“Bolivar” an excellent Netflix series for anyone thinking about retiring or living in Colombia

Anyone who relocates abroad should make an effort to learn the language of their new country. Spanish is very important when relocating to Colombia since not many people speak English. So, expats should at least have a survival level knowledge of Spanish to handle most of the daily situation that they will face.

Learning about the culture and history of their new country is also important for expats. Reading books like “The Essential Guide to the Customs and Culture of Colombia,” is of paramount importance for understanding the many cultural nuances.

In short, learning the language and about the culture will help expats adapt and fit in better.

There is really good series on Netflix called, “Bolivar.” It is biographical television series based on the life of the liberator Simón Bolívar.

For those who do not know, Simón Bolívar was a Venezuelan military and political leader. For a few years he was even president of Gran Colombia, a country that no longer exists.

He was born in Caracas, Venezuela. He is considered to be one of the most illustrious leaders in history and often called the” George Washington” of South America. He liberated many countries from the oppression of the Spanish. Those countries included Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador Peru and Bolivia. In fact, Bolivia was named after him.

Almost every Colombian town has a Plaza Simón Bolívar or Parque Bolívar like the one in downtown Medellín. The park in Medellín has a giant statue of Bolívar on his white horse like many other parks in in the rest of Latin America and in other parts of the world. For example, there is even famous statue of Bolívar on his horse in New York City.

“Narcos” is an excellent Colombian series on Netflix that depicts Medellín’s darkest days in the 1980s and 1990s. Nevertheless, it of historical importance and should be viewed.