Saturday, January 9th, 2016

I had difficulty falling asleep but when I finally did I didn’t awaken until 5am.  The dogs seemed to have a barking contest with the neighborhood dogs starting at 6am which lasted about 20 minutes.

The “Pending” charge in my checking account for ChessLecture.com is no longer there.

I had Teresa call Hacienda La Extremadura and reserve 2 nights for our trip.  They said we can pay when we arrive.

Teresa showed me a large chunk of ice at the bottom of the back of the refrigerator.  I wanted to use hammer and chisel to remove it but Teresa said only if I was prepared to buy a new refrigerator.  I wasn’t, so we just moved the refrigerator into more sunlight to help it melt.  She cleaned the whole refrigerator and I helped her put the shelves back in.

About 6pm it started raining hard but it only lasted about 5 minutes.

I understood Vicky and her family were going to come over tomorrow.  Teresa told me that changed because her daughter is pregnant so they’ll come another time.  I know her daughter didn’t just get pregnant last night; meaning they’ve known about that for some time so something else must have changed.

Tony is still aggressive with the other dogs so Teresa decided we would put Peter in the shed out back.  While I picked up Peter, Tony jumped up and tried to get at him.  I thought Peter might bite me in order to get down but he didn’t.  Teresa lit my way with a flashlight.  On the way back I remembered a spider web close to the corner of the finca and Teresa appeared to be walking right into it.  I quickly put my hand out to stop her but I hit her right in the face.  Oops!

I watched some of the Pittsburgh Steelers Cincinnati Bengals game including the ending.  The Steelers were ahead most of the game – 15-0 going into the 4^th quarter.  Cincinnati then scored 16 straight points but missed an attempted 2 point conversion.  Cincinnati then intercepted a Ben Roethlisberger pass with about a minute and a half left in the game.  I remember the announcer saying “this game isn’t over yet” and I was thinking “yeah, right”.  I was about to change channels when Cincinnati tried to run for a first down and fumbled and the Steelers recovered with 1:23 left in the game.  They slowly moved down the field finally kicking a winning 35-yard field goal with 14 seconds remaining to win 18-16.

I took 3 sleeping pills at 11:30 and went to bed at midnight.

T-shirt of the day: I love you more than chocolate.

Friday, January 8th, 2016

I got up twice during the night at 3:30 and 8am, finally getting up at 9:30.

I made waffles for us this morning.  This time I put 5 drops of vanilla extract in the batter and also made the waffles thinner which I believe made them tastier.

Teresa let Tony out today.  He seems to have recuperated well although he is still dripping a few drops of blood.

Someone called Teresa this morning and I understand I have an urologist appointment in Estadio at 11am on Tuesday, February 16^th.

Among new movies opening this week in the US I would like to see The Revenant (8.3) and The Treasure (6.9).  Locally there isn’t anything I want to see except The Revenant as soon as it’s available here.

For some reason I thought today was Saturday and when I realized it was Friday it was 11:30 and I had missed most of The Today Show.  The first 30 minutes is the most important as it covers the national and international news.  The good news is it’s repeated at 1pm so I’ll watch it then.

Teresa put a pill in a piece of bread for me to give to Tony.  He poked his head between the bars of the window.  The problem is he’s so eager to get the little morsel that I could almost lose fingers in the process.  After a couple aborted attempts I finally tossed it to him, he caught it and swallowed it whole.  But when he pulled his head back the plastic collar caught on the bars and he pulled his head out with the collar falling inside the finca.  He didn’t seem eager at all to lick his wound so I guess he’ll be all right.  

My son still hasn’t received his Christmas present so I called the company and it turns out they never got his apartment number on the package even though it was on their Shipping Confirmation email.  They said they would resend it out and it should be there in 2-3 days.

My brother made reservations for them at 61Prado so I made an online reservation for Teresa and I.

The Colombian Peso closed at 3269 per USD for the week.

I took my Tamsulosin with 2 sleeping pills at 10:35 and went to bed at 11:10.

T-shirt of the day: No selfies allowed.

Thursday, January 7th, 2016

I fell asleep quickly and only woke briefly about 7am.  I woke/got up at 8am.

Right after I got out of the shower Teresa informed me there wasn’t any water.  

The vet, Felipe, showed up at 9am.  He’s a nice looking young guy who occasionally says a few words of English.  After a little struggle he managed to control Tony using a blanket and gave him a shot.  Over about 10 minutes Tony stopped struggling, then his legs got heavy, and finally he fell asleep.  The vet stuffed him into a pet carrier and took him down the hill.  

Water came back on at 10am but it was barely trickling.  Maybe the slow water pressure explains why my shower was hotter than usual this morning.

Teresa told me she has to go up the mountain to check on the water tank and she left at 11:30.  She told me she might be gone for a couple hours and she was concerned I won’t have anything to eat.

Since I logged onto my laptop this morning the bottom of the screen has shown a red “x” over the internet connection icon and now I can’t seem to get a good connection.  

Teresa came back 10 minutes later and told me the water is okay now but reported that one of Guillermo’s dogs grabbed Peluche by the neck.

I stirred the tanks and got my internet connection back.

I wrote a review of the new Italian restaurant we visited yesterday – Moriskos – and submitted it to Trip Advisor.  After a few minutes I received an email that they accepted it so that’s my 6^th posting for them.

The $99.99 charge for ChessLecture.com still shows up in my checking account as Pending.  I chatted with them online and they said it will fall off in 5 business days so I’ll just wait.

About 1:15 the vet brought Tony back who of course wasn’t feeling so well.  He has a large plastic collar around his head so he won’t lick his wound.  We locked him in the shed to recover without the other dogs bothering him.  I understand we can give him water and start with a little food tomorrow.  The charge for the surgery for Tony was 100mil.

We called our first hotel – Golden Palermo – and they gave us a quote of 187,000 per night including breakfast.  They want a 500,000 deposit on the 3 rooms for 2 nights before the end of the month.  I checked Trip Advisor and, depending on what they use for the currency exchange rate, it seemed to be a little less expensive online in dollars than paying here in pesos.

We went back to check on Tony and I fed him half a bowl of dogfood one piece at a time.  He seemed to gain some strength and soon squeezed out between the bars of the door and hid in an area of the garden.  He came out after about 10 minutes and I picked him up and carried him back to the shed.

A lightning storm came through about 5pm and I had to disconnect everything.  (I think I read that El Niño might be behind the increase in rain we’ve been getting.)  By 6:15 the lightning stopped and the rain disipated enough that I reconnected the wifi.

We finished watching Side Effects on Netflix.

I took 2 sleeping pills with my Tamsulosin at 10:15pm and went to bed at 10:45.

T-shirt of the day: Getting no “message” is also a “message”.

Wednesday, January 6th, 2016

Last night I fell asleep rather quickly and didn’t wake up until 7am.  Now that’s a good night’s sleep.  (But why?  Because I took my prostate medicine with my sleeping pills?  Because I waited 45 minutes after taking my sleeping pills?)  Teresa got up about 8am and I followed about 9am.

Teresa talked to the vet and I understand while he’s operating on Tony we’re going to Envigado.  His fee will be 80mil and we will pick him up tomorrow morning.

Teresa called Elizabeth at Direct TV and found out this year’s monthly charge is 109mil.

I received an email reply from MBE.  They agreed I have already paid for December and the email I received was automatically generated.

When we left the finca at 11:25 and since I didn’t see Tony I assumed the vet had already picked him up.  I gave the black dog 2 dog biscuits as we passed.  We had a 10 minute wait for a van to Envigado.  There was a 2 car fender bender in the left lane but it didn’t seem to slow up traffic very much.  

We had lunch at Carbón de Leña.  Teresa had some type of fish and 2 servings of mazamorra while I had my usual start of the month meal – hamburger, fries and Pepsi.  For dessert they didn’t have our usual tiramisu so we had a cup of napoleon.  The total came to 38mil (about $13).

Teresa went to pay the bills and I went to the park to play chess with the agreement we would meet there at 4pm.

After a short wait I played a strong opponent – he won the first game and I won the second.  It was 3:45 so I told him I couldn’t play another game.  Another man asked me to play and I told him only if it was a quick game.  He wasn’t very strong so I didn’t have much trouble winning.  Teresa showed up just before I finished and afterwards we stopped at Nueva eps where Teresa asked them a quick question.

Across the street we stopped at a new Italian restaurant named Moriskos for a drink.  While we shared a juice it started drizzling.  Teresa waited there and I walked a few blocks to Todo Drogas where I picked up my drugs for the month - a package of Tamsulosin for 38,900 and 3 packages of sleeping pills that went up to 63,900 per package.  Soon I should have enough extra sleeping pills that I’ll only need to buy 2 packages each month.

Shortly after I returned to the restaurant it started raining hard.  I understood we were no longer in a hurry.  We ordered a pizza Napolitana to share with a large glass of strawberry juice.  The total came to 22,400 – the restaurant has lasagna, pasta, and waffles, but no entrée over 20mil.

I finished reading The Kommandant’s Girl by Pam Jenoff and started Executive Actions by Gary Grossman.

We stopped at 3 or 4 stores where Teresa checked their umbrella supply.  She finally found one she liked for 15mil.  We got into a taxi but I understand the driver didn’t want to take us to the highway because the traffic was so bad because of the rain.  We walked over to Exito where Teresa bought a package of large plastic bags for us to use as ponchos.  We walked a few blocks away and after about a 10 minute wait we got a taxi to take us to the highway.  During the 15 minutes we waited for a bus it stopped raining.  We took a Fredonia bus so we knew we would be stopping in Caldas.  

We got past the G-dogs undetected and were back at the finca by 8:20.  I was surprised to see Tony there and Teresa told me the vet will pick him up tomorrow – see how I don’t know what’s going on?

I received the following comment from one of my readers regarding my comment about 6 barber shops in a row: It is very common to have entire districts dedicated to sell a specific sort of item. I don´t know about Medellín but in Bogotá you can find districts for books, flowers, lamps, birds, etc. In Cali there is a district for clinics, dental practices, etc. And one where all (but one) universities and private schools (most of them) are.

I appreciate the comment and wish I had more.

Teresa went to bed at 11pm while I stayed up to watch Botched.  I took 2 sleeping pills and my Tamsulosin at 11:30pm and went to bed at midnight.

T-shirt of the day: Whatever.

Couchsurfing in Medellin - Medellin Living

Couchsurfing In Medellin

February 17, 2009 By Dave 1 Comment

Drinks with Sirley (to my right) and her friends in Parque Lleras

Couchsurfing, for those who have yet to discover it, is an online social network geared toward travelers.

The network allows you to post a profile and either off to host a traveler in your home, contact someone while traveling abroad to stay in their home, or otherwise meet for coffee or a drink.

The obvious benefit to having a place to stay abroad is the savings in money, however for those who get involved, they soon find the cultural benefits far outweigh the monetary value.

Meeting two other American couchsurfers in Medellin

I originally signed up for the service in late 2006, in the hopes of hosting travelers before I left on my trip around the world.
I wanted to see what it would be like to have a stranger from another country show up at my door.
What it would feel like to show him or her around my home town, or at least point the person in the right direction to make their life a little easier.
I was surprised to find how much hosting someone felt similar to traveling abroad myself.
On my trip, I have been a guest with about 10 different people, including a French doctor on Tahiti, a professor in Singapore, a doctor in Cape Town, and Canadian interns in Geneva.  All of the experiences have been wonderful, and the hospitality shown by each host has been eye-opening for me.
When I began to search for  a couch in Bogota from Spain,  I was surprised to find a high membership in the big cities of Colombia!

With Jesusa outside Teatro Lido in Centro

I spent my first 6 nights with Laura, a university student, and her roommate.  She took me around the city, and made me feel right at home.
It was my first indication of the friendliness of Colombians.
I arrived in Medellin without a couch to surf, but I did arrange to meet up with a variety of people from the site for drinks and walking tours.
First, Jesusa spent a few hours walking me past some of the government buildings downtown.
The next night, I met up with Sirley and her friends for dinner and drinks in a Parque Lleras restaurant.

Couchsurfing party in Sabaneta

I reunited with Jesusa for a free dance performance at the Teatro Lido on a Friday night, and spent the following night at a Couchsurfing going away party for one of their own.
Another weekend, it was salsa and meringue lessons with Luisa at Kukaramakara Club.  I think you get the point.
Couchsurfing in Medellin was turning out to be an awesome social experience!

Luisa (blue) invited me out salsa dancing for her friends birthday

Couchsurfing, and its Medellin Group, is a way to access the local culture of a place without knowing the language, as the majority of members in any given country tend to speak at least a little English.
And if you intend to live in Medellin, or any place with a similarly strong Couchsurfing community, your ability to build a social circle inclusive of the locals is made far easier.
Partying, networking, socializing, cultural exchanges.  It is all within reach, so sign up today!

How I Arrived in Medellin - by Dave, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Medellin Living

How I Arrived In Medellin

February 10, 2009 By Dave 2 Comments

Colombian landscape on approach to Jose Maria Cordova International Airport

I am excited at the possibilities for this site, yet before I begin to highlight the aspects of Medellin and Colombia which have lead me to start extolling its virtues, I want to share my story up until now.
In November 2007, I resigned from work, left my apartment, belongings, friends and family behind in the Washington, DC area, and flew to Tahiti.
It was the first stop on a 14-month dream trip around the world. I visited 20 countries, and have now spent time in 30 over the course of my life (on every continent except Antarctica).
My savings account waning, I decided to pick one country in South America to visit before going home, and resuming a job and life in New York City.
Over the previous years, the few people I´d spoken to who had traveled through Colombia had great things to say.
Beautiful land and people, safe, and inexpensive. Alternatively, I considered the eternal hotspot of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil where costs are high and the tourism industry well developed.
I chose the pass less traveled. The unknown road.
I chose Colombia. After one week couchsurfing in Bogota, I flew to Medellin, and from the moment the plane descended through the clouds, I was stunned by the beauty of the green landscape and mountains before me.
The scenery continued to leave my mouth gaping as I took the shuttle bus from the international airport down the smooth but twisting roads to the city center, which was bustling on a beautiful, warm Sunday afternoon.
I was so ready to jump into the scene, I almost didn´t want to get in a cab to drop my backpack off at a hostel in the upscale El Poblado district.
A little over two weeks later, I decided maybe Medellin is the place I’ve always wanted to live but didn´t know it.
Due to its unique geography, the city has a reputation for Spring-like weather year round.
The Colombians I´ve met have been friendly, even if they haven´t been able to speak English.
I feel safe getting around on foot during the day, on the metro, and taking cabs at night.
Cultural activities are often free, and when there is a cost, it is a steal by western standards. A great restaurant meal can be had for the cost of a Happy Meal in the States.
A variety of music blasts from stores and bars throughout the city – salsa, merengue, reggaeton, vallenato, tropical pop, and electronic to name a few.
The locals are amazing dancers, and the nightlife is great. And I haven´t even brought myself to visit the surrounding villages just an hour or two away.
I hope you will join me in discovering The City of the Eternal Spring.
Colombia, the only risk is wanting to stay!

Tuesday, January 5th, 2016

I got up once at 3am, couldn’t get to sleep so I got up at 4am and took 1 more sleeping pill, and fell asleep by 4:30.  I got up once more at 6:30 finally waking/getting up at 8:15.

We left the finca at 9:30 and I gave the black dog 2 dog biscuits.  We had a 15 minute wait for a Caldas bus.  We got off at the triangle, walked a block to the police table and 10 minutes later were on a bus.  Teresa and I had a difference of opinion as to which station is closer to Unicentro CC – Aguacatala (my choice) or El Poblado (Teresa’s choice).  (Back at the finca, while El Poblado is closer than Aguacatala, I found Industriales is even closer.)  We got off at Aguacatala and the bus driver agreed with Teresa but maybe he just wanted the fare.  

On our way down Carrera 70 we drove past a Price Smart (like Costco) and a water park that Teresa said is Parque Juan Pablo Segundo.  We got off at Unicentro CC and walked a block to Martha’s office.  I picked up my passport with the new visa inside and the papers needed to apply for my Cedula.  They consisted of a 2-page form, a copy of my old and new visa from my passport, and a copy of my old Cedula.  Martha confirmed that in two more years I can apply for residency.

We went to the Exito food court for lunch where Teresa had the fish combo special and a Colombiana.  I first saw something that looked like ham with spaghetti then I saw pans of baked lasagna then I saw large (about 6” x 6”) slices of pizza.  One looked like it was topped with bacon but the lady told me it was ham.  Another looked like it was topped with pepperoni but the lady said it was salami.  I took the latter with a small Pepsi and it was tasty although I couldn’t quite finish it.  The total lunch cost 28,890 (about $9). 

In Exito I picked up a jar of Smuckers Strawberry Preserves and Teresa picked up a package of milk, a package of arepas, 2 packages of Tang, and 3 packages of plastic gloves.  

We took a taxi to the immigration office in Belen and arrived at 12:40 for my 1:30 appointment.  I talked to a few other gringos there and they had 9am and 9:30 appointments and were just being served.  One man I met had my same middle name and the rest of his name was Richard Simmons.  Lol.  We were finally served at 4:10, they approved my paperwork and I charged 162,000 to my debit card for my Cedula.  Now I just have to wait a couple weeks for it to be ready to be picked up.

We took a taxi to Ragged where Teresa looked at clothes.  We stopped across the street where we shared a pastry and bottle of Colombiana.  We walked a block to a store called Phax where Teresa looked at more clothes.  We took a bus (traffic was very heavy) to the Aguacatala station and were on an express bus after a 10 minute wait.

We got past the G-dogs undetected and were back at the finca by 7:30.

I got an email notice from MBE to pay my December, 2015 monthly rental.  I paid it at the same time as the November rental so I sent them a photo of my receipt.

I took 2 sleeping pills with my Tamsulosin at 10:30 and went to bed at 11:15.

T-shirt of the day: Sorry I’m fresh.