Saturday, November 11, 2017

Happy Veterans Day!  Thanks to all of you who served.

I felt I slept well despite getting up once or twice during the night, finally walking at 7:30 and getting up at 8:30.

I had Teresa call Nohelia and make an appointment with Diana for a manicure and pedicure.

I was there exactly at 9:30 for my appointment.  I took off my shoes and socks and put my feet in a small pail of warm water.  She cut the pinky nail on my left hand with a large clipper and asked if it was short enough.  I told her to cut it just a tad shorter.  Then she started with the ring finger and cut my finger instead of the nail.  After she put some liquid on it several times along with a piece of cotton, I said “no more”, put on my socks and shoes and left.  If she’s so unprofessional not to know the difference between my skin and my nail then I’m not going to be her client.  I guess it’s easier to cut my own nails from now on.

Well, I guess I misinterpreted the information about the road closures.  I understand now that the traffic for Calle 37Sur and Calle 38Sur are closed off for the hill leading up and down so now lots of that traffic is coming down our street.

At 11:15 a young man showed up to fix our Direct TV outage.  Laura showed him how to get to the roof and when he came back I understood he couldn’t do anything now because he doesn’t have a ladder with him.  I believe he’s supposed to come back later with a truck.

We got a phone call and I understand Direct TV isn’t returning until Tuesday.

I left the apt at 3:30 to return the books (actually booklets) I checked out with Laura 2 weeks ago and then buy another bottle of Bi-Pro protein powder by Exito.

This time I wasn’t stopped by the guard as I entered the library.  I went up to the 2^nd floor to where Laura told me to return the books.  The lady there motioned towards the back but I wasn’t sure where to go so she took me all the way to the other side where I was helped by another young lady. 

She asked me for my cedula (Colombia ID number) and I told her.  She asked me if I was the one who checked out the books.  I thought for a second and then remembered that we used Laura’s cedula to check out the books.  I said Laura Alzata and she looked something up and asked me if it is Laura Maria Alzate.  I said I think so.  She asked me for her cedula but I told her I didn’t know it.  She asked me for her cell phone number so I gave her Teresa’s.  She asked me if this was Laura’s cell phone and I told her it’s Laura’s mother’s cell phone number.

I asked her why this was so difficult and she directed my attention to a sign behind me that stated that their computer system wasn’t working.

That was it; she finally accepted them.  So, in the end she has Laura’s name, my cedula number and Teresa’s cell phone number.

I walked over to Exito where I bought a container of BiPro protein powder for 89mil.  Again, she asked me for my name, cedula number, and telephone number but this time I understood it was for points of some type.

I was back at the apt by 4:30.

While in the library I picked up a little booklet – Envigado Cultural Agenda for November.  I see now that the building a block away is the Miguel Uribe Restrepo Cultural Center and they occasionally show movies.  For example, tonight at 6:30pm they are showing 8 ½ and on the 25^th they are showing Lolita.  I guess it would be in Spanish, right?  It’s been very overcast if not rainy here almost every day over the last few weeks.  La Niña?

The Colombian Peso closed at 3,007 to the US Dollar.

We left the apt at 8pm the ladies were very hungry so we caught a taxi that took us to La Mesa (restaurant area) of Envigado for the minimum fare of 5mil.  Teresa was looking forward again to the fish at the Mexican resaurant Tepito.  I took control and ordered nachos for each of us to share.  I was a little surprised that no one ordered their entrée right away as is the Colombian custom.

I had a limonada de coco, Teresa had a tropical fruit and Laura had a beer.  I thought the taste of my coconut lemonade was a little off like the glass was rinsed in something else.  Not sure what exactly was different.  The nachos came as a do-it-yourself project with the ingredients on the side but everyone enjoyed them.  Teresa ordered her fish, I my chicken fajitas and Laura a mixed burrito.  Everyone took their time, enjoying the environment and their food and the total came to 150,669 ($50) including tip.

We walked back to the apt to work off the food a little and were back by about 9:30.

Back at the apt I booted up my laptop so we could watch a Netflix movie.  It said it was Configuring Windows and was at 100% so I don’t know what was taking it so long.  At 10pm I took my melatonin and sat down to read my book.  About 10:20 the Windows message changed to Doing Cleanup and that continued for 10-15 more minutes.  Finally I put the movie on – Gerald’s Game and Laura and I seemed to enjoy it but Teresa was bored or just tired.  I finally stopped the movie at 11:30, took my sleeping pills and went to bed.

T-shirt of the day: Strong women intimidate boys but excite men.

Friday, November 10, 2017

I got up twice during the night, finally waking at 7:30 and getting up at 8:30.

I did all my exercises in an hour and 45 minutes.  I still have no pain in either my elbow or my shoulder.  Yay!

On my way back to the apt I bought a Condorito for Chuck and picked up a free Gente newspaper at Exito.

In the downstairs lobby there is a new sign on the bulletin board.  (I can’t think of the right word in English.)  It’s a little late in informing us that Calle 37Sur and Calle 38Sur will be closed at Avenida Poblado from November 10^th to the 15^th.

Among new US movie releases I would like to see Three Billboards (8.3) and maybe Murder on the Orient Express (6.7).

Locally, I would like to see Murder on the Orient Express (6.7) playing at Vizcaya.

Teresa and I took a nap from 2:30 to 4pm.  Five minutes after our heads hit the pillows a thunderstorm came through.  The first strike was very loud – sounded like it hit a transformer or something.

Afterwards, we no longer had a satellite signal for Direct TV.  

Laura called them and said that it might be back on tomorrow.  If not, I told them I’ll be going to Parque Lleras to watch the game.

Teresa and I watched No Good Deed (5.6) on Netflix.  Then we started watching The Others (7.6) but couldn’t really get into it.

I took my pills and went to bed at 11pm.

T-shirt of the day: University of Oregon Ducks.

Thursday, November 9, 2017

I slept well despite getting up twice during the night.

After breakfast I went back to bed and napped for an hour.

I watched the 2-hour Today show.

Yesterday I screwed up in trying to post the video.  I finally got it right but if you’re one of the first 10 people who tried but couldn’t see it you might want to try again.

I took this photo of men working on the electric pole just outside our apartment.  

See the worker on the top rung of the ladder?

A few minutes later (noon) it started raining.

News headline I found on my cellphone: Colombia Reports A Historic Seizure of Cocaine: More Than 13 Tons.

I finished Charles C. Mann’s 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus on my Nook and downloaded Michael Connelly’s The Overlook: Harry Bosch series #13).

About 5pm I made a trip to Exito for a few necessities.

A newsletter from Medellin Guru announced that Starbucks has opened their 6^th restaurant in Medellin – this one is in Laureles.

I watched some of the Seattle Seahawks vs Atlanta Falcons Thursday Night Football game before going to bed at 11pm.

T-shirt of the day: The kitchen is for dancing.

Wednesday, November 8, 2017

Last night I went to bed at 11pm, quickly fell asleep, got up twice during the night but fell back asleep quickly each time.  I finally woke/got up at 8:15.

Medellin Guru sent me an article “Why Medellin is a Perfect Place for Digital Nomads”.

I did all my exercises at the gym in a little less than 2 hours.  Still no pain in my shoulder or elbow although I could feel the latter while I was doing the Seated Row so I’ll have to be careful with that one.

I saw on the news that a town called Corinto in Colombia suffered from an avalanche.  (I think mud, not snow.)

Laura wants to go back to El Tesoro to see a makeup presentation at 4pm.  Traffic outside the apt was horrible but I figured that was in one direction only.

This kind of traffic isn't normal but it isn't rare either.

We were all going to go but Teresa said she was too tired and sore from today’s gym class so I said I would go.

Laura and I left the apt at 2:45.  (I think she didn’t want to miss the chance to get a seat.)  Downtown we quickly got a taxi and he new the shortest route to El Tesoro so we were there by 3:15.  I found us seats in a café in sight of Naf Naf where the presentation was to be.  Laura soon moved to a bench outside the store – either she wanted to be first to get a seat when it opened or she just didn’t want to bs seen sitting with an old man.

I had a café con leche and I nursed it and read my Nook book.  She went in at 4pm.  At 4:15 I ordered another café con leche with an almond croissant.  The coffee was good but the croissant left a little to be desired.

At 5pm I left the café and sat on the bench just outside.  Laura texted me and said that it was still going on and she wanted to see the whole thing as she would get some gifts at the end.

I told her not to worry, to call me when it was over.  I moved downstairs to more comfortable seats.  It wasn’t over until 8pm!  

We then went to J&C Delicias for dinner.  We ordered surf & turf to go for Teresa.  For some reason my debit card didn’t work with their machine so I paid the 72,400 ($24) in cash.

We quickly got a taxi ride back to the apt and were back just after 9pm.

I took my pills and went to bed at 11pm.

T-shirt of the day: Don’t grow up.  It’s a trap.

The Meteoric Rise of Colombia's Tourism - Medellin Living

The Meteoric Rise of Colombia's Tourism

Nikki Vargas

Travel Editor

Updated: 26 September 2017

Rising like a phoenix from the ashes of its conflict-riddled past, Colombia is experiencing a tourism renaissance unlike any other. With record low crime rates, booming economic growth, and the promise of increased political stability, this country of 50 million people is quickly climbing to the top of everyone’s travel list.

November 2018 will mark the one year anniversary of Colombia’s historic peace deal signing with the narco-terrorist organization, FARC, ending a 52-year civil war that left more than 260,000 people dead and six million displaced. For decades, Colombia’s blood-soaked headlines eclipsed the bounty of natural beauty the country offers, keeping tourism significantly at bay.

Colombia is one of few places whose wide range of climates and topography make this land one of the most biodiverse spots on earth. Compared to its neighboring countries of Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela and Brazil, Colombia is divided into five distinct natural regions: the Caribbean coast, the Andes mountains, the Pacific coast, the Amazon basin, and the Coffee region, surrounding Medellin.

Cartagena vendor | © ShonEjai/Pixabay

“Colombia is characterized as being a country of nature,” explains Vice President of Tourism ProColombia, Julian Guerrero Orozco at the Skift Global Forum in New York City. “None of the other [South American] countries has the five regions that Colombia has. In Colombia you are paying for one country but have five entirely different destinations.”

With the new promise of lasting peace and stability, Colombia is shrugging off the shackles of its violent reputation and welcoming travelers. Successfully running a tourism campaign with the cheeky slogan: “The only risk, is wanting to stay,” Orozco explains that hiding from the country’s tumultuous past was never an option for the tourism board.

“When [the tourism board] promotes Colombia, we don’t hide away from the fact that Colombia used to be associated with violence, drugs and Narcos,” adds Orozco. “What I think is interesting to do is look at these issues from a perspective of history and transition.” Orozco explains that the violent scars of Colombia’s past is a history to learn from, rather than hide. Orozco points out that much like the way Germany gives a nod to its painful past through museums and preserved concentration camps, Colombia, too, will not ignore the fire from which it was forged. 

Colombia’s Coffee Region | © Elias Shariff Falla Mardini/Pixabay

The tourism board’s honest approach proved immensely successful as Colombia received more than 2.5 million foreign visitors in 2016, a 13 percent increase compared to 2015, writes Colombia Reports. While majority of tourism was received by the country’s capital, Bogota, travelers are now flocking to Caribbean hot spot, Cartagena.

Investors are also coming to Colombia, choosing to strike while the proverbial iron is hot and foreign dollars are pouring in. “Hilton recently signed a franchise license agreement to open Hilton Medellin in Colombia’s second-largest city,” reports Borgen Magazine. “The project will be one of the largest real estate investments in [Colombia] this year.”

Sun Island, Colombia | © Pixabay

Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, along with Hyatt, are also keen to invest in Colombia, calling the country a key market for business and leisure travelers alike. Meanwhile, major airlines—such as JetBlue, Delta, American Airlines and Spirit—have all added new routes to Colombia, allowing US travelers to easily access the South American country at reasonable prices.

Even with Colombia’s history now front and center due to the overwhelming popularity of the Netflix original show, Narcos, interest in the country seems to have swelled. Rich with nature, culture, gastronomy and music, it is the Colombian people that Orozco feels attracts tourists.

“It’s unbelievable how Colombian people are, they find meaning in whatever they do, but they do it with a twist, they do it with passion,” says Orozco proudly. “I think tourism is a human experience above all, and Colombia has a very strong human experience.” 

Tuesday, November 7, 2017

Last night I went to bed at 11pm, I woke up once at 2:45 and again at 5:45.  The latter was due to the brakes from a semi going down the hill.  It lasted long enough for me to eventually get up, pee, take an Excedrin Migraine and look out the window where I saw the semi struggling to make a turn onto a main street.

I left the apt with Teresa at 8:15 and she headed to the gym and I to Carbon de Leña.  I ordered the usual but it didn’t seem to be the same as usual.  The beans seemed more like refried beans (old) and the arepa instead of being the usual flour was corn.

After breakfast I walked down to the library.  (On the way I could see the street down from the park was all torn up at the intersection with Avenida Poblado.  That looks like it will take weeks if not months to finish.)  A guard stopped me as I was going into the library and for some reason informed me that I have to come back at or after noon.  They sure don’t make it easy to return their books.

I walked back up to the apt and returned in time to watch the first hour of the Today show starting at 10am.

At 1:30 a guy showed up with a small package - my Isoklon refills.  There were 3 boxes so I got a 1 for 2 exchange.  Or is it a 2 for 1 exchange?

Teresa and I left the apt at 3:20, walked down the hill and caught a bus to El Poblado.  She went into Stella Duran for a massage and I went kiddy corner to a small bakery where I had a churro and a small café con leche for 2,900 pesos ($1).

After I finished I went across the street to the White House Hostel where I had a bottle of water and did some Nook reading.

When Teresa came out an hour later we quickly caught a taxi to Vizcaya mall.  In a rental store named Gloria Pelaes I got fitted with a suit jacket, tie, shirt, slacks, shoes, and cuff links for 235,000 pesos ($80).

Teresa was hungry so we went across the floor to Brasas Parrilla Bar & Grill where she had salmon, vegetable plate, and strawberry juice.  Since I was still full from the churro I had a bowl of vegetable soup and a pina colada juice.  We both shared a plate of fried yucca sticks.  The vegetable plate was huge and together we still couldn’t finish it.  The total came to 98,989 (about $33).

Outside we saw a taxi going by and I whistled and it stopped right away.  I believe Teresa doesn’t like when I do that but it does work.

The driver had a radio station on that played some American music.  I recognized Mack the Knife and told Teresa that was a song my father probably listed to in the 40s.

Close to entering the residential area of Envigado we slowed to a stop in traffic and I looked to my right and saw Nobraskja walking by.  We waved to each other.

For practice, I had the driver turn early so as to avoid the usual construction traffic jam.

Back at the apt I watched the 2^nd half of the Detroit Lions 30-17 victory over the Green Bay Packers using a website my son sent to me.

I completed my usual pre-sleep procedures and went to bed at 11pm.

T-shirt of the day: Ittie Bittie Tittie Committee.

(This was a t-shirt I saw on a girl yesterday at El Tesoro mall.  And to answer your obvious question, yes!  Lol.)

Monday, November 6, 2017

Today is another holiday.

Last night I went to bed at 11pm, woke up once about 2:15, again at 5:30, finally waking up at 8:20 and getting up at 9:10.  That turned out to be pretty good timing because today’s a holiday (no hurry) and the Today show doesn’t start now until 10am.  Colombia used to be on Central time but after the US’s latest time change (turned back the clocks) we’re now the same as Eastern time.

I watched the first 45 minutes of the Today show and then left for the gym.

September 26^th was the last time I did any upper body exercises.  Today I completed all of them (plus the lower body exercises) but I moved the weights down 2 settings on each machine.  So, for example, my usual 80 pounds today was 50 pounds.  I got through them all without feeling any pain in my shoulder or elbow so that was a success.  I also increased the time on the treadmill from 8 minutes to 9.  I was done in an hour and 45 minutes.

After lunch I left the apt at 2:30.  Downtown Envigado I only had to wait 5 minutes for a taxi.  The driver was pretty old and drove quite slowly.  When we were about a mile from El Tesoro mall he stopped in the street and talked to a young man at a bus stop.  The man got in the taxi and sat right behind me.  I didn’t really care for that.  The man seemed to be talking on his cellphone so I don’t know what help he would be.  When we were about a block from the mall I had to tell the driver to get in the left lane so he could make a u-turn to the mall.

I finally arrived safe and sound 30 minutes before show time.  When purchasing my ticket I asked for a general seating ticket.  On the seating chart I asked for a seat in the middle of the last row.  (Why did I do that?  I usually sit on the aisle so I can make an easy exit to the bathroom.)  I ended up with a seat in the middle of the next to last row.  I was surprised to see the theater start to fill up.

Before the main feature they had a short called “monster on wheels” where they depicted the early days of cars in Medellin, circa 1925.

Geostorm (5.7) was pretty good even though I had to excuse myself through half an aisle of people at the 40 minute mark to go to the restroom.  When I came back I just took a seat in the last row behind my regular seat.  No sense bothering all those people a second time.

When I came out I texted Laura and then met her and Teresa outside Zara.  They had been looking at clothes for about an hour but Teresa declared that everything was ugly.

We quickly caught a taxi back to the apt.

I watched some Monday Night Football.  The Detroit Lions were leading the Green Bay Packers 14-3 at halftime when it was time for me to stop looking at screens and start reading.

T-shirt of the day: You can.  End of story.