The hotel hosts tours on Fridays for those staying here. This is our second week to go, and both times is has only been us with Oscar and Yolanda, two of the hotel staff. (Last week was the fruit market.) Today they took us first to the Cristo Rey that overlooks Cali. According to Wikipedia (the source of all reliable information), it is was commissioned in 1954 and stands just over 100 feet tall. This statue of the Christ is said to protect the city of Cali in the valley below. There is a stunning view of Cali, which is much larger than we imagined, from the base of the statue. Unfortunately, the city is masked by a layer of pollution, so the photos didn't turn out very well.
There is a rather precarious playground next to the Cristo Rey. The slide is just about a vertical drop. The monkey bars speak for themselves!
On the drive up the mountain to the Cristo Rey, there are carvings in the rock/mud along the side of the road. Cali is a city burgeoning with artists. We actually saw one sculptor working on one of the carvings on the drive up.
After the Cristo Rey, we stopped at a bakery for a sampling of pandebono and other traditional Colombian breads. Our sister in law Joy's father, who lives in Miami, has made pandebono for us before. It is a fabulous cheese-infused bread (which just happens to be naturally gluten free) best eaten warm. This bread was good, but not as good as Joy's dad's.
Philip also got a traditional Colombia drink, Avena. It is basically oatmeal, milk, and sugar blended up.
Our last stop of the day was San Antonio, a mountain near our hotel with another great view of Cali. It was quite warm by this time of the day, but Yolanda said it was a popular spot in the afternoon. Around 4:00 everyday, the city gets cooler and the winds come in. I am talking very strong, gusty breezes. I can see how San Antonio would be a good place to go in the afternoon. Apparently it is also a favorite spot of local artists.
We are really enjoying our time getting to know Luisa's birth city. Magnolia is gone for the weekend, so we will be taking the opportunity to relax around the hotel for the next couple of days. Our explorations will begin again next week as we await Sentencia and our subsequent trip to Bogota.
1 comment:
I have really enjoyed reading your blog! We are adoptin from Bogota but plan on visiting Cali while we are in Colombia. One of my best friends from high school lives in Cali but we haven't ever been to visit her. It looks beautiful from your pics!
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