Marketing Makeovers

When I first started exploring Cali I started at the tourist information office. They were out of maps but the very nice woman tried to help describe some places to go, a few museums, a few parks, a few churches all within a 6 block radius.  I asked her what else there was to see and where outside of the 6 blocks... She said there isn't much. 

Yesterday I walked around in the sticky heat exploring my 6 blocks. The museum was small and didn't seem inviting, the churches were churches.  The streets were lined with small stores, the downtown area was packed and a little dirty. There were almost no restaurants that looked remotely exciting.  The makeshift commercial center was booming but not pretty.

The guide books describe Cali as a city made for the working class people of Cali - not tourist friendly. They also say that a person, even a tourist can learn to love it... 

I was talking to Leslie the bartender at the hostel here last night. She described her first day on the job being one in which she realized the bar would have to be changed drastically. She helped redesign the menus, came up with specialty drinks, and brought a fun social vibe to the bar. She is proud that in her one year as bar tender the sales at this hostel have outperformed all of the 9 other hostels in this chain(even though this is not there biggest hostel).

Leslie and I also talked about how the other staff at the hostel are afraid to speak English, so non Spanish speakers don't get a whole lot of advice or help. This could perhaps be broadened to much of the city. I was surprised by how few Colombians speak English, but in Cali the number is even fewer. 

Today I woke up on a mission to go see the art museum. Unfortunately I didn't know the address or have a map because they didn't have any at the tourist info center.  I had a hasty idea that turned out to be the opposite of right, that I could find the art museum by walking vaguely southwest. 

After walking for an hour I gave up and got a taxi, but before that I saw several hospitals and clinics, beautiful street art, some churches and something that looked like a convent. I also saw the science museum but didn't go in. 

This area of town is apparently unknown to tourists, so they never see how the people of Cali live after they go home from the crowded downtown.

I went to the Museum (La Tertulia), a sleek and modern compound of buildings. There were three main floors of art and an exhibition going on. It wasn't the most amazing museum in the world but certainly better than the art museum of Bogota. The museum pamphlet spoke about how this museum was a representation of the people of Cali. A point of pride for the city. 

As I walked away from the museum along the lovely walking paths near the river... I thought about how different the museum pamphlet was in comparison to the tourist information spot...

The cat statues weren't in the guide book

The public murals weren't either...

Nor were all the beautiful public spaces, parks and fountains.

And the street performers weren't mentioned either...

In many ways Cali has all the same attractions, infrastructure and services that all the other major cities of Colombia have and yet they are only known for crime and salsa dancing. 

I wonder if they keep it this way on purpose or are just unaware of how to market their city. 

Here are some of the beautiful churches that are in the guide book.

Maybe they should hire Leslie for the city marketing department.