On January 1st 2018, I landed in Helsinki, Finland, after two years of life in South America. I left my bicycle in Cali, Colombia, and took up a 100-day job in an NGO for people living with hiv in this winter wonderland I occasionally have the privilege of calling home. On the 30th of April I will fly to Panama and continue my cultural exploration of Latin America, by cycling through Central America. In the meanwhile, my blog will occasionally hibernate.

I have been in Cali, Colombia, for three months now. During these three months I’ve learned quite a few things about locals in Cali and about the Colombian culture in general. Here are ten such curiosities which have caught my attention and have once again proved that cultural differences still do exist! (Gladly!)

When I first visited Motel Kiss Me in Cali, it was for an appointment with Humberto Villegas — owner of Latin America’s biggest theme motel. Señor Villegas gave me a warm welcome in his penthouse apartment, on top of his own motel, with gel in his hair and his bright white smile shining like a lighthouse for lost sailors. Upon my second visit, however, I had a chance to speak to the workers of the motel and discovered a whole new world behind the colorful façade.

Cali is situated in the Valley of Cauca (Valle del Cauca) and thus surrounded by lush, green mountains wherever you look. The ones closest to the city are the Farallones – a mountain range approximately an hour’s ride away from the city center of Cali. And that’s where you can quite effortlessly go to when you want to spend a weekend out, hiking and camping.

Many people think that crossing a continent by bicycle is living the dream. And it definitely is wonderful! However, it’s personally not my biggest dream in this world. Don’t get me wrong, I do love cycling, yet there are many things I love just as much or even more (rock climbing, paragliding, diving…). And there’s one thing that has been a dream of mine ever since I can remember: dance.

Germany room. A svastika on the wall and a Schumacher relief in the ceiling. Cuba room with a soft pillow on Fidel Castro’s lap. The “Clinic” for multiple couples. A never ending chess game between Osama Bin Laden and George W. Bush in the USA room – obviously without towers. Welcome to Kiss me – Latin America’s biggest theme motel!

Some cities are perfect for parkour. When I entered Cali, I noticed quite a few structures that would be great for jumping and climbing on, yet I had no idea that the parkour scene here is as big as it is. It seems that not only is Cali a great (the best) city for salsa, it’s also amazing for those who love to venture in urban spaces.

Carmen Lopez (or Grupo de Danzas Folclóricas “Carmen Lopez”) is the performing folkloric dance group of the Universidad del Valle in Cali, Colombia. It was founded by a woman named Carmen Lopez in 1965 and was recognized by the university in 1978. The current leader of the group is former dancer Mr. Francisco Emerson Castañero. I went to their performance in Batallón Pichincha in Cali.