There are 498 blog posts for you to enjoy.
Weeds
October 22, 2023
Today, something completely different from my typical blogs this past year, I hope you find it interesting.
I read an article in the news about a man who was gardening and pulling weeds, nothing special, something many people do. But he then took the weeds and instead of throwing them into the trash, he chopped them up, laid them out to dry, and then mixed them into his compost bin. Joila! Compost loaded with natural nutrients that would have otherwise ended up in a landfill.
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Zarzal, Colombia
October 19, 2023
Zarzal, Colombia, has a population of about 32,000 in the urban area and about 47,000 in the greater metropolitan area. The town sits in the north of the Valle Del Cauca in the center of the valley.
Zarzal was first founded in 1783 with the name Pueblo Viejo (Old Town). At that time there was a population of about 80. The houses were made of bamboo/mud walls and thatched roofs, many of which still exist and are lived in today. In the early 1800s, the town was renamed Zarzal but that lasted until 1850 when it was renamed, again, this time to Libraida. The town had been categorized as a municipality but in 1857 it was demoted to a village, but then in 1871 it was promoted to a town. Then, in 1909, it was refounded as a municipality.
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Bolívar, Colombia
October 3, 2023
Bolívar, Colombia, has a population of no more than 5,000. The region also includes several small pueblos, and all told a total of no more than 17,000. Bolívar sits in the north part of the Valle del Cauca. This valley is located between the Western and Central Ranges of the Andes Mountains. In the center of the valley is the Cauca River. There are sugar cane and corn farms throughout the valley, and many types of fruit are grown as well.
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Back in Roldanillo, Colombia, where my journey began, almost a year ago.
September 29, 2023
My South America Journey Update - Part 4.
First, a recap: Part 1 covered leavingColombia, about 2 1/2 months passing through Ecuador, where Ifound one town, Puyo, that I like as a potential new home, andabout two months passing through Peru, where I found one town inparticular, Moyobamba, that I like. I narrowed down the list oftowns in those two countries after my second trip through them,revisiting many towns, and finally came to having those two townson my list of potential new hometowns.
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Cartago, Colombia
September 24, 2023
Cartago, Colombia, has a population of about 140,000. Cartago sits in a valley between the Western and Central Ranges of the Andes Mountains. Two rivers pass by, one directly next to the town and forms the border of the city and the department (province); the other is very close outside of the town. There are sugar cane and corn farms throughout the valley.
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