base with the US.

Remember, my original plan was to stay at the hotel at the airport. It's much closer to Palmira, but I couldn't find a phone number that works for that hotel when calling from the US, which is how I ended up at San Fernando. I had left a quick note for Luza the morning before letting her know she shouldn't go to the airport on Friday morning to meet me, that I'm staying in Cali. When I get back to the hotel, it's about 11AM, and there's a message for me. I know this because I check in at the front counter. And before I've had a chance to say much the Desk Clerk says, "Luza called, she'll be at the hotel at 1PM. Don't leave."

Direct and to the point. Part of the reason why I like this woman.

I kill a little time walking around, looking the place over, basically leave the hotel and wander. I have a bit to eat at the restaurant at the corner. Nice older lady offers me something fried in batter and a green salsa which is not too spicy. I realize later that it's probably arrapa. Then back to the hotel for a hot show and a quick change.

At 1:40 Luza shows up. With her friend Yenny. We talk a bit in the hallway.

It's fun, she sweet. We laugh a lot and generally have a very nice time. She's a wee pixie of a girl at 5'2". I'm 6'4" so the first words out of her mouth when she see me, are, "Madre de Dios, muy Grande.... Muy Grande... Grande Grande Grande Grande". She then proceeds to put herself next to me, realizing that her head doesn't come much above my armpit. We put hands together, her hands are tiny compared to mine. She's beautiful. She's polite and tells me I'm "hermosa." I laugh cause I know it's not true, but she does her best to convince me.

I invite them, both up to the room. We order room service and start to chat. This is not easy because neither of them speak much English. And I don't speak much Spanish, but with the help of my little pocket Eng/Spn dictionary we manage to get the point across. Much of this conversation occurs over lunch where we proceed to exchange language lessons. Chicken-pollo, Pork-Cerdo, Beef -Vacca. Papa amarillo- Potato.

Then we start to make plans. I'm going to go to Palmira with her and Yenny. We're going to her home, meet her parents, her sisters. I tell her, I'm glad to spend the next three days with her and her family. However, I need to return to Cali by Sunday night as I have an early morning flight on Monday. She understands and agrees. She then proceeds to help, no change that, proceeds to pick out which clothing she thinks is appropriate for travel to Palmira. Which pants, which shirts, which things are good. What she thinks I will need. That's fine by me, I'm willing to sit back and see who and what she picks and what makes sense.

We argue a bit about my hat. It's a Tilley hat. For those of you who don't know a Tilley hat is a canadian hat made to be durable and sturdy, but not very stylish. She objects, I explain I need it for the sun. She points out it's cloudy. I try to explain that it doesn't matter UV light can cut through the clouds and I'm very fair skinned and burn easily. Try doing that with someone who doesn't understand your language. Woo boy.. but in the end she relents. What she is not willing to relent on is my shoes. It's clear that she thinks my Good Balance walking shoes and the socks that go with them are not going to cut in in Cali or Palmira. She claims that everyone there wears sandals and that I need a pair.

After a bit of back and forth we agree to go to ChimiChanga shopping district to buy me some sandals. It's a quick cab ride, and I watch the world go buy trying to figure out how crazy this is all seeming, but how even so I'm just really loving it.

Finally we get to the mall, we wander around a bit, she and I and Yenny. We manage to find a set of sandals that I can live with and that she thinks aren't horrible. The price is right, another 20,000COP. I look for Coffee, and am struck when we finally end up at the Juan Valdez Cafe, at how coffee in Colombia is more like Expresso. How everyone drinks coffee with sugar, except me of course, and how crazy everyone thinks I am because I put cream in my coffee. Good fun all around.

We wander through a department store. Window shopping mostly. I pick up a few small things and once we're done it's time to head back to the hotel. We make a quick stop, she wants to go to McDonald's. By this time it's now Friday afternoon, after 5PM and McD's is packed. I mean packed with people. The line is going to be at least 20 minutes to order and get food. Personally I feel McDonalds is one of America's toxic exports. She clearly thinks McD's is the next best thing to heaven. I make a deal. I'll take her to McDonalds another time, but not today as the line is too damn long. She reluctantly agrees. We grab a cab and it's back to the hotel for us.

At the hotel we're back to the room, I had brought a few gifts for her and her family. I packed them, grabbed the bag she had packed for me. We're ready to go to Palmira.

The trip to Palmira is relatively uneventful. Again I have a basic idea of where I'm going because I've figured it out on Google Earth. So no big surprises. She sits in the back seat with Yenny. I sit in the front seat next to the driver. This is a pattern that repeats itself all through the trip. I'm a big guy. So I get the front seat. She and usually two or three other people sit in the back. It's a little awkward for me. I'd prefer to be sitting with her, but I also appreciate the extra room in the front seat. Taxi's in Colombia are tiny.. and I'm a big guy.


Tony

[LastLion]

NIce ALto.. Sounds like a good trip,, I am enjoying it seeing it thru your eyes. Your perspective is fresh and reminds me of mine.. I remember how bad my spanish was with my first novia in cali.. It actually made it more interesting.. Unfortutnately now I understand most of what they are saying... hahahha
J/K

Spanish lessons are must my friend I hope you are working on that...

[LuckyGirl]

Alto
I am happy to know that your trip was good, although not called us, I see that you do not need my help, which is good because it means that all was well for you and I am glad, anyway, I hope that at the next opportunity, we can meet, perhaps in a few months when Flaco returns here again. BTW, you made me laugh, no es Chimichanga!! jajajaj es Chipichape!!!
Chao!!

[SingleFather]

Keep it coming.. Sounds like you had a great time ..


All the best,

singlefather no more


..