Author: Gran Colombia

Categories
Uncategorized

Second Installment of Colombia Trip (Part Two)



Second Installment of Colombia Trip (Part Two)

As I left the Immigration office and was welcomed by a number of people to Colombia, I looked for the promised buses. Perhaps due to the protest, or perhaps because they never were, the buses didn’t exist there.  Ahead lay a fairly steep hill with a steady stream of thousands coming down. I decide to start hiking and look for an ATM along the way (I have no Pesos). Well, that was a LONG hill, and around the bend was more hill. It is warm, and I’m tired. but I keep plugging away switching arms on my heavy backpack. I arrive at the top to find a half dozen snipers and a bunch of police stopping cars from going down the hill. As before they waved and said good morning. I was one of a very few actually coming UP the hill. 

I have walked about a mile uphill at this point, and a taxi pulls up and asks (in Spanish of course) if I need a ride. I said “hell yes!” and jumped in. He said “que??” I am starting to wake up and my typical bad jokes and humor were returning. I then asked him to take me to the bank, then the airport (I want to check prices to fly the rest of the way) and then the bus station if need be. 

Did I mention I am now on the Colombia border town of Ipiales? No, of course, I didn’t. It is a typical border town full of vagrants and vultures looking to pounce on anyone traveling. There is a large Peruvian contingent there, evidenced by the number of Cuy stands. The driver verified. We arrive at the bank ATM. I slide in the card. I am in luck, the dollar is still king so the exchange rate was in my favor. Until the bank charged a 10% fee! Ouch! Supposedly I get that back but we shall see. A street scalper would have been less.  We then take a nice long ride through the town, about 15 minutes. No meters here by the way. Yes, I know… I could picture it. But we arrive at the airport, and there are only guards there. The place is closed. Their one flight for the day left that morning, and I could return tomorrow if I like. There was no one to even ask about ticket cost. So we turn around and go another 15 minutes back to the bus station. 

We arrive, and yes here it comes… The taxi rip off. I never did get my change back (of about $10!) from the guy. And yet again, I let it go. To tired to argue. It was worth $10 NOT to in fact. He did help me locate the ticket office and for that I bless him. He directed me to the actual LUXURY bus. The ticket man was really nice, very helpful and showed me a large placard demonstrating all the amenities. Sleeper seat, huge leg room, private TV and music, Power outlet, etc. Perfecto! Bus leaves in 30 minutes I have enough time for a bowl of soup. juice and coffee. ($1.60). The soup was good and juice was strawberry and amazing.  I got a cornbread for the road ($.30).

I go outside for the bus and didn’t have to wait long. the driver was very friendly and helpful. He carried bags for all the ladies. He came through to make sure we were comfy and had headphones. He introduced himself and his porter, explained how everything operated, and promised a good safe trip. he didn’t lie. Things were looking up. I settled into the seat, plugged in my phone and connected to the ultra-powerful onboard WIFI. (Pronounced WeeFee by the driver) In fact, another clue we were in Colombia was that the Spanish changed. LL was pronounced like a J instead of silent. ATM is a cajero automaticas, not ATM. Drug stores are all “Drogos”, not “Farmacia”.  There were dozens of noticeable changes. It did, in fact, feel like home. 

While it had been a while, this was the Spanish of my ex-wife. This was the Spanish I heard daily when I lived there, and this was why Spanish in Ecuador confused me so much. It was spoken slower and more clearly now. I instantly improved my comprehension.
I realized I was sitting in real comfort. The seats were stuffed and plush. I had the row to myself. There were on 36 seats total on this very large bus. It was a new Scania and purred quietly. I could stretch my legs out as far as possible and still not hit anything. The seat would actually lay completely back, and not interfere with anyone else. I could have been 6’8″ and had plenty of space. I cannot express how nice it was. There was a  screen in the back of the seat, with endless movies to watch or music to play. You could use their new earbuds, but I used my knock-off Samsung and listen to Beds are Burning, thinking it fit the bombing the night before in Manchester. I posted on my Facebook from the song, “How do we sleep when our beds are burning?” RIP. I was wondering why people do not read and learn from history to understand the true basis for these acts. I keep hearing it goes back 100 years. Yet I know for a fact it goes back to the 7th century. While everyone knows, if we do not learn history lessons we are doomed to repeat, yet it seems few bother.  I see mindless posts constantly repeating what others say and use memes and copy and paste to substitute for reading and knowledge. But I digress. When you are on a bus for hours, there isn’t much you don’t think about.

It is well into noon now, and it is sunny and the country is beautiful. It is very similar to Ecuador. The mountain-scape, winding roads, and rivers. Yet there are differences. The rivers are much larger and wider. The bus driver is oh so polite, which goes into his driving. he drove normal, sane and… polite. We had twists and turns, but it wasn’t a race and we weren’t thrown around like so much cargo. he took care to make everything as smooth as is possible. He was aided by a completely modern, well-paved roadway. When there was a chance, they made tunnels through mountains. We went through several. One we drove inside for about 8 minutes. It was as long as the one leaving Denver. The grass along the roads was well trimmed and manicured. Paintwork on barriers was fresh and bright everywhere.  We went through dozens of towns. In each town there was a very prominent military garrison, with soldiers armed and for all to see. What a welcome sign! Uribe started it all years ago when he sent the military to go house to house in Medellin, at that time controlled by criminals and a complete hell hole. Today it is a thriving vibrant city to rival anywhere, like Toronto or Seattle. There was nothing that felt oppressive, but rather safe. Perhaps because I knew the recent history and had been caught up in some of the violence in those days past.

We pulled into Pasto and parked in a “looks like new” terminal. I stayed on the bus. It was really comfy! We were there for an hour. A scene played out as we were leaving that was classic Colombia, and said in that scene how the people are. There were two people on the bus behind me. A family of 5 followed them out of the terminal and stood by their window waving and throwing kisses, and taking pictures. We pulled out and slowly went down a long drive. The family followed, waving. We drove perhaps 100 yards to the exit and stopped. There was the family, still waving and taking pics. We drove right into a gas station and stopped to fill up. And yes, there was the family. The two got off the bus, to receive hugs and kisses as though they were just arriving. One family member pulled up on a Yamaha motorbike and drove one of the passengers around the parking lot. They all got together, laughing hugging and giving more farewells. They got back and we pulled out, and yes, they were still walking along waving. You could see the mom with some tears. This was the Colombia I remember. It was all about family. All the FARC, Narcos, and criminals would never get in the way of the joys of life. Church, family, and parties. Any occasion called for a gathering and dancing. Families would sit and hold hands. The love in the air is ever present.  Looking back, the reason I fell in love with my ex-wife was that I fell in love with her family. I had never witnessed so much caring. To this day, I still care for and respect her. In all the world I have traveled, everywhere people are friendly and caring. Yet in Colombia, there is something more. Perhaps driven by decades of extreme hardships, I don’t know, but they are the most outgoing, life loving people I have ever seen. It all came back to me played out in that one scene. When I arrived in Armenia, it was no different. You don’t need to make friends in Colombia, they will find you.

Part Three will cover the trip to Armenia from Pasto, and the drop off at 2 AM in the midst of two dozen vagrants/homeless/criminals.


Categories
Uncategorized

First report of my Colombia Trip (Part One)



First report of my Colombia Trip (Part One)

I will begin by explaining the state of the situation now.

First, I have an unfortunate situation. Just as in my multi-town trip I made around Cuenca, I now have 100’s of interesting clips. I don’t have the skill or experience to quickly go through those to be able to assemble them into something meaningful. So my video process will take some time and may not get much of it posted for a week or two. For every ten minute video, it takes me about 5 hours to prepare. I have enough for 3 or videos now, and unless I want to spend all my time here at the computer, I will have to wait. That means nothing but more clips, so by the time I return I will have a week’s full-time job. Why do I do this to myself!?

My trip began with a bus ride to Cuenca to meet my friend to give her my house keys, then catch a bus to Quito purchased days before. I arrive in Cuenca late, as the bus I rode was the slowest I had ever been on. He stopped for anyone he saw on the road, and a 40-minute trip at best became an hour and 10 minutes. Instead of taking the bus all the way to the terminal, I decided to jump out (at the south end of town) and grab a taxi. At least a taxi won’t be stopping, right? He might as well have. During rush hour traffic instead of driving the 6 lane road around town, he decides to drive through it. We zigzagged around the town, locating every traffic back up and stop light that existed. He was very skilled at finding those. The taxi took triple the time it should have. I had gotten my connection on the phone (I lose it between Giron and Cuenca) and I was busy responding to a number of things. I hadn’t noticed what the guy had done until we were in the thick of it. So my friend, doing me a big favor, was sitting waiting at the bus station for the keys for… well, let’s just say a very long time. The truth is too painful to say out loud.

I go outside and find my bus. It was supposedly the “queen of the fleet”. It must have been a very old queen, monarch of a very tiny country.  What was supposed to be a comfort-filled express bus to Quito was no more than a typical bus with all the stops included, no charge. It was one of those buses with no leg room, and I’m only 5’10”. By the time we arrived in Quito, I wanted to scream, my legs hurt so bad. I’m already beat up pretty good and the trip barely began. So the bus stops at the terminal. It is 2:30 AM. I ask the driver if this was his last stop and he said yes. I ask if this was the only terminal in town and he said yes. Neither was true.  

I hoist my over heavy, very large backpack, and stagger with my broken legs inside. I find two rows of ticket offices, but I cannot find the direct bus by Ruta de America or Ormenez. Two luxury lines, that carry you through the border without stops along the way, all the way to Cali. Not there. I ask a security man, and he takes me over to the local bus that goes to Tulcan. This is a small city near the border. This means changing buses, and a long walk across the border late at night on broken legs. I explain what I need, and they tell me it doesn’t exist in that terminal. I might want to go to the North terminal! So they sell me a $1.25 ticket to go north. I wait an hour on a rickety smelly bus (should I mention the sticky seats?) then we drive… another hour. We drive through the ugliest part of town, that for mile after mile has all the appearance of a bombed out city. This is not the Quito people talk about, or that I saw before. This is the part of town you stay clear of, and it goes on forever. We arrive at the North terminal. It is now about 3:30 AM.

I had this vision in my head (please, never have visions, it is too disappointing) of this sparkling shiny terminal, stocked with double-decker high rise sleeper buses. Nope.  No terminal to speak of, more like a big parking lot with a row of wooden shacks. I find one of the only ticket offices open and go through it again. And again I am told, only buses to Tulcan. No big bus. I am then told if I want that, I need to go to the terminal in the south. Are you SERIOUS? Well, yes, he was very serious. So I had a choice. Go to Tulcan or return to the station I just left. OK, so let’s go to Tulcan, at least I’ll be closer. Another mistake.

I thought I had been on the worst bus ever. God really does have a sense of humor. He was certainly setting me straight on how bad a bus could be.  There were more broken seats than good ones. I sat down in a half-broken seat and had to turn my legs to the side. Absolutely no room behind the seat ahead. If you are 5’4″ maybe, but for me… not happening. So I figure no problem, I can sit sideways. But the bus is filling. And filling. Until I have the last seat left. Here comes a big fat woman to sit next to me. Apparently, she also had been traveling and she wasn’t the freshest rose in the bush. To be fair, I was a bit ripe by now, and she had to sit next to a fat man. Poor us! She noticed my leg situation and turned sideways to use some isle. Or I prefer to think that. In truth, she was probably turning away from what must have been my stench. It didn’t help the bus reeked as well. So another… I don’t know now, maybe 6-8 hours? It felt a lifetime. We arrive in Tulcan. 

It is now about 9:30 AM. I had done some reading before my phone died about the border. I read a travelers post. How it is so easy, you simply walk out of the town across a short bridge and arrive in Colombia Immigration. The Ecuador Immigration is right on its side of the bridge. All true, but he left out the part of the 15-minute taxi ride from the terminal, with a big habit of overcharging tourists and taking a long way around. Yes, I knew it was happening but after all those hours in pain and nausea, I wasn’t in the mood to argue. It may have become violent. Before I cross I must tell you the rest of the story about that bus from Quito. It had broken rear springs. It banged on every bump. When it wasn’t banging, it would lurch up and down like some sick perverted sex machine (without the sex of course), making loud  “ERRRR EKKKKK ERRR” squeaking noises. The ride was actually a pounding. No, I am NOT exaggerating.

At this point, you must be thinking, “He sure does complain a lot”. I am aware that is how it sounds. But in reality, I am being quite honest.  Yes, I am grateful I am alive, and at least I HAVE legs. I get that. It was still hell on earth. I really can’t write flowers and rainbows, and then when you make the trip, expect that. Given any ONE issue, it would be no big deal, but so far every waking moment (because you can’t sleep in that situation) was torturous.  Why oh why didn’t I fly?

So Immigration was a breeze. HOWEVER… as I am crossing the bridge in my haze, I notice a mob. I mean hundreds if not thousands of people. Then I see the police. And the military. Then I notice the chanting and soon shouting, then a bull horn. I am awakened from my daze and focus on what is happening. Body armor. Clear riot shields… Lines of officers formed. Waving signs. I walked into a huge protest. The Ecuador side of the bridge had a line of police and shields with nightsticks, maybe 20 of them. As I got to the Colombia side, There were HUNDREDS of police, as well as hundreds more military. Body armor on the hands, arms, legs, the body of each one, all in black, Machine guns, M4’s and even a few Barrett sniper rifles.  

They were quite friendly, smiling and waving at me as I walked past. “Buenas Dias”! a few shouted. They were making a point to keep everything friendly. The best I could tell was an issue about Education and Gasoline. I would find soon the reason for so many protesting. I did not get a good video of the event at all. A missed opportunity. I was just dazed on my feet, still numb, no sleep and in a fog.

After I get through both immigration (lines went very quickly no hassle from either side. I will note that the Ecuador side was quite run down and dirty and the workers were very sullen. The Colombia side was a beautiful building with a courtyard, and all the workers were smiling.  In fact, they were so friendly I was uplifted a bit. There is also a good reason for that, and having been away from Colombia for 15 years I had forgotten.

It all came flooding back in my next installment.

(Update many months later… The next trip I learned from all my mistakes and now know what buses to take and how. I made the trip six more times and we’re all good)


Categories
Uncategorized

Personal Safety (if you are alone)





Personal Safety (if you are alone)

In the USA (or Canada/UK) we take certain things for granted, and as a result, we might get a bit careless.

If anything bad happens, we can just call 911 (or 999, etc). Within minutes, help arrives. They pull up in a decked out ambulance with all you need to get somewhere for help. Or the police come pulling up and understand your need.

Starting around 20 years old and for the following 3 decades, I traveled a lot. I lived in Asia for over 3 years. I learned to be careful and cautious. Also in my younger years, I learned self-defense in Judo and Karate. Being a bit of a trouble maker I had some fight experience as well. Those things didn’t make me oblivious but rather taught me to constantly assess my situation. I learned to be careful because help might not be a few minutes away.

Like what? For example, I have cooked since I had to take care of myself at age 8. I learned by burning myself. By cutting myself. When I began traveling I realized I needed to learn to prevent small things so big things didn’t follow. There is nothing worse than finding yourself in a really bad situation, knowing if you had only done something different it never would have happened. Just imagine the concept of childproofing, then think about how you can “child-proof” your life.

I learned how to cut with the blade going into the chopping block, not my hand. What can be a simple cut in the USA can become a bleed out situation if you don’t take care.  I learned not to grab pot or panhandles without a towel. Once in my foolish younger years, I got angry. I lashed out and kicked the wall. Only two problems. I was in my bare feet, and I slipped and kicked a window. It slashed the vein on the top of my foot. A massive amount of blood came gushing out and very quickly I got dizzy. I wrapped my foot in a towel and passed out, slipping in a huge pool of blood. Not only was it childish and preventable, but was potentially the end of my life. If only I hadn’t done that.

When I walk on a wet floor, I walk very carefully, step by step to be sure I am focused and don’t slip. When I go up and down stairs, I take one step at a time, looking where I am going. These things may sound silly, and in the USA we don’t really need to think about it. But when help is not a phone call away, the smallest issue can become huge. There just isn’t much I do anymore without thinking, and seeing it in my mind first. Even coming downstairs. I try to be aware of the possible things that can happen. Now that may sound paranoid, or no way to live. But I assure you it’s fine. It is really just living the lessons you learn about driving a car. You look at all points around you and watch out for the other guy.

I seem to be carefree to my friends as I walk around. And I am, but I am also observing people around me, where I am, any possible escape routes, any potholes in the ground. Perhaps because I have years of practice, it is just second nature to me. I prefer knowing that if something happened I already thought about it and have a way through it.

Now and then I still get bitten. It wasn’t that long ago, I had a potentially serious problem. I walked out on my second story patio, and let the door lock behind me. I had not foreseen this so I had nothing to open the door. There was no escaping. I was there for a few hours but it could just as well been days. I felt like an idiot. I sat down and worked the problem out. Battery nearly dead on my phone, almost no clothes on, and windows I couldn’t break (had nothing to break them with). I covered this in a video, but because I was careless for a moment there was a problem. Life goes so much better if you think things through before it goes south. 

How to deal with a wallet. ID, Credit Cards. How to protect your phone and your person. How to prevent cuts and falls. What to do if you get sick. Who can you call if something does happen, and do you always keep your battery charged?

In the USA these things may seem petty. If you live alone, far from people, in a different country and you struggle with the language, you need to plan. You don’t want to face something serious and thinking “If only I hadn’t done that!” Take responsibility for your life and your safety. Be a Boy Scout! “Be Prepared”

What caused me to write this? I was thinking about the last time in Colombia. It was extremely dangerous in those days. I was even shot at. But I knew how to do OK. Colombia is no longer like that, but remembering those days caused me to reflect on something that is part of how I live my life.


Categories
Uncategorized

Trip to Colombia



Trip to Colombia

I would like to clear up a few things. I am not moving to Colombia. At least at this time. I have been planning to visit Colombia for several years. When I was making my decision as a place to live, Colombia was a hair breath from being the first choice. It is true with some changes in Ecuador, and potential future issues, Colombia could be my next move. However, I hate moving and I am very happy where I am so there is no plan to move. I have some friends (who can speak on my behalf) trying to sort out my situation and see if there are options for me. It was posed to me that I was looking for a reason to leave. Think about it… I am free to make whatever choices I want, and I chose to be here. If I wake tomorrow and decide to go somewhere else, I don’t need a reason other than that is what I want. So no, I am making no excuses. I am just sharing this process with you.

Some of you have asked me to describe Colombia, so I’ll try.
Colombia is a wonderful place. When I lived there in the past, there were several major issues. First, unemployment was nearly half the country. That caused a lot of petty crime. Second, the FARC, pseudo-socialist, actually criminals, ran free. In fact, in half the country they terrorized whole villages. My ex-wife, from Colombia, was held at gunpoint for 3 days by the FARC. She was doing a 6-month contract in a tiny country school with a friend of hers. Both were held with no food, with the children. They had no idea why, but on the third day, the FARC left. As you can imagine she was a bit traumatized over the event. She now lives in the USA and works as an educator.

Her experience is a microcosm of Colombia’s experience. They were held hostage for years by criminals. But that changed in the past decade. The Colombian government, with the USA as a partner, took back control. President Uribe began with a helicopter assault on the city of Medellin. In those days, the FARC and Narcos controlled the city. The residents couldn’t leave their block without a shakedown and a “tax”. It was hell on earth. Uribe flew in Colombian special forces and street by street, took back the city. Today Medellin is a world-class city, safer than most. It is a must-see.

I stayed near Pereira. I spent some time with a friend driving me around the Armenia area. I came very close to buying a house at that time but decided to see what the future would bring. I loved the area. It has a climate similar to Vilcabamba. I actually preferred Armenia to Pereira as it is half the size.

So what is Colombia like now? It is an economic powerhouse. The people of Colombia, with all the troubles they have had in their past, could have tried the socialist way as so many countries around them did. But Colombians are fiercely independent. They are a firm believer in independence and a form of Capitalism and the freedom that brings. The economic situation is so much better than it was a mere decade ago, it is difficult to exaggerate it. Unemployment is below 10%. Considering where they were, that is a near miracle. 

They have great trade deals with Europe and the USA. They are very business friendly. They also make it extremely easy to move to and live there. It is one of the easier places in the world to obtain and renew visas. It is not expensive to do so, with many being only around $50. Americans are respected and welcomed. I must warn you though, they get quite upset and offended if you think they are about cocaine and cartels. This was a huge source of pain and suffering for them, and to associate them with something they despised, and likely lost loved ones over, it is understandable.

The people of Colombia are very unique, although Venezuela at one time was similar. They are extremely social and outgoing. They will party at the drop of a hat. If you bring any form of music, they will start dancing. No, seriously. They will dance. Salsa, Bachata, it doesn’t matter, it is quite amazing. They will also look out for you. Total strangers will give you advice about your wallet and cell phone. Buying coffee? Don’t be surprised if they clue you in on areas to avoid, and how to stay safe. Complete strangers will walk up to you and include you in their plans. Just being there to visit as a tourist is enough reason for them to arrange a party. I am not much for bars, but even that is a social event. Ordering individual drinks isn’t as common as the group buys a bottle of Aguardiente for the table and everyone share. There is a gusto for life similar to Russians. Not uncommon for a people that go through major suffering. But in Colombia, even at that time, they would smile and party together. They never lost sight of what life is about. Friends and family. They have amazingly strong family bonds. Estrangement is a rare thing there. Mom is the last word!

Colombia is a great place and if you have never been I highly recommend it. If you are actually living in Ecuador (as 17% of my readers are) you should treat yourself to a week trip. Hostels run from $5 to $15 a night. By the week often 15% off. A bus is about $80 each way.  There was a time when Ecuador and Colombia were part of a larger country called “Gran Colombia”. You would think they would be nearly the same. However, you will find a world of difference. It is almost like Ecuador has been isolated from the world, and is primarily original people with some mixed race sprinkled in. The Ecuador Andes has retained much of its past, and indeed even today has strong elements going back hundreds of years. 

Colombia has a much larger mixed and European culture, and as social as they are, it is no difference in their interactions with the world. They embrace anything that will make their life better or happier. They retain their heritage but live in the present. The contrast is fascinating, and if you can be objective, one is not better than the other.

So that is my Colombia story today. I am leaving Monday night and will return in about 10 days. I will be doing a few videos, as much as possible. But I really want to relive a few moments that hold a place in my heart so those may not include cameras. I might even be able to hit the “Parque de Cafe”! Or return to “Panaca”, and get on a horse and save a damsel from a runaway horse again!

Email any questions you may have or want me to explore and I’ll try while I am there. Keep an eye on the videos!


Categories
Uncategorized

What is Giron Like?


What is Giron Like?

I was asked to tell about the town I live in. I hesitate to let the info out, as I don’t desire (for selfish reasons) to have newcomers flood the area. But after thinking about it overnight, I decided to open up.
It’s about 20 miles south of Cuenca, and 1000 feet lower. Food cooks much better. It’s $1 by bus and runs maybe 40 minutes with stops. By taxi its $20 or $17 by meter, but the standard fee is $20. Make the price you will pay clear before you go, or they might try to jack it up. The town is about 3000 people. It is an extremely friendly town. Very clean and almost no graffiti. Crime is non-existent, as everyone knows everyone, and they run any criminals out of town. They won’t tolerate it. Everywhere you go there is laughing and smiling. They love to party. In the fall they have a 3-month party non stop every single day.

They have a local band and they make any excuse for a parade so they can play their same 4 songs. It is the Ecuador version of Mayberry. They have their own Floyd the barber and Barney Fife. The men gather at the local plastic store and talk politics for hours. It’s hard to be a stranger when everyone talks about anyone new. Gossip runs wild. When I first went, the first few times I went with my friend Maria. Then one time I went with another female friend. The local restaurant needed to know what I was up to, why I had several girlfriends, They made sure to tell the girl when I stepped out for a few minutes that I had been coming with someone else. If I was cheating they were going to let the girl not know. Just like where I grew up.

There is nothing really North American there. Almost all the restaurants are either Seco de Pollo, Hornado, or Pollo. Roast Pig (2 places every day) roasted chicken (half dozen places) and the “lunch” specials all over the place. There are 2 Pizza places, one delivers. He WALKS the delivery. He sometimes has burgers and wings. It’s hit and miss. Decent burger, good wings but you have to tell him to cook twice as long. There is a high-end seafood restaurant that came 2 months ago, and I haven’t been to it yet. 

There is ONE night club/disco. I also haven’t been. There is one Hotel. There is ONE museum, although an important one. It’s based on Peru occupying the place and the treaty that was signed. There are a number of sights to see related. You can get any taxi to give you a tour. Everywhere in town, the taxi is $1.50. There are some yellow cabs, but mostly the green and white non-metered trucks. They tend to ask YOU how much you will pay for anything out of town.

There are maybe a dozen that speak some English. There is a wonderful family that runs the Jehovah Witness church in town. They are from the USA and never bother you, but are very friendly. The local real Estate guy has a great family, totally honest and hard working, well respected and not a word of English. He has become a good friend. Anything over $200 is hard to rent here. Not so many apartments, but quite a few houses available. That’s because there isn’t much of a transient population. People grow up, go to Loja for college, the USA for a few years, then return to make a life. So many have been to the USA there is even a statue about it. There are a number of local VETS since it is farm country. There is one with a little store that sells animal feed and dog food, and she makes house calls. She speaks some English.

Many people will kind of standoff. It’s only because they don’t speak English and don’t know how to act with you. It’s almost like gringos are a legend, a mythical animal. Their parents told them about them from the time they lived in Queens New York, but they had never really seen one up close. Once they realize you are harmless, they breathe again and start joking around. Little kids will run up and shout out some phrase, like “Hey! What’s up?!” then giggle and retreat. They love to be the first one to say “Hello” when walking home from school in a group. The first one gets high fives.

The area is absolutely stunning. The mountains are unique, and the waterfall and river are also prominent. People come from everywhere to view the falls. Few see the real beauty of them though, as the UPPER falls are amazing. It is a very long hike, and I’m too old and fat for that. But you can ride horseback. Its an all-day event. From my patio, I can only see the upper part.

We are located at the north end of the Yungilla Valley. That is an extremely fertile, somewhat tropical farm area. Most organic fruits and veggies come from there. It is a favorite spot for the middle class and higher locals to go for weekends to “get warm”. While most of the year it is sunny and warm, in the summer (winter) it can be quite cool and wet. If you keep going south you will come to a quirky little town called Santa Isabel. The place makes me laugh as it seems a Sherwin Williams factory must have exploded there. Every building is painted in some bright color, and there must be a town ordinance preventing anyone to use the same color twice. Every time I go I laugh out loud.

If you keep going you will come to Machala and the coast. Along the way, you will see one of the new hydro-electric dams the Chinese built (using ZERO local labor… you think THAT didn’t piss off the locals?).

If you take a turn in Giron towards the falls and keep going, you come to San Fernando. A somewhat cold place, but very popular in the warm months and they have a lake. There are a number of horse ranches and resorts you can stay.

It seems that most people that come to Ecuador either want some little hippie commune to “get back to nature” and hide from the world, or they want to be in the big city where everything is at their fingertips. Neither one of those things is in Giron. We have no Shaman, Guru, Yoga retreats, whole food shakes or “holistic healing” centers. There is no LSD wanna be experiences here. In Giron we only have quiet, joyful, family and community living. 

Happiness isn’t measured by what you have, but rather the friends and family around you. Even if you are a loaner like I am, you can enjoy seeing life lived as some of us think it should be. I don’t know if I would call it “Ecuador life”. Its just life.





Categories
Uncategorized

Will I Move?

Will I Move?

I am considering a move from Ecuador.

I really like it here. The foremost word I can think of to describe my life here is “content”. So why would I consider a move? The government! You can’t escape an over intrusive government it seems. They passed a law that goes into effect this summer. It will require everyone to obtain certain health care policies. What if you do not? You will be denied government services like the renewal of cedula (ID) or not permitted to pass through customs, etc. In other words, to continue living here there is no choice. Based on what I see as permitted, it would cost me a minimum of $220. Now if I needed insurance that’s not horrible. As of today, the plan they have is very good (if you don’t mind long waits). However, I have no faith that in a few years the plan won’t drastically change or go broke. It has been surviving from loans as it is. But more than that, I have lifetime coverage for medical and prescriptions. While they do not service inside Ecuador, there is an emergency reimbursement option, and I have set aside an emergency fund for a ticket, etc. I also have in that fund extra for any instant need that comes up. Even if I were in an accident and couldn’t be moved for a few weeks, I have that covered. So why on earth would I buy more coverage?

But because they do not provide service within Ecuador, it doesn’t fulfill requirements. Now I have some doubts about that, so no decision is being made yet, but you always need a backup plan. While I could swing the 220 a month, it would change a lot of my plans here, and for something I have no use for is a huge waste. On top of that, I am really sick of overreaching governments dictating my life for me. So at this very moment, I am quite annoyed.

So what would be next? Colombia. I miss it, and it was a narrow decision, to begin with. I know Colombia. I lived there. It has a hands-off government. It has open trading so imports are not jacked up in price. It has a great cost of living. In Armenia for example (where I might move) you have $200 apartments, $2 lunches, and dinners, cheap transportation everywhere so no car needed, but you can also shop Amazon and not have insane markups.  It is also extremely easy to get a residency Visa there. Far easier and much cheaper than Ecuador. For the first three years, you renew it each year, but it is simple as going to the office. There is no long list of documents needed as in Ecuador, and fees are tiny compared to the big fees in Ecuador. So making the move is easy, and living there is cheaper. Now that depends where you go of course. Everyone seems to want to go to Medellin. For good reason. It is one of the most modern, happening cities in the world. Everything you can imagine is there. But it does cost a bit more to live there. About the same as Cuenca or Quito. The smaller cities, with 300,000- 500,000 population it’s cheaper to live.  I don’t like big cities much anyway, so that suits me.

So will I make the move? I don’t know. I actually do not want to and am looking to find a way around it. But if I do, it’s no big deal. I’ll be happy at either place. What would I do with all my stuff? I have fully furnished my huge house. I guess I will put it all up for sale cheap, and turn someone on to the house as well. Who doesn’t want a huge house below the waterfalls for $250 a month! So no matter what happens, I am good.


Categories
Uncategorized

To Trolls- With Love

To Trolls- With Love

How hard is it to remain positive in a negative world? At what point did people lose their minds?

I sat down with a cup of coffee and looked for something on you-tube to watch. I saw the White House channel was just starting the commencement speech with Trump speaking at Liberty University. I decided to see how it was. I fully expected to be bored in the first few minutes, and change. What I didn’t expect was to be drawn in, and be very impressed with the positive message, and the optimism the speech expressed. It was uplifting. It was a stirring speech. It felt like a momentous speech. I could imagine that of those 50,000 people in attendance, it could very well have helped shape the future of many of those graduates. I made a post on my personal Facebook page saying it was an awesome speech.

I was then hit by post after post of anti-trump people. People I call “haters” because there is the same drumbeat. Not one of them actually step back to see things in an objective way, but rather they just parrot the negative media. Endless accusations with no substance to support the false claims.

I have never been a big Trump fan. In my life, I have ranged from a socialistic/progressive side to Libertarian, to Republican, to Conservative to a Capitalist. The first was a result of me listening to my teachers and not doing any actual research. Who DOESN’T want the world to take care of the underprivileged? Coming home from Viet Nam was a huge eye-opener for me. Seeing the news coverage being so completely wrong about the place I just left caused me to realize the press lies. It was a total shock to my system. That forced me to begin looking at actual sources for information. Being pre-internet, I would go to the public library once or twice a month and dig through sources like the congressional record.

I was an Obama supporter. That is until I read his first book. I realized he was something very different than his public persona. My concerns were proven accurate as time went on.

This is NOT a political post. I really don’t care what people choose to believe. I am always willing to discuss, but I am not a fan of attacking. I certainly expect facts to be the center of a conversation. But today we are somewhere else. The only facts posted are simply repeating fake news reports based on an “unidentified source close to the White House”. What the hell is that? The gardener? You cannot have an honest discussion based on that.

I post up a simple short appreciation of a speech, and how well done it was and positive it was. I wasn’t saying anything political. But that was enough to open the flood gates. I began to get lectures about how corrupt he was. How he is a Russian stooge. About what a fascist he is. It all came uninvited. Why are these negative things being thrown at me? Based on the comments, I sincerely doubt that any of the trolls actually took the time to listen to the speech. In fact, I can imagine that had the speech been given by someone they LIKE, with the very same words, they would have seen what I saw in the speech. But minds are closed and the favorite past time of haters is to blindly attack anyone that doesn’t follow their path. I’m really sorry, but I gave up being a lemming years ago. They aren’t bad people. They just don’t do their homework. their sources are the people that promote the sameness of ideas.

So what on earth does this have to do with Ecuador? First, this blog is for me. The VIDEOS are for Ecuador. Second, it is about Ecuador. I have the impression that while there are certainly conservative voices here, it seems the majority are essentially socialist minded people. They cheer anything related to such ideas and are very vocal with their disdain for anyone that doesn’t agree. They try to “shame” opposing views by throwing up straw arguments like “that’s so insulting to the country!”. There is a type of person that seems to be drawn here that fits that “Starbucks, Vegan, Tree Hugging, Climate Denier Haters… etc. Hillary supporters no matter how many crimes were exposed or how much corruption was uncovered. Fingers in the ears while they go “la la la la la la”

I sometimes fantasize that I had the power to drop such individual (but group thinkers) in the heart of Venezuela. Let them see first hand the result of such thinking. Let them experience why nowhere in history has that sort of government resulted in anything but repression of those they claimed to want to help. Even here in Ecuador, it has morphed into the muzzling dissenting press. The Loja press was closed down for printing negative articles (even though it was fact-based). The Mayor of Quito was put in prison for insulting the President. This is in a country that is merely dabbling in socialism. Imagine if they go further?

That is why I think this is important. I wouldn’t mind the views if they would simply take the time to understand what they proclaim. If the read some history. If they knew the teaching of Saul Alinsky and Karl Marx. If they took the time to understand that Hitler was a socialist and promoted all those same “free” programs such as medical care and College tuition. If they would take the time to learn the lessons from recent and current leaders Hugo Chavez, Nicolás Maduro, Evo Morales, Fidel Castro, Dilma Rousseff, and Salvador Allende. How anyone that actually learned that reality could possibly want to support that sort of thinking is beyond me.
So be prepared. If you come to Ecuador, that kind of heated conversations are not reduced but rather are even more intense. It will often become more of a personal attack. The sure sign of an empty belief. It comes from Trolls.

They are not to be hated. It is just sad people can no longer talk. Everyone is so sure of themselves because they read some article on the internet. They are more than happy to copy and paste it! But they are not willing to actually read in depth from real sources. The art of debate I fear has been lost.


Exit mobile version