Saturday, we went off hunting for the computer printer again, Marcela took me to what I am sure will be my favourite store over here, Home Centre, tools at every turn, but I have resisted the temptation so far, because I am still getting used to the value of the peso, and some things are very expensive. We went from store to store, and eventually came home with the printer, and phones to put in the apartment.
Yesterday, I thought being Sunday, would be a day of rest… think again! Marcela, her Mum, and I made the decision that we we would start our diet today (Monday), so we spent hours both making lists for things to buy for the diet and also for the apartment, then Marcela and I went off to the Supermarket to buy food in for the diet. After lunch Marcela and I were whacked and had a siesta, missing Sandra and family visiting.
On waking, it was off to the Commercial Centre, with Maria (Marcela\’s mum), and we found an electric plancher, which was something I would not be without for cooking, but here they are a lot more expensive than Spain, We also bought some more bits for the diet, and went off for a big bowl of icecream, before having to abstain!
This morning, we set off about 9am, after a couple of other calls we went to drop my passport off, at the Office dealing with my visa, to be told that now, they were having to redo some of the documents, as the Ministry had changed the format, and we would have to go back to the Notary to have them authorised… I was ready to blow my stack, there was no way that had happened without warning, it was negligence on the part of the company, and to top it off, they said they had sent emails last night and tried the house phone this morning to forewarn us, funny that when we checked later, there were neither emails, or missed phone calls.
We left the Office, and had to rush into the City Centre, as Marcela had an appointment, we then went to another Notary, had the forms endorsed, and then returned and dropped the forms and my passport off at the Office, and now hope that my visa will appear in due course.
We also spent some time trying to find somewhere to send a fax to the Company in Spain dealing with the export of my belongings, but apparently Companies are not able to fax outside the country, why?… I have no idea. I have ended up having to email my credit card details, and hope they are not intercepted.
On the way home, we stopped at a furniture shop, where Marcela knows the owners, and we have purchased a bed ( big enough for now, but ideal for the apartment, eventually will be a guest bed) a dining room suite, and a corner sofa unit, tomorrow we will look for a fridge freezer and washing machine, then we will have the basics to get started.
From there we went on, and paid for the apartment for six months, and recieved a key, so on leaving the office, we immediately had a couple more cut. Then it was back home, by which time it was nearly dark.
I then christened the plancher and cooked the tea, after which, it was time to do some work on the computer.
I had an email to say there has been a slight delay in the sale of my Spanish house, due to a cock up in the paperwork by the Bank, fortunately Andrew has resolved that, as my papers were in order, they will have to have the new papers registered, which will take a couple of weeks, before going back to value the house!
And it all starts again tomorrow…
An Englishman in Colombia 