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Adnrew talks about a typical day in Cali Written by Andrew, May 2000, andrewincali at andinet.com.
Where do I start for the last weeks fun events? Its Sunday dinner and its time to go down the "Keys" for beer, only the Keys is 5000+ miles, on a still night you can smell the red Thai chicken curry here. :-).
shopping in cali
Around the central paradero on the Calle 15 at the San Andresito district is a consumer durables market of video recorders, tv,s , cars audio, ect, the entire spectrum of Japanese/Korean electronic goods. This market is undercover, has villilancia privado`s Videos and CDs for music, software, games for Dreamcast, Nintendo and Sega consoles. ALL types of (pirate) software/music is available for less than £1 on this market; this is where you can buy a tin of CS spray for $2000 pesos, if you feel the necessity.
Very like Halifax flea market but with everything pirated, plastic Pokemon`s are the hot thing of the moment, the Picachew`s that say “picachew” when squeezed are popular at the inevitable “quinentos” ($500 pesos).. In England a pair of football boots by Nike Adidas, puma, or any of the other names is expensive, over here nearly everybody (not the Indians) wears these type of sports clothes for work and play, they are VERY cheap here (I bought Gloria some Adidas football boots for less £10 including 2 sets of screw in different-use studs.
A Manchester united kit is less than £5 for the shirt with your name and number, shorts, socks and shin pads, they aren’t pirate copies, these are made to sell in the shop at old trafford, its just that the factory decided to keep on making them because they can sell them here, I have seen Newcastle, Celtic and Liverpool strips here, fetching gloria a united strip was like taking coal to Newcastle!
druggy based story of last night
That got your attention. I went out with the fella next door and his girlfriend in his car because he knew someone that might sell weed (familiar story), anyway we got to this mates house and he isn’t in but his sister said he was playing pool at the tienda at the end of the next road. We went down there but he had already left with his girlfriend, a cousin playing pool told us, he did not know where to look for them.
A bit cheesed off we drove towards home down Ave Roosevelt, when Mario, the guy from next door, suggested we go for a burger and coffee and to think about the situation (very grave), bit like going into the bramshe for a look-see who goes past, the Shane Wesneys of Cali.
In front of us was a red rag waver, these are people stand outside cafes and restaurants, (in reality their personal piece of street, for many are more or less homeless) anyway, seeing the one in front we pulled in the space the flag waver keeps clear of cars other than the 3 or 4 businesses whose parking spaces are HIS property by the unwritten laws of the streets.
The cafes but usually food do not employ them and if it is a good night some extra money changes hands. When a car pulls in they have a bucket of water and while you are eating/drinking/buying fags they clean the windows, lights and mirrors, the whole car if you ask them, but cleaning the windows is mandatory, tip is usually $500 pesos, the inevitable “quinnientos”, worth about 14pence
We were served by a 20-year-old 4-foot tall, Size 6 gorgeous Indian bird (soltera, sin compromisos) who told us that they only had rice, beans and pork, despite the massive menu pinned up outside that said they had meals from all over the world! Also they had no beer but we could have some lemonade (home made) if we wanted., we had that and the meal, very nice at $5.500 (£1.80p-ish for 3 people)
I sat talking with Mario and his bird about the awful dope situation, when the waitress and incidentally, the sister of the rag waver/car park attendant/window cleaner, (she had been listening to me talking, great buzz when earwiggers can understand me speaking their language), she said "ask my brother, he knows lots of people”, we gave her a good tip and she waved her brother over to talk to us, we spoke to him and he said "yeah, no problem, without doubts", so we drove off with him to behind the Galeria central acerca La Palacio de Judistica”, the central courts in Cali, by day a very busy commercial market of fruit, veg and meat, maybe like a dirty, very dirty Smithfield market (market like Tod, but the area of but full of homeless/junkie’s/solvent`ers/muggers and god knows what else, Gloria will not go there, even in the day-time, that is a yardstick of how bad a district is!.
When we arrived there the market was very dark, (bulbs from streetlights broken or stolen), so we parked 200 yards away on the other side of the busy dual carriageway with the engine running and in first gear, car is an old Vauxhall cavalier 2000 SrI in pretty good nick, probably keep pace with the rover I had.
I gave him a $5000 peso note (£1.70p), told him that we were keeping his T-shirt, red rag and bucket, the T-shirt so we could see if he had any weapons when he came back and to come back alone and in less than 3 minutes or we would be gone and unhappy with him, I also promised him a further $5000 pesos if he was back in less than 2 minutes, told him keep his hands were we could see them and no acrobatics of the kung-fu type because we had a gun (lies).
He was back in less than 1 minute, alone and clearly armed only with his shorts (no shoes) and clutching a rolled paper tube about the size of a roll of Clingfilm (see foto), he gave me the tube and what looked like a roll of cash register paper, in reality a roll of king size "rips", stolen from the cigarette factory for making the "Continental" brand of fags.
We said that we were "made up" with him and we let him back in the car and started driving in the traffic, headed towards home, we asked him where he wanted dropping off, "anywhere" he replied because with his new found wealth he was going home to see his brother and to wait for his sister, talking more I found out that they lived under the market stall of an uncle, Uncle got a security guard free, the 3 got somewhere to sleep.
We told him to buy another tube in 2 weeks and to keep it with him (weed isn’t? against the law?) and when we wanted more we knew where to find him, apologised for the security and suspicion but he understood that well, said goodnight and off he went.
We came home and I borrowed the camera to foto the weed, I weighed it at 115 grams of quality gear that never leaves Colombia and the world never gets to smoke (pity). The real cost of the weed....$800 pesos (£0.24p) twenty four pence! there is not a social security here and no welfare/dole, so always have a bit of consideration for the people you meet if you come here.
crime
Most of the alleged street crime and murders is over the right to that piece of street and "his" businesses. The better areas usually have better tips and more of them from the wealthier clientes, Sometimes a challenger and perhaps his friends come along to claim it as their "turf" and sole rights to work it, “rent” it out or “tax” the occupier.
Usually he/they are armed, prepared to fight to the death for the “turf”. Some challengers may be on drugs like Bazourca, the chemical residue of crack/heroin production, worse are the “glue-people, usually with a bottle of Evo-stik brown/yellow contact adhesive in one hand and in a vile state staggering in the road or footpath, being any near this sort is very dangerous in all situations because they are so far gone they are just a walking chemical tank, by rights the amount of solvent these go through in a day, usually more the 3 litres a day, they are so fucked up that even if they stopped, , the amount of brain damage/nasal/lung diseases they already have, most would die in months anyway.
Cross the road, get on a bus go anywhere that is the other way if you have attracted their attention, if you cross the road and its clear that you are going to be bothered by them run like mad and keep your eyes open for anything that will knock them down, but only as a last resort. Cylinders of Mace/CS spray are easily available and perhaps best carried if you want to experience some street life.
Tips, always go out with someone, male of female, Colombian women are usually quite unafraid of anyone. Many women play football at the weekends for money bets (apuestas) and fights between the players of opposing teams are not unknown.
Dangerous/inadvisable barrios in Cali:
Anytime:
Barrio Siloé Agua Blanca La Union Cuidad Cordoba The disused trainstation near the centre and don`t walk down the railway line as a short-cut. At night: Galeria/barrio santa helena The area surrounding Terminal de transportes Barrio republic israel Barrio antonio nariÑo Confandi
By Peter (Moderator) (Trustee board) (Dev team) on May 11, 2000, 09:58 in Friendly Talkzone.
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Peter (Moderator) (Trustee board) (Dev team) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Nov 11, 2003, 10:01: I lived in Cali for 12 years By jennifer 2002-02-21 Poor but snappy 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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Peter (Moderator) (Trustee board) (Dev team) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Nov 11, 2003, 10:01: Night life By Davysue, at yahoo, none, colombien_Kid at yahoo.com 2002-03-14 Poor but snappy 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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Peter (Moderator) (Trustee board) (Dev team) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Nov 11, 2003, 10:02: One year in Cali By ana, annelaureb36 at yahoo.fr 2002-04-28 Poor but snappy 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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Peter (Moderator) (Trustee board) (Dev team) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Nov 11, 2003, 10:02: Half Colombian, half Swedish By Margarita, margaritapj at hotmail.com 2002-05-29 Poor but snappy 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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Peter (Moderator) (Trustee board) (Dev team) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Nov 11, 2003, 10:03: Cali is the best! By nathalie, kik4ta at hotmail.com 2002-09-03 Poor but snappy 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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Peter (Moderator) (Trustee board) (Dev team) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Nov 11, 2003, 10:03: A typical day in London By caliche 2002-10-27 Poor but snappy 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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Peter (Moderator) (Trustee board) (Dev team) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Nov 11, 2003, 10:04: Cali By Wendy, todowendy at tomytechno.com 2002-12-07 Poor but snappy 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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Peter (Moderator) (Trustee board) (Dev team) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Nov 11, 2003, 10:05: By Carlos, Bishi777 at hotmail.com 2002-12-22 Poor but snappy 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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Peter (Moderator) (Trustee board) (Dev team) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Nov 11, 2003, 10:05: Things about Cali By diana, hernandezdiana at yahoo.com 2003-01-03 Poor but snappy 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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SiV says on Dec 10, 2003, 16:51: I knew Andrew, who wrote the article, and to be honest he liked to dramatise things a little. Does anybody walk down the train lines anyway? Cali´s fantastic, and not too dangerous if you keep your head on. . . Stultórum númere infinitum est. 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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Peter (Moderator) (Trustee board) (Dev team) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Dec 26, 2003, 11:58: BOMBING IN CALI SUMMER OF 2002 I would like information about the bombing that occurred in late spring or early summer in Cali. Someone very close to us was in Columbia, playing for their soccer team when his village (Cali) was bombed. To make a long story short, he ran for his life. Although he had his papers, he couldn't get out of the country because he was told that he looked and talked too Spanish to be an American. Eventually he was thrown in jail where he remained for three days, kept naked and in the dark, and was beaten. He ended up in a hospital where drugs were forced on him, before he ever got out of the country. Back in the states less than a month, he developed a brain tumor, doctors, surgeons and specialists said the tumor was a result of the beatings he sustained in Columbia. The brain surgery went well, but he was never the same. He went to California to finish his last year of college. On Christmas Day we received a phone call telling us that he was dead - he had jumped off the 16th floor of a building on Christmas Eve. His 15 year old sister's birthday is today. We are devastated beyond words or belief. Poor but snappy 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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Peter (Moderator) (Trustee board) (Dev team) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Dec 26, 2003, 12:00: columbian soccer team 2002 how can we contact the columbian soccer team? Poor but snappy 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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Peter (Moderator) (Trustee board) (Dev team) (☼Travelguide writer) says on Jan 7, 2004, 22:25: Diana I would like to know where in Cali I could stay - hotel or apartment - that is not too expensive. I have stayed at Plaza Versalles - it is a good hotel and not that expensive - but i would like to try others. Poor but snappy 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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morganabi says on May 21, 2004, 14:24: Cali I plan on taking a trip to Cali in July. I would like any updated information on the city. I have a friend there,but this my first trip to the country.Please e-mail me at carlmorgan49 at hotmail.com
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expatriate says on Jan 19, 2005, 18:59: Some inexpensive hotels in Cali, prices in pesos. The list appears dated, so contact the hotels first for the latest rates. You better take care of me Lord, if you don't you're gonna have me on your hands. 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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Mono perico says on Feb 15, 2005, 08:55: Que Alegria Encontrarlos I am Mark from Sussex in England. I went to Colegio Bolivar in Cali from 1961 to 1966 and then went to school & university in England from 1966 till 1973 but during those years went back to Cali for the Christmas and summer holidays.
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Saralaquenoseasara says on Apr 15, 2005, 13:48: The train Yeah from the last summers I've been there the train is not in use, and I think it hasn't been for a while, but last summer my mother told me that they might be planning to start using it again, I'm not sure though.
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Mi_lukea says on May 15, 2005, 17:00: Life in Cali Hi
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berkeleyite says on Aug 2, 2005, 13:23: Visiting/writing about Cali Hey Mi-Lukea:
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MeLoNa says on Aug 5, 2005, 15:14: yeah you always have to be acreful with the people yu meet and stuff like that!!!! you never know...but anyway!!! if you go to ali! enjoy! and have fun partying all night long!!!
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Jacek says on Nov 29, 2005, 23:22: I'm looking for a friend in Cali, can you help? Who can help to translate and to publish such ad Jacek 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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viajera75 says on Nov 30, 2005, 05:08: I am hoping to move to Cali for about 6 months to teach English. Carlos, I agree with your comments about violence in the States. I grew up in Los Angeles, California, and I have felt more unsafe there than I've felt in El Salvador, Cambodia, and other so-called "dangerous" places. One time I came back from a trip to Mexico only to find that I could not return to my apartment because the three blocks surrounding it (including the 405 freeway onramp) were closed off with police tape and surrounded by SWAT officers - they were chasing an armed robber (and this was in the San Fernando Valley, not some gang-infested ghetto). Another time I was going to visit my friend at night, and was planning to walk to her house which was about one block away, but she refused to let me come over unless I DROVE there in my car because she was afraid I might get mugged or raped on my five-minute walk over there.
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Gadianton says on Jan 1, 2006, 23:39: Gadianton Peter, that is [amongst] the biggest crock of shit I've ever read on this site. I've got nothing but respect for the people of Cali but let's be frank here. You said "so now tell me what makes London different to Cali?"
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almendra says on Apr 13, 2006, 10:02: plastic surgery, cirugias plasticas en cali, colombia cirugias plasticas: aumento de senos, liposucción, lipoescultura, cirugía facial, rinoplastía, cirugia de abdomen, implantes, etc
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diams says on Apr 21, 2006, 07:42: cali hola
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alistair lee says on May 25, 2006, 09:09: cali i am planing to go and teach in cali now, for 6 months and well, after reading all your posts you have left me somewhat confused as to whether it is dangerous? it isn't? lets just say, it is, if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time. Anyways if anyone does have any helpful tips. would be nice to hear them.
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cippi says on Jan 22, 2007, 07:24: living in Cali 2007 Hi, i'm an italian boy, i'm preparing to stay in Cali during 6 months for work.
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