My Equator Adventure: Cali the second time around

September 27-October 14, 2015

After a couple of days planning and chilling in Bogota, I decided to brave the weather and come on back here to Cali. For one, a couple weeks away makes you forget how terrible the weather really was, and two, there was the Festival Mundial de Salsa (International Salsa Festival) happening.

After being here for a week (two actually at time of posting), I'm pleased to say the weather doesn't suck so much. I'm not sure if it's actually cooler (I think maybe) with more breeze, or if I was just better mentally prepared this time, but I've handled it much better.

The festival started off with 4 days of free salsa lessons and talks during the day with various people on various topics. I tried going to those a couple times, to hear about salsa congresses world-wide, and the beginnings of the Cali festival. I understood just about nothing.

The salsa lessons worked much better. I learned some caleño salsa, had some short lessons in pachanga (which is strange and I'm not very good at it) cha-cha, and rumba.

This was the cha-cha routine I learned, it's got some pachanga in the middle. (The step to the sides after the first turn around.)

This was one of the salsa routines I got to learn in the Salsa en Línea level 3. I was lucky enough to have my dance partner be one of the other instructors who was also taking the class. Needless to say, he knew what he was doing as a lead.

Also an hour of rueda de casino (casino wheel) which is the square dancing of salsa. There's a circle of pairs, and a caller saying which steps to do. These steps incude passing the lady off, so everyone is switching partners while dancing. Since I was in a beginner lesson, it was a bit of a mess, to put it politely. Some people knew salsa, and just had to learn the specific steps, others couldn't really dance in the first place and were kind of hopeless. Ladies were ending up with no partners when someone messed up. But it was fun.

It was also fun surprising people with the fact that the gringa could actually dance. One old guy said I was 'like a basket of beer' which my dance partner informed bewildered me, is an expression for being a surprise. Maybe because beer doesn't ususally come in baskets? I'm not sure.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday had the semis and finals of the competitions, which had 11 different categories for pairs and teams in different salsa styles. Friay night we went with everyone in the hostel, and between the 6 of us represented 5 countries and 3 continents. Colombia, USA, Germany, Argentina, and England.

Left to right in a circle around me: Marcella, Juan Pablo, Jose, Karlotta, and Rob

The performances were amazing, and the costumes bedazzled. I still can't handle the pants that are entirely sequins and the lime green shoes, and some of the gals were NOT wearing what I'd call a dress, but it was exciting anyway.

This performance was especially exciting because there were tear-away pants in the middle of it.

For the finals, when we arrived we found a long line and shut doors. They were saying the stadium was full, and weren't letting more people in. So we sat listening to the live band in the expo area, had a drink, and danced ourselves.

This awesome old guy was dancing. I just had to get him on film, he's got so much spunk.

For this night we had 12 people representing Colombia, Argentina, the UK, New Zealand, Washington, California, and Switzerland. It's pretty cool all the new people you meet staying at backpacking hostels.

We made it inside for the concert by Groupo Niche (read this in a 14 year old girl voice) who are only the *biggest* salsa group in Colombia. It was a fantastic show, and the crowd was full on concerting, standing and dancing and yelling and horns and cowbells were present too. It was a fun end to the whole shebang.

For one of the songs they turned off all the lights and everyone had their cell phone lights on. Lighters at a rock concert for the digital age, but it's a really cool effect.

This was the big finale when all the performers came up on stage.

Other exciting Cali activities included hiking up to Last Tres Cruces, the three crosses up on the top of a hill next to the city. I think it's some sort of South American law that you have to have something on top of a hill in every city. We left before 8 from the hostel, and had about an hour hike. It wasn't too hot yet, so it wasn't too bad. Still lots of sweat at the top. Also a great view.

This was the first road we had to go up.

This was the trail

Great views along the way

Sweaty and successful at the top

On the way down we took this photo:

Which led to the worst YMCA attempt in history

I tried another typical treat of Cali after salsa lessons one night when we all went out for chulado.

It's kind of a fruit filled slushie. Fruit flavored ice slushie at the bottom, and a bunch of differnt fruit types in chunks on top, all of that with sweetened condensed milk poured over it. Very sweet and delicious. Also I was cold for the first time in Cali.

One day we headed out of town maybe 30 minutes and hung out at a river for a bit. Rio Pinchinde

A short walk up the river and we made it to a big flat rock to sit on, and a deep pool (like almost 5 feet at the deepest!) to go swimming in.

It wasn't exactly what I'd call warm. In fact I'd probably call it cold. You know what? I think I did. Loudly and high pitched. Okay. It wasn't terrible after you'd been in for 5 minutes and numbed a little, but it was never comfortable feeling.