La rumba se vive en Cali: La Feria de Cali

Every December 25th for the past 53 years the Feria of Cali begins. It is a long awaited event, complete with a countdown on the website from the end of the previous year’s festival until the next year’s feria. It is a five day long festival filled with salsa, live music, bull fighting, salsa, arguadiente, parades, horseback riding through the main streets, and more salsa. Being the Capital of Salsa the party opens with a Salsa parade, Salsódromo. The opening event attracts hundreds, if not thousands, of people filling stands and lining the street. The parade truly was a spectacular event. The dancers were as young as children and came from all over Cali, South America, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and New York. The dancers twirled and stepped to the salsa rhythm in their sparkling costumes under the hot sun with pride to be a part of this Caleño tradition.



During these five days the bars are filled with rumberos (partiers) young and old enjoying some firey arguadiente, live music, and dancing of their own. Outside of the bull fighting stadium, platforms are installed and the open fields become dance floors that are occupied until the early hours of the morning. Of course, attending bull fights is still a popular tradition among some Caleños, visiting Colombians, and tourists (I was not one of them).


Another event is the Cali Viejo Parade. This parade almost tells the story of Cali; it gives a good understanding of the history and what it means to be Caleño. There are groups who represent the European Settlers and the African Slaves that they brought, which also demonstrates the importance of sugar cane in Cali’s economy. Because of the African influence a popular genre of music that combines powerful percussion instruments, singing in African languages and Spanish accompanied by woman dancers in long flowing dresses have become an important part to the Valle de Cauca and Caleño culture and also, an unforgettable part of the parade. Although Colombia has had a turbulent history since the Spanish Settlers up to the recent past and even into the present, the Cali Viejo Parade brings out the pride to be Caleño and Colombian.
During the Cabalgata Caleños get on their best horse and show it off by riding through the main streets for the afternoon. There were two thousands horseback riders participating. This event truly demonstrates the country mountain and city culture mix that Cali has developed as the four lane highways are filled with horseback riders wearing their traditional hats, boots, and best jewelry. Once again it is not uncommon to see the spectators and the riders drinking arguadiente straight from the bottle, which usually makes it a lively event.

From an outsider’s perspective, I enjoyed seeing the streets filled with people of all ages enjoying the festivities and the streets lined with venders selling typical hats, bags, and souvenirs. I love how Cali’s “vaquero style” comes out as everyone wears their finest country style jeans and hats. It was interesting to see this “plastic” culture that Cali has become infamous for. I now understand what a butt implant is. As always, I have a huge appreciation for the costumes that were made and worn in both the Salsódromo Parade and the Cali Viejo Parade. Through the blur of yellow, red, and blue the pride that Caleños have for Cali and Colombia is more than evident.

My First Cabalgata

Over Thanksgiving weekend, I ventured out on my first Colombian road trip. We had our car packed with our bags, food, arguadiente (the anis flavored typical alcohol of Colombia), and Risk…all ready for a weekend at the farm. We left the noisy, crowded city streets and headed to Salento. A small pueblo in the Coffee region of Colombia nestled in the Andes Mountains. It was one of my first looks into Colombia, along its breathtaking countryside. Unfortunately, I also got to see the damage from the heavy rains that Colombia experienced at the end of last year. As we twisted and turned through the hills and valleys up the mountains, I was listening to my friends Caleño dialect of Spanish with their “vos”, “maricas” y “guevon”. We also had their favorite music, The Beatles, playing in the background, not a bad soundtrack to accompany the lush green mountainside.

We finally arrived to the town center of Salento. It consists of one plaza with two “main” roads leading off of it. The center, of course, has its Spanish Colonial church as the focal point, and open area in the middle for people to rest and kids to play. The park area is surrounded by many little food stands, artisans selling their goods to locals and tourists, and jeeps waiting to take people through the mountainous roads. We walked up the colorful streets filled with tons of handmade crafts, restaurants, and coffee shops.

It was almost 11 am, the perfect time for a beer stop and then to head on our way to my friend, Camilo’s farm house. We walked into a bar, and I thought that I had gone back in time and the time had stopped for over fifty years. We even walked through western style swinging doors. Inside the bar, men were playing pool and enjoying their coffee as seemed the usual Saturday morning routine. We finished our drinks, and finished the rest of our journey to the farm house.

The short bit left of the trip seemed the perfect time to open the arguadiente. We were about to embark on a horseback riding trip through the mountains, normally called a Cabalgata in Colombia, which is more often than not includes the drinking of arguadiente straight from the bottle. This was my first time on a horse in about twenty years (the last experience wasn’t so positive…), so the arguadiente was the perfect anecdote to calm my nerves and help me remember that it is all apart of the adventure…

We mounted the horses just as the blue skies turned to gray and began to pour on us, a normal happening in Colombia during these past few months. We had ponchos, hats, and arguadiente so nothing was stopping us. Colombia’s national tree, La palma de cera (Wax palm), the tallest palm in Colombia, covers the misty mountainside making the view one of a kind. We adventured through the hills and trees, through herds of cows, up and down slopes. We had a coffee break at a secluded farm house. We drank arguadiente, we laughed and cried (Natalia), and had a photo shoot all on a rainy afternoon Cabalgata. There was a point on the trip where it was just me, my horse, and this incredible view, and I had to stop. I was in the Andes Mountains on a horse… never did I think that my life would take me here.
We passed the rest of the time on the farm playing Risk and dice games. Of course, the late night ended with Colombian ghost stories to make the night sleep on the farm more authentic. It was a journey in Colombia not to be forgotten.

The Amazon Adventure

Day one: I am in the Amazon
As I look out the window, I see a never ending sea of green. It almost has the soft waves of the ocean that you see from miles above, but it is a sea of trees. This is our lung. This is where 20% of the world’s oxygen comes from. I am looking down upon the Amazon Rainforest, the home of millions plant and animal species, 400 indigenous groups, and an area that spreads over borders. The airplane manages to land on the small tarmac, and we step off the plane and into Leticia’s airport. The Amazon Jungle Aventure has begun.

Me, Jen, Natalia, and Sam


Our tour guides greet us with our names on a sign and hurry us off to our first adventure. We change our pants, lather on some bug repellent, and before we know it we are hoisting ourselves up a thirty foot tree into the canopy of the rainforest. Like true adventure women we make it up to the top only to zip our way through and back down to the forest floor. As we are hiking through the forest we look up to the canopy, and there are monkeys soaring through the trees; gracefully playing a game of tag. I am in the rainforest, the place I have learned about in text books and some of my favorite children’s books (The Great Kapok Tree).

We finally make it to a restaurant in Leticia to eat our first meal of the day, which is dinner. Our guide casually lets us know that he has to call the tour group owner to let him know that we safely made it to town before sunset because that’s when the snakes come out. I am in the Amazon Rainforest…

Day two: Three countries before 10:00 A.M.

The next day we wake up in Colombia; make a stop in Brazil for some breakfast beer ("the best breakfast beer ever"- Natalia) and to hop on our boat that was headed for the rainforest lodge in Peru. We arrive to Taganga, one of the Amazon River port cities in Brazil. The van takes us through Taganga, and my head is dizzy from the millions of motos buzzing past us and the busyness of the market. As soon as we pull up to the port, you can see how this waterway is an integral part of the city. The market borders the river. People are busily transferring their goods from boats to vendors and vice versa. They are selling everything and anything you can imagine. There are people selling fish out of baskets only feet off the shore, and water taxis are taking people between borders and to other small Amazonian communities.

We eventually make it onto our oversized motorized canoe. We cross the river to make a quick stop, and we are now in Peru. We travel down the river as many boats zoom right past us, and as fisherman lazily wait for their catch. We pass several small towns along the river edge. The quaint little towns have their small stores, church, humble homes, and sustain themselves from the river and the forest. A relaxing and breathtaking four hours later we stop at the edge of the river and are instructed to get out. The river is very low at this time of year, and the boat cannot get through the little river off of the Javari River. We must walk to the lodge. A short walk through the unknown and we arrive to the lodge. It’s set off the river and on stilts. We are told that the river can grow immensely depending on the season, we are in “dry season”- as dry as a rainforest can get…

We enter the lodge and are greeted by the workers taking their siesta in hammocks. We are then served a fresh and amazing lunch of fresh Amazon River fish, salad, rice, plantains, and freshly made amazon fruit juice. I think to myself how can I eat all of this? Somehow I manage to…

Ramiro, our guide, then tells us to put on some bug spray, wear long sleeves and pants because we are going on our first adventure… fishing for piranhas! The five of us and Ramiro get in a small canoe probably made for three. We have our sticks, fishing line, and hooks; all ready to catch our dinner. Ramiro has some fish and puts it on the hooks for us. We set off onto small lake behind the lodge. We sit on the boat as the smart little piranha’s nibble the bait right off the hooks. Once again there are small little monkey’s playing their games in the trees, jumping and swinging from branch to branch. The sun is setting and the reflection on the lake is unbelievable. Somehow it doesn’t matter that we won’t be eating our own freshly caught piranha for dinner. I am on a boat in the middle of the rainforest, and that is all that matters.

Day Three: Medicine Man
We awake to a huge breakfast of eggs, fresh fruit and juice, and coffee. Then Ramiro tells us of the day’s activities: a hike in the rainforest, boat ride on the river to see pink dolphins, and a night hunt for caiman (a type of crocodile). We set out in the rain for our hike. There is no cement or even a cut out path. Ramiro uses his machete to create a path deep into the forest. I am just amazed by the roots, vines, and plants that are swirling around me. I can’t seem to wrap my brain around the immense size of the tree trunks. Ramiro occasionally stops to show us the science and wonders of the rainforest. We learn how to make rubber from making a mixture that comes from the liquid from two different trees and water. We taste the bark that is used to make a tea that prevents malaria. We drink the purified water from a vine cut in half. We see the tree that has the anti-venom for snake and tarantula bites. I’m beginning to realize how possible it really is to survive off the land. The rainforest has everything we need for survival. It has the cure to diseases, it can be used to make shelter, clothing, boats, and has all the food necessary and healthier too. There really are communities that can live happily removed from our technological world. This is when it hits me. When we cut down the trees of the rainforest we are not only reducing the amount of oxygen in the world and killing off endangered species, but we are also endangering communities and culture.

After a long hike, a sunset boat ride to search for pink dolphins, three large meals, and a siesta, we put on our headlamps and get in the boat to hunt for caiman. We eerily float down the river as the suicidal fish would jump into our boat. Ramiro quickly scans his flashlight across the river for the eyes of the caiman that pop just out of the water. His flashlight stops; the boat driver stops the motor, and paddles up to the caiman as his eyes are frozen in the light… Just as we approach the glaring eyes he escapes. It is an unsuccessful night of seeing a full caiman, but a first for floating on a boat in the black night of the rainforest.

Yes, that is Ramiro outside of the boat pulling us through the river that was way to small for our boat. Sam and Naty also come to the rescue by pushing the sides of the river bed with the oars as Ramiro pulls. The adventures never end in the Amazon.

Day Four: A night in them middle of the Amazon
Ramiro tells us that our last night will be spent camping in the forest. We will leave the comfort of our lodge for hammocks and mosquito nets. Before the camping adventure begins, we go on another hike, lay out on a “Brazilian beach”, and swim in Javari River. Yes, the same river that we hunted for caiman in.

That night we boat to our new destination. Ramiro sets up a camp of hammocks and mosquito nets. The guides cook us fresh fish over the campfire. We set out for yet another night of caiman hunting. Supposedly we had been unlucky in our search for animals because of our voice volume. I know that it is hard to believe that five woman in the Amazon rainforest would be loud. We do our best to be quiet and again hunt the caiman. My eventual theory is that Ramiro doesn’t truly want to catch the caiman because they always seem to be just within reach. Not to mention that he doesn’t change his technique. After two nights of unsuccessful hunting one would think to try a new hunting technique. So this night too is a bust. We return to camp. The clock stricks nine and off to the hammocks the people go. Yes, nine o’clock. I am not tired, mind you. I have to get into a hammock in the middle of the Amazon and listen to the night sounds of the forest alone, just me in my hammock. It’s a restless sleep, the sound of the unknown, cold wet dampness. When will the morning come? I finally wake and see light. I hope that it is almost time to leave as I shiver in my hammock. I hear the alarm and begin to take my hammock down and begin to take down the others as they barely manage to crawl out of them. I survived my night in the rainforest.Day five: Return to “civilization”

We head back up the Amazon River, making our way back to Colombia. The four hour boat ride leaves lots of time for reflection. I can’t help but feel guilty for loving being free of all technological communication, but at the same time secretly thinking about writing in my blog or my Facebook status. I feel guilty for the pictures I take as souvenirs; the pictures of people living their daily life that seems so foreign to me. I feel guilty for being a part of a world that is killing the one that I have just enjoyed for the past four days. The boat pulls up to Taganga. The guilt gets pushed away deep inside, and I yearn for the comfort of my life. We eventually make it home to Cali about sixteen hours after waking up in the middle of the rainforest. My uncomfortable bed has never felt so warm, cozy and inviting.