Colombia Forum

jooks
Joined 2019
Posts: 293

5 years ago

Installment 5

5 years ago

May 14, 2019

It’s been raining a lot. It’s usually tolerable since the rain only lasts a brief time followed by a picture-perfect sky. In the afternoons, the rain can be torrential. In the ghastly hour that I go for exercise, there is often a misty drizzle. I find it refreshing.

Some things are becoming routine. My go to walk/run is to and around the sports center by Estadio Estacion, the metro station, which is a 10-minute walk from my apartment. Known as the Girardot Sports Unit, it is huge and one of the sites of interest that should be included in most any agenda. It is considered the best sports center in Colombia and one of the most complete and functional in South America. There are 20 venues including a football stadium, basketball coliseum, gymnastics coliseum, aquatic complex and skate parks. Throughout the center, there’s outdoor exercise equipment and early morning free exercise classes along with deafening music. There’s bike and pedestrian paths and of course, many walkers, runners and cyclists. I’ve yet to see the entire center in my walks and runs since it is so vast. On Sundays, surrounding streets are closed to traffic.

At 8am, I take a 7-minute walk to Rituales Compania de Café to imbibe some of the finest coffee I’ve ever tasted, along with a freshly made chocolate croissant. Total tab = 12.000 COP ($3), expensive for this town. It’s well worth it, especially for the warm buenos dias I get. I am generally the first customer of the day. The coffee comes from a local finca (farm), La Sierra. The other day, I was given a first-hand treat and shown the brewing process. The coffee and water are measured, temperature gauges are used and everything is timed meticulously. Impressive. One would think such cafes would proliferate in a country that grows some of the finest coffee beans in the world. Not true. The truth is, the small shops take little pride in the coffee and it’s akin to coffee you get at a gas station in the US.

In addition to a world class sports unit, Medellin’s metro system is considered one of the finest in the world, the best in Colombia. There are only two rail lines, which simplifies things, though I’m still trying to figure out the ins and outs. The standard ride is the equivalent of 79 cents, less with a monthly pass and even less with a senior discount. In addition, there are numerous buses, five cable car lines and a tramcar line which serves virtually every neighborhood. If you’re in a pinch or lazy, there’s Uber or a taxi which is a fraction of the fare charged in the US.

At 9:45am, I’m off to Spanish class. This is work! But well worth it considering what the end result will be, hopefully. After classes end, it’s mostly bureaucratic stuff for now, i.e., opening a bank account, getting health insurance, etc. It gets lonely, especially for a foreigner with little help. However, I’m managing and the friendliness of complete strangers is assuring. The rainbow gets that much closer each day.

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