Ciclovia In Cali

As I get my bearings around the city I am discovering new things that make me realize how cool this city can be. I just found out that on Sundays we have Ciclovia right next to our apartment. Picture a stretch of road that on a normal day would be full of cars but on Sundays between 8 am and 2 pm no cars are allowed to drive by so the road is open to pedestrians and bikes.

I first heard about the concept of Ciclovia when I visited Bogota last year. I enjoyed walking down the long stretch of road full of pedestrians, bikes, street performers and all kinds of entertainment. You can imagine my excitement when I found out that Cali has this as well. I think it's such a cool concept for social interaction, exercise and fun.

Ciclovia in Bogota. I love lively streets full of people and activities.

Ciclovia in Cali at Barrio Las Granjas (Las Granjas neighborhood). My neighborhood.

There was an aerobics dance class that anyone could join in. Some just chose to be spectators, like me. The music was good!

The fun part of the Ciclovia aside from walking while people watching is the music. A lot of the houses and shops in the neighborhood play really good salsa music so as you are walking down the street it feels like a fiesta of some sort. 

Random Thoughts of The Day:

I hate heat, I know I have complained about the heat here numerous times. I actually miss feeling a little cold. Yes, I said it.

Speaking of heat, I am always sweating buckets and constantly feel like showering in cold water to cool off. 

My roommate thinks I am crazy for feeling shy about wearing tight clothes that accentuate my body. I don't like that kind of attention but she says in Cali that's the style and the men love it. She always laughs about my reservations.

The part that sucks about living in a regular neighborhood is that you are kind of far from a lot of places. A lot of hostels are usually situated in areas that are convenient for tourists to walk around and get close to the action. I miss that aspect. I wish I could just walk to downtown or the cool neighborhoods without having to take the bus.

When exposed to a lot of sun my hair gets a reddish/brownish tint. I used to hate it because I preferred dark hair but now I love it. My hair now has remnants of the black dye I had used many months ago and reddish/brownish tints. 

I gave up my vegetarian way of life when I moved here because it got complicated. Should I feel like a sell out after 7 years of being a vegetarian? I will resume the lifestyle when I move out of Cali and live on my own in Ecuador.