Puerto Tejada

I never knew there existed an Africa outside of Africa itself. I’m in a town called Puerto Tejada, just outside of Cali, and I’m surrounded by people of African descent....-Afro Colombians. They look like West Africans, but all speak nothing but Spanish, dance salsa music literally every night, and drink back to back. These people truly know how to have a good time. They great me warmly, welcome me into their homes, and treat me like family. I’m in constant awe of everything here, the language, the similarity to other people of African descent, the culture, the food.

This town is about 2 hours from the Pacific Coast of Colombia. I do miss the beach, but there is also plenty here to keep me occupied for a minute.

thinking man.

salsa all the time.

liquor all the time too.


rhumba.

andres kickin game.
lisee, nickname..sticky.




excellent market.

For example, my friend Andres´s uncle, whose house I stayed at for a few nights, immediately reminded me of my own father, a Ghanaian(he´s the one with the bike in the pic below). The same pensive look in his eyes, same warmth and friendliness. Nearly identical facial features, and even voice. But aren’t we all Africans? Somewhere down the line, families got split, West Africans ended up scattered all over South and North America, and mixed with other cultures to create entirely new variations of the same people. I’m only one of many in this Diaspora and I think I'm starting to see, quite clearly, that we’re all of the same blood. Same roots.

Shame I had to travel halfway 'round the world to realize something so obvious, but some of us learn by reading, some by listening to what we're told, other by doing. I had to see it for myself, and I will say its incredibly humbling. It immediately humbles you. And besides Africans, the "white" people down here aren´t "white" at all. They´re a unique mix of European, African, and Indigeneous people. There's something cool about that, that I cant quite articulate. I always naively thought that Indigenous people, the original people in the Americas were gone, because you dont exactly see them walking around in NYC...but their blood and spirit is within everyone down here. Its kind of exiting.

More on this later if I ever make it to countries like Peru, Bolivia, Equador, Chile...where I'm sure the people are just as distinct. So much to see, not nearly enough time. Never mind my thoughts, instead, ...more photos.

i really want a moto bike...love these things.
the family.




friends.



outside the jam.



and in summary....