Patrick
… And welcome to Adventure!
I arrived in Cali for the first time as a tourist in 2011, passing through on a motorcycle. When I arrived for the second time I came as a father and as a resident, without having any friends (except for my girlfriend), and without speaking Spanish. It was almost impossible to find any valuable information as an English speaking foreigner in Cali. The result being, that I got bored really fast. Almost two years have passed since then. The first 8 months I spent taking care of our newborn baby, practicing Spanish, cooking and learning to navigate the city, all while my girlfriend was working. At social gatherings, when asked about what I do, I would tell people that I was “ama de casa” – the house maid – to much amusement of the listening crowd. But it was the truth. And it was depressing. I began to hate the city.
You see, I’ve always been a hard-working, outgoing and an adventurous kind of guy. Without hard work you can’t travel your way around the world at age 19, nor tour the Americas on a motorcycle on what became a 15 month mini-retirement – at the age of 25. Exploring was always a passion of mine and the wise words of my grandfather kept ringing in my head… “Patrick, you don’t want to be the richest guy in the cemetery”.
Part of my negativity towards the city also stemmed from a sudden lifestyle change that I probably wasn’t ready for. From being a world-traveling nomad to becoming a full-time daddy. As my daughter grew a little older, I decided that I needed to make some changes in order to have fun in this city. All Caleños are so proud of their city, that I knew there must be a way to have a good time here… Like everywhere else it is all about figuring out the little secrets. So I started exploring, going out, befriending locals, partying, asking for recommendations, joining clubs and so forth.. And little after little my opinion of the city changed and I started to enjoy my time here. There are so many friendly people here, so many pretty people here, the dancing is probably the world’s best, you can live like a king on a small budget and it’s summer all year round. What’s not to like?
I’m sure you’re aware of all the bad media that Cali is receiving. Part of it is justified and a big part of it is not. Terrible statistics has given the city an underserved bad reputation. In the attempt to keep negativity out of the website and out of my life in general, I’ve decided to focus only on positive things and quality information, that will help you get the most out of your stay here. No trash talking, no bad reviews, but quite possible a few posts about how to stay out of trouble. Here are two quick tips: Do not venture into the Aguablanca district in the far east, barrio Siloé in the far west and a few streets south of Plaza Caicedo known as “Las Ollas”. Take taxis at night. Follow these two guidelines and you will avoid 90% of any potential bad situations.
I can’t know it all, so in order to provide you with as much quality content as possible, I’ll be asking friends to contribute as well. If you have something you’d like to contribute, I’d be happy to hear from you.
This online magazine has been created for you: For the tourist, for the resident and for the adventurous, to help you survive, thrive and have fun in Cali, Colombia. Enjoy!
Pura vida,
Patrick
