The roaring traffic wakes me before 6:30 in the morning, so I surrender, get up and at around 7:45 I´m already sitting on board the small bus to Cali. Unfortunately it doesn´t leave before the last seat is occupied, but shortly before half past eight we leave the bus terminal and are on our way to Cali, Colombia´s 2.5-million metropolis in the south. The going is relatively fast, we need less than three hours to cover the 125 kilometers between the two regional capitals. The 3-year-old boy who shares the seat next to mine with his mother keeps feeding me with grapes and I share my cookies with him. We are having a great time! The smooth and flawless Panamerican Highway takes us through yet another beautiful mountainous region before reaching the steaming hot plain of Cali. Now I´ve definitely arrived in the hot tropics! The - rather aggressive - way of driving and the many control posts manned with heavily armed soldiers need a little getting used to, but the boy´s mother assures me that they all much prefer the inconvenience of military check-points to the the past times of insecurity and lawlessness.
 |
| A "chiva", the typical means of transport off in rural areas |
In Cali the first thing I do is to buy my bus ticket for tomorrow´s journey to the so-called "Coffee Triangle", pretty much half way between Cali and Medellín. Then I get into a taxi, believing in a quick trip to my already reserved and confirmed hostel. Well, I´m wrong. First of all the driver doesn´t really know his way and has to stop frequently to ask other drivers for directions. Then we spent half an hour in several traffic jams around town and last but not least, when we eventually get to direction of the hostel, there is, well, no hostel! The neighbours tell me that the house was sold some time ago and thus no hostel! Great, now I´m stranded in Cali. I take out my guide books and call the first hotel I find in a central area and BINGO. They not only have a room, but also one that´s really affordable. So let the driver take me there (he finds it almost at once), have a look at the room and am happy to take it. Seventh floor with a nice view of the cathedral and the central Plaza de Caycedo... the room is a bit dated but quite clean.
 |
| View of the cathedral from my hotel room |
After a quick call home I start exploring the city. It´s not a picturesque city, but it sure has a lot of flair. Cali declined once the famous Cali drug cartell was destroyed - although a lot of smaller organizations have taken the business since... Still, the mix of old and new, the multi-cultural atmosphere and the friendliness of the Caleños make my walk an interesting an pleasant one. What strikes and impresses me the most is that wherever you are, the police are incredibly helpful, approach you whenever you try to read up on things in your guidebooks and are never short of helpful tips. The encounters always include some smalltalk and make you feel genuinely welcome.
 |
| Plaza de Caycedo - my hotel is next to the cathedral. |
 |
| This merry-go-round is powered by girlpower... |
 |
| In Cali you can still find professional writers with their old typewriters |
 |
| Here my delicious, ice-cold sugar cane - lemon water is being prepared. Very refreshing at 37°C! |
 |
| Another chiva |
Cali is also home of a "gold museum", though a lot smaller than the one in Bogotá. The air conditioning and the quality of the exhibits however make this a very worth-while side trip.
San Antonio, just outside the actual city centre, shows you what Cali must have looked like before they built those shoebox highrises. Narrow crooked streets, lined by brightly coloured (colonial-style) houses snake up a hill crowned by a nice little park and the church of San Antonio. From the top of the hill I enjoy the great views of the sprawling metropolis and on the way back I stop at one of the many cosy and well-designed cafés.
Back downtown I soak up the atmosphere at Plaza de Caycedo and call at the first souvenir shop I´ve come across here in Colombia (not counting shops selling religious nicknack found around the most important churches) - and do some shopping. Then it´s back to my room, updating the blog and then see what the evening brings... though I doubt it will be much, as I´ll have to get up at 6 o´clock again - fate of modern "conquistador" ;-)
No comments:
Post a Comment