Happy New Year!

The famed feria de Cali is coming to a close and has been quite the party. Enjoy a little more classic salsa caleña (really, I just can't get enough). I'm off to Bogota tomorrow for a nice trip with Julie and will be back in Cali the week of the 11th to get settled back into every day life, organizing, preparing for classes and activities, and yes - writing! A very happy new year to you all!

Photos from algunas haciendas vallecaucanas

A couple photos from my day trip to some sugar cane haciendas north of Cali a while back with a friend of mine and her amazing grandfather. Enjoy!

Feliz Navidad!

Wishing everyone a lovely Christmas from Youngstown, Ohio!

My holiday stint back in the States has been full of family and friends, making me ever more appreciative of the amazing people I am blessed to have in my life. I'm headed back to Cali this weekend and cannot wait to be back in the hot city of salsa again. You can be assured that I will be writing some big posts in the next couple of weeks before I start back up with my projects, classes, and activities in Cali to keep you up to date on all that's gone on since my last major post in Ecuador. Hope everyone is enjoying a time to take a step back, appreciate, and evaluate. I heard a new Christmas song this year that I really loved. First recorded by Stevie Wonder back in the 60's, I prefer the Jack Johnson version. Give it a listen!

Cali Pachanguero / Cali Alumbrado Navideño

Ok, so here's just ONE more salsa for you - Cali Pachanguero. Rough translation of the song: Cali is the place to be and you know you wish you were caleño!

Also, some photos of the Alumbrado Navideño when Cali gets dressed up for Christmas!

A Nice Salsita

Asi no! Just a little something to remind me of Cali now that I'm back in the States for a bit!

P.S. Cali - I missed you

After being back in this city a mere twenty four hours I have realized on numerous occasions how much I have missed her. I've missed the constant music pumping into the streets, calls from friends ready for a night on the town, beautiful people...everywhere, beautiful mountains casting their unceasing gaze upon the city, dancing salsa and merengue until four in the morning, and the cool mountain breezes that come as sunset is at hand, dissapating the hot heat of the tropics. I like you Cali. I have to run off again for a while, but I promise I'll be back.

A Quick Breather Back in Cali

After an extremely long day of travel involving three taxis, a late bus, an airplane that was right on time and which I barely caught, and the compact car (miraculously packed with seven people and our luggage) of a nice Colombian I met in the ridiculously long line for migration and customs at one in the morning, I made it back to Cali. I left Julie´s house in Trujillo at 8:30 in the morning...and arrived back at my place at Cali at 2:30 the next morning. Phew! I´m feeling exhausted again just reading about it.

Ecuador post-Quito was wonderful and spending a week in Trujillo with Julie and Gabriela was positively delightful. I will give you all the details when time permits, but that may be a while as I am headed back to the States for a whirlwind two week tour involving twelve states and loads of friends and family beginning this Sunday, then heading back to Cali to catch the end of the feria and then jetting off to Bogota for a bit more vacation...in case I feel as if I haven´t gotten enough. The updates will come eventually. This I do promise. Hope everyone is getting into the holiday spirit! I'm fairly positive that as soon as my body feels temperatures below freezing...I'll be whistling Christmas tunes and craving a gingerbread latté just like the rest of you.