CALI

So I took a trip to a city closer to the pacific coast called Cali and it immediately changed my life. Decided I would move here, so I packed my bags, said goodbye to Bogota (rains too much, although I love the city), and moved to the official Salsa Capital of the world.

I rented a room from the family of a friend in a barrio called Union. Beautiful place, looks exactly like certain parts of the African continent. Dilapidated buildings, kids playing soccer in the streets, absolutely beautiful women who all seem to have babies at a pretty young age, the toddlers playing with toy cars attached to strings while their mothers gossip with friends on the front steps of their homes. Elders seated on their porches watching it all, barely moving at all. Beautiful staircases. Fresh fruits, meats or pastries sold on every corner. More people ride bicycles and moto-bikes than cars. The people who do have cars, all have old ones, with lots of character, kind of like cars in Cuba, antiques. And most of all, everyone seemingly pretty happy. Laughing is very common, Spanish spoken much more musically than in the north of Colombia, and also a bit more dramatic and “improper” (i.e., slang, abbreviated words), but it sounds much better although harder to understand at times.







There is a an incredible amount of energy in the people here. Salsa blasts from every house you walk by, …drinks flows like water. People dance literally every night, and on holidays (of which there are many), people dance for a few days in a row in celebration of whats good in life.





But along with the good comes the opposite. Cali is one of the more dangerous cities in Colombia. My comrades (ninjanomads.blogspot.com) were supposed to come down here, but I believe it was a recent terrorist attack that deterred their decision. After visiting and hanging out at the Universidad de Valle, I understand why.

The people here are very, and I mean very, political. The students protest nearly everything. They are as liberal as it gets, but also some of the most unique and inspiring students I’ve ever met. They constantly put up very clever, political graffiti all over the school. There are loads of emcees and reggae artists (many I’m in the process of recording with), who make music just as poignant. Everyone here has a distinct style, as well. It’s a school of individuals…fits perfectly with the city it’s the center of. Outside of many classrooms here, are flower pots with marijuana plants growing as high as 3 or 4 feet tall. You see what I mean when I say liberal. That’s just how it is here in Cali. And in the neighborhoods like where I’m staying, as beautiful as they are, people don’t have much, and so, kids often grow into hoodlums by night. My family here won’t let me walk around alone at night. I’m either calling a taxi, or not going out.