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Hola a todos y esperamos que todos se mantengan bien..............
Well, where to start? So much has happened of late.
Once again, we'll start with Jean's health. She is almost back to her previous self, but still has not recovered all the weight she lost. She was 64 kilos and had lost weight to 55kgs, but is now back to around 58, so that's an improvement. She'd like to get back to somewhere around 60 kgs. She still has some digestive issues but mild compared with previous experience. We had almost thought that we could dispense with the oxygen generator and bottles, but lo and behold she has recently been testing her oxygen levels again and they are now down again to the mid eighties. Not so good, so just as well we had at least a third of a bottle left and that did the trick. We also have the oxygen generator and now another full bottle as a backup.
However, a few days ago she had an appointment with another Gastroenterologist who looked again at the results of an Endoscopy which had been done some weeks ago. We had previously been unable to follow up on that due to the almost complete shutdown of Colombia's medical system - except for the C Virus!! After his perusal, he stated that he thought that in the area of her hiatus hernia there was something else which he thought may be the result of an accident she had had many years ago. So, he is organising another Endoscopy to look specifically at that and also a Colonoscopy im case there is anything there to be concerned about.
However, the accident damage is something Jean has been going on about for years - always pointing to the same area where there is some pain and discomfort. This condition had always been brushed aside by doctors in NZ and Malaysia and Thailand in the past. So, at long last she may finally be getting to the bottom of her digestive issues. We haven't got a date yet for the exams, and given the continuing (although improving) chaotic state of Colombia's healthcare system - all due to the C Virus - it may be a little time more, but at least we feel there is progress. Once again Clara was a great help; she went with Jean to the specialist appointment in case the specialist did not speak English, and that turned out to be the case.
Since then she has been testing her stomach acid levels with a Bicarbonate of Soda test that was recommended by another doctor with whom our lawyer and friend, Astrid, obtained an appointment. So far that seems to be conclusively showing that her stomach acid is LOW. Usually people have the opposite problem. Jean had been doing this test herself previously, and the current testing confirms that diagnosis.
The other issue of some concern is that her blood oxygen level seems to be declining again to the high 80's, and it is quite difficult to raise it back to a "normal" level of around 94%SpO2. We can only hope that future medical consultations and the results of exams will throw some more light on the situation.
And it never rains but it pours! Jean has just diagnosed a (fortunately) mild case of Shingles which is another virus - usually brought about when one's system is brought to a low ebb by other illness.
Life here in Medellin continues to carry on. We are now allowed to go shopping every other day based on the last digit of our personal ID's But to all intents and purposes that means every day because we have alternate numbers. But it does make things awkward if we need the 2 of us to make a decision whether to buy a major item. For example we have recently purchased an exercycle, but the sports shop (Decathlon) did eventually allow both of us in! Most retail businesses are now open as are construction sites, but restaurants and cafes can only deliver - either from their own premises or by motorcycle courier. However, these are inconveniences which we must just put up with. It is now illegal to be outside our building without wearing a mask. Nonsense really because just being in the street means that for 99% of the time one is always at least 2 metres from anyone else. And it is proven that the C Virus only survives for a maximum of 30 seconds out in the fresh air and sunlight. Our swimming pool and gym remain closed in spite of strenuous objections on our part together with a suggestion of a restrictive booking system but all that falls on deaf and ignorant ears. Most shops test for body temperature (another useless test) before allowing entry and of course they check the ID number. Smaller shops will only allow 1 or 2 people in at once. Some ask for cellphone numbers as well. Bureaucracy gone mad, and we still at over 70 are not supposed to be out and about at all!!
We are still in partial lockdown until June 30th. and after that who knows? Medellin's health system is said to be the best in the entirety of Latin America, so we are not experiencing anything out of control as is the case in many other areas of Colombia due to mismanagement and rampant corruption. In some of these poorer areas hospitals (such as they are), and the medical system generally, have just been abandoned. Starvation is a major factor in these areas as well. We are constantly reading articles which make us feel so sorry for the poor (mostly indigenous) people who live there. These areas include a part of the southern border with Ecuador, the entire Pacific coast, parts of the Caribbean coast and the Amazonas Province which is an ecological gem and which holds Colombia's tropical Amazon areas which border Brazil and Peru. And we all know what's been happening in Brazil.The worry also is that if the government does not effectively control the C Virus in those areas, Colombia could be months more before coming out of total restrictions.
International air travel remains closed until August 31st., but limited internal air travel is gradually being re-started from next month. However, not to all destinations, including probably the capital, Bogota, as they have a far higher rate of infection than Medellin. The Mayor of Bogota has a history of open defiance of President Duque and his largely ignorant decrees - mainly because she wants to protect the citizens of her city, regardless of the government just trying to pretend that the C Virus doesn't exist. Whether the complete lockdown of a city at this stage is problematic considering the economic damage that is being done, but Bogota is on its own in making decisions that they can only hope are for the ultimate best.
At least we haven't had any "black lives matter" protests here - unlike NZ, Australia, the UK, other countries and of course the US.
Although, like everyone, we absolutely abhor and are disgusted by the murder of the young black man by Minneapolis Police.This was much more than senseless; it was cold-blooded murder which the main participant appeared to be actually enjoying. There are no doubt similarly minded individuals everywhere in the world and through vigilance they must be systematically rooted out, but not by ridiculous "defunding police" notions and allowing violent protesters to occupy and vandalise large parts of cities. Now there has been another shooting of a black man in Atlanta, but it appears that in a scuffle he had stolen a police taser and was threatening officers with it when he was shot. But none of it helps the overall situation. And what about the 20 police officers killed recently and the over 700 wounded and hospitalised. Does anyone care about them?
At this stage we should indulge in a little history.
In 1861 there was the Civil War, instigated in large part by the Republican North insisting on Emancipation of Slaves and Slavery. The South (largely Democrat) resisted violently, 13 states seceded from the Union, and so the Civil War began. The Republicans prevailed after a bitter 3 year struggle in which the equivalent in today's terms of 8 million lost their lives. The Republicans then lost no time in bringing the Slavery Emancipation into law in 1863. Since then the Democrats have been the party of repression and segregation of the black people. The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) was a creation of theirs and all of this had to be legally battled by the Republicans through many legislative acts over many years to achieve the equality that exists today. Joe Biden along with his Democrat cronies did virtually nothing to advance the interests of the black minority during his whole time (40 years) as a Senator. Trump on the other hand has vastly improved the black economy. Mainly through the creation of jobs so that pre C Virus, black unemployment was at its lowest level EVER. Donald Trump reformed the Criminal Justice legislation which largely dealt with a series of gross injustices perpetrated by Joe Biden and the Democrats. The Democrats are gross hypocrites and no friends to the black minority. It is our fervent hope that, for these reasons as well as many others we haven't room to mention here, the Democrats are never elected to power.
We think that this obvious Democrat driven dogma of defunding the police and allowing violent Antifa activists to run riot and occupy areas of cities - particularly Seattle - will only benefit Trump's re-election. Citizens will not accept the threat of violence in areas where they might live and it will do the Democrat campaign much harm. But Trump does need to take decisive action; as he said about Seattle, "if you won't do it, we'll do it for you" - meaning of course the National Guard. The deranged, delusional and in denial Governor of Washington State and the Mayor of Seattle have refused to seek help in an effort to frustrate the President's desire and ability to assist in regaining order and in the process they harm their own people in order to damage Trump's re-election prospects - as THEY see it. And what's happening in NewYork City? Last we heard, approximately one mile of the iconic 5th. Avenue was badly damaged and simply boarded up. An interesting point here is - who is going to foot the bill for all this damage which will run to the billions of dollars? Most insurance policies specifically exclude damage caused by riots and war.
It really is becoming more and more obvious that these protests and arsons are professionally driven and funded. We think that it goes back to the Communist Party of China and their acolytes in the US and elsewhere. We, and most of the free world are, make no mistake, AT WAR with the CCP and their willing accomplices.
Now we have the MOST RACIST SLOGAN THAT YOU COULD IMAGINE - "black lives matter". What's this - are they saying that other lives don't matter?? And so many local and national governments appear to have rolled over with their legs in the air playing "dead flies", and seemingly without question accepting this disgusting slogan. That is why we, and thankfully an increasing number of other commentators, are saying that the slogan should be as per the heading to this blog - ALL LIVES MATTER. Most of us profess to be Christians of one stripe or another and to varying degrees, but the one principle which we and all other people should hold dear is just that - ALL LIVES MATTER. This in no way denigrates black or any other coloured lives as has been claimed. Let's finally get back to normal, decent values which should drive everyday life. Enough of this CCP/Antifa driven dangerous rubbish which is aimed squarely at the survival of society as we know it.
It is now generally accepted that the C Virus was active in China perhaps as early as July 2019 - or even earlier. The CCP dissembled with and covered up this dangerous situation and simply allowed and encouraged it to proliferate world-wide. This would have affected many completely unwitting people and we were in Florida, USA in November/December 2019. It is extremely difficult to escape the conclusion that the CCP engaged in a deliberate attempt to infect as much as possible the rest of the world, all the time maintaining the murderous fiction that there was no danger as there was no human to human transmission. COMPLETE AND DELIBERATE LIES.
Now for some conspiracy and coincidence (?) - courtesy of Jean's co-parent-in-law, Lorraine:
"WELL, WELL, WELL!! isn't it just an interesting coincidence that Remdesivir is made by Gilead and is the cure for Covid-19. And here's where it gets interesting. China holds the patent on the drug through an agreement with Gilead's drug patent-sharing subsidiary branch called Unitaid. They have an office near Wuhan. And you'll never guess who are the main financial investors in Unitaid. None other than George Soros, Bill and Melinda Gates and the WHO. I know what you're thinking. It's just all a coincidence, isn't it. Oh, don't let me forget the other coincidence. Gilead and Unitaid were financial supporters of Hillary Clinton. Oh silly me, I forgot. One more coincidence. Fauci was the one authorising millions to be sent to the Wuhan Institute of Virology, specifically for the study of Coronaviruses. I sure am thankful that these are just coincidences. Nothing to see here; just keep moving along. The best coincidences are always found when you follow the money. Do your research."
Finally, we cannot end this without recognising the NZ Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, and her government's remarkable achievement in becoming Covid 19 free. But, how fragile is that achievement and we have to say, at what cost? Tourism, which is NZ's biggest foreign exchange earner, is decimated. The border remains closed and Air NZ, if it wasn't for a massive financial contribution from its 51% shareholder, the NZ taxpayer, would have declared bankruptcy. Businesses and people out of work have been given huge government subsidies, but it is estimated that in a few months in spite of all that, nearly 7,000 businesses will fold for good. The financial consequences of the draconian lockdown will be unprecedented and many people will remain unemployed for a long time to come. China supplies most of NZ's tourists and when will they be allowed back in? Not for a very long time would be our hope and prediction, so where are the replacement tourists going to come from?
China has directly and deliberately caused human life loss and financial loss on an unprecedented scale and absolutely MUST be held accountable. From what we hear there is a growing and very angry groundswell of opinion around the world for this to happen. But what happens to NZ and any other country that has in the recent past firmly nailed their colours to the China Trade mast? It might take a few months yet, but it certainly won't be pretty.
A frivolous and unimportant development in this bizarre situation. Jim has discovered a new way to enjoy his nightly whiskies. Green limes (Tahiti Limon) are grown and sold prolifically in Colombia. And very cheap. Jim cuts 3 slices into quarters and puts them in the bottom of the glass. Then plenty of ice and then the Scotch (definitely not with a good malt!) and finally topped up with water. A lovely long and refreshing drink. And a 700 ml bottle of Black and White here is currently 42,000 pesos - that's NZD17.50.
At this stage he is tempted to follow this little anecdote up with a relevant family historical one.
Sometime in the late 1800's, Jim's great grandfather, A.B. Donald, was an up and coming fellow trading with a motley fleet of small trading ships in the Society Islands (French Polynesia) as well as in the Cooks. He heard that there had been a crop failure of limes in the Caribbean which was serious as the Royal Navy depended on these for anti - scourboutic purposes - the control of Scurvy. These limes grew in abundance in Tahiti (hence the current name) and so he set about buying as many as he could lay his hands upon. In the process he became known locally as "Taporo Tane" - Tahitian for Lime Man. He sold these to the RN and apparently made a killing! Since then the businesses in French Polynesia and the Cook Islands grew to include trading in Copra (dried coconut meat), Mother of Pearl (MOP) Shell, uncultivated pearls, fruits for the NZ market and the establishment of substantial retail operations which also included motor vehicle agencies - Renault and BMC to name a few. Sadly it suffered the fate of many multi generation family businesses, and so in the early 1970's the island trading businesses and in NZ the wholesale fruit and vegetable auctioneering operations (principal competition to Turners and Growers - now themselves owned by a German company!), and motor vehicle agencies were sadly also sold. Definitely the end of an era.
The110 foot wooden island trading schooner "Tiare Taporo" - there is a scale fully planked model of her in the Auckland Maritime Museum - was built in 1913 for ABD's island trading business and herself had become an iconic vessel - the last of her type - trading in the Pacific for the next 50 years - much of the time under the legendary command of an American from Brooklyn, New York - Capt.Andy Thomson. Jim knew Andy well and during a period of 6 months when he was living and working in Rarotonga in 1968 at the tender age of 21 used to visit Andy at his little house at Arorangi on Sunday afternoons when invariably a new whisky bottle would be produced and the cork discarded in the garden! Fortunately it wasn't expected that Jim would need to do his 50% share of consuming the contents!! Not at the tender age of 21!!
Then in 2008 after Jim had bought the NZ built wooden 12 ton Gauntlet yacht, then named "Reflections of Wellington", and during an extensive refit in Whangarei, NZ, he decided to re-name her "Tiare Taporo III" after the old ship, which herself had been sold in 1964. Very sadly she was subsequently wrecked in Vanuatu while in the new ownership. TT3, as she became known to fellow cruisers, took Jim and Jean from NZ in 2011 to New Caledonia and then to Bundaberg in Australia. We sailed her north to Cairns where we spent 9 months before continuing to Darwin in the Northern Territory. Then in 2013 we sailed her to Kupang in Indonesian Timor, then through Indonesia arriving in Johor, Malaysia. The following year we sailed up the west coast of Peninsula Malaysia to Langkawi Island and then to Krabi in Thailand where we hauled out for some much needed maintenance.
If you are interested in reading in detail about our voyaging, you could always consult our website - www.tiaretaporo3.blogspot.com
Well, that's really it; life has been quite boring of late. We can only hope that the whole nasty business ends really soon and that we all stay well.
With lotsaluv and every best wish and fair winds from us in Medellin, Colombia.......................
Jim and Jean
