More Observations from the side of the Emerald Mountain

It has been disturbing to read all the negative comments from people who are supposed to be Poor but Happy ! That title does fit me and my outlook perfectly.
I arrived in Colombia with an open mind, reaady to accept new things and modify my mindset to be comfortable here. I didn't really lke the city of Bogota, and only lived there for a couple of years. I much prefered Chia. I also tried Cali for a year but even though the evenings were nice the days were too hot generally. Yes there are people in both Bogota and Cali who are extreamly poor. Yes,They sleep under bridges and in doorways. Yes they beg for food. It did make me feel uncomfortable and somewhat guilty for having while they didn't.
I choose not to live in that type of environment. I Choose to live in an area with a more comfortable life style for everyone. It seems to be ridiculous to complain endlessly about a place I choose when it is so easy to choose a better place.
Where I live there is ONE man who walks around looking for handouts. I offered him pay for work and he never showed up. There is also a young man who is mentally deficient that lives in a room over the marketplace. The village supports him. I have not seen or heard of anyone in need of medical care that can't get it. The health department even goes from farm to farm and gives all dogs rabies injections free. People here really are PBH. There is no industry and very few exported items. The major product from the region is Chicharon de Quajada, which is sent to Tunja and Bogota in some numbers. About 85% of the the people in Somondoco live in the Campo. 60% don't even have car access to their houses. Horses, Donkeys and now Motorcycles are in use for a lot of families.
The department of Boyaca has a health system, Sysbien, that is free for residents without significent income and is obtained by registering with the alcalde's office. I can use the service at a per use basis of 20,000 per non emergency visits. Blood Pressure checks--free just go in and ask.
I choose to retire here rather than in the US for many reasons, not the least is the cost of living. My $1000 USD SS pension would not go very far in the US, while here it is enough for a comfortable laidback lifestyle.
OK I will get off my soapbox and wait for the deluge of protestors

By Bill Turley on May 4, 2008, 09:04 in Friendly Talkzone.

webmanco says on May 4, 2008, 09:21:

Boyaca is a huge department, most colombians don´t know much about Boyaca, The most well known parts of Boyaca are Villa de Leiva and El Nevado de el Cocuy. But there is more of Boyaca than those two places, there is el Valle de Tensa, Somondoco, La Capilla, Guateuque, Santa Maria del Lago, Paipa, Duitama, Raquira, Chiquinquira, Tunja, Sogamoso, Nobsa, Iza, Pesca

La Pita is the name of a Vereda where new emerald vetas where found, it is said the emeralds that come out there are of high quality, however once a produccion disappointed so much that many "esmeralderos" lost a lot of money, due that some emeralds where over valuated. Muzo is the emeral mine most well knonw for the quality of its emeralds.

Combita is where a high security prison was built.

But, I'm going to start making some assumptions here.... Which means I might actually end up making an ass out of myself ..........Thu 04 17, 2008 11:34 am

Mr. Hollywood says on May 4, 2008, 09:23:

Sounds great, Bill.

Congrats on finding your slice of paradise.

Cheers Terry says on May 4, 2008, 09:23:

Ditto.

Bill Turley says on May 4, 2008, 09:41:

About the emeralds, Somondoco is the location that the precolombian emeralds came from. I have gotten some rock with the poor quality crystals in them

Mr. Bill Somondoco

august says on May 4, 2008, 09:43:

I'm just not sure the title "Poor But Happy" was supposed to refer to the citizens (or even ex-pats) of the country on which the site is focused (Colombia, in this case) as much as backpackers/low budget travelers, but that's only my interpretation.

Waterdawg says on May 4, 2008, 09:44:

Good for you ole Bearded one !

webmanco says on May 4, 2008, 09:46:

I have gotten some rock with the poor quality crystals in them

Known as gangas

But, I'm going to start making some assumptions here.... Which means I might actually end up making an ass out of myself ..........Thu 04 17, 2008 11:34 am

MaFe says on May 4, 2008, 10:15:

Sounds great!

"No comment" is a splendid expression. I am using it again and again." -Winston Churchill

webmanco says on May 4, 2008, 10:21:

Emerald website, under construction, keep an eye on it.

http://museodelaesmeraldacolombiana.com/

http://museodelaesmeraldacolombiana.com/Articulo.htm
Cuenta la leyenda que, después de crear el mundo, el dios Are tomó 2 juncos del Magdalena y creó a la primera pareja humana, Fura (mujer) y Tena (hombre), a quienes dio felicidad y juventud eterna si eran fieles. Pero un día apareció Zerbi y con él Fura desobedeció.

Destrozado, Tena se clavó una macana en el vientre; Fura, arrepentida, permaneció abrazada a él y Zerbi se transformó en un río que separó para siempre a los esposos convertidos en dos enormes cerros. "Ante la muerte de Tena, el dolor de Fura fue inmenso. Sus gritos de dolor en la quietud de la selva se convirtieron en mariposas multicolores y sus lágrimas se transformaron en una cordillera de esmeraldas".

Este leyenda de los Muzos, de la que todavía quedan como testigos los cerros de Furatena y el río Minero en Boyacá, inspiró la exposición 'Silicatos de Berilio Fura y Tena', primera muestra de esmeraldas y piezas únicas de esta gema, con la que se da a conocer oficialmente el Museo de la Esmeralda Colombiana MEC

Todo empezó con un sueño de su gestor y director, Vilmar Novoa Bohórquez, hijo y nieto de mineros, nacido en Somondoco, donde creció en la atmósfera asfixiante de las minas, donde el trabajo es agotador, el oxígeno escaso y la temperatura alcanza los 50 grados centígrados. Ahí, bajo tierra, en las minas de Chivor, en medio de la roca y del agua que debe ser bombeada a cada minuto, descubrió su pasión por las esmeraldas raras y encontró la primera curiosidad destinada al museo cuando tenía 15 años.

Full article
http://museodelaesmeraldacolombiana.com/Articulo.htm

But, I'm going to start making some assumptions here.... Which means I might actually end up making an ass out of myself ..........Thu 04 17, 2008 11:34 am

lpdiver says on May 4, 2008, 14:25:

What's too protest? You just might end up with a Coonass neighbor it three years.

t

"cook some rice!"

Bill Turley says on May 4, 2008, 17:08:

I assumed that the term ganga might not have been understood by the majority of the members. I have also gotten several beautiful crystals of galena and pyrites. I had some visitors from France who wanted some ganga crystals for handcrafts and I got a handfull for them for about 50,000 pesos

Mr. Bill Somondoco

Lostgringo says on May 4, 2008, 18:24:

Bill good for you. It sounds like you have found your little slice of paradise. Like yourself, many of us who have visited or live in Colombia do so because it allows us to live in a lifestyle we couldn't afford in our home countries. Colombia for me is intoxicating to say the least. If you visit her with an open mind and a positive attitude you will have much difficulty not falling in love with her. IMHO.

Your Home Away from Home:http://www.welovebogota.com http://www.apartmentinbogota.com "Luxury apartment and rooms Cheap" Only 2 blocks from the American Embassy!

darkangel305 says on May 4, 2008, 20:01:

thanks Bill
for sharing your lifestyle
sounds like your enjoying it and relaxed.
poor but happy!

beisbollover says on May 5, 2008, 06:05:

Bill,

Sounds like you are a happy man. It's nice to have peace in life.

As for the emeralds, the problem with La Pita is that the stones coming out of it are of high quality but extremely treated. The treatment process is new and scary. They can "fill" a crystal before it is cut with an epoxy material that holds it together during the cutting process. That way they can get a finished stone that otherwise would have been in many parts. If the epoxy is removed the stone will fall apart in your hand. Here in the USA the labs are considering calling these emeralds "emerald products" because they are technically a product of emeralds instead of an emerald. Sort of like McNuggets and chicken.

Be careful of these emeralds.

Oh and here is the worst case scenario:

Someone buys a large clean, fine stone for alot of money (ie. 10ct for $150,000). Then one day the corner falls off because it had epoxy. Imagine the feeling to know that the stone was treated (only in the corner) and now has to be recut and will weigh about 2/3 of the original weight.

webmanco says on May 5, 2008, 08:36:

ganga canotillo colombia colombiche

But, I'm going to start making some assumptions here.... Which means I might actually end up making an ass out of myself ..........Thu 04 17, 2008 11:34 am