Thursday, February 20th, 2014

Last night I finally managed to add some pictures and video to the Sunday, February 16th (Santafe) and Tuesday February 18^th (Guatape) postings so you might want to go back and check them out.

I went to bed at 10:30, got up twice during the night, the buses woke me up at 4:50 and I finally got up at 6am.

As we were leaving the apartment Jim asked one of the guys down the street dressed in a Une uniform where their office is and he said Calle 30 and Carrera 65 and the phone number is 444-4141.

We had breakfast at Likkes: we each had beans with rice, scrambled eggs with tomato and pepper, buttered arepa, coffee, and orange juice for 10mil each.

We were back at the apartment by 9:15 and Marta and Jamie were here working on the upstairs apartment.  We met the owner of the other upstairs apartment – a young woman of about 30 named Marcela.  I understand she is an executive administrator for some high government official.  She said I could use her Wi-Fi until I get mine set up.  I saw a chessboard in her apartment but she says she doesn’t know how to play so I told her I would teach her.  Today we learned from Marta that: I don’t need to change the utilities at EPM – I just pay the February bill for the 2^nd floor apartment in March and after that I pay the 3^rd floor bills.  They will move the stove from the 2^nd floor up to the 3^rd floor.  I will move out next week with the help of Margarita’s neighborhood friend who supposedly understands a little English.  I don’t need to remove the plastic hooks or the curtain rod holders – just take the curtains and the rods.

I told them I would have the 2^nd floor apartment cleaned after I move out.

We took a Laureles 191 bus to the stadium and we thought we would invite Brenda to join us for lunch but we got there at 12:05 and the sign says the office is closed from noon to 2 and she wasn’t there.  We walked around the area and I bought an Atletico Nacional jersey for 35mil.   

soccer field

 No, this isn't the field where A/N plays.  Neither is it the building you see in the background.  It contains the basketball courts.  The Stadium is a larger building behind us.

About 1:15 we caught another bus and got off near the hotel we had a drink at yesterday.

We had lunch at a restaurant named Boongo about 2 blocks east of the hotel on Calle 35.  I had soup, cole slaw, chicken, rice, and 2 Cokes and Jim had sea bass with coconut rice and 2 beers for 14mil each.  There was a very attractive woman of about 30 sitting a couple of tables away – with her husband.  :-(

On our way to Mall de Laureles we stopped briefly at the Casa Hotel Sol de Laureles where we found they have small but tidy rooms for 92-110mil a night for 1 person which includes breakfast.

At Mall de Laureles we chatted with Lucas for a while.  We recently found out the other man that works there is his brother Andres but he doesn’t speak English.  We both had a single scoop ice cream cone – coconut – and Jim bought what looked like a smoothie for the woman that works at Gordog’s.  We think her name is Magali.

We walked over to the Tinto store where Jim is teaching Jessica a little English.  We have been unsuccessful thus far in getting a picture of her – she’s camera shy – but not from a lack of trying.

We were back at the apartment by 4:30 so the realtor could show the apartment to an older couple.  The prospective buyer worked in Nebraska for 9 years so he spoke English.  

For dinner we had the Napolitana pizza at Pizza Americana.  It was a thin crust pizza with sliced tomato, double cheese and oregano.  The large size was on sale with a 1.5 liter bottle of soda for 22mil.  Jim and I stuffed ourselves with 3 slices each after we gave one to the waitress.  Since I don’t have a refrigerator we gave her what was left of the soda.

Yes, they deliver.

So far this is the best pizza I've had in Medellin!

Jim had a rum and Coke at LM where we once again ran into the woman from Branson, Missouri.  Tonight we met her son Danny (Martinez) who speaks perfect English and Spanish too.

I’ve noticed the cashier at Gordog’s (Magali) has shown an interest in me – either that or she’s just overly friendly.  Tonight she even winked at me.