June 30, 2024

Can you believe it?

I took my lovely wife out for a romantic Italian dinner, and I bit into roll that was way too hard and I cracked a front tooth! So, I had to go see my dentist…in Medellin, Colombia.

Now you may ask why I would travel to South America to see a dentist?

Well, lots of reasons.

Medellin is one of my top five favorite cities in the world to visit. It is still hard to compete with Cape Town, South Africa and the outer islands of Venice, Italy (Burano, a photographer’s paradise and Murano known for its world-famous glassblowing) but every time I visit Medellin seems to move up the list. As you fly in you swear you are flying over Tuscany with its tile roofs, and you are overcome with the grandeur of the Andes Mountains which seems to cradle the city in the mammoth green expanse of the Central Cordillera Mountain range. It is obvious why Colombia is the most biodiverse country in the world.

As you’ve heard me say many times, “it is not the places but the people that makes travel so enjoyable”, and the people of Medellin are just so pleasant. You cannot leave an elevator without someone sharing Salud, which literally means “go in good health”. And good health is a priority in Medellin. Lots of walking, great fruit, great fish. And it shows. Colombians are just a good-looking people. The men are handsome, the woman are beautiful. No wonder the female contestants from Colombia always challenge for the title of Miss Universe!

I first began travelling to Medellin years ago when I invested in a global travel and coworking business center. Medellin had become the hotspot for “digital nomads” (worldwide travelers who worked remotely using internet technology) and I quickly feel in love with the city. The peaceful vibe, the incredible scenery and it being the salsa capital of the world all added to its mystique. But as a lifelong entrepreneur, the cost of living/doing business could not be understated.

Not to offend any dentist that may be reading but the price of dental care (and health care in general) in America is outrageous!! You can fly to Medellin from Florida for a week, stay in a lovely hotel, eat delicious meals. meet lovely people and still have your dental cost be less than in the United States. More importantly, in my opinion, the care is much better.

The model for healthcare in the United States is economically driven. Because of the cost of that model, the healthcare delivery system is adjunct driven. You don’t see a Physician; you meet with an ARNP. You don’t see a dentist, you meet with a hygienist who tries to upsell you on unnecessary fluoride treatments, etc. And dental crowns are usually machine fabricated sometimes with substandard materials to save costs. In Colombia, you meet with a real English-speaking dentist who still take impressions, employs a dental lab and uses top rate enamel for restorations. All for about one third the cost of care in the United States.

There are many wonderful reasons to travel.

Being a good steward of your finances can be one of them.

Thanks for traveling with us.