Back in cali (cdrab)

[clint]

The countdown is on! I have 31 hours till the wedding.
Stayed the first night at the girlfriends and now I am spending the next 2 days at the pacifico royal, the final night in the honeymoon suite. There is way too many family members in town for the wedding at her house and also all the goodies for the wedding are there and I am not allowed to see them. Everything went well with the flights on the way down in fact out of my four trips here this year this was the smoothest. Last night we had a power failure and it was raining heavy, we were sitting talking and we heard three spine tingling screams from the next door store, the store was closed but apparently there was a woman there seeking shelter out of the rain under the canvas store front and some guy came up pushed her into the corner and robbed her. It was very dark, we were using candles for light, also my girlfriends apt is on the second floor and you have to look off your balcony to see what was going on.
nobody helped this girl until after the robbery, everyone was afraid of getting shot. This is the first time that I have seen anything like this in Cali and hopfully the last. Beware my friends you just don´t want to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Let you know later about the wedding.
Now it is time for me to go to unicentro and see if the view is still the same as last trip.
Clint

[Traveller]

... in response to Back in cali  (cdrab), posted by clint on Oct 26, 2001

Well, guess who we ran into tonight? Big Clint. Drank some beer and watched the Local Flora and Fauna pass by at Checkers in Unicentro.
It was fun. Later, we went to Blues Brothers bar and had a few more.
Much luck to Clint and his Bride. I have had too many drinks to ellaborate more than that.  =)

ACK! Night. Night
Keith

[clint]

... in response to Re: Back in cali  (cdrab), posted by Traveller on Oct 27, 2001

Hi keith
I dragged myself out of bed and now i only have 4 hours to the wedding. Starting to get nervous.That was a blast last night.
thanks hope to talk to you again soon.
Clint

[Traveller]

... in response to Re: Re: Back in cali  (cdrab), posted by clint on Oct 27, 2001

Good luck there, Compadre.

[El Diablo]

... in response to Back in cali  (cdrab), posted by clint on Oct 26, 2001

Clint, the Friday night beer just isn't going to work out this time.  It's my last day or two and and it was hard to fit in a trip to the south with all the things I had planned.  Good luck with the wedding!!!

[sts]

... in response to Re: Back in cali  (cdrab), posted by El Diablo on Oct 26, 2001

I have been seriously thinking about the Columbian woman thing and seeking information as to what the
real environment is in Columbia. I'm aware of all the narco terrrorism and the political unrest. I e-mailed one agency and was told that the environment was relatively safe and it would be rare if I had a problem.
I have been finding out otherwise and wonder what would happen to me if I was attempted to be robbed
and defended myself. I have had this happen to me in the states on two occasions and it really makes
me mad. I reacted in both situations and took care of business. I didn't get into trouble because we
have laws here concerning self defense. If it were to happen to me in Columbia, I would most likely
react first and ask questions later. Would the Columbian authorities frown upon this and what kind of trouble would I get in ? Can anyone answer this.

STS.

[Traveller]

... in response to Re: Re: Back in cali  (cdrab), posted by sts on Oct 27, 2001

Brother Please,
Look, I was in the Infantry for 11 years with the Army and the Marines and saw some combat. (Got holes in me to prove it.)  If someone pulls a gun on you, you aren't going to react, you're going to give them what he wants or end up with a couple of leaking holes in you. You ain't bulletproof.
The general social environment is, at this moment, in a state of calm. Ain't nothing going to happen to you, unless you draw unwanted attention to yourself, or worse, others. IE; getting stupid when you get drunk and try and pick a fight or some other stupid thing. If you do do something stupid and push a bad position and try and take on someone who is more outgunned than yourself and get lucky and pop them in the head or whatever and local Law Enforcement shows up, more than likely, you'll be fine because most witnesses will say a gun was drawn on you and you defended yourself. Then the cops are going to want to see your passport and to come down to the local office and make a statement. When they find out you don't have your passport on you, they will want to go back to your residence to see actual proof you have one. While you are digging out your passport ,they are going to see what you have that's of any value and I'll let it go from there.
Do you really want to be put in that situation? Or worse, have a sucking head wound over a $40 watch?  Come on guys, use common sense. I have been coming down here for over two years and am now living here and I haven't had a problem. There are two sets of rules. One set for Colombians and one set for Gringos (Wherever they might be from). Follow those rules and you will be fine, don't, be prepared to lose some money or other possesions. It's that simple.
I have heard guys like you before. "But, what if I am in position and I have to defend myself?" I know, because I used to be one of those guys. If you can do it, fine. If not, do what you have to wake up in your bed in the morning.
Some of you guys who have never been down here before put way to much credibility into all this State Dept. Warnings and what not. Sure, it can be dangerous dwon here, but use most of your common sense and you will be fine.
Take it easy,
Keith