Returning from Colombia to Uk

Nothing mjuch to say just some observations about finally seeing the place you were brought up in through the eyes of an outsider.
My husband has just returned from a week on the Pacific coast and a week in Cali and he said this is the first time he has returned to England and felt that he was 'coming home' He lost his voice for 3 days then was in bed with the shits for 2 days and missed all the carnival celebrations! The heat was too much for him and for the first time in his life he was bothered by mosquitos. Everyone was arguing about money (as they haven't got any) and I think any romanticism he had about the place is now well and truly dead. He prefered to pay 4 workers a day to do up his mums kitchen than to work himself which no one in his family could understand as he could have easily done it himself but he wanted a rest (he works hard here in UK). The taxi driver was surprised he wasn't taking the beautiful young 19 year old he was with to a hotel but to her mums (it was his daughter!). All in all I think he was disillusioned but as I said it's mostly due to the fact that this part of the world is largely forgotten by governments. In the bars all they talked about all night was English football teams and he ended up giving away quite a few team T-shirts. He said they are crazy about English football. And my present from Colombia? 2 packets of cheesy arepas (but not the aji I asked for). And I was hoping for an emerald.....oh well. And of course the obligatory cock up with the flights (cancelled Bogota- Miami). We have decided to have an easy holiday for achange next year and go to Orlando!!

By larumberainglesa on Feb 17, 2008, 03:07 in Friendly Talkzone.

bufalo says on Feb 17, 2008, 04:18:

Not that it happens all the time, but I do know a few that have gone back home then returned dissapointed. Things are different when you're a kid and now an adult. Sorry to hear about that.

"If you don't like it - lump it, take it down the road and dump it." - Archie Bunker played by Carroll O'Connor

kalder says on Feb 17, 2008, 04:32:

A friend of mine has just come back from a holiday on the Pacific coast with his costena wife. She loves her country and misses her family, but she admitted to a sense of relief at returning to the prosperity and relative calm of London.

"kalder- have you ever had a woman?"--Sam Salmon

podborski says on Feb 17, 2008, 05:01:

I can understand having a great time in colombia, realizing it's not the same as London but appreciating it anyway, and being happy to go home.

What I can't understand is how someone can't have a good vacation in colombia, especially if they have friends/family there.

And Orlando? Sorry, all I can say is it is the LAST place on earth I would want to go to. I have been there twice, hated more the second time. I think we are on different wavelengths.

larumberainglesa says on Feb 17, 2008, 05:59:

Maybe you haven't got a 7 year old son? Also,my husband, having been brought up poor, thinks going to highly developed places is very interesting. He would never consider for example going to a place that was rural with fields, grass and not much more, or camping or a picnic (all things I did when I was young). Something I like to do in fact. If I go for a walk in the woods, it would never occur to me to ask him along. He thinks I am mad.The few times he has felt obliged on holidays to drag along he has wither retreated to the car and spoilt the day for everyone else, or moaned so much we were forced to go home (to 'civilisation'). To him campo = poverty and he wants to get as far away from that as poss. Shame but I understand him at the same time. He sees now tat it is the opposite here. If you have money you buy a house in the country - he explained this to his incredulous family! Orlando isn't my first choice but I know it will be easy, they will have fun therefore I will have fun. The reason he didnt have a good vacation in Colombia is that no one his family has EVER had the luxury of a vacation so don't know what that means. He stays at home there and that's it. Life goes on as normal, even when he is there as every second you are breathing = a second you could be working as you don't know where the next peso is coming from. Also he went to visit a brother who has had a stroke and spent days by his bedside nursing him. So you see it was never meant to be a 'vacation' anyway. Yes, Kalder. It is the relief, calm and ease of life here that is a relief.
He has been back many times as an adult but I still think you try to hang on to the romanticism as long as possible.

bufalo says on Feb 17, 2008, 07:02:

Disney does seem to be the highlight trip of most colombians, those that can go toss it in the faces of those that can't.

"If you don't like it - lump it, take it down the road and dump it." - Archie Bunker played by Carroll O'Connor

slguy says on Feb 17, 2008, 07:45:

I personally would rather take an ass whupping every hour for three days, than get stuck in Disney for a day- but that's just me. But I gotta admit that when my sons were younger- I did Disney more than once.

These days, if my sons want to light their dad up a little, they'll call with "Old man! We're heading up to Disney tomorrow! Wanna come along?"

Where DO these kids get such smartassed senses of humor, anyway?

Before you throw me out, make sure I pay my bar tab

larumberainglesa says on Feb 17, 2008, 07:53:

You see? Young kids, it's the place to go. Well we did Eurodisney in May and then Port Adventura in Spain in December and both times were out of season and all right really. Preferred Port Adventura to Eurodisney. Maybe because it was Spain!!! I'd like to see some gators - think even my husband wouldnt mind half an hour of that.

slguy says on Feb 17, 2008, 08:18:

We have no gator shortage in Florida these days. SOBs are everywhere. Come on down- and take a couple home with you! ;)

Before you throw me out, make sure I pay my bar tab

larumberainglesa says on Feb 17, 2008, 10:05:

God, don't say that, my son would LOVE one in the back garden.

slguy says on Feb 17, 2008, 10:38:

not all bad. it would keep down the local cat population....

Before you throw me out, make sure I pay my bar tab

larumberainglesa says on Feb 18, 2008, 05:03:

If I could get rid of the stinking moggy from the flat upstairs I would be happy...

slguy says on Feb 18, 2008, 07:23:

"moggy" is a cat, I assume? sorry for my lack of brit codes.....I'm still trying to figure out what a "stone" and a "pence" are. jajajajajajjajaja

but here's the solution to any cat problems.....

Photobucket

I know, I know- I've used it before. But the classics are always worth repeating.

Before you throw me out, make sure I pay my bar tab

Robert Jorge says on Feb 20, 2008, 10:53:

We did the obligatory Orlando trip last summer. Disney was a dissappointment. The only ride there that I trully love - the haunted mansion - was closed for repairs. But, we went to Universal, and that was a blast.

--"I believe in making the world safe for our children. But not for our children's children, because I don't think that children should be having sex." - Jack Handy

Alma del Norte says on Feb 20, 2008, 11:02:

12d,(Old Pence), that's 5 New Pence to the Shilling, 20 Shillings to the £ (pound, money not weight), £1 plus a Shilling to the Guinea. Oh half a Shiilling is a Sixpence, (Tanner) and 'alf a sixpence is a Threepenny bit. Therefore a Ha'peeny is 2.5 New Pence, and a Farthing is half of that! Got it?

La vida es una rutina

msaucey says on Feb 20, 2008, 11:23:

rumbera - when a person is poor, and move up the financial/social latter, it is hard to relive what you once enjoyed.... he might have enjoyed playing micro-soccer with his brothers/cousins as a lad in a makeshift field, but, that's not possible as an adult... I think we all have some similar situation of our youth.... And why didn't he just take off and explore what he wasn't able to see when he was living there.... Going on vacation, doesn't mean you are fully obligated to be by your families side the whole time.....

What was your daughter's take on the trip, I'm guessing she may have seen things differently...

The trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed. - CS Lewis

larumberainglesa says on Feb 22, 2008, 03:11:

We have a son but my husband went alone on this trip. He is not a person who likes to really do sightseeing stuff. He has never done it before he met me and it is something quite new to him and I just think he doesn't associate sightsseing with Colombia (home) like he would if we went to a new place in Europe. Sightseeing is a luxury for those who have money and time and he is only just getting his head round the fact that he now has that luxury. Brain retraining...