Monday, February 27, 2017

Last night each of us filled out SmartFit’s online registration form and then confirmed their confirmation email.  (The only problem is they wanted me to select my bank from their list and the only one I recognized was Citibank so I clicked it even though I was using my USAA debit card.)  I had to transfer the last of my cash from my Citibank savings account to cover the SmartFit purchase.

Honking horns woke me up about 6:30am so I got up at 7am.

I had copied the Informed Consent form to my USB drive.  We left the apt at 8:30, and the ladies stopped at a small nearby internet café that I had never been at before.  Laura got on one of their computers for some purpose.  I told them I’m not using this place and I went to my usual internet café (maybe paper store would be a better name for it) where I quickly printed 3 copies of the form.  At the Sportfit gym I waited about 5 minutes for the ladies to arrive.  I found that Laura had printed out the same form I had.  Inside the gym we each signed a form and then went to a machine where we entered our Cedula number and it took our photo followed by 3 separate fingerprints of our index finger.

To enter the gym itself we put our index finger on this device and it releases this floor to ceiling turnstile allowing us to enter.  (I forget what’s it’s called not having seen one for years.)

Inside, a personal instructor came up to us and offered personal instruction for 700,000 pesos.  I told him we’ve spent so much money just getting in here that we’ll decline.

The ladies went upstairs for a group class and I wandered around figuring out some of the Matrix exercise machines.  I did a few exercises and then headed back to the apt so as not to miss the beginning of the Today show.  I’ll be easing into it for the first week or so.

My 5 year old iPad 2 is close to useless.  When I select a newspaper article for example, it just takes me back to the home screen.  I don’t think it’s the hardware itself which is “worn out”.  I think it’s the endless operating system releases that are written more for the new devices which make it harder to work with the older devices like my iPad.

I finished Thomas Gilovich’s How We Know What Isn’t So: The Fallibility of Human Reason in Everyday Life and then downloaded Michael Connelly’s Trunk Music (#5 in the Harry Bosch series).  An interesting quote from the former book “It ain’t so much the things we don’t know that get us into trouble.  It’s the things we know that just ain’t so.”  Think weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

I wondered why our new gym membership didn’t result in debits being made against my checking account.  Teresa explained that one of the fees is paid on the 1^st of the month and the other(s) on the 10^th, so we’ll see!

About 4pm it got pretty dark and soon was raining lightly but it didn’t last long.

We finished watching The Immigrant (6.6) on Netflix.  We started watching The Theory of Everything but Teresa didn’t like it so I’ll finish it alone later.  We switched to Big Nothing (6.8).

I finished The Theory of Everything while Teresa watched Caso Cerrado (Case Closed) on Direct TV.

T-shirt of the day: I’m an adult, but not like a real adult.

Sunday, February 26, 2017

I slept well last night, only getting up once early in the morning, finally waking/getting up at 9am.

I met Dave (his Expat Exchange handle is Augieman) at Bartellos Bar at 11am.  He’s about my age from southern California and before that Virginia.  He’s traveling through Ecuador and Colombia.  We talked for about an hour and then walked down to Classic Diner.  The following is my review that I later posted on Trip Advisor:

The place is surprisingly large with a few vintage motorcycles, a convertible (car) table, a pool table, walls filled with typical American diner memorabilia and they played some American music from the 1960s. 

Their menu consists of a variety of burgers plus Tex-Mex offerings and a couple desserts.  I ordered their Classic Diner burger which included fries and artisanal juice, my friend ordered their Classic burrito which came with a spot of what looked like refried beans and something white we were unable to identify.  He also ordered a tea I haven’t seen before – Te Xencha.

I asked for some mustard for my burger and the waiter brought us each a small container.  The burger was good although the bacon wasn’t crispy like I had requested.  My friend said he enjoyed his food and I was happy with mine.

Classic Diner is open daily from noon to 11pm.

The total bill was 63,413 (about $22.25) including tip and tax.

I walked him back towards our apt and then showed him the way to the Envigado metro station.

The three of us registered online for Smartfit.  If I understand correctly it costs 49,900 a month, plus a 90,000 initiation fee, plus an annual maintenance fee of 89,000.  I’m not sure if my debit card transaction will go thru as my bank – USAA – was not on their list.  We did get confirmation emails and we have to print out some form that needs to be signed.

We left the apt at 6:15 to see the 7pm showing of 50 Shades Darker (4.9) at Santafe mall.  We got our preferred seating tickets with no problem for 19,500 each (about $7).  We bought a medium popcorn to share, a sandwich for Teresa and large cokes for all of us for about 40,000 (about $14).

The theatre had a preponderance of women; I don’t know why they are interested in seeing the sexual acts of an admitted sadist but there they were.  Even though it has received poor ratings the movie cost 46 million and has already made more than 94 million so I’m sure there will be another coming soon.  In fact there the next installment is scheduled for release next Valentine’s Day.  

How sweet!  When I checked my RunPee app I also noticed they have a coming attraction at the 3-minute mark of the end credits but I had a difficult time keeping the ladies in their seats.  They had just gotten up to leave when they started.  It only lasted about 20 seconds so it didn’t seem worth it.

We easily caught a taxi back to the apt.

T-shirt of the day: So, if we lie to the government, it’s a felony… But if they lie to us, it’s politics.

Saturday, February 25, 2017

We left the apt just before 11am.  In Euro we picked up $138 worth of groceries.  While there I saw a young lady advertizing prepago Direct TV.  I asked her how much it would cost to upgrade my Gold service to Platinum.  I understood I have postpago because I receive a bill every month so that’s different and she couldn’t answer my question.

The Colombian Peso closed at 2,889 to the US Dollar.

Fifty Shades Darker is only playing at El Tesoro at 12:20 and 6:40pm.  I checked imdb.com and it only got a rating of 4.9 so I don’t expect it to be very good.  However, it made a lot of money it’s opening weekend so I’m sure there will be some type of prologue or followup.

We left the apt about 2:45.  Teresa went to visit her mother and I headed to the corner store where I had played chess last week.  Unfortunately, there was just a woman working there.  I walked over by the metro station where I had an orange juice and talked with Herman a while.

Then I stopped in Exito where I bought a bottle of Heinz sweet relish for 19,050 pesos (about $7). 

Back at the apt I found something to watch on Direct TV.  Usually there’s nothing to watch on Saturdays.

We watched Predestination (7.5) and then started The Immigrant (6.6) on Netflix.

T-shirt of the day: My doctor told me to start killing people.  Well not in those exact words.  He said I had to reduce stress in my life, which is pretty much the same thing.

Friday, February 24, 2017

It’s a very overcast morning that hopefully will keep the heat down today.

I called Fossil and was told the bills are still pending and the duplicate charge should fall off by Monday.

Laura and I went to the new gym – Smart Fit.  It’s much larger than the one at Comfama and has newer high technology equipment.  Some of the machines – Matrix – have their names in English.  I checked out the men’s locker room and they have lockers and showers.  I could go there, change into my workout clothes, shower, and return to my street clothes.  I picked up a flyer for the gym.

Back at the apt I translated the flyer into English and it appears that the least expensive plan gives you unlimited access to this location.  It costs an initial registration fee of 90,000 (about $32), 49,900 per month (about $18) and an annual maintenance fee of 89,000 (about $32). Now all I have to do is figure out how to use their registration site.

Among new US movie releases, I would like to see Bitter Harvest (8.3).  Locally, Teresa and Laura want to see 50 Shades Darker and I would like to see Hidden Figures, Split, and John Wick 2.

A strong gust of wind came up and Teresa directed my attention to a large tree outside.  One of its branches was split down the middle and appeared ready to fall any minute.  I asked her to call the police.  She said no one answered so she called Wilson.  I laid down for a few minutes and soon heard a crash as the tree limb came the rest of the way down.  Luckily nothing or no one was under it when it fell.  Ten minutes later firemen were here with a chain saw cutting it up into logs.

I checked online and it appears my 2^nd umbrella has arrived in Miami and is being processed.  I wonder if I’ll have to provide them with another order confirmation.

I’ve been communicating a lot by email with Alex from S.F.  Everyone, just come for a visit, be careful as you would in any large city, and enjoy!

Teresa and I started watching the Deepwater Horizon (7.5) DVD.  For only a buck you sure get a good clear audio & video.

At 4:30 it started pouring!  It didn’t ease off for about 90 minutes.

I finished Chapter 10 - Prophylaxis and the Center in My System.

T-shirt of the day: I’ve reached the age where my brain has switched from … I probably shouldn’t do that … to … what the hell, let’s see what happens.

Thursday, February 23, 2017

Regarding teaching English here in Colombia, I seem to recall that since I’m here on a Pensionado visa I’m not supposed to be working, or at least such work that could possibly take a job away from a Colombian so I’m not sure if teaching English here would qualify.

Teresa made some phone calls and arranged for us to see the apt at 10:30.  That gave me time to watch the beginning of the Today show.

As soon as we were inside the building we saw they have a portera (doorman).  In back was a garage with about 6 spaces.  I wonder if this apt includes a garage space?  I thought I saw 2 garage doors so maybe there is additional space somewhere.  They have a modern looking working elevator that doesn’t look like it will break down tomorrow.  We got off on the 4^th floor and there are only 2 apartments on the floor.  So, 5 floors of apartments x 2 apartments equals 10 apartments, maybe there’s a garage space for each apartment.

The apt has a good sized balcony (Chuck will be envious) although I’m a little concerned about the security of the sliding glass doors.  The distant view from the balcony is pretty nice as we’re the tallest building facing that direction.  There is almost a 180 degree view of hills and mountains.  The closer view is not so nice – looking down on junk piled on rooftops.

The living room/dining room looks to be a little larger than our current apt.  The kitchen is a little smaller but Teresa said she could live with that.  There is a utility room with space for a washing machine and a utility tub for the manual washing of clothes. 

There is a guest bathroom and all the appliances look pretty modern and new.

The bedrooms look to be about the same size as our current apt but with much more closet space.  The master bedroom has its own bathroom.

There isn’t a lot of window space to open with the exception of the sliding glass doors.  The main thing is that this location should be quieter than where we are now.

Teresa talked to the agency guy but a few things are still unclear to me: if it includes a garage, something about “until April”, and I’m not sure if the price is 1,600,000 pesos.

After lunch it felt like I had some food attached to my tongue but I couldn’t shake it loose.  I went in to the bathroom and rinsed my mouth and the water was bloody.  Somehow I cut a flap of skin loose in the middle of my tongue.

I called Fossil and the reason my order wasn’t accepted is they detected my IPS address and knew I was out of the country.  The rep at the store guided my order through and I should be receiving an order invoice shortly.

I checked online and Fossil billed me twice so now I have to call them again for that.

Laura and I left the apt at 3:30 and caught a taxi at Avenida Poblado.  The driver spoke a little English.  He said he worked for a year in a restaurant in Boston but didn’t have much of an opportunity to speak English.  Later he said something about 9 years in Boston.  I understood that was 16 years ago.  He said the only way he knew how to get to El Tesoro was from Calle 10 so we had to deal with the traffic on Avenida Poblado and Calle 10.  He was very funny so he was forgiven and we still arrived 20 minutes early.

Dr. Rendon didn’t like Laura’s braces but said she’s doing well.  He agreed that she needs to have all 4 molars removed but he said we should go to an oral surgeon to avoid any inflammation.  He said that would cost 700-1000mil.  He did start cleaning her teeth however.  We’re coming back next week for him to finish her cleaning.

We waited in line for about 15 minutes for a return taxi ride.

Teresa said she would pay for Teresa’s moral extraction from the finca rental money.

At 6:30 it started raining pretty hard.  I left just before 7pm with my largest umbrella.  It was a 10 block walk to Tepito Tacos y Tequila in the La Mesa area of Envigado.  I met Jeff at the entrance and he said 60 gringos/gringas had confirmed attendance.  I found a seat at the bar where I met Doyle from Texas.  He’s 74 and lives about 3 blocks away.  He says he is working remotely here.  He lived in Costa Rica for about 10 years.

I had chicken quesadillas and a Te Hatsu for 30,000 pesos.  It started getting too congested and noisy for me so I left after being there for only an hour.  I hope next time they choose a larger place that will facilitate conversation.

One thing I learned from Doyle is that EasyTaxi is better than Uber because they can at least find you and there’s no charge if they can’t.  I also picked up a business card by the register for Tours in Colombia at 302 301 8470.

I got back to the apt by 8pm and it was still raining. 

I understand we’re supposed to enroll at Smartfit using their online website but it’s in Spanish.  With Laura’s help I may have figured it out but I haven’t even seen their equipment so Laura and I are going to check it out tomorrow morning and maybe I can find someone who speaks English to help me with the registration.

I went to bed at 10:45 and it was still raining.

T-shirt of the day: I thought growing old would take longer.

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

It turned out to be another interesting day!

Teresa left for the gym at 10am.  I watched the first 30 minutes of the Today show and then I headed out.

When I showed my cedula at the gym entrance the lady told me that today is my last day for the month.  (I had my debit card with me just in case she wouldn’t let me in.)

The usually busy chest exercise machine was available so I started on that first.  While sitting there the pretty Sondra came up to me and asked if I would like to teach English.  I answered her truthfully with “I don’t know”.  She told me her school is near the Consumo grocery store and while they have English teachers from NY and NJ they need another one.  I asked her to get me the information about the school and I would check on it.  She told me she wants to be my student.

I saw a young woman with obvious butt implants (not to mention her lips looked like someone had hit her).  There is a machine where you sit down and exercise the inside of your thighs.  Instead of sitting she stood and performed the exercise facing backwards.  I had doubts she could even sit down but a few minutes later she was sitting at the machine next to me exercising the tops of her thighs so I guess I was wrong.

Later when I talked to Teresa, her friend Gloria told me she wants me to teach her English also.

After our workout Teresa and I went downstairs to pay for next month’s gym membership.  While waiting for our turn Teresa showed me 2 50mil bills she said she found in the street this morning.  Talk about lucky!  I’d never seen that type before.  It was so complex I was pretty sure it was just a new design that they must have recently introduced.

When it was our turn the lady drew a pen over her bills and pronounced that they were legit.  I understood we won’t be able to return to this gym again, we’ll have to go to the new one on the other side of the park.  Teresa told me it’s more expensive.  I think its 49,000 pesos instead of the current 42,000 so that’s not a big deal.

On the way back to the apt I showed Teresa the apt I had found for rent.  She said it doesn’t have an elevator.  How could she know that from standing outside on the sidewalk?  The apt is on the 4^th floor of a 6 floor building so maybe it does; or maybe they only have to have elevators over a certain height like 6 floors.

After lunch I laid down for a few minutes and Dario called and invited me to continue our chess competition next Wednesday at 2pm at his store.  I accepted.

I wanted to see the movie Hidden Figures (7.3) playing at Santafe but today it changed to The Great Wall (6.3).  Teresa was too tired to go with me so I left alone at 2:40 for the 3:30 show.  (There were a few dark clouds so I took my new mini umbrella with me.  It fit nicely in my tech bag with my Nook and I could even close the zipper.)  I quickly caught a bus from downtown Envigado.  At one point a guy got on with a tape player and sang rap.  God, how I hate rap!  I’m tempted to give him 5mil NOT to sing.  I was also tempted to put in my earplugs; next time I’ll do it as soon as I see them step on the bus.

I was in line at the theater by 3:05.  I asked the cashier if she spoke English and she surprised me by saying “yes, a little”.  She told me she was a baby sitter (au pair?) in Connecticut and Pennsylvania for a year.  Her English was very good.  My general admission but reserved ticket cost me 6,750 pesos (about $2.50).  I bought a small popcorn and large soda for another 14,800 (about $5).  Their were 25 minutes of advertizing and coming attractions.

I knew that the movie, The Great Wall (6.3), was about the Great Wall of China and starred Matt Damon but I didn’t know anything else.  I was impressed by its imagination and execution.  It was really cool.  Go see it!  The only probolem I had with it, and I should have known, that the Chinese spoken in the movie was translated using subtitles into Spanish instead of English.  (When I got back to the apt I found that it was a $150,000,000 movie; It looked like it cost a lot to make.)

Outside at the corner the young man selling hot almonds talked to me in English.  I told him I have 4 bags of salted-in-the-shell peanuts at home so I won’t be buying any from him today.  Because I stopped to talk to him I missed my crosswalk light and thus a Sabeneta bus.

While waiting for another one a man on a Harley stopped at the stoplight.  It was a low slung hog and he had on a skullcap type helmet and he had a beard and looked like he was out of Easy Rider.  I stared at him for a minute and it looked like he was looking directly at me so I gave him a thumbs up and he nodded.  That was cool!

At least 4 buses filled with passengers passed me, some not even stopping but I finally got on an Envigado bus even though I didn’t get a seat until about halfway back home.

In Envigado the bus took the wrong side of a y-intersection for me so I got off, cut through the Texaco station and was back at the apt by 6:30.

To one of my blog readers, I loved the comedy series Seinfeld!  I remember I once recorded all - what was it, 206? - episodes!

For dinner I just had Teresa heat up a can of chili for me.

I ordered a red umbrella for Laura and tried to order a Fossil webbed belt for myself but was told there was a problem with my order.  When I called using my magicJack I was told their office was closed.  I’ll try again tomorrow.

It started raining hard about 8pm.  I think it’s been weeks since it rained last.

T-shirt of the day: I’m a secondhand vegetarian.  Cows eat grass.  I eat cows.

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

I watched 90 minutes of the Today show on Direct TV.

After seeing the Spanish “sopa de letras” books that her mother and grandmother have, Laura told me she would like to have a word-search puzzle book for herself in English.

We made an appointment with Dr. Rendon to have Laura’s molars removed this Thursday at 4:30pm.  I’d rather have him treat her than some cheap quack dentist.

Teatro Pablo Tobon has chess every Tuesday from 2pm-8pm.  I told Teresa I planned to leave the apt at 1 or 1:30 but she was a little late with lunch and I didn’t leave until 2pm.  Downtown Envigado I was waiting at the bus stop when I saw an Envigado bus arrive.  I was checking the stops listed on the windshield when a man from the ice cream store behind me asked if I was lost.  I told him I wasn’t sure.  I told him where I wanted to go and my plan was to take a bus to get close and then take a taxi.  He said that was a good plan.  He talked to the driver and then informed me that this bus would take me downtown and then I could take a taxi from there.

I got off the bus a little early – at the crossroads of Calle 44 and Carrera 50.  Traffic was heavy and when our street was closed off he told me we’re only 3 blocks away.  It wasn’t the best neighborhood so I told him I feel more secure staying in the taxi.  Traffic was bumper to bumper and we finally arrived at 3:45, an extra 20 minutes and 5mil later.

I stepped inside and saw a small food store but no one playing chess.  I went back outside and asked at the window where the room is where they play chess.  A man came out and in English explained that usually players come together to play chess; meaning that I should have come with someone instead of expecting to find someone there.

I took a quick look at some paintings they had on the walls and then went outside where I found a man giving chess lessons to 2 ladies.  His name was Jaime Colorado 312 871 9901 and 586 7548, and he was with his wife Rocio Baena 312 259 7042 and a lady friend.  We played a game and he slowly suffocated me using the French defense.  At one point it was raining lightly and we moved inside.  I reset the position and he complimented me on my beautiful chess set.  I wanted to be sure I was out of there before dark so I didn’t start another game.  I gave him my business card and we agreed to meet here next Tuesday at 2pm.

I quickly caught a taxi and gave the driver my address in Envigado.  The few times he tried to talk to me I didn’t understand a word he was saying.  Traffic was very slow but the driver found a back way behind San Diego mall that allowed him to speed up.  At one point he looked down the hill and saw traffic backed up at Avenida Las Vegas so he headed for the highway.  It was much better until we got to the Envigado exit where part of the pavement was flooded.  I was back at the apt a little over an hour after I left the theater.

Through Expat Exchange I received a private message from Alex from SF asking for my help.  He plans to move to Medellin in coming months and has some questions for me.

T-shirt of the day: 1/20/17 - The end of an error.

Monday, February 20, 2017

Happy Presidents Day! 

Donald Trump has been president for a month.  How’s that workin' out for ya?

I forgot to mention when Jim arrived he brought me some things I requested.  Things I can’t find, or haven’t found, here in Medellin.  This trip it was small individual tubes of superglue, Scotch packing tape, Denman hairbrush, lint roller, Excedrin Migraine tablets, Tylenol, English toffee, salted-in-the-shell peanuts and Fritos.

I watched the Today show until 11am and then left for the gym.  On my way I saw the apartment for rent that I first noticed when my brother and I were walking to Otraparte.  It appears to be on the 4^th floor.  I wouldn’t want to go any higher than that without a working elevator.  (Notice I said “working”.  We’ve looked at apartments here before with broken elevators and were told it will be fixed mañana.  Yeah, right!)

The gym wasn’t very busy, 3 of the machines weren’t working, and I was done after an hour.  I weighed in at 79 ½ kilos.

After lunch I walked to $efecty where I paid the Une bill of 72mil, took an Envigado bus to MBE where I picked up my package (a small Shedrain manual umbrella), paid 16mil for it, and paid about 50,000 pesos for March’s rent.  I only had to wait about 5 minutes for a Sabaneta bus but traffic was getting heavy (3:30pm) and it took a while to get back to the apt.

While my brother was here we used Uber possibly more often than we used taxis.  Here are some thoughts on my new experience.

Pros:

ü   Uber cars all seem to be new or newer.

ü   The price seems to be about 2,000 pesos less than taxi meter rates.

ü   For an extra charge you can request an English speaking driver.

Cons:

ü   Drivers often seem to have difficulty finding your exact location.

ü   It’s a little discouraging to see empty taxis go by while you’re waiting for your Uber car to arrive.

ü   You have to pay a fee if you cancel your Uber request even though the driver seems unable to find you or it appears to be driving in circles.

T-shirt of the day: Youth and talent are no match for age and treachery.

Sunday, February 19, 2017

I got up at 7am and Teresa and I left the apt at 8:15, quickly caught a taxi that took us to Hotel Dann Carlton Bilfort.  (Ciclovia was going on in the southbound lanes of Avenida Poblado.)  At the garage level we saw 2 attractive very fit ladies as we got on the elevator.  At the main desk I asked the clerk to call my brother.  He soon came down and while waiting I found a 3-bedroom apt listing in the Sunday newspaper they had.  A couple of very fit guys walked by, one without a shirt displaying all his muscles.  We had a nice breakfast for 27,000 pesos each (about $9).  They had juices, fresh fruits, cereals, waffles, rice with beans, scrambled eggs, etc.)  There was also a woman making eggs to order.  The waitresses (sisters) were very attentive and refilled our coffee cups often.

Teresa and I took a look downstairs where they have a small gym and steam bath.

We met a sales rep from Panama that was in town marketing a workout recovery drink called Kill Cliff.  He didn’t know why it had such a strange name.

Jim’s airport ride was supposed to arrive at 11:30 but Jim texted and asked him to come at noon instead.  Better to wait in the hotel than the airport.  But the driver arrived at 11am so I got Teresa a taxi back to the apt and Jim and I left with the driver.  It’s called Medellin Airport Transfer for a set price of $32 and it includes a 1-hour stop if you wish.  Jim had him stop for a few minutes at an overlook where we had a beautiful view of Medellin. 

We arrived at the airport by 12:20, Jim checked his bags and we went upstairs where we shared a pizza at Piccolo’s.  Jim told them the oven they were using Middleby “something” was made in the town we were born in and that he was a cheese representative. 

We said our goodbyes and Jim started through the ATS check at 2:15, an hour before his flight.

I went downstairs and outside and a bus was just leaving.  I waited about 5 minutes for another one to arrive and another 15 minutes for it to leave.  I got off at the San Diego mall, walked through to the other side and across the street.  A Sabaneta bus was just leaving.  I skipped 2 Envigado buses but the next Sabaneta bus turned down the street just before me.  What?  I waited a few more minutes and this time it stopped at my bus stop.  I paid my 2,000 pesos in cash and had pretty much my choice of seats.

I was back at the apt by 4pm.

I googled “Teatro Pablo Tobon Uribe” and found www.TeatroPabloTobon.com and learned they have chess Tuesday afternoons from 2-8pm.  I’ll probably go this Tuesday by taxi and then when I learn exactly where it is, in the future I can take a bus and walk.

T-shirt of the day: Science doesn’t care what you believe in.

Saturday, February 18, 2017

Besides getting up twice during the night, I was awakened by the leaf blower at 7am and a cramp in my right calf at 8am.  I decided this wasn’t my morning and it was time to get up.

Jim came over and we walked to Avenida Poblado where we barely caught a Sabaneta bus.  I probably should have checked the stops on the front windshield but we barely caught up with it at a red light.  It left Avenida Pablado and headed west.  It stopped briefly at Mayorca mall, circled the mall and headed south again.  It then headed west again and I went up to the bus driver and asked directly if it stops at Parque Sabaneta and he said yes.  A few blocks from the park he turned again and that’s when several people told us we should get off here to go to the park.  (People are so helpful and nice here!)

We walked a coupe blocks to the park and found a table in the shade where Jim had a beer and I had an iced tea.  Jim mentioned that there’s some type of fitness convention going on because he saw several very fit men and women in his hotel.

A little while later we walked a few blocks back down Avenida Poblado to a butcher shop/restaurant called Porci Carnes.  Jim ordered ribs and I a hamburger and I was a little surprised while eating it to find that it was pork instead of beef.

Afterwards, after getting directions from a local, we walked down to the Sabaneta metro station.  Jim continued on the metro to the Poblado Station and I got off at Envigado.  I didn’t see Herman at the orange juice stand so I just got on the first bus to the park.  Passing by the corner store I didn’t see anyone there but a woman where we had played chess the other day. 

The Colombian Peso closed at 2,886 to the US Dollar.

Somewhere I saw that the Teatro Pablo Tobon Uribe has chess on Tuesday afternoons.  On the map I see it’s a little east of Avenida Poblado near downtown.

One of my readers mentioned that my cramps are due to a lack of potassium.  I knew that I just haven’t done anything about it.  Lol.  Teresa told me she’s going to Mayorista with her mother early Monday morning and she’ll buy some bananas for me then.

About 7:30 Teresa and I walked to Otraparte to meet Jim for dinner.  We found the main gate locked so we walked to the street and followed it to the entrance to their parking lot.  We quickly got a table; good thing too because later there was a waiting line.  Jim arrived a few minutes later.

We ordered drinks and I ordered a plate of mozzarella sticks to share.  Teresa and I shared a plate of pasta and afterwards an ice cream sundae.

Jim caught an Uber taxi (first time with a female driver) and we started back to the apt.  At one spot we saw an “alley” with other restaurants so we took a walk down and I discovered Classic Diner which looked like an American diner complete with a table inside a convertible.  I checked their menu and it was mainly burgers, hotdogs, and ribs.  It was quite noisy so we soon left; we’ll return at a quieter time.

T-shirt of the day: Pretty sure I’m going to be one of those senior citizens that bites everyone.

Friday, February 17, 2017

New US movie releases I’d like to see are The Great Wall (6.3), A Cure for Wellness (6.8), and Land of Mine (7.8).  Locally, I’d like to see A Cure for Wellness (6.8) playing in Oviedo & Santafe and Hidden Figures (7.3) playing in Oviedo.

I called Herman in the morning and arranged to meet him to go to Pueblito Paisa.  A few minutes later he called back to tell me he forgot he had an important appointment at 1pm today.  I informed Jim and he asked me to meet him at the hotel and we would leave from there.

I made a stop at the bank and picked up some cash, added 50mil to our cell phone, bought the Friday Q’hubo newspaper for Chuck, bought a bottle of Coke at the corner store and returned to the apt.

I dropped off the newspaper and Coke and headed back downtown where I immediately caught a bus to El Poblado.  I wasn’t exactly sure where to get off the bus to get to Jim’s hotel but I guessed right and the driver dropped me off right in front of the road leading to the hotel.

After looking at some tourist information we went outside to catch an Uber car.  We had trouble getting one, the driver eventually cancelled, and we ended up catching a taxi instead.

At Pueblito Paisa we each had a large glass of orange juice (for twice the price that Herman charges).  It took about 5 minutes to look at the village.  Up on the rooftop Jim was impressed with the view of Medellin.  Then we went into the city museum where we saw a bas-relief sculpture of Medellin.  They also had photos of how the city has changed over time.

It was getting a little windy and Jim’s smart phone was predicting rain so we left and immediately caught a taxi to Botero Plaza.  Outside the Museo de Antioquia we found an empty table.  Taking our time, Jim had a beer, I had an iced tea and we each had an onion soup.  Then he had the house salad and I had their meatball plate.

Then we went over to the other side of the museum entrance to their coffee laboratory.  We had the same cute waitress as last time we were there.  Jim had a coffee, I had a café con leche, and we shared a slice of tiramisu.

Then we took the metro, Jim got off at the Poblado station, and I continued on to Envigado.  Coming out of the station it was raining lightly.  I immediately was on a bus to Parque Envigado.  When I got off the bus the light rain had diminished to a light mist.

At 7pm I called Jim using my magicJack and we agreed to meet at Wilson’s Bocados Bar at 8:15.

Jim arrived about 5 minutes after we did.  I was expecting Wilson’s TV to be tuned, as usual, to some soccer game.  Instead there were a couple young men in the “kitchen” area searching through Youtube for 80’s American songs they liked.  After a couple drinks we decided to move.

We walked a few blocks away to La Ultima Estacion (The last station).  Besides drinks all they serve are small empanadas and chicken shish kebabs wrapped in bacon.  After we finished eating Laura showed up.  She had a little something to eat and then we all left.

T-shirt of the day: If I’m ever on Life Support, Unplug Me.  Then plug me back in.  See if that works.

Thursday, February 16, 2017

I woke up in the middle of the night with a cramp in my left calf but I was able to quickly work it out.

I woke/got up at 6am, showered and Jim and I left the apt at 6:45.  We walked a few blocks to Las Chichas (sp?) where he introduced me to a hot arepa relleno de queso.  The young man who works there speaks English.  Then we walked across the walkway from city hall where we had a couple cups of coffee.

We stopped at the corner store where I picked up a couple bags of milk and dropped them off at the apt.

We walked down to Exito where Jim bought a bottle of Medellin Rum to take back with him.

We stopped at Herman’s orange juice stand where we each had a medium-sized cup for 2,000 pesos each.  Jim also had a bag of fresh potato chips.  Talking to Herman I think he might join us tomorrow at Pueblito Paisa and afterwards for lunch at the museum.  He mentioned he knows an English speaking lawyer who lives in Envigado and I asked him to get me his business card next time he sees him.

We took a bus up to the park and then walked down Carrera 43 until it ran into Carrera 43A (aka Avenida Poblado).  A few more blocks (2 ½ blocks from La Mesa) and we were at the Otraparte museum and café that Chuck had recommended to me.  We got a quick tour of the famous author’s (Fernando Gonzalez) house and then went out back to their café - a nice shady outdoor spot with umbrella tables.  We arrived at 11:45 so we had to wait 15 minutes until they opened at noon.

I had a strawberry juice and broccoli soup and Jim had a bottle of water and blue cheese tapas for a total of 25,800 (about $9).

We walked back to the apt where Jim packed his suitcase and caught a Uber car to the Dann Carlton Bilfort hotel.  We’re going to meet him at the Bogota Beer Company tonight at 7pm.

I got an email from Jim.  He loves the hotel and he said he was heading down to the pool.

I checked the MBE website in Miami and it appears my Shedrain umbrella is on the way.

Teresa and I left the apt at 6:35, caught a taxi after a 5 minute wait, and arrived at Bogota Beer Company (Carrera 34 #7-165) in El Poblado just after 7pm where we found Jim sitting at the bar.  We each had a drink and then we moved to a small table closer to outside where we shared fried chicken strips and fries.

We walked around the park and finally settled on J&C Delicias for dinner because it was quieter but still overlooked the park.  Jim had a vegetarian arepa and 2 rum and waters, while Teresa and I shared an order of penne pasta and I had a limonada de coco and Teresa had a mango juice.  The total bill including tax and tip was 79,500 (about $27).

About 10 pm Jim caught a Uber car back to the hotel and we caught a taxi back to the apt.

Laura finished the leftovers from our penne pasta.

T-shirt of the day: You know that little thing inside your head that keeps you from saying things you shouldn’t?  Yeah, I don’t have one of those.

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

At 5:20 I was awakened by the sound of a leaf blower outside so I got up and closed the window and blinds.  I woke/got up at 8:15.

Jim and I arrived at the Afro Soul t-shirt store at 10am but found it doesn’t open until 11am.  We walked over to Home Center where we bought a knife, a knife sharpener and a cutting board.  Next door at Exito we bought some garlic powder, a loaf of fresh bread and fresh vegetables.

Back at the apt Jim showed Teresa how to make omelets.

I finally received an email from Shedrain with my purchase invoice.  I emailed it to the address given to me my Miami customs so hopefully it’s soon on its way.

About 1:30 we walked down to the garage restaurant where we had lunch for 11,000 pesos each and I learned that its real name is Deli Hoy (deli today).  I’ll try to remember that.

Teresa returned to the apt and on our way back to Exito we made a quick stop at a local Tienda D1 store where we were soon surprised by Wilson doing some shopping.

We walked to Exito where we finally hunted down some pizza sauce but didn’t luck out on finding a baking sheet.

We walked to the Afro Soul store but I guess Jim wasn’t impressed as we soon left.  Walking back to the apt, as we passed a small corner store, Jim pointed out a chess set.  A man was sitting there alone and I understood he was playing the store owner who was busy at that time.  He invited me to sit down and take his place which I did.  I didn’t have a favorable position but I managed to hold it and get an advantage but then I hung a rook and soon lost.  I told him I would like to come back and play him again another day.

We walked back to the apt, we all took a nap and then Jim made pizza bread.  Delish!  And Teresa was very happy.  (I think she wants to open another restaurant.  Lol.)

We took an Uber car to the Cuban restaurant where they had live guitar music accompanied by bongo drums.

We took an Uber car to Wilson’s bar where Laura soon joined us.  She had dinner and the rest of us had drinks and we chatted and watched a futból game on TV.

T-shirt of the day: I’m not saying I’m Superman.  I’m just saying nobody has ever seen me and Superman in a room together.

Comprehensive Guide to the Medellin Metro - Medellin Living

Comprehensive Guide to the Medellín Metro – Colombia’s Only Metro System

FEBRUARY 13, 2017 BY JEFF3 COMMENTS

The Medellín Metro is the only rail-based mass transportation system in Colombia. But it’s much more than a rail-based system.

It’s a comprehensive mass transportation system in the city that integrates two Metro rail lines, four Metrocable cable-car lines, two Metroplús elongated bus lines, a Tranvía tramcar line and even feeder Metro buses.

The Metro guide on this website is out-of-date and incomplete. In addition, I haven’t seen a complete, accurate and up-to-date guide to the Medellín Metro in English anywhere else.  Some readers also asked for an update.  As a result I wrote this article.

The Medellín Metro System

The Medellín Metro system consists of:

• Two rail lines – Line A (North to South) and Line B (Center to West) with a total of 27 stations.
• Four Metrocable cable car lines – Line H, Line J, Line K and Line L with a total of 12 stations.
• Two Metroplús elongated bus lines – Line 1 and Line 2 with a total of 27 stations.
• One Tranvía tramcar line – line T-A with 11 stations.
• Well over 200 white Metro feeder buses that take you to/from Metro stations with routes to neighborhoods all over the city.

A current map of the Medellín Metro system that can be printed out can be found here.

Traveling on the Metro is generally very safe. However be careful of pickpockets during rush hour or any other time the metro cars are crammed full of people.

The worst time to use the metro is during the evening rush hour on Monday to Friday. So try to avoid this evening rush hour. During this time it may take two to three trains to get on, particular from busy stations like Poblado and San Antonio.

Tranvía tramcar line T-A

History of the Medellín Metro

In 1980, the Medellín Metro project was presented to the Colombian National Government by the city of Medellín. And the National Counsel of Economical and Social Policies approved the project in 1982.

The Metro was envisioned as a massive urban transport system for the worker classes of the city.  Furthermore it was also seen as an important cultural symbol that would also help to develop marginalized and some of the poorest areas of the city.

The construction project was contracted to German and Spanish firms. The first journey on Line A of the Metro was on November 30, 1995 between Niquia and Poblado stations.

Later Line B was added and Line A was expanded south to La Estrella. In 2004, 2008 and 2009, the initial three Metrocable routes come into operation. In 2015, the tranvía tramline T-A was added with a $300 million investment. And in 2016, the Metrocable line H was added.

In 2012, the Medellín Metro system was named one of the top transport systems in the world by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), a global consortium of organizations founded to promote sustainable transportation worldwide.

Most noteworthy the Medellín Metro system now transports well over 160 million passengers per year. The clean and efficient system saves over 178,000 tons of CO2 emissions each year while also greatly reducing accidents and traffic in the city.

Civica card – photo courtesy of Metro de Medellín

Civica Card

The Civica card is a rechargeable card for using the Medellín Metro system. With the card you can avoid the long ticket lines plus your fare will be cheaper.

I have had a Civica card for over 7 years. And it has saved me so much time plus saved some money.

It doesn’t cost anything to get a Civica card. You just need to show an ID like a cedula or passport. And it won’t have any value when you initially receive it.

You can get a Civica card at the Niquía, San Antonio, Itagüí y San Javier metro stations. The small offices at these stations are open Monday to Friday 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., or Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

You can charge a Civica card standing in ticket lines at each metro station. And there are recharging machines in some Metro stations.

There are also nearly 600 additional places around the city where you can recharge a Civica card – a complete list is found here. You can also recharge at some of the Gana locations in Envigado and Sabaneta – here’s a list.

In addition, a Civica card provides discounts at several places. For example, it provides a 10% discount at Óptica Santa Lucía, 15% discount at Divercity, 20% discount at Dunkin Donuts and several discounts at the Sonría dental chain. A complete list of discounts is found here.

Metro feeder buses at Itagüí station – now with Civica card readers

The Civica card can also be used on most of the white Metro feeder buses that are being set up with Civica card readers. It can also be used in the Encicla system of public bicycles. See here how to sign up for the Encicla.

I can’t understand why anyone would stand in long lines each time to buy tickets to use the metro. A Civica card is easy to get and so much more convenient.  I recharge my card when the ticket lines are short so I can skip the long ticket lines.

Metro Fares

The current standard Medellín Metro fare with a Civica card is 2,000 pesos ($0.70). But the fare can go as high as 3,260 pesos, in example, if you used a Metrocable with Metro train plus two feeder buses

The standard metro fare if you don’t have a Civica card is 2,300 pesos ($0.81). So you save 300 pesos (13%) per standard trip with a Civica card.  As a result of having a Civica card I estimate I save over $50 per year with lower fares.

The Metrocable line to Parque Arvi has a separate fare of 5,200 pesos unless you can show you live in an Estrato 1, 2 or 3 neighborhood, which will result in a lower fare.

The following is a table of 2017 Metro fares courtesy of Metro de Medellín. Note the Frequente row is the fare for most people using the Metro.

2017 Metro fares courtesy of Metro de Medellín

Discounted fares are available as shown in the table for those over 60 years old (Adulto Mayor), students (Estudiantial), people with reduced mobility (PMR) and carriers (Al Portador). The discounted fares are established when you sign up for your Civica card.

Hours

The Medellín Metro is open from Monday to Saturday from 4:30 am until 11 pm for all lines except for Line L to Parque Arvi. On Sundays and holidays the hours are from 5 am to 10 pm. And 8:30 am to 10 pm on Line K and 9 am to 10 pm on Lines H and J.

Line L to Parque Arvi is closed on Mondays and runs from 9 am to 6 pm on Tuesday to Saturday. On Sunday and holidays Line L runs from 8:30 am to 6 pm.

During peak hours (from 5 to 8 am and 3:30 to 7:30 pm), on the main Line A, about every 4 minutes there is a train. During the other hours it is reduced to about every 6 to 8 minutes.

Avri Metrocable station

Using the Metro as a Tourist

It is possible to use the Metro system to get to many of the popular tourist locations in Medellín. The following is a list of several Metro stations and key tourist sites that are located near each station:

• Arví – Parque Arví
• Universidad – Parque Explora, Jardín Botánico, Parque Norte
• Industriales – Museo de Arte Moderno
• Parque Berrio – Museo de Antioquia, Iglesia de La Candelaria
• Prado –Catedral Basílica Metropolitana
• Sabaneta – Iglesia Santa Ana and Parque Sabaneta
• Santo Domingo – Biblioteca España

Metro de Medellín even offers a tourist guide (in Spanish) found here that shows many more tourist sites that are easy to get to via the Metro system.

In addition we previously provided an article with our top five churches in Medellín with a suggested way to see them using the Metro.

Also six of the malls in Medellín are conveniently located within a block or a few blocks from a Metro station:

• Bello station – Puerta del Norte Mall
• Los Alpes station – Los Molinos Mall
• Industriales station – Premium Plaza Mall and Punto Clave Mall
• Itagüí station – Mayorca Mall
• Poblado station – Monterrey Mall

Villa Sierra station on the new Metrocable Line H

Medellín Metro Master Plan – The Future

The Medellín Metro has a Master Plan covering the period from 2006 to 2030. In this master plan are many expansions to the metro system.

The tranvía line T-A (Corredor Ayacucho) opened in 2015.  And the new Metrocable line H opened in 2016.  Both of these expansion were part of this master plan. Due to capacity issues additional train-sets were added to the main Line A last year, which was also part of this master plan.

Nearer term Metro expansions planned in the 2017 to 2020 timeframe include:

• Complete the Metrocable line M in 2017.
• Expand the Poblado station.
• Add new Metroplús line between Envigado and Itagüí.
• New metro station between Industriales and Poblado stations.
• New metro station between Envigado and Itagüí stations.
• 13.5 km tranvía line along Avenida 80 running from Aguacatala station to Caribe station (this line is in design).

Further out expansions in the Master Plan in the 2021 to 2030 timeframe include:

• Mini-metro line from El Poblado to the South Bus Terminal.
• Tranvía line to Rio Negro and the José María Córdova international airport.
• Cable car system in Itagüí.
• Tranvía line in Sabaneta.

So you will see many more expansions coming to the Medellín Metro system over the next several years. More tranvía lines, more cable cars, and more metro lines are planned as well as a regional train system.

Metroplús bus at Parque Belén station

The Bottom Line

A well-designed mass transportation systems is about more than just getting people around in a more environmentally friendly way.  As Medellín demonstrates, such systems can also be positive drivers for social and economic change.

Medellín has operated its comprehensive metro system for over 20 years with regular expansions. Seems like Bogotá has been talking about a metro for decades and still has nothing but a plan and it’s overcrowded TransMilenio bus system.

With the inexpensive Metro system in Medellín, extensive bus routes in the city with inexpensive fares as well as inexpensive taxis it is very possible to live in the city without a car.

Our Medellín Living reader survey in December last year found that 81.6% of expats living in the city don’t have a car.

And for expats moving to the city, 48.3% cited “public transportation including the Metro system” as the third primary reason they were attracted to Medellín (after low cost of living and the climate).

Reminder: Don’t forget to join our February Medellín Living Meetup on February 23. If you’re new to the city, this is a great chance to ask questions and provide observations. And you can meet other travelers as well as several expats living in the city.