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Escaping the Humidity: A Journey from Ecuador's Amazon to Colombia's Andes
October 4, 2025
I arrived in La Hormiga, Colombia, on Oct. 3. La Hormiga is a small and noisy town on the Colombian edge of the Amazon. After weeks of scratchy throat and sleepless nights from the humid air of the northern Ecuador Amazon region, I decided to leave the it behind and head for higher, drier ground. For almost three months I had lived in the forests and mountains of Peru and Ecuador, places I loved, but northern Amazonia simply wasn’t for me.
Read MoreColombia: The Outlier Cousin of South America
September 2, 2025
Travel long enough through South America and patterns start to appear — the familiar Costa / Sierra / Selva rhythm of Perú and Ecuador, the European flair of Argentina and Uruguay, the coastal pull of Chilé. And then there's Colombia. Same continent, but it marches to its own beat. From the way Colombians identify themselves to the words they use for their regions, the country stands apart. On a recent trip — sparked by spotting unexpected cacao plantations in central Ecuador — I found myself reflecting on just how different Colombia really is.
Read MoreCali, Colombia
March 2, 2024
Cali, or more correctly Santiago de Cali, is a city of more than two million people. By the land area of the city it is the secondbiggest city in Colombia, but by the population it is the third biggest. Cali was founded in July of 1536, that makes Cali 488 years old. The firstchurch built here, in 1538, is still standing and in use. Next to and attached to the church is the a house that is now used as an archeologicalmuseum. There are photos in the photo album.
Read MoreArgelia, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
December 26, 2023
Argelia, Valle del Cauca, Colombia, has a population of about 6500, and about 3500 live in the urban center of the town. The town is located in the western range of the Andes Mountains and has a river running through a very narrow valley. The town is built on the slopes of the mountains. The only flat, horizontal streets are the few that run along the sides of the mountain. To connect those there are a couple of switchbacks at one end and a road that drops down to the river. Other than those ends, in between are five stairways connecting the streets, and they are steep and long. The town has a central plaza with a church on one side and bars and discos on three sides. There are two actual proper sit-down restaurants and many small fast-food-type restaurants.
Read MoreTuluá, Colombia
December 13, 2023
Tuluá, Colombia, has a population of about 220,000. The town sits in the center of the Valle del Cauca department between the Central and Western ranges of the Andes Mountains. The name Tuluá came from the Tulué indigenous people who spoke the Pijao language. The Pijao language went extinct in the 18th century, so nobody knows the meaning of the word Tuluá. So, because the Pijao people referred to the land as "easy to navigate" the city adopted that as the meaning of the word Tuluá. Also, due to its geographical location in the center of the department Valle del Cauca, Tuluá is also known as the Heart of the Valley.
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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.