$160 Apartment, South Armenia Colombia S11 V32

[@danspencer4235]

Nice to see someone who realizes that they can do it without "gringo-sized" spending. It's fine if people have a lot of money and want more space, but it seems he is comfortable about living alone, and that apartment is perfectly adequate.

[@hdchillin]

That spot is awesome and I'm happy for him.

[@jazzminwegley5782]

Super cool it's nice to see your face and hear your voice for sure I'm still just hanging out here in North Dakota the roads are ice and the air is so frigid and you're freaking hands are numb within just a couple minutes seconds of taking him out of your gloves but we'll get through it stepping into the deep freeze zone for the next couple weeks I think so go ahead and enjoy it up enjoy it right on up there man that nice warm weather you got beautiful skies, gorgeous sunsets and warm greetings from smiling faces :-)

[@BoydJones]

When are you headed to Colombia? :)

[@jessielees]

Im in Manitoba , Canada (directly of North Dakota lol) - so I understand exactly what you mean about the weather right now. Id love to move to Columbia and at those prices I almost could, but alas I fear I would eventually run out of $ and not be able to find a job =\ ...

[@BoydJones]

@@jessielees Another related strategy would be to save up and move to Ecuador. They use the USD and have very high-interest CDs that could cover some or all of your living expenses if you are frugal.

[@diose0078]

Hola Loren, can you please interview this great man again. I really enjoyed this video and sometimes I wonder how he is doing. ❤

[@grancolombia1]

He is almost always watching live. Say hello to him in the live chat... ask how he is doing.

[@diose0078]

@@grancolombia1 Thank You, so much for your reply, it makes me feel a little bit special. Un abrazo!!!

[@MrJrweir]

Great interview, one of the cities on my list. The big driver is, the cost of living, great to see a total monthly breakdown of living expenses.

[@danielp4805]

Good morning Loren, are you having a “live”today? Thank you.

[@bman2321]

You look happy Mike! Super nice! This is Tom, Sua n Tom from Colville. ✌️😎🌴

[@MrRJS27]

Looks great and the price is right, too bad the fridge door opens on the wrong side for its location but for $160 I'd take it :) I haven't been to Armenia since well before the quake so that's a very long time ago. It looks a lot nicer now and now that the road is finally completed maybe I'll check it out.

[@TimStriff]

Its funny people never take the time to flip the door to the other side I believe most are made for either swing ?

[@worldobserver3515]

I saw that you had some complaints about Cuenca. Is Colombia better, as in being cleaner (no gray water)? I am thinking about taking Spanish classes in Medellin. Is Medellin a safe city? Thanks.

[@grancolombia1]

Well, I moved here from Ecuador, so I would say yes. Medellin is a large city. No large cities are safe. I also dont care for traffic congestion or pollution. While Medellin is an awesome place to visit, there is no way I would ever live there. That is why places outside of Medellin have become more popular.

[@aniwee17]

I really like to know what Mike meant when he said that steak is reasonable. How much is a T-bone in Armenia if you cook it yourself?

[@grancolombia1]

Res tbone steak: 29980/ kg... as of today. ($3,25 / lb)

[@aniwee17]

@@grancolombia1 thank you. This is a good price. In Alaska, it is about 12.99 at the grocery store a pound.

[@TheGoodwolfe]

Loren, so it sounds like "vaccine passports" (proof of vaccination) are now required? Previously, a negative test and possible quarantine, but I guess that's passed. Thanks!

[@kenmarinc]

What are the safe strao 4,5,6 neighborhoods in Amenia? I am looking to relocate in 2025. Thanks.

[@grancolombia1]

Stratus is not related to safety

[@kenmarinc]

@@grancolombia1 I am looking to relocate in Feb/March 2025. I am looking for a safe neighborhood that is walkable. I do not drive. What would you recommend? I appreciate your response.

[@grancolombia1]

@kenmarinc anything north of centro

[@kenmarinc]

@@grancolombia1 Thanks!!

[@tylergargas7524]

Can you say your top 3 restaurants in Armenia?

[@grancolombia1]

Depends on what I want. My fav is probably Bianco Italian. For Breakfast, the other Bianco. For steak, La Fogata. Runner up Baludo. For Tyical Quindo, Todo Chuleta. For Typical Colombia, El Roble. Those are a handful depending on the mood and the wallet.

[@tylergargas7524]

@@grancolombia1 do you ever go to the restaurants in the campo (countryside)

[@grancolombia1]

not often. El Roble is out of town

[@tylergargas7524]

@@grancolombia1 what activities do you do to keep yourself busy during the day

[@walidchedid7224]

Very informative, thank you! Btw, what is this beautiful song? Is it salsa or cumbia?

[@Bryanvcarbino]

Thank you for sharing this video. This is southern Armenia right? I’m looking for something in Colombia 6months out of the year. I visited Bogota and Leticia and liked both but I don’t want to live in the city of bogota. Maybe mountains surrounding bogota ok. How far is Armenia from Bogota? Would most people who want to go to and from the states to Armenia fly into bogota the drive to Armenia or fly into Armenia? Thank you.

[@grancolombia1]

i CANT REALLY SAY WHAT MOST PEOPLE WOULD DO. iT DEPENDS. oops, caps. But flying into Armenia seems the way to go, or maybe Pereira. It is about 7 hours on mountain roads to drive, so I wouldnt think that would be ideal. Flying into Bogota means staying in a hotel for the night and back to the airport, or bus station. Costing extra days and money. Travel on land in the Andes is not what people think. In fact, Pereira is less than 20 miles away from Armenia, yet on a very nice highway, it takes about 45 minutes to drive it.

[@williamhutchison5969]

You fly direct from Fort Lauderdale on Spirit, three hours twenty minutes or so. Avoid Bogota at all costs, there is a terminal change and non Spanish speakers will have difficulty, they'll get it done but not easily.

[@BoydJones]

How many more times is the south more dangerous than the north of Armenia would you say? 2x? 5x?

[@grancolombia1]

Doesn't really work that way. Depends on the Barrio.

[@BoydJones]

@@grancolombia1 Good to know! Maybe you could create an e-book for sale on the barrios based on their crime rates. Merry Christmas and thanks for the great content!

[@DeportIllegalsNow420]

50 times more dangerous

[@grancolombia1]

@@DeportIllegalsNow420 only 4 Barrios are "dangerous". Many, like villa liliana are perfectly safe.

[@luzhelenarestrepo4111]

@@DeportIllegalsNow420. Sorry you are misinformed. Not because you live in the South of a city you will be in danger. Armenia for example, has only 4 neighborhoods where you will feel unsafe, but the other close to 200 hundred neighborhoods in the South of Armenia are perfectly safe, just good working people live there with limited budgets. Sometimes people thinks that they only feel safe in the places where there are more people with money😢 Who says that people are good of bad depending on how much money they make? 😅

[@Matthew-gz4oh]

What a place for $160!!!

[@ericlee2931]

Every single house or apartment has iron bars on the doors, windows and patios. Why is that needed?

[@grancolombia1]

You will see that all over central and South America. Think of it as an "ADT" service... a prevention system. In Ecuador, most houses would have a high wall, with busted bottles imbedded in the concrete on the top designed to slice up intuders. Here, it is kind of hit and miss. In areas (or barrios) of older construction, you see it and that is because 20 years ago Colombia wasa dangerous place. More than half of the population was unemployed, therefore desparate. But today, in newer contruction, you see much less of it. In the north, which is mostly built since after the 99 quake, you will see half walls or none at all. Putting money into a house to protect you when there isnt really much danger just no longer makes sense. but in those old neighborhoods, it harkens back to the days of desparation, hunger and poverty. You wanted to keep your family safe, so you built a fortress. You have to understand the history. Since just after World War 2 until the early 2000's, Colombia has had nearly non-stop civil wars, drugs wars and violence. It has been Socialism vs. a Republic, interceded by various drug cartels and criminal enterprises (think US Mafia from 50's to the 80's). The current generation in Colombia of 20-30 year olds are the first generation that has expereinced this kind of stabilty and safety. Even today, older Colombians live and re-live that past fear demonstrated by advice they give and precautions they take. Younger people have no memory of those times, and live far more free and openly.

[@u2mike]

volume to low

[@lilywright5000]

$160 per day or per month? Thank you

[@grancolombia1]

Clearly a month

[@jessielees]

for young people who might want to immigrate from Canada, is it possible to find work?

[@grancolombia1]

Anything is possible, but not likely. Plus there may be Visa restrictions. It is better to bring your own work via internet.

[@jessielees]

@@grancolombia1 is there good reliable high speed internet with stable connection? i.e. good enough for video calls/live streaming/stock trading?

[@CarlosGonzalez-ib9bc]

@@jessielees yes, you can pay for super fast internet service, no more than $30 US / month.

[@EvralTatum-Mcfield-ov2mi]

You should check the volume on your videos, this one is hard to hear, what he is saying, very low!!

[@grancolombia1]

turn it up

[@freebird5215]

Is the south safe?

[@ericlee2931]

Every single house or apartment has iron bars on the doors, windows and patios. Why is that needed?

[@freebird5215]

@@ericlee2931 to keep birds out?

[@grancolombia1]

You will see that all over central and South America. Think of it as an "ADT" service... a prevention system. In Ecuador, most houses would have a high wall, with busted bottles imbedded in the concrete on the top designed to slice up intuders. Here, it is kind of hit and miss. In areas (or barrios) of older construction, you see it and that is because 20 years ago Colombia wasa dangerous place. More than half of the population was unemployed, therefore desparate. But today, in newer contruction, you see much less of it. In the north, which is mostly built since after the 99 quake, you will see half walls or none at all. Putting money into a house to protect you when there isnt really much danger just no longer makes sense. but in those old neighborhoods, it harkens back to the days of desparation, hunger and poverty. You wanted to keep your family safe, so you built a fortress. You have to understand the history. Since just after World War 2 until the early 2000's, Colombia has had nearly non-stop civil wars, drugs wars and violence. It has been Socialism vs. a Republic, interceded by various drug cartels and criminal enterprises (think US Mafia from 50's to the 80's). The current generation in Colombia of 20-30 year olds are the first generation that has expereinced this kind of stabilty and safety. Even today, older Colombians live and re-live that past fear demonstrated by advice they give and precautions they take. Younger people have no memory of those times, and live far more free and openly.

[@DeportIllegalsNow420]

California is coming here too? May the Lord save us all.

[@danspencer4235]

It seems to me he got out so he probably wasn't the problem. Now, Gavin Newsome? That's a problem.

[@YALQUZAQ_AZ]

Go sleep in Erablur, there is no problem there

[@mikejarvis6138]

Steve Frazer, I am not from California, not from there and haven't lived there for over 30 years, just so you'd know.....

[@georgegil6587]

Born and raised in Northern California and still here. California is a great place to live, work, and make money but not so great for retirement due to cost of living.

[@cristianloquesea]

Are they so bad off in the U.S. to come to Colombia, buy an apartment in a strata 2 neighborhood? It seems that the dollar will not keep the crown for long.

[@grancolombia1]

Thats a pretty ignorant comment. Are you saying people must prove themselves by only living in stratus 6? They cannot live where they choose? He looked at many places, but he really liked that place. it has a lot of services and its a good barrio. It so happens to be in stratus 2. So what? SHould he demnad they take more money for rent because he is from another country? You really should be embarassed about posting such an ignorant comment.

[@cristianloquesea]

@@grancolombia1 una persona demuestra su valia en cualquier lugar, aspecto y momento de su vida, no estoy ofendiendo a nadie, estoy dando mi punto de vista.

[@CarlosGonzalez-ib9bc]

@@cristianloquesea tu comentario sono retorico y degradante, por eso se vio ofensivo.