Cali Reports

[Ricker]

SAINT, I also have a favorite place I like to stay when visiting Cali.
It's called 'Hotel Casa del Portal' ... on Ave Sexta A ... maybe 3 blocks from Chippi Chappi ... easy walk ... and also very close to Kaliente, Flores Frescas, Ave Sexta, etc.

Cost is normal 100,000 pesos but you can talk yourself down to 80,000 per noche.
The guys that work there are fantastic, always helped me with the 'juggling' of the chicas. Became good friends with them.

Very comfortable, affordable, no construcion, good pillows (haha) and a free breakfast every morning if you can get out of bed by 11am ... I usually ordered breakfast in bed every morning with my chica ... as you know, they love that.

... Also, in Medellin, try Hotel Plaza Rosa ... less luxurious than Intercontinental, but way more affordable and people are muy chevere (very cool). www.hotelplazarosa.com

I'm off to to Venezuela for a few days ... life is bueno!

Suerte!

[Free Sex]

I have a similar question. I will be traveling to Cali with a buddy of mine on March 15th. At most we are looking to spend around $55 bucks a night combined, for our accomidations. Where can we get the most for our money? Is calihotel still our best bet?

Saint, myself and my buddy are thinking about getting an apartment at the Cali hotel together. How are the apartments?

Thanks in advance, happy hunting. Oh once again, if anyone is in Cali and wants to get together around March 15th, let me know. I will be there.

[Saint]

Thanks for the links. I had one of them but not the other.

I'm not sure how the novia situation will work out. I'm not expecting anything and just will see how things go. I tend to jump into things and just let them work themselves out. I agree with you about the family situation. After it was clear that we both had feelings she wanted me to meet her family.

It's not that I intentionally downplayed the security angle. I was only there 10 days. Guys need to be careful and use their best judgement when deciding on traveling anywhere the State Department has a warning. I think it's much different for the average tourist going a few days or a week than someone living there for years on end. I felt comfortable there but I think traveling in South America many times helped.

Lastly, can you please give me the contact information for the Casa Dann Carlton. I went to the website http://www.hotelesdann.com/html/dann_carlton_cali.html but when I go to email them it gets bounced back. I'm not sure if that page is accurate. How do I get the $55 rate you talk about? Also, do you have an updated website link or a phone number so I can call. I'll most likely be back in 2 weeks or so and I'd like to try out a new place.

Also, what do you mean it's chica tolerant? Will I have to pay a fee to bring a girl back? Thanks in advance.

Saint

[LatinTraveller]

Saint

Great reports from Cali. Thank you.

First , both Avianca and Aerorepublica fly from CLO-MDE. Both can be booked on-line at non-gringo prices. If you book more than two weeks before it is much less expensive.

www.summa.aero

www.aerorepublica.com.co

There may be other non-iata airlines that fly this route.

Second, there are no IATA airlines that fly direct from CLO-LIM. Aviance fly with a connection in Bogota. Current tariff is US$279 round trip.

Third, I understand your feelings and emotions about you new novia in Cali. To me you are someone that will manage this situation and I am sure that you, in the end of the day, you will analyse the situation and make the right choice. A word of warning: Colombian women can be difficult and any relationship is with the entire family.

Forth, I think you have played down somewhat the security situation in Cali. It is probably the most dangerous city in Colombia. I never feel comfortable there and I have friends that have lived there that have had to leave because they are fed up with being robbed and generally feeling insecure. I have other friends that have continually down-scaled their cars because anything considered "good" is robbed at traffic signal. They have lost two cars in the last year.

Fifth, for US$55 you can stay in the best hotel in Cali IMHO, the Casa Dann Carlton, and get change. They are not exactly chica-friendly but are chica tolerant.

Once again, thanks for your great prose and an excellant insight into what is a great but somewhat damgerous destination.

Take care

[Saint]

Hi guys. Can any guys that fly in/out of Cali a lot tell me the cheapest priced airlines that fly from Cali to Medellin? I did see flights on Avianca round-trip for less than $100 so that is pretty darn cheap. Also, do you know which airlines fly from Cali to Lima, Peru?

P.S. Some people have emailed me asking what the downsides were to that Hotel I stayed in. There were several disadvantages but the owner, Rigo, was such a gregarious and friendly guy it overshadowed the bad things. Still, I'll point out what I thought could be improved.

My bed wasn't too comfortable. It was much much better than the so called mattresses they have in Cuba but not near as comfortable as most hotel beds. You have to keep in mind this is basically just a huge house and he rents out rooms. Another was the pillows. The pillows were quite bad. If I stayed there again, I'd bring my own pillows. The other thing was they are doing construction on the house right now and adding on more rooms so construction workers start semi-early in the morning around 8 or 9 AM. You can't sleep in with the noise. I had hot water and there were only maybe 2 times when the hot water ran out mid-way during shower and I did take one cold shower late one morning. Also, the rooms were very dim at night. Maybe you can ask for stronger lightbulb.

I'm not sure what you can expect for $45 a night though. He has rooms for $35 a night and bigger apartments for $45 a night. Something I didn't know was that he charges a $10/night guest fee if you have a guest more than 1 hour so the apartments I guess must go for $55 a night. That is a bit high for Cali standards. I think you can get a room at the Intercontinental for about $75 a night + tax. When I go back I'll probably try another hotel but I'd still be tempted to use him again just because he was such a nice guy. My trip wouldn't have been as good without staying there.

Another thing is that I got bit by several mosquitos in my room. However, I'm the type that mosquitos love. I can be in a room with 100 people and I'll be the only one that gets bitten. I'd recommend you bring a Citronella candle.

There is a company I use to buy a bunch of travel related stuff. I go to so many different countries sometimes it's nice to have some of this stuff. I've bought many many many products from them and can recommend them highly.

http://www.walkabouttravelgear.com/index1.htm

[Free Sex]

Saint and Company,

Thanks for all the good insight. I think I may use your Taxi guide when I get to Cali because l am not a huge fan of mongering, only at times. Anyhow if you decide to return to Cali let me know. For Saint or anyone else I will be there March 16. I am just getting in from a long dull night out here in Panama City, im sure Cali will be a needed break from the norm.

Happy Hunting.

[Ricker]

Saint ... I have to say, I don't know you at all but I already like you. You seem to be a very genuine and good man.

I now live in Medellin half the month with the Paisa that I met about a year ago and our stories sound similar.

My Paisa still never asks for money and it's still tough to give it to her. I'm pretty sure your new Calena knows the money you gave her was from your heart ... you did a good thing.

I have to admit ... I still feel the call of the wild and I play the mongering game when I travel for my job, which is quite a bit, but it sure is nice when I come back to Medellin and mi Paisita esta esperando mi (my Paisa is waiting for me)

Cheers!

[np2112]

Hey Saint,

I normally post in Las Vegas. Living here in Vegas can sure make a cynical bastard out of ya, with all the rip-offs and girls that take huge advantage. I mean it's probably the same throughout most of the USA, but I think it's worse here.

I'm sure a lot of the same 'cynical bastards' would tell you that you were being taken for a fool and there's a lot of other 'boyfriends' these girls talk to. I don't know, I can't know, but I DO know that I enjoyed your posts, and they seem real. It's nice to know there are some decent guys like you out there, even if it may make you more likely to be ripped off. Empathy is never a bad thing. Don't lose that and good luck with those girls. And if THIS sounds too gushy to anyone, tough shit.

[Saint]

I’m sitting here at the Miami airport. Damn I hate connecting through Miami. It’s always a zoo. I thought I’d give details of departing Cali’s airport. Damn, it’s a zoo. My flight left at 8:15 AM so I was told to leave my hotel at 5 AM. I had to get up at 4 AM. I only slept two hours so I’m dead. Everyone told me it could take a while to go through the airport so I took their advice and left by 5 AM. If you are flying First/Business or you’re Platinum/EXP you don’t have to leave so early since you avoid the long lines. The regular line was long but I zipped through the First Class line.

You should note that before you go through the ticketing agent you need to go upstairs to get a waiver form so you don’t get socked with extra taxes. Your airline should have already taxed you the $25 however, if you don’t go upstairs and get the waiver form and your passport stamped you must pay extra money. Go upstairs then go to your left and there is a small window with a guy working. He will ask for your passport and will stamp it and fill out a form then hand it back to you. Go back downstairs and get in line and you’re set. The airport was the only place I went where a few people spoke English (only the American Airlines employees).

At the entrance of the door to say goodbye there were all these people crying. You have to understand that Columbians have it extremely tough. They need visas for just about every single country except Peru, Argentina, Brazil and maybe a handful of other countries. The ones that are lucky enough to go to the USA take it, sometimes even if it means leaving family members behind. I’ve never seen so many people crying at an airport before and I’ve been to quite a few airports. It broke my heart to see what these family members were going through. Imagine your mom leaving alone with your sister while you’re standing there with your dad and your other sisters and brothers. That’s what I saw. The father looked at me and I just gave him a kind of “I’m sorry amigo look”. I was also sad to leave my new novia behind but I can’t even compare it to these people.

Seeing this scene made me realize just how damn lucky we are as Americans. It just doesn’t seem fair to me that we have it easier just because we are born just a few thousand miles north of these people. Unfortunately the majority of these people will never have the opportunity to improve their life too much. No one wants to loan them money even if they have a good idea or they are intelligent or have a good business sense. Kind of like in the US where banks only want to lend you money if you already have money except much much worse.

I did meet a few people that were lucky to get visas but they stayed behind because of almost the exact situation as the family above. In one case the father and mother and 2 of their kids got visas but 2 didn’t. Rather than split up the family members they all stayed behind. There is no rhyme or reason to the decision making process of giving out visas.

I also met others here that lived in the USA before and came back. They made it through the difficult process of getting a visa but they found life in the USA disenchanting. Everyone thinks the USA is this easy place where great jobs are falling likes leaves off a tree. Where money is easy to make. The reality is the USA is one of the easiest countries in the world to make a little bit of money and difficult to make a lot of money. These people were working 2 or 3 jobs just to pay for their rent, food, kid’s clothes, medical bills. They came to the USA to improve their lives but they were slaves working daily to break even.

Another person that I met that fell in that category was my taxi driver back to the airport. He was a cool guy. His name is Felix Franco. Younger at 40 years old and his English is perfect. He is easy going and I just really got a good feeling from him. If you speak little to no Spanish or even if you do he is a good guy to call to use as a driver or translator. Most of these guys in Cali charge about $10 - $15 an hour. I told him I know some guys that might come to Cali. I got the price down to $8 an hour for you and if you use him more than 6 hours a day he’ll drop it down to $6. Just tell him “Santo” sent you and he’ll take good care of you. His cell phone number is (315) 573-4849. His home number is 3250302 or 5140287.

I’ve been fortunate to meet good people. I’m a good judge of character and this guy will take good care of you. It’s funny in the taxi we were talking about how hot the Caleñas are and he told me I’d like the Paisas too. He married one. I asked him how in the hell he can be married here with so many hot girls. He told me honestly he wakes up and the first thing he does is pray to God that he can be strong and not give into temptation. Ha! Talk about a strong guy. He also told me that sometimes he feels lucky not to be wealthy here because there would be too many temptations with the opportunities it would bring.

The ironic thing is even if you had a ton of money you probably couldn’t spend it. I mean, you don’t want to stand out too much. You can’t have too nice of a house; you can’t buy a nice car, etc. I was surprised to see not even one convertible in a town with perfect weather for a convertible but it’s just too dangerous I’m told. I only saw American and Asian cars. I only saw one BMW the entire 10 days I was there. Cars are expensive here.

I originally was only staying 5 days so I just had a back pack and a Travel Pro 22’ suitcase. You can actually pack a lot in those Travel Pro’s. I went through customs which was easy. Here is where I made my mistake. I went into the Admiral’s Club which is immediately to the right after Passport Control. The airport is hot and humid with no air conditioning. The Admiral’s Club isn’t that nice here but the air conditioning is extremely strong. There was no one at the front desk so I imagine anyone can use it since no one checked if I was a member. There is only coffee and orange juice. They didn’t even have bottled water. They did have CNN though in English.

I was dead tired and fell asleep. I woke up and it was 7 AM. Perfect… so I thought since my plane didn’t leave till 8:15 and boarding started at 7:30 AM. I go out and I see this long ass line. I think to myself sh*t! To make matters worse there is only one x-ray machine, a drug sniffing dog and they were frisking everyone so the process is slow. If you come here skip the admiral’s club and just go to your gate. I waited there one hour. Yes, you heard that right. The only comforting thing was that many in line behind me were on my flight too so I knew the plane wasn’t going anywhere.

So I finally get to the front of the line. The guy decides to open up my suitcase and take out EVERYTHING. It took me a while to pack since I bought some stuff and it was jam packed. They even checked the lining. They made me turn on my laptop. It took forever. If you use drugs I highly advise to leave them at home or don’t do them this trip. This isn’t the country you want to get locked up in. Also, in Miami the first thing you see is drug sniffing dogs. I’ve never done any drugs in my life and glad after hearing some of the problems they caused some of these people.

I’m on my plane now and missing Cali. There is a guy sitting next to me on the plane and I told him I went to Cali and he looked at me like I was out of my mind. He told me how dangerous it is. I asked if he’d been there and he said no. I do realize that statistically Columbia is a dangerous country. I was only there 10 days. I can honestly say that I felt as safe in Columbia as I did in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In fact, I’d say I saw more shady characters in the Copacabana area than I saw in all of Cali.

I will definitely be back here. Maybe in as few as 3 weeks. Good or bad I started some sort of relationship with my girl here. Guys should realize with the sweet innocent girls you’re not going to jump in bed right away with them. It may take a few dates. There is a reason they are slaving their asses off making nothing rather than sleeping with tons of guys making a lot more money. These girls are sweet and many are innocent. I’m ok with the courtship phase. It’s been a while since I’ve gone through this with a non-pro girl. When I’ve dated “working girls” I’ve always justified it’s ok to sleep with other girls since she is working anyway. I guess I can’t make that excuse anymore.

It was sweet at the movies my girl told me that she is breaking up with her boyfriend tomorrow. I was pretty honest with her. I told her that I’ve really met a lot of girls all around the world and in my life. I also told her that I haven’t been able to forget her which is true. I asked her how much she makes working at the salon 6 days a week (sometimes 7) and I was floored when she told me only 350,000 pesos a month (less than $150). I couldn’t believe it. I know her family struggles but they seem like they have a happy life.

They are so wonderful together and love each other so much. You should have seen them at dinner that one night. I’ve never seen a stronger bond and a better relationship. I was actually envious and wished I had that kind of family growing up. I had the things that most would consider essential: living in a nice house in a nice neighborhood, went to the best private schools, didn’t lack for food or clothing etc. but I can’t remember a time when I experienced what I witnessed that night at dinner with her family.

Anyway, after the movie it was late but I asked her brother if I could walk around with her a bit alone and talk. I gave him some money to buy a drink but I didn’t see anything open. I’m not sure if this was a right move or not but I gave her some money and I told her that I wanted to help her. I told her not to work so hard and to take more English classes. She is only taking English classes 2 nights a week but has made very little progress since she can’t study too much. She wouldn’t take the money at first but I reasoned with her and by the end of the conversation she had tears in her eyes and was thanking me. She told me she couldn’t believe she met me. I told her that I’m not a wealthy guy but I will help whenever I can and I’ll be there for her. We kissed and we just held one another for a while. Neither of us really had to say anything but we both had the same look in our eyes. It was a bittersweet moment.

Maybe some of you that live in Columbia can tell me if this was an OK move or not what I did. I didn’t want to offend her and she certainly wasn’t offended. She never asked for anything from me. Sometimes I just like helping out a little. I’m not expecting anything in return for this. I did it in Buenos Aires too where I met a girl working in a restaurant slaving her ass off. I had no romantic interests in her even though she was cute and expressed interest in me. I gave her about $150 (500 pesos) a month for several months. I opened up a US bank account and added her name and added money in it. It helped her get a tourist visa and she now is living in Europe. We keep in touch from time to time and she always tells me that she will never forget what I did for her and will pay me back someday. I’m not writing this to hear what a great guy I am. I don’t think it’s anything special. I just think sometimes in life you have to do nice things for the sake of doing them. I feel so happy that my friend is happy now in Europe. She would have never gotten anywhere in Argentina. Some of you have met her. She handed out flyers at one of the restaurants on Junin street in Recoleta. I hope this in some way inspires other guys to help others in some small way.

Even if I don’t stay with this girl I’m thinking of telling her that I’ll give her 600,000 pesos a month (almost double her monthly salary) if she agrees to take English classes full-time. It no doubt will help her have a happier future. Her best friend lives in the USA and she doesn’t seem to have a big desire to live in Cali. She has no friends in Cali and is kind of a home body. She doesn’t go out much. I asked her mom at dinner if she would miss her daughter if she moved to the USA and her mom had a tear in her eye and told me that her daughter is her life. She loves her more than she loves herself. She told me though that if knowing that her daughter was happy and had a legitimate chance of a good future she would be happy. It was a Hallmark moment. I know some of this sounds gushy. If so, stop reading. No one is forcing you to read this.

Many emotions and thoughts are going through my head right now but I’m so happy that I went to Columbia. I didn’t know what to expect but it was a very enriching experience if you couldn’t tell from my diary. Sometimes you just have to do something impulsive. I just got a ticket on a whim with very little notice. Life is short and you have to take advantage of the time you have. I truly hope some of you were able to gain some valuable information from my diary. Whether it was hobby info or just normal everyday life stuff in Cali, I hope you could take something positive out of it.

Good luck. I hope people visit this city full of amazing and wonderful people.

[Jaimito Cartero]

I'm really glad you're leaving Saint. I don't think I could stand much more of your reporting. I'm going to BA in 4 weeks, and yet you're making me almost cry that I'm not going to Cali. Bad, bad, Saint!

I seriously doubt that the McDonalds and Subway are US owned. Even in the US, about 80% of all stores are just franchisees. They pay the 200k or 500k to get a location, and then pay a certain advertising cost, and percentage of sale. They usually have to buy certain supplies (napkins, bags, food containers) that are marked up also.

McDonalds makes big bucks off of them, and the locals get to get a Big Mac. In Bangkok and SJO recently I ate at Subways there and was amazed that people would pay so much money for a mediocre sandwich.

In Thailand a Subway 6" sub was $3.50 on Sukhumvit. In Kuala Lumpur I passed one and the same sub was only $2.00. It's weird. In Thailand the KFC's don't have corn on the cob, but they do in Malaysia.

[Saint]

thanks pro!

this is probably my last update this trip. sadly, i'm leaving tomorrow morning. i had another good day. it's been interesting getting to know the people and the city of cali. the nicest group of people i have ever known.

i met my novia for some drinks before she went to work after i hooked up with antifreeze. i think i could sit for hours just staring into her eyes. physical attraction is important but the thing about these calenas is they are genuinely sweet. (ellas son muy carinosas y muy dulces!) i laughed a few times because when i was in cuba with my buddy seaman our theme chant everyday when we'd get together that we'd all say is, "una chica muy linda, con una cara muy bonita, un buen cuerpo, con un corazon grande y muy carinosa!" (a very pretty girl, with a very pretty face, a good body with a big heart that is very affectionate).

those guys razzed me because every time a girl asked me what kind of girl i liked i would dole out that answer. every single time so he and tad would chant that every day. pretty soon we'd be in our rental car and just chant out those words. it was pretty funny. seaman, if you are reading this you'll be happy to know that i'm finding all those qualities in these girls.

some generally interesting things i noticed is that places like mcdonald's, subway, etc. are here. and you know what? they are making a fortune. you have to understand that the price of an extra value meal here is not cheap. in fact, it's just a little less than one in the usa but these people don't make much. i've met lots of non-pro girls that work 6 days a week and only make 600,000 pesos a month (about $225) yet they are eating at mcdonalds. you know what? i think it's sort of a status symbol thing. they want to be able to say to their friends or other family members... "hey, i took my family to mcdonald's last night". it's really strange to see all the mcdonald's packed.

the other thing is do you think all these us businesses would be doing business here if it was as dangerous as people portray columbia to be? while i will admit that columbia statistically is a dangerous country and antifreeze threw out some statistics to me that weren't too good, i find it a little gem.

i can honestly say that most hobbyist probably shouldn't come if they are only looking to score with the pros. there are way better cities like buenos aires and rio. i seriously doubt cali will become a mainstream destination.

some guys might be worried about "getting ripped off" here. the thing they don't realize is there is no big tourism industry here so the locals probably wouldn't even know where to begin.

there are private casas in many many many sections of towns. just ask a taxi. the selection might not be that good but it doesn't hurt to go. there is no entrance fee and you don't have to do the "walk of shame"past the girls if you don't pick them since they do a line up one by one then leave the room.

i even have a few of the pros calling me daily. the hot ff girl called today but i couldn't pick up the phone because i was with my girl. if you rent a bell south cellphone you can buy rechargable cards all over the malls at the bell south stands or in most major supermarkets. they come in 10,000; 20,000 and 30,000 peso refills. they might have higher too but just get a little at a time. i find the cell phones to be expensive here. you dial *611 to add refill credits and to check your balance. it's all in spanish. just dial 1 to add credits and 2 to check your balance.

if you're calling a local non-cell phone from your cell phone you need to dial 032 before the local # or it won't work. if you speak spanish definitely rent a cellphone so you can talk with the chicas.

remember what i said about first impressions. these girls like guys that dress well. to them it's a signal that you have your sh*t together and can take care of yourself. they take good care of themselves and even in the malls like chipichope you'll see free big industrial scales that have a sign that say, "watch your weight". sh*t... the american girls could sure use those, huh?

anyway, i'm waiting on my girl. she is coming over to pick me up then we're going to the movies at chipichope. some of you pméd me asking where i went to dinner last night. it was a place in the south of cali called, rancho de jonas. her family picked it out. it was ok. outdoor patio type place with a mariachi band. food was pretty decent but not fabulous.

also, i wanted to point out that i type extremely fast. i type what i am thinking so my posts are genuine. i hope i don't come across as arrogant jerk because i'm really not that kind of guy. a few of you on the board truly know me and know what kind of person i am. one of my buddies told me that my posts come across as arrogant. i told him i'm not going to change the type of person i am. i've always tried to help people and i've never asked for anything in return. just my 2 cents.

if you come to cali, please respect their culture, respect their citizens and importantly respect these precious flowers that are the girls of cali. if you are a sicko that is into chasing **** girls or some other form of dengenerate i'd stay away from cali if i were you. antifreeze told me he has come across a few. i have a feeling if you are an ass here you could get yourself into a lot of sh*t quickly.

good luck all.

saint

[Prosal]

Saint, God bless you ;

[Lima Busy]

Antifreeze, Saint,

I am planning on bouncing around S.A. for a few years and I am interested in keeping a longterm apartment in Cali. Do you know of a website with apartment photos and info. Also what part of town would you reccomend living for a gringo.

Thanks,
Eddie

[Saint]

It´s funny but "Mojo Rasing" must have just been to this internet cafe here at ChipiChope mall recently because I logged in to WSG and his sign in was still on. I guess that will remind me to log out..ha, ha.

Anyway, I´m here at Chipi Chope. I just finished having lunch with Antifreeze. Damn. This is probably one of the most intelligent, philosophical guys that I´ve ever met not only in the hobby but outside of the hobby as well. We think alike on almost all universal issues. I hope to keep in contact with him in the future and I´m sure I´ll meet up with him on future trips. It´s evident that this guy has his sh#t together and will go far in life.

Pro,

I agree with you about doing nice things. I never do nice things expecting something out of it. I´m the type of guy that does nice things for the sake of doing it. It makes me feel good and I know the people appreciate it and that is good enough for me. For me, being nice pays so many dividends. I always come across guys that say not to tip X% but you can´t measure life in dollars and cents. I´m a happy guy and I like the way I do things. I also think people can sense that about me and I think that´s half the reason why I´ve been so lucky with girls. Girls like a guy that always has a smile on his face. What the hell do I have to complain about?

Anyway, I´m going to meet my novia for a drink before her work then I´ll go say hi to that other girl and pick up the CD she wants to give me. Crap I don´t want to go home tomorrow. I still might extend but I doubt it. I have to make some money to pay for future trips.

[Prosal]

Saint thanks for the reply ;

BTW i think the evening consacred to take your GF's family diner will stay long in their heart and in your memories ;

I personnaly like acting nice with regulars in undervisited Brasilian towns of Goias or Minas and always had a reward with dating some of them, sometime with a horizontal reward but sometimes also with just the high pleasure to have a geniune and big hearted girl as a companion for a perfect night's out .... some still e-mail or call me after years and years ...

Cheers anyway