Saturday and Sunday

Saturday, the 19th, was pretty lazy. We did the usual - dressed in our purple and gold and did some shopping at Unicentro. After walking the nearby nature trail for a while, we settled back in to listen to the LSU game. I really enjoyed a non-stressful game this weekend. ;)

Sunday, we were treated to a tour of the city by our hotel sales manager, Juan Pablo. He and the rest of the Radisson staff have been so wonderful to us. He took us to various parts of Cali. First, we went to Cristo Rey, a full view of the city up in the Andes (accessible by car) with a statue of the "protector of Cali" (similar to the one in Rio de Janeiro, except smaller). The view was breathtaking!

Then we went to a part of the city called San Antonio. It is known for a beautiful, old, renowned Catholic church. It was next to a park where families were enjoying the good weather, and children were kicking around soccer balls.

Juan Pablo then took us to a nearby artisan market. It was nestled in this very quaint, friendly, little neighborhood. I could have spent the better part of a day there shopping and looking through all the handmade items, but with 3 boys with me, I made short work of it. I picked up a couple of things. ;)

After a bit of shopping, we went to take a quick picture by "El Gato Del Rio" or "The Cat of the River." There is a sculpture of a giant cat in a park near downtown Cali that has become a city symbol. Its image is all over souvenir items. As its name suggests, it is right by the Rio Cali (or Cali River) that runs through the city.

For our last stop, Juan Pablo took us for a traditional Cali treat - cholados. A cholado is an icy drink mixed with all kinds of fruit (pineapple, banana, mango, lulu) and topped off with condensed milk. There is an entire street that has cafe after cafe serving cholados. They were wonderful! Michael thought so too. ;)

During our afternoon, Juan Pablo told us an interesting story about his family. When he was 13, the guerilla forces kidnapped his brother and father from their home. He remembers them trying to take him, but his mother was crying and very upset because he was so young. So he was left with his mother, while his brother and father were taken. In that time, guerillas would kidnap family members to get money for their release. After their release, the Colombian government held them safely in one of their army bases. As we passed this one, Juan Pablo said "This is where we picked up my father and brother."

It was such an experience to see Cali through the eyes of someone born and raised here, as well as hear his stories. It was a day we will long remember!