Cali Intersection

My friend Giovanny says any big intersection is a microcosm of life in Cali. “You have people in their cars which are like protected bubbles. They are just trying to get from point A to point B without having any contact with the world. Some of the drivers have visited Italy, but have never stepped foot in the impoverished neighborhood a kilometer from their house.”

As the cars and buses pull up to the traffic light, venders begin to approach. There are eight and nine year olds selling ten cent boxes of chewing gum. Women display small cardboard boxes with phone cards and pirated DVD’s.

Dark skinned Colombians from the Pacific coast walk in between the vehicles lifting up avocados, mangoes, and pineapples as high as the bus windows. Ragged teenagers frantically wash windows, hoping to earn a dime before the light changes. Street artists also spring into action, captivating their audience for three minute with everything from juggling machetes to standing motionless as a silver painted statue of liberty. Standing quietly on the side of the intersection there are sometimes families holing up handmade signs that say “desplazados.” This is the term given to the four million Colombians who have been displaced by the armed conflict and who generally seek refuge in the city.

As the light turns from red to yellow to green a few drivers hand a coin out the window as they accelerate amidst the honking and exhaust. The venders slip back under a shade tree as quickly as they appeared, and wait for the light to change again. -Steve