Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Today was an unusually sunny day; unusual because we have had so many cloudy days over the last few months.

For some reason I had difficulty getting to sleep last night – maybe 2 hours?  But that was offset by the fact I only got up once during the night.  I did have to take an Excedrin Migraine to clear my head.

After my quick shower I made a quick trip to the corner store for milk.

I found a flyer downstairs from Office Depot advertising a “caja para archivo” (hanging file folder box) for only 4,250 pesos (about $1.50).  I think I’ll pick up one of these.

Since I was going to be on my own today I checked some restaurants on Trip Advisor and was surprised to see The Flip Flop Sandwich Shop listed.  I checked a few more restaurants just in case it wasn’t open.

Laura left for work at 11am and Teresa, MT and I left 15 minutes later.

We walked downtown where we quickly caught a bus to Medellin.  I got off at Parque Poblado at noon and the ladies continued on to San Diego mall.  I understood they wanted to look at dry flowers (?) and gym shoes for Teresa.  Also, MT hasn’t been there before.

I walked up Calle 10 and stopped across the street from one of my backup restaurants called Sicilia in Bocca but it looked like a real hole in the wall place with just a couple tables.

I continued on to Flip Flop Sandwich Shop at Carrera 36 #8A-88.  I don’t know which was more surprising – that it was open or that Chris, the old owner, was there.  He was talking business with a young man named Juan. 

He hasn’t owned the restaurant for a few years and his new business plan is to open a court in Envigado called Cancha de Tejo – a Colombian game which I liken to something like the bean bag toss game although instead of throwing it in a hole you try to hit something that explodes.  Supposedly it’s the national sport of Colombia.  (And here I thought it was fútbol or cycling.)  You can find more information at his website www.TejoInMedellin.com.  (If you check on Youtube you should be able to find a video.)  Beer and explosives – what could go wrong?

Chris told some stories about the challenges of running his little restaurant.  Backpackers would stop by and look at his menu where for 5,000 pesos (today about $1.65) they could get 2 eggs with toast.  They would ask if they skipped the toast could they get the 2 eggs for 4,000 pesos (today about $1.35).  No!  They would often go down the street to Bunuelos and have a bunuelos for 2,000 pesos instead.

I had a Sloppy Joe (just like mom used to make) with potato chips and a Coke for 12,000 pesos (about $4) while I listened to them talk about how to get their business off the ground.

As I left I talked to Paula, the owner, about my brother coming next month and asked if she knew where I could get Italian seasoning.  She mentioned PriceSmart and I reminded her that you need to have a membership to shop there.  She told me to stop at Sicilia in Bocca and talk to the Italian owner named Ameliano (sp?).

So, after 90 minutes there, instead of taking the shorter back route down Calle 7 to Avenida Poblado I went back down Calle 10.  Inside Sicilia in Bocca, where I saw only 4 small tables, I asked a young man in the kitchen if Ameliano was there?  Nope.

I walked down to the Gold Mile and up to Starbucks where, for a change, there was just a short line.  Maybe because a lot of people are still out of town?  Maybe because they now have a Starbucks in Oviedo and Santafe?  Maybe because the uniqueness has worn off?  Maybe I was just lucky.

I checked and didn’t see a snack, like a blueberry muffin, that I wanted so I went next door to Krispy Kreme.  No line there!  I had a sugar donut, a tres leche (3 milk) donut and a large latte.  Several times I asked for my coffee to be extra hot but I think I got it how they always make it.  I guess I need to go to Starbucks to get the hotter temperature I want.

After about 30 minutes there I walked across the street to Office Depot.  I showed a girl working there the flyer with the storage box I wanted.  She got one down and I picked out a package of file folders like I have back at the apt but they didn’t quite fit.  I asked her about that and she got me another box.  I picked up one box for me, another for MT and 2 packages of hanging file folders for her for a total of 47,900 pesos (about $16.)  The boxes were already assembled and I knew the plastic side supports were difficult to install so I asked a salesman to do it for me.  While he was struggling with one of them the saleswoman put 2 of them in the other box.  J  Finally he got them installed and outside I quickly caught a taxi back to the apt.  (I decided not to struggle with them on a bus.)

Teresa and MT returned about 6pm.

I practiced tactics for 30 minutes on Chess Magnet School.

T-shirt of the day: Holy chic.