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When “Adiós” Doesn’t Mean Goodbye
October 29, 2025
Today, as I walked down the street (here in Roldanillo, Valle del Cauca, Colombia), an older woman stood in her doorway as she does every day. I walk this block almost every day as it is between where I live and downtown. She smiled, raised a hand, and said, ‘¡Adiós!’, same as she does every day. I waved, said, "buenas tardes," and then kept walking. This has happened in all seven countries I have visited in South America, not just once or twice, but consistently.
Read MoreFrom Mazamari to Roldanillo: A Journey Across Three Countries
October 24, 2025
I’ve finally settled into Roldanillo, Colombia, where I’ll be for at least five months. Maybe longer, maybe not, residency is technically an option, but I doubt I’ll spend my days wrestling with immigration offices when I could be drinking coffee in the plaza. Besides, residency in Perú and Ecuador is easier than in Colombia. Before I get too comfortable, I want to rewind and share the trip that brought me here: a winding route through Peru, Ecuador, and into Colombia.
Read MoreGirardot, Colombia
October 18, 2025
Girardot, Colombia, lies about two hours southwest of Bogotá. It has a population of around 110,000, with the metro area reaching about 143,000. Founded in 1852 and named after General Atanasio Girardot, it began as a simple trading post. Wikipedia mentions that it’s a tourist destination for Bogotanos, mostly because of the warm climate. Frankly, I see little else to draw visitors here.
Reference: Wikipedia
El Espinal, Colombia
October 16, 2025
El Espinal, or just Espinal as it’s usually called, sits in the south-central region of Colombia, about halfway between Bogotá and Cali. The town itself has around 60,000 residents, with about 77,000 in the greater metro area. To set the geography straight: the Río Coello flows a few kilometers west of town, and the Río Magdalena a few kilometers east. Some blogs and even Wikipedia like to suggest those rivers run right through town — they don’t. What Espinal does have are two smaller streams running through it, neither celebrated nor accessible. One is even boxed in with concrete like a drainage canal. On the cultural side, Espinal has a monument to the tambora drum and is “said” to be famous for them, though in my time here I haven’t seen a single tambora or tambora-maker in the town. The town's economy is bases on agriculture, mostly rice, cotton, corn, soybeans, and some lesser commodities.
References:
City Population
Wikipedia
Guamo, Colombia
October 14, 2025
Guamo is a small town in Tolima with a history that, at least according to Wikipedia, seems longer
than its streets. Founded in the early 1600s, it was relocated a couple of times before settling in its current spot in
1801. The local Indigenous people resisted the Spanish conquest fiercely, but as in much of Colombia, the Spanish
eventually prevailed. The town then developed as an agricultural hub, producing rice, cotton, corn, bananas, and
citrus, while never really growing into a major city.
Reference: Wikipedia
I used to teach English as a foreign language in Barranquilla, Colombia. Now I'm retired and traveling throughout South America.
I'm from Kennewick, Washington, USA. In my previous life, as I call it, I was an IT guy, systems administrator, computer tech, as well as a shipping/receiving guy and also worked as a merchandising guy in a RV/Camping store.