Well dudes and dudets, the old saying goes "It can only get better" has reared its blessed head...lol.
I awoke Thursday with the sun shining, so I was hyped that I was going to get my luggage on the 5:50am flight into Manizales. I responded to emails and wrote my trip report to you guys before calling Deicy and getting showered. I informed her that my first priority was to get my luggage, then I wanted to meet more people. I get ready and go down to hail a cab. All these cabs are whizzing by with people in them, so I said forget this and call Deicy to have her send me a cab. So I sit and begin soaking up the daily life of the people of Manizales by people watching. On my first day arriving in the apartment, I recalled walking in the doorway smelling this nasty smell and thinking this place must be filthy...lol. Once I walked up the stairs, the smell went away. Well standing outside the doorway, I realized that the store next door was a fish market. That explains the smell.
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The cab arrives and it is my boy John (first time meeting), but he spoke good English and we hit it off. He happened to be off yesterday. He took me back to the office, where I began looking through the books in the office. Deicy wanted to find out how my night had went. I also encountered another American that was without his luggage also. After spending about an hour looking through these three gigantic catalogs, I give Deicy more numbers. I also asked her to offer suggestions. By the way I was even more salty and bordering on anger, when I found out that my luggage was still in Bogota (what freakin planet am I on). Looks like the day isn't going to get better.
Dick the owner comes to the office and asks me about my stay and the beautiful girl he saw I was meeting yesterday. I told him that the first didn't work out. The second was young, which he said that that was not an issue with the girls here. He also asked about Amparo, and I told him about the smoking that I missed in her profile. He explained how he started the business and how he is selective with the girls and clients he selects to use his agency. He owns several apartments here, and he is completing others. I got the impression that his previous life was as a real estate developer. He does this as a hobby. His new apartments are supposed to be really nice, and he will complete them in March. He has been in Manizales for four years, and he said that the city will grow on me (yeah right...lol).
I met this American guy from Chicago the day of my arrival in the Cupido offices. He had a date in like 30 minutes, so he asked me if I wanted to join him for a sandwhich up the street. His flight was the only one that made it in the previous night with luggage and all. We sat and chatted for about 30 minutes. I then went back to the office. Deicy was unable to get a hold of anyone, because a lot of the girls are working for Christmas. Two that were interested in me worked till late. So the one was going to try to hook up with me on Friday, and the other said that she would meet me Thursday night. So I instructed Deicy to keep trying to get my luggage. I got John's number (who has family in the states and has visited there), and I called him to take me back to the apartment. I got back salty and pretty much hating my trip (I sound like such a beeatch...lol, but man you just don't know). John said he hoped that it would arrive this afternoon and I am thinking yeah right.
I get back to the apartment and start honing up on my Spanish by listening to my Pimsleur Spanish 2 lesson 5 (that is as far as I have made it) and studying words that I use a lot. Twenty minutes into my lesson, Deicy calls and tells me my luggage is at the airport (this is about 4:30pm). I race and call John, and he tells me he would be here in 6 minutes. He runs me by the office to get my claim ticket, and we head for the airport. The scenery is awesome, and John is explaining the various structures around the city. Manizales is such a different and an in my opinion a beautiful city. The men weren't gawking and eyeing every beautiful girl that walked by. Manizales reminds me more of a western city by the way the people were dressed. It was just like at home, but the women are so grounded. All the girls to this point arrived on time or earlier, and they were responsible for getting themselves to the office and back to their destination. They all expressed that the Colombian men were interested in what is on the outside, but they were interested in the men wanting what they contained within.
I arrive at the airport, which was very small and quiet. I show them my ticket, and they let us through security to the luggage. I don't see my bag, and I am scared. Then the guy compares my ticket to this big arse aluminum case (what the freak!!!). My heart dropped to my draaaws. I looked back in the hall way and I see a black bag. Could this be my baby (the symbols are all screwed up on this keyboard so I can't find the question mark). I get closer and it looks positive. It is my baby, a black Dakota bag with my initials on it. As Fred Sanford said "I didn't know a black man could be so happy"...lmao. The day just got much better. John runs me home and then to the grocery store. I get back to the apartment. Get my clothes put away. Called my girl (just a friend in BAQ that emailed me how I was enjoying my trip). I finished my Pimsleur lesson, got showered, and ironed my clothes for the evening.
I call John at about 9:15pm for my date at Juan Valdez Cafe. We get there and wait for about 30 minutes. Okay this girl isn't going to show. John and I have some coffee, which man I hate cappuccino. The stuff is gross...lol. Sorry! I pull my phone from my pocket and I have two missed calls from Deicy. I call her back and she tells me that my date is on her way. I learn that she had a problem getting a cab after work (she got off at 9:30pm). She arrived about 10pm. Deicy said she should would recognize me from my pic, and her English is about as good as my Spanish. When she walked up, I barely recognized her. The girls have been so much thinner than their pics and much prettier. This girl was so cute. She doesn't have the black hair, but she is a looker.
We drink coffee and chat for about an hour. John was there and we were all having a good time talking in Spanglish...lol. This is what I expected. Great company and great night. People were all out and about mingling in the streets. The city is so clean and so safe. I am starting to finally relax and enjoy myself. She is cold and suggest we head over to Bones, a fast food restaurant that serves burgers and stuff. The Cable Plaza mall was locked up, and John's taxi was parked there. We find someone that lets us in to get the car. We eat and chat more at Bones. Me and my date have a bowl with corn, chicken, and cheese which was very good. John had a hamburger. We leave about 12:30am, since she has to work at 9 en la manana. They both tell me my Spanish is perfecto, which I don't believe. It is amazing how much you remember when you are relaxed. They claim to have understood everything I was saying in Spanish. We drop off her off at her home in Downtown Manizales. I get home about 1am. It was a good day, and we plan to see each other again.
Muchas Gracias to my boy drm64 that read about my first trip report. He along with his wife selected names for me to check out paying special attention to the smoker section...lmao. I can't comment enough on how good friends are so important.
I may explore more, but I am very pleased thus far with the person I met last night.
