Hello from Santuario, Risaralda, Colombia

[AndyLee]

I'm sort of new here, I think I joined this forum last year. I grew up in Missouri and lived most of my adult life in New England and Virginia. I first tried relocating to Costa Rica but found the country and the people a little off putting. I've lived in Colombia since December '09. I find the climate, geography and people of Colombia to be absolutely great. I'm enjoying integrating into the society here. I've made more good friends here in a year than I made in the US in like 10 years.
So far I've lived a short time each in Bogota, Bucaramanga, Barranquilla, Cartagena, Medellin, Le Ceja, Pereira and now Santuario, Risaralda which is 1.5 hours by bus from Pereira.
I've also visited lots of the smaller cities including Santa Marta. I like all of Colombia but I'm particularly drawn to the coffee region around Pereira. The climate is eternal spring and quite comfortable for me and I appreciate the mountains and valleys.
I'm newly retired as of May 2010 and just learning the ropes as a 62 year old retiree although I still work part time as a writer for a publisher in the US.
Frankly, if I had my life to live over again I would have left the US 20 or 30 years ago and made my way as an English teacher in Latin America.
I chose Santuario sort of by accident. Before I moved down here I joined one of the Colombia discussion forums and one of the posters is from Santuario so when I was making my way around Colombia the first trip I stopped in to visit him. I didn't much care for him in person as it turns out he is in his 70's but he pays really young girls money and drugs to be with him which sort of disgusts me.
I know prostitution is legal in this country, and teen age prostitution is commonplace, but that still doesn't make it right in my opinion, especially when it involves girls from age 11 to 14.
But, while I was visiting here I met several other people that I clicked with and eventually moved here full time. You can see pictures of Santuario at my web page www.myandylee.com. If you do a google for Santuario there are several of them in Colombia. It means Santuary. There is a good size Santuario in Antioquia department about 2 hours from Medellin. It has a much higher elevation though and is cold, like Manizales but not as cold as Bogota.
Where I am is about 5000 feet elevation with perfect spring like weather, think May in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia kind of springtime.
An often repeated advice on this forum is to learn Spanish and I cannot emphasize enough how true that is. I learned on the go so to speak and it has been difficult at times. I remember once ordering a pork dinner in a restaurant and getting served trout. Another time I wound up on the wrong bus and didn't know it until the bus stopped at the drivers home and I woke up to find I was the only passenger. You should have seen the look on that driver's face when I sat up in the seat and said WTF. I probably looked just as surprised as him.
I know my personal adventure in Colombia would have been a whole different and much more enjoyable story if I'd known Spanish when I got here.

[Colgando]

Hi AndyLee!

I hear you on leaving the US and living in a different country, I have plans in motion myself. I am on the younger side of the P-L crowd at 29, turning 30 this year. Subtract 20 or 30 years from your age and you have me and I want to go ahead and make these moves now and not have any regrets or shouldas, couldas, wouldas.

[whitey]

Glad you've started posting Andy ... welcome ... it's always great to get a perspective from someone living in Colombia.

Frankly, if I had my life to live over again I would have left the US 20 or 30 years ago and made my way as an English teacher in Latin America.

I'm interested in this statement of yours as someone who's heart wants to move to Colombia, but who's brain says it's better to wait 7-10 years until I'm closer to retirement.

The commonly held wisdom seems to be that working as an English teacher in Colombia means long hours (50 per week) for little pay.  Do you really think this would be a viable option?  Can someone live well, even if reasonably modestly in Santuario on an English teacher's salary?

[z_k_g]

Andy,

Welcome!

I like your writing style and I'm looking forward to hearing your viewpoint!

Since you are "on the ground" we can get a much needed real time perspective.  A lot of guys visit and give great feedback and you can put their reports in perspective.

Zulu

[Jeff S]

Hi Andy and welcome!

[raycjs]

Welcome to the board Andy,

It's sounds like you are enjoying your life in Colombia,

best of luck to you

Ray

[AndyLee]

The commonly held wisdom seems to be that working as an English teacher in Colombia means long hours (50 per week) for little pay.  Do you really think this would be a viable option?  Can someone live well, even if reasonably modestly in Santuario on an English teacher's salary?

Thanks for the welcome,
I think it is possible to make a decent living as an English teacher here, but it depends on your expectations and your lifestyle. I have heard the stories about the long hours and low pay, too, but I don't have any first hand experience of that. By comparison, my friend in Pereira works Wednesday, Friday and Saturday each week and makes 1,200,000 per month and he lives well on that income but his house is paid for so he doesn't have any rent expense.
My monthly budget is 1,200,000 for my rent, lights, Internet, water, life and health insurance and food/drink. Then I spend an average 400,000 month dating women.
However, I live at the edge of the village and rent a finca for only 300,000 each month, compared to the apartment I used to rent in Medellin which was 800,000. I can live inexpensively because I'm not a heavy drinker or gambler or womanizer. My entertainment is my exercise, walking in the coffee farms, and traveling. I can get by very nicely for about $900US each month. But, I have heard and read stories about Gringos in Medellin and Bogota who spend that much just for rent and utilities. They complain they can't afford to live in Colombia because it is too expensive.
Also, it depends if you are single or married. It costs about 400,000 per month for food and drink and other things for an extra person. That's about what I spend on dating each month. But, if your wife or girlfriend is working her salary will cover her expenses, hopefully.

[Jedimaster]

Andy,

Welcome to the forum.  As others have mentioned here, its good to have another poster who's living in Colombia.

[beginthebeguin]

Andy, I checked out your web-site. Keep up the good work. I will be moving down there for sure in a little over a year. So your website is 'like butta' to me.