[This message has been edited by jediknight]

just got back from barranquilla, i went there to surprise my girlfriend on her birthday, the entire trip was perfect.

i flew avianca, from jfk to bogota then bogota barranquilla, not a single problem thank goodness. her birthday was on the 19th and since it was a surprise i arrived that afternoon and went to the hotel majestic, nice place with a pool, affordable ($40/night) with a delicious breakfast included, a/c, tv, hot water,i'd say a 3 star hotel.
after checking in i went out, bought some roses, showered and headed out to her house in the evening. with the help from her uncle,i had arranged a mariachi(8 piece) to arrive at the house at 8pm, that cost $50 for a little over a half hour of music. around 7:45 i called her from my cell, i wanted to call her cell but knew that my number would show up on the caller ID and there isn't a *67 like here to block her from seeing it, so i called the house phone knowing that she doesn't have caller ID there and wouldn't be able to see that i was calling from within colombia.
i was a block away with flowers and gifts talking to her, telling her how much i loved her and wanted to be with her and her telling me the same. her entire family (50 people) was there, this was arranged by her uncle who told everyone to be there for a surprise i was sending that night. the band arrived and she started to cry, she hadn't received a mariachi since her 15th birthday, she couldn't believe that i had done this for her. about 10 minutes of talking and crying I rang the doorbell, a cousin answered, i told her not to say anything, her cousin directed me through the garage into the living room where everyone was and you can imagine what a surprise that was for my novia and everyone else.
she was shaking and crying, she jumped into my arms and gave me a huge hug, we kissed, she kept in looking at me because she couldn't believe that i was there,her parents, aunts and cousins also were crying, it was like in a movie. no one knew that i was in colombia, not even her uncle who helped me with the band, so the surprise was huge, needless to say that after that i had everyone in tears and lots of smiles. i stayed the night at the majestic and in the morning i went to the house and stayed with my novia and the family, stayed there for a few more days and came back yesterday. i'm lucky to be able to say that i've found my media naranja, she is everything that i've wanted in a woman and although we are giving ourselves more time to know each other, i know that i'll be proposing soon.
JK

... in response to Re: barranquilla trip report , posted by zack on Mar 27, 2005

the first thing that comes to mind would be new years eve, at midnight, the start of something new, or the one year anniversary of when we started communicating or the day we met, or perhaps the day that i asked her to be my girlfriend, i'll be playing around with ideas until i come up with something good. i still don't know about whether to do it alone or with the family present, i'm leaning towards doing it in front of everyone, her family is very important to her so i'd want to include them, we'll see. thanks
JK

... in response to Re: Re: Re: barranquilla trip report , posted by OkieMan on Mar 27, 2005

[This message has been edited by jediknight]

she is in her late 20's and i'm in my late 30's, there's a 10 year difference between us. not only are latinas impressed with signs of love and affection but so are their families. i was telling my female coworkers here about what i had done last week and all had tears in their eyes, one commented that she didn't think guys did that anymore, so i think that AW are impressed also but for some reason they seem to think that the guys here have forgotten how to court and win over a womans heart. of course its a two way street, guys need to feel inspired to do something like that and feel that the woman is worth the effort, that she is looking for love and not more than a fat wallet.

all i know is that women in general love to see a man who isn't afraid of outward signs of love,affection and emotion and the way i see it is if you know that things like that will make your girlfriend happy, why not? i love to see my girlfriend smile and whatever i can do to always see her smile i will gladly do. one thing that her father told me is that he hopes that i never change, in other words that i stop once the honeymoon is over, this is big complaint among women, that once a man has won a womans heart, they think that they don't have to continue. being happily married takes alot of work so keep reminding her of how much you love her and are happy to be with her.

as far as living with her parents, you will find that many people in colombia, men as well as women, stay with their parents for various reasons, but mostly it's economic. their is no job security so many don't live alone, but rather stay together to help with household expenses. sometimes even if you have a job it doesn't pay well enough to live on your own or you're lucky if they pay you on time. some are single mothers, a big problem in colombia, where the fathers don't help with chid support and so the parents help out. unlike here, single men and women usually stay at home until they are married, this is very normal in colombia. thanks for the support and lots of luck to you in your journey.
JK

... in response to barranquilla trip report , posted by jediknight on Mar 26, 2005

Very romantic, tear-jerking story.  Well told as well.  I could almost picture myself there.  Definitely inspirational as I prepare for my 1st trip to LA, specifically BAQ, next month.

... in response to For jediknight, posted by utopiacowboy on Mar 26, 2005

since it was her uncle that did the legwork i'll contact him and ask for the details, i'll email the person and post the info here for anyone that might be interested.
thanks
JK

... in response to For jediknight, posted by utopiacowboy on Mar 26, 2005

Another good mariachi band in Barranquilla is "Mariachi Guadalajara",
Cra. 46, No. 82-161, Local 1, Tel: 328-7176 or 363-6344 or 378-3015.
Director-Violinista: Luis Sarmiento. Very professional band, with about
7 or 8 members, and their show includes at least 6 or 7 musical selections.
Their service includes complimentary color photos of the event. Check with
them about their current prices, but I believe that they are reasonable.
Regards.

... in response to barranquilla trip report , posted by jediknight on Mar 26, 2005

What does media naranja mean.  I see this term all the time.  I know it does not mean half orange

... in response to Re: Re: barranquilla trip report , posted by Michael B on Mar 26, 2005

Hey Michael B,
Thanks for clearing that up.  I was curious about that myself.  So, does that mean that half an orange is better than no orange? ha

                     OkieMan