Nothin here for weeks

[Elexpatriado]

nothing here for weeks


How are people doing?

[benjio]

I was in Colombia a while. A little over two months between the week before Thanksgiving and the second week of January. I really had a blast. Never really stopped working but I was lucky enough to select hotels and AirBnb rentals with excellent internet. Started in Bogota, left for Barranquilla, ended up in Santa Marta for 8 days with a girl (AWESOME TIME!!!) Spent another week in Quilla over Christmas before finally traveling to Medellin where I planned on staying a while, but my mother caught COVID and got REALLY sick. I had to rush back.

She’s better now and I’m scheduled to return next Friday but I’m kind of afraid because of the US’s negative test requirements. I don’t plan on leaving for a while, and I definitely practice social distancing at all times, but what happened to my mother is giving me a moment of pause. If I need to get back in a hurry for any reason and end up testing positive, I’m stuck!!!...or that other word that sounds similar.

What do you guys think? Worth the risk?

[mambocowboy]

I was in Colombia a while. A little over two months between the week before Thanksgiving and the second week of January. I really had a blast. Never really stopped working but I was lucky enough to select hotels and AirBnb rentals with excellent internet. Started in Bogota, left for Barranquilla, ended up in Santa Marta for 8 days with a girl (AWESOME TIME!!!) Spent another week in Quilla over Christmas before finally traveling to Medellin where I planned on staying a while, but my mother caught COVID and got REALLY sick. I had to rush back.

She’s better now and I’m scheduled to return next Friday but I’m kind of afraid because of the US’s negative test requirements. I don’t plan on leaving for a while, and I definitely practice social distancing at all times, but what happened to my mother is giving me a moment of pause. If I need to get back in a hurry for any reason and end up testing positive, I’m stuck!!!...or that other word that sounds similar.

What do you guys think? Worth the risk?

Took me a month to recover from covid and I have no pre existing conditions.  My wife is a nurse and got it from caring for covid patients and her employer only gave her a mask, no additional ppe...

[JWR]

Do a bit of research on taking the drug "Ivermectin".
My friend is a Dr. and his friends have been treating with Ivermectin.  Since big pharma in the US can't profit on it, the news in the US has been suppressed and is just starting to get out now.
In Brazil, India, and Europe they've been having great success for a while.
In India, they prescribe a dosage of Ivermectin, and Vitamin D for prophylactic usage, and then if they get sick, they up the dosage, and add an antibiotic.  To buy the covid kit costs 15 bucks.
I've worked with hundreds of clients in close proximity since before summer.  They sit upwind of me and breath on me all day long.  Then I disinfect and clean between sails.  It's high risk and I've been lucky.

I take 4 Ivermectin 12 hours apart and that is supposed to protect from covid for 4 months.  I buy it in Tijuana, and the Doctors and pharmacies are completely familiar with the drug using it for Covid.
It's an old drug that has been taken by millions of people over the years.  Quite safe.

Watch some Youtube videos on the drug.  Maybe go on Brighteon and search Ivermectin.
I haven't caught covid yet knock on wood.

[robert angel]

One sister of mine in Florida caught it. My brother and his kids in Michigan got it too, months later, he's still 'foggy'--on ever changing meds. It's scary, effecting each person differently. Some guys our age get over it fairly easily, others don't know if they ever will completely. Nothing to trifle with.

Walmart started scheduling vaccinations in our area today for age 65 and above.

We moved. That was the most stressful thing in 15 years of marriage. Even the 'D' word came up, as tempers escalated to an all time high. My wife isn't as 'simple' and uneducated in American ways as she was 15 years ago. Real estate details, banks, contractors and stuff too many details and people--us together 24X7 each and everyday, 350 days now. all during a pandemic. She was on point, on details. Organized.


And just as I was considering putting my financial ass out on the line by finally putting the house in both our names. (she put my name  right away on the house title in her country, although she mostly bought our house there with her own hard earned money)  But 35 years of my 'stuff' to go through--it was like an archeological dig.


My wife loves the hell out of me, but she never ever liked "STUFF" - unless it had utility. Meanwhile nonetheless she sat nicely by all those years in our little house, as her two stepsons and I just did as most American males do--we got toys, and stuff. Collections. All those game platforms, awards, all the various stuff--books, Indian artifacts, antiques, military gear, tools, fishing gear, guns, ammo, knives, rocks--lots more, filled up my garage and a 12X24 shed/work bench. My possessions seemed to own me.



One day, I sat in my backyard, post retirement now, looking at the shed and at the fence. I looked the lawn and garden --that I didn't like cutting or maintaining anymore and thought: "Is this IT?"  Covid was raging in our old zipcode--still is.


Am I going to die here, or get up and move somewhere else?


So we moved to the Thelandings.com. AKA Skidaway Island, GA. Sold or donated almost everything that we had and started with a clean slate. Just the way my wife likes it--'tasteful'--modern, minimalist--comfortable--she brought in a friend of a friend, a lady originally from Paris, as a designer, She's probably actually saved us money while charging $40 an hour. She source finds everything at good prices, one piece or two at a time. We might 'borrow' a piece of furniture, some decor to see how we like it and just option to buy, typically at a great price. We have veto vote, but she seems pretty sharp. I have my own 18X22 ft 'man cave' for my 'stuff' MY way upstairs. Downstairs is her domain although I have final vote on the Master bedroom. But she would never have a poster of John Belushi downstairs!


People here tell me they don't even lock their doors. Very quiet, private lot. Our deck looks over the first tee of the Magnolia golf course in the distance, along with the Marshwood golf course and two lagoons, then forest. In the distance, beyond the grass fairway and water, the new 23 million dollar Marshwood clubhouse sits, a ten minute stroll away. It's like an ocean of green out there. It lowers my blood pressure just taking it all in.


Two deep water marinas and harbors we can walk to, incredible sunsets many days, thirty plus miles of nature walking and biking trails. Tons of deer and wildlife--bald eagles to bobcats. Saw an alligator the other day, basking in the sun along one of the 150 some lagoons--it was nine feet long if it was an inch. No, I didn't go in for a close up photo with my phone, but I did get a good photo!


About 40 minutes from the international airport. We still really, really want to resume our love of traveling, but we honestly feel like where we live is akin to 'permanent vacation.' So laid back and quiet--removed from the world, but we can hike or bike if we want more air or excitement.


Low density population by design, more young families moving in, still a lot of retirees into boating and golf, but I don't think we've seen more than half a dozen people any given time on our typically 2 to 4 mile daily walks.


Food here is straight from farms that are within a 50 mile radius, unless you want to go to the one grocery store they allow-'Publix', which isn't half bad--they're serious about covid protocol. There's one bank, one gas station, one drugstore w a post office, a few medical offices and specialized shops, and a library. Simple. All a walk or bike ride away. One stoplight, at the main gate.


After 40+ years of spending time in Key West, I knew that wasn't 'the gettaway place' for us any more--it has devolved into way too many T shirt shops, among a sea of selfie sticks, w cruise ship tourists looking for $5 hamburgers.


Where we are now, an island, is 12 miles from downtown and the 15 million tourists a year that crowd the area--tourists that are still coming, but the historic district, while still lovely, is just that--a tourist destination. It must be the number one spot in the nation for bachelorette parties. Meanwhile crime gets worse there and in other nearby areas supposedly trending higher.


The world, and it's economy is changing. Like many other people, my wife will (hopefully) continue to work at home after this covid-19 nightmare is over. I think we'll see less offices, less cubicles and fewer brick and mortar workplaces after 'all this' has died down.


About 64 drizzly degrees outside, think we'll take a hike to the harbor around 5, catch the light breeze coming from the north. Meanwhile, I'm just waiting for my place in line to get vaccinated, while wishing the best for everyone!


Good to see life again on P.L.!! Godspeed!!

[robert angel]

Just read that the good news is Colombia is getting a covid-19 vaccine this week.


The bad news is you have to be 80 or older, or a frontline health care worker.


Still, that looks pretty good compared to Brazil, where things continue to be a an awful mess.