Wednesday, May 18th, 2016

I got up once at 5:30, finally fell back asleep some time later, finally waking/getting up at 8:30.

It turned out to be an interesting afternoon.  Read on.

We left the finca about 11:30 and on our way to Exito we stopped for lunch at a new “restaurant” which consisted of 7 tables in someone’s garage.  The 9mil per person charge included a small salad bar (unlimited) and unlimited juice (they had dispensers for 2 different kinds).  They brought each of us a large piece of pork with a couple baked potatoes.

From there we went to Exito and picked out a 394 liter LG refrigerator (which included a 10 year warranty) for 2,329,900 pesos (about $790).  It doesn’t have an automatic cold water dispenser or ice maker because we don’t have a water supply line.  I gave them my USAA debit card to make the full payment and the lady said my card errored out.  I thought that was strange.  A couple salespeople went with me to the ATM machine with the same result.  Finally they found a salesman that spoke English and I explained the problem.  They tried again at another sales desk with the same result.  I was pretty sure the original woman screwed up somehow and every attempt after that wouldn’t work because my card was now blocked.

We went to Home Center where we picked out a few things: horizontal blinds, clothes drying rack, bath mats, waste baskets, toilet brush, light bulb for Laura’s room, parts for Teresa’s Oster blender, etc. for 359,500.  For grins I tried my debit card again with the same result so I paid cash.  We took a taxi back to the apartment.

Teresa laid down for awhile while I went to the internet café.  I called USAA and found that the original attempt to make my purchase of 2,329,900 was blocked because it was attempted in dollars instead of pesos.  I got it unblocked of course.

After I paid 10,000 pesos for my 14 minute call, I was approached by a Colombian man who spoke minimal English.  He asked me to call the US for him because his debit card has expired.  I asked to see it and I saw that it doesn’t expire until 2019 so I imagined he had a similar problem as mine.  I made the call for him and when I finally got thru I asked for a Spanish speaking representative and then handed the phone to him.  (I hope he asks them for a direct number to a Spanish speaking representative.)

I stopped at an ATM and while withdrawing some cash I heard a voice behind me speaking English on his cell phone.  I met a young man named David from Los Angeles who was there with his girlfriend and they were looking for an apartment to rent.  I told him about my recent rental experience.

Back at the apartment we were going to return to Exito to complete the purchase – this time in cash as I don’t trust the woman not to make the same mistake again – but luckily remembered I would be above my daily cash withdrawal limit.

We had dinner at Carbón de Leña  – fish for Teresa and Caesar salad for me.

We met Martha, the owner of the apartment, at the entrance to the building – an attractive woman of about 50 with a nice figure.  I understand she lives upstairs with her mother.  Teresa showed her our apartment and I’m sure they shared decorating ideas.

She invited us to see her apartment and I was surprised when she headed down instead of up.  When we passed the other floors I figured she must live in the building next door.  We ended up walking 3 blocks away to her apartment where she lives with her mother.  It looks like she just moved in because there are stacks of prints in a corner.  It’s only 2 bedrooms and I understood we are living in the apartment she moved from.  (Maybe she’s renting an apartment for less and pocketing 300mil or so each month.)  I learned that her father is 90 and lives in Miami so maybe Martha is closer to 60 than 50.

T-shirt of the day: I daydream about shredding.