CALI, Colombia

Cali, the Salsa Capital.

Colombia is increasingly becoming a good tourist destination since the country is safer now. It is also a "cheap" place to visit because the US Dollar is so much more expensive than the Colombian Peso. During the summer, I went there for two weeks, more precisely to the Salsa Capital: Cali and I had an amazing time. Cali is Colombia's third-largest city in population behind Bogota (the Capital) and Medellin. It is also worth saying that Cali will host the first ever Junior Pan American Games next year between June 2 and 13.

From Miami, the flight was about 4 hours. I landed in the evening and the trip to the house pretty much gave me an idea of what kind of fun I was going to have. I will not spoil it for you (just in case you plan on going there) but the bus driver ! Wow !!! On the way to the house, other than the busy streets, the music playing in every corner caught my attention. People were out, in front of their house chatting, laughing having a good time. I quickly realized that Cali is not a quiet place.

The next morning, I woke up to the rooster crowing mixed with the sound of the horn from the cars and the loud but happy locals' voices. The city was up and running, it was just 7:15 am. Quickly, I got out of bed and got myself ready. I could not resist the strong smell of the coffee and the bread from the bakery down the street. I went for a walk and bought some breakfast and it was a pleasure to see the people in the streets so nice and polite. I had my first Spanish lesson there. "Que hubo?" (They say it so fast that it sounds like Kyubo? and it means Hi/What's up?). You will hear that expression all day every day.

Cali : What to eat.

I know that some will not agree with me but "street food" is often one of the best part of traveling. Yes, it is cheaper than seating at a restaurant but it's a way to taste the authentic food of the country. I also take this opportunity to talk to the locals and learn from them.

Every morning for breakfast, I would eat Arepa. It is one the most popular food in Colombia, and it's made with sweet corn topped with a thick piece of cheese. I want to believe that everybody has arepa for breakfast in Cali. It can be served as a side dish or even a quick meal.

Another of my favorite is the Pan de bono, a delicious cheese bread that you can enjoy with just a hot cup of coffee. I can not remember how many of those I had every throughout the day. It's better to consume the pan de bono when warm and soft.

No matter how long you stay in Cali, do not leave without trying on their signature Empanada. Well, if you don't, then you miss out. While it's considered a snack, it can quickly turn into a meal. Empanada is probably the king of street food in Cali if you ask me. I ate so many while I was there... Good fried empanadas from Cali have a crispy outer crust made with the same precooked yellow corn dough that is used to make arepas (masarepa) and stuffed with seasoned pork and shredded beef mixed with cooked potatoes. The empanadas are served with ají sauce and lime wedges on the side. If you want, you can taste it in any Colombian restaurants in the US as an appetizer.

A traditional dish that you can try is the Bandeja Paisa white rice, red beans, shredded meat, chicharrón (pork rind), chorizo, morcilla, fried egg, avocado. Yeah ! they eat !!!

What about a delicious tall glass of Avena? This is a thick oatmeal base drink. It is rich and creamy kind of like a smoothie. It is served cold so I would only drink this from the restaurants or cafes. My experience is that, in some places it did not taste as good as others !

Coffee lovers are in luck. No need to look far. Any where they sell coffee is a good spot to get a cup. The coffee always tastes good and if you don't want it too strong, you can always add some milk, go for it. You will not miss the taste.

Walking the streets of Cali, you will always find exotic fruit-juice stall around. You will never be thirsty if you can make up your mind. Some of the flavors to try are limonada de coco (coconut milk and lime blended with ice), maracuya (passion fruit). What I like is that they get the juice ready while you wait. Everybody knows that I love ice cream but in Cali, my favorite treat is the Cholado. It’s made of shaved ice mixed with a variety of flavored syrups, condensed milk and fruit. Can you imagine? I am telling you, going to Cali, you will always have something tasty to eat or drink. Probably not the best place to go on diet.

Cali: What to do

A visit to Parque San Antonio (San Antonio Park) will get you a better understanding of the life in Cali. It is a nice park to go at night because it has a beautiful view of the city, and you can also find something to eat or drink while hanging out with friends. During the day it's also well visited. Lots of people, taxis and motos share the streets so you need to be very careful. The neighborhood of San Antonio is also very well know for its architecture.

If you get a chance, take a walk to Parque Artesanal Loma de la Cruz (Craft Park Loma de la Cruz). It will be a fun time to walk around and purchase some goodies. There, you will find about half a mile of different outlets (shops) where you can buy souvenirs, hand-made jewelry and some inexpensive authentic gifts, bags and clothes. It was pretty interesting to see some artisans working their crafts while we were there. I should mention that if you get hungry or thirsty, you will have plenty of options. There are many places around where you can get some food and drinks and the prices are very affordable. On Sunday, most of those shops are closed, so if you want to buy stuff from there, you need to go on weekdays. On Thursday evening, you can find people dancing on the park. Everyone is invited to dance, so bring your dancing shoes with you.

One of the things to have on your agenda when in Cali, is to go to the gorgeous Rio Pance (Pance River). It is a place of leisure for the locals and tourists and it is worthwhile. The river flows along the southern side of Cali. If you want to do this, I suggest you plan a whole day. It is a little over half hour ride on a Mio (public bus).

The bus was completely full and my friend explained to me that Pance is the place where Caleños go to unwind after a week of work. Since they don't have the beach near by, they go to the river. When I got there, it was really crowded. Buses were dropping people non stop. It is a family affair on Sunday, lots of kids were with their parents. I was told afterwards that on weekdays it is not as visited so if you don't like the big crowd, you should go there during the week. You will find some restaurants around serving Sancocho (typical Colombian soup).

The water is COLD but on a hot summer day it makes it very comfortable! Rio Pance should be on your bucket list if you visit Cali.

Young Colombian girl in the cold water of Rio Pance

Cali is known to be the salsa capital but I consider it to be a Diamond in the Rough. There is so much to enjoy, see and taste there. I will carry a part of Cali with me forever.

Many people know or have heard about the colossal 98 feet statute of Christ on top of the hill in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) but it was a surprise for me to learn that there is a similar one in Cali. It's called Cristo Rey and stands 85 feet tall. It's a little smaller than the Brazilian one but still very impressive. It is located in the Cerro de los Cristales (Hill of the Crystals) in the village of Los Andes. It's preferable to go on weekdays as it gets real crowded on weekend, especially in the afternoon. It is a good hang out spot from what they told me. On the way to the statute, there are some pizza places where people stop by and have an amazing view of the city. (I did not get a chance to go there but I was able to take a picture from a distance.)

Cali: Where to dance

Cali is well known as the World Capital of Salsa. It's not by coincidence that from the public buses to the convenience stores or from the busy downtown to the suburbs, you hear the music playing. I was amazed to see how the music brings people together in laughter and happiness. Age, size, race, gender, nationality vanish when the beat drops. The old man and the beautiful young girl or the slim athlete and the chubby lady dance and smile like there is nobody watching them. I tell you, people from different background share a song and it is so beautiful to see them dance.

In Cali, you can dance everyday of the week but, it's on weekend that most people go to the clubs. Thursday is the best night sometimes. I have a few clubs that I can suggest if you find yourself in Cali.

The Tin Tin Deo is foreigner-friendly. Yes, there is such thing as a foreigner-friendly club! On Thursday night there is a mix crowd of locals and tourists, so if you are a little shy, I would advise you to try there first as many others will be beginners too.

One of my favorite joint is La Topa Tolondra. The place is small and the music is always good, that's probably the reason why it's always crowded even on Wednesday. I had an awesome time there and it is within walking distance from the majority of hotels.

If salsa doesn't do it for you, Tienda Vieja is a good club to go to. There, you will enjoy hip hop reggaeton and ... some salsa. It's a fun place to visit.

One of the most famous clubs in Cali is the Zaperoco where you can enjoy live music on Thursday. The thing about this place is that you will see lots of talented dancers. From what I saw, they are very understanding and forgiven of the tourists. Every one is here to have a good time and dance the night away so no matter your salsa skill level go for it.

Cali is probably not the most touristic city in Colombia, but I had an awesome time there. Some of its old architecture and beautiful churches are worth seeing. Some churches even look like Cathedrals.

Once a year, there is a six-day-long salsa dancing and music extravaganza called the Feria de Cali (Cali Fair). It is a celebration at the end of the year in December. If you find yourself in Cali during this period, you will see some real talented dancers live.

Fun Facts about Cali.

Did you know the soccer player Andres Andrade and the actors Carlos Valdes and Viviana Serna are from Cali ?

I went to Cali for the salsa but, after my first day wondering in the streets, I knew the city had a lot more to offer. The people from Cali are very friendly and welcoming. I had an awesome time and I always felt safe. I hope this article helps you if you plan on visiting Cali.