Trip report 2

[Wayne]

So the next morning, I get up feeling really not good at all.  I have a really ominous feeling for some crazy reason.  I’ve always been a little intuitive, and usually can feel it when something is going to go down.  Well all of a sudden two guys are fighting in the agency.  Screaming, yelling, slamming doors…Holy **** what kind of crazy place have I got myself into.  Turns out, one of the guys stole some money out of the other’s room, and they are having it out.  This atmosphere did not exactly inspire romantic feelings. Lol…  So I grab my wallet and passport and head for the curb to catch a taxi to another agency….any other agency but this one.  I had been there for a whole 7 hours and had not been hearing good things about this agency from a couple of the guys.  While my taxi is waiting, Margareth arrives and tells me to come into her office.  I think she knew somehow I was on my way down the road, and she starts trying to gain my trust.  Well, turns out, she did.  I found her to be a very warm and helpful person.

Ok. So we start going through the pictures and she is telling me about the girls.  My list quickly grows to about 25, and she says if you are going to be here only a week, we had better get busy.  They started calling the girls and my 1st date, (I hate that word “interview”) showed up a couple of hours later.  While I was waiting for my 1st date, a couple of the girls approached me while I was reading my book on the couch, and I got to know a couple of them right away.  My Spanish was non-existent, but I have one of those stupid talking translators.  I found this little machine to be an excellent tool to find out if the girl has 1. patience, and 2. wants to really get to know me.  If the girl grabbed the electronic translator and started trying to use it to communicate with me, I thought that was a good sign that maybe we could work together for communication in the future.  For most of my dates, I had the help of the staff translator named Ingrid.  A very smart, nice and helpful girl.  By the way, it’s amazing how much Spanish you can learn in 3 weeks if you take it seriously.

So I meet about 4 girls the 1st day, and end up going out to dinner with a girl named Monica.  I’m getting into the taxi with my translator and Monica, and I said how about something simple like a pizza or something.  I didn’t even know if I liked Monica, and I didn’t want to drop a lot of money on a 1st date.  So we drive around and drive around, and drive around, like there are no restaurants open.  At this time I don’t know anything, and I’m so green about the whole scene it’s almost funny.  Well I get the impression that the only restaurant open (which was total BS) is this one we ended up at.  Turns out this restaurant is one of the most expensive in town and I’m already feeding the stinking sharks on my 1st date.  $92.00 for the 3 of us, and I couldn’t even eat my food because I my stomach was not doing well at all.  The two girls I was out with were very beautiful, and I did enjoy watching them enjoy probably the best meal they had eaten in a long time. (Maybe not) I have always believed in paying the price for education, and chalked that evening up to a learning experience.  A 92.00 learning experience about how not to go on a 1st date in Cali.  So, I think if I had to do it over again, after I saw the menu prices, I would just say something like,  “you know this just doesn’t seem to be my kind of food, lets get out of here and find another place”.   I was way too worried about looking cheap, or whatever.  Jet lag, not feeling well, and too many American women lately had been numbing my mind.  It would be really nice if the agency would provide the guys when they arrive with some simple written information about the place.  Like a simple restaurant list with price ranges, and locations.  But then that would not be Cali...

Well, I didn’t even like Monica in the end, but I really enjoyed flirting with my translator for a few hours.  My translator and I went on about 10 dates together,(the 3 of us) and no matter how the date was going, we always had fun hanging out with each other, and sometimes even laughing and making jokes about how bad the date was going with the girl I had brought out.   The really funny thing is, I found out the next day about all the great cheap restaurants within 2 blocks of that agency.  I love that city!  My trip starts to improve….next post I promise.

[DaveyRich1]

... in response to Trip report 2, posted by Wayne on Dec 24, 2002

Wayne I don't know how your story turns out but it sounds very familar to me it was my 4th trip when i started falling for my translator I am now happily married to her I look forward to reading the rest of your story

[Cali vet]

... in response to Trip report 2, posted by Wayne on Dec 24, 2002

Like Pack said maybe a mistake here or there but really it seems like you handled your self pretty well. The first trip always seems to involve a big learning curve because after all there are plenty of cultural differences. Not knowing Spanish you were stuck with the need for a tranlator but paying $45 for dinner for just two is (gasp) routine in this country. So by US standards you weren't taken too badly and were wise to use a real person rather than to try to get by with a pocket translator. One of the differences is there is absolutely no such thing as Dutch treat. In Colombia the man always pays. One situation that can happen in an agency is where a couple or three guys are sitting around talking with ten or twelve girls and someone suggests the group should go out for a bite to eat. Suddenly you're not taking one or even two girls to dinner but four or five. That's a good time to go back to reading your book. Anyway that's a good point about the agencies posting a restaurant list. Latin-Internet has had one on and off. Probobly a good bet is just asking for a list on this board before going down for the first time. For example for inexpensive I like the Kokorico chain. They serve roast not fried chicken with yucca and salad. In fact it would be fun (and informative) to see guys post their favorite restaurant discoveries.
Bet you'll be going back soon.

[Michael B]

... in response to Re: Trip report 2, posted by Cali vet on Dec 24, 2002

www.caliescali.com

This place has a real good web site about Cali. I think it's sponsored by the Chamber of Commerece or some such. Check it out. They have resturant reviews (including prices), hotel reviews, chat rooms, news articles, things to do etc.

Apparently they are having a huge Feria (Fair) from Christmas through Epithany. Check it out.

Oh, don't waste TOO much time on the "Busca Amigos" section, most of them are 14 yo's looking for pen pals, or 18-20's looking for people to go night clubing with...not that there's anything wrong with that, but it's probably not what you're looking for. Only three or four of them (no matter what age) say they are looking for a spouse....but of course you're welcome to look.

P.S. I voted for Adriana Bedoya for Queen of the Fair.

[Michael B]

... in response to Resturant reviews and other good stuff f..., posted by Michael B on Dec 24, 2002

Forgot to tell you, you have to be a registered user to vote for queen, but what the hey, it's free to register, just like yahoo or hotmail....only problem (for some guys) is that the site is only in Spanish.

[pack]

... in response to Re: Trip report 2, posted by Cali vet on Dec 24, 2002

cali you are right on about the man pays and watch what you suggest. short story: i was at one of the agencies LC ( this is several years ago) a bunch of us were partying and someone suggested we go out dancing..so a whhole bunch of us piled in a cab and the next thing i knew myself and another gringo were at the door of a disco (tropicana) and we ended up paying for entry and drinks for about 6 or 7 girls. live and learn.

[TexasRob]

... in response to Re: Trip report 2, posted by Cali vet on Dec 24, 2002

Add Karens Pizza to the list.  You are sitting outside eating good food watching the most beautiful girls in the world stroll by you.  Also the combination carne and chicken lasagna is excellent.  Well all this talk of food has worked on me.  Time for some chicken enchiladas.

[TexasRob]

... in response to Trip report 2, posted by Wayne on Dec 24, 2002

I was in Cali when that happened.  A guy from Belgium was telling me about it and he was staying somewhere else.  A girl he met had told him.  News travels fast in a small world.

Hey did Monica have a 2 or 3 year old daughter.  Yeah I think she has been eating at that resturant a lot lately.

Next time try the resturant Paladar.  It is walking distance from where you stayed.  It is on Avenida 6AN 23-46.
It is very inexpensive and very good.  I ate at some much more expensive resturants but this one was my favorite.  Ask to be seated upstairs, It is a little nicer atmosphere up there.

[Wayne]

... in response to Re: Trip report 2, posted by TexasRob on Dec 24, 2002

Rob

Yes, Monica has a 2-3 year old child....LOL.  I just love this stuff.  It is really, really funny some of the stuff that goes down.  Did you date Monica....?  2 hours with that girl seemed like 2 years.

Spill it please.

[TexasRob]

... in response to Re: Re: Trip report 2, posted by Wayne on Dec 24, 2002

No, I didn't but a guy I met in Cali spent a small fortune on her.  He and I became good friends and he asked me to join them for dinner one night.  Later he asked me if I thought she was for real.  I told him my opinion.  She is beautiful but I do not see anything behind her eyes, no emotion at all.  When you mentioned her name and the resurant deal, I thought it had to be her.

I had a similar thing with a girl there.  Her name is Nancy.  We went to the zoo and her shoes were hurting her feet.  She said she was saving money for a new pair.  After we left the zoo I took her to the mall and told her I wanted to get her a pair of shoes.  Well the sales girls swarmed all over her.  She bought (or I bought) new shoes, purse, two pair of slacks, 3 shirts, and a dress.  Like you, I did not want to look like a cheapskate so I said nothing.  We left the mall to go to a resturant she knew of.  Maybe the one you went too.  Later that night I decided that I had sucker written across my head.  This girl was something.  This girl was affectionate almost to a fault.  The taxi drivers sure kept one eye in the rearview mirror.  I have received over a dozen e-mails from her but I delete then without reading them.  The other girls I met were the exact opposite were money was involved.  A girl that I grew to care very much for would not let me spend much on her at all.

[Cali vet]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: Trip report 2, posted by TexasRob on Dec 24, 2002

Yikes! Well it's often hard for us for us not to be overly generous. We go down with pockets bulging and quickly hear about the poverty/high unemployment issues. Many prices seem incredibly low and who minds being the heroe to the rescue once in a while? Somehow I think in this country we learn that the most convincing way to express our emotions towards a woman is to shower her with material goods, you know, the bigger the diamond the more she'll think you love her syndrome. However Colombian women don't learn (for the most part) to make a direct equation between price of goods and a man's level of commitment. I don't think they have converstions like "look at the size of this rock, he must really care". But Colombian women are practical out of necessity and if you open the door they'll stride through and start hepling themselves to the goodies. "Toca aprovechar" is the prevailing philosophy and for good reason. Therefore I think our natural inclinations towards generosity have to be checked, we really need to start out at least "un poco tacano" untill we get some idea of where we stand based on "quimica".

[pack]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: Trip report 2, posted by TexasRob on Dec 24, 2002

ha ha ha! im not laughing at you TR im laughing cuz thats one of the oldest tricks in cali..to get the gringo into the mall and spend his money...i know tons of guys that did this one..myself being one...i spent a ton of money my first trip to cali on a girl. we went to unicentro and it was myself that initiated it...i asked if she needed some shoes..next thing i know its ( shoes,purse,2 skirts,3 blouses,and who remembers what else) ...welcome to the unicentro club!

[Kenfer8]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: Re: Trip report 2, posted by pack on Dec 24, 2002

The girls think that whoever pays an agency memebership, travels to Colombia to marry and bring to the U.S. a girl who will need his support for at least 1 year, is a wealthy guy who won't miss 200 or 300 dollars spent on a shopping spree.

And...those things happen because the guys allow them to happen.

[TexasRob]

... in response to The girls think..., posted by Kenfer8 on Dec 24, 2002

Yeah I guess we do let it happen.  Hopefully only once though.  :-)

To be honest I don't think the girl was a bad girl or out for fleecing anyone.  She just did not have much and got caught up in the moment.  I was a bit taken back with this because until then my only experience dating outside the states was in Mexico, and I can't imagine a girl there even thinking of doing this.  Actually I know many girls there who would not be allowed to bring clothes home that a guy bought because it would be considered to personal.

I guess a guy just needs to have his wits about him.  But then again looking into those deep dark eyes....   :-)

[Hoda]

... in response to The girls think..., posted by Kenfer8 on Dec 24, 2002

n/t