who needs an eight dollar hamburger?

[jim c]

Well I am back from Cartagena and find that very little here has changed.  Like the soap opera, I was gone for two weeks and here life has progressed three hours.

   I took Beenthere's advice and had my driver take me to the suburbs. There are three malls  Sao, Vivero and Superley. Vivero is the largest and has a movie theater and Arturo Calle. The problem is that they are thirty five minutes away from the old city. The distance is about equal to driving from the airport to the south in Cali. The neighborhoods are poor and much different from the tourist areas.

   I have made an offer on a Condo in Crespo which is where the airport is located. It is on the fourth and fifth floor (duplex) on the beach. The beach there is vey quiet and I have seen no peddlers( not too many tourists around).The condo has three bedrooms and maids quarters for thirty two thousand US( down from thirty seven asking price ). The neighborhood is middle class. I am sharing the cost with my sister who went with me and fell in love with Cartagena. So my cost will be $17,000. I have not found any other property that competes with the moorish mansion I found in Manga for a guest house. The Crespo Condo is a ped a terre for now, but not a commercial investment. Is anyone familliar with the prices for Mini Coopers? I found an old one in great shape for about $7,000 US BRG with a white top.

   The restaurant scene is even better than I originally thought. Cafe Santissimo with its Cordon Blue Chef and fixed price menue(25,000 for appitizer, main course and dessert) is still great. In the old city I found Enoteca, an Itallian restaurant Deli and wine galley. Imported cheese, pasta and proscutto from Italy for sale. My sister had a large bowl of Fettuchini in Lobster sauce for $7.00. I bought a great bottle of Grappa for $20.00. She fell in love with Crepes and Waffles (just like the rest of us).I found two great restautants in Bocagrande accross the street from each other Arabe which has great meat, stuffed grape leaves and kibbe- and A fantastic Spanish restaurant, excellent garlic soup also paella loaded with shrimp( enough for four people for $15.00 ).The desk clerk got the leftovers,
Well here I am,  back in the land of the eight dollar hamburger. What is wrong with this picture?
jimc

[denvermike]

... in response to who needs an eight dollar hamburger?, posted by jim c on Nov 16, 2003

I do, I do, Chile has the worst hamburgers in the world, I would gladly pay $8 for a good ole hamburger from the USA anytime!!

[cancunhound]

... in response to Re: who needs an eight dollar hamburger?, posted by denvermike on Nov 17, 2003

In Manizales, Colombia - I encountered one of the best hamburgers to date (well, I was very hungry after a long day of trekking so anything would have hit the spot - but this is a good joint).  The name of the restaraunt was "Brunos" and it was located on the main drag that runs along the ridge.  They had a Mexican version that included avacado's - I spiced it up a tad with good ole pepper(since picante is an unknown there) - it was delicious.  It wasn't cheap - it set me back about $4 bucks with the fries & Aguila.

Your date will love the place for the stocked salad bar, not to mention the views to the valleys below.

[Pete E]

... in response to speaking of hamburgers..., posted by cancunhound on Nov 17, 2003

$4 for a good burger,a beer and a view isn't bad.Wish there was one in Cali.Its amazing so few places there know how to cook a hamburger.

Pete

[Cali vet]

... in response to who needs an eight dollar hamburger?, posted by jim c on Nov 16, 2003

Is it an "S" and does it have a British or Colombian flag painted on the roof? There are a couple of them in my neighborhood along with a perfect '56 Starfire and '55 Holiday but I haven't seen a Mini Cooper "S" here yet. There's aso an abundence of '50s and '60s era Mercedez in this city reminding one that in days gone by it was a utilitarian car. Which in turn reminds me I find it wierd that because of one (albeit pretty famous) driver this country is completely nuts over "automovilizmo" and Formula One even though they haven't got a single race track (correct me if I'm wrong) and the only time they ever see Montoya in a car is on TV.

[jim c]

... in response to Is it an..., posted by Cali vet on Nov 16, 2003

I don't know which model it is. I was only wondering if the price was close. I remember one in Cali which was navy blue with a british flag on top. The guy worked in a language school in cuidad jardin.

[Cali vet]

... in response to Re: Is it an..., posted by jim c on Nov 16, 2003

Only the "S" is worth your effort. Anyway I don't know how it is in Cartagena but car prices and anything associated with car ownership is no bargain in Cali. We spent a couple of months looking for a used car and the prices were consistently higher than in Bogota listings. Having a car here is really just an expensive convenience and not at all necessary since public transportation be it taxi, jeep or chiva will get you to the end of any road right up to where the foot trail begins.

[Pete E]

... in response to Re: Is it an..., posted by jim c on Nov 16, 2003

Jim,
Auto trader.com has several Mini Coopers for sale from $7500 - $15000.Probably some years are more valuable.But $8000 isn't a stael unless the car is mint,which I doubt.
I saw some 50's cars in Cali that could be collectable but they looked like they spent their life in Cuba.Probably rusting through the floor boards.
Condition is important of course.Look under collector cars then "mini" for make.
Its where I bought my last car.I stole it.Several 1000 less than what I would normally pay here.

Pete

[Pete E]

... in response to who needs an eight dollar hamburger?, posted by jim c on Nov 16, 2003

Jim,
Sounds like you got one foot in the land of the $8 burger.Is this Cartegena condo just a vacation place?
I thought you sold your house here and were moving there.
And what is the real women situation in Cartegena?? ANYTHING like Cali?? There are good looking women everywhere,including the US,but are they intereseted in guys our age?
I kind of forgot Brazil at least for the initial move.Ted who lives there is 36,says he looks 10 years younger( I concur from his pictures)and wants to marry a Brasiliana to stay there.He can't find an acceptable one.In Cali he would have more women than he knew what to do with,they would be breaking down his door.
We go south for lots of reasons,warm weather,low cost of living,laid back life style and-- don't forget women,our number one reason,the common interest that has us talking here.
There were times I wished I could buy an $8 burger in Colombia.Along with the kind of service you get in a place that sells $8 burgers.After one of my Colombian trips I was driving to Orlando from Miami.I stopped along the turnpike and got a Starbucks coffee. I never  had anything remotely close in Colombia,the land of the coffee bean.Then I went to a Bennegans  I think it was.These college kid waiters were all over me,had me a beer in about one miniute.I think I had an $8 burger.AHH,the US.Of course I didn't just come from Cartegena.
Crepes and Waffles,one of my favorite restaurants anywhere.Chicken curry crepes for like $3,as good as about anything I have eaten.When I was in Panama I saw one there.
The plan,to Cali December 3.Kick back, meet women,clear my head,see my friends that are passing through.I don't see being there in the long run,more than a year or so.Maybe I can meet some chica I can convince to live on the beach with me somewhere.Cartegena? Panama? Nicaragua? Brazil?
We will see.FIRST things first.I need to get my head rearanged and A Cali chica is just the thing I think.There is a certain person that needs to get moved from constant contact to long term memory.

Pete

[Calipro]

... in response to who needs an eight dollar hamburger?, posted by jim c on Nov 16, 2003

I'm thinking about taking my girlfriend to Cartagena the 20th of Dec. and bringing her back to Cali on the 24th so we can spend Chirstmas in Cali. I haven't been to Cartagena since 1998. I stayed at the Intercontinenal. We hung out on the beach during the day and then went dancing every night at places like Mr. Babillas where people dance on the tables and sing until 6:00am. What is the night life like now? Any new popular clubs?

 I would be interested in knowing what kind of visa you have that allows you to buy real property in Colombia.
Also, what was the home buying experiance like in general?
What was the best way you found to transfer $32,000 to Colombia?

[cancunhound]

... in response to Re: who needs an eight dollar hamburger?, posted by Calipro on Nov 16, 2003

All you need is the identity card, my guess is that your passport would suffice however? - you can get that ball rolling by contacting your nearest Colombian consulate.  Unlike Mexico, where purchase is restricted in some areas, I don't know of any restrictions in Colombia.  The purchase scenario is a bit different down there as the Bank/Title Company are kind of rolled into one for the deed.
My cap on transfers was 5K a pop but I don't recall if that was Colombian side or US driven.

-CaliGringo.com