Tag: Photos

Cali Colombia Street Art

I did so much on my 5 hour self-guided tour of Cali and saw so much street art that deserved its own post. Here are my best photos and observations of the Cali Colombia street art scene.

Street Art Movement in Cali

I didn’t know very much about Cali until I walked around and saw it for myself. Now I know, with some online research, that graffiti in Cali is part of a growing movement with local and international artists adding to the tapestry.

I am a big fan of street art in general and am fortunate to live in a great neighborhood for it in Toronto, so it was fun to take some photos of the work in this cool Colombian city and just wander and explore the Cali Colombia street art.

san antonio barrio

Much of the Cali Colombia street art is located in the centrally located San Antonio barrio, which is where I photographed most of these works.

The San Antonio barrio is highlighted by it’s old historic church and beautiful big park. It’s colorful and artsy, with cute shops and artisan craftspeople. Plus it’s easily accessible from hotels in the heart of downtown.

Now, onto my photos!

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Loving Cali Colombia

So I got to Cali late last night – too late for me to go out, I was beat – and woke up early today to see the town. From my searches online and with my trusty Lonely Planet guidebook, I found a lot of good things to see and do! Here’s a travelogue of my first day here and why I am loving Cali Colombia.

The Hostel

I started with a taxi from my hostel, Pelican Larry. I have a private room and access to a shared bathroom, which is all I need. Clean and with hot water! My room has a fan which had the dual purpose of keeping me cool and drowning out outside noise.

Getting Out of the Hostel

The taxi to downtown was quick and cheap and I got dropped off at the Modern Art Museum, which wasn’t open until 10am (it was 9:30am) so I went in search of a café. I found a good one thanks to Google Maps!

Downtown Cali

Let me explain downtown Cali first. It’s dominated by the Rio Cali, which has walkways on both sides, and a lot of the tourist sites are there or nearby. This walking route is great with lots of scenery, and compared to Cartagena, the weather here is GORGEOUS! Warm but with little humidity. Heaven after almost two weeks of non-stop sweating.

Cute Cafe in Cali

Cute Cafe Mulato was on a side street and full of locals. I was the only tourist and it was nice and homey. The waitress had a list with everyone’s name on it and what they ordered, that’s how local a joint this was.

Cafe Mulato in Cali Colombia
Cafe Mulato in Cali
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Volunteer Duty in Cartagena

So I have been volunteering at the institution for over a week and gotten into a bit of a routine. As a first time international volunteer, I had no idea what to expect. Here’s what I’ve learned from my volunteer duty in Cartagena.

The Only Volunteer

Surprisingly there are no other full time volunteers. About once a week a couple of Europeans will drop by for a few hours, never to be seen again. They are with another organization whose name I haven’t caught but I am surprised they don’t return or that no one else is volunteering here. Honestly, for the number of children, they don’t have enough staff. I really feel like everything I do helps the institution.

A Typical Day on Volunteer Duty in Cartagena

I usually get to the institution around 8:30am. I have tried to arrive earlier but haven’t seen a bus between 730-8am so gave up on that.  The bus I need comes to my stop at 8am or after so that’s what I take.

I work with the same class of two-year olds every day. Their teacher is named Luz, she is 23, and very hard working and pretty.  She was the star of the play earlier this week!

School play at my volunteer gig
School Play; Luz is the one with braids
Children on swings on volunteer duty in Cartagena
Children on the swings
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