Homeless gringos in Cali

[V_Man]

When I was in Cali I discovered a few things that no one warned me about.
 
 I have a very open mind when I travel so I do not mean to judge but there was a few things than no one told be about before I travelled to Colombia. I saw somethings that most gringo tourists never see so YMMV.
 
 Firstly no one told me about toilets without toilet seats. I first saw these in airports in the USA so perhaps this is not so unusual for many of you guys but for me it was a surprise that no one mentioned this before I went to Colombia.
 
 Secondly I liked the food and found it a little experience in itself. Most people seem to think it is nothing. Sure, it is not Mexico or China but I liked it. I tried so many things I kept a book but I really need pictures to match the names with the food because I tried so many new things I have forgotten what was which. Everyone told me the food was nothing to write home about. I guess most people don't do a fraction of what I did.

Thirdly, imagine my surprise to find homeless gringos in Cali, Colombia. These guys had got hooked on drugs, blown all their money and ended up completely broke and on the streets of Colombia. They were still addicts. Trust me, that is not a good place to be for anyone, particularly a white fella. These gringos are a waste of oxygen. Admittedly they are hard to find but they really have no excuse for existing there at all. I couldn't generate any sympathy. Some of the homeless people in Cail can become agressive and are clearly distrubted people but in my view they are infinately more respectable that a fringin gringo drug addict who has infinate opportunities in their home country.

I thought the begger with no legs that pissed on a lamp post in Botoga in front of me had more dignity than those homeless gringos in Cali.

Colombia is a great country. I had an amzing time. No doubt few tourists see half the things I saw. I encourage you to go there I just wanted to mention a few things no one told me about.

Let me conclude with two other things in Cali that some hinted at but to experience was above all expectations.
I went to a salsa show in Cali and I was taken into the VIP area for free simply because I was a foreigner. My whole group didn't pay a peso for the whole show even though I was the only gringo. I thought I was going to have to give a TV interview in return. I was trying to think how I would manage to cope with a live TV interview in Spanish but they didn't ask for anything in return. The entire motivation was to show the foreigner (me) the best of Cali. How many places in the world would that happen?

Not convinced?

My local girl took me to a 500 year old theatre in Cali. It was closed. The female security guard looked at me and she got out her keys. She gave us a private personal tour of the whole place and described all about it in some length. She took photos for us and could not have been more helpful. She didn't ask for a single peso and she obviously didn't need to do that for us. I was expecting my girl to tell me to give her something but apparently the guard just wanted me to have a good impression of Cali.

This is a wee taste of my Colombian experience. There is the good, the bad and the ugly. But there is also the truely priceless.
 

[robert angel]

Great post, V_Man--if I may compare similarities from the Asian side here---there's definitely their own version of the 'Gringo effect' going on in the Philippines. I think that except for better hotels and expensive restuarants, you'd best assume there will be no toilets seats or toilet paper. I think wherever you travel, having at least a little pack of kleenex and some immodium is a good idea.

The food? Well, well there's a such a huge variety, including American chains and a zillion local dishes I like but can't name (unlike Kfc--I just point and and say 'please' and thanks --'salamat'), I think there's something for everyone. The burger joints offer fries OR rice. From what I've seen and heard, regardless of the restaurants that 90%+ Filipinos eat at, if they serve you an awful meal--it could be rancid or burned (although things like that are rare)  they WILL still expect you to pay for it, regardless if you leave it untouched or not.

On the otherhand, I have sent food back, even food that Filipinos in my party ordered that I felt wasn't right. The employees weren't happy, but they obliged.

You buy something that uses batteries, they will put some in and make sure it works--then it's yours. I don't think you can return stuff too eaily overall.

In most places, especially in metro areas, armed security is high, although you might not always be aware that it's there, although it's hard to ignore guys at the malls and banks in uniforms and flak vests, weilding Filipino versions of Mossberg 500, 12 gauge 'Streetsweeper' shotguns. For malls and many public centers with their own entry points, Filipinos will be patted down and all packages and purses searched. Kanos will get a smile, maybe a light pat to keep appearances up, but typically they smile, wave you in and get you in ASAP. Private parking?Filipino drive vehicles will often be stopped, at least looked at inside and long poles with mirrors on the ends moved under the cars, looking for explosives. Me?--They smile, wave and I can park about anywhere I want.

Pretty much everyone--guards, mall employees, taxi cab drivers, even most folks on the streets, seemed genuinely nice and willing to help or even introduce you to a sister or neice in some instances. At theaters, tourist attractions and in general, being obviously not a Filipino, they gave me and in turn whoever I was with, better treatment--seating, service, etc. I felt sort of bad--like it was reverse prejiduce, but what was I gonna do--ask them to treat me/us 'not so good'?

I've spent a fair amount of time in the country's three largest cities and I don't recall ever seeing a foreign 'homeless' person, but I have seen some guys who looked 'down on their luck'---as if they were living on meager pensions, disabilty payments or sponging off their wife or GF's family.
 
I hate to say this, but most Americans--heck most tourists, seemed a bit weird--a bit swarmy. I guess there are a few foreigners in the development where our house is, but I'm not about to go around introducing myself. I have plenty of family on my wife's side, 10 or 15 minutes away, if we have a problem or need anything--that is if someone's not already hanging out, eating or maybe working to improve the property. We might have paid for our house, but like it or not--it's in the family' as their homes and land and all that grows on it, are in my wife and my 'family'. Regarding everyone else, a wise man once said: "Good fences make good neighbors"--and I (we )buy into that. I will smile back and wave back, but I mind my own business. You start being real friendly and doing all kinds of little favors and their will be no end to it--you become a 'mark'. My first trips, the beggars knew my whole schedule/routine.

Drugs and addicts? Most foreigners know better. The marijuana is supposedly piss poor in quality and their methamphetimes--their speed or 'crank--'shabu' it's called, you will go to jail for sure if they catch you with that, just like you will if you're caught with an underage prostitute.

Sex is big business and they even dogovt.  health checks on sex workers, but you do NOT want to go to a Filipino jail for drugs, sex offenses, having a gun or anything else for that matter. I'm sure it happens, but underage sex is very, very risky and there are lots of fake age ID papers and set ups with the cops involved. You'll probably get out, but it will probably cost you a whole lot of money and you'll remember every minute you spent in the hellhole they call 'jail'.
 
As said, most kanos I met seemed weird--some down on their luck, living off of meager pensions, maybe mental or physical disability payments or sponging off their wife or GF's family. They say you can move, but you basically bring your problems with youwhereever you go and I see a lot of that over there. Pervs, malcontents--plain old weirdos--there's plenty of foreigners like that. Sex and women to flirt (or more) with are so available that a kano better decide how able he'll be to keep his pants on before he moves there.

 It's certainly not just kanos who can seem odd or standoffish--the Koreans I dealt with were often surly, the Germans cold--some wouldn't give you the time of day. Out of the lot, Aussies and Brits seemed to be the most 'normal' (whatever 'normal' is) and the Scandinavians generally seemed pretty nice too--trying to reach accross language barriers more than some others. Southern and so called Western Europeans seemed better adapted and more friendly than eastern Europeans to me.

I have traveled in Europe and it seems pretty much the same in terms of how other nationalities act towards Kanos--heck--it's like that in Orlando, Florida!

I went a few weeks once w/o seeing anyone other than Asians, and then  in the middle of nowhere in particular, chanced upon a Brit and his local wife, riding bikes and we became fast friends.

I was pleasantly surprised to find Muslim merchants about the nicest, if a bit reserved. On several occasions, they were very nice when I returned defective things--unusual as I explained--you usually buy and there's 'no return,' but the Muslim merchants wanted me to come back and even gave me samall gifts for my trouble. Just don't interfere during prayer time! Indian and Korean and to a lesser extent, Chinese owned businesses seemed colder and quite short at times with my family and I.

But it is a great country and like in many nations, being nice to the locals will get returned tenfold typically. If you speak some of their language, can talk about their customs a bit, sing some of their songs, etc--they will really like you even more. Like soccer/football in some nations, If you play basketball with them or at least 'talk the lingo' (for some reason, these very short people are the world's biggest BB fans) you'll have friends for life! To spend a buck for a basketball or volleyball and toss it to the kids as you're leaving, will go far in terms of them remembering 'the kano' fondly!
 

[euforia51]

Secondly I liked the food and found it a little experience in itself. Most people seem to think it is nothing. Sure, it is not Mexico or China but I liked it. I tried so many things I kept a book but I really need pictures to match the names with the food because I tried so many new things I have forgotten what was which. Everyone told me the food was nothing to write home about. I guess most people don't do a fraction of what I did.

I'm not sure this is going to sound right coming from a picky eater even on his own turf, but like your adventure, I would consider my prior visits thus far to be more than what a tourist would get into. I got to sample some of the staples with Sancocho cooked (boiled) streetside on Christmas Day, Chicharron (which is like fried bacon of sorts), a brown sausage that was served semi-luke warm (Glory loves it), and a few other things. I'll try to post some pics that I have in a future post. Still, to me, the food in general leaves a little to be desired. And while you can get used to it, unless you're already an adventurous eater, I suspect it would take a while.
Like Robert said, great post V_Man. But I have to wonder what airports you're hanging out in where there are no toilet seats? I have yet to see anything like that in a U.S. airport or even Medellin.