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Venezuela – Could It Get Any Worse (Yes)

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I live in Colombia and of course we’re right next to Venezuela and there are lots of Venezuelans here. By a remarkable twist of fate, my girlfriend is Venezuelan too. So, I’m interested in what’s going on in Venezuela for multiple reasons. But ‘Yes’, Venezuela is really a mess right now. Butto  be honest, I wonder to what degree they might have brought it on themselves by putting all their eggs in one basket (i.e. oil) and simultaneously electing a socialist ignoramus like Maduro. Anyway….it is what it is and here are a few articles I’ve seen about it lately.
If nothing besides the banknotes change, the government of Nicolás Maduro might have to cut five more zeros in a matter of months, if not weeks.
It’s been a few months since I’ve traveled to Medellin– I have a number of investments and business interests in this region, and I like to check in on them from time to time. Plus, Medellin is a…
Socialist hellhole continues to be a warning to the world
Reaching for the faucet felt like a frustrating game of chance for Elizabeth Robles.
In recent weeks, the South American nation of Venezuela has been embroiled in a conflict that’s spilled onto the streets. As citizens become increasingly vocal in their protests and their attempts to effect social change, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is staring down the barrel of a…
Black market vendors for food and medicines have been accepting cryptocurrencies for years in Venezuela, but more and more merchants are publicly identifying as crypto friendly to avoid the Venezuelan bolivar.
Venezuela is set to launch a new fiat currency pegged to its oil-backed cryptocurrency Petro next month, according to its leader Nicolas Maduro.
Venezuela’s president Nicolás Maduro announced that the country’s new national currency will be anchored to cryptocurrency Petro.
Amid the economic crisis in Venezuela, at least $1.2 billion was stolen from the state-owned oil and gas company with the help of an international network of professional money launderers, according to U.S. Department of Justice officials in Miami.
The IMF has drastically upped its inflation prediction, with people unable to afford food and medicine – even as Nicolás Maduro tightens his grip on power
Venezuela’s highly subsidized gasoline, cheaper than anywhere in the world, could be more expensive starting next month. Why? The smallest coin that will be available in the market will be enough to fill 100 SUV tanks.
Overcrowding, estimated at 250 percent, is spilling over from prisons to jails and simple police lock-ups and is exposing prisoners to disease, starvation and violence.
A cup of coffee in Venezuela now costs 2 million bolivars #tictocnews https://bloom.bg/2Lzl3th (Source: Bloomberg)
Be nice to people on the way up because you’ll meet them on the way down. Venezuelans learn the hard way.
Burro, or donkey, herds have nearly disappeared in one section of Venezuela as thousands were slaughtered for their meat by hungry Venezuelans suffering through a near-famine.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has refused to recognize the country’s hyperinflationary problem and has no plan to address it, a former finance minister, who served under the late socialist leader Hugo Chavez, said in an interview.
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Wandering Salseros Are Renaissance Men (or Women)

 WanderingSalseros Are Renaissance Men (or Women)                   

I’ve had the domain name, “WanderingSalsero.com” and a blog by that name for many years  but most people don’t know where the name came from. The answer actually relates to two separate ideas.

The name “salsa” (also meaning ‘sauce’ in Spanish) cames from the fact that “Salsa”, the dance style, supposedly originated from an amalgam of other music and dance styles. Such an evolutionary process is, of course, what tends to drive most progress in society. That’s not hard to understand.

Relating to my editorial policy for my blog, one thing I’ve always struggled with personally is how broad a mix of ‘elements’ to include in my “WanderingSalsero” blog. The problem is that I’ve always considered everything in life to be related and the idea of “salsa” sort of describes the story of my life.

Over the course of time, I have tended to gravitate toward a more broader mix of subjects on WanderingSalsero.com rather than defining my ‘readership’ as only those Pinochio-esqe readers whose life is composed of nothing but ‘having fun’.

Actually I tend to think of the ‘wanderingsalsero‘ as a Renaissance Man. At least to the extent that a true Wandering Salsero should have broad interests and knowledge. But I believe it’s almost impossible to have fun in a life where you have no idea of the things going on around you.

This is all to explain why I want to share the following article, which you could reasonably describe as ‘political’, and which has nothing to do with music or dancing. I am putting it here is because I think Dick Morris is such a fantastically smart guy.

Dick is the kind of guy who, if he were a college professor, his class would always be packed to the doors.

And not only is he simply knowledgeable about his subject!

He also knows how to explain it. He really makes politics (and related subjects) interesting. Almost to the point where, if I had other lives to live, I would consider the field of politics.

Anyway… here’s the link to the short video he sent out today. I think you’ll like it.

I would also recommend you subscribe to his daily email messages. They are very short, very precise, and always very topical.

Trump’s Political Ju-Jitsu in the Kavanaugh Nomination

Colombia Travel Article Collection March 19, 2018

Travel to Colombia by air
Air Travel To Colombia

For my readers who might someday want to come see Colombia, here is an article to help your trip planning. The following articles pertain to ‘getting a good airfare deal to Colombia’, how to get around in Medellin (one of the ‘must see’ cities in Colombia, and a suggestion of a place to see once you’re here.

I believe letting people who really have a lot of knowledge to offer have the presentation spotlight so rather than try to make it sound like I know more than I do, I found some articles which I think have good information.

Medellin Area Airports

In this collection of curated articles about Colombia you’ll learn more about the two major airports in the Medellin area, i.e. Olaya Herrera Airport (formerly the main Medellin airport but now used mostly for regional flights) and Jose Maria Cordova International Airport (the biggest and most international airport in the Medellin area).

You’ll find a good article about getting from the  ‘Jose Maria’ into Medellin (it’s a 40″ drive but actually very scenic). In essence, there are multiple ways:

  • Have a friend pick you up
  • Have Uber pick you up
  • Take the bus (you’ll always found them at the curb on the lower level by baggage pick-up)
  • Take a taxi (but it’ll cost you about $20 US.

Saving Money on Airfares To and Within Colombia

You’ll also find some articles about the various options for airline travel within Colombia and how you can cope with the practical disadvantage of being (presumably) a non-Spanish-speaking foreigner.

Last but not least I give you a good article about the interesting tour of Pablo Escobar’s home and ranch just outside of Medellin. I have a good friend who is a tour guide on that tour. If you want his contact info, let me know.

For any of you bloggers reading this, you might be interested that what you’re reading right now is written in my actual WordPress blog but the article collection was written in some curation software I use and then I pasted the HTML code into the blog UI.

I plan on doing that a lot more because I think it’s a quicker way to bring you massive amounts of information. Let me know if there are any other Colombia-centric subjects you have an interest in and, if I can, I’ll find some information about them.

Keep those feet moving!!

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Getting Around The City of Medellin Colombia

Anybody visiting or living in Medellin, Colombia is sooner or later going to either want to or need to use one of the abundant taxis in Medellin. But worry not because it’s a very safe, economical, and enjoyable experience.

I used Google maps in this video to show you how the city is laid out and I also pointed out a few of the first spots I would recommend you see.

They were (1) Medellin Botanical Garden, (2) Parque Arvi, and (3) Cerro Volador. Actually, I pulled these videos off Youtube and, you know, I never realized how common it was for people to ruin videos by trying to be too cool. I’ve actually got plenty of raw video and image footage of all three of these places but I do not have a video editor I like yet.

Soon I will start using more of my own videos. I hate videos that are ruined by the wrong music, silliness, or pretense. But regardless, Medellin is beautiful and you will love it if you visit. Note: Retirement visas are pretty easy to get too.

https://youtu.be/SbZlci7_1Bohttps://youtu.be/fc8uwmspyMkhttps://youtu.be/z-YPFAok9Dg

You Can Learn A Lot By Standing On A Medellin Street Corner

It’s true. You can actually learn a lot by standing almost anywhere. Certainly that applies to most places in such a beautiful city as Medellin, Colombia where I live now in the Los Conquistadores area just a short walk from UniCentro (shopping mall).

Yesterday I had been over the mall for something and on the way back (a walk I’ve done hundreds of times) I noticed that there was a lot of traffic. Medellin does have a traffic problem but it’s not as bad as many other large cities which don’t have half as much to offer as Medellin does.

As I came to a corner by a bridge, I realized that there was noticeably heavier traffic than normal and it was ‘Going Home Time’ for everybody. So I thought to myself, “Why don’t I just stand here for a few minutes and watch everybody.

I’ve always been a fan of just standing and watching people and things. I believe one learns a lot that way, i.e. just by being silent, unobtrusive, and observant.

I whipped out my smartphone and proceeded to take a video of about 15”. Unfortunately I cannot presently find where I uploaded it on my laptop but I will eventually find it and when I do I will post it. Meanwhile, here are a few of my observations of Medellin traffic characteristics:

  • The late afternoon weather in Medellin is gorgeous.
  • Most cars in Medellin, as in most of Colombia, are a bit smaller than the average car in the US.
  • You’ll see lots of foreign cars here but not many high-end exotics.
  • Renault seems to be pretty popular here as also in Chevrolet. You’ll see an occasional BMW bu.t fewer Mercedes. Very few Peugeots. Very few Porches, a few VW’s of various types. You will see some big American trucks like International Harvesters and Macks (I saw a nice Yellow IH that day).
  • Most of the taxi drivers drive with their window down.
  • You see very few (almost none) convertibles.
  • It’s rare to see people peel-rubber or hot-rod their cars although motorbike riders do it a lot.
  • You’ll see a wide variety of motorbikes and motor scooters here including lots of foreign brands (Chinese and Indian) that you do not see in the US. You do see Harley Davidsons and you also see Ducatis.
  • Traffic police do not seem to be as omnipresent as they are in the US. Nor do they seem to be on power-trips like a lot of US traffic cops are. But on the other hand, I sense that people appreciate their driving privilege here a lot too.
  • I have seen very few traffic accidents here. Or violent arguments over traffic incidents.
  • People do play their radio here but not as loud as some people in the US do (like I did when I lived in the US).
  • They do have seat belt laws here but I don’t have a feel for how strictly they are enforced or observed. I do know that sometimes taxi drivers will ask me to buckle my seatbelt if I’m sitting in the front seat (like I usually do).
  • I have not noticed brightly colored cars here that often. Very seldom do I see red or yellow. But I do see a lot of more subdued blue tones, a lot of whites and grays, and some brownish tones.
  • I don’t observe pick-ups here as commonly as I did in the US. That might be different in other cities or the outlying areas of Medellin. I have seen pick-ups…. just not a high percentage of them.
  • People don’t appear to use their air-conditioning as much here. Whereas, back in Barranquilla, I had a ladyfriend (a rather affluent attorney) who used her AC all the time. But in Barranquilla, it is much hotter (all along that Coastal area of Colombia is that way) so people who can afford AC are prone to use it.

Since the traffic was at a standstill much of the time while I was there observing, I had a chance to make eye contact with a lot of people. I noticed that most people didn’t mind. And if their car was close to me, like it often was, we had a little conversation (usually in my limited Spanish).

Most people, especially at that time of day on a Friday, are in a pretty relaxed mood and just want to get home. I knew that. Some of the people would respond in English (in varying levels of proficiency) when I said, “Hi” or something else in English. I have found that many Colombians appreciate a chance to practice their English.

Matter of fact, I think that if a person wanting to meet a lot of peoople and make friends down here an excellent idea would be to have a T-shirt made with the words, “Practica Ingles Conmigo” (Practice English With Me) on the back. Matter of fact, I still might do that myself (you can have a T-shirt made with custom letters on the back for about $5 (US)! I know because I’ve already got one.

Anyway, that’s my basic message. There are a lot of nice things and people to see down here in Colombia if you will just be still enough to be perceptive. It’s nice to go see all the typical tourist spots but don’t forget that the people are more similar to ‘us’ than not and they are very unique in their own special Colombian way. Don’t come down here and miss a chance to learn something about them too.

Here are three videos I pulled off of YouTube. Not so much because you needed more information. But actually, I’m experimenting with some curation software. I just want to see the end-result of curating content like this. But it does have some value if you’ve never been to Medellin.
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WanderingSalsero is Back!

It’s early morning, 17 March 2018 and I’ve just opened up my blogging presence again after several months of being off the writing radar other than Facebook posts.

This isn’t the first blog I’ve ever had and I shudder to think of all the content I’ve lost (admittedly mostly my own fault) over the years. But for reasons I won’t go into, I’m cranking it up again and I think this will be the last blog I’ll ever need.

More posts tomorrow.