Tag: Photos

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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Where I Am Living in Cartagena

So I have mentioned that for almost four weeks I am staying with a Colombian family in Cartagena. They live in an apartment in a middle class barrio called Campestre. I stayed with them for two nights in their old place, but they have since moved to a bigger and better place a few blocks away. This post is about where I am living in Cartagena Colombia.

Overview of where I am living in Cartagena

This is by no means the lap of luxury. Part of my plan in coming here to volunteer was immersion, and living with a family was better for that than living with other foreigners or by myself. This is a simple home with enough amenities but not everything we are accustomed to having. I realize everyday here how spoiled we are at home and how little we actually do need to get by. I am not saying I am thriving in this environment because I’m having some internal struggles being a spoiled brat. But it’s going OK so far, and the people are so great it helps a lot! Still, there have been a few times I’ve dreamed of checking in to a hotel for a night – with AC of course, including a search I did on hotwire a few hours ago!

I took some photos of the common areas and my room so you can see where I am living in Cartagena.

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