Adventure

by

How We Spent 5 Brilliant Days in Salento

Overlooking Salento from Alto de la Cruz.

We recently had the pleasure of having family from the US visit us here in Colombia. In addition to seeing some of the sights and sounds of Bogotá, we enjoyed a five-day visit to Zona Cafetera, or the coffee zone, specifically in the wonderful little colonial town of Salento. Zona Cafetera is Colombia’s principal coffee-growing zone. The region is shaped like an inverted triangle (hence the name ‘coffee triangle’ by some), with the cities of Armenia, Manizales, and Pereira. The steep hillsides are covered with fincas (large farms) where you can learn about coffee production, participate in harvesting coffee ‘cherries’, and sample fresh gourmet coffee.

Finca el Ocaso Salento

Colombia is world-renowned as a major producer of coffee that rivals the best in the world. Colombia has some 565,000 coffee farmers, who together produce 12 percent of the world’s coffee, second only to Brazil. The Coffea Arabica coffee plant grows best in well-drained soils at elevations of 2,500 to 4,000 feet, with a constant temperature between 59 and 82 degrees F, and a wet and dry season.

 

Salento was founded in 1842 and is the typical paisa town. It has the most complete Antioquian architecture of any small town in the region. Most buildings are awash in bright, harmonious color, especially Calle Real, the main street. Here you can find an array of restaurants, hostels, souvenir shops, art galleries, quaint cafes, and ice cream shops. The best view of the town is from the top of Alto de la Cruz. It’s reached by a 240-step staircase at the north end of the main street. We were fortunate to have found a wonderful hostel, Casa de la Ciencia, owned and operated by Rubiela, a woman in her later years. She was kind enough to organize our guided hike in the Cocora Valley and secure our transportation to and from the airport in Armenia, which is an hour away.

Casas de la Ciencia, Solento, Quindio

Joel Engel, Jim Engel, Rubiela (proprietor), Jane Ann Engel, Sharon Wong

Next, follow the Rio Quindío out of town into the Valle de Cocora, home to the Quindío wax palm, Colombia’s national tree, and a legally protected species. The wax palm is endemic to the country and grows primarily in this region at elevations above 6,560 feet. The tallest palm tree in the world soars to a height of up to 213 feet. It grows extremely slowly and can live up to 100 years. We enjoyed a six+ hour guided hike with Edison Garcia, of Andino Quindio Ecoturismo. The scenery was spectacular, and our guide was very knowledgeable, having spent the past 14 years leading hikes in the area. The Hummingbird Forest of Acaime was well worth the extra 5km off the main trail, and the hot chocolate con queso was a much-needed energy boost. From there, we made our way up a very steep trail to La Montana where the view was majestic and breathtaking, quite literally.

Zona Cafetera is convenient to reach from Bogotá, so we’re hoping to make it back there regularly. In the meantime, we have some wonderful memories and photos…we hope you enjoy viewing them as much as we had taking them!

Hiking the Cocora Valley: Jane Ann, Sharon, Joel, Jim & Tanja
Wax Palms, Colombia’s national tree, of the Cocora Valley
Overview of the Cocora Valley
Colibris (hummingbirds) of the Cocora Valley
Architectecture of Salento
All You Need in Life is the Love of a Good Cat
by

All You Need in Life is the Love of a Good Cat

Love of a good catRecently, we made a change in our life. Yes, we moved to Bogota, Colombia. Then we made another change. We adopted a cat. Well, actually, a kitten. And truth be told, she adopted us. A local friend recommended an animal rescue shelter near our home.

One afternoon, after teaching an English class, Jim stopped by the shelter. There, he met Scarlett, the owner, and a passionate animal rescuer. She led him to an area where she was boarding a number of cats and kittens. One of the primary principals, at least for us, in deciding on a particular cat is to wait for a cat to pick you. One such adorable kitten instantly made her way to Jim and proceeded to make herself even more adorable. Kitten, 1. Jim, 1.

The next day we both went back to the shelter. Jim showed me the kitty that chose him and I instantly fell in love. She was a keeper. Kitten, 2. J & JA, 2.

Here’s a little back-story. One can imagine how stressful it is to relocate to another city, let alone another country. One with a language you barely speak. One with a different culture. While we both pat ourselves on the back for making the adjustment as pleasant as possible, I’d be lying if I didn’t say that it has been quite stressful.

Isabella 3 Isabella 6

Fast forward to the day we brought home our newly adopted kitten. We had no idea just how stressed out we were until we spent the day playing with, snuggling with, and relaxing with our new fur friend. We’ve named her Isabella Canela; Izzy for short. Canela is Spanish for cinnamon. The markings in her fur look like someone sprinkled cinnamon over her.

Isabella 11 Isabella 15

In the last five weeks that she’s made our home her home, both Jim and I have felt a definite calming effect. It’s exciting to hurry home now, knowing that when we open the door she’ll be right there to greet us. And she’s quick to jump in our lap the minute we sit down. She loves to be petted and she purrs loudly with satisfaction. We love watching her little kitten antics; racing through the apartment, batting around a plastic bottle cap, climbing up the metal clothes drying rack as though playing King of the Mountain, and just posing in her naturally cute way.

She loves us. And we love her. And we wonder why we waited so long to adopt a cat.

by

Good to Great in Colombia

Note: One of our goals for this blog is to introduce important (to us) ideas regarding the process of becoming expatriates – or immigrants – in the hope that these musings can help others, perhaps you, along in the process. Ergo:

I recall reading Good to Great (Jim Collins, Harper Business, 2001) when it was released, and being impressed by the simplicity of its findings: good companies become great by remaining true to their initial good ideas, by being good, having good ideas, and staying the course.

As we approached the idea of leaving the states for a new home-country, I recall some of the formative reasons: to introduce adventure and romance into our daily lives, and to grow together as we tested new waters. What John Lennon penned is correct, “Life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans.” It’s easy to become occupied with daily challenges or routines, and lose your initial focus. The great news is that you can always refocus, and grow in the process.

In the Bleachers 18-5-15

Moving from your home country – regardless of how prepared you are or how positive the change – is, by definition, life changing. Moving to a city many times larger than you’ve ever lived in, whose language is different, as well as its social structure, economy, etc., can, let’s say, take your eye off the mark. An important lesson we are learning is to PLAN times to “call a huddle,” to take time and make an effort to continually reassess our goals and see where we are relative to them.

Ballard Street 18-5-15

Bogotá, Colombia, South America, Spanish, work/income, language, and more, are each important, but only in context of our larger goals and aspirations. Four months (is that all?) into this new adventure, and looking at how we will progress, we are finding it beneficial to take time to refocus on our priorities; namely, each other. We are having – quite literally – the time of our lives, and finding it is time to make sure we are staying true to our goals, to be certain of a sound strategy, and to come up with workable tactics to bring our aspirations to reality. Perhaps most importantly, we are learning, yes, to be self-reliant, but also that we can rely on each other, and that self-reliance and mutual reliance forms an exciting and fun life.

Stay tuned… the best is yet to be!

 

by

Jim & Jane Ann in the Media – May 2015 Issue of Incomes Abroad

One of the exciting activities we hoped and planned for in our new life in Colombia is to share our experiences with friends, acquaintances and followers who may be interested in the same or similar adventure. International Living’s publication, Incomes Abroad was kind enough to ask that we provide our summary story for publication in their May 2015 Issue. Click here or on the image of the publication below to open the issue of Income’s Abroad, and read our story on page 3.

Incomes Abroad May 2015 p3

We would highly value your thoughts, comments and reactions to the article. Please feel free to repost or share, and we hope to encourage a few to make your adventures and dreams happen. As a first step, share your dream or adventure with us here in the comments below!

by

Out of Bogotá

Friends (Sophia, Fabio and Julian) kindly invited us to join them on a weekend trip out of Bogotá, to Villa de Leyva, to enjoy the nightlife and surrounding beauty, and join them in their home town of Tunja.

Villa de Leyva is Colombia’s poster child of architectural preservation. Founded in 1572, this colonial town was declared a national monument in 1954. It’s been preserved in its entirety, including its stone-paved streets. Some are embedded with fossils from the surrounding area. Every building is whitewashed, with terra-cotta tiled roofs, green doors, trim, and balconies, many with decorated flowerpots. The town is laid out in a grid around the vast cobbled Plaza Mayor. This is the place to hang out, day or night, and enjoy the people mingling about.

Villa de Leyva is a base for dozens of excursions and intriguing day trips. With friends as our guide, we headed out for a day hike to see some beautiful, local falls. In addition to the falls, there’s zip lining, bungee jumping and repelling the waterfall.

North of Bogotá, the first major city you encounter in Tunja (tōnˈhä), one of the oldest cities in Colombia. The Spanish founded the city in 1539. Tunja was the capital of Pan-Colombia, prior to the establishment of the Republic of Colombia in 1830. Just south of the city, a monument and bridge commemorate the Battle of Boyacá (1819), the decisive battle in the independence struggle. A measure of Tunja’s importance during colonial times lies in the number of churches that were built. Anyone interested in religious art should visit the city.

Here is a visual remembrance of our trip:

 

Road from Bogotá to Villa de Leyva
Arepa Boyacense
Carne asada
Sights of Villa de Leyva
Sights of Villa de Leyva
Sights of Villa de Leyva
Sights of Villa de Leyva
Sights of Villa de Leyva
Sights of Villa de Leyva
Sights of Villa de Leyva
Sights of Villa de Leyva
Sights of Villa de Leyva
Sights of Villa de Leyva
Sights of Villa de Leyva
Sights of Villa de Leyva
Sights of Villa de Leyva
Sights of Villa de Leyva
Sights of Villa de Leyva
Sights of Villa de Leyva
Sights of Villa de Leyva
Sights of Villa de Leyva
Sights of Villa de Leyva
Sights of Villa de Leyva
Sights of Villa de Leyva
Sights of Villa de Leyva
Sights of Villa de Leyva
Sights of Villa de Leyva
Sights of Villa de Leyva
Sights of Villa de Leyva
Sights of Villa de Leyva
Sights of Villa de Leyva
Sights of Villa de Leyva
Sights of Villa de Leyva
Sights of Villa de Leyva
Sights of Villa de Leyva
Sights of Villa de Leyva
Sights of Villa de Leyva
Sights of Villa de Leyva
Sights of Villa de Leyva
Streets of Tunja
Iglesia de Tunja
Iglesia de Tunja
Iglesia de Tunja
Iglesia de Tunja
Iglesia de Tunja
Iglesia de Tunja
Iglesia de Tunja

As always, we would value your comments. Let us know your impressions of Colombia, and tell us what you would like to see.

Nos vemos,

Jim & Jane Ann

by

Taking Time To Be Tourists

Two months into residence in Bogotá, and we finally made our first tourist excursion. We took the day to bus (TransMilenio, always an adventure) to La Candelaria, the historical foundation of modern Bogotá, dating to 1538. Most of the time was spent at the Museum of Gold, but we also spent time walking the old streets and taking in some historical architecture.

Following is a whirlwind photographic tour of our day:

 

We hope you enjoyed sharing our tour of Bogotá’s historical Candelaria district. Please comment on your experiences in Bogotá, or other fascinating travel spots.

by

“We are here! We are here! We are here! We are here!” ~ Horton Hears a Who, Dr. Suess

Bogotá's El Dorado International Airport

Bogotá’s El Dorado International Airport

For the next few postings we want to give you a pictorial overview of our initial experiences in-country. Our first ten days have been exhilarating. The Spanish that we took has been helpful in the most basic of ways, but mostly we are sorely lacking. Most Bogotoans are sympathetic and helpful. Transportation and communication have been a challenge, but we are managing and building lots of patience.

After only two days in Bogotá we attended an international event sponsored by InterNations where we had opportunity to meet and network with nationals and expats. We’ve also been fortunate to meet a number of friendly and welcoming Bogotoans who have helped to make us feel at home.

As we closed with Helen Keller’s quote in our last post, “Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.” Our adventure is afoot, and we welcome you to join us here.

Note: We’ll conclude our “4 Ways to Prepare for Your Escape” series after a few weeks of pictorial posts of our new home.

Please give us your impressions of our experiences so far. Muchas gracias!

by

4 Ways to Prepare for Your Escape from Waiting and Staying. Part 3: Security

colombia flag in skyHaving narrowed our focus on a country, and assessed our needs and options for income, it seemed an ongoing assessment of safety and personal security was critical; ongoing because historical information can present a false picture, and some areas’ safety concerns remain dynamic. Additionally, health safety concerns can change quickly and dramatically, as witnessed in Africa (Ebola), Asia (Influenza), or the Caribbean (Chikungunya). Finding reliable unbiased resources is critical, as is obtaining as much localized information as possible. Some that proved helpful for us include:

  • US Department of State Travel Page: Information on passports, visas, travel alerts, resources, and links, all courtesy of the US government.
    • US Embassies: A section of State Department, here you can find the US Embassy in your country of interest, providing valuable service to US Citizens travelling abroad, and communications between countries.
  • Center for Disease Control and Prevention: CDC protects Americans from health, safety and security threats, both foreign and in the U.S.
  • World Health Organization: WHO is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health trends.
  • Expat Exchange: A valuable resource of expat community information sharing, and critical topic reports to assess communities worldwide.
  • Numbeo: Provides unbiased statistical and demographic data on cities and countries worldwide, including crime, healthcare, etc.
  • Sites we value focused on South America:
  • South America Living (http://www.southamericaliving.com/): Their free Country Guides give information on: Travel Hot Spots Crime & Safety; Transportation; Blogs and more.
  • Finally, all the local news (newspapers, radio, etc.) you can digest. Google news in the country or major cities for resources, or download APPS for news feeds. International news agencies (i.e., BBC, etc.) provide valuable information, but may lack local perspective.

We believe it’s important to a happy experience in living and retiring overseas not to limit our perspectives to our current lifestyle, tastes and customs. Instead, much of the adventure is in the process of broadening our perspective and assimilating new lifestyles, tastes and customs. That being said, be realistic about the limits of what you can live with or without. Be excited about the adventure, enjoy the butterflies in your stomach, but be honest about what you can tolerate and what you want.

Spending time reading current news from local sources can help you assess the safety of your prospective home, as well as determining an affinity with its culture. While historical news may provide an incorrect picture of the current status, it may help you see trends or instabilities. In short, a good understanding of your new home’s past and present may be critical to your happiness and security.

In the words of the avid adventurer, Helen Keller, “Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.”

What is YOUR next adventure? Please let us know in the comments below.

(Note: We will be travelling to our new home in Bogotá over the next week, and settling there,
which may necessitate a week or two delay of our next posting.)

by

4 Ways to Prepare for Your Escape from Waiting and Staying. Part 2: Finances

4 Ways to Prepare For Your Escape: Finances

4 Ways to Prepare For Your Escape: Finances

Having narrowed our focus on the question “where” we were ready to “escape all that waiting and staying, to find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing.” But life’s practical little matters always raise their little heads to remind us of reality. Before we went any further we had to determine how this phase of life would be funded.

For most of us, coming to terms with pre-retirement age income can present a real hurdle. If you’ve been fortunate enough to accumulate significant holdings, this phase of research can be made easier or unnecessary. Some with international employers (such as Amazon, Boeing, Microsoft, etc.) may have a ready solution through a transfer to a foreign post. The rest of us are left searching for reasonable and reliable income sources. Resources which proved valuable in our search included:

Some of the most frequently listed income ideas included teaching English, blogging, starting your own business, photography, and writing for travel publications. Each provides different levels of income, and is more or less viable at your preferred location. You will have to assess your personal preferences, skills, experience, and economic needs to determine what is appropriate for your situation.

We found teaching English provided a good fit, and suited our preferred destination(s). Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) can be done with private schools, public schools, international schools, special interest groups or international corporations. As we researched our options, the following resources provided guidance:

Oxford Seminars provided nearby in-person high-quality classes for certification, and invaluable job-search resources, including 20,000 English as a Second Language (ESL) job listings worldwide. Doing your own primary research of available employment, pay scales, and cost of living will be important to finding the right opportunity and to learning about the community in which you eventually settle. Remember, your income decisions can remain fluid, and once settled in your new home you may find an economic opportunity that better fits your skills and preferences, or supplies you with a better income.

On Pinterest, I found the quote, “Based on my calculations, I can retire about five years after I die.” This felt uncomfortably familiar as we contemplated retirement options in the US. So finding our adventure and meeting the financial realities of the present and future was important. We’ve done just that, and wish the same excitement for you.

What are some ideas for YOU to create revenue for YOUR escape? Leave us a comment with your ideas.

by

4 Ways to Prepare for Your Escape from Waiting and Staying. Part 1: Place

4 Ways to Prepare for Your Escape

4 Ways to Prepare for Your Escape

We had a wonderful sense of anticipation; anything could happen. Amazing how quickly the zest for adventure can recede in the face of the mundane: where would we go? how would we support ourselves? would we be safe? could we communicate in a foreign language? yada, yada.

It’s said that, “success is where preparation and opportunity meet.” Knowing that opportunities awaited, we began our journey. Our first step was to bring focus to the question WHERE. We each have individual tastes, preferences, secret wishes and ideas of adventure. We allowed our imaginations to dance, and tempered them with individual preferences. For us, we were able to find significant agreement among Central and South American countries.

Research and an appraisal of your personal resources can open your eyes to additional opportunities, but – importantly – provides the tempering of practical realities and lifestyle preferences. Some tools that we found invaluable include:

  • International Living: Vast array of information including by country assessments of culture, safety, healthcare, cost-of-living, income and investment opportunities, etc.
  • South America Living: A first-hand cultural experience across most of South America
  • Wikipedia: One of the world’s largest reference websites, neutral, and edited by millions of users. Check out the data on climate, culture, geography, crime, government, and more
  • US Department of State: General country information, travel advisories, travel preparations, useful links
  • CIA – World Factbook: Information on the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 267 world entities
  • Embassy websites: Good information on visa requirements, employment regulations, culture
  • Network of friends, family, colleagues and acquaintances: NEVER underestimate the depth of your own contacts. Talk about your plans with friends and family, and ask if they know someone who has travelled extensively in an area of interest
  • Independent news feeds and blogs: Journalists and bloggers are your friends! Find local newspapers and alternate news sources in areas of interest

After narrowing our target list down to 4 to 5 countries – which did not include Colombia at the time – we found a past colleague who was a native Bogotano, and friends whose son recently completed a Fulbright scholarship in Riohacha. Expanding our research into independent news sources, we soon found that Colombia, and Bogotá in particular, was the best fit for us.

As we count the final days before we embark on our life-adventure, here’s the advice of my doctor (Dr. Suess, that is): Somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying. You’ll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing. With banner flip-flapping, once more you’ll ride high! Ready for anything under the sky. Ready because you’re that kind of a guy!

“You must begin, by all means! Go, get prepared!” (Israelmore Ayivor). Be prepared, but always remember for what you prepare… and GO! Using all relevant constraints, set a realistic but aggressive schedule. We will discuss in our next few posts further preparatory research and actions: income, personal security and language skills.

Share a comment and tell us YOUR escape plans!