My Last Two Days In Cali
Tuesday – I went over to Clara’s house for lunch. She is an excellent cook. I really enjoyed the meal. In fact, I had a second serving. The last time I ate so much was 20 years ago when my mom was alive. Later, we went to Chipichapi to watch a movie and buy a CD for Angie, Clara’s daughter. We got back to Clara’s place around 10 PM. We talked for a while. She said she wanted to ask me something. I thought that she was going to ask me about getting engaged, but she did not. Instead, she wanted to know if I was going to stay in touch with her, if I would be returning to Cali to spend some time with her in the near future. I said yes and she gave me a big hug. That was the only commitment she wanted from me. I told her that we would continue to communicate and that if all went well, I would return to Cali in 3-4 months with an engagement ring. I was really falling for this sweet lady and almost went and bought the ring the next day, but I had promised myself that I would not get engaged on my first trip. We held each other closely and listened to music for a while. I went back to Latin Encounters around mid-night. Margareth was waiting for me. She wanted to know how things were going with me and Clara. I told her that everything was going great and thanked her for introducing Clara to me.
Wednesday – My Last Full Day In Colombia. This day was really a depressing one for me and everyone at the agency knew it. I had really enjoyed my stay in Colombia and now I was down to my last day. MS, my 26 year old friend, called and said she wanted to see me before I left Cali. I could not say no for she had been very nice to me. We met for lunch and said ours goodbyes. She cried. She promised to write and hoped that when I returned to Cali, I would give her a call. As I was returning to Latin Encounters, one of the gentlemen staying there told me that Clara was waiting for me. She had waited for over an hour. I felt lousy for making her wait, but she said that she understood that I had to say goodbyes to some of the people I had met. I thanked her for being so kind and gave her a big hug. We went to her house to share a bottle of wine and spend sometime with her daughter. Once again, I promised Clara that I would e-mail or call her as much as possible. It was very hard saying good bye to Clara. I really got used to being with her. I was sitting next to her and was missing her already.
At mid-night, I went back to the agency and started packing my things. The next day, (Thursday) I had to be at Cali’s airport at 5 AM. I got to the airport on time and it’s a good thing I did for the lines were very long. I paid the $63,000 pesos departure fee (about $27.00) and about 3 ˝ hours later, I was being greeted in Miami by a fat, female immigration officer with a nasty attitude. She asked why I went to Colombia and how long I stayed. I was ready to tell her that the reason that I went to Colombia was because I was fed up with meeting American princesses like her, but instead I politely said that I went to meet a lady friend and that I stayed in Cali for 8 days. She made a face and told me to move on. The rest of the way was easy. They did not even search my bags in Miami.
A few words about Margareth and Latin Encounters … Before going to Cali, I heard many negative comments about Margareth, but I believe in meeting the person first before forming an opinion. It’s a good thing that I went to Latin Encounters because this was the only agency where you would find Clara’s picture. Margareth enjoys her work. She told me that she has been getting couples together for most of her life. Then, her ex husband (Ricardo of All Colombian Girls) told her about the agency business. She could not believe the kind of money others were making for something she had been doing -- and enjoying -- for free. I believe her. I witnessed how much she was willing to help those that were sincere in their search for a good woman. The first time we spoke, she asked “How long do you want your relationship to last?” I said: “Forever”! She said: “Then, don’t waste your time dating young girls. I know many beautiful ladies over 30 that are perfect for you. They know what they want out of life and are ready to settle down with the right man”. When she said that, I asked her to set-up my first date, which was AM, a gorgeous lady with a great personality. The only thing that I did not like about AM was that her cell phone was interrupting us all night. I could have settled for AM, but Margareth told me that there were 4 other ladies that I should meet. The second date she set up for me was Clara. After meeting Clara, I did not need to meet anyone else. Margareth convinced me that she was what she said she was: A Good Matchmaker.
Did Margareth earn the money I paid her? Let’s see.
1. She said I would get a nice room that would be cleaned daily. I did. My room was spotless.
2. She said that the price of the room included breakfast. Every day, by 8 AM, my breakfast was ready.
3. She said she would introduce me to beautiful ladies. She certainly did!
4. If things don’t work out between Clara and me, would I go back to Latin Encounters to continue my search? I certainly would.
5. Is Margareth money-hungry? I don’t know, I did not bother to ask her. One thing I know is that she has to generate money in order to pay salaries and other expenses to make your stay at her agency a comfortable one.
6. Does she have Ringers on her website? I could care less. The two ladies she introduced me to were on the website and were available.
7. Do all the ladies in Colombia want to go out with you? Let me answer this question with another questions: Do you want to go out with every lady in Colombia? Would you go out with 300 pound woman with bad breath? I don’t think so. As agency’s clients, we all want to meet Ms. Perfect. The ladies are also clients and have the right to wait for Mr. Right.
8. Would you meet a green card shark at Latin Encounters? It’s possible. There is no guarantee that every lady you meet at the agency possesses the virtues of Mother Theresa.
The American men I met in Cali -- I like to say that most of the American men I met at Latin Encounters were very nice, but I also met a few jerks that were making it bad for everyone else. They were drunk and loud, wearing shorts and dirty sandals, and really believed that they were God’s gift to the ladies of Colombia. They were wrong because the ladies that were there felt relieved when they left.
A few words about clothes – Shorts are not popular with the ladies --wear them in your room or when you are going swimming. If you are going to wear sneakers, buy a dark color. Forget suits and ties. Jeans and polo shirts are very popular with the ladies. Cali is very hot and you must change your clothes frequently. Make sure that when you go on a date, you are wearing clean clothes and good cologne. In Colombia hygiene is extremely important to the ladies. Colombian ladies do not like men that smell bad – no matter how good you look or how wealthy you are. Cleanliness is a plus!
In closing – I hope trip report is helpful for those who are thinking of going to Cali -- the city of beautiful ladies and sincere people.
