A COMMENT FROM EXPAT, ONE OF MY BLOG READERS

On talking about the capture of Maduro did you also talk about your plans if the US attacks Colombia? Petro still has significant support in Colombia and the idea that immediately after an attack going into Exito and asking where the Smucker’s Jelly is may not be the best idea. Many expats, yourself included, ‘fly under the radar’ by avoiding keeping any assets in Colombia. If the US puts economic pressure on Petro’s government access to the US banking system via ATMs may not be guaranteed nor payment by foreign credit cards. If the answer is ‘leave the country’ note that the US has been very effective in destroying air resources. Both El Dorado Bogota and JMC Rio Negro also host Colombian air force facilities. Getting a flight out of either location may be difficult if the runways are no longer usable. Being a US expat may be very uncomfortable if the US attacks and at this time the current US Administration seems to be becoming increasingly clear it’s not if there will be some action as to when.

Tuesday, January 6, 2026

Last night I took my Diphenhydramine and Zopiclona tablets and went to bed at 10pm, got up once at 4am, couldn’t fall back asleep, got up just before 5am and took another allergy (Diphenhydramine) pill, quickly fell asleep, finally waking/getting up by alarm at 6:30.

I forgot to mention Bryan never answered my text for a ride to the airport so Teresa contacted the woman who gave us rides when we were in Bogota but now lives here.

I started ordering my Didi at 7:40am. I arrived at Unicentro fifteen minutes early for 12,200 pesos. I walked around the mall twice and as I arrived at the main door the guards were just opening them.

I met Jose upstairs and we discussed Venezuela, the Chicago Bears and I showed him the latest photo of my granddaughter. We also briefly discussed the possibility of Petro forcing expats out of Colombia because of Trump. Or possibly Trump cutting off expats from their social security payments.

I had the French toast with 2 scrambled eggs and a latte for 55mil. In the future I need to look at the receipt more carefully because it seems like the one piece of French toast is 2-3 times more expensive than my scrambled eggs.

We adjourned to the food court where I had the Black pieces for the first game and I managed to gain material, and he finally resigned on the 48^th move.

The second game was a back-and-forth battle that ended in a draw on the 50^th move. (The computer said I was up by 6+ points.) Then again I was low on time.

It was 2:20 when we said goodbye (next game won’t be until after our trip to the Dominican Republic) and I ordered a Didi to take me to Viva Envigado for 18,000 pesos. Traffic was so bad my driver missed the Envigado exit and continued on to Mayorca before he headed back north to Viva Envigado.

I went up to Pergamino and ordered my usual granola and yogurt bowl but couldn’t find a table available. ☹ Lots of people working on their computers, a few with drinks. After wandering around for a few minutes one of the waiters asked a guy to move his backpack from a chair which freed up a table for me.

I finished my bowl and went downstairs to a busy Urbania where I found a table and had a latte while scanning my cellphone.

Teresa called at 3:15 and asked me to buy a plantain in Ara or Exito as she wants to make lentil soup.

I left at 4:30, stopped in Exito for a plantain and a new 6-pack of Coke before returning to the apt by taxi in heavy traffic. In the past this trip cost me 7,500 pesos but today it was 9,000 pesos, then again rates probably went up for the new year.

Teresa was getting a massage from Kelly. When they finished, I gave Kelly my old Windows 10 Acer computer with all its cables and paperwork for her 18-year-old son. Glad to get that off my hands.

I watched another episode of Running Man on Netflix then The Weeknight and The Chris Hayes Show on MS NOW.

 

My step count total for today was 3,460 steps.

 

FUNNY

 

Monday, January 5, 2026

Last night I took my Diphenhydramine and Zopiclona tablets and went to bed at 10pm, finally waking/getting up at 6:15

Teresa got up at 6:45 and made breakfast.

I watched some of Anne Cramling (2046) playing the White pieces in her last round against a 2181 rated player.

After breakfast I had a 30-minute nap, awakened by the alarm on my cellphone.

I left at 8:30 for Smartfit, used my fingerprint to enter 😊, found it much busier than usual, but surprisingly it seemed to clear out around 9am. I managed to complete all my exercises in order except the Butterfly. I added 5# to the Leg Extension, Abdominal Crunch, and Back Extension machines. I completed 18 minutes on the treadmill, ending with a pulse rate of 130bpm.

I moved to Ganso y Castor where I got my usual table and had a latte. I saw the squirrel come down and take my peanut but strangely it went up the right branch only to come back down and take the left branch. Competition?

I watched Anna Cramling win her game, completing the tournament with: WIN, LOSS, WIN, LOSS, WIN, WIN, WIN, WIN, WIN finishing 7-2 a very good result which should increase her rating by 25-30 points.

I shared my treadmill results with ChatGPT and notified it of our upcoming vacation.

I left at 11am and returned to the apt.

The wound on my right shin is almost completely healed. What worked in the end was putting petroleum jelly on it to keep it moist.

We had more rain and cold in the afternoon so neither of us wanted to leave the apt.

We tried taking a nap for an hour but neither of us could fall asleep.

Teresa started packing our suitcases. Do other husbands have to endure their wives trying on clothes and asking your opinion on them? I did like both bikinis she tried on. 😊

I watched another episode of Running Man, watched a lot of news and commentary about the Venezuelan situation, then started my pre-sleep routine.

Release the Epstein files! All of them!

 

My step count total for today was 4,478 steps.

 

FUNNY

 

COLOMBIAN VAT

Some of you may be aware of this. I just came upon it ordering on Amazon.

As of January 1, 2026, the Colombian government has officially ended the tax exemption for low-value international purchases.  

For years, many shoppers enjoyed the "$200 rule," where anything under $200 USD sent from the U.S. via mail or courier (like Amazon) was exempt from the 19% Value Added Tax (VAT/IVA). That era has ended.  

What has changed?

The Colombian government passed a tax reform (part of the 2024/2025 financial bills) specifically designed to "level the playing field" for local retailers. Here is the breakdown:  

• **The 19% VAT is now mandatory: All purchases from platforms like Amazon, Temu, and Shein are now subject to the full 19% IVA, regardless of how cheap the item is. Even a $10 book will now trigger this tax.  

• De Minimis removal: The exemption for shipments under $200 (the "de minimis" threshold) has been effectively abolished for these digital platforms to increase tax revenue and protect national commerce.

• Automatic Collection: Amazon now calculates this tax at checkout as an "Import Fees Deposit." This isn't Amazon trying to pocket extra cash; they are legally required to collect and remit these funds to the Colombian tax authority (DIAN).  

Why the change?

The Colombian Ministry of Finance argued that the tax-free status of international sites created "unfair competition" for Colombian businesses, which are required to pay VAT on everything they sell. By removing the exemption, the government expects to generate over $640 billion COP in additional revenue by the end of 2026.

I stand corrected on the above message….Packages valued at USD 50 or less (non-commercial) can enter without paying Colombian VAT. 

Everything else is correct. This group is great. Thanks for pointing that out. 

Sunday, January 4, 2026

Last night I took my Diphenhydramine and Zopiclona tablets and went to bed at 10pm, got up once at 2am, finally waking at 6am and getting up at 6:30. You may wonder what I’m doing in the half hour between when I wake up and when I get up. Mainly, I make a trip to the restroom, do my Kegel exercises and try to get back to sleep.

I left the apt just before 8:30 and walked to Sao Paulo Plaza. I stopped in Carulla and bought a medium carton of eggs and what I thought was the Kefir Glenn was looking for.

In Olivenza I noticed what I purchased wasn’t Kefir but just Greek Yogurt with blueberry beads. I ate it and ordered calentao with scrambled eggs. Glenn arrived right at 9am and we discussed the latest news about the US capturing Venezuela’s Maduro. I asked about his health and learned he has low blood pressure. For his stomach issued he’s now eating Kefir and interchanging it with Greek yogurt.

I left at 10:45 and walked over to Barrio Sur to see if Chris Cajoleas was there watching his Liverpool team but it was closed.

I watched the end of Anna Cramling’s game (which she won) finally against a higher rated player in the Rilton U2200 tournament.

I ordered a Didi for Teresa to Santafe mall and she left at 12:30 to meet Rosemary for lunch, shopping and chatting.

We soon had a thunderstorm and I unplugged the TV and waited to see what develops. At 1pm a heavy drizzle started. By 1:15 it had returned to a light drizzle. By 2pm it seemed to have passed. I left the apt at 2:30 in a few sprinkles and walked to Clap Burger where I ordered a Classic Burger with fries and a pistachio malteada (milkshake). (It took a couple attempts to convince the counter girl that I wanted the 3 items I mentioned even though the malteada wasn’t a drink included in their combo.)

I left at 3:30 and walked back to the apt in a little dripping.

I watched the Bears lose to the Lion on a last-minute field goal. I finished my 2^nd bag of peanuts with one of my small Cokes.

I switched to CBS Chicago and watched the end of the Commanders vs Eagles game. Because the Eagles lost, the Bears have the 2^nd seed in the playoffs and will be home against the Packers.

I watched 60 Minutes then started my pre-sleep routine.

 

My step count total for today was 5,388 steps.

 

FUNNY

Saturday, January 3, 2026

Last night I took my Diphenhydramine and Zopiclona tablets and went to bed at 10pm (a few minutes later I heard it drizzling outside, got up once at 12:45am, again at 5am, finally waking/getting up at 6:30.

Wanna move: Did you get settled in Mexico? How is it?

As usual for a Saturday, pancakes today with blueberries and pecans. Yum!

If I remember correctly, Todo Drogas is only a 7-minute walk from Daniel’s barbershop so today I think I’ll use Google Maps to guide me there on foot.

I forgot to mention we watched A Christmas Story (7.9) on Stremio over the past few nights.

I left the apt at 8:30 and took a Didi to Daniel’s barbershop arriving 15 minutes early. The shop was closed so I took a seat on his front steps. Just before 9am I texted him and asked if he was going to be open today. He replied he would be 10 minutes late. I heard some motorcycles come by honking their horns – probably Venezuelans celebrating the US early morning capture of Maduro. Daniel arrived 10 minutes later and I got my usual haircut.

I set Google Maps to take me to Todo Drogas and was surprised it was just an 8-minute walk from his shop. I picked up my medications for the month, stopped at a tienda naturista and bought Omega-3 and magnesium capsules. On my way to Ganso y Castor I passed a new Smartfit and a Tienda D1.

I had a latte and apparently caught a squirrel twice rejecting my peanut?

The squirrel got it on the third pass.

I left at 11:15 and bought a bag of milk in a nearly empty Ara on my way back to the apt.

I watched Trump’s press conference announcing the capture of Venezuela’s Maduro. No mention of democracy or elections in Venezuela but he didn’t neglect to talk about their oil.

At 2:30 Teresa decided she wants to go to Santafe mall. ☹

MT caught a taxi and picked us up at our complex by 3:15. 

(While waiting in the porteria I learned there are 10 porteros and cleaning ladies working our complex so each should get a little over 1,000,000 pesos for their Christmas bonus.) In Santafe mall I went down to Valentina’s while the ladies went shopping. The mall was busy but not packed like before Christmas. They joined me by 4:15 and they had drinks and we shared a couple pieces of yogurt cake. I tried using Booking.com to reserve next year’s Christmas and New Years in Casa Verano but they have no room available?

I think I’ll call them and see if the app is correct.

The total check came to 108,186 pesos and we left at 5:30. We took the escalator down to the 1^st floor to the taxi area and there was no line and a taxi waiting for us. 😊

MT got out at her apt and we got out at Ara where Teresa bought arepas and avocados before we returned to the apt.

Chesswiz98 resigned our game on the 18^th move increasing my rating to 1530. I questioned why he resigned until I saw he blundered his queen on his last move.

Troyclough resigned our game on the 41^st move increasing my rating to 1536.

So, now the US is in the business of running other countries? Per google, 23,000 U.S citizens live in Venezuela and they get 12,000 U.S. tourists visiting annually.

I finished reading Lisa Jackson’s NY Times #1 bestseller If Only She Knew on my Kindle. It was good but more of a romance book that women would like.

I’m back to the Jack Reacher series but I’m getting near the end, something like 6 books I haven’t read and I’ll have to pay for those.

 

My step count total for today was 3,722 steps.

 

FUNNY

 

Friday, January 2, 2026

Last night I took my Diphenhydramine and Zopiclona tablets and went to bed at 10pm, finally waking/getting up at 5am.

Teresa got up at 7am and made breakfast. After breakfast I set an alarm for an hour and returned to bed sleeping for 30-40 minutes. When I got up, I was surprised to see the street a little wet. Did it rain while I was sleeping? Did it rain last night and I just noticed? Did the street sweeper come by? No idea!

At 8:30 I left the apt and found Smartfit not busy at all. Still, I had to wait on people hogging a couple machines. I saw Stacy come in and we said, “hi”. I finished my workout including 18 minutes on the treadmill finishing with 124bpm going down to 120bpm. I did have some discomfort in my right crotch/ abdomen area so ChatGPT suggests I continue with 18 minutes next Monday. Since the gym wasn’t busy, I had the girl at the front desk reregister my fingerprint so hopefully in the future I can enter without having to enter my cedula and birthdate.

I stopped in Pasteur to inquire about the Kefir Glenn is looking for. They didn’t have it but the pharmacist suggested I check in Exito.

I had a latte in Ganso y Castor and confirmed with one of the waiters that the price hasn’t changed in the new year. I just missed the squirrel take my peanut but a few minutes later I saw it take a peanut from the crook of the tree right in front me and take 5-10 minutes to eat it. I took this video which is a little dark but the squirrel is front and center.

I left at 10:45 and bought some laundry detergent in Ara on the way back to the apt.

I left again at 1:30 and walked to the mall. I stopped at the customer service desk in Exito only to realize it isn’t there any longer. I asked a girl working in the aisles about the Greek kefir and she took me to the refrigeration aisle where I found this:

There were only two left but they were refrigerated plus I didn’t feel like getting in a line.

I took the back way through the garage and up to the 3^rd floor where I inquired about my skin cream in Linea Estetica. The girl told me it was only for domicilios (home delivery). I withdrew 2,000,000 pesos (all 100s) at a Davivienda ATM then went into Av Villas and paid the apt rent for January.

As I exited the bank a young lady asked me, in English, about my chess book. She wants to learn how to play and I recommended she get an account with chess.com.

I went down to Urbania and had a latte for an hour. Chesswiz98 resigned our game on the 25^th move, increasing my rating to 1525. I received a text message from Natalia Holgun (10163218684 Ahorros) that our monthly health insurance payments will go up from 228mil to 274mil ($73) starting February 1^st. I found on Facebook that Colombia is starting to tax imports 19% on Amazon orders over $50. I sent a text message to Bryan our previous airport driver but have yet to receive a response.

I left about 3pm and inquired about my cream in Medipiel but they priced it at 115,100 pesos which I thought was too much. I walked back to the apt.

I finished watching America’s Team on Netflix.

Teresa had me bring up the suitcases from our basement storage area. We leave a week from Monday so it’ll be here before you know it.

I noticed this pigeon sleeping outside on the windowsill of our guest bedroom.

If I took off my flip flops, I’m pretty sure I could creep out to the end of the balcony and grab it, but I think they carry a lot of diseases.

 

My step count total for today was 6,018 steps.

 

FUNNY

Thursday, January 1, 2026

Last night I took my Diphenhydramine and Zopiclona tablets and went to bed at 10pm. Got up once at 5:15, got up again at 6am and took my morning pills, returned to bed, finally waking/getting up at 7am.

Teresa had said she would make pancakes this morning but we didn’t have much Aunt Jemima pancake mix left. (I wish she would let me know when we’re getting low on things as I was just in Exito yesterday.)

Teresa wants to have a day trip; she’s thinking Parque Arvi but we’ll see.

Change of plans: now she wants to go to El Tesoro.

We left the apt at noon and took a Didi to El Tesoro for 19,300 pesos. Most of the stores (Zara, H&M) and restaurants (Crepes & Waffles, Il Forno) were closed. We had lunch in El Corral (the expensive burger place), salmon for Teresa, a classic burger for me and we shared onion rings and a bottle of water for 123,000 pesos ($33).

We walked around a bit – Valentina’s was closed but we ended up having lattes and a cinnamon roll in Velez’s (traditionally a leather store) new café. The lattes were cute

But cold and the cinnamon roll was the smallest I’ve ever seen.

We walked around a bit more. Teresa went to the restroom while I waited on a couch outside H&M. A 2-year-old girl ran over a couple times and we slapped hands and fist bumped and then she ran back to her happy but incredulous mother.

Teresa came out and we went down to Carulla (supermarket). I asked a stockboy where I could find “marmalada”. I had to repeat it but on the way to it he asked what its called in English. I said, “preserves, jelly, jam” and he understood “jelly”. I found a jar of Smuckers Simply Fruit strawberry preserves and I pointed out that under the sticker “exceso en azucares” was the name of an American brand. He checked the price tag on the shelf and saw the word “Smuckers” and agreed. I also bought a package of Aunt Jemima pancake mix.

Carulla has converted a couple of their cashiers to self-checkout, emulating the US. (Next thing you know Medellin will have people pumping their own gas.)

We went outside where the O’Cake café used to be and waited for a taxi. No one was around so I ended up ordering another Didi to take us back to our apt for 20,000 pesos.

I saw Jeannie & Jacob took Annie James with them to breakfast at Egg Harbor Café and got nervous when she opened her eyes

but they just rocked the stroller and she went back to sleep.

I finished watching America’s Team (8.2) on Netflix.

 

My step count total for today was 3,924 steps.

 

FUNNY

 

Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Last night I took my Diphenhydramine and Zopiclona tablets and went to bed at 10pm. Just as my head hit the pillow a loud chiva bus came down the street. I quickly fell asleep, got up once at 2:30, finally waking/getting up at 6:30.

A lot of fireworks this morning, thankfully they’re far away.

I left the apt at 8:30 and found Smartfit less busy than usual, but still I had to wait my turn on a couple of machines. I completed 18 minutes on the treadmill with a resultant 127bpm going down to 124bpm at the very end.

I had a latte in Ganso y Castor for an hour before returning to the apt.

I watched Elway (7.4) on Netflix.

Teresa told me she wanted to go out for lunch followed by her usual, “donde tu queries invitarme”. She followed that up by “surprise me”. I told her we’ll go to Burger King…that would be a surprise. She ended up deciding to make broccoli cheddar soup but we don’t have enough milk.

I changed clothes and went next door to Ara where I found tomatoes and green apples but no milk or broccoli. I called Teresa and informed here. She said not to worry about the broccoli but I should go next door to Tienda D1 for a box of whole milk. A young lady overheard my call and showed me where the broccoli was and even chose a good one for me. I paid and went next door where I finally located a box of milk, paid for it and returned to the apt.

I left the apt at 2:30 and walked to the mall. I recycled a few plastic pill bottles then went to the banking area and made a withdrawal of 2,000,000 pesos all 100s. My bank, Av Villas, was closed with this sign which I understand explains their end of the year closing but nothing about the new year openings.

I found a working ATM that allowed me to deposit cash for Netflix and Medellin TV.

I went down to Urbania for a latte. The same young waiter came over and we had a little discussion in English. 😊

I left at 4pm and stopped in Exito to pick up a few things I needed. Unfortunately, the line was the longest I’ve every seen and it took me about half an hour to check out. I returned to the apt by taxi.

I started watching the series America’s Team on Netflix.

I found A Christmas Story on Stremio with Spanish subtitles. We watched the first 36 minutes. To be continued.

More fireworks could be heard (not seen because the building across the street is in the way) after 6 or 6:30pm.

According to my step counter I walked 6,019 steps today. 😊

 

FUNNY