Esta Cali-ente: June 2016

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Caliente, indeed

21 June 2016

The heat has been pretty stifling but it’s rained a couple times the last few days & that helps cool things off for a while. (I forgot how excruciating a cold shower is at first & then how quickly it turns into something so exquisitely refreshing in 90 degree heat.) It’s been so nice to hear the sound of heavy rain on the roof & thunder in the distance. I haven’t heard it in so long! The air smells so much sweeter after the rain & all the old grannies are outside in the streets, seated in their plastic chairs, chatting through the night once it cools off. It’s great. I miss rain storms.

The picture doesn't do it justice but this was about a 2 hour rainstorm that woke me up in the middle of the night.

As I said, I’ve walked around a lot. Cali is a very pretty town (at least the safe parts I’ve been told are okay to walk around in alone). Some colonial Spanish style buildings and central plazas with fairly modest churches. There’s quite a lot of murals around town, which is cool. I think after the drug wars a couple decades ago & the current economic boom it’s having, the city is trying to rebuild itself & I just so happen to be staying in a very trendy, artistic part of town. Not very touristy, though – or maybe I just came in the off season. There are quite a lot of hostels around but I have really only seen 2 other white couples roaming around, & a couple European guys who are staying at my same hostel; not very many international travelers around, or at least not at the moment.

Me atop Parque San Antionio

Catedral de San Pedro

Convento de las Mercedes

Iglesia de San Francisco

Iglesia La Ermita

Palacio Nacional & Edeficio Otero

Plaza Caicedo

Teatro Nacional

Speaking of which, I really have to recommend the Kingbird Hostel. The owner has been very understanding about changing my reservations several times. He’s worked with his research group before – he himself loves birds & has beautiful tropical bird paintings all over the hostel. He’s been very friendly & helpful as far as what to do while I’m waiting around. He even gave me his rubber boots (for hiking in the rain forest) when I couldn’t find any at the central market to buy for myself. I know globalization has its problems, but I would really appreciate a Home Depot around here ;P So if you ever find yourself in Cali & don’t mind a stiff bunk bed or a shared bathroom, I highly recommend this place ;)

So now it’s Tuesday night & I find myself sitting alone in the hostel watching Argentina trounce the U.S. in the Copa America semi-finals. It started out with me & the rest of the hostel staff…but after the 3-0 lead, they all left to go get something to eat, no longer interested in a game who’s outcome was already set. Their loss: Messi just made an AMAZING assist for the 4^th & final goal ;) Should be fun to watch the Colombia match tomorrow night in Colombia…since I assume I will still here to do so :P (I look forward to Colombia defeating Chile!) ;)

Clearly this town is ready for Colombia to make it to the finals!

Stranded

20 June 2016

Before coming here I was a little worried about the lack of communication and details that I was able to get from the program coordinator. But I told myself this was not a big deal – that there was no need for me to worry; I’m sure they’ve organized tons of volunteers over the years; other cultures aren’t as concerned with instant responses like the U.S. is; and I just needed to relax and realize others aren’t as uber organized as I am. It’s okay if things move at a slower pace than I’m used to and no big deal – it’ll work itself out. Some of that may be true but I should pay attention to red flags.

Having arrived on a Sunday, I was told I would be picked up and taken to the national park on Monday. Then the date changed to Tuesday or Wednesday (they weren’t sure yet) and I quickly extended my hostel reservations before my flight out. Then, once I got here, I am unable to communicate with anyone in the program because they all seem to be in the field, so I have no idea what day or time I will be picked up. It’s now Tuesday afternoon and I have been told that I should expect someone to come get me NEXT Monday. Are you fucking kidding me?! I realize there’s no point in stressing out about this or getting angry – there’s very little I can do about it & it’s not like there’s some customer service manager I can chew out over the phone here (privileged American problems). So I make as many Skype calls and leave voice messages and emails with whatever contact info I have and we’ll see if I can get out there any earlier. I’d hate to waste a week roaming around Cali. It’s a small town. Half of its 4 museums are closed for renovations and after spending about 4 hours each day walking around town, I think I’ve seen a pretty good portion of it. So I wait. And hope to hear back from all the messages I left.

José Horacio Martínez Exhibit at Museo La Tertulia

Puff paint gets its day in a fine art museum!

Beatriz González Exhibit at Museo La Tertulia

Fence along the Rio Cali

Just discovered lulada: a deliciously sour tropical fruit that tastes like passion fruit & kiwi got together & had a baby!

Puente Ortiz over the Rio Cali

Sunday, June 19, 2016

Primeras Impresiones

19 June 2016

Trying to sleep on a plane sucks but red eyes help you not waste a day traveling, right? Ugh, saying goodbye to Nick was harder than I thought. I keep telling myself it’s only 6 weeks, not 6 months…wouldn’t this get easier over (less) time? But while I’m very sad to leave him for the summer, this is something I need and want to do for myself and it’s about fucking time that I did. So thanks for the support, amor ;)

I arrived in Cali and immediately realized that this a city undergoing transformation. The airport is small and a good portion of it is all under construction – as is a lot of the city. From what I understand, after the cartels and the FARC had their way with the city from the 80s-90s, Cali started to build itself back up around 2010 as the country’s 3^rd largest city & a growing economic metropolis. It has been pointed out to me by several people I just met that Cali is the country’s sports capital & the world capital of salsa. (Hopefully I’ll get to take in a show or peak my head into a studio).

Iglesia de San Antonio

Parque San Antotnio

Cali is also known for its birding, thanks to near by Farallones

I can't wait to see some of these birds in real life!

View of Cali from Parque San Antonio

Cerro de las Tres Cruces

Garden median down the sidewalk

Getting my bird watching started already!

I didn’t think I would have much time to see Cali, as I only had plans to stay a single night, but plans change and I am not able to get to Parque Nacional Natural Farallones de Cali (I’m just gonna call it Farallones from now on) for another few days. However, having arrived on a Sunday afternoon, almost everything is closed. So after a brief nap and vigorously studying the city map so I don’t look the fool walking around with my nose in a fold out hotel map (thanks for helping me download the Cali map, Tico!), I wandered around the San Antonio neighborhood. I was told this is a very old, colonial part of town but it seems to have been renovated over the years and doesn’t really seem like much of a barrio antiguo – pretty much looks like every other normal Latin American neighborhood with some Spanish colonial style to it. But still a very pretty neighborhood with winding tree-lined streets, some colorful buildings with creeping bougainvilleas and artistic ironworks, alongside a river that runs through the city. I haven’t traveled solo since I was in college, so it’s a bit lonely without Nick to talk to, point things out to, or force to stop at any delicious food stand I so desire ;) But it’s only day one & I’ll make do :)

Sidewalk tree planter

Río Cali looking east

Río Cali looking west

Random park known as the River Cat Park...maybe there used to be lots of feral cats here?

Parque del Gato statues

This is my favorite ;)

Parque del Gato statues

I only walked around for a few hours before heading back to the hostel with some empanadas para llevar for dinner…as I’m told walking around at night is not a smart option for solo female tourists. Which means nights will be kind of boring unless I join my hostel-mates in their activities. So far, watching a basketball game, smoking a bowl, & playing an acoustic guitar don’t seem very appealing. Netflix it is!!

Cali graffiti

Glass mosaic doorway

Pretty street corner

La primera cena