Viva Colombia!

Boycott non-medical Colombian drugs.

Our greed for "recreational" drugs  is damaging the people of other countries.

What can we do to better support the people, the people of other countries and of our own?

Venezuela nabs Colombian drug lord

Venezuela nabs Colombian drug lord

Chavez government extradites to US.

Destination List

I'm slow, but still at it.

Dropped five: Chile, Dominica, Estonia, Fiji, and Haiti.

Top choices too have changed a bit. Below are the top five in order of preference. Number one being the most preferred:

1. Uruguay
2. Ecuador
3. Colombia
4. Followed by Malaysia, Panama, and Argentina tied for 4th
5. India
6. Thailand
7. with Brazil and Honduras tied for 7th.

Quality of Life and Cost of Living in Bogota

Quality of Life and Cost of Living in Bogota

Best, most useful cost of living analysis I have seen!

Thank you.

File:Metrode bogota.bmp - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

File:Metrode bogota.bmp - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bogota may still have less than 10 million inhabitants and still is one of the truly grand cities of the world.

It has fine public transportation too.

Long Foreign Stays

I may be becoming a city person in my old age. For example In Uruguay I would certainly living in Montevideo

In Ecuador I think, that as much as I used to love the beach, like to live inland not much lower than Cueca. So I'd probably live in Quito or Cueca.

In Colombia I think that now I'd rather live in Bogota than in Medellin.

The variety of services in cities seems very attractive to this old man now.

The third country on my stay list, after Ecuador and Uruguay, is India. I am ignorant enough of India to have no idea of which city in which to stay. Probably not it the three or four largest.
I was so frightened of the crowds on my approach to one of those cities that on my first day there I escaped to Sri Lanka. Now even the size of the Quebec City of Canada frightened me away so it is now surprise that my first day lost on the streets of Bombay was a fright.

In India I may need to be carried around in a basket by a guide for the first couple of weeks.

Visit Destinations

I am tentivily eliminateing a number of destinations. I won't mention the ones I am eliminating, but I will start keeping track of my top ten contenders for places worth a longer visit. The top ten contenders of the day are:
#1. Ecuador
#2 Uruguay
#3 India
#4. Argentina
#5. Honduras
#6. Turkey
#7. Colombia
#9. Malaysia
#10. Nicaragua

I hope to write a few words about Ecuador and what has attracted me to it in the near future.

Can You Name the Country

Using these few historical hints?

It was aiming to become a republic about the same time 'we' were. It had an airline before we did.

Like all countries it was created and supported by men and families. Here are some few family names important to the existence of this country: Santander, Bolivar, Mejia, Restrepo, Corral, Narino, Caldas.
Learning, honor, generosity, kindness, family, liberty, courage, public service each has been known to be important among them.
Religion too has been important.
Doctors and poets have been respected. Men of letters and learning in general have been well respected.

Picking a name more or less at random we may find some details helpful to your guess. Let Restrepo be that name. It has long been respected in Antioquia and Santa Fe. it is known now and It was known in the United Provinces of New Granada. It was known to Simon Bolivar and to Juan del Corral. If you know orchids, you may know the genus of Restrepia. There have long been Restrepos in the city of Envigado.

Well, what do you think?

Christian Love

Coca production in Colombia has been reduced by loving the people in the area of production.

Cocaine use could be reduced here by loving fellow citizens who are potential or actual cocaine users.

This loving is the kind that the biblical Jesus said any true follower of his would use.

Love in Colombia came in the form of much lacking and much needed roads and schools, as well as the protection of law.

"Love in the Time of Cholera"

With "Love in the Time of Cholera," a book of life, death, and love I may be beginning to mention so books I feel are well worth mentioning. "Love ...." might be called a book of manners as well as a good snapshot of Colombian coastal culture of the time. It is a cultured exploration of many of the faces of love. Spanish-English translations are usually well done these days and Edith Grosman has done a particularly good job in this case.
Buy.com has it available for between one cent and a medium price of about $9.
I'm just noting that while my mind is much on the author of this book, I have neglected to mention his name; it's Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
Barnes & Noble have this Garcia Marquez work available for between 2 and 12 dollars. $2 seems a cheap price to pay to learn of 'Latin love.'
Borders has it for $15 and their reviewers love it.
Amazon.com has it for between 3 and 10 dollars and over 400 of their reviewers still love it. Most of those reviewers have also had the pleasure of reading "One Hundred Years of Solitude."

Starting in Colombia

Joesph T. K. Korzenioski's pen name was Joseph Conrad, wasn't it? Is it true that this same Korzeniosko shipped on the Saint Antoine to Colombia and there acted as an arms dealer?

What is there interesting to know about President Aquileno Parra and General Rafael Reyes of Colombia? Were later day Parras in the colombian foreign service?

Do you still call Bogota, Santa Fe?

To counteter balance all of my questions, I'll offer what seems to be a fact. by 1824, Commodore Johann Bernard Elbers registered the Fidelity. That old steamboat was the first to regularly sail the Magdalena River.

Tell me something interesting about Elbers.

Do you remember watching anyone somking with the lit end of the cigarette in their mouth?

Factoid: An excellent way to destroy a river is by allowing uncontrolled deforestatin along its length. Poorly controled deforestation works the destrucction quite well too.

Bogota

Bogota is big and comfortable.

You can still find a hotel in a handy area that most would be contented with for around $40.

Don´t forget to bring a jacket and a sweater. It can be pretty cool here even during the day.

Men might feel better with a blazzar or even a suit and tie.

Lots to see and do.

Colombian food is not always the most interesting, but in Bogota its not hard to get excellent food from around the world. I was in a Tai-Israeli place today.





More cocaine moves through Brazil that any country. Most prpobably through Bolivia, but there is a great deal that moves down the Amazon from Peru. Europe is the destination for most of it

Bogota

The weather is great here in Bogota.
Colombians carry on.
Avianca is a safe and efficient way to fly.
There are still Mejias, Restrepos, Parras and more here.
President Uribe may speak the classiest Spanish in the Americas.

A Plan

I have no tickets or visas yet, but have the start of a plan: Fly to Colombia, probably into Bogota rather than Medellin. I can see the Gold Museum and the Salt Cathedral while in the Capital. Mis Piasanos de Antioquia no me van hacer falta.

From Colombia go to Merida de Venezuela to take a look at the surrounding small towns.

From Venezuela to Bolivia to take a pretty good look at that land-locked country. Venezuela and Bolivia are both new territory for me. Right now Bolivia seems very attractive. Maybe I can see the reality of the Tamengo Canal with my own eyes.

Relaxing in the hot water at Salta, Uruguay again doesn't seem a bad idea either.

While I'm thinking, I'll pack a bag.
If I go to North Africa, South Africa, Indonesia, or Maldova I'll enjoy my own toothbrush and a change of underwear.