I guess this economic quagmire has really messed up everybody. I think I came down at just the right time. Everything was cutting into my salary back in Socal. I am actually living better, and saving money. It costs me around 220,000.00 COP (about $105.00 a week to live here). So, around 900,000.00 COP a month(around $450.00-475.00). They pay me 1,650,000.00 COP, so I save 750,000.00 COP a month (around $325.00-350.00).
What else can I tell you, OH! I started physical therapy, Yeah! Right now it costs me 18,000 COP ($8.75) for and hour and half session. First, I get a half hour deep tissue massage on either my legs or my back, then ice and heat (backward from the way the do it in the states), electric stem, and the stretching and excercises. Between that and all the walking and climbing(up five flighte to my house), I do feel like I am getting stronger. However, the numbness down the outside of my right leg still has not gone away. But, my little Colombian therapist is working on it.
OH!, Someone asked me about TV, liquor, women, and food down here so I will add this to give you some more to read.
Yes they have regular TV, however, some of it is dubbed in Spanish and some is not. I watched House, Eli Stone, and Scrubs in English. Also they play reruns of 2 and a half men and friends every night, go figure? We don't get any college or Sunday football games. But, we get Sunday and Monday night football, dubbed in Spanish. I'm living off downloading off the torrents to stay current on my shows.
The national beer is Aguila, which means eagle. It's not bad and only 55 cents a bottle (1,100 COP). That's in most bars and resturants. It's the same price in the stores and most bars. The higer end beer is Gran Colombian, which is a heavier more hoppy beer. It goes for $1.00-1.50. It was this years(2008) best beer in the world award in Belgium. The liquor that is king here is aquadiente crystal. It's a little like vodka, but thicker and a little sweeter. But, tequlia and vodka flow here also.
There are a lot of good looking girls here. If you hang out at one of the local outdoor bars you will see some awesome Colombian women. Funny thing, unlike American women get mad if you look at their boobs sticking out of their lowcut tops, or their asses crammed into sprayed on hip hugger jean. Colombian women get a little miffed if you don't look. They see you stare and smile back and sometimes even put on a little show for you by leaning forward or swaying a little more.
Finally as for food they have beef and chicken all over the place. A carne asada steak or leg and thigh of chicken, veggies, rice and fruit juice cost 5,000 COP ($2.50), and a big steak with all the trimmings is around $10.00. They don't have drive thru's, everything is sit down or take out. The big chain here is a roasted chicken store called Jarro's. You can get pizza (not bad, but no deep dish), and other types of Italian food, Thai food, home made tamales, and the local favorite clavo (goat), which is yummy. However, except for local fare(clavo) the food is fair to above average. But, the ice cream is to die for. I know this sounds like I eat a lot, but I walk a hell of a lot also. And, between the operation (dropped 30 pounds) and living down here (another 15 pounds), I now weight 195 pounds, and the doctor that checked me out for my school health plan says that I should lose 15 more pounds. I know the less I weight the better it is for my back and my health, but I don't know about losing any more weight, because I have less energy. Well see!
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