Cali

It's a good life here in Cali. In the mornings there are fresh fruits and bread and pastry from the panaderia and fruit stand down the street and then the 5000 peso almuerzo in the afternoons ($2.50 lunch menu). The days are hot but in the night it is cool and it is a short walk down Calle 17 to Avenida Sexta and the bars and salsaterias where there is always someone dancing. Also on Sexta is the famous asadero (grill) El Hornito, which serves the finest arepa de choclo in the city and excellent chorizos and chuzos (chicken, beef, or pork skewers), and I eat there as often as I walk by the place.

salsa class

From the hostel here in Barrio Granada there is a long and steep hike up into the mountains to the Tres Cruces (Three Crosses) and we did it yesterday before the afternoon rains, hiking first under the bamboo-cover and then through dense jungle where the steps ended and we climbed a rocky path exposed by rainwater flowing down from the summit. At the base of the Three Crosses there is a small outdoor weight lifting area with wooden benches and dumbbells and barbells made of metal bars and concrete. We worked out and then drank a juice from one of the snack stands before descending the mountain, hurrying down as storm clouds pushed in towards the city from the east. Cali is a fine city and where I am staying I have what I need. I am developing a good routine here and I plan to stay awhile longer.