... in response to Please be careful, posted by Jebster on Jun 28, 2003You know, that's one thing that always kind of cracks me up. That the "Gringos" that live here are in some kind of danger of getting kidnapped or something. I used to think that too before I moved here. But, I mean I have been here two years, my other friends have been here much much longer. None of them have a had a problem. Heck, Martin has been here for something like 17 years. Nigel has been here for about 14 and Pete has been here for 10 years. There is a foreign presence here that you may not realize exists. There are school teachers, British Emabssy staff, business owners, wives of workers, ex-pats, etc. About a week ago I had some drinks with the British Ambassador at Martin's Bar for the Queen's Birthday. The next day, Martin, the Ambassador and a host of other Foreigners were in a couple of color photos in El Pais. The week prior to that, El Pais featured Martin's Bar birthday party. The bar has been in the same location for 14 years. Pete was also featured in El Pais about 3 weeks ago with photos and a story about him andthe bar. Nigel has been featured a couple of times prior to that and had a big innaguration for his bar two weeks ago.
No guys, about the only way you are going to be in danger is if you guys leave the city. I have met guys who want to backpack across Colombia. Yeah, that is dumb. I remember a Swiss guy who took a bus back from BuenaVentura at 2 AM and had everything he had with him, including his shoes, stolen when a bunch of bandits stopped his bus. Yeah, that was dumb. I know a guy who went up to Si Lo Ve with his date and got his camera stolen while he was taking a photo of her in front of her house. Yeah, that's dumb. Heck, thecops don't even go up there. I know a guy who got his camera confiscated by the cops when he took photos of a police involved shooting. Yeah, that's dumb. I have seen Gringos at Baio get drunk and dance out on the dance floor, alone. This ain't the States. Your first clue you might be doing something out of the ordinary and you are drawing undue attention to yourself, is when everyone leaves the dance floor and are staring at you. Then the guy goes to the bathroom and gets rolled just for being stupid. Which he did. I know a guy who went out with a hooker and they went to dinner. He came back and she was stirring his coca cola. "Oh, I'm just mixing the ice." They went to the movie afterward and he woke up three hours later with his money and passport stolen. Yeah, that's dumb. I know a guy who gave a calena a credit card so she could pick up a few things before their wedding. Yeah, $12,000 later she called off the wedding. Yeah, that's dumb. You're worried about me bringing attention to myself, but there are no end to the Gringos who put ads in the local papers stating they are "financially secure" etc, and looking for a wife. "Contact me at." Then you have TLC events. There is a Gringo-Fest. A bunch of Gringos in the same location. And, they all go out to Galileo or Baio or any number of discos outside the city limits. They get drunk and leave with a girl or girls they don't even know or in some cases, just alone. So, they are trusting a taxi driver who could be anybody to take them "home." There are a number of stories of this very same scenario you guys have never heard of, because some guys are embarrassed to say that everything they owned was ripped off and they had to walk back into town until a good samaritan taxi driver picks up thier underwear clad ass and takes it to their agency, apartment, or hotel. Yes, this really happend.
What I am getting at is that I have been coming here for 5 years and have been living here for a straight two years and I have had absolutley nothing happen to me, aside from the little escapade that happened to me and Jim. Why, because I know how "it" works down here. I also blend in down here. I am NOT 6ft 2in with Blonde hair and pale features. I have darker features anddark hair. Hell, a guy last night started speaking to me in Spanish thinking I was Colombian.
I appreciate the concern Jebster, but like I said, I have been here for quite sometime now and I know how to keep a low profile. For example; you don't see me in one of those photos, do you? My name wasn't mentioned. The only thing mentioned is that the agency is Foreign owned.
A little advise to the new guys who haven't been here yet. Take that advice from Jebster to heart. Don't make an ass out of yourself down here. There is always someone to exploit it. It isn't the States. It is a different culture. Don't get stupid drunk. If you go somewhere unfamiliar, go with someone who you know or at least with someone to watch your back. Your new "Date" does not count, you don't know her either. Don't become one of my long list of "Stupid Gringo" stories.
Talk to y'all later,
