COLOMBIA!!!!!!
"I can't believe I actually left Argentina! That place was fun." I had about 24 hours worth of those thoughts flying from BsAs to Bogota then via bus to Cali - El Capitolio de la Salsa del Mundial! Tired of wearing all the clothes I had in BsAs (2 tshirts, 2 sweaters, gloves/beanie/scarf) just go step outside, I chose to skip through Bogota because I knew I'd be flying out from there. I wanted to make a move to the city of Eternal Summer and put on some shorts again! The bus ride in took a bonus 4 hours (geez) thanks to a car accident in Cali about 4 blocks from the bus terminal. GEEZ.
I hopped in a cab arranged by my couchsurfing hosts, Karen and Joshua, who had been waiting the bonus 4 hours at the terminal for me.Whoops. On a more positive note, I finally realized my dream of having a driver hold a sign with my name on it (albeit "John Bautista"). Arrived safely in Melendez, a neighborhood just south of the city of Cali, once famous for the best looking girls, the best salsatecas, and being an overall dangerous area.
On my first day, I grabbed some breakfast at the local bakery with Karen and Josh and then went to the local produce market where Josh demonstrated just how much Spanish a white guy from Kansas could learn after moving to Cali 5 years ago. He seriously stops and talks to anyone about anything. Que impresionado. He's a landscape architect and she's an English teacher, so I lucked out because they were both double fluent and could talk to me and negotiate the local goods down to super cheap prices for me. Cali was living up to its hot weather reputation and I was sweating up a storm on my first day.
The next day, we hopped on a mini-bus to a small town about an hour y media away called Ginebra (shoutout to Mr. A!) for a Traditional Colombian Music Festival. Little did I know, this bad boy was goin strong til 4am, but the buses stopped at midnight. Once we were in, we were pot committed to party til we dropped. Literally. After hours in the sun and hours dancing/drinking in the evening, I was DEAD. Took a nap on the grass, which apparently had gravel for soil. AHEEE!
Little kids could climb into these water-suspended plastic balls and try to stand. 99.9% of the they struggled to get up while their parents (and me) laughed. These balls can be found in the mall food court as well.
One of the more bizarre foods I ate during my trip: a sweet dessert paste made mostly from cow's hooves.
The Hosts with the Mosts - Josh and Karen, live in the flesh sporting free cardboard visors and liters of Poker beer. This festival also had stations where they handed out shots of Aguardiente and/or rum. Basically as many as you want, given by hot girls in tight spandex. Geez.
Casual is the name of the game: Infant taking a nap on top of the souvenirs.
Notice the white bags of powder in the middle of this set-up. Not what you think it is, though I thought it was.
This is a popular look for snack stands - piles of grilled meat/sausage and whole-roasted pigs.
Another popular look: fresh fruits galore. This style is noodle-like mango strips covered in salt, lime and condensed milk.
Aguardiente - Fire Water. The national Colombian drink, usually taken in shot form, straight up - No chaser. It's only 70 proof, so it's not a powerhouse, but considering that you usually split this 750ml bottle among 2-3 people in one sitting, it can have a bit of a kick. Tastes kind of like a watered-down, clear and more burny jager
Karen and I on the Festival Dance floor - big gravely chunks of rock. Didn't slow me (or anyone else) down.
People here know how to pace themselves. They know they're partying til the sun comes up, so they find spots to rest when/wherever they can, including sitting straight on the gravel floor.
Not only do they sit, they can go for the full-on nap move straight on the gravel. Handle that, Karen.
The next few days were fun if uneventful. I spent a lot of time learning about the neighborhood and watching classic 80's comedies I've never seen (Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, etc.) and listening to the crazy music selection Josh had. One of those days, we actually went out and took a mini-hike to a lookout up on the hill.
Even if it was overcast, it was a HOT one. This is a spot just outside Melendez, overlooking the greater Cali area.
We tramped down the other side of the hill and came to the Rio Cali.
It was a hot one, so we decided to chill in the shade and hop in the rio for a quick cooldown sesh.
Nature Boy Ric Flair. (A)WOO!
Casual cows eating along the cliffs that drop towards the rio.
Another day, we went for the tourist special and Josh lead me through the labyrinth of Cali Centro (downtown).
Colombians and South Americans generally like to stop and feed pigeons, even if they're aware of the diseases they carry. Some people make their living selling pigeon food in the public squares so little kids can get up close and personal with them.
Fuentecilla
Most of the day was spent looking around the city, Josh pointing out little known facts about the culture/people/buildings, and shopping for souvenirs in the little markets. Look how busy it was on a Wednesday afternoon.
Another day, we got the treat of a lifetime (for some) and went to Karen's school to get some good ol' bball in - my first time in South America. They tend to have bball courts here, but the hoops usually sit atop combo soccer goals. Interesting look. This school had a few employees who challenged team USA to a 2-on-2 Colombian showdown. No questions who took it home for the away team. (Josh.)
Getting into position for my dream shake. I'm pretty sure I'm playing in the same clothes I woke up in.
Josh with the killa crossover
Isolation - about to do my best "Jordan over Bryon Russell" impersionation
And what of the SALSA in the salsa capital? I honestly didn't do much, since my hosts were on a tight budget and I definitely wanted to go with some people I knew. Luckily I was able to thank them for their hospitality by taking them out to Tin Tin Deo, one of the classic salsatecas in Cali. I learned about 3 steps before leaving the apartment, but not really how to transition to each. So if I started a song out with one move, you can bet I stuck with it throughout and finished it off strong with the same exact move. MAJOR boredom for whatever poor girl was on the receiving end of my poor leading skills. At least my hips didn't lie.
The others, however, did not shy away from showing off their crazy arsenals of salsa steps. I literally couldn't comprehend how these guys knew what each other were doing. Feet/hips/butts on fire. Including Josh and Karen.
What was cool about this place (and possibly any salsateca) was that it was very easy to get someone to dance without any commitment: Tap them on the shoulder, do yo thang til the song ends, then go back to your table and take a shot of aguardiente. Casuale.
During one of my last nights, we went out to Loma de la Cruz. This place supposedly had a ton of artisans selling their quality goods for cheap, as well as a ton of people chillin and enjoying life as they knew it.
Cholado: one of my favorite Colombian things. Shaved ice, fruit syrup, tons of fresh fruit (mango/pineapple/papaya), ice cream and condensed milk. Like a REALLY good halo-halo. MMMPH.
The crew at the cholado place. Interestingly enough, the place we went for cholados sat on a strip of about 40-50 NEAR IDENTICAL cholado stands. We walked about 1-2 kilometers along this strand and I couldn't help but wonder, HOW DO THEY MAKE MONEY? There's SO much competition. FlavorTaste tho.
After the cholado feast, we hit up this free amphitheater to see how Caleno's get down to Andean music (the kind you hear at Downtown Disney or similar public places with the pipeflutes and big ponchos). These guys get DOWN and get FUNKY with this music, as they do with ANY music, apparently.
One of the cool things about amphitheaters in Colombia is that the seating is wide enough to sit, lay down and also get up and DANCE. Plenty of room for relaxing AND going nuts.
After the show, we headed up the hill to La Capilla (The Chapel) up on the hill. This is like Dolores Park in SF, just a big green area where people come to hang out and enjoy beautiful weather and views. Needless to say, this place was cool. and I liked it...
...a LOT. Not to mention this Chapel area came complete with plenty of Colombian ANGELS everywhere. GEEZ.
As if the chill environment wasn't enough to draw a crowd, they had this little public performance area that was PACKED for a comedian. I wish I could understand what he was saying, cuz these people were ROTFL.
El fuente de la Loma
Yo Boy.
But that's not all. Karen and Josh's apartment had this crazy view of those hills we climbed to get to the lookout. I spent a good 30-60 minutes everyday in stints looking out their big window at the neighborhood and hills.
Daytime.
Magic hour.
Evening.
Josh and Karen had a collection of rocks shaped like hearts. This is one of them, hanging over the balcony.
Monies - I was an instant millionaire once I arrived in Colombia. The dollar was worth roughly 1800 Colombian Pesos, making me feel like I was ballin thoroughly throughout my stay. Check out these bad boys:
Most snacks cost about 1000 pesos, and meals (BIG meals) generally never cost more than 5000. Basically get full on home cooked goodness for $2-3 USD.
Some casual rando's:
There's a small park in Melendez where they sell TINY puppies every sunday afternoon. We went for a stroll and stopped by to play with these little dudes.
These garbage cans are all the rage in Cali. Cartoon and TV character heads.
THANKS SO MUCH to JOSHUA AND KAREN for your hospitality and taking me in for so long! I had a great time and I can't wait to see you in Cali or in California! Take care!
