Posts
Gajean out to lunch in Miami with Perry...........
Saturday, 13 August 2016
Sunday, 7 August 2016
Return to Langkawi and our lovely old girl. Days 63 - 71 29th. July - 6th. August
Hi to all,
Well, our long sojourn to Turkey, USA (Miami) and Colombia is over and we are now back on the boat on Langkawi. We arrived on Saturday (06/08) and then spent most of the day waiting for our cleaned aircon which was continually promised hour by hour. We had already emailed them twice to remind them of our return date. We were getting anxious because we didn't want to spend a night without it; however, it finally turned up about 5.
We had spent the last 4 days in Miami (since the last blog) in some sort of hiatus emailing Colombia re details of the purchase and generally sorting through the finer issues. One thing which annoyed us somewhat was that apparently it is common practice to agree on a figure and then put the transaction through at a lesser value. This is so the vendor can avoid a certain amount of capital gains tax (10%) and this was not explained to us. It came out of the blue. The tax on this at 10% would amount to around USD1300. We expressed great concern at this non disclosure and eventually the agent generously offered to compensate us through their own commission. With our faith completely restored, we will use the offer to create the servery from the kitchen to the dining area, so all's well that ends well!
We've been swimming in Perry's pool which is a good swimmable length and very pretty under the coconut palms. Perry has had the gardening contractors to take away excess coconuts because if they fell on anyone's head (particularly the small Peapods) or indeed either of the cars the result would not be pretty. It's by no means unknown for people to be killed by falling coconuts - they are quite dangerous.
Jean went to more swimming lessons with the Peapods twice and Jim swam every day in the pool. Otherwise trips to Wholefoods and/or HomePro to get things for the new house. There have been rats or Raccoons in the ceiling and so off we went again to get some wire netting to block up suspected entry points.
It's all worked out rather well because Perry's start date with Microsoft has been put back to the 8th. August when he flies to Atlanta for signing on/inductions, etc. So the timing couldn't have been better all round. It's given him time to sort much of the house and also time with us and Jean in particular. Tracie continues in her job with Brightstar and Rosa remains her exuberant self, in spite of a badly sprained ankle not long before our return. Jim decided to try cooking some Brussels Sprouts in the same way that he had had them at Wynwood before we went to Colombia and so plenty of orange juice and zest of orange. Tolerably good but still not up to that standard. However, we now have some idea and will work on refinements over time.
We didn't get back to Wynwood due to other things happening but maybe it was just as well as the first homegrown outbreak of Zika virus in the continental US has occurred in that neighbourhood. Apparently, and not far from Perry and Tracie's new home either. However, we feel very sceptical about the whole thing and suspect that it's another scare developed to keep the population at large in fearful thrall, just like chicken flu and a host of other scare tactics in recent times. If you have the inclination read www.articles.mercola.com and you will not be happy!!
All too soon, the sad day for departure (02/08) arrived. Our flight was not due to leave until 2100 so we had all day to pack and we taped up the carton we had bought to transport all the goodies for the boat and anything else that wouldn't fit into our small cases. Chain, shower drain water pump, and solar powered vent as well as bronze screws and an electronic flare supposed to render obsolete the necessity to carry conventional flares which expire beyond their use by date, and which are fiendishly expensive to replace.
We arrived at Miami International courtesy of Perry and accompanied by Carter who unfortunately was having a "terrible twos" episode! Checked in and all was well, said another sad goodbye to Perry and Carter and went through to the departure area where we had a tolerably good meal for USD73! That's NZD104!
At this point we must have a final comment about American food - or what passes for it. With the notable exception of the meal in Wynwood before we went to Colombia, the food ranged from awful to just OK. Even macaroni cheese at the upmarket supermarket of Wholefoods was tasteless and STODGY. It's one of Jim's favourites and he was remembering the same dish in El Poblado in Medellin which was arguably the best macaroni cheese he'd ever had. And the Colombian empanadas compared to the Miami variety - 'nough said. Sorry Perry and Tracie; we don't mean to be super critical and the meals we cooked at home were great, but American food is largely overpriced and definitely underwhelming. Wynwood is an isolated gem by contrast and well worth braving the Zika virus to experience again.
We then made our way to the gate for boarding only to be told that the flight was delayed due to weather conditions. Certainly there was a thunder and lightning storm raging. In the end the flight was delayed 3 hours to midnight but we weren't overly concerned as we were to have had 10 hours on the ground at Istanbul and so this was reduced to only 7! The flight was pretty much full but we had bulkhead seats which made it more tolerable.
There were only a few bullets flying around at Istanbul and one or two explosions but we just kept our heads down and survived. ONLY JOKING. You wouldn't have known there was anything untoward although we never left the airport as we were in transit. We had an excellent and reasonably priced meal which made us again wish we were staying a few days. We will definitely come back to Turkey (maybe on the boat if we ship her next year), and a visit to coastal areas in the Sea of Marmaris or the Black Sea coast would be highlights. Anyway, we needed to get back to the boat so we pressed on. The Istanbul - Kuala Lumpur leg was about the same length (11 hours) but was on an Airbus 330 which is a better aircraft than the 777. More legroom and more comfortable seats and the food - obviously loaded at Istanbul was way better than the rubbish out of Miami - which wouldn't be hard! Thick cloud over northern India so didn't see a thing and then ran into turbulence over the Bay of Bengal. Not too severe though, so no worries! Jim doesn't like turbulence; keeps thinking the wings might come off.
Then it was finally back in Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur International seems designed to frustrate, even though there appeared to be almost no aircraft or people there compared with Ataturk Istanbul. First you deplane and walk miles keeping expecting to come to the Immigration counters. Then inexplicably you arrive at a train station with obscure signage which seems to indicate that you need to board the train to get to Immigration, Customs and baggage claim. In another terminal altogether. And so it proved. We headed to an area of "foreign passports" which had lesser queues but were peremptorily waved to the other side with ridiculous queues and then told to go back whence we had come, only to observe the same nitwit waving us back again! We took no notice. Took an age to get through Immigration; like most of Malaysia it seemed to be mired in its own inertia.
Anyway, we were finally through and very relieved to find that our box (carefully packed and addressed) had arrived also. Grabbed it off the carousel and soon got a taxi to take us to the hotel. It was the Vistana in KL and was very pleasant. We went across the road to a Chinese restaurant which the hotel recommended and had a paasable meal, but nowhere near up to the same standard as Wonderland in Langkawi. We were exhausted by now having travelled nonstop (including time on the ground) for 36 hours, and so were very glad to have a welcome shower and get to bed.
We had been contacted by Angela and Leonard, the very pleasant young couple we had met on Langkawi some time previously and they very kindly invited us to dinner the next night with Angela's parents as well. They had come down to KL from their home in Taiping for a wedding that weekend. They took us to an outdoor Malaysian restaurant where there were all sorts of eateries and we had a great time talking to them and enjoying the food. Then it was back to the hotel and another fitful sleep as we had to be up early for our 0955 flight to Langkawi. All went well and soon we were landing at Langkawi after the 1 hour flight from KL. A final comment on local inefficiency - in the baggage claim area there was an electronic sign proclaiming that baggage from the KL flight would be coming through on carousel no. 2. There are only 2 carousels there. But lo and behold it came through on no. 1! Not at all serious or even inconvenient, but one can only shrug one's shoulders and laugh hysterically!
Then a taxi to the RLYC marina and "Tiare Taporo III". She's a bit mouldy on deck but that was expected but down below everything was fine and we were soon unpacked and feeling exhausted again. It will be about a week probably before our body clocks are fully programmed to Malaysia time. The freezer needs re-gassing again ahead of a proper fix under warranty so we have more or less no food on board and went to Wonderland for dinner where we were greeted as long lost old customers and Jean fell asleep at the table! The restaurant was as busy as we've ever seen it with 99% Chinese locals and tourist groups. We estimate somewhere between 200 and 300 diners. It was an entertainment just watching the staff who are amazingly efficient in a seemingly chaotic environment.
Then back to the boat courtesy of an elderly family member of the family that owns the restaurant. Only charged us 10 ringgits and then finally to bed - our long sojourn finally over.
Now the agenda is cleaning the boat and completing the property purchase in Medellin. Then to lease it until we are able to return and start a new chapter in our lives.
Con mucho amor desde nostros.............
Jim and Jean
s.v. Tiare Taporo III
Royal Langkawi Yacht Club
Pulau Langkawi
MALAYSIA.
www.tiaretaporo3.blogspot.com
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Well, our long sojourn to Turkey, USA (Miami) and Colombia is over and we are now back on the boat on Langkawi. We arrived on Saturday (06/08) and then spent most of the day waiting for our cleaned aircon which was continually promised hour by hour. We had already emailed them twice to remind them of our return date. We were getting anxious because we didn't want to spend a night without it; however, it finally turned up about 5.
We had spent the last 4 days in Miami (since the last blog) in some sort of hiatus emailing Colombia re details of the purchase and generally sorting through the finer issues. One thing which annoyed us somewhat was that apparently it is common practice to agree on a figure and then put the transaction through at a lesser value. This is so the vendor can avoid a certain amount of capital gains tax (10%) and this was not explained to us. It came out of the blue. The tax on this at 10% would amount to around USD1300. We expressed great concern at this non disclosure and eventually the agent generously offered to compensate us through their own commission. With our faith completely restored, we will use the offer to create the servery from the kitchen to the dining area, so all's well that ends well!
We've been swimming in Perry's pool which is a good swimmable length and very pretty under the coconut palms. Perry has had the gardening contractors to take away excess coconuts because if they fell on anyone's head (particularly the small Peapods) or indeed either of the cars the result would not be pretty. It's by no means unknown for people to be killed by falling coconuts - they are quite dangerous.
Jean went to more swimming lessons with the Peapods twice and Jim swam every day in the pool. Otherwise trips to Wholefoods and/or HomePro to get things for the new house. There have been rats or Raccoons in the ceiling and so off we went again to get some wire netting to block up suspected entry points.
It's all worked out rather well because Perry's start date with Microsoft has been put back to the 8th. August when he flies to Atlanta for signing on/inductions, etc. So the timing couldn't have been better all round. It's given him time to sort much of the house and also time with us and Jean in particular. Tracie continues in her job with Brightstar and Rosa remains her exuberant self, in spite of a badly sprained ankle not long before our return. Jim decided to try cooking some Brussels Sprouts in the same way that he had had them at Wynwood before we went to Colombia and so plenty of orange juice and zest of orange. Tolerably good but still not up to that standard. However, we now have some idea and will work on refinements over time.
We didn't get back to Wynwood due to other things happening but maybe it was just as well as the first homegrown outbreak of Zika virus in the continental US has occurred in that neighbourhood. Apparently, and not far from Perry and Tracie's new home either. However, we feel very sceptical about the whole thing and suspect that it's another scare developed to keep the population at large in fearful thrall, just like chicken flu and a host of other scare tactics in recent times. If you have the inclination read www.articles.mercola.com and you will not be happy!!
All too soon, the sad day for departure (02/08) arrived. Our flight was not due to leave until 2100 so we had all day to pack and we taped up the carton we had bought to transport all the goodies for the boat and anything else that wouldn't fit into our small cases. Chain, shower drain water pump, and solar powered vent as well as bronze screws and an electronic flare supposed to render obsolete the necessity to carry conventional flares which expire beyond their use by date, and which are fiendishly expensive to replace.
We arrived at Miami International courtesy of Perry and accompanied by Carter who unfortunately was having a "terrible twos" episode! Checked in and all was well, said another sad goodbye to Perry and Carter and went through to the departure area where we had a tolerably good meal for USD73! That's NZD104!
At this point we must have a final comment about American food - or what passes for it. With the notable exception of the meal in Wynwood before we went to Colombia, the food ranged from awful to just OK. Even macaroni cheese at the upmarket supermarket of Wholefoods was tasteless and STODGY. It's one of Jim's favourites and he was remembering the same dish in El Poblado in Medellin which was arguably the best macaroni cheese he'd ever had. And the Colombian empanadas compared to the Miami variety - 'nough said. Sorry Perry and Tracie; we don't mean to be super critical and the meals we cooked at home were great, but American food is largely overpriced and definitely underwhelming. Wynwood is an isolated gem by contrast and well worth braving the Zika virus to experience again.
We then made our way to the gate for boarding only to be told that the flight was delayed due to weather conditions. Certainly there was a thunder and lightning storm raging. In the end the flight was delayed 3 hours to midnight but we weren't overly concerned as we were to have had 10 hours on the ground at Istanbul and so this was reduced to only 7! The flight was pretty much full but we had bulkhead seats which made it more tolerable.
There were only a few bullets flying around at Istanbul and one or two explosions but we just kept our heads down and survived. ONLY JOKING. You wouldn't have known there was anything untoward although we never left the airport as we were in transit. We had an excellent and reasonably priced meal which made us again wish we were staying a few days. We will definitely come back to Turkey (maybe on the boat if we ship her next year), and a visit to coastal areas in the Sea of Marmaris or the Black Sea coast would be highlights. Anyway, we needed to get back to the boat so we pressed on. The Istanbul - Kuala Lumpur leg was about the same length (11 hours) but was on an Airbus 330 which is a better aircraft than the 777. More legroom and more comfortable seats and the food - obviously loaded at Istanbul was way better than the rubbish out of Miami - which wouldn't be hard! Thick cloud over northern India so didn't see a thing and then ran into turbulence over the Bay of Bengal. Not too severe though, so no worries! Jim doesn't like turbulence; keeps thinking the wings might come off.
Then it was finally back in Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur International seems designed to frustrate, even though there appeared to be almost no aircraft or people there compared with Ataturk Istanbul. First you deplane and walk miles keeping expecting to come to the Immigration counters. Then inexplicably you arrive at a train station with obscure signage which seems to indicate that you need to board the train to get to Immigration, Customs and baggage claim. In another terminal altogether. And so it proved. We headed to an area of "foreign passports" which had lesser queues but were peremptorily waved to the other side with ridiculous queues and then told to go back whence we had come, only to observe the same nitwit waving us back again! We took no notice. Took an age to get through Immigration; like most of Malaysia it seemed to be mired in its own inertia.
Anyway, we were finally through and very relieved to find that our box (carefully packed and addressed) had arrived also. Grabbed it off the carousel and soon got a taxi to take us to the hotel. It was the Vistana in KL and was very pleasant. We went across the road to a Chinese restaurant which the hotel recommended and had a paasable meal, but nowhere near up to the same standard as Wonderland in Langkawi. We were exhausted by now having travelled nonstop (including time on the ground) for 36 hours, and so were very glad to have a welcome shower and get to bed.
We had been contacted by Angela and Leonard, the very pleasant young couple we had met on Langkawi some time previously and they very kindly invited us to dinner the next night with Angela's parents as well. They had come down to KL from their home in Taiping for a wedding that weekend. They took us to an outdoor Malaysian restaurant where there were all sorts of eateries and we had a great time talking to them and enjoying the food. Then it was back to the hotel and another fitful sleep as we had to be up early for our 0955 flight to Langkawi. All went well and soon we were landing at Langkawi after the 1 hour flight from KL. A final comment on local inefficiency - in the baggage claim area there was an electronic sign proclaiming that baggage from the KL flight would be coming through on carousel no. 2. There are only 2 carousels there. But lo and behold it came through on no. 1! Not at all serious or even inconvenient, but one can only shrug one's shoulders and laugh hysterically!
Then a taxi to the RLYC marina and "Tiare Taporo III". She's a bit mouldy on deck but that was expected but down below everything was fine and we were soon unpacked and feeling exhausted again. It will be about a week probably before our body clocks are fully programmed to Malaysia time. The freezer needs re-gassing again ahead of a proper fix under warranty so we have more or less no food on board and went to Wonderland for dinner where we were greeted as long lost old customers and Jean fell asleep at the table! The restaurant was as busy as we've ever seen it with 99% Chinese locals and tourist groups. We estimate somewhere between 200 and 300 diners. It was an entertainment just watching the staff who are amazingly efficient in a seemingly chaotic environment.
Then back to the boat courtesy of an elderly family member of the family that owns the restaurant. Only charged us 10 ringgits and then finally to bed - our long sojourn finally over.
Now the agenda is cleaning the boat and completing the property purchase in Medellin. Then to lease it until we are able to return and start a new chapter in our lives.
Con mucho amor desde nostros.............
Jim and Jean
s.v. Tiare Taporo III
Royal Langkawi Yacht Club
Pulau Langkawi
MALAYSIA.
www.tiaretaporo3.blogspot.com
----------
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Friday, 29 July 2016
More photos
P7240138 - entrance to our apartment building
P7240139 - swimming pool
P7240142 - balcony
P7240146 - kitchen
P7240147 - living room - kitchen on the right
P7240149 - one of the 2.5 bathrooms
P7240151 - master bedroom
Difficult to visualise as the apartment is vacant but it is over 1100 sq. ft.
More photos
P7100070 - Tango dancing at the Museo de Antioquia - a wonderful afternoon
P7100072 - sculptures at the Museo de Antioquia
P7120076 - a view of Medellin from Pueblito Paisa showing the preponderance of red brick
P7120079 - interior of the church Pueblito Paisa, Medellin
P7140083 - the church at Guatape in the main square of the town
P7140085 - the square Guatape
P7140086 - our room Guatape - 1st. floor
P7140089 - Lake Guatape from the water
P7140098 - the drug lord - Pablo Escobar's bombed out house at Guatape after the Colombian Airforce had finished with it! Circa late 1990's.
P7140109 - town square Guatape from our balcony
P7150110 - Guatape street scene with brightly decorated shop fronts
P7150112 - Our bus Guatape to Medellin
P7160113 - strawberries for sale El Poblado, Medellin - beautiful and typical of the produce generally
P7160115 - street scene El Poblado
P7170120 - fresh fruit and vegetable market Sunday morning in El Poblado
P
More photos!
P7010027 - Gajean with the electric car - again! Couldn't keep her away from it.
P7010029 - Nana Rosa with Carter
P7020034 - wildlife in the back yard
P7050035 - Carter, Nash and one of the neighbours' children
P7050039 - Perry and Jean at Government Cut - the ship entrance to Port Miami
P7050040 - Jean and the Old Man of the Sea at Government Cut
P7050043 - Southern end of the famous Miami Beach with 20 million dollar plus penthouses in the background
P7050044 - ship entering Government Cut
P7060050 - the famous murals of Wynwood where we had a delicious Brussels sprouts meal!
P7060053 - and again
P7060055 - and again
P7060054 - sculpture at Wynwood
P7060060 - restaurant where Jim had the famous Brussels Sprouts!
P7060062 - not sure which is the more georgeous - the XK120 or Jean??!!!!
P7060061 - another shot of the 1949 RHD XK120 sans Jean
Some photos of our recent travels:
P6260006 - young Nash on a picnic at a beach on Biscayne Bay
P6260007 - ditto for Nash's older brother Carter
P6260008 - front lawn of old house with inflatable pool
P6270011 - Gajean disporting herself in the pool with Nash
P6270014 - as above!
P6280016 - Jim and Perry on our jetboat outing on Biscayne Bay
P6280018 - Jean on the jetski!
More to come!
Wednesday, 27 July 2016
Days 52 - 61 July 18th. - July 27th.
8 days of doings...........
Well, again so much has happened it's again difficult to know where to start, especially trying to recall detail of the previous week! We are starting to get into apartment viewing in earnest. The concept of living in an apartment in a high rise building not so long ago was one that we would have rejected out of hand, but here in Medellin it constitutes the majority of residential dwellings, and while it might be nice to buy a hacienda on a bit of land outside the city, we have both done that in the past and we are definitely past all that at our age! In 2012 Medellin was voted the Most Innovative City in the World and it has a great public transport system. There is an above ground Metro which runs from the northern outskirts to the southern with a few branch lines east and west. There is a cable car system and a moving escalator to some of the poorer communas high on the hillsides above the city. We haven't used any of these facillities on this trip as our time seems to have been taken up with activities in the city and immediate environs. There is a relatively new southern suburb called Sabaneta which is up and coming in the apartment market so we decided that it also must be on our to do list.
We went there on the 20th. which is Colombia's Independence Day and of course a national holiday. Sabaneta was jumping with city visitors and new high rise apartment buildings are sprouting everywhere. Mostly up fairly steep hillsides which are not really our scene because walking as we get older would probably become somewhat of a challenge. However, we found one new development which was not even started, but had a sales office and a mockup apartment. Called "Bangkok" which we found somewhat ironic! An impressive design but there was open farmland next to the site and we could envisage in a fairly short time other blocks being built which would definitely spoil the rural views. We had read about a well known restaurant called El Doctora and after a bit of a walk and a search we found it up a small rise and around a few corners! It was great and we had grilled local caught trout and a bottle of Argentinian Rose. Wonderful and we had finally seen Sabaneta.
We found ourselves getting more and more serious about the idea of permanent living in Medellin as time went on. We were glad we had rented an apartment for our stay because it gave us much more insight into everything involved with living there. One thing that has made an impression and that's the absolute necessity for us to become reasonably proficient in Spanish. There are a few universities and colleges which offer Spanish courses for expats and that is probably how we'd tackle it. That combined with being immersed in the language through living there, should have us fluent in no time!
We made great use of the local taxis because as we've said before they are so cheap. One can go across the city for less than USD5. You couldn't drive a car for that and there are no parking hassles. Then you just hail another.
We have opened an account with a financial broker to facilitate bringing funds into Colombia and notifying the Colombian Central Bank of same. This has to be done correctly otherwise they start asking awkward questions about origin of the funds and endless queries about the use of the funds and all in Spanish which we are not sufficiently proficient in yet. We have made contact with a very good estate agent and a solicitor and we've even given the solicitor a Power of Attorney so she can act for us on our instructions without the necessity for us being there.
Medellin is in a valley which runs north and south. The Medellin River also runs in the same direction and bisects the city. We were staying in Belem/Fatima which is to the NW of the city but still in the valley. We wouldn't want to buy there though because, although pleasantly leafy, it's not sufficiently close to the life of the city - restaurants, cafes etc. Just to the north is Laureles which is an older suburb and does have some life. However, the apartment buidings are typically 20 or so years old and while we saw 2 apartments we could consider, they don't usually have pools or gyms or usually any parking underground or anywhere. A pool and gym we feel are essential for continuing fitness at our time of life - or indeed any time for that matter. However, Laureles is flat which is an advantage for walking. Then on the other side of the river (east side) is the Parnhell of Medellin - El Poblado. Lovely, leafy and full of fabulous eateries and again not expensive by our standards. But it's hilly which would become a problem and the real estate is also expensive by Medellin standards. Usually a starting price of USD250,000 (750,000,000 Colombian Pesos!) for a pretty good 3 bedroom apartment in a newish building with pool, gym, underground parking etc. Armed concierge onsite 24/7!
However, immediately to the south of El Poblado lies the equally leafy suburb of Envigado which is a little undulating but much less than Poblado and also within easy walking distance of a universidad (university) for Spanish lessons, supermarkets (supermercados) and restaurants/cafes. You can see how many words are similar to English which often helps to understand the gist of things, and also French (which Jim has a knowledge of) is often very similar. Not sure yet whether that's a hindrance or asset in learning Spanish! But we digress - again!
We looked at quite a few apartments in Envigado and finally found a 3 bedroom (2.5 bathrooms) in an 8 year old building - Jardines de la Maria. Substantially cheaper than El Poblado prices. The building has a good swimmable pool and a gym. The apartment has a good sized balcony. No heating or air conditioning because in Medellin at 5,000' and at only 6 degrees north of the Equator you need neither. Hence much lower utility bills. In fact windows and French doors stay open all day and night and it's beautiful ambient temperature. The typical temperature pattern is around 16-17C until about 9am when it starts going up to about 27C in the early evening - then starts reducing again throughout the night. And NO mozzies or midges. Again we digress - heavens above!!
The apartment is vacant and in impeccable condition. Just over 1,000 sq. ft. The only physical alteration we would need to make is to remove the upper half of the wall between the kitchen and living room to open the kitchen to that room and create a sit up bar and/or serving counter. The balcony is off the living room. We would stay on the boat until she sold but in the meantime we can let the apartment at (even allowing for a 70% occupancy) a better rate than generally available through conventional investments. Of course, compared with other investments, property is illiquid which is its Achilles heel. And with more risk because of exposure to the Colombian Peso which is largely driven by the oil price as petroleum accounts for 45% of Colombia's exports at present. But, from all that you read, it seems that the overall trend for oil is up.
But the bottom line is that ultimately one needs somewhere to live. And, having come from New Zealand, we should be well used to exchange rate fluctuations - the Kiwi has been as low as 32 US cents in the early 2000's to 88 US cents about 18 months ago! And no-one in NZ ever seems to think of the value of their own properties in global (USD) terms, so why should we in Colombia?
One slightly negative comment we must make about Medellin is the preponderance of red brick. 90% of buildings - public and private - are built of this material and it also often comprises paved areas as well. The effect is, in spite of any innovative architecture, a cloying effect where one can feel visually surrounded. It became a standing joke between us and our estate agent and Jim was often heard muttering about getting a paintbrush and a very long ladder to paint these 30 story buildings! At least we're well versed with paint brushes, living on a classic wooden yacht as we do. However, it was refreshing to note that "our" apartment building is relieved of too much brick with interspersed plastered panels.
While all this was going on we very regretfully had to finally pack our bags and leave Medellin to return back to Miami. We had an early flight (0730) out of Medellin on July 25th. so we arranged for a taxi to collect us from Zojo Gardens at 0400! In practical terms this meant that we hardly had any sleep the night before but we both felt quite good. The weather had suddenly turned quite cold and it was lightly raining. For the first time this trip we needed our Kathmandu jackets bought in Whangarei all those years ago before we left NZ in 2011. The airport is about 45 kms from the city and involves a steep climb for another 1,000' or so. Ears popping all the way and our driver was a bit too gung ho around the rain slicked bends for our liking! But we got there - that was the main thing. All very smooth, except that as usual we had asked for exit row seats for the extra legroom. However, when it came time to board, Avianca would not let us sit there as we didn't speak Spanish! No doubt in case we had to open the doors and deploy the chutes. Never mind, the legroom was OK as it happened. We had one stop at Baranquilla which is a city on the Colombian Caribbean coast. We saw more beautiful farmland on the way (only about 1 hour). Landed and then had to go through security again but this time had to remove shoes and belts and be cross-examined re our visa waivers (ESTA'S) for the US. Not worth Avianca's while to have to deport us back to Columbia! Had 2 hours on the ground at Baranquilla and then took off for the 2 hour flight to Miami. US EST is 1 hour ahead of Colombia. We flew over Jamaica and Cuba which we were able to see quite clearly and then out near the Bahamas before approaching Miami from seawards. Saw some familiar waters around Miami as we came in at just after 1430. Perry picked us up and soon we were in the new house. Definitely an improvement on the previous one and also on a canal. And a swimming pool. By then we were feeling somewhat jaded so after an early BBQ dinner it was bed time. Great to see everyone and the children, Carter and Nash.
Next day a quiet day but there was a trip to Wholefoods where we stocked up on some wine and food. Apart from that we sent some time emailing our Medellin agent and generally working on the detail of the property purchase - now confirmed.
The boys here have their moments as under 3's are wont to do, but generally they are delightful as always and Granny Jean is in her element. Carter can't quite get his tongue around Granny Jean so calls her "Gajean". Perry is busy organising shelves here and there and erecting the fence along the canal and around the pool - very necessary with the young gentlemen around!
And now it's today. Received the momentous news that the apartment was a done deal. BREAKING NEWS - Only a few hours ago from writing this we had confirmation that our offer for the apartment at Jardines de la Maria had been accepted. Albeit at a slightly higher price than our offer. Suffice it to say that the price is less than the equivalent of USD150,000 at current exchange rates. We felt that this was acceptable in comparing all that we had seen. So, the start of a big change for us, but nothing will of course change in a practical sense until our lovely old lady is sold. We will simply lease the apartment in the meantime.
Hope all is well with everyone - lotsaluv from us............
Con mucho amor desde nostros
Jim and Jean
Miami
Florida
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Well, again so much has happened it's again difficult to know where to start, especially trying to recall detail of the previous week! We are starting to get into apartment viewing in earnest. The concept of living in an apartment in a high rise building not so long ago was one that we would have rejected out of hand, but here in Medellin it constitutes the majority of residential dwellings, and while it might be nice to buy a hacienda on a bit of land outside the city, we have both done that in the past and we are definitely past all that at our age! In 2012 Medellin was voted the Most Innovative City in the World and it has a great public transport system. There is an above ground Metro which runs from the northern outskirts to the southern with a few branch lines east and west. There is a cable car system and a moving escalator to some of the poorer communas high on the hillsides above the city. We haven't used any of these facillities on this trip as our time seems to have been taken up with activities in the city and immediate environs. There is a relatively new southern suburb called Sabaneta which is up and coming in the apartment market so we decided that it also must be on our to do list.
We went there on the 20th. which is Colombia's Independence Day and of course a national holiday. Sabaneta was jumping with city visitors and new high rise apartment buildings are sprouting everywhere. Mostly up fairly steep hillsides which are not really our scene because walking as we get older would probably become somewhat of a challenge. However, we found one new development which was not even started, but had a sales office and a mockup apartment. Called "Bangkok" which we found somewhat ironic! An impressive design but there was open farmland next to the site and we could envisage in a fairly short time other blocks being built which would definitely spoil the rural views. We had read about a well known restaurant called El Doctora and after a bit of a walk and a search we found it up a small rise and around a few corners! It was great and we had grilled local caught trout and a bottle of Argentinian Rose. Wonderful and we had finally seen Sabaneta.
We found ourselves getting more and more serious about the idea of permanent living in Medellin as time went on. We were glad we had rented an apartment for our stay because it gave us much more insight into everything involved with living there. One thing that has made an impression and that's the absolute necessity for us to become reasonably proficient in Spanish. There are a few universities and colleges which offer Spanish courses for expats and that is probably how we'd tackle it. That combined with being immersed in the language through living there, should have us fluent in no time!
We made great use of the local taxis because as we've said before they are so cheap. One can go across the city for less than USD5. You couldn't drive a car for that and there are no parking hassles. Then you just hail another.
We have opened an account with a financial broker to facilitate bringing funds into Colombia and notifying the Colombian Central Bank of same. This has to be done correctly otherwise they start asking awkward questions about origin of the funds and endless queries about the use of the funds and all in Spanish which we are not sufficiently proficient in yet. We have made contact with a very good estate agent and a solicitor and we've even given the solicitor a Power of Attorney so she can act for us on our instructions without the necessity for us being there.
Medellin is in a valley which runs north and south. The Medellin River also runs in the same direction and bisects the city. We were staying in Belem/Fatima which is to the NW of the city but still in the valley. We wouldn't want to buy there though because, although pleasantly leafy, it's not sufficiently close to the life of the city - restaurants, cafes etc. Just to the north is Laureles which is an older suburb and does have some life. However, the apartment buidings are typically 20 or so years old and while we saw 2 apartments we could consider, they don't usually have pools or gyms or usually any parking underground or anywhere. A pool and gym we feel are essential for continuing fitness at our time of life - or indeed any time for that matter. However, Laureles is flat which is an advantage for walking. Then on the other side of the river (east side) is the Parnhell of Medellin - El Poblado. Lovely, leafy and full of fabulous eateries and again not expensive by our standards. But it's hilly which would become a problem and the real estate is also expensive by Medellin standards. Usually a starting price of USD250,000 (750,000,000 Colombian Pesos!) for a pretty good 3 bedroom apartment in a newish building with pool, gym, underground parking etc. Armed concierge onsite 24/7!
However, immediately to the south of El Poblado lies the equally leafy suburb of Envigado which is a little undulating but much less than Poblado and also within easy walking distance of a universidad (university) for Spanish lessons, supermarkets (supermercados) and restaurants/cafes. You can see how many words are similar to English which often helps to understand the gist of things, and also French (which Jim has a knowledge of) is often very similar. Not sure yet whether that's a hindrance or asset in learning Spanish! But we digress - again!
We looked at quite a few apartments in Envigado and finally found a 3 bedroom (2.5 bathrooms) in an 8 year old building - Jardines de la Maria. Substantially cheaper than El Poblado prices. The building has a good swimmable pool and a gym. The apartment has a good sized balcony. No heating or air conditioning because in Medellin at 5,000' and at only 6 degrees north of the Equator you need neither. Hence much lower utility bills. In fact windows and French doors stay open all day and night and it's beautiful ambient temperature. The typical temperature pattern is around 16-17C until about 9am when it starts going up to about 27C in the early evening - then starts reducing again throughout the night. And NO mozzies or midges. Again we digress - heavens above!!
The apartment is vacant and in impeccable condition. Just over 1,000 sq. ft. The only physical alteration we would need to make is to remove the upper half of the wall between the kitchen and living room to open the kitchen to that room and create a sit up bar and/or serving counter. The balcony is off the living room. We would stay on the boat until she sold but in the meantime we can let the apartment at (even allowing for a 70% occupancy) a better rate than generally available through conventional investments. Of course, compared with other investments, property is illiquid which is its Achilles heel. And with more risk because of exposure to the Colombian Peso which is largely driven by the oil price as petroleum accounts for 45% of Colombia's exports at present. But, from all that you read, it seems that the overall trend for oil is up.
But the bottom line is that ultimately one needs somewhere to live. And, having come from New Zealand, we should be well used to exchange rate fluctuations - the Kiwi has been as low as 32 US cents in the early 2000's to 88 US cents about 18 months ago! And no-one in NZ ever seems to think of the value of their own properties in global (USD) terms, so why should we in Colombia?
One slightly negative comment we must make about Medellin is the preponderance of red brick. 90% of buildings - public and private - are built of this material and it also often comprises paved areas as well. The effect is, in spite of any innovative architecture, a cloying effect where one can feel visually surrounded. It became a standing joke between us and our estate agent and Jim was often heard muttering about getting a paintbrush and a very long ladder to paint these 30 story buildings! At least we're well versed with paint brushes, living on a classic wooden yacht as we do. However, it was refreshing to note that "our" apartment building is relieved of too much brick with interspersed plastered panels.
While all this was going on we very regretfully had to finally pack our bags and leave Medellin to return back to Miami. We had an early flight (0730) out of Medellin on July 25th. so we arranged for a taxi to collect us from Zojo Gardens at 0400! In practical terms this meant that we hardly had any sleep the night before but we both felt quite good. The weather had suddenly turned quite cold and it was lightly raining. For the first time this trip we needed our Kathmandu jackets bought in Whangarei all those years ago before we left NZ in 2011. The airport is about 45 kms from the city and involves a steep climb for another 1,000' or so. Ears popping all the way and our driver was a bit too gung ho around the rain slicked bends for our liking! But we got there - that was the main thing. All very smooth, except that as usual we had asked for exit row seats for the extra legroom. However, when it came time to board, Avianca would not let us sit there as we didn't speak Spanish! No doubt in case we had to open the doors and deploy the chutes. Never mind, the legroom was OK as it happened. We had one stop at Baranquilla which is a city on the Colombian Caribbean coast. We saw more beautiful farmland on the way (only about 1 hour). Landed and then had to go through security again but this time had to remove shoes and belts and be cross-examined re our visa waivers (ESTA'S) for the US. Not worth Avianca's while to have to deport us back to Columbia! Had 2 hours on the ground at Baranquilla and then took off for the 2 hour flight to Miami. US EST is 1 hour ahead of Colombia. We flew over Jamaica and Cuba which we were able to see quite clearly and then out near the Bahamas before approaching Miami from seawards. Saw some familiar waters around Miami as we came in at just after 1430. Perry picked us up and soon we were in the new house. Definitely an improvement on the previous one and also on a canal. And a swimming pool. By then we were feeling somewhat jaded so after an early BBQ dinner it was bed time. Great to see everyone and the children, Carter and Nash.
Next day a quiet day but there was a trip to Wholefoods where we stocked up on some wine and food. Apart from that we sent some time emailing our Medellin agent and generally working on the detail of the property purchase - now confirmed.
The boys here have their moments as under 3's are wont to do, but generally they are delightful as always and Granny Jean is in her element. Carter can't quite get his tongue around Granny Jean so calls her "Gajean". Perry is busy organising shelves here and there and erecting the fence along the canal and around the pool - very necessary with the young gentlemen around!
And now it's today. Received the momentous news that the apartment was a done deal. BREAKING NEWS - Only a few hours ago from writing this we had confirmation that our offer for the apartment at Jardines de la Maria had been accepted. Albeit at a slightly higher price than our offer. Suffice it to say that the price is less than the equivalent of USD150,000 at current exchange rates. We felt that this was acceptable in comparing all that we had seen. So, the start of a big change for us, but nothing will of course change in a practical sense until our lovely old lady is sold. We will simply lease the apartment in the meantime.
Hope all is well with everyone - lotsaluv from us............
Con mucho amor desde nostros
Jim and Jean
Miami
Florida
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