Manizales Trip - Day 1 (Hell Day)

[EbonyPrince]

After busting my butt for the past couple of months writing a custom software package for a large produce distributor that had an unrealistic deadline, I was finally building excitement for my first trip to Manizales.  I live in Northeast Ohio(go Browns and Buckeyes), so we have been hammered off and on by snow and ice storms.  I was hoping things would go well on the day of my trip.  Well the US treated me well.  I flew out of my local, regional airport enroute to Atlanta for my Bogota trip on a sunny day with the snow melting.  My flight was at 1:28pm.  I got up at 6am, got packed and headed out the door at about 11am.  I got my car washed and stopped at the bank.  I got to the airport and through security with about an hour to spare.  Man I love small airports.  Good flight to Hotlanta, and it was a easy airport to get around.  I also enjoyed the nice scenery in Atlanta.  I will definatley have to spend more time there exploring.

I arrive in Bogota on Delta.  I get my luggage.  I didn't make any plans in Bogota, because I felt that I wouldn't have time to get through customs, get to a hotel, get sleep and get back for my 5.50am flight.  I met this nice taxi driver that told me that the airport pretty much closes down at night and is not safe.  He said he would get me to an hotel for the night.  So he asked me to wait at a door while he pulled his car around.  So I am getting information about my flight to Manizales in the morning, but I couldn't get tickets till morning at 4am.  The flights that go nationally actually depart from another airport about 10 minutes away.  So I am waiting for this guy to come around for about 15 minutes.  This guy in the airport who didn't speak any English, asked if I needed a ride.  He was nicely dressed.  I told him okay.  So he takes my luggage and we walk like 100 yards to the gates where the cars are kept, so I ask where we were going.  He said his car was parked in the lot.  So just as we make it passed security, the taxi driver I met first stops me and says he has his car.  I guess with traffic it was hard to get around quickly.  So I had to decide who to go with.  They first guy had a badge and a yellow taxi, so I gave the other guy $5 bucks (I had no pesos yet).  He was a little upset, but oh well that is a personal problem.  Guys never take an unmarked car, which I knew but I was waiting to see where this guys car was.  Anyway this guy, who spoke a little English, had his wife in the car who was very nice.  They took me to the Embassy section about 10 minutes from the airport.  We found one vacancy in a house that they people rented out.  Small but very comfortable room for $75 US.  Nice people.  I got to the room about 11pm.  I got to sleep, although I awoke every hour.  The girl woke me up at 4am.  The same taxi driver was back to pick me up at 4.45am. 

I get checked in and to my gate for my flight to Manizales.  The flight is delayed.  I had no way of reaching Deicy or Dick to inform them.  So I called on my Cingular/ATT to the states to have a friend call at $2/min (thank God for our great American systems).  Finally at about 8.30am the flight to Manizales is cancelado (what the freak!!!).  I know a little Spanish, but it is very different when speaking to native speakers.  Avianca begins sending us through Pereira with a bus to Manizales.  I grab a phone card for my Colombia cell phone I picked up in Cartagena my last trip.  I get on my plane departing to Pereira about 9.30am.  We land in Peirera's very tiny airport with luggage everywhere.  My house is bigger than the space where you pick up luggage, so quarters were very cramped.  Well needless to say my luggage never made it to Pereira.  Avianca finally shuttles me to Manizales via a private driver.  We waited for others that were supposed to be on my flight, but I guess there were as many as they had hoped.  I drive about 1 1/2 hours through these narrow, moutainous roads enroute to Pereira.  The countryside was beautiful.  It was slow going because of trucks going up these steep inclines, and one wrong move and you are in a gully never to be found or heard from...seriously. 

I finally arrive at the Cupido offices at 1pm.  Deicy gets me to the apartment.  On my first impression,  the apartment was okay.  Hey this is Colombia.  I get changed, luckily I brought a change of clothing in my carryon.  I find out later that my luggage is still in Bogota. (what the freak!!!).  I have flown many, many times in the USA for work and pleasure with various carriers.  I have only had my luggage lost one time in my entire life, knock on wood.  So I am pretty salty. 

I get back to the office for my first introduction.  Deicy and Mary are great to work with.  They keep trying to track down my luggage.  Now I will admit that I wasn't impressed with they women I had seen in Pereira, but they had the tight jeans like nobody's bizness.  I meet the first person that was in the office when I arrived.  Man those pants were painted on and she was so, so fine.  She is 26.  The girls look thus far so different from their pics.  You have to also deduct about 5-10 pounds.  Outside her body I wasn't feelin her at first, but as we talked her personality began to come out.  Towards the end, I don't think that she was feelin me.  She didn't get a chance to see my pic prior to the appointment.  I kindly thanked her and waited for the next.  The next girl is a 22 year old who speaks English pretty good.  She walks in the door, and she was smokin hot.  We sit down and talk for 1 1/2 hours alone in English.  Very nice, intelligent, sincere girl from a good family that loves Manizales, Colombia, and life.  She is in school studying physical therapy and loves working with disabled people.  She was great and so, so mature.  She wants to finish school, since her parents are paying for it.  She says that she wanted to see me again, but her family was leaving on Thursday to visit family in Medellin.  She would be back on Monday.  I found out later when she came back to the office that she was really feelin me, because Deicy was smiling and asked me what was I saying to her.  So that is just my luck, the young ones are always taking to me.

Finally at 5:30 I meet the person I had been communicating with for 2-3 months who is 28.  First impression is that she looks older, and she smelled heavily of perfume.  I don't like heavy perfume smells on anyone.  You should only be able to smell someone's perfume when they are close to you, and it shouldn't be overpowering.  So my first impression was that I thought she was cheap...lol.  She spoke no English, but once I got relaxed my spanish starting coming to me a little better.  Well after about a half hour, her boss calls.  I guess she got off early just to meet me, because the appointment was originally for 6:30.  She asked Deicy to take me to work with her.  So I go a little apprehensively.  Now she is very thin and the body is nice.  Her voice was also a little harsh, which I would later figure out why.  So I meet her friends at work.  We walk very, very steep streets on Manizales (San Franscisco ain't got nothing on the streets of Manizales).  We stop at a bar/cafe for drinks.  Now she tells me that she likes Mexican music (mariachi and such) and of course Colombian, but she doesn't like American music...lol (what the freak!!!).  She doesn't like Reggae or Reggaetton.  Okay...lmao.  Now I love music and I am a beginning drummer.  I order vino tinto and she orders cerveza.  Her body had no hint of liking beer, so its cool.  The waitress asks me if I want my wine frio or caliente.  So thinking caliente is from the bottle, I order caliente.  I only drink white or fruit wine chilled.  She brings the wine and the wine is smoking.  I think they must put the wine in the microwave, because it was like hot cocoa...lol.   She also brought the cerveza and a small pack of Kools.  Apparently I missed on her profile that she smokes.  She mentions that a lot of women in Manizales smoke.  That explains the older appearance under the makeup, the harsh voice, and her being so thin.  She actually reminded me a lot of my ex.  Deicy explained to me that she was very special, but strong-willed.  I now know what she is talking about.  Both her parents smoke, so I see now why she smokes.  I told her that I didn't like women that smoked.  She gave me some bull[snip] about respecting her and her cerveza and cigarettes, and she would respect my wine drinking.  So we will probably just remain friends, although I did start liking her more as the night when on.  I can't get past the smoking.  She invited me to her brother's party Saturday to meet her family, friends, and to do some dancing.  I told her I would go, but we will see.

Well I need to get ready for today and track down my luggage.  EP signing off for now.  Hopefully the trip will get better...

[utopiacowboy]

Excellent report. I'm with you - smoking is an absolute deal killer for me.

[Kiltboy1]

100% deal braker. Go ahead and lick an ashetray. It's the same.

Nice report EP, good luck with the citas and will look forward to more reports.

KB

[Santanger]

yep the smoking is a total turnoff. She's suppose to be taking care of her health so you can both be together for the next 30 years. Not check out early with lung cancer.  Great post! 

[bad40]

at the end of this i would appreciate a comparison between experiences.. dick vs. jamie...

[michaelb]

She doesn't like Reggae or Reggaetton........At least she has some musical taste.

BTW, were you trying to be facetious or did she really put smoking in her profile and you just didn't read it closely enough?

[EbonyPrince]

I went back to check her profile and man I totally missed that.  She told me that it was in her profile, and I be damned if it wasn't...lol. 

She said that she does like Jazz and was excited when I told her that I listen to that a lot, so it is not all that bad.  Funny thing is that although she says that she didn't like American music, she is bouncing and moving the whole time to the American music playing at the cafe...lol.  She especially was moving to the electronic music that was playing.  I typically like all types of music, except I really am not into all country or techno, house or electronic.  I think the beats are too simplistic, although the vocals are good in country.  I don't consider techno to be very artistic in structure plus it is so monotone.  I like some Reggaetton, but the beat is pretty straight also.  I enjoy Reggae especially Bob Marley, although it is one of the most difficult grooves to play with the beat mostly emphasized on 3 instead of 2 and 4. 

Anyway I invited her to the apartment to let her hear some of what I like, which I am sure I can change her mind about American music.  I think that the  selection that they get to hear here is very limited. 

She is a very cool and sweet girl and suggested we remain friends if we couldn't be more.  The attitude of the ladies here man is so wonderful.  They are so smart about life and accepting what it is is what it is...

[EbonyPrince]

at the end of this i would appreciate a comparison between experiences.. dick vs. jamie...

I'm witcha...I will definately do that at the end.  They both serve different markets in my opinion.  Jamie's service is an end-to-end package that takes you by the hand and guides you.  His goal as I explained to this other gentleman that I met here is to get you to meet as many women as possible, in hopes you find that special someone.  He runs his business excellently and tries to deliver what all his clients expect.  You have someone holding your hand the total way or you can choose to go your own way.  He's a full-service shop.

Dick's spot is more of an introduction service.  You don't have anyone with you, so you better know your Spanish and be comfortable with the culture.  Dick keeps the agency small, and he is very selective about the people that he wants using his agency from a client and woman standpoint.  He doesn't have as many women, but all the women (at least I think) are pretty serious about what they are looking for.  I have been told by three different women that this is a process.  These girls want to get to know you to determine if you have the qualities that they are looking for long term and how serious you are.  They are definately more conservative.  If you are just looking for a good time, Manizales is the wrong city and people for you.  Dick informed me that there were about six girls that just like hanging, and if a guy just wants to be introduced to Manizales but isn't really serious about marriage, he would introduce them to these girls.  If you stumble across these women, he would steer the serious minded people away from them.

Both guys run high class, American type businesses.  I think they both will have your back when you are professional and respectful, but the agencies target different markets with some crossover.

[fathertime]

Thanks for the entertaining report EP.  Sounds like you been working hard here in the states, I hope you have plenty of time to enjoy yourself in the "Promised Land".

Fathertime!

[EbonyPrince]

Trust me fathertime, I am putting in a lot of work here also.  I keep racking my brain regarding missing that large detail regarding smoking.  After more thought, I don't feel that I did.  I recall taking another look at that about a month or so ago, in reference to an email that I received from her.  She also mentioned that other guys that she met also weren't aware of it, because Deicy left it from her profile.  I went back to check and now it says smokes as clear as day.  So I feel that it has been changed recently, but I have no proof since changes aren't noted like on Jamie's site.  I posed the question to Deicy about her profile being changed, but I didn't get an answer and I didn't press it. 

I am pretty comfortable in the fact that I didn't miss that huge detail.  There was another lady that I was communicating with, and they neglected to show that she had a child.  I was surprised when she told me a few months ago, and she had already thought that I knew.  I noticed that her profile was updated recently to show she has a child, but it didn't show that in the catalog with her pic.  So coming to Colombia presents new work and challenges, but I will keep everyone posted (bad or good).

[fathertime]

I keep racking my brain regarding missing that large detail regarding smoking

Regarding who made the error, it is all water under the bridge. You job is to have fun and meet more beautiful women. One will come that is compatible, it is only a matter of time.   As Papi used to say here "Expect the unexpected"!  Bumps in the road are expected, keep your shocks in good shape!

Fathertime!

[chizz]

I agree, nice report thus far. I feel you on the lost luggage, though. On my very first trip to colombia, they lost my luggage for 3 days, and I had to buy some colombian clothes. Ever since then, when I'm at the luggage pick-up, im praying like a madman for my suitcase to arrive. Hope it shows up soon.
Chizz

[EbonyPrince]

Thanks Chizz.  I did finally get it Thursday afternoon.

I guess I am lucky.  I met a young kid there, that asked me where I was from.  He apparently was from Chicago.  I assume he was there visiting family, but he told me that his luggage has been lost for a week.  I wished him luck and took my luggage to the car.  When we were driving off, he was coming out of the airport empty handed once again.  So I must struggle to look on the bright side.