About peterv123

Currently Lives:

Citizen of:

Some Forum Posts:

Colombia: For a 90-180 day trip what would you absolutely bring to COL:

Myself, I agree with the 2 cell phone thing. I like my good smart phone with an international plan. Also a cheaper one to use for local calls with prepaid minutes and sim card bought in Colombia. Also, if you are fussy about hair care products, bring your own.

Colombia: Expats who returned to US or Canada:

From what I see of most of the food on the street and in many of the cheaper restaurants (comida tipica) appears very unhealthy. And I see a lot of obese people here. Of course not as many in the States. I believe that the only thing that saves them here is that most of them walk everywhere thereby getting some exercise. But it is catching up with them. In the past they were doing hard physical work and could eat anything. The same with me when I was young. When I was in my 20s and had a physical job I ate McDonalds literally 7 days a week with no problem. Of course I had the same problem as with the street food here...horrible gas. I think you have to really work hard here to have a healthy diet...even harder in the states. The same thing happened over the last 20 years in Costa Rica...the peoples diet changed to more junk and fried food and less exercise therefore more fat people. It's really a shame. I was in a panaderia a few days ago and seeing a mother give her 3 year old daughter a large pastry with a soda. If you get fat when young you are usually doomed. I know the people here drink a lot of juice, which is a good thing, but I am amazed at the amount of soda they drink. Lets hope they become more aware of healthy eating. They are so image conscious, many brush their teeth 3 times a day, go to the gym, get cosmetic surgery, ect. If they don't watch it they will be like us fat Americans.

Colombia: hearing aid repair:

anyone have experience or know where one can get hearing aid repair or replacement in Medellin?

Colombia: El Viejo y El Pancake:

Went by the El Viejo y El Pancake today. Was closed with a sign saying they were cuidando the kids. Right around the corner there is a little store called Panares Market. It is owned by Venezuelans that serve their arepas filled with different things. I had the first one on the menu and it was great. Not the same as the arepas here. Worth a try. Also there is another restaurant between the pancake and the Panares which is on the corner, called Terreo Parilla Bar. Looks nice, people say it has great food. El Viejo y El Pancake may want to take business a bit more serious and stay open more. The Colombians would just bring their kids to work to watch them.

Colombia: Trump & Colombia:

There are many of us on the other side who don't often post and spew our hate (as many posters here) as we are accused of. As evidenced by the outcome of the election.

Costa Rica: Oldpro feedback:

I agree with maybe 90% of oldpro's view. However I don't necessarily agree with his take on best places to grow old. I read the link where it lists the best places for this. It seems that most are in places with cold winters. Many of us can't stand the cold and that is why we head for the warmer countries. I know you can say that there are many warm places in the U.S., but then one would still be in the U.S. Many leave because it has become a place where one no longer feels welcome or at home.

Costa Rica: Best country to retire?:

I had a condo in Guanacaste. Should have rented first as everyone says. Took a loss even though I thought I had bought at the bottom. I loved Costa Rica. Still do. But I could see the writing on the wall...every year it seemed the government was coming up with another way to squeeze more money out of the gringos. This did not bode well for my long term retirement plans. Seemed like it was not a lot cheaper than living in the U.S. Now I am in Medellin, Colombia. Love it here also. This is a work in progress, so we will see where it leads. Much more affordable so far, but one needs to speak Spanish here to fully enjoy.

Colombia: Learning Spanish in Medellin:

Here is a person that I used as a tutor on skype in the U.S. She also teaches here locally, as she lives here. An excellent teacher and nice person, She was the first person I visited in Medellin about 4 years ago. I have not talked to her lately. I will post a recommendation from someone else here as they say it better than I can. "I have just finished a day of conversational Spanish with Monica Davila, clasesmony@gmail.com. She is a spanish teacher in Medellin. She is excellent. We did conversational spanish but she also does grammar. Besides in person lessons, she can also do Skype. Her fees are very reasonable. We did a day of exploration in Medellin while talking Spanish. Since she is also fluent in English, it was easy to communicate when I did not know the spanish word or had difficulties with grammar. The best thing about Monica is that she speaks clear, articulate and deliberate Spanish. For those of us who have difficulty in understanding Spanish, Monica is a perfect fit. Finally, she is a very kind and patient teacher. You cannot do better."

Colombia: How to watch new release movies?:

The IP hiding thing is useful for downloading movies and such from the internet. And I believe the Kodi thing (I believe you need a digistream box or device) seems to be a great thing. I am not advertising for the guy in the previous posts. I have a friend back in the States that uses it and seems to work quite well. We have watched a lot of new movie releases on it. It is not without its glitches. When I am here full time I will get one. I cut the cable about 4 years ago back in the States and have no regrets. One is more selective about what one watches downloaded from the internet. More free time better spent on reading books, reading on the internet, exercising, and visiting friends.

Date Joined:

10/23/2016

Total Posts:

13

Posts/Day:

0.08