Today is my last day in Cali. I have been very busy visiting all my friends and saying goodby. I am sooo sad...
Tomorrow I am going to Quito, Ecuador. I have spent three months in Cali - three extraordinary months. I was thrown right into the depth of the Colombian culture, the hospitality and openess of the people and other features of the culture I tried to understand. The atmosphere, people and places in this region are different than those in other parts of Colombia. I had some ups and downs in the last three months caused by a search of a right way to live and interact with people, and by a lot of negative energy in the city due to poverty, use of drugs and guns.
However, I am very jelous of the great salsa parties and the excellent music in Cali.
On my first day here I said that I was going to find out if Cali was really the world capital of salsa. My answer is that the city exceeded my expectations and I can't immagine a better place in the world to learn, listen to and dance salsa.
Here are some of my favourite songs to which I was dancing like crazy:
Bailen con la punta del pie
Para que volver
Soledad
La rebelion
La prueba de fuego
Carro de fuego
Tumbao africano
Un dia despues
Cali Pachanguero
Amor y control
Zumbale
Bachata en Fukuoka
I have spent 2000 pounds in four months in Colombia. It includes:
buses between seven cities
rent of a room in Cali - 155 pounds
Spanish classes (twice a week) - 110 pounds
tattoo - 35 pounds
paragliding - 25 pounds
a new phone (the stolen one wasn't covered by my insurance company) - 20 pounds
dentist - 22 pounds
a weekend trip to Juanchaco Island (transport by buses, boats, tractors, hotel, food, whale watching) - 72 pounds
entrance fees to salsa clubs, taxis, food, internet, cosmetics, and others
bus ticket from Cali to Quito in Ecuador - 30 pounds
Bye bye Colombia....
