Latin America 2018 - Day 31. Manizales – Cali

Today was a simple driving day. I started about 8:30 am, first of all getting down from my lofty mountain perch using a good highway with endless curves and fantastic views of the deep valleys that surround Manizales (my only complaint with Colombian highways is that they have narrow shoulders and no place to stop to take pictures). These valleys is where much of the famous Colombian coffee comes from, so one sees acres and acres of well-groomed coffee plantations, interrupted—of all things—by dense copses of bamboo.

Once I reached the lowlands, it became an easy drive due south along the valley of the Rio Cauca, which reminded me very much of the San Joaquin Valley. It is a narrow (~30 km wide) valley with a flat floor, where agriculture thrives. I didn’t see any significant irrigation works, so I think they rely on the abundant rainfall for growing vast expanses of corn and sugar cane. From a geologic point of view, this valley between the magmatic arc and the forearc fold-and-thrust belt, mirrors the valley of the Rio Magdalena between the magmatic arc and the back-arc fold-and-thrust belt. On first blush they look like rifts (i.e., the product of tensional stresses), which would seem odd in the compressive stress regime of a subduction-related orogenic belt. These tensional features are one of the supporting arguments in favor of the theory of gravitational spreading of orogenic belts. In brief, the idea is that as the magmatic arc adds mass to the axis of the belt the latter grows; as it rises it becomes gravitationally unstable (like a tall pile of mashed potatoes) and under the influence of its own weight spreads out (again like a tall pile of mashed potatoes), becoming wider as it pushes the rocks away from its axis (hence the presence of the symmetric fold-and-thrust belts).

I enjoyed the ride, and the Sancocho de Gallina I had for lunch, but was ready for a break once I reached the city of Cali, maybe around 2 pm. Didn’t look like much to be honest, but I will give it an honest chance. By now I know the basic layout of Colombian cities, which use a grid of numbered calles at right angles to numbered carreras. I was heading for Calle 9 and Carrera 10, which should put me near downtown. My signal was the Marriot Cali, two blocks away, which should be a recognizable tower. Man, the deeper I go into the city the worst it looks. I am not faint of heart, but looking around I soon realized that I could not possibly stay in this area, if nothing else because my little car would be stripped if I left it alone for more than a few minutes on the street. Screw it, I am going to look for a good hotel and treat me to a good night sleep.

Where to look for a good hotel? When in doubt head for the hills, so I headed north toward a part of town that had tall buildings. I was on the lookout when I saw a street sign for Calle 12 N. Wait a minute, Calle 12 was way back there in downtown! I quickly checked the hotel address and lo and behold, the address was Calle 9 N and Carrera 10. Five minutes later I was parking in front of a delightful small hotel, in a street filled with restaurants and coffee houses, in what could be described as the Zona Rosa of Cali. Nice save!