We first met Bill in 1993 when he was running AOL's Electronic Schoolhouse. He was directly responsible for us getting involved with AOL, first as volunteer tutors then as employees. One of our fondest memories of our AOL days was spending a Christmas vacation with Bill and Gloria in Florida, picking fresh grapefruit off their trees for breakfast,

Soon after, Bill moved to Colombia, South America where he still lives. When he heard about Slightly Creaky he agreed to write a series of articles about Americans who retire to places outside the United States. His insight of life in Colombia has been well received and we hope he continues to contribute.

Most Recent Articles:                 (See full list, linked directly to the article, in the left column)

• Part 31: Facts About Colombia (September, 2010)
• Part 32: Shock and Awe: Colombia Surprises (October, 2010)
• Part 33: Colombia's Migratory Bird Festival 2010 (November, 2010)
• Part 34: Disaster in Colombia (December, 2010)
• Part 35: The Christmas Season
• Part 36: Why Visit Colombia
• Part 37: How to Visit Colombia
• Part 38: Places to Visit in Colombia
• Part 39: Plan and Visit Before Moving
• Part 40: Activities in Colombia
• Part 41: For the Birds
• Part 42: Colombia's Secure Economy
• Part 43: Elections in Colombia

Facts About Colombia

Facts About Colombia

Hi there

I have posted some photos that I took these days. The “Tiger Trilliums” that I hoped for to show you in my last column finally bloomed

I have been thinking about water conservation, lately.  There is a news story about Federal Law controlling the water flow of showerheads.  This really caused me to think about my water situation. 

We have 2 different water input sources, the house water and the Fountain and Pond water. 
Really they are both from the same spring; the house water is piped directly into a storage tank from the spring and from there to the house system. The other system is piped from further down the stream and is more open. All water that is not consumed goes down the stream into the river, etc.

The fountain feeds the pond with a continual flow that meanders back to the same stream that it came from.  Some of the house water, the kitchen sink and laundry room drain into a tank that indirectly flows into a different stream. The other gray water feeds into the yard near the pond so it returns to the same stream drainage system. Black water goes into a septic system where it eventually goes into the other stream.

My point is this, I don’t consume water. The most I do is to move it from one stream to another. Water conservation is therefore a moot point as long as I don’t pollute. Incidentally the cost reflects the abundance of this utility, free.

Some Interesting Facts about Colombia

• Colombia is located in the Northwestern area of South America, and is the only South American country that has coast on both oceans (Atlantic and Pacific).

• Colombia is the 26th largest nation in the world. It consists of the second largest Spanish speaking population (after Mexico) in the world.

• Bogotá is the capital city of Colombia. This city is the largest and the most populous city in Colombia. The high altitude makes it the third highest major city in the world.

• Colombia shares its borders with Venezuela, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru and Panama.

• Colombia is the country of Biodiversity due to the extreme range in topography with 3 high ranges of the Andes trisecting the country from North to South
• Colombia can be divided into 5 main regions per climate and geography. These regions are the Pacific, Andes, Amazon, Eastern Plains and the Caribbean. Each region is known for its unique geographical features.
• Colombia has the world’s greatest diversity of orchid species (3,500) and birds (1,754 species). It ranks second in amphibians and third in reptile species. Out of the 14,000 species of butterfly in the world, about 3,000 of them, or 20%, are found in Colombia.

• Colombia’s tourism has been on the rise since the 1940s. This place is known for certain festivals such as the Festival of Flowers that draws hordes of tourists every year.

• Colombia does not have any particular seasons, which is solely due to the fact that it lies close to the equator. Colombia enjoys sunlight all through the year. You can experience the tropical heat on the coasts or even the snowfall in the mountainous areas.

• Colombia is the world’s third-leading producer of women’s lingerie

• 95% of the world’s emeralds come from Colombia and is the first Latin American producer of gold, silver, coal and ferronickel.

• 12% of the world’s coffee is produced in Colombia.

• Bogotá’s airport in Colombia is the largest and most expensive in Latin America.

• Colombia is known for its diverse population. This is because of the rich history, which has resulted in a mixed population since the ancient days.

• The concept for the flag of Colombia was adopted on November 26, 1861. This flag consists of 3 horizontal stripes in yellow, blue and red color. Yellow represents the federation of Greater Colombia, blue represents independence from Spain where as red represents courage. Although the flag of Greater Colombia underwent many changes, the original horizontal tricolor stripes were finally adopted in 1861.

• Colombia is formed by two territorial zones - one that is submerged in the Pacific Ocean as well as the Caribbean Sea and the other remains to be the emerged land - the Andes mountain range and the Llanos plain.

• Bogotá, Eje Cafetero, Barranquilla, Cartagena, Santa Marta, Cali, Medellín, San Andres etc., are some of the major places that are tourist attractions in Colombia.

• Colombia is known for its multicultural society. One can see interesting influences of European, Native American, Lebanese, Middle Eastern and African cultural influences out here. Also, there is one Italian in Medellin.

• The cuisine of Colombia is as diverse as the culture of Colombia. The various food items seen here have been developed mainly due to the influences from Spain, Italy, Lebanon and France along with American cuisine, Caribbean influences and the traditional style of the Native Americans.

• The highest is the Pico Cristobal Colon at 19,020 feet.

• The total area of Colombia is around 440,831 square miles (1,140,000 square kilometers). This area is said to be approximately equal to the areas of Portugal, France and Spain put altogether.

• The name Colombia has been derived from the name of Christopher Columbus. The name underwent few changes until finally; the Republic of Colombia was adopted in 1886.

• The residents of Colombia have suffered due to various earthquakes and volcanoes. Colombia has 15 major volcanoes and certain instabilities in the area have causes many devastating earthquakes.

• Most importantly, according to the New Economic Foundation Happy Planet Index, Colombia has the second happiest population of the World after Vanuatu Island (Pacific Ocean / Population: 209,000) that is at number one in this ranking.

Shock and Awe: Colombia Surprises

Shock and Awe: Colombia Surprises

            This month I will be discussing couple of things, things that I have always taken for granted, which are really nonexistent or scarce here. Things that have been assumed components of daily existence such as roads, mail, telephones, fire trucks, yellow school busses, and seasons both in conversation and weather, no longer are.  Things all too common as to be also assumed to always be there such as Turkey, Stuffing Mix, Peanut Butter, Maple Syrup, Bagels and English Muffins need to be replaced in life.

 One of my very first shocks was when I started to work at a prestigious Private school and I first saw the school bus. Due to the very high profile of some of the students, the BLUE busses didn’t even have a name on them. I guess that might have been for security reasons. Laws here do not treat school busses differently than other vehicles. They do not have any special rights-of-way. Instead of being yellow they are all colors differentiated by Black and Yellow stripes on the rear. I have seen them quite creatively presented such as crayons of appropriate colors.

Colombia is a rural country while there are several major cities; most of the country is really rural. The roads are 75% dirt or gravel and only the major arterial highways are paved.

In the US every dwelling and most structures have distinct addresses. The recent change to 5 days a week postal service met with protests. Here until recently there was NO national postal service, now there is the 4/72 service which is starting to provide postal coverage at least to the towns and villages. My finca has no distinct designation other than the name. We did have to go through a complicated process to have our name official but that does not help anybody find us. We recently got election material from the US and that was delivered by hand when we went to town. The woman from the 4/72 office watched for us then gave us the mail. Talk about personalized service!

When we were looking for our property, much to my surprise, road access became a priority. Here in Somondoco 65% of the farms do not have drivable connection to a road. The hills are crisscrossed by foot paths leading to the individual homesteads.

We recently discovered a “restaurant” that opened about 6PM or later where we could buy great hamburgers, arepas rellenas, chorizos with arepas, and empanadas. All home made and sold from a grill in front of an unused garage which provides seating at 2 plastic tables. There is no sink in sight; much less a 3 sectioned one with hot water.  Just good food at reasonable prices for when we leave home during the evenings. We had heard about the place but had trouble finding it open because we stay home nights.

I have really had a problem with the elimination of “season” from my vocabulary. I still think of June, July and August as summer for example. If I say to Gloria  that we will do something during those months and use the term summer she says. “When is that?”

(In private e-mail, Bill has been talking about some butterflies he's seen. he has been kind enough to share a picture with us.)

Pictures available at http://s833.photobucket.com/albums/zz251/BoyacaBill/Oct%202010/

Colombia's Migratory Bird Festival

Colombia's Migratory Bird Festival 2010

This morning while I was enjoying feeling the presence of nature and hearing the wee small voices around me...

When I enter an area where I want to see what is there, I must stop and take things in until the overall scene starts to resolve into its components.  Back about 40 years ago, when I was studying Geology, I learned the importance, the critical importance of this process. I clearly remember walking into the tailing pit of a big salt mine and the first impression of sameness. I found out that I needed to sit and really become one with the area. After I started to see the components I could then effectively look for the treasures that abounded. This area yielded thousands of beautiful Silurian fossils but most beginners found very few because the uniformness of the area.

The same concept of “entering” the spirit of an area is a major part of my daily life. When I sit in my chair during my morning walk with Wrinkles, I know that I need to quiet my inner voices and problems and become tranquil with my surroundings. Bit by bit nature reveals itself. First I might hear a rooster, and then closer the flapping of wings of some ground doves and then the whirring of a hummingbird’s wings near at hand.  It is my definition of a natural paradise to have Humming birds visiting just about every morning.

I need to confess that before I met my beautiful Colombian wife, I really knew almost nothing about Colombia. I cannot take credit for choosing the country that I now promote and live my life in. I just got lucky first in meeting and marrying my wife then on taking her home.

Why Colombia?  Colombia is located across the Northern tip of the continent of South America and is the resting point of the thousands of migrating birds whether they are going deep into the continent or to the southern areas of Argentina or just stopping where the climate is always friendly.

There is a relatively new organization, ProAves, which has been very active in establishing sanctuaries to protect the migrating species and their vital corridors. Those who enjoy bird watching in the US and Canada owe so much to this effort and the efforts of similar organizations which are working so hard to protect the migrating songbirds.  

There was a recent study in which an area of about 50 acres in Colombia was studied. There were 3000 different species in that limited area. Another study of 1 acre found 1000 species.

The following article has been taken from the ProAves Internet site with their permission:

Fall has come and we welcome the 183 species of migratory birds that arrive in our country with the VII Migratory Bird Festival which will be held across Colombia. Different games and educational activities will be held in San Vicente de Chucuri, Zapatoca and Betulia (Santander); in Jardín (Antioquia); in Roncesvalles (Tolima); in Genova (Quindio); Puerto Pinzón (Boyacá); and in Bogotá.

This Festival celebrates the incredible journey these birds make each year flying thousands of miles over glaciers, forests, mountains, beaches, islands and oceans. During their journey they face extreme weather conditions including storms. In the same way they must overcome their own physical limits to combat fatigue caused by the enormous journey.

On reaching Colombia and other Latin American countries, these birds seek favorable habitats to spend two thirds of the year but unfortunately on each trip they find a landscape more and more transformed which increasingly threatens their survival.

Aware of this threat ProAves has been developing since 2004 the Migratory Bird Festival and this year we want to emphasize the importance of the conservation of migratory bird habitat and create awareness and community engagement to preserve and ensure their return on every migration trip.

The migration occurs thanks to physiological adaptations that allow birds to fly long distances to seek new food resources. Variations in patterns of migration are as diverse as the numerous types of birds that migrate. Tanagers, warblers, raptors, finches, herons, ducks, among others.

Colombia's strategic position in northern South America is the gateway for millions of these individuals, year after year, some stay in our country and others continue their way further south. Most birds that migrate over long distances travel at night when temperatures are cooler, the air is calm and their predators, birds of prey, are not active.

Poster: Paula Romero and Fernando Laverde from Fundación Arte y Conservación.

Although birds accumulate fat reserves of up to 50% of their body weight before leaving the rigors of long distance flights require that most of the birds stop, rest and refuel several times before reaching their final destination. Without suitable places along the route that provide a fast and adequate supply of fat reserves, shelter from predators and water for rehydration it is difficult for them to continue their journey.

As part of its activities, Fundación ProAves has developed the National Migratory Bird Conservation Program which works to implement effective conservation actions in key areas for high priority migratory birds, raise awareness in communities, strengthen local capacity and creating strategic alliances for conservation.

The fact that biodiversity is at risk is a reflection of the health of the environment that supports it. Human beings need a healthy environment to survive, with availability of fresh water, fertile soils and clean air. To that extent conserving migratory birds is conserving ourselves, it is to begin to rebuild a better environment, to ensure a better future for coming generations.

Fundación ProAves leads bird conservation efforts in Colombia through a multi-faceted approach of good science, strong community relations and protection of the most important sites and landscapes for birds. Visit our website.

Disaster in Colombia

Disaster in Colombia

The past month or two has been horrible in many areas of Colombia. I think a review of the topography is in order to better understand these disasters.

Colombia straddles the “spine” of South America, the Mighty Andes. Shortly after entering Colombia from the South this mountain splits into 3 ranges, each very rugged with high peaks. There are plateaus located high up into the mountains. These are sometimes very extensive. The largest city in Colombia is Bogota and it is located on such a plateau, the Savanna de Bogota.

When there is rain on the upper mountain slopes it rushes down merging flow until it becomes part of a significant river.  When the river is flowing across the extensive flat lands the rivers can flood its banks flooding the surrounding areas with little relief (higher ground). Since this large flat land was a large lake back in Geologic History, so the old lake bottom is essentially flat and composed of fine particles. These clay and sand deposits are quite impermeable for the most part. So when there is a large amount of rainfall, the water collects reaching several meters in depth before slowly spilling off the plateau through the few gaps in the ringing mountains.

The increase in these rivers can be extreme and downstream flooding also will occur. These situations have been exacerbated by the content of much of the supporting structure of the mountains themselves. Much of Colombia is sedimentary in origin and frequently has a low level of metamorphoses. This has created rock with either high solubility or permeated with cracks. These cracks are then eroded weakening the exposed mountain sides.

With the three mountain ranges, there are hundreds (thousands) of miles of roads cutting through the mountains. Many of these roads are not paved.. These roads also need to cross and recross the rivers.  These factors have made the danger of landslides very real.

While there has been loss of lives due to the water itself much more of the damage has been due to these landslides which have wiped out entire villages, cut major roads and in general destroyed the infrastructure.

The following, from a CNN New story, brings the seriousness of the situation into focus:

(CNN) -- Colombia's president says devastating flooding forced him to cancel his scheduled trip to the United Nations climate change conference in Mexico this week -- even though global warming itself could be causing the disaster his country faces.

"I canceled the trip I was taking to Cancun ... to attend the international conference on climate change, which is what is affecting us, but I canceled this meeting," President Juan Manuel Santos said in a statement Sunday.

At least 194 people were killed and 248 injured after torrential rains in Colombia that have affected nearly 1.6 million people, according to the country's interior ministry. The downpours have caused landslides and overflowing rivers, destroying at least 2,040 houses and damaging nearly 270,000 more nationwide, the ministry said.

Read the complete story at CNN News.

The population has increased dramatically in Colombia, land has been cleared and people have built close to rivers. I think you need to consider other factors besides the possibility of climate change.

The situation in many parts of the country are serious disaster areas and there have been many pleas for assistance. If any of you are interested in helping  with donations please write to me for further information. 

Bill  & Gloria Turley
Finca Picaflores

The Christmas Season

The Christmas Season

Happy New Year to all my readers. Here on the side of the Emerald Mountain we have had a very busy and joyful Holiday season.

Colombia is a predominantly Catholic country and the Church has a great influence throughout the country. The importance of The Church is very different from the importance of Churches in the US. In the US particularly in smaller towns and cities, churches are centers of activities and social contacts. That is not generally the case in Colombia. Here churches are used for specific religious functions such as Baptisms, marriages funerals and regular masses but not so much socially.

The Christmas season kicks off on December 8th, the Day of the Immaculate Conception of Mary and lasts until the 6th of January, the Day of the 3 Kings.  During the 8 evenings preceding the Noche Buena (24th) there are a series of celebrations called Novenas. These can be family centered, church centered, or community centered.

While I lived in Bogota the family gathered together to hold the celebrations. These consisted of reading a text, singing Christmas songs and then eating together. It was much the same when we lived in a gated community but then it was for the entire community, with section preparing things for each evening. There was a competition about which section did the best. Here in Somondoco, it involves the entire greater community. Sections of the village were paired with rural “veradas” to put on the celebrations. These usually kicked off with a parade and ended at the church for a mass. On one such occasion Papa Noel (Santa Claus) made an appearance (See photos). Fireworks are a daily component for the entire season with peaks on Christmas Midnight and New Year.

Christmas Eve is the center of the celebrations. The peak is reached at midnight when a big feast is served and presents exchanged. Christmas morning is, unlike in the US, generally a time to sleep in. Businesses are open for the most part and stores carry on normal business. A trip to town at about 10AM found   nearly deserted streets with more than half of the stores open.

New Year is celebrated on the night of the 31st as it is in the US. There are several peculiar components that happen right at midnight. People walk around the house with suitcases, so they will travel during the coming year: They also carry a wad of money, so they will have money during the coming year.  During the evening or in the preceding days a life-sized doll has been constructed with old clothes etc. This is then burned at midnight. They also eat 12 grapes to grant 12 wishes during the year.

The week after New Years is business as usual until the 6th and through the weekend which is more partying with fireworks and parades.  By this time most people are really getting tired and need a while to get back to normal.

Why Visit Colombia

Why Visit Colombia?

Hi again. This month I will give you some reasons to consider a visit to Colombia. This country is very poorly understood, generally, in the USA. The free trade agreement with Colombia has been in the news lately, what would that mean to both the US and Colombia? Is Colombia a drug riddled terrorist state? That is what I was told and understood before I came here.

What is real about Colombia?  Drugs; yes they are produced in parts of the country, in spite of aggressive efforts to control the problem. However the real problem with drugs is not the cultivation but the selling and usage. Without the demand for drugs by the end users there would be no profit and hence no cultivation. There is very little obvious drug usage here. I know in some sections of the big cities it does occur on a limited basis, but nothing like what I have seen in Miami, Ft, Lauderdale and NYC. 

Terrorism; There have been a great many terrorist acts in Colombia but on a much lower scale then in other parts of the world. Most of the problems in Colombia are caused by the Government attempting to eradicate the Socialist Rebels and their retaliations. During the last few years the power of the FARC rebels has been greatly restricted and the area they can function has also been cut down. The horrible violence that once happened here has now been almost totally eliminated. Aside from a rare car bomb things are really tranquil.  The US - Mexican Border is so much more dangerous that Colombia.

Street Crime; Yes there is street crime in the bigger cities in some areas. There are gang related problems in some few areas but this is certainly not wide spread. It is as bad or worse in all US cities

That is enough dwelling on the negative aspects of this beautiful country. From my personal experience the real picture of Colombia is one of spectacular landscapes, wonderful friendly people and nearly unlimited variety. There is a place in Colombia for where you can find whatever you are looking for. A naturalist can find almost every Biome that occurs on earth from Permafrost to Rainforest to Desert. These climatic conditions are not seasonal as there are no seasons here. The Biodiversity of Colombia is unparalleled with more species of life forms then can be found anywhere else. Colombia is larger than the state of Texas with coasts on both the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans.

Devotees of History will discover a country with a very long and rich cultural history. Long before the Europeans discovered the new world, there were well developed cultures functioning here. The Chibchas and the Muiscas had large and well functioning societies. There are many parks and museums to celebrate this rich history; The Museum of Gold in Bogota shows some magnificent examples from the early periods. Tierra Adentro has monoliths much like those on Easter Island although some smaller. More recently the Europeans brought their influence as can be clearly seen in the hundreds of churches all around the country.

Paleontologists will not be disappointed either with many fossils and even a nearly intact “Sea Monster” a marine dinosaur which is open for public viewing in situ.

The culinary diversity is another good reason to explore this country. There is a book titled The 150 Commercial Varieties of Fruits, this variety is obvious in the wide variety of juices available, cheaply and nearly everywhere. During my first visit we ate out nearly every day for two months, usually with friends and family. During the visit we only duplicated meals once, we had Ajiaco twice. Ajiaco is the famous soup of Bogota made with three totally different kinds of potatoes.

Next month I will discuss the How of a visit to Colombia.

How to Visit Colombia

How to Visit Colombia

Hi again. Last month I suggested a few reasons why you should consider a visit to Colombia. If you think that a retirement in Colombia might make sense for you then it is imperative to come for an extended visit before making and major moves. Colombia is not the US transported to better weather.

I remember many vacations in the US that were very frenetic, trying to go and see everything possible in the limited time of a normal vacation. To defend myself, there is a limit to the amount of personal contact most people really want in typical vacation spots like The Everglades or Niagara Falls. In Colombia, while the landscapes are spectacular, it is the people and culture that make Colombia so special.

This is a perfect place where it is important to stop and smell the roses. .The culture actually supports the practice of people watching and rose smelling. Just about all small and medium sized towns have pleasant central parks with shady benches. These town squares are from the Spanish tradition and are usually located in front of the church. The municipal offices are often on the other side of the square. Colombia is not conducive to whirlwind visits with really long drives between the major cities.

The altitude does affect people from lower altitudes and time for acclimatization is vital.  If a person from Florida, for example flies directly to Bogota, you really need to allow 3 or 4 days to start to recover from Altitude Sickness. Even after this time you probably would find yourself unable to be as active as you were before. When I first moved to Colombia, I had experienced the problems with the altitude in Bogota, so I allowed 4 days before reporting for work. That way I could function during a weeklong workshop. Several other new imported teachers were not able to function because they were newly arrived. Even after the initial acclimatization it was several months before I could function at a normal level.

As it happened, I was assigned to Advanced High School Science Courses. My Lab was at the rear of the campus and the grades were on the mountain side were higher grades at higher locations. So my lab/office was at the top rear of the campus. I really could not get to my lab without breathing hard before Thanksgiving.

I have included a list of links to just a few of the many that refer to Colombia. Several such as ColombianParadise are extensive, explore throughout their pages, not just the link.  Most are in English, for those who can read Spanish there are many more available.
Links for Colombia

http://www.colombianparadise.com/destinations/chicamocha-colombia.html
http://www.banrep.gov.co/museo/eng/home.htm
http://www.colombia.travel/en/
http://www.bogota-dc.com/places/bog-pla.htm
http://www.cartagenainfo.net/
http://www.parquesnacionales.gov.co/PNN/portel/libreria/php/decide.php?patron=02.01
http://www.medellintraveler.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leticia,_Amazonas
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llanos
http://www.cali.gov.co/publico2/feria/fering.htm
http://www.colombianparadise.com/destinations/manizales-colombia.html

Bill  & Gloria Turley
Finca Picaflores
Vda Resguerdo
Somondoco, Boyaca
Colombia

Places to Visit in Colombia

Places to Visit in Colombia

Hi again, this month I am continuing with the theme of my last two columns, visiting Colombia. The First of these told why Colombia is worthy of a visit, the Second showed some of the wealth of tourist attractions and this month I will give the specific recommendations if you were coming to visit me here at Picaflores.

You would enter Colombia through El Dorado Airport in Bogota. Since Bogota is at a very high altitude most visitors from at or near sea level will probably feel some degree of altitude sickness or soroche. Symptoms could be difficulty in breathing because of the low Oxygen in the air and headaches. For me these symptoms lasted 3 or 4 days. Be careful in drinking alcohol as that can make things worse.

For the first few days walk around the city and drink in the vast differences in the culture. Spend time sitting in one of the myriad of parks and squares around the city. Just sitting and looking will be a great way to both become acclimatized and open to the new things around you. You might go to the flea market near the mountains at 21st street. Note the streets are called Calles and the Avenues are called Carreteras (K). Addresses are very easy to use at there is a Zero in the center of town and the Calles go North and South from there. Most likely you will be mainly in the North, where there is no designation of North or South. I designation of S or Sur is South of the center. The K or avenues Run North and South and are numbered from the Eastern Mountain.  While you are lounging around getting used to the area be sure to enjoy the juices that are sold all over. My favorites are Mora (Blackberry) and Maracuya (Passion Fruit       ). Even Coca Cola products are different; try Quatro a slightly tart citrus drink.

When you are feeling your normal self go to Montserrate, this peak is reached by both a cable car and a funicular railroad. Your ticket allows you to mix the trip up and down so you can experience both. Plan on several hours to take in the spectacular views. There are a couple of nice restaurants and many snack shops all around.  In the same area is the Museo de Oro which is a don’t miss spot. http://www.banrep.gov.co/museo/eng/home.htm 

When you are ready to extend your visit there are a couple of fascinating places worth the trips, these are the Salt Cathedral in Zipaquira and the Laguna at Guatavita. .  Unfortunately this is in Spanish but the pictures don’t need translations.

You can either rent a car or hire a car and driver, one rental agency with many services is http://www.colombiacontact.com/es_Thrifty-Car-Rental-Bogota.html  I have not used this service (or other ones) but there are many available

Public transportation is excellent throughout Colombia. When you are ready to visit Picaflores you can drive your rental car or take the daily bus from either the main terminal or the Terminal Del Norte. This bus leaves the Norte Terminal at about 10:15 AM. You can also take any bus to Guateque and catch a taxi to Somondoco or even to Picaflores.

I want to go back and repeat several things from earlier columns. You should visit Colombia before deciding to move there. You should think about moving here for several reasons.

There are so many doomsayers about the future of things in the US. Keep in mind that Colombia has a very stable currency, produces petroleum and coal for energy, produces gold and silver, and has a year around growing season.  More basic (primitive) means of transportation are common and do not utilize petroleum based energy.

Plan and Visit Before Moving

Plan and Visit Before Moving

The last columns have discussed why you might want to come to Colombia, and what you might want to do when you come. This month I will be discussing the How to come either for a vacation or even how to move here.

The first trip to Colombia should be as a visit. This life style, while varied, may not be for everyone. Personally I came for a 2 month vacation and really tried to examine the country and culture with a truly open mind. It is not realistic to expect things to be the same as they are in the US, Canada or the UK.

For a visit of this length a visa is not required for US citizens. All you need is a valid passport and a return ticket. It would be best to get acclimated as I suggested last month and spend time around your city of entry before renting a car. If you have a valid Driver’s License then you can easily rent a car in Colombia, but wait until you see what the lay of the land is. Public transportation such as taxis and busses is very common and low priced. Depending on your itinerary you might not even need a car here, wait and see. Traffic laws are nominally the same as in the US but the observance of them is not the same.

I once took a taxi for about a 20 min trip across Bogota during the very early morning house and I counted 54 stop lights that were not even paused for. When walking across a one way street be very sure to check the wrong way too.  This scofflaw attitude can make for very interesting driving if you are not expecting it.

I have warned people coming here not to expect things are the same as back home, THEY ARE NOT!  On a very basic level some things that we take for granted just are not here at all. My own personal biggest shock was the lack of privacy at public restrooms. Men’s urinals may well be outside of the restroom proper, really in full view. I remember needing to have a pit stop on the way to a friend’s finca about 2 hours away. I saw the “public” nature of the urinal and just could not allow myself to even think of using it.  After a fairly short time I was forced to accept this cultural gap.

If you decide to look deeper into living in Colombia then you will need to acquire a visa appropriate to your plans and goals. The Colombian government offers retirement, business and student visas.  Communicate with the Colombian Ministry of External Relations for relevant details for your specific situation.

Be sure to bring a camera  and enough memory cards as you will be surrounded by many interesting things that you will want to photograph to enjoy at home. There are camera shops , FotoJapon for example that sells whatever you might have forgotten, photographic related. They also can transfer memory cards to CDs at a very reasonable price, less than $5.

When you do come to explore my “world” I would love to have you come to Picaflores and say HI

Activities in Colombia

Activities in Colombia

The past few months I have been promoting Colombia as a very affordable and pleasant retirement location.  This month I want to tell you what activities you can easily find here.

Gardening is a no brainer with a 12 month growing season. You can find the climatic range for whatever type of plants you are interested in. The only problems are with plants that need to freeze in winter. Here there is no freezing, and little frost and only at the higher elevations. Those who like to look at beautiful plant should really enjoy the various local and the National Exposition of Orchids. Colombia has about 3000 species of native Orchids. There is a spectacular 2 volume set of books in the publication Orchids of Colombia.

Fishing is pretty much an under developed recreational opportunity. While there is commercial fishing, recreational fishing is not very common. This is ironic because of the extensive number of waterways, lake and rivers. Rainbow trout are raised commercially and they also are wild in many of the hydroelectric reservoirs. Boats can also be rented at most of the bigger ones.  In the wilder areas of the country there are many really primitive waterways. Rivers such as the Orinoco and the Amazon have a large variety of fish; some are really potentially great game fish. Do not expect the prolific guides and support that you may be used to finding in the US.  These rivers also lead through some of the most fascinating areas on earth. You might expect to see Capybaras, Caiman, even Anacondas (if you are really lucky and sharp eyed). Remember these rivers also support the piranha and a myriad of birdlife. If your taste runs to Salt Water Sport Fishing, there are charter fleets in most of the Caribbean (Atlantic) port cities. I really don’t know of large charter boats on the Pacific coast as I have not been to any of these ports, I have however been to small river ports near the Pacific and you can easily rent a power launch with an experienced fisherman. Colombia has ports and coastlines on both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans so of course there is fishing. Tarpon are a very common in many of the brackish waterways.

Since there are two coastlines there also is great skin and SCUBA diving in both oceans. The Atlantic port cities offer diving excursions as well as trips to the off shore Islands such as Los Rosales, Providencia and San Andres. Any of these area offer diving trips too. For the ultimate diving adventure ( in my opinion) go to the National Park at Gorgona in late October, This is Whale season and the trip operators are skilled in getting you close enough to swim near the whales. There are also reefs and good nonmamalian diving there too. You would be staying in the park where the land is an island that is 52 km from shore and populated with unique endemic species of everything imaginable.

Futbol is BIG in Colombia, you know it as soccer and is one of many spectator sports which include Bullfights, Coleo, and Tejo ( which you can learn to play). If you are a golfer there are courses near most of the metro areas. Tennis Courts are common. Swimming is popular all over the country.

Horses are everywhere from the biggest cities to the most rural countryside. While there are a few stables most horse owners would oblige you for a small fee. Horse lovers will appreciate the Colombian Paso Fino which is stockier than most Paso Finos

Many if not most families spend a lot of time with family games such as cards. SO bring your decks and you will find friends to play with.

Do you like to cook? The wide variety of natural ingredients opens the doors of creativity. Nature Watching, Bird Watching and the related activities have all been discussed over the months of this column Rock Hounding and Fossil Hunting are also wide open opportunities too.

With the incredible diversity of topography, the wide range of ethnic groups Cities and Small Towns and open countryside no one should ever really have difficulty finding something to fill any empty days and hours. Come and see for yourself.
 
Bill  & Gloria Turley
Finca Picaflores
Vda Resguerdo
Somondoco, Boyaca
Colombia

Colombia's Special Foods

Colombia's Special Foods

Photo Gallery

I was talking with a friend on Skype the other day and we were discussing this column. I was telling her about a few very different things here. In the US the red tape and regulations controlling restaurants are extensive and very effectively eliminate someone from selling food in a makeshift setup. 

Here things are very different. I have a friend who used to own a small restaurant in town but she sold out, she had worked about 12 hours a day.  She then decided to set up a charcoal grill in front of an empty garage and started to sell hamburgers, sausages, empanadas and stuffed arepas. She starts her grill about 6:00PM and makes more net profit in a few evening hours than she did in the restaurant.  I hope to get some photos of the various food service set up in town on market day this week.

There are also some food items that are pretty much unknown in the US. I have posted several photos that I took last Tuesday, which is our market day.  The most unusual are some of the roots which are shown in several photos. A major staple here is Yucca. This root is very high in starch and is boiled and served like potato, put in soups where it thickens and adds nutrients and it is fried like French fries and it is delicious that way. I was surprised to learn that another name for Yucca is Cassava. This is the source of Tapioca so common in the US, where it is used in desserts.  There are also many varieties of squash, pumpkins and similar crops.

I also have several shots of an arepa vendor. Arepas are corn patties made with ground corn maybe generally hominy. I am not sure about that. The arepas that are made in that tent are made using yellow corn and mixed with cuajada which is like curd from Cottage cheese. The end product after it is cooked on banana leaves, on a wood fired grill, is crisp on the outside and filled with stringy cheese. They charged $.75 each. You can see that this is just a tent set up adjacent to the central park. 

Other places set up a glass front case, fill it with boiled yellow potatoes, pork chunks, pork short ribs and pork rinds (all cooked in a French fryer).  These are cooked in the kitchens of the house and sold in front of their doors.

One photo shows bags of potatoes, there are 5 bags, each with a different kind of potato. The signature dish of Bogota is Ajiaco which requires 3 of them.

There are over 150 commercial varieties of fruit and only a few are familiar in the US. I have photos of papayas, apples, tangerines, oranges, and bananas, all available in the US. But also there are mangos, guavas and guanabanas. There are several guava trees around our house and they produce many fruits. These are eaten whole, like apples or cooked into a sauce, again like apples and also made into a thick paste used as a filling in baked goods.

Two other shots are a lobster claw which is flourishing near our pond and a view down.

For the Birds

For the Birds

This column will really consist of a confession.  While I was growing up in the Finger Lakes area of NY; I became devoted to nature study. I guess this is at least partially because I was a lonely young man living for a while in a small town, Interlaken. I became a taxonomist by nature. I was fascinated by being able to identify all the animals I could, I made trips to the New England coast, to see the tidal life forms. I was very privileged to spend time with one of the great Ornithologists, Arthur Allen in his office in the brand new and developing  Laboratory at Sapsucker Woods. My Science Fair projects were involving Taxidermy and the use of the process in taxonomy.

As I grew into an adult my interest  grew in answering the question, what is that?  I was able to ID all birds that were found in that area, I knew what all the mammals were from a patch of fur.  Well into my adult years, while working at the University of Rochester, in the Geology Department, I also knew most rocks that I came across.

The fortuitous move to South Florida provided fertile ground to expand my familiarity with the teaming animals that lived there. I got to know all the species of Reptiles that were there in addition to the Birds and Mammals.   So here I was a very knowledgeable (I thought) and keen observer of Nature. Then I moved to the country of Biodiversity, I was very excited to see and learn more animals. I could not have been more wrong!

I will digress a bit to discuss the reality of Nature Study in the tropics. Here is the problem of canopy.  If birds are in the canopy they just cannot be seen. They can be heard of course and for some species that is OK but for the majority they just are invisible. Remember also that the Canopy besides being very thick is quite a long way away. Canopies can be several hundred feet above the floor and the leaves try to catch every ray of sunlight.  The tropics also host more varieties per acre than temperate areas do. During my  short  stays in rural areas I got a taste  of the difficulties but I was sure  that when I moved to my finca I would prevail.

While I was Rector in Cali there was a nice bird that kept calling “Mr. Bill” It was a medium sized bird, about robin sized. When I moved to Picaflores this same very pretty, yellow-breasted made the finca home. So one of my first projects was to ID it.  So I went to a bird book, see the page I copied and you can see what faced me.  This is page 164 from the excellent bird book, The Field Guide to the Birds of Colombia, from ProAves Colombia.  Then came Hummingbirds, they are so small and move so fast. I looked in the bird book again and found 350 Hummingbirds and with differences so small that it is just about impossible to see them as they flit by.

So the end result of this situation is that I am no longer a Birder (Lister) but instead a Watcher. I just like to sit either in the sun in the cool morning, or in the shade during the hotter hours of the day, and just watch, and watch and watch. This morning while I was in my normal chair I was philosophizing about this topic. I think a lister feels success by defeating nature (identifying) while a watcher admits the power of nature and just enjoys being allowed to observe it. What real difference does it make which Hummingbird that is that is drinking the nectar from that Red Ball (whatever its name is). The important thing is that it is there and is only about 4 feet away and is unconcerned by my presence.

I hope many of my readers will find themselves in  situations where it is more rewarding just to sit and watch rather than to feel the need to subdue the subject.  I invite any of you to join me anytime you are in the area.

Bill  & Gloria Turley
Finca Picaflores
Vda Resguerdo
Somondoco, Boyaca
Colombia

Colombia's Secure Economy

Colombia's Secure Economy

It seems that there is a great deal of fear or at least apprehension throughout the US about the future. There seems to be concern about the financial system and the burgeoning Federal Government and debt. There are “fear mongers” that are cautioning about the upcoming collapse of the support structure of our Economy.  While I don’t subscribe to all the theories being promoted I have been thinking about these topics in connection to my situation.

There is a lot of speculation about the future of the US Dollar. China and other Asian economies want the remove the US Dollar as the international standard for transactions and replace it with some new currency. This would immediately devalue the US Dollar.

How would this influence me? Since my income is 75% derived from Social Security that will have a major impact on my income. Since that is fixed to the US Dollar I really can’t do much about it. I like to think I don’t fret about things I cannot influence, so goodbye to that component. All I can do is to try to diversify what income I can. The Colombian government does try to stabilize the exchange rate so for the near future it is not going to be critical.    The Colombian peso is backed by gold to a large degree to help stabilize it.

In the areas of physical survival, a really agrarian society such as this one is much more resistant to outside disasters.  Food and water are primary concerns at the basic level as is shelter. Shelter is not as critical here as it is in most of the world. There is no life threatening climatic conditions at all. If you can keep dry then you will be OK and almost comfortable.

That leaves Food and Water. Our water supply system is very simple, a tank connected to a spring up on the mountain side, and a PVC pipe from that tank to the house water system. No power requirements, no need for electric just gravity. Since this is a very old and isolated community, while some things are trucked it these are newer additions to the old life style. 

Here most farms are essentially self sufficient entities. They produce some things more than they need and take this surplus to the market. The money from this sale is what buys the treats.  Most if not all of the basic foodstuffs are locally produced.  While there is no wheat produced in this immediate region there is abundant corn. The local mill does grind corn into flour which is used extensively here.  There is no real growing season and depending on the planting times, crops are harvested all year around. A good sized home garden will easily feed a large family all year around.  The use of hybrid seeds is minimal and only in a few instances, such as tomatoes, are these wide spread.

I guess that after an extensive evaluation of my situation, I really am in a pretty good spot to weather whatever the future throws my way.  Insurrection is something that the Colombian Government has been dealing with for decades so the future won’t be any worse.  I did not consider  the gloomy prospects for the US when I decided to move to Colombia, I only considered my gloomy wife and moved here to make her feel better. That condition now extends to me.

I welcome any communications directly and this web site can forward mail or you can write me at w_turley@yahoo.com

Elections

Elections

I am writing this on Monday morning after Election Day here in Colombia. The system here is quite different from the US. The law declares free elections and the military puts on a show of strength around all polling stations. There are 2 separate elections one for National Elections such as President and National Legislature members ( Senate and Representatives) and a totally different on for Departmental (State) and local positions.

There are several parties; I think 5 major parties and a various number of local ones. The larger parties do fund local candidates with printing etc. The ballots are physical paper sheets with each candidate identified by name, photo and a number. A typical ballot could be very large such as 18X24 inches and maybe several pages.

Colombia has an unfortunate history of violence directed at candidates. Mayoral candidates are frequently killed in the countryside. With about 10% of the candidates involved it is a serious problem. When discussing the various candidates with friends in town, they became very secretive when saying who they were supporting and planning to vote for. It seemed there was a unwillingness to come out openly for any particular candidate.

Last campaign one of the mayoral candidates killed the horse of another candidate. Talk about the old West. Here in Somondoco there are many breeders of the Colombian Paso Fino horses. They can sell for as much as the farm.

This year I was excited about the fact that I could vote in the election. Then after chatting with a few friends, my wife did NOT want me to go into town to avoid problems. There were fights between candidates and the whole atmosphere was FEO according to our best friend. ( Feo is ugly.) This was the first time in my life that I didn’t vote due to being concerned about violence and other problems. I was thinking about the feelings I had for not being able to express my opinion at the ballot box. I hope that this feeling does not get repeated in the US during the next election, I do see the possibility of it. Feelings are so strong and partisan that it is possible for violence to show itself.

Remember the Black Panther Intimidation Case from the last election, and the Acorn scandals. The right to vote is such a precious right we should never take it for granted. Loss of rights is often insidious with each little step not a big deal. As citizens of this great country, the USA, we owe it to our children and traditions to really watch for the erosion of our rights whereever it occurs. I feel so bad this morning I will never stay away from the polls like this again. I can recover from bruises or injuries a lot quicker than I can from the feelings of not having expressed my opinions at the ballot box.

Next Article: mid-December

Bill's articles are published monthly.

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