January 17, 2020
Terra Tuscana-Jenesano, Colombia
It is hard when you cannot remember the name of the place you are staying. I had to stop for a while to remember. Maybe I can blame it on the Spanish. Yea, that’s it, couldn’t be old age…
Today was interesting? Took David, my host to the cell store to help him with changing phones and upgrading his sim card. His iPhone would not let him download any apps until he updated the operating system. But it would not let update the system. Great!
He had an older Android and we changed the sim card….do you really care about all this? I know I don’t care about discussing it. We got that done and then he had to go to get his shoulder worked on.
While that was happening, I walked around, went to the bank to get efectivo because the dentist would not accept credit cards, only cash. I had a beer and an arepa. They are lightly fried corn cake with cheese in them sometimes. Very good.
The ATM did not work. More on that later. “Really, now he is going to go on about a ATM , why? Think I will just delete this story.”
Sometimes traveling is just day to day activities. I found a dentist yesterday who would see me right away. Lida examined my teeth and told me what problems I had and asked what I wanted to do. We agreed on a cleaning and 3 caps. Then we negotiated the cost. The price came to be 3,400,000 COP. COP is Columbian Pesos. In American that is $140.00! So, she cleaned them and I have go back on SUNDAY, imagine and Monday to complete the work. Now I must add in the extra cost of my hotel room. For 4 days that comes to $40.00. Very nice, lots of windows, clean room with on-suite in the center of town. Better than going to a dentist locally and just a little cheaper.
With more day to day stuff we finished the day by going to another town and bank to get the cash. See I got the arm discussion in before you deleted the story.
Returning to our casa Maria Luz called and asked us to join her at a friend’s apartment for hot chocolate and dulce pan. The sweet rolls and cheese were good, but not as good as the Mexican detective comedy we watched with the family of older adults. We had so much fun with the 1950’s slapstick movie.
I have been losing weight. Not so much from cycling but from Columbian eating habits. In the morning breakfast, sometimes with a good hot soup, sometimes a normal American breakfast.
Lunch is the main meal. A starter, soup, main plate with rice, a couple of small potatoes, a 3 bite salad, a drink and whatever main you choose. I took my host to lunch and the total was around $5 for both of us. Lunch can last 2 or 3 hours. It the time the to share with others. Eating local not only provides the local food, a learning experience, but is most enjoyable.
Then in the evening the dinner is maybe an arepa or some fruit and a beverage. BTW very fresh fruits are severed with almost every meal and for snacks. Very nice.
Even day to day can be fun and interesting.
Question. What picture should I have used for this story? Maybe one of me in the dentist chair with an open…never mind, No pic with this story. And no hills!