We went to Cali on a whim. Rory had watched a documentary on Netflix where they played tejo here (bowling + gunpowder) and that was our reason for going. Logical reasoning... We actually never played the game in Cali having already experienced Rory's new skills in Bogota. However, once there we soon realised we were in the salsa capital. You can dance all day, every day, every night.

Our first experience of salsa was arriving to Colombian Home Hostel. We literally put our bags down and were in a free lesson. Partnered together we began to learn our first steps. It was manageable learning the moves on your own, together Rory and I were a mess. The man takes the lead and so Rory was up, no dance background but it was his time to shine. And shine he did, except more from the sweat in the heat.

The next day we moved to a new hostel, El Viajero. We/I told a rare white lie to the owners of the Colombian Home Hostel that we were leaving Cali, a lie for ease of no questions. It was karma that we of course saw the owner 2 nights in a row afterwards. We were clearly not in Medellin and there in front of him sipping a cocktail. Awkward, just very awkward.

The lie was worth it though so there's no moral of the story. Unlike the battery farm styled dorms we were in before, we were in our own room with a bar and pool located outside. This gave us the perfect excuse to kick back for a few days.

I didn't lie about the salsa and we had another free lesson on our 2nd night. This time it was more regatton than salsa (have a Google) run by two incredibly fit camp guys. Body popping and a few questionable Beyonce styles moves, it was a personal highlight watching Rory dance that night. We put our 'skills' to the test in the evening at a salsa club. Once there, I've never been asked to dance by so many men. It was great until we started and they'd witness my basic skills. Each new partner could only manage one song.

The following evening, we got to see a salsa show. They were 5 girls from all over the world who came to Cali for the sole reason to learn to shake their hips. Dedicating two months to dancing it was incredible to see how great they were. To an amateur they looked professional.

We also took an obligatory walking tour (not free this time). We saw the sights, which included a lot of cat monuments, another Christ redeemer and some more churches. The resounding tone of the tour was how much Cali has been regenerated, once extremely dangerous (and in places still is), it is now a livable modern city. Locals who once moved away from violence are now returning to the city.

The most interesting aspect I found on the tour was the Colombian attitude to the Spanish compared to countries with strong Inkan heritage. The Colombians have monuments for the Spanish that first founded Colombia, celebrating the figures. The monuments you see in Peru, Bolivia and Argentina are all of those who liberated the indigenous from the Spanish. In the latter countries, there is sadly still a clear disparity between the wealth of the Spanish/European descendents compared to the indigenous.

With a fun few days in Cali, we were loving the fun flair of Colombia. We were ready to take on the next stop, Medellín.