The rest is a hill
Cali es Cali.. and wow it sure was.
Committing to salsa really helped in making me feel as if I was doing something meaningful. I did make a vow to myself that I wouldn’t leave Colombia without learning properly how to salsa. The addition of routine also lifted my mood and another plus was that the dance school had a sense of community to it.
I joined them to the street party on a Friday, which became a staple in Cali since the pandemic. We practised some of the instruments before heading out to the streets. I had seen videos of it but being there in the flesh is completely a different experience. Seeing so many people out on the street, dancing, singing, playing instruments. Just being happy and so joyous.
Learning salsa confirmed a couple of things I already knew about myself. I was very stiff to begin with and I knew that was because I struggle to relax. Nail technicians often tell me to relax my hand. So you can only imagine how tense I would be dancing in pairs with a man I don’t know where he is the one meant to lead me.
That’s the other thing.. following someone’s lead when dancing was so foreign to me. Fortunately for me, I had the same instructor for all 10 lessons which allowed me to build trust and a rapport with him and as a result relaxed me more.
I recorded some of the sessions and it was so rewarding to see the progress I had made. One thing I did notice, was that I was shy to fully execute some of the feminine movements such as stretching out my arms and fingers.
I usually shy away from group chats and group activities but I surprised myself this time and took an active role in participating. I met a Caleña in Medellín who added me to a black women’s group in Cali.
One of the key differences I have noticed between the groups in Medellin and Cali is that expats in Med stick together whereas the Cali group is mixed with local women.
The energy of the group chat was also very different. The women encouraged and celebrated each other. Information and advice were shared. They put their money where their mouth was when it came to organising events.
The first activity I partook in was a hike to Tres Cruces (Three Crosses). The meeting time was 06.30 on a Sunday morning and we took off at about 07:00. Viviana, who led the hike was so energetic and cheerful. She made the hike very enjoyable. We took a longer, but more scenic route through nature. When we arrived at the top, the area was full of people in true Colombian fashion on a Sunday. One would think that only [those who appear as] fitness fanatics would be making such an early morning hike but no. Everybody and anybody was there. With kids and pets. The highlight of the hike was the cake and fresh fruit juice that they were serving at the top.
Later that day we met up at a sports bar and watched the Super Bowl though we were more interested in Usher’s performance.
The following weekend, there was a Galentine’s brunch. I thought it was really impressive to get 15 women in one place. At the brunch, I heard a trip to River Pance was being set up.
River Pance reminded me of Gaasperplas. People refresh themselves with the company of their family and friends. Coolbox, boombox and bbq. The vibes were vibing. One thing that I really like about Colombia is that spending time in nature with loved ones is accessible to all. There were no entry fees. No strict rules on bringing your own food and drinks. And those who decided to buy there were not burned by extortionate prices.
Other outings with members of the group included going to the Salsa Bulevard, outdoor movies, dinners and a turban-tying workshop.
This sisterhood hit different. It was so refreshing to see how open these women were to meeting and welcoming new people. Open to trusting and learning from each other.
I was two weeks into my stay when my friend Claire arrived from London. Whilst we share the same love for coffee, cake and Colombia, I realised that we had so much more in common than I thought. We got on like a house of fire.
I saved some of the sights and activities for her arrival so we could do them together. Rio de los Gatos and the Salsa Trumpets were my favourites. We of course visited La Topa Tolondra which is one of the most known salsa bars in Cali (among foreigners especially). The fun thing about these salsa socials is that it doesn’t matter if you don’t know how to dance, just step to the beat of the campanas.
The 2 weeks with Claire flew past and I felt the void. It was nice to share these new experiences, especially with someone you can relate so much too. It made me look forward to doing more of this. Sharing new experiences with like-minded people and those you hold dear.
One of the main reasons I wanted to spend significant time in Cali is to be close to the black community of Colombia. I learned that anytime that the Pacific was referred to, it was actually black people/culture that was being referred to. Throughout my stay in Colombia, and even before, I’ve been told that Cali is where the black people are at. And it was true. and you could feel it in the vibrancy of the city. It was nice that the colour of my skin wasn’t a topic for small talk by Uber drivers, though nothing negative had been said.
It was warming to see black people of equal (or very similar) socio-economic status as their fellow Mestizo and white Colombians as opposed to solely as vendors as I’d seen in the coastal cities (Cartagena and Santa Marta). Yes, the cities have areas that are more concentrated with black people as most cities do, nevertheless, the city appeared more integrated.
There’s a black community in Medellin as well, but I didn’t find them to be very visible and one of the things I noticed is that they did keep themselves to themselves. This could also be because my time in Medellin was mostly spent with expats. So it could be that I didn’t notice.
Whereas in Cali, I engaged more with local people and black travellers who were also interested in learning more about black Colombian life. The local people who I met were more than happy to share their lives and perspectives with me.
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A social studies teacher opened up about the challenges she faced as a black woman in a position of authority. The lack of respect from the students stemmed from them not being accustomed to seeing black women in roles beyond domestic work.
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Owner of a black art, music and history studio Chonta E where he also hosts English lessons, took us to the Bulevard Oriente. The Bulevard opened in December 2023 in the ‘hood’ and it was this long strip combining 5 parks with artwork, music, chill and play along its route. It is such an amazing piece of public realm. The most meaningful part of this outing was that Gregory took us to the area he grew up in, which was giving Bijlmer vibes back in the day, and introduced us to his family. His mother was so open in receiving and told us how she’s a country girl at heart and always had dreams of being in the big city of Cali as a young woman.
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Director of the Lila Foundation. I must say she intimidated me a bit as she has quite a hard facade. The nature of the foundation is to support women with HIV, especially black and indigenous women. I can understand the shield she may have had up in protection of her foundation. As we spoke more, I understood the challenges she faced as a black Colombian woman, being a director of a charity and being invited to conferences around the world. Specifically racism. She shared how the constant undermining frustrated her but knew she had to push through. The foundation is an incredible initiative and adds so much value to the local community. I wish I met her and visited the foundation earlier as I would have loved to have contributed as a volunteer.
As you can imagine, there were also quite a few black-owned places such as shops, restaurants and spaces dedicated to art and music. Pan-Africanism is very present in Cali, with many workshops and events catered to embracing their African heritage.
I felt such a connection with the city. I felt at home. I was comfortable taking public transport, it really made me feel like a local. I picked up some of the lingo and became more confident in my Spanish. I had favourite coffee spots in different areas where staff became friendly faces and more importantly, I felt accepted, welcomed and part of a community.
I know I’ll be back.
