ALUMBRADO NAVIDENO DE CALI

the river in Cali is lit up with lights and decorations etc at christmas so we went there last night to have a look, typical colombian and typical cali scenes are creatred (women selling fruit, men working in the sugar canes, children playing etc) and lit up with lights and really beatiful at night. it was a bit mess though as we thought that if we went during the week we wouldn´t have to fight for space with the thousands that were there at the wk end but it seems it doesnt matter what day of the week you go to have a look the masses are also there. omg there were so many people pushing and shoving and then the traffic was jammed (at one time not moving for an hour) and the food placed packed. welcome to colombia!!!! we´ll go back in the day but not as cool as not the same as seeing it all lit up at night but at least we can walk around with some space!!!! i´ll put proper photos on our blog once i get organised! Mel

http://www.elpais.com.co/paisonline/calionline/notas/Diciembre032007/cali03.html
click where it says ¨ver galleria¨for photos (written in blue near focal photo) or go to the next link which takes you straight there.

http://www.elpais.com.co/paisonline/multimedia/galerias.php?id=3150

http://www.calibuenanota.com/portada/notas/Diciembre042007/alumbrado.html
(click on the links a bit down the page which says ¨recorrido alumbrado I¨ and the second one underneith for photos.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZRfO33XkFU
video :) for those with fast internet.

Chegamos a Cali

PORTUGUES
oi gente chegamos ja em Colombia sem complicacao nenhum mais com jetlag e cancados! ta tudo bem e estamos acostombrando outra vez a clima equatorial e o horario latinoamericano (aqui esta 15 horas diferencia de Australia)

todos amam a Mahlia, claro ne! e, claro, tiene que aparacer ëxatamente como o Paulo¨:P hehehehehe. fuimos para o concierto de Juanes
http://www.elpais.com.co/paisonline/notas/Diciembre062008/cali8.html
e estava OTIMO . super legal.

bem, fiquemos em contacto, e para vcs em Jau, etarei ai em janeiro, me escribem email ou me buscam no facebook (melanie tas)

tbem tera fotos no blog da gente que eh
http://melpaulo.blogspot.com/

bjs!
Melanie, (Paulo e Mahlia)

XXX

Arrived in Cali

(portugues em baixo)

Hi everyone :)

well, 40 hours of flight and transit later we´re safe and sound and 3 days arrived in Colombia - in Paulo´s city Cali.

Mahlia was pretty good on the plane but hated when she had to sit on my knee and not allowed to move around the (whole) plane, turbulance etc. China airlines was a bit hard as according to them we were experiencing turbulance and mahli had to sit on my knee most of the way. and when she was allowed to hop off my knee she did actually try to walk around the whole plane!

our schedule was syd to teipei, teipei to los angeles, los angeles to cali. Los Angeles was great as we stayed over night at the hilton (sound chic but not really, got last minute cheap rooms gracias a edgar), but the beds were oh so lovely and oh so welcome before the next part of our plane journey. and Mahli also ¨slept like a¨baby¨:P she didn´t sleep a wink for most of the rest of the trip though so no safe haven from jetlag. After a good sleep Paulo called his friends that live in Los Angeles and they met up with us at the hotel then took us for a quick drive around to see the ¨HOLLYWOOD¨sign on the hills and through rich-o-Beverly Hills. We´ll catch up with them properly on the way back through as have 2 nights is Los Angeles going back to Australia.

Everyone loves Mahli of course, and of course she looks ëxactly like Paulo¨:P she´s a bit clingy to me and totally out of whack with no hint of any sort of routine as its all been fast paced and jetlagged since we arrived (wed).

Not much to report other than Cali´s mountains seem smaller than I remembered in my head (but still beautiful), the traffic is as bad as i remembered and we´ve been to a JUANES concert. it was awesome, and i dont even say awesome!!! we were totally tired though and apprehensive about leaving Mahli behind for the first time and worried she´d keep Cristina (Paulo´s mum) up all evening but it was all ok and mamaged to enjoy the concert in the end.

JUANES
http://www.elpais.com.co/paisonline/notas/Diciembre062008/cali8.html
http://www.juanes.net/

anyway i´ll keep in touch and if you email me i´ll email properly back i promise :) might just not be the next day ! thinking of you all so take care

Melanie (Paulo & Mahlia)