Farsighted Fly Girl

When you visit the charismatic city of Cali, Colombia , you will immediately notice a few things. First, there is music and dancing everywhere but mostly at night and mostly salsa. Secondly, there are cats scattered all around the Cali River. Although music and dancing and cats might not seem to have anything to do with each other, in Cali, they are interrelated. In 1996, the famous Colombian painter  Hernando Tejada, , donated a three ton bronze cat sculpture to the city he called home. Called El Gato Del Rio , or the River Cat, he sits grinning on the banks of the river. In 2006, Calenos decided that the cat needed a few novias or girlfriends. So artists created 15 different cats that complete Parque El Gato de Tejada. If you stroll along the riverwalk, you'll see an array of pretty kitty sculptures, much smaller than the original gato. There's La Gata Dulce,  pictured in the first photo. She's covered in sugarcane branches and leaves to reference Cali's sug...

This week, I'll be exploring the vibrant culture of Colombia, specifically the Pacific city of Cali, otherwise known as the Salsa Capital of the World. Hosted by Tia Stephanie Tours,  I'll be learning about Afro Colombian history and traditions, highlighted by the Petronio Alvarez Music Festival , which celebrates the region's music and dance. My adventures will also include salsa lessons, a cooking class, museum visits and hopefully, a climb up to Cristo Rey,   the towering Christ statue shown above. It's not as big as Rio's but it's the largest in Colombia and is a landmark for Cali, the country's third largest city.  I'm looking forward to picking up some (much needed) salsa moves and discovering the intricacies of this rich culture so stay tuned!

The Caribbean region is known for happy, pastel-colored buildings that blend with the tropical landscape but no other island displays quite the architectural flavor of Curacao.   Nothing makes me happier than vivid, rich color so I was in a constant state of joy on the candy-colored streets of Willemstad , the island's capital. This Unesco World Heritage City combines Dutch colonial architecture with pure Caribbean style. A crayon box of colors cover the buildings so that walking the streets is like strolling through an art gallery. The flower accented building above is  a highlight of the Scharloo district, a historic neighborhood that's been transformed with street art. The deep green house above is a landmark in Scharloo. It's called the Wedding Cake House because it was given as a wedding gift from a father to his newlywed daughter. It's the most photographed building in Curacao. Downtown Willemstad enchants with 17th century architecture and bright...