Cali

Similar to it´s American cousin, Cali is loud, busy, and HOT. Beyond that, they differ quite substantially. Food, music, acceptable forms of dress... I would say that I don´t ever want to eat another empanada, but that would be a lie. Who doesnt love a good fried meat pie? It is a bit disconcerting, however, to compare the ammount of readily availible (and readily consumed) fried foods with the petite fit bodies of the people of Cali. Must be the dancing.

In the world of salsa dancing, it is said that out of the 3 capitals of salsa, all Cubans can sing, all Puerto Ricans can play an instrument, and all Calieños can dance. Lord can they dance. Thanks to the African polyrhythms that make the basis for all latin music, we gringos have an extremely difficult time adapting our standard 1-2 1-2 time to this. (Taylor totally cheats, being half Mexican. Boy, you should see those hips swivel!) But we still try, much to the amusement of Colombian onlookers.

Thursday night we went to a salsa club, Tin Tin Deo, named after a song of the same title. I have to admit I was rather terrified to go. I was envisioning a high celling over a well lit dance floor, cordoned off by shadowed onlookers--watching, always watching. It turned out to look like a lot of dive bars in Portland- low celling, low lighting, cheap beers, hokey wall decorations, LOUD music. It was perfect.

Friday night we went to a different club, much smaller. So small, in fact, that dancing couples spilled out to cover the sidewalk and even bled into the street. This was far more intimdating, due only to the ample lighting provided by the street lights.

Something I have noticed and admired about Colombians is how they ´party.´ Very rarely will you see someone out at a bar or club here that is so drunk they cannot stand, or getting belligerent and shouting just to convey the height of their merriment. People here don´t have to be drunk to have fun or talk to new people, they are at ease in general, allowing them more time to dance about the floor in dizzying displays of natural talent.

Combine all these things, and you have Cali. Hot, humid, busy and beautiful.

Up next- reports from Salento, the virtues of sports-bras while in transit, and a rundown of food and drink in Colombia.

Kara