|
Post by jabberwocky on May 11, 2016 12:02:54 GMT -5
I know a couple of members live on Fincas outside of Medellin and Bogota - but does anyone live in a small town - population of 20K people or less. If so - what are your thoughts?
|
|
|
Post by dandl93 on May 11, 2016 12:29:53 GMT -5
I do, have you got any questions specfic to small town living?
I am selling out and moving to even smaller town since my town seems to be drawing more tourists lately.
|
|
|
Post by coolcoil on May 11, 2016 14:17:27 GMT -5
I live in La Ceja, which has a population of about 40K. It doesn't meet the 20K criteria, but I still consider it to be a small town. It's a 25-minute drive to the nearest mall in Rionegro, though we are soon to have an Exito Viva mall, which is a small shopping center anchored by an Exito. We moved to a unidad cerrada on the edge of the urbanizacion last year, but the five years before that we had an apartment in the center of town.
I like living here, though there are certainly conveniences available in larger cities that we do without. I don't really miss them though. When I first moved here, I would have really preferred to live in the city. However, if I had to pick now, I would stay here. The only thing that I really miss is easy access to top-notch schools for our kids. The nearest high-end private schools are 45 minutes away, and I don't want to subject my kids to that while they're little. I might reconsider when they're older.
|
|
|
Post by barrumundi on May 11, 2016 14:31:42 GMT -5
It's not for everyone. Depends on your circumstances. My wife has family here and we have a large circle of friends and relatives. Many of them speak English. There is always something to do. The pace of life is slower than in the city so you need to be patient if you want something done. As coolcoil said you don't have all the conveniences of a big city but we are only an hour away from the big supermarkets, medical centres, shopping malls and Homecenter etc. I am actually on the edge of town in a semi-rural setting that is also a 'pocket' of housing that is mostly weekenders for Bogotanos. Most of the time it is very quiet. I like it.
|
|
|
Post by livinginmedellin on May 11, 2016 14:36:52 GMT -5
I live in Sabaneta and like living here. Sabaneta has a population of about 50K according to the last numbers I saw. That would technically make Sabaneta a large town (20K to 100K) vs a town (1K to 20K). Sabaneta is growing like crazy with at least 35 apartment buildings under construction. But Sabaneta is technically the smallest municipality in Colombia (only 15 square km) so growth is limited.
Sabaneta still has some attributes of a small town but it also has a big mall (Mayorca), a couple of Exitos, a Euro, and many small local shops and restaurants that are much cheaper than El Poblado. I rarely need to leave as I can find many things within walking distance. But I'm only 15-30+ minutes from El Poblodo via metro, bus or taxi.
|
|
|
Post by avispa on May 11, 2016 14:56:32 GMT -5
Sabaneta hardly qualifies for this category. Before they are done there's going to be a tower on every street corner. The whole Valle Aburra is one big city.
|
|
|
Post by livinginmedellin on May 11, 2016 15:48:17 GMT -5
Sabaneta hardly qualifies for this category. Before they are done there's going to be a tower on every street corner. The whole Valle Aburra is one big city. Actually not all of Sabaneta is going to have a tower on every corner - there is part of Sabaneta that has many fincas owned by wealthy folks.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 11, 2016 21:38:55 GMT -5
I've been in many pueblos around Colombia, but I will keep my discussion closer to Medellin for the sake of brevity. I live in "El Oriente" in one of the burbs of Rionegro right on the edge of the Zona Urbana. People still call it a pueblo, however, the pueblo is developing in leaps and bounds. Inside of 5 years, it will be like another Sabaneta. For now, I really enjoy living here. Two blocks from my house is party central in "el parque", and 500 meters from my house, is the countryside. There are a lot of conveniences here with CC San Nicolas, Clinica Somer and Hospital San Vicente just around the corner. A new Torre Medica is being built across the street from Clinica Somer. Except for my wife's family and a rental property, there is really no reason to go to Medellin anymore. I like La Ceja as well, and we were seriously thinking about moving into one of the townhome developments (Manzana or Jardines), but we did not find what were looking for. El Retiro is a nice spot, too... but the available housing was expensive and not as nice was what is available in La Ceja and San Antonio de Pereira. Llanogrande, another vereda of Rionegro, is an area to find a finca or finca-ette. Prices here are not cheap. All of the aforementioned spots are reasonably close to support services in either Rionegro and Medellin. Now, moving out to a "real pueblo" like La Union or Sonson, may be a bit of challenge... especially if one is used to on-demand services. If medical care is important, I would think very hard before pitching my tent in one of these a pueblos. Same goes for entertainment and imported food and delicacies. A young, adventurous guy may want to give life in a pueblo a go. But for most older guys (like me), and who have already been around the block a few times, means living in suburbia near a city with adequate support services.
|
|
|
Post by jabberwocky on May 12, 2016 7:48:55 GMT -5
I like la Ceja - but only been through once, also Retiro. Interesting to note that most of the small towns are less than an hour outside of Medellin or Bogota. I wonder if there are any ex-pats that live in the small towns more out in the boonies - Santa Barbarba for example - where it takes about 1.5 -2 hours to get into the city. I always thought Jerico was a pretty small town with a very nice climate - a bit touristy but still nice - about 2.5 hours to Medellin.
I would guess most gringos are centered around Medellin and Bogota - I know we have a couple on here in Cali, not sure if there are any from Manizales or Buca.
Both Medellin and Bogota areas have a huge advantage if you wish to travel back to the US - even when retired ( hopefully someday) I would want to travel back to US to visit family ( or have them easily travel to visit Colombia)
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 12, 2016 8:33:41 GMT -5
I like la Ceja - but only been through once, also Retiro. Interesting to note that most of the small towns are less than an hour outside of Medellin or Bogota. I wonder if there are any ex-pats that live in the small towns more out in the boonies - Santa Barbarba for example - where it takes about 1.5 -2 hours to get into the city. I always thought Jerico was a pretty small town with a very nice climate - a bit touristy but still nice - about 2.5 hours to Medellin. I would guess most gringos are centered around Medellin and Bogota - I know we have a couple on here in Cali, not sure if there are any from Manizales or Buca. Both Medellin and Bogota areas have a huge advantage if you wish to travel back to the US - even when retired ( hopefully someday) I would want to travel back to US to visit family ( or have them easily travel to visit Colombia) I have an ex-pat friend who lives in Cauca Viejo (near Bolombolo) out towards Jardin. I thought he might get bored there, but he seems to like it out there very much.
|
|
|
Post by dandl93 on May 12, 2016 11:45:08 GMT -5
Depends on who is driving but I live 1.5 - 2 hrs from Bogota.I would not want to be any closer and actually plan to move approx another 45 mins farther away near a town of 5k.With Chia growing so fast going to Bogota is a mute point except 1 or 2 times a year.I can get to Chia in 1 hr do my medical checkups and major shopping and get out in a reasonable time with min stress.
I live on the edge of town about 5 mins from the square and would not live in the town every hoilday something is going on till late hours I would go crazy even more than I am now.
Always remember when picking out a town if it is heaven to you it will be to others down the road.12 years ago Pacho was heaven to me small town great climate fantastic views of the mountains and 20k pop.The climate and the montains have not changed...
|
|
|
Post by barrumundi on May 12, 2016 12:00:25 GMT -5
Still a good idea, even in a small town, to rent before you buy. The good news is that rental properties in/near a small town are much less than in the big smoke.
|
|
|
Post by gallito on May 12, 2016 12:56:08 GMT -5
I was brought up in a small town;the camaraderie and being part of the community is what I like about small town living. Living in small town Colombia has the same feel;people in general are friendlier and will take the time to stop and talk...simple things like saying adios or buenas dias.
|
|
|
Post by billforce on May 12, 2016 13:09:07 GMT -5
I live 5 KLM. from a small town, around 30,000 residents and one hour from Medellin. The only MAJOR problem I see and have encountered is very limited medical care. There is an emergency hospital there but very small and unprepared for anything beyond a "hangnail".
|
|
|
Post by dandl93 on May 12, 2016 13:25:48 GMT -5
In the big cities it can take over a hour to get to a hospital or atleast a good one.If major medical is a #1 priority, buy a home with in 1 block of the hospital you want.
Option2 would be stay in the USA and live in a retirement village.
|
|
|
Post by billforce on May 12, 2016 13:38:32 GMT -5
In the big cities it can take over a hour to get to a hospital or atleast a good one.If major medical is a #1 priority, buy a home with in 1 block of the hospital you want. Option2 would be stay in the USA and live in a retirement village. Hardly an option when I have my home here for 16 years. I simply have to program my medical and dental visits and hope a dire emergency doesn't happen. At least the local emergency clinic does have instruments for treating heart attacks, fractures and contusions. The carreterra is crooked and dangerous and we do have our share of auto accidents, many involving moto's so they are equipped for that at least.
|
|
|
Post by barrumundi on May 12, 2016 17:10:41 GMT -5
I was brought up in a small town;the camaraderie and being part of the community is what I like about small town living. Living in small town Colombia has the same feel;people in general are friendlier and will take the time to stop and talk...simple things like saying adios or buenas dias. I can go into town on a quick errand e.g. pick up a bottle of wine, and be back home in 15-20 minutes. I see lots of people I know and I wave, smile, nod or call out 'adios', depending on how well I know the person. My wife goes to town to pick up something and is gone for 3 or 4 hours because every person she meets she has to have a 20 minute conversation with ..............and at least half of that 20 min conversation is all the different ways to say 'hello' and 'goodbye'. In a small town in Colombia if someones 'goodbye' this is not really goodbye, this is the trigger to change the subject and continue talking for at least 10 more minutes. The real goodbye is when someone actually starts to walk away ..........and if you are in your car and you see your friend in his/her car just park in the middle of the road and talk as long as you want! Bearing in mind that I am apparently anti-social, I actually have a much, much larger circle of friends here in Colombia than what I ever did 'back home'.
|
|
|
Post by gallito on May 12, 2016 17:37:12 GMT -5
Many years ago I learned that cash is king in Colombia.I was living in a residencia in Bogota;while staying there another guest had a medical emergency.His appendix had ruptured;fortunately for him I jumped into action along with my gf (Colombian graduating RN) our first stop was Hospital Militar where he was refused treatment because they wouldn't receive his credit card and insisted on cash payment...additionally my gf was doing her practicum there and pleaded with them to no avail.By now my gf brother got on board to help transport him to next stop - San Juan de Dios;they said flat out no can't do it here,incedentally my gf also did her did her practicum there.Stop #3;Hospital Samaritana,by now the patient was dying and fortunatly they saw his distress and took pity. He survived the surgery and a couple of days later insisted I take him to the airport(doctor and hospital advised against his release) for an immediate flight back to the US.It was a little unsettling taking him in a cab with me holding intervienous bag.
|
|
|
Post by suba on May 12, 2016 18:36:46 GMT -5
I work with the main hospitals here in Bogotá, (Reina Sofia, Clinica Colombia and Cardio Infantil) and whilst the treatment and standard of care is very good in general, the paperwork that has to be completed before medical procedures are carried out is daunting. It's not just here, the international patients arrive and inevitably once the specialists examine them they find a whole host of problems that just weren't disclosed before leaving their home country.
One of the regular problems is that the insurance companies back in the US or Canada or wherever, insist that should the doctors find anything that needs further attention that they do not inform the patient. Just one hour ago I was talking to a doctor who had recently attended a guy with a detached retina - the guy was from Curacao - and he found that in the very near future the patients other eye would need the same surgery and he recommended to the insurance company that preventative surgery should be carried out. The insurance company refused to authorise this and insisted that the doctor did not mention this directly to the patient.
The guy was then sent back home and to cap it all off the airline had resold his seat on the flight claiming that something was wrong with the piece of equipment provided by the hospital, apparently this happens regularly too, the airlines look for any excuse to bump the guy so they can sell the seat again and of course blame the hospital so that they don't have to refund.
Gallito "he was refused treatment because they wouldn't receive his credit card " They do this because although the procedure can be classed as routine there is a risk of complications with any surgery and whilst the guy may have had enough to pay for the appendectomy if there were complications and he needed to stay in hospital for an extended period then there is no way the hospital can be sure that the patient would have the means to pay. The hospitals here all prefer to see patients who are referred by an insurance company for that very reason, and when they insist on cash they know that the likelihood of him producing the $4k for the operation is unlikely and if he did they would probably have made up some other reason for not treating him.
It's literally one hour ago I was discussing this very scenario.
|
|
|
Post by gallito on May 12, 2016 19:00:59 GMT -5
Suba;apparently you overlooked the beginning of my story "Many years ago"
I'm much older now and able to fully rely on my wife's extended family to navigate Bogota's health care offerings.Her family includes 2 specialists;one is presently working as a specialist (Simon Bolivar) and private clinic,#2 retired sat BOD of a major Bogota hospital,prof Nacional Uni,2 retired RN's one of which I married.Two of their siblings are graduated specialists;both ophthalmologists,one has his own successful clinic and the other has just graduated.Oh and I forgot one is also an insurance agent.
Between you and them I will have a large contingency of experts,should I need expert advice.
|
|
|
Post by suba on May 12, 2016 19:11:01 GMT -5
"Suba;apparently you overlooked the beginning of my story "Many years ago"
I didn't overlook anything, I replied to your post with one of my own that related directly to yours and described a conversation from an hour earlier. That's sort of the point of writing on a forum.
|
|
|
Post by jabberwocky on May 13, 2016 6:45:52 GMT -5
In the small town where we had an apartment in the past - La Pintada < 10,000 people, there is a small clinic that is OK, but anything major all they can do is stabilize the patient and then send him on to Medellin to a hospital, about 2 hours. I assume anyone that has a major heart attack doesn't make it.
I almost never go to the doctor - but nice to know there is an equipped clinic close by if an emergency popped up.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 13, 2016 11:43:27 GMT -5
In the small town where we had an apartment in the past - La Pintada < 10,000 people, there is a small clinic that is OK, but anything major all they can do is stabilize the patient and then send him on to Medellin to a hospital, about 2 hours. I assume anyone that has a major heart attack doesn't make it. I almost never go to the doctor - but nice to know there is an equipped clinic close by if an emergency popped up. At Clinica Somer in Rionegro, I see ambulances at the ER from as far away as Sonson, Narino and Argelia, pueblos that are 1-3 hours away from Rionegro. Surviving something major like a heart attack would be a coin toss.
|
|