Tuesday, March 22nd, 2016

We slept well with the terriers locked up for the night.

We left the finca at 10:45, I gave each of the black G-dogs a dog biscuit and we were on a bus after a 10 minute wait.  At the triangle, police had stopped a flatbed truck and were searching the cab and the empty bed.

We got off at La Estrella where we took the metro to Estacion Hospital.  We walked 4 blocks south and 1 block west to Torre Medica Prado.  We took the elevator to the 3^rd floor where Teresa gave the receptionist my biopsy samples.  I understand they will call us when they are ready.

They had an internet café downstairs.  I wanted to call MBE to see if they are open today but we were out of minutes but the internet café couldn’t recharge my cell phone with Claro minutes but I printed my 31 pages of real estate documents for 17,200.

We walked 4 blocks south and ½ a block west to 61Prado Guesthouse.  We found that they weren’t open today for lunch.  Huh?  So much for their 24-hour food service.  There was a middle-aged English speaking woman there trying to communicate with the Spanish speaking woman working the front desk.  I asked if I could be of any help.  I understood she wanted a map of Medellin and the Colombiana was trying to get her 10 blocks away to a tourist bureau where she could get one.  She also wanted to take a bus to Manizales from Terminal del Sur and wanted to take a minibus because she heard it was faster than a regular bus.  I helped her a little with directions and then it was time for us to go.

On our walk to the metro I found a place to recharge my cell phone and we learned that MBE was open until 6pm.  We took the metro to Pablado station and a taxi to Frisby on Calle 10 not far from MBE.  

We ordered a chicken vegetable soup for each of us and a combo of 9 chicken nuggets with fries and a juice for Teresa and medium Pepsi for me for 38,200 (about $12).

We walked just west of Parque Lleras past a hotel called Le Parc.  The outside looked expensive to me but Teresa encouraged me to pick up one of their business cards.  Their address is Calle 9 #41-36 (2 blocks down from the park), and their website is www.HotelLeParc.com.  I took a quick look at their website but I didn’t find it very useful.  

We walked 3 more blocks west to MBE where I paid my rental for March and April for 94,500 (about $30).  I also picked up my March Chess Life magazine, a couple pension deposit receipts and a large UPS package which probably contains the same real estate documents I just had printed.

We took a bus to Santafe mall.  While Teresa was making her exchange in Tennis I made a restroom stop and then what might be my last cash withdrawal for the month at a Citibank ATM.  I understood Teresa didn’t find anything to exchange but she has a month left to do it.  She checked out a number of other stores.  I found a black webbed belt I liked (but not in my size) in Bosi.  I stopped in iShop (Apple store) but I didn’t see the new iPhone SE.  Walking into Falabella I found a Michael Jordan photo t-shirt for 39,900, marked down from 54,900.  I thought I remembered finding the same one last time I was here for about 60,000 pesos so that made sense.  I bought it and Teresa found a pair of white slacks for 89,900.  

We stopped at the Iogu yogurt store where Teresa had a small yogurt with toppings and I had a Muzli yogurt (with granola).  After we finished she asked me where my UPS papers are and I finally figured out I had left them in the restroom.  We hurried back and I checked the stall but they were no longer there.  I encouraged Teresa to go in the women’s restroom and ask the cleaning lady if she had them.  She came out and I understood we should go to the information desk.  Outside we finally found the right man, he went in back and brought out my package and I signed a form with my name, Cedula number and cell phone number.  They are thorough here!

We stopped at Jumbo where I picked up a small jar of Alfresco brand pickle chips for 3,340 although I was afraid they might be sweet because it says Agridulce on the jar.  Teresa picked up a package of cheese croissants, loaf of bread, 2 small cans of fish in tomato sauce, a bottle of water and a tomato.

We took a taxi to the highway and after a 10 minute wait were on a direct bus back to the finca.  Just as we stepped off the bus we started feeling raindrops and it increased as we walked up the hill.  Teresa was able to hold her packages in one hand with the small umbrella in the other.  I only got under it when we stopped so I could get my breath back.   I gave the black dog a large dog biscuit as we passed and we were back at the finca by 7:30.  Because it was raining we didn’t bother putting the dogs away for the night.

T-shirt of the day: Your shirt has to go, but you can stay.