Going to Cali first time, what to expect

romy says on Jul 14, 2008, 14:16:

it's been raining a lot in Cali as of late, when is your visit?

A/C is a must for some, not me...

Granada is probably best fit for you, and you might also enjoy parque del perro. Probably stay away from Sexta, as this is the more populous rumba.
You might consider getting on for a chiva, which takes you to juanchito to cap the night, to experience a bit of the traditional rumba under controlled circumstances. salsa is everywhere though man, even the rock and electronic bars, you can't miss salsa in cali.

Normal precautions as anywhere else, be aware not to hit any potholes and be patient with traffic.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

GregYohn says on Jul 14, 2008, 14:29:

Hola!

We don't use A/C in Cali! Sometimes we use a small 10" fan, but not usually!

I have not gone dancing in Cali, but just 1 time was around Sexta. For me, a nice night out is going to Palmetto Mall. We eat BABY BEEF at the food court, go to a movie, and have beer at one of the 6 bars in the center of the mall. I look up and say WOW the A/C is nice, but then I remember that it is an outdoors mall!

To meet friendly locals, I would say stop at a Panderia in a more expensive neighborhood. We did that one time and had a great time listening to the Salsa video on TV while we drank our beers and had food from the local charcoal grill on the premises. One on a side street tends to be more of a local hangout!

12VOIP.com gives free calls to Colombia.Greg

0 funny, 0 helpful.

romy says on Jul 14, 2008, 14:35:

Greg funny how you mention the panaderia thing... I like going to el kutty for the same purposes. Palmetto is a Monday or Tuesday outting in my books. Can't really stand Leños anymore though, way too greasy, wish they had San Carbon in Cali.
Though I do love the semi-outdoor atmosphere of Palmetto, it's more of a coffeeshop destination for me as I have yet to find a better locale for that sort of lounging.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

GregYohn says on Jul 14, 2008, 14:38:

Hola!

A visitor to Cali must have a BABY BEEF at Leños at least 1 time! The meat dissolves in your mouth! It is that tender and BONELESS!

12VOIP.com gives free calls to Colombia.Greg

0 funny, 0 helpful.

NataliaV says on Jul 14, 2008, 14:53:

My family does not have AC so we use fans most of the day. To us it is tough to get a good night sleep without one. I often wake up when I'm hot. I wouldn't say AC is necessary though.

ChipiChape is cool mall to visit. As the men will tell you here, a great place to check out the local women as most are very attractive. Nice people watching mall. My personal favorite is Jardin Plaza. Also a fun place to have a beer or two during the day.

I have been to Juanchito for salsa and had an awesome time. Very friendly people, fun atmosphere.

A popular spot is Cristo Rey. Nice view. At least do it once while visiting. Check out Kilometro 18. Very chilly up there so take a jacket and go enjoy a cup of chocolate or cafe con leche.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

gogopher says on Jul 14, 2008, 15:31:

Thanks, friends. Nice to hear your thoughts. Is the area around the ChipiChape Mall a nice place? I hear both good and bad things about Sexta so I am not sure what to expect there. But I figured since a lot of entertainment is located there, it would be a popular area unless it is a tourist trap kind of thing. Seems that all the malls have bars and some kind of nightlife but I'm guessing that they close fairly early at night and are not open until 2am?

Thanks for the info on A/C, just hope the heat is not unbearable. :) The evenings seem very pleasant as described by Greg at the outdoor mall. Should be there in Sept. and I look forward to visiting the city. Interested in seeing the Calenas too, heard they are sexy.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

E-Man says on Jul 14, 2008, 18:08:

Gogopher,

Cali is nice to visit and there are a limited number of things to do:

1) For Salsa it is definitely Juanchito if you are good at Salsa
2) Malls or Plazas
a )ChipiChape - Mall where many gringos go and you can people watch (including the Calenas)
and see a movie
b) Palmetto Mall - Nice Mall where there are less Gringo and you can eat, drink and watch a
movie
c) Other malls are Unicentro and Jardin Plaza

3) Places to eat: Tizones - Steaks, Karens Pizza and there are many nice restaurants in the Granada area (close to Avenida Sexta in the North).
4) Chivas Bus
5) Hiking Tres Cruzes
6) Zoo
7) Avenida Sexta use to be a happening place but not as much so now

Here are other comments:

1) The closest I can describe the weather for Cali is similiar to Hawaii to me (Warm (80s) and humid). Lately, it's been raining alot but has been comfortable at night (about 70 degrees).
2) Cali has a lot of pretty women. I am sometimes amazed on how many pretty Calenas there are. It's easier to meet the women or people first on the internet and then meet them in Cali. But please be careful.
3) I am not sure if you are fluent in spanish but in Cali it's even more important that you speak and understand spanish since in general many people in Cali do not speak English.
4) If you take a Taxi (especially at night) , please make sure to use a Taxi where they call it rather than flagging it from the streets.
5) Even though there are a lot of nice people, there are are a few bad apples (as in most cities) so be careful and use common sense.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

NCMike says on Jul 14, 2008, 21:26:

Hi Gogopher,

I'm currently visiting Cali and staying in barrio Granada just a couple of blocks from the Sexta and walkable to Chipichape. I'm from NC where it is currently hot as HELL. I never thought I would survive without AC. But I've managed to wean myself away from it. Like others have said, it has rained here a lot lately, and it is cool here. This morning it must have been in the upper 60s (of course they use centigrade here but I don't know it that well), it may have gotten up to the mid 80s by the middle of the day, but it always cools down at night and a nice wind blows. The local people complain about it being cold but to a gringo the night air feels fantastic. In times past I've put on the AC in my apt., but my visitors (locals) asked me to please turn that thing off because it's freezing in here!!!

As for the Sexta, it's kinda like Tijuana to me. Cool if ur a teenage boy that wants to get drunk. You'll find better. OK maybe that was a little harsh. One of the best burgers I ever ate in my life was off the street somewhere off the Sexta. People set up grills and tables and chairs out on the sidewalks, to me that's better than Corral, which I guess is the Colombian answer to McDonalds. Go to a place like that. Much better. I noticed they don't cook the burgers to death here, you might even see pink in ur burger. It actually has flavor. I forgot what pre- mad cow was like. If ur like me, you don't really care about burgers since you can get those any day in US, but damn they are GOOD here. But do the local food thing, where u just go and sit down, and you get the lunch of the day. Soup always comes first, then you tell then what kind of beans u want, and usually u choose between 2 meats. Plato tipicos, it will run you about $3.00 belive it or not. Drink included.

I can't really comment on the clubs apart from the gay scene. But even in the gay clubs guys dance salsa together it's awesome. (I can't do it but it looks like fun).

I won't say safety isn't an issue just be sensible. Try not to walk around by yourself at first. Don't walk around with lots of cash. I don't even carry a wallet, just enough pesos to do my thing for the day. I've been here about 5 times now, I used to feel like I was the only gringo in town, but now I see more. There's a hostel somewhere near where I'm staying, and a Juan Valdez which is the Colombian Starbux. Lots of gringos around here. Well more than before anyway.

Good luck and have fun.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

GregYohn says on Jul 14, 2008, 21:37:

Hola!

A/C use or wanting to use it depends on if you live on the 2nd floor or above.

We insulated our addition's concrete roof and have water pipes there to supply our solar shower. We thought of a ceiling fan, but found out it was not needed! I figure, we saved on electricity running fans by insulating! We use double pane windows for our new room. Our patio uses a 2 meter x 3 meter umbrella that keeps the sun off it during the day, and now we can eat there at lunchtime with alot of comfort! We open and close our big window near the bed to adjust the inside temperature. On a cold morning outside and in the rest of the house, we are having nice 20C/72F temperature. Rainy days are warm in the room, too!

12VOIP.com gives free calls to Colombia.Greg

0 funny, 0 helpful.

gogopher says on Jul 14, 2008, 23:14:

Thanks for all the comments, friends. Very much appreciate your thoughts on my questions about Cali.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Lauthra says on Jul 15, 2008, 10:02:

A/C is not really a must in Cali. I wouldn´t say it's not considered hot, but a powerful fan will suffice. I was there about 10 days ago and I must admit the heat was melting me. I kept eating ice cubes. It may also be cos my thermostat is set to cold Bogotá.

I personally love San Antonio, just walking all the way up to the church, at around 5pm, when the sun starts to go down, and then you get to watch the sunset up there. The breeze is amazing there as well.

Can't comment on clubs, not a club goer meself.

You MUST have a cholado in la novena avenue. MUST.

Nato (='.'=)

0 funny, 0 helpful.

webmanco says on Jul 15, 2008, 10:03:

A Cholao at Parque Nacional in Bogotá.

...A yo, déjenme queto y no me jodan má! ...

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Lauthra says on Jul 15, 2008, 10:15:

How dare you! If you're gonna have a cholao it has to be in Cali, and if you're gonna have a pandebono it can't have bocadillo. ;)

Nato (='.'=)

0 funny, 0 helpful.

webmanco says on Jul 15, 2008, 10:19:

If I were to have a Caleña, it would be expensive to go to Cali all the time, so one look for a caleña in Bogotá :-)

The Cholao at Parque Nacional was not bad at all

...A yo, déjenme queto y no me jodan má! ...

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Lauthra says on Jul 15, 2008, 11:00:

Pues la verdad, no he probado el del Parque Nacional, es más ni siquiera he visto donde lo venden ahí. Pero la próxima vez que vaya, le echo ojo y tal vez me coma uno.

Nato (='.'=)

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Albatross says on Jul 15, 2008, 11:23:

"If I were to have a Caleña, it would be expensive to go to Cali all the time"... yeah, no shit.

“Democracy - a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance." - H.L. Mencken

0 funny, 0 helpful.

romy says on Jul 15, 2008, 11:42:

The true cholao you have in Jamundi...

speaking of San Antonio, has anyone here been to Teatro Magico del Sabor? (http://www.teatromagicodelsabor.com/html/sitio/index.php?view=vistas/e...) truly a wonderful experience.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

MitchAlvarez says on Jul 15, 2008, 11:48:

gogopher anda por alla y buscame una lauthra. le pago lo que sea por una princessa como ella.

"Ingrid callate la jeta!! Stay in France"

0 funny, 0 helpful.

dwmte7 says on Jul 15, 2008, 11:52:

be sure and not forget your 'mexican express card' (switch blade) because you wont be outta the airport before you've been mugged and robbed.

dwmte

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Lauthra says on Jul 15, 2008, 11:59:

wtf dwmte7? When was the last time you were in Cali? If ever...

Nato (='.'=)

0 funny, 0 helpful.

dwmte7 says on Jul 15, 2008, 12:23:

common baby...i'm playin....

dwmte

0 funny, 0 helpful.

dwmte7 says on Jul 15, 2008, 12:24:

the last time i was in cali...probably 91 or there abouts...maybe 92. i stopped going down there when i stopped shipping outta buenaventura. i just brought my espaldas.

dwmte

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Lauthra says on Jul 15, 2008, 12:29:

Pheew! I did wonder!

Nato (='.'=)

0 funny, 0 helpful.

MitchAlvarez says on Jul 15, 2008, 12:41:

pero lauthra miamor si tienes que admitir que cali esta medio peligrosito ahora. me lo dicen mis propios primos que estan por alla

"Ingrid callate la jeta!! Stay in France"

0 funny, 0 helpful.

dwmte7 says on Jul 15, 2008, 12:48:

for a pretty gal like you, lauthra...i recommend you carry a 9mm

dwmte

0 funny, 0 helpful.

MitchAlvarez says on Jul 15, 2008, 12:49:

no lauthra es mas avispada.....se fue pa bogota a vivir con los ricachonsitos en la zona rosa jajaja si o que miamor?

"Ingrid callate la jeta!! Stay in France"

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Lisa Zee says on Jul 15, 2008, 13:02:

Mitch, vos so muy charro! LOL.

Si Medellin se volvio Caliente para mi, como sera ese calor tan berraco en Cali?!.

Tengo muchos recuerdos lindos de Cali. Mi mama era Calena, siempre ivamos por un mes a Cali y ladrilleros en Diciembre.

Los unicos clubs que frecuentabamos eran el Club San Fernando y EL Club Campestre.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

MitchAlvarez says on Jul 15, 2008, 13:13:

miamor yo tambien vivi en cali cuando medellin era la calentura de todo colombia. preguntele al que quiera, cali ahora esta mas caliente que un putas. lo unico mas caliente seria irse a florencia o areas rurales donde esta las putas guerillas

"Ingrid callate la jeta!! Stay in France"

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Lisa Zee says on Jul 15, 2008, 13:37:

De acuerdo.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Lauthra says on Jul 15, 2008, 14:43:

Sí, Cali está bien peligrosa ahora, pero tampoco! También está bien feita por lo del MIO. Y yo me vine pa Bogotá pero NO pa la Zona Rosa, es más detesto la Zona Rosa, para mi Chapinero, La Macarena y La Candelaria son lo más bacano de Bogotá.

Nato (='.'=)

0 funny, 0 helpful.

arthur brode says on Jul 15, 2008, 18:35:

while in Cali check out
The Zoo
Parque del Perro a reaturant/bar hangout in san fernando
Plaza Adventura(next to Jardin Plaza) in the south for Bars
Galleria Alameda(seafood)
"Loma de la Cruz" for handy crafts
Menga in the North for clubs
and Juanchito for after hours partying
"La Seta" in Pance the south for Horseback ridding
and like the man said you must go to the Juan Valdez in Granada off avenida 9 and 17th? i have never seen so many Caleñas in one spot

Use the ATM machine inside the Casino,Bank or Hotel.and carry enough pesos on you to last you through TWO days.its no fun running out of money!

http://www.calirentals.net/

0 funny, 0 helpful.

arthur brode says on Jul 15, 2008, 18:58:

Hasta la Vista Leños
http://carnesjordanes.com/resc_granada.php

and on thursdays there is 50% off Sushi at the sushi resturant in Granada(forgot the name and address)

http://www.calirentals.net/

0 funny, 0 helpful.

chester says on Jul 16, 2008, 02:28:

try wandering around the central business/market district during the daytime.

tons and tons of shops and small cafes.

pick up a street map of Cali from a corner vendor.

they sell all kinds of stuff, food and fruits on all the corners.

however, you will stand out as a gringo and there are always street hustlers that will mess with you.

of course, that can happen here in the US too.

use common street sense.

taxis are inexpensive.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

dwmte7 says on Jul 16, 2008, 17:39:

heh, arthur....you ever been to cali?

dwmte

0 funny, 0 helpful.

arthur brode says on Jul 18, 2008, 10:56:

uhhmm...have you ever been to Medellin?

http://www.calirentals.net/

0 funny, 0 helpful.

gogopher says on Jul 20, 2008, 00:05:

I would not mind meeting some of you fellow PBH'ers in Cali for a drink at one of those malls mentioned here, in a couple of months, you all seem very friendly, knowledgeable, and interesting. My spanish is decent, not great, but I can get by. I am a gringo but people seem to like me especially when I speak, or try to speak espanol. Thanks Arthur for the recommendations. I have been to Medellin, liked it a lot but am interested in checking out Cali. Never been to Bogota and not sure I will visit next trip but still a possibility. I would like to see different cities in Colombia, maybe Cartagena and Barranquilla. I guess I'll play it by ear when I get there. Thanks everyone.

0 funny, 0 helpful.