Thursday, February 9, 2017

Today’s my son’s 30^th birthday – Happy Birthday Jim!

I received an email from my brother that he will be coming in tonight on the earlier flight.  Yay!

About 1:45 it started raining lightly but it only lasted 45 minutes.  Unfortunately I left the apt at 2:22 and was standing in the rain (with my umbrella) waiting for a bus.  It came 13 minutes later.

On the metro it stopped at the Industriales Station, didn’t move for several minutes, someone made an announcement on the loudspeaker, everyone groaned, the doors opened and everyone started getting off.   What the #%*%?

I was in the back of a very long line getting off.  I was concerned that all these people ahead of me were going to be in line for a taxi.  Going down the stairs I found I could walk around most of them.  They seemed to be in line leading to the ticket booth – are they waiting to get a refund?

Out of the station I walked across the street and only had to wait a couple minutes for another couple ahead of me before getting on a taxi.  He dropped me right across the street from the airport bus station (the “station” is just a small bakery called Nutripan.

I got on the bus and saw that the charge has gone up to 9,500 pesos.  After 15 minutes the bus was nearly full and we were off.  A young woman sat down next to me with what I thought might be her mother and son sitting in the seats behind us.  After talking to them in Spanish she occasionally switched to English.  I asked her where she was from – she’s from Canada.  Her mother is Colombian and her father is Canadian and they are heading back home.

At the airport I checked the arrivals and Jim’s flight was on schedule for 5:21.  I had 30 minutes so I went upstairs to J & C Delicias.  I looked at their menu and at 4:55 I asked how long it would take to make a half-order of spaghetti.  I was told 20 minutes so I figured I had enough time before he got through customs and baggage claim.

I gulped down the spaghetti and a juice and outside the restaurant checked the arrivals once again.  The time was 5:25 and it indicated that his flight landed at 5pm.  Drat!  I hustled downstairs where I found him buying a beer at a kiosk.

Jim’s driver from Medellin Airport Transfer was waiting for us.  We went outside and waited while he got the car.  It was a nice comfortable car that Jim had already paid $32 for using Paypal.  

(That’s about $95,000 pesos compared to the going rate of 75,000 for taxis but this car was newer, larger and more comfortable.  You can find more information on Medellin Living.)

We got Jim checked into his room and soon we were at Bocados Bar where we all had a nice chicken dinner and juice and lots of rum and waters for 149,000.

We finally got to bed at 11pm.

T-shirt of the day: If you’re offended I’ll help you pack.