Friday, July 15, 2011

We’re sitting in the Houston Intercontinental Airport waiting for our connecting flight to Huntsville so, now that I have access to a wall plug for our laptop, I can begin on our final blog entry.  I hope those of you who have followed us have enjoyed reading about our adventure; I know you haven’t enjoyed the adventure as much as we have!  Oh, our last taxi ride confirmed what expats have said over and over and taught us a lesson about dealing with people.  When I talked to the folks at the Travellers Inn last night about scheduling a taxi to pick us up, I was told that the fee would be $5.00.  So, I did not mention the cost before getting into the taxi.  When we got to the airport, I gave the driver $5.00; he said that was not enough, the cost was $8.00!  Since we were there, I had to pay so a lesson learned – always know what you’re paying before you ride!  It does not dampen my spirit about the Ecuadorian people, it’s just the way to do business.  Of course, had I taken the total advice of expats, I would have gotten a cab with a meter and probably paid around or less than $4.00, but what would be the fun in that??  J

We left Quito as scheduled.  I had no problem getting our extra bag on the flight so I’m going to write the president of Continental when I get home and question their website that states NO excess or overweight baggage allowed to/from Ecuador, and why their customer service deemed it unnecessary to respond to my emails.  Since their merger with United, Continental has steadily declined; if I have a choice, I’d prefer another airline.  Of course, all of them are probably going downhill due to loss of revenue – they don’t get it that the loss of revenue is due to the unpleasantness of flying! 

After checking in at Quito airport and going through security, we reported to the Continental gate.  On the way, we stopped for a snack so while there, Jenny got a bottle of water.  When we got to the gate, Continental had their own security check; opening luggage and making everyone dispose of any water in their possession!  Jenny had some books on South America and Ecuador; the guy fanned through it – I don’t have a clue why!  One would have thought that one security checkpoint would have been sufficient.  I know it’s a minor irritant but the water thing really is stupid, since we would have already had to discard liquids at the first checkpoint.  Oh well, welcome to the ‘American’ way of doing things.

The flight from Quito to Houston was okay; they actually served us breakfast – on the way to Ecuador, we got nothing!  Of course, no music or movies, unless we paid – another sign of declining customer satisfaction goals.

When we arrived in Houston, we went through immigration without a problem and, even though we had not left the secured area, we had to go through the whole thing again.  This time, it made some sort of sense because we did have access to our checked luggage and could have, theoretically, taken something prohibited from them and placed it in a carry on bag.  Okay, I’ll buy that.  Jenny was afraid she’d have to go through one of their full body scanners but we were cleared and only went through the standard detector. 

After arriving at our departure gate, I called my brother, who works at the airport and had visited us on our way to EC.  He is off today so we weren’t able to hook up.  Also called two of my sisters and was able to talk to a third – she was at the second sister’s house.  Wanda (sister) said she really liked our blog but was afraid, after reading some of the negative entries that we may not want to retire there any longer.  If we do retire there, she’ll probably be the first to visit!  I explained to her that our consideration to retire that has not changed; if anything, only grown stronger – that made her happy! ;-)

Bill & Betty Pyne will be picking us up in Huntsville; we’ll get something to eat, then to the house.   Not looking forward to the heat, after being in Ecuador (the land of eternal spring!)  We’ll also pick up the dogs tomorrow; we’ll spend almost as much on their boarding that ours!

Now that Jenny is back in the States, she’s wearing earrings; a pair she bought at the Indian Market on Thursday.

It’s Saturday morning; we’ve been busy unpacking – that’s more difficult than packing!  We had surprise visitors at the airport when we arrived – Charlie & Kathy Belcher!  We enjoyed seeing them, even if Kathy was there to make sure Jenny  was okay and ready to go back to work! LOL! We stopped at Cracker Barrel on the way home from the airport last night and had a nice meal with Bill & Betty. 

We received about four inches of rain while we were gone and things around here are still fairly green (surprising, at least to me, for this time of year).   The lawn isn’t as bad as I thought it would be but I’ll cut it this afternoon.  Jenny will cut my hair in the morning, since it grew twice as long as it usually does!

For those of you who have followed our blog, we hope you’ve found it informative and at least somewhat interesting.  To those expats and others we met, you made our trip more positive than you know!  Special thanks to Gerard Tretton, Diane & Juan Moreno, Jeff & Deanne Davoll (and their children), Mike Bullock and Abby, and Patrick Bullock and his family.  I may have discussed some negatives about our trip and experiences but they were just to balance the awesome positives!  There are valleys in our lives but most are mountain top experiences, certainly so true about our trip to Ecuador.  We were encouraged by the beauty of God’s creation in Ecuador and by the people.   Do we still plan to pursue retirement in Ecuador?  Yes, depending upon God for His direction.  Do we plan to return on another fact finding and vacation trip?  Yes!

If any of you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask.  We certainly cannot express all of our feelings or emotions by writing.  I have hundreds of pictures (maybe over a thousand!) and a few videos, but it will take some time to get them downloaded and available.  When available, I will post a message on facebook or via personal emails.

God bless each and every one of you!

Larry and Jenny

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Where has the month gone?  As slow paced as Ecuador is supposed to be, compared to the United States, our time here seems to have flown by!  We traveled to many different locales, met so many wonderful people, including Americans and Ecuadorians, ate so much great food, saw so much beauty, and we walked for miles!

This will be our final blog from Ecuador; our plane leaves at 6:35, or thereabouts in the a.m.  The airport doesn’t open until 4 so a taxi will be here at about 4:15 to pick us up; we’re about 10-15 minutes away.  I have an extra suitcase to check!  I checked in online this morning, informed them of the extra checked luggage, they charged me for it so it had better go!

Jenny worked out at Curves for the final time; Shirley and the rest were sad to see her go!  Shirley must be our friend now because she gave us her facebook address and we gave her ours, as well as email addresses.  I think Jenny was a little sad as well; she has enjoyed going there.

We got the extra suitcase in the ‘Centro Historico’, aka old town, even a better deal than the Chinese store near us – the one we got was made in China as well though!  We walked around the markets there for about a couple of hours; all we found was the suitcase.  I tried to find Jenny a pair of leather boots, but she’s too picky J - that’s why I can’t shop for her!  We rode the public bus there and back, with no problems!

After that ‘shopping spree’, we brought the suitcase back, but not before stopping at La Union for an ice cream cone, then went on another, to get a few more souvenirs, since we now have more space!  We returned to the small indigenous market, where we bargained and got some good deals.  We’re gonna miss the ice cream here; it is sooooooo yummy!  I wanted to try the Macadamia but we only saw it one place – I should have gotten it then! 

It started raining after we got to the market and did so until we got back to the Inn.  We stopped on the way and got a couple of cheeseburgers; thought we’d try on “American” meal before we leave!

We’re now packed and ready to go to bed early. I’m sure Jenny will have no problem going to sleep; I hope I can.

I’ll report in tomorrow night, especially to let everyone know about the continuing luggage saga, then reporting of this experience in our lives will end.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

The best part of our morning was after we checked out of our hostelaria.  Before I get there, we did get a decent breakfast then walked for awhile along the beach.  We saw hundreds of tiny crabs; when we got close, they disappeared into their holes.  There were a lot of boats out this morning, some from the small fishing village we visited last evening; some for a village North of our location.  When we walked north, we saw a lighthouse.  We said goodbye to the guy (Pedro) from New York and his family; they were headed up towards Bahia and further north. 

We arranged for a taxi to pick us up around 11 a.m.  Before he left, Pedro did some translating for us and explained to the hostelaria employee (could have been the owner?) that we wanted a tour of Manta before going to the airport.  The kid who picked us up at the airport yesterday picked us up again.  He took us on an excellent tour of Manta; we saw what we missed if we had stayed in Manta!  It’s much bigger than we thought with lots of hostalerias, and a Howard Johnson’s Hotel.  He took us along the beaches and waterfront where cargo ships were docked, as well as the shopping and tourist areas.  The next time we come to Manta, we’ll know where to stay and what to do; we’ll need another day or two though.  The guy (he told us his name, but I forgot – again!) then took us to a small town East, perhaps North  (I think – I’ll find out when I look at a map!) of Manta called Monte Christi.

The trip from Manta to Quito was quick (35 minutes) but we still got a snack - we traveled on Continental to Quito (5 hours) and didn't get that!

Diego picked up at the airport and brought us back to the hostal.  It started to rain when we got here.  Because we checked out yesterday before we left so someone else is in the room we were in.  So, now we're upstairs in a double room - one with a double bed and single; the other with a single.  We think it must have been a library for the family who lived here before it became a hostal because our room has bookcases all around the walls and what probably used to be a book storage area that is now a walk in closet.  We also have double doors leading to a balcony!  Nicer than our other room!  We got the rest of our luggage, unpacked a little then went to Dr. Peredes in the pouring rain.  Funny, the first taxi we hailed didn't have his glasses with him so he couldn't see the address on Dr. Peredes' card so we waved him on and stopped another taxi.  He wanted three dollars for a $1.70 ride so we walked a block and caught a bus (25 cents each).  When we got close, the bus made the standard left turn so we got off and hailed another cab; this time, for $1.00, for a total of $1.50 - I'm getting good at this! 

I told the dental tech that my new crowns needed grinding a little so she put me in a chair and went to work.  While doing that and checking my mouth closer, she found three very small cavaties so I told her to fix them - why not at $10.00 a filling!  I think all of the girls enjoyed having me in the chair; when one had no patient, they would come to the cubicle where I was then start talking, giggling, etc.!  The dental tech told me she'd been learning English for about a year but said it's difficult with no one to practice with; I told her that is my biggest problem with learning Spanish!  We tried teaching each other some words; one time she asked me, "how do you say 'spit' in English?"  I said, "spit".  The other girls (three of them) got a big kick out of that.  I can assure you, dental staff in the U.S. are not allowed to have so much fun!  I'll have to call or email Dr. Peredes and ask him the dental tech's name; she was very sweet and excellent at her job.  Jenny was downstairs waiting for me.  She said she got a little concerned because she thought I'd only gone in to get the crowns adjusted; with the fillings it took almost 1 1/2 hours.  They have not worked on me that long since I've been going but they had to finish today.

From the dentist, we caught a taxi and went directly to Curves. Oh, by the way, when in Manta, Jenny saw a Curves!  The ladies there were thrilled to see her and wanted to know all about her trip.  Welllllllll, since I had the camera and Jenny needed to workout, I told Shirley and her friend (Arriana) about our trip in pictures!  Arriana spoke very good English so we enjoyed speaking to each other.  Shirley's picture viewing was interrupted by a new client - she had to do the paperwork, measuring, etc., so Arriana and I looked at the rest of the pics.  When Jenny and the last group of women finished, Shirley closed the store and we walked part way down Av. Gonzales with Arriana.  At a circle just past the Quito Hotel and Casino, we parted company and caught a taxi back here - at least that was our intent.  On the way, we went by La Union so when we stopped close to our corner, we walked back to our favorite eatery for dessert and capuchino.  We had one of the guys take a picture of us with Marco, our favorite (and only) waiter and told him we may not see him again so adios!

We reweighed all of our stuff and think we would be okay weight wise, but will probably go ahead and get one of those at the Chinese store.  First thing in the morning, I'll check in @ Continental.com and report and pay for another bag.  If it's accepted, we'll go get the bag so the bigger ones won't be so heavy (right at 50 pounds each).

Jenny and I agree - a beautiful place to retire and enjoy ourselves in an inexpensive place to live, as well as a much slower pace!  We plan to return in three years. 

And, buenos noches to all.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Well, one somewhat bad day out of three weeks isn’t bad!  There have been some positives for today but some disappointments as well.

Jenny actually went to Curves by herself this morning!  We flagged down a cab outside of our hostal, showed the driver where to go, and she was on her way!  Not, however, before telling the driver, who wanted $3.00, that I’d only give him two – he “reluctantly” said ok.  While Jenny was working out, I started packing all of our belongings.  When she returned (she hailed a cab all by herself – I’m proud of her!) we finished packing and took everything, except one carry-on, to the office for storage until tomorrow, when we return to Quito.  We weighed everything and it looks like we’ll  be okay on our weight for the flight home, but I’ll check again Thursday; if we need to, we’ll get another suitcase.

Daniel took us to the airport for our flight to Manta.  The ticket agent would not allow us to take our carry-on with us, which, at the time, surprised us.  However, when we saw the plane, we knew why  - it was a turbo prop!  We also wondered how Jenny and I were seated together when she was in seat 8D, I was in 8F.  When we got on, we figured it out – seat A was a single on one side of the aisle, seats D & F were on the other side of the aisle; I still don’t know what happened to B, C, and E!

Things changed when we got to Manta!  After we got our bag, we went outside to catch a cab.  When we made the reservations thru Hostalworld.com, they sent me a message that said the best way to get to our hostal was to catch a cab for $6.00 or a bus for $2.00.  However, after getting information on the hostal where we were gonna stay, their website said they would provide transportation to/from the airport for free.  When I verified that, the guy who responded to my email said that service was not currently available but would have us picked up for $16.00.  I responded and told him no thanks, we’d get a cab.  Oh, the hostalworld data said our hostal was  few minutes outside of Manta right on the beach.  When  we asked the cabbie outside the airport how much it would cost (something always done before getting into a cab here), he said $20.00!  I said no way; give me my luggage (he’d already put it in the trunk) and we’d catch the bus.  About that time, a young man came up and asked If my name was Larry; I said yes and he told me he was from the hostal.  So, we came here with him.  It was, however, a lot more than “a few minutes out of Manta – more like 25 minutes and waaaaay away from Manta.  We went through the outskirts of the town then kept going and going until we reached a small fishing village on the beach.  We checked in, went our room and turned the air conditioner on.  We do have a spectacular view of the Pacific Ocean, just about 100 yards from our window and small patio.

Next, I went downstairs to get a modem because I had been told, after my inquiry, that the hostal did not have wifi but does have a modem I can borrow to have internet connection.   The guy at the combination desk and snack bar, could not speak a lick of English  so he did not know what I was asking for.  A guy standing at the bar, whom we later found out is Ecuadorian but has lived in New York for the past 27 years,  interpreted for me; the employee said no modem!  So, that disappointed me because I had specifically been told we’d have internet. 

We “took a deep breath” and kept going!  We went down to the beach, Jenny took her shoes off , rolled up her pants legs, then waded out into the ocean.  I had her turn around so I could take a picture.  About that time, a huge wave came ashore and, before I could warn her, it got her wet from her legs down! I got a little wet, but not like her!  We both dried out though.   We walked the beach to the north for awhile and took some pics, then we went south to a small fishing village.  While there, we saw some boats coming ashore so we watched.  They had caught some large, what appeared to be sword fish but didn’t have the head of a swordfish so we don’t know what kind they were; I got some up close pictures.  We then came back to the hostal, ate supper (had fresh fish!), then came to our room.  We had hoped to see a beautiful sunset from our window but the clouds prevented that.  At least they have DirecTV in our room so we can watch shows in English!

I now hope that we’ll get the free breakfast that we’re supposed to get.  Perhaps we can get away early enough tomorrow to sightsee around Manta before we leave.

Jenny is feeling better; thanks for your prayers.

Monday, July 11, 2011

A less than exciting day unless you consider going to the dentist twice as exciting!

Doctor Peredes wanted me in this morning to fit my crowns.  We caught a bus that we thought would take us there but it turned left seveal blocks before the cross street to get to his office.  So, we walked further than expected, which wasn't a good thing because Jenny's tummy still isn't up to par.  After the "appointment" we caught a bus right outside the dentist office.

We came back to the hostal; I left Jenny in the room and I went walking and shopping.  Was specifically looking for inexpensive suitcases and leather boots for Jenny; I found both (I'm such a good shopper!)  Thanks to one of the ex-pats who told me to check for luggage at some of the Chineese stores on Av. Christobal Colon between Av 6 de Diciembre y Av 10 de Agosto.  I found several sizes at a place for only around $40.00 - hey, the ones in America are made by the Chinese anyway so why not eliminate the middle man!  I was gone for a couple of hours so when I got back, Jenny felt like eating so we ate at the Tex-Mex restaurant on Victoria Ave; it was yummy!

On the way back, we stopped in a book store to look for some elementary grade language textbooks; they only had 3rd & 4th grade so we passed them up - needed 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.  Jenny did find a book on pronunciation and syllables so we got that one.

Jenny didn't like the boots I found.  Well, not exactly "didn't like", she thought the inside soles were hard.  My solution - put in insoles.  She's thinking about them.  Also showed her the suitcases but we're gonna wait until Thursday so we can go to the market in 'old town'.  I kinda doubt we'll find anything better/cheaper there but it gives us a reason to go.  I did buy a pair of sunglasses for $3.00 at the Chinese store; one of the street salesmen near Gringolandia tried to sell me an identical pair for $10.00!

Back to the dentist for what I thought was the final 'appointment'.  He did put my crowns in but wants to see me when we get back on Wednesday so he can check and put sealent on them. Dr. Peredes also wants to know about our trip to Manta; I accused him (in humor) of only wanting me back so I could report on our trip!   I can't eat anything for two hours so no trip to La Union for desert; :-( Jenny ordered a pizza from the kitchen @ our hostal and we're in for the night, watching the Argentina & Costa Rica soccer game.

Tomorrow to Manta, but first to Curves so Jenny can work out.

Sunday, July 10,2011

This will probably be our shortest blog yet (unless I get wound up!), but not of least importance.

We went to church at La Iglesia Bautista La Conexion a La Esperanza again - that's Brother Jeff and Sister Deanne's church in Cumbaya, just beyond the circle, near where the new shopping mall is going in.  We enjoyed, and participated in the song service (didn't understand all the words but can read and somewhat pronounce them); I gave my personal salvation testimony (in English, of course - Jeff translated!); prayer requests were given and I was asked to pray first, then others followed - mine was in English, theirs in Spanish.  One great thing - even though they didn't understand mine (well, some did because some do understand English) and I didn't understand theirs, God understands both languages, as well as all others.

Oh, when we caught the bus near the coliseum, we were greeted by Carlos, a young man we met last Sunday - a small world, huh!  He was on his way to church as well. Carlos is a boxer and has done well in his weight class.

After church, we ate lunch at Luiggi's, a restaurant near the same circle as the church, while Jeff and Deanne went home to let their dog out before going to Quito to see their children.  Some young people are here from the States to help the church with vacation bible school next week in Quito so Amanda and Lucas were with them, showing them around and just generally taking care of their needs - a couple of Godly teenagers!

Jeff & Deanne brought us back to The Travellers Inn; we said our goodbyes to our newfound friends and laborers together in God's work.

Jenny still isn't feeling well so Deanne suggested she get some ginger ale and soda crackers for her stomach.  So, after the Davolls dropped us off, we walked to Supermaxi at Le Jardin mall. She has drank some of the ginger ale and ate some crackers; she's feeling a little better so perhaps a night of rest will work wonders for her.  I hope so; otherwise, I'll have to go to the dentist by myself in the morning.  She'd better get much better by Tuesday or I'll have to drag her onto the plane for Manta.  She wasn't feeling well when we went to Cotopaxi but said she'd have to be on her death bed before she'd miss that trip!  Pray for her recovery, please.  We still have a busy week ahead before we leave on Friday (wow, it's almost here!)  We are now considering a three month stay in three to four years.

Jenny says, "that about covers it" so I guess that about covers it!  She's actually awake, and not tired tonight so won't have to read this blog entry tomorrow morning! :-)

I guess Ken and Tami are heading back or already home by now.  We hope you guys had a great trip and look forward to getting together with you when we get back.

Saturday, July 9, 2011

We slept in this morning!  After breakfast, we took one of the blue busses to the " TeleferiQo (cable car) on the western side of Quito - well, almost there; we got off at the base of the road leading up to it.  Just so you'll know -we didn't- there's a little bus stop at the base of the road where one can catch a free shuttle to the cable car.  We started walking up the steep hill; Jenny probably would not have made it when the driver asked us if we were going to the cable car - we said yes so he told us the bus goes there! 

When we bought our tickets for the cable car, we noticed there were two types - general and express; both were the same price.  We just asked the ticket seller for dos adulto; she gave us express (because of my age?)  There were two lines getting on so we were routed to the express line.  Going up, it didn't matter much because both lines were short.  However, coming down, there were probably 60-70 people in the regular line but no one in the express; we went through the express (a guy was at the entrance and he checked our tickets!) line and got right on the cable car!  Age makes a difference in Ecuador, older folks go to the front of most lines, or even to a special line!  I enjoy the special dinners at our church in Huntsville because we old folks get to go first; Jenny gets to go also, not because she's old, but because she's married to me!

We had some more fantastic views of the Quito valley.  Being at the top (4100 meters -13,451 feet) was cold, slightly windy, and rainy but I got some pictures and video.  At least it wasn't as cold as being at the top of Cotopaxi! We stayed for about an hour or so.

Back to the hostal then, since we had not eaten lunch, we dropped off our backpack and cameras then went to dinner at the Magic Bean, a nice "gringo" restaurant in gringolandia.  Jenny had a mushroom tenderloin; I had Milaneba chicken; both were good. Jenny was too full for desert so I had a piece of Engadina (pie).  We could not find a translation for it but the crust is very hard with some sort of filling w/walnuts.

For Gerard - they have Spaguetti al pesto. :-)

After dinner, we looked for a bookstore near gringolandi; we want to get some 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade Spanish readers to help in learning Spanish.  We did find it but it was closed; kinda expected it as late as we got there but now we know where to go on Monday.

It's a small world - when we got on the bus @ Colon and Amazanos, we saw the guy who is a circuit trainer at the Curves where Jenny is going while here!  He was on his way home after work (Curves closes @ 11:30 a.m. on Saturdays.

Ecuador lost to Venezeula; no one here was happy about that.  We watched most of the game at the Magic Bean.  I like their sports shirts; I gotta get one.  While walking around gringolandia, a guy tried to sell me one but even the largest looked too small. Perhaps not though, they may stretch!

Tomorrow, church services at the Davolls' church in Cumbaya. If we get an early enough start, we may brave the city bus to the coliseo then get the express bus to Cumbaya.

Still haven't heard from Continental, so I guess I'll need to write the president of the company when we get back - not from here because postage is so high ($2.00 for a postcard).

Until tomorrow, we wish all of our friends and family (if any are reading this!) a good night's rest and a great day tomorrow.

Friday, July 8, 2011

The end of another great day of sightseeing, but Jenny still isn't feeling well; don't think it's anything she's eaten or drank so we suspect side effects of the high altitude.

The day was full of Cotopaxi Volcanoe Park.  When we left, it was a very sunny; once we got to the South of Quito and headed towards the volcanoe, we could see it in it's granduer and majesty, high above the horizon.  Daniel was our guide again; he does a "mui bueno" job in pointing out special landmarks and sights along the way and will stop if we ask him to.  Rather than drive his personal vehicle into the park (very, very rough roads - some of you know what "washboard" means!), the agency had hired a local with a four wheel drive to take us into the park and up the mountain.  The scenery along the road into the park consisted mostly of pine trees (not indiginous to Ecuador but brought in years ago) on one side, eucalyptus trees on the other.  However, we saw no koala bears :-).  Apparently, the indiginous people do not like the pines because they are not native to their land and they "drink" a lot of water, causing indiginous plants to die from lack of moisture.  Once actually into the park, there were no pines.  On the way up, we saw cattle and wild horses grazing along the road.  It was very interesting how the face of Cotopaxi changed as we approached.  At one point, we stopped to take pictures and she was clearly visible; it seemed almost immediately that a cloud rolled in and completely covered her.  I began videoing as the cloud covered the mountain so I panned to the left and made a full circle of our surrounding view.  When I came back to the beginning, Cotopaxi was visible again - the cloud had moved out that quickly.

We proceed up the road; as we got closer, the temperature begain to drop, clouds rolled in, and it started to rain - kind of a fine mist but it got heavier as we went up.  The wind began to blow harder and harder.  By the time we reached the "refuge" station (I'll explain shortly), visibility had dropped to close to nothing and it was very cold and even difficult to stand straight because of the wind.  Jenny and our driver stayed in the car; we fellas got out to walk around a bit.  That, however, was short lived - just too bitter cold and wind! 

Cotopaxi, at it's summit, is 19,324 feet (5,890 meters); we were at about 14,763 feet (4500 meters). There's always snow on top and glaciers beneath the snow so it can be very treacherous!

Now, about the refuge station; it was where we stopped, although we could have hiked up the mountain further.  The refuge station, a very small building with nothing but bunk beds (no covers - just very thin, uncomfortable mattresses) is used for climbers who intend to climb to the summit.  The climbers rest or sleep inside the refuge station (very little sleep because of the cold and wind which most always accompany the late afternoon and evening following sunset) until about 11:00 p.m.  It's dark, cold, snowy, windy, and treacherous! Climbers are tethered together and they begin up the mountain with several guides (several because not all of the climbers are expected to make it so the guides must take those back down to the refuge).  The climb, from the refuge station to the summit, will take about 6-8 hours (I forget which), most of it in th dark!  Daniel said he and two friends had attempted to make the climb but couldn't - I certainly don't fault him for that!  When we stopped, on the way down, at a restaurant for lunch, a group of maybe a dozen or so young people were "suiting" up to go to the refuge station rest; I wondered how many would make it in the conditions we experienced!

On the way down, we walked out into a field of flowers; our driver spotted a hummingbird so I got a couple of pictures.  I also saw a rabbit - no one else did though because we were traveling down the road and I saw it in the bushes on my side of the car, just as it was turning to run into the brush.  We also saw two condor (is the plural of condor condors or does it remain condor?), but they were very high in the sky so I could not get any good pictures.  I did get some good pics of a young one with her wings spread, but she was in the museum, along with a fox (the locals call them "el lobo" (wolf), but they look like fox), and a deer.

Once back to the room, Jenny took a power nap; even though she didn't get out of the car much, the thin air made her tired.  Then, we went to the La Jardin (the garden) mall and looked around a few minutes.  We saw several "American" stores, including Kenneth Cole, Adiddas, Boss, KFC, Burger King and Cinnabon.  We saw a luggage store - prices were exorbitant!

On the way to the mall, we met a young Ecuadorian girl and her mother; they actually came out of our hostal behind us and were behind us for about a block.  We stopped to check our map and the young girl (Dola) asked if they could help us, then said they were going to the mall as well.  We walked together the rest of the way then went separately once we reached the mall.  The mother (Monica) was wanting to get home to her dog because it had had it's first kemo treatment for cancer today.  Dola had spent a year in New Jersey; I told her of the missionaries we'd met last Sunday from New Jersey.  We enjoyed our walking and talking together; they welcomed us to Ecuador and invited us back! BTW, they were not staying at the Travellers Inn but had stopped in to get information because a relative is coming to visit in the near future.  We highly recommended the Inn!

On the way back (in a roundabout way!) to our hostal, we went to our favorite panaderia & pasteleria (bread and desserts).  For those of you who want to know about it, their website is http://www.panaderiaypastelerialaunion.com.ec/.  It's in spanish but I think you can use Google to translate the page; you can also view the video - the best part because it shows the food!  When the video starts, notice the gentleman in the black pants and vest - he is our waiter everytime we go there.  His name is Marco; he greets us everytime we walk in the door; he helps us to understand the menu and ice cream flavors - the best part!

We really have nothing scheduled for tomorrow but will at least get out and walk around.  I'm waiting for a response from Continental Airlines about the baggage embargo controversy before we buy anything else!  If Jenny feels better, we might go through Old Town to the cable car and ride it up the mountain.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

A short but very tiring day, and full of fun!

We went on our tour of Mindo Cloud Forest, although there were no clouds (I know that's not why they're called that!).  This was, perhaps, the clearest day we've had so far; we actually saw Cotapaxi volcanoe when returning to Quito!  We hope it's this clear tomorrow, when we go to Cotapaxi, with our coats!

Before getting to Mindo, we stopped at Volcanoe Pululahua.  The last time it erupted was a long time ago (I say this because I forgot exactly how many years our guide said!).  The crater is filled with homes and farms - guess the residents don't excpet another eruption soon.

At  Mindo, we visited a small place that grows orchids, has a butterfly enclosure, and lots of feeders for hummingbirds.  There were lots there too, and much bigger than the ones we see in our backyard in Huntsville.  I hope the ones that come through won't desert us when we get back, we didn't put out any food for them before we left.

We then went down into a valley that drops to 1,250 meters elevation to see a waterfall.  It does not compare to a lot of falls in the U.S. but it was pretty.  Our guide told us that folklore says the water has healing powers so Jenny put her hands in the water, hoping it will cure the burn she received when taking toast out of a toaster oven during our first stay here (in Tumbaco). I told her ointment would work better. :-) It was definitely a much longer trip up from the waterfall than getting to it!  The mountain is steep and steps are cut out of the mountain so it made for a difficult time breathing and physically demanding just climbing back up.

Then, the ziplining!  Our first time and it was exciting.  I thought I'd be able to take my video camera but we had to hold onto the harness with both hands so I left it with Daniel (our guide).  We went on three different lines, each about 300 meters.  On the last one, going back to our starting point, Jenny stopped before reaching the end (I think she figured out how to brake!) so the operator had to go out and get her - no biggie, just a little humor.

We stopped in Mindo and ate a nice lunch, then headed towards Quito.  We stopped at the Equator monument, built and dedicated by the French, and took a couple of pictures.  Next stop, the hostal around 4:30, where we've been ever since.  As stated in the beginning, a very tiring day; Jenny didn't even want to  go out for dessert at our favorite place - La Union.

It was a beautiful, clear day - perhaps the clearest one since we've been here.  On the way back to Quito, we had a clear view of the top of Volcanoe Cotapaxi, although there was cloud cover from part way down to the bottom. I tried getting a picture but my cameras just don't have the zoom capability to show it.  We will have some postcards of it though, as well as other places we've visited or going to.  I hope it's clear tomorrow because we go to Cotapaxi Volcanoe and park.

We made hostal reservations for Manta this evening so we're all set for that short, one night trip on next Tuesday.

That's all folks!  Hope you'll tune in tomorrow for our exciting trip to Cotapaxi!

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Only nine days left!  I told our dentist this morning that we were afraid we'd run out of things to do during our two weeks in Quito; now we're running out of time with so much to do!

Speaking of dentist, either he's dragging his feet getting all the work done, or he's doing a thorough job - I hope it's the latter!  This morning, I thought I was going to get my new crowns.  Although he had them, he decided to do my cleaning, laser whitening, and gums treatment.  Since we are going on a couple of tours the next two days, I go back in on Monday for the crowns.

We rode the trolley to the dentist!  We walked back to the hostal (about three miles); on the way, Jenny found a turkish restaurant so she got herself a schwama (close enough!).  I think I mentioned in a previous post that we had one on Sunday; they are like chicken wraps but nothing like you'd find at KFC or McDonalds; i.e., big and full of chicken!

After we got back to our room, we went to the Indian (Otavalo) market, within walking distance, to look for another backpack.  This morning, we found out that Continental Airlines has a baggage embargo in effect.  What that means: no excess checked baggage (only one allowed per person!) and no overweight baggage (maximum of 50 pounds for checked and 40 for carry on).  We met a girl at breakfast this morning who has been traveling all through South America for awhile and was supposed to be headed home this morning, but couldn't because she had four suitcases.  She could have left but the Continental rep told her she would have to leave the three excess behind, have someone pick them up for her, or take them to cargo for shipment (no time for the latter).  She did manage to change her ticket at no charge but she shipped all excess via slow mail with a cost of about $400.00!  Although we did not find a backpack at the market, we found one in a little store on the way back; we'll stuff them as full as we can and take them on the plane as personal items, as long as they fit under the seat in front of us.  I do not understand their reason for doing this, or if they are the only airline doing it, because a few weeks ago one of the airline presidents told Congress that the extra baggage fees were generating huge profits for the airlines and, without them, they (the airlines) would not be making a profit!  I will send an email to Continental and ask them why they are willing to give up the extra revenue?  Guess that means we won't be able to take any of the great tasting Ecuadorian marmalades back with us - bummer!

We stopped at La Union for a quick snack and banana split for desert; it's okay because their ice cream has a lot less sugar than Blue Bell's! ;-)

Tomorrow, an all day tour to Mundi Cloud Forest, where we hope to see lots of birds and go zip lining!

Hasta manana!

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Hey Readers,

Our days are getting shorter, at least we're coming home early!  Today was an interesting one and one of many deep breaths and moving on.

We were supposed to go to the dentist this morning but the co-owner had told us yesterday that it would be this afternoon (I may have said something about it last night).  So, we ate a nice breakfast then went online to make airline reservations to Manta for next Tuesday, returning on Wednesday.  Everything worked okay on the Aerogal airlines (the only one I could find that flies into there) until I completed the reservations request form and was supposed to continue to the next screen for the confirmation and opportunity to pay.  The system would not advance to the next screen - I tried several times but got the same results.  I finally went upstairs to the office; Diego called the airline reservations desk, pressed "2" for English, then gave me the phone.  I made reservations with the lady @ Aerogal without a problem but when she quoted me the price, it was $20.00 higher than their website. I told her I had tried making reservations online but I couldn't access their confirmation of reservation page - she said she was aware that their website was not operating correctly.  I asked her if they are aware that the website is not allowing reservations, do customers still have to pay extra for using their phone reservations, and she said YES!  I took a deep breath and said OK!  Yes, I know you get a break in price on a lot of services when using the internet, but it should not apply if someone's website is down or not working properly.  Okay, the reservation process was complete and she told me they would deliver our tickets to the hostal at no additional charge; I stated that was good and told her where we're staying.  She told me the tickets would be delivered between 1 and 4 p.m. and asked if I would be there to sign for them.  I said no because I had a dental appointment in the afternoon.  She needed a specific name; I tried explaining to her that it is a family owned and operated business and at least one of the family would be here and could sign.  That was not good enough; I had to give her a name!  A deep breath and press on!  I gave her Diego's name; I felt very confident that the messenger who delivered the tickets would give them to anyone who had the money!  Oh, without erasing some of the previous information, I will here regress to after I got the reservations, she asked how I would pay - I said by credit card.  She asked if it was a national card (issued by a bank in Ecuador); I said, "no, it's an international card issued by a bank in the U.S.  OOPS, no good, it had to be a national card! A deep breath and I told her I'd pay with cash.  That was acceptable and I was to give it to the messenger.  Okay, that unexpected cash outflow means I'll have to go to an ATM machine before we leave (have to pay the hostal bill in cash to avoid an 8% fee - this truly is, for the most part, a cash society) and withdraw some cash.

Moving back to after I gave Diego's name to the Aerogol, she needed a phone number where she could reach me in an hour because someone would call back to confirm what we had just done.  Since we were getting ready to go to Curves for Jenny's workout, I gave her my Ecuadorian cell phone number.  We were done!  While at Curves, about an hour and a half later, I had not received a call so I decided to check my cell phone for missed calls (although I have the phone set to vibrate first, then ring loudly, it did neither - that has happened to before to me, and apparently to others); lo & behold, two missed calls, both from the same number.  I called it and it was Aerogal.  I explained what had apparently happened but the girl (different from the one in reservations), asked for my reservation number; well, I had left it in the room! She finally figured out how to find my reservation using our names so we got through that.  She did want to know the name of the person who helped me make the reservations and what time it was done - forgive me, but I don't write down every person's name! Deep breath and explain to her that I did not know the name but told her a rough time, around 9:30 or so.  Finally, we were done, she said tickets would arrive and I should give the cash to the messenger.  I told her I probably would not be here and, to be safe, added the entire family as authorized recipients!  I know you've heard enough of this, but I count is as another experience in Ecuaor.

We were scheduled to go to the dentist around 1:00 p.m., but Daniel had ridden in with his brother because he could not drive his car in today; the law is that each day, license plates ending in certain numbers could not enter the city.  If they do and get caught (high likelihood) their car would be impounded and the owner would have to pay a hefty fine!  The purpose of the law is to reduce congestion and pollution; however, the Ecuadorians are an intelligent people!  Since the law doesn't go into effect until early morning traffic, those who are not supposed to drive come to work before the rule goes into effect then park their vehicles until after it's over (probably around 5 or so!)  So, like many laws in the U.S., it's accomplishing very little!

Anyway, back to the dental appointment!  Daniel's brother had scheduled his car for scheduled maintenance; it was supposed to be ready by 1:00 p.m., but it wasn't until after 4.  During that time, we waited because we didn't know when we'd go.  Deep breath and move on!  We watched some American shows, in English but with subtitles (hey, not bad - helped us with learning Spanish!) on the TV upstairs (remember in a previous blog that I told you to always confirm if the Direct TV is in your personal room!).

Well, we finally made it to the dentist, only to find out that my crowns were not ready, but will be tomorrow morning!  Deep breath!  Not a wasted trip because the dental tech went ahead and cleaned my teeth and found a very small cavity that she went ahead and filled.

We had plans to go to the Mundi cloud forest tomorrow but postponed it until Thursday. I now have a dental appointment for 10:30 tomorrow morning; I think I'll call before we go and confirm my crowns are there.  This is "laid back" Ecuador and no one gets in a hurry except gringos!  I'd better add: it's still a beautiful country and the people are great; it's also their culture so it's us who have to adjust!  Besides, it will give us the opportunity to ride one of the trolleys since Daniel has taken us the other two times.  Jenny is a little apprehensive because they appear to be very crowded; I expressed my confidence by reminding her that I've ridden on Japanese trains with more people than she's seen!

I need to wake Jenny up, help her get her robe off and to her side of the bed then under the covers.

This blog may seem like it's full of complaints and negatives but that's not it at all. I'm just expressing how things are not wrong, just different (an expression from Brother Jeff Davoll).  Everything we've done has been a learning experience.  Although some appear to be frustrating, the experience is great!

By the way, if you do read our blogs, please mark one of the boxes at the end of them so we will see how many folks are reading them.  Folks, this is a lot of work and rough on an old man's fingers and eyes, :-), so I don't want the effort to go unnoticed.  Sometimes, I even have to recall what I've already typed because I hit a wrong (yes, wrong instead of different! LOL!) key and erase things I've already typed. 

Jess Moody, since this thing auto-saves what I've typed every 2-3 minutes, how do I recover it when I mess up???

Tomorrow will be full of new adventures, experiences, and memories; we're looking forward to it.

Monday, July 4th, 2011

Happy Independence Day anniversary to everyone!  I could tell by the number of friends on facebook today that a lot of you were off so we hope you enjoyed your day with family, friends, hamburgers, hotdogs, and fireworks!

At breakfast this morning, we met a young girl from England so I asked her if they had the 4th of July there; she said "no".  Soooooo, I asked her what they did between the 3rd and 5th of July!  Yuck, yuck, yuck! LOL!  She got it!

We did manage to go on the city tour of Quito after all.  We said something to Mr. Bolanos (a tilde over the n) on our way to breakfast; he said we could do the tour if we wanted to and someone else was interested in going as well - it turned out to be the English girl.  I may have said something in an earlier post - tour prices are based on the number of people who go (at least where we're staying) so the more who go, the less cost to each person.  It was a very good tour of about four hours.  We toured new town looked at lots of Catholic churches, as well as other points of interest - I have pics to prove it! We went to the presidential palace; we arrived early enough to observe the changing of the guard - done formally every Monday morning.  Today, the president of Ecuador came out of his office/quarters to observe the ceremony so we were able to see him, up fairly close and personal - probably about 50 yards away.  I commented to our guide that this would not happen in America because of fences and guards around 1600 Pennsylvania Ave!  Besides, our president would rather play golf than present himself to "his" people!  After we had walked for awhile, we were on our way back to the car - had to walk through the presidential park to get there.  On our way through, we saw the group from New Jersey whom we'd met and Jeff and Deanne' church yesterday!  Small world, huh? Although we had not expected to see them again, it was great to and we bid farewell to each of them, except one family who is staying an additional couple of weeks.

We then went to old town, a distinct difference from the new part.  Our guide said most of the poorer people live there.  To help keep the city pretty and to promote tourism, the government provides paint to residents to paint their homes.  While in old town, we drove up to the top of a mountain and stood below the Virgin of Quito (just one of her many names).  She kinda resembled Lady Liberty except that in her left hand, she had a sword instead of a book.  There were other differences but the stature was impressive.

We then came back to our hostal, except the English girl stayed in Old Town, rested a while, then went to dinner at the Coffee Tree restaurant.  While touring, we didn't need jackets but as soon as the sun went down, it got downright cold!  We sat outside on the patio of the restaurant; even though they had propane heaters positioned around, it was still cold.  Jenny had to have a cappuchino to warm up! We each had two beef empanadas; they were good and filling.  So far, all of the food has been great, and, except for the Bar B Q place a couple of nights ago, very reasonably priced.

We're working on the language and, if I do say so myself, I'm proud that I'm learning more of it each day!  It's not so difficult, just takes a lot of practice, practice, practice.  Daniel, one of the co-owners, told us there's a bookstore near here where we can get some 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade readers so we'll look for them.  I actually understood much of what our waiter at the Coffee Tree said and was able to clearly order our dinner, some sour cream, Jenny's cappuchino, and properly ask for the bill.

Tomorrow, we go to the dentist in the a.m., for a follow-up and, hopefully, my two crowns and a new tooth.  The rest of the day will be filled with walking, perhaps riding the trolley, and Jenny working out @ Curves.  She worked out today; we did go ahead and walk there, even up the 139 steps!  They open two hours later than her Curves in the states; we did not know that so we walked around the area around Curves until they opened.  We found a nice pastry shop and partook!

We're still planning our trip to Manta, for probably the early part of next week.  We're going to the Mindo Cloud Forest on Wednesday; there should be lots of birds and, perhaps, species.  Also, orchids!  On Friday, we plan to go to the Cotapaxie Volcanoe and park - hope it's a clear day.  We will see snow atop the volcanoe!

Sunday, July 3, 2011

A great day!  We experienced our first bus ride, although it was a little limited; we hailed a taxi at the Marriott (yes, The Marriott! about a block from our hostal - we may be "rich" gringos by Ecuadorian standards but not by American!) and went to the coliseum and caught the "express" bus to Cumbaya.  The view along the route was beautiful as we were near a deep canyon on our right most of the way.

We attended church services at Brother Jeff Davoll's church, just outside the town circle, across from where the new mega mall is being built - don't know how long it will take; probably no one else does either! :-)  The service was great and we met several members from one of Jeff & Deanne's supporting churches in New Jersey.  One of the group, an Ecuadorian who lives in America, was Jeff's Spanish teacher and soccer coach when Jeff was in Jr. High!

After church, we (the group from the States, Jeff's family, and us) went to a small Turkish restaurant for lunch; Jenny and I had something like a chicken wrap but much larger than anything we've had in the States and so much tastier.

Then, to Jeff and Deanne's home to celebrate U.S. Independence anniversary (it was, by  the way, Cumbaya's 200th anniversary of their founding).  They had a house full; not only were the aforementioned but several others who came over for the celebration and fellowship.  It was a tremendous time of testimonies of God's blessings upon Jeff and Deanne's ministry to the Ecuadorian people as well as how God has worked, and is working in the lives of His people and churches. Several Ecuadorians were there and gave testimonies of their salvation and spiritual growth. 

I must share one miracle of God's love:  Juan, Jeff's teacher/soccer coach has a brother who is a pastor here (in Quito, I think).  He became sick and was diagnosed with appendicitus and immediately went to the hospital for surgery.  Apparently he has no insurance (usually not needed and very expensive) and did not have the $1,000 for the surgery (how much would that surgery cost in the U.S.??).  From what Jeff told us, he would have had to pay the full amount (a considerable amount for Ecuadorians) at discharge so the church prayed for God to intervene and meet the need.  When we go to Jeff's house, Brother Frank (forget his last name) called back to New Jersey to ask for prayer and, if possible, some financial support to help cover the surgery and hospital expenses; the church authorized payment of the FULL amount!  God is good!  Oh, and Jeff also told us that another requirement before discharge is a donation of 10 pints of blood - no, not from the patient; from donors in the name of the patient!  The national blood bank has had shortages for a long time so the government took it over and instituted that requirement to build up supplies.  How's that for government control?  If the minimum requirement is not met, the patient must pay and additional $250.00 per pint (I think that's the amount; if not, you get the gist) short.  Jeff's church will meet that need!  Wow!

It was late when we broke up so we were prepared to get a cab from Cumbaya to our hostal but Jeff, the gracious host, brought us back and took the folks from Jersey to their hostal as well.

Oh, as part of the festivities, several of us (I was by far the oldest!) went to the park near the Davoll house and played American football (remember, in Latin American countries, football is actually soccer).  Some Ecuadorian boys were there so Lucas (Jeff & Deanna's son) invited them to play with us.  After some discussion, it was decided to match Gringos against Ecuadorians - not at first, it seemed, a good plan because our team was much older than the other.  However, we won 4-2!  As I told one of the Ecuadorians, there were no losers, only winners because we played for fun and it seemed all did.  I'm not sure the young Ecuadorian boys agreed, after losing to older gringos.

We had intended to go on the city tour of Quito tomorrow but forgot to remind the tour office of our intent so no list was posted; if tours are scheduled, the guide comes in early. They always post a list for sign up because the more people that sign up, the lower the cost of the tour.  So, we'll put this tour off until Wednesday (Miracoles).  We also want to ride the trolley and more buses, and go shopping for another suitcase!

Again, un gran dia!

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Had to set the alarm for the second (I think!) time while on vacation.  We were supposed to eat breakfast at 7:00 a.m., then leave for destinations North at 7:30, but since we are on Ecuadorian time (stated in admiration for the slow pace!), we were about 30 minutes late eating and leaving.  Our guide was Diego, one of the Travellers Inn and travel agency co-owners.  There were four "tourists":  Jenny, myself and two guys from Texas (Austin and Houston).

We went north out of Quito with our first stop at a scenic view point near Oton to see the Cayambe volcono  We were also told about the "tequila" tree, the leaves are used to make a strong drink that resembles tequila.  The trunk, which is very stringy, is used to make rope.  Next, a brief stop at a small snack shop with a great view of surrounding mountains; we enjoyed some of the local fare; i.e., a cheese wrapped in banana leaves and a "bread stick" - both were good.  We intended to get some to bring back to Quito but because of road construction, they were closed when we came by on the way back.

We crossed the equator!

After a bit of driving along mountainous, winding roads (with gorgeous scenery), we arrived at the largest outdoor market in South America, in Otavalo.  It was huge!  We stayed about two hours; Jenny bought a wide brimmed hat to protect her from the sun, a pair of onyx earrings and a set of dolls for a friend of ours in Huntsville.  We also ate lunch; Jenny got a pork plate, I got chicken.  I'm sure we saw very little of the market, but probably enough.  When we started back to our van, we kinda got lost but "found ourselves" in time to make it back on time.

We were supposed to visit a place where a guy made musical instruments but he wasn't home.  Diego said we'd stop by on our way back but we later (on the way back) voted not to stop.

Then to Cotacachi.  I found the black leather blazer I've wanted for several months but refused to pay $300 to $500 for in Huntsville!  No cowboy boots though.  Jenny got a really pretty "red" (unusual) jacket and purse.  We stayed in Cotacachi for about an hour.  This tour worked out great because, since I found my blazer on leather street, we won't be going back.

We then went to Cuicocha Lagoon and Crater Lake, obviously a lake in the crater of a volcanoe - forget the name!  I really do need to take notes because we see so much, we forget what, when, and where!  There, we saw some boy & girl scouts and visited for a couple of minutes with a couple of the girls - Natalie  & Carolina. 

We headed back to Quito, but not without stopping at the Zero Latitude and Top of the World park - the equator.  A representative explained a lot about the equator and why where we were is actully called top of the world - I thought the North Pole was! LOL.  We took pictures standing in both northerly and southerly directions!

And, that's it.  We were tired when we got back so we ordered a pizza (their medium is about the size of our personal) and "ate in" - didn't even go to La Union for dessert!

We were concerned about some of our laundry; Jenny turned it in to the office yesterday and was told it would be back yesterday afternoon.  It was not in our room when we got back last night so we thought we may have gotten it in too late.  When we got home, it still wasn't in our room so we asked about it.  It had not been done but Diego assured us it would be ready tonight by 9; an employee brought it to us at about 8. Even with the mistake, they did not hesitate to correct it.

There's a lot of noise outside our room; sounds like a live band near here someplace so I hope they quieten down soon.

Someone on the Yahoo Ex-pats group said something about a robbery in Cotacachi but all seemed very peaceful while we were there.

We look forward to attending Brother Jeff Davoll's church in Cumbaya tomorrow and an Independence Day anniversary celebration afterwards.  We may see Mike Bullock, his girlfriend Abby, Patrick Bullock and his family, and other expats there.  We've decided to ride the transit busses there so it will be our first such excursion.  We will leave the hostal on one bus then transfer at a main station to another bus for Cumbaya.  Hope all goes well!

Buenos Noches!

Friday, July 1, 2011

Ken & Tami, friends from Huntsville, should be in Salinas by now; we wish them safety and enjoyment while there for the next week.

We ate a good breakfast here at Travellers Inn then, after breakfast settled, we went to one of the Curves.  We won't walk again because it was uphill most of the way, about half of it stairs!  Had to stop a few times to catch our breath; must be the altitude (not getting old!).  We'll get a taxi and I think Jenny will even venture up there by herself.  The owner and employees were very friendly and helpful.  One of the circuit trainers (a guy) turned 27 today so they had a birthday celebration for him; they invited us to participate in singing Happy Birthday and eating snacks.  They were delighted to have Jenny as a guest; they and we took group pictures.  By far, the nicest and friendliest group at all the Curves.  They were excited that Jenny will be back.

Back to the room, then to the South American Explorers Club.  On the way, we went through Gringolandia, a group of restaurants that cater to non-Ecuadorians, mostly Americans.  We ate a small lunch at Juan Valdez coffee shop and cafe.  Prices were higher than usual fare.  Returning from the SAEC, we went to Supermaxi for a few items.  We also met a guy who had lived in Huntsville and worked for RE/MAX.  He spotted my Alabama baseball cap and asked if we were from Alabama; I told him we are from Huntsville so he introduced himself.  He is Ecuadorian and had returned to marry; didn't say if he intended to go back.  There are RE/MAXs here and he works for one.

When we got back, the co-owner (Daniel) took us to his dentist, who speaks good English (certainly a requirement when telling me what work I needed!).  Jenny only needed a cleaning but also got laser whitening and a sealent on her teeth.  I needed six fillings and two teeth reconditioned (they were broken).  They also took impressions for two crowns and a tooth replacement (it has been missing for many, many years). Not sure what type of replacement it will be; either a bridge or implant.  We both go back on Tuesday - Jenny for a followup; I for the crowns fitting and, I suppose, the other tooth.  I will probably have to go back at least a third time but Dr. Paredes assured me the work would be completed before we leave (that's comforting!).

Since Jenny can't eat anything but "white" until tomorrow morning, we went looking for a seafood restaurant that Daniel recommended.  We found it but they only had a couple of seafoods on the menu, and they were very expensive!  We passed them up and went to Gringolandia; Jenny got grilled chicken; I got pulled BBQ pork.  I had to be careful because the dentist didn't tell me of any limitations but I'm sure there are, with temporary caps on two teeth.  Both entrees were very good; prices were comparable to Stateside.

It's early to bed (Jenny is already there and asleep) because we must get up early tomorrow morning for our excursion North - second time this trip we've had to set an alarm!  I hope I find a great quality & low priced leather sports jacket and perhaps a new pair of cowboy boots (or two).  May as well get another suitcase while there; we're gonna need it!  We'll tell you all about it tomorrow night.

Security and Safety in Cuenca, Ecuador

Since I have a little spare tme today, I thought I'd comment about the security and safety concerns of some; either because they are considering going there or about our safety.

The key thing is  that we used common sense, something anyone should use when in any area of the U.S. or any foreign country, particularly in areas we may not be familiar with.  While in Cuenca, we pretty much walked all around the downtown area and even stayed out to almost 10 one night!  There was a festival going on the city square with lots of people, but we did not see or hear of any crime.  The streets were crowded but everyone was polite.  There were other "gringos" there but most fit right in.  There were some, however, who didn't read up on what to wear before coming here so they stood out like sore thumbs!  I do not want to offend anyone, but obese and shorts just do not work here!  There are large Ecuadorian women, but they wear dresses.  After we left the festival, we walked back to our hostal, making sure there were other people on the streets.  Perhaps, they were there because of the festival so things may have been different had there been no festival; I'm just relating our own experiences

When we were not with Gerard or Diane/Juan, we went wherever we wanted and never felt threatened.  There were times when we had to ask directions - no problems.  During the day, people were, for the most part, ignoring us because they had places to go and people to see.  When on the city tour, I had my Kodak digital camera (larger and more conspicuous than the recently purchased Nikon pocket camera) and video cam.  Again, common sense - I kept them in the case (I have one that holds both), strap around my neck and shoulder, and in front of me; no problems.

That's our take on life in Cuenca as it relates to security and safety.  Oh, and BTW, you can drink the tap water in Cuenca!

Thursday, June 30, 2011

This post will be shorter than previous ones because it was mostly a travel day, and Jenny has gone to bed so I'll probably forget something without her assistance!

We did have a nice buffet breakfast at the Inca Real this morning; we've had "regular" ones the other days.  I enjoyed the pancakes with syrup; Jenny had an omelet.

We packed all of our suitcases + the backpack we bought near the square a couple of days ago.  We were afraid of being overweight in our carryons so we got the backpack- it counts as a personal item as long as it fits under the seat in front of us.  We had no problems with weight, I don't think the folks at the counter even paid attention, perhaps because the flight was about half full.  It was an enjoyable, short flight.  When we landed in Quito, a guy from the Travellers Inn was waiting for us with our names professionally printed on a placard - impressive!  Unlike some of the hand printed ones.

Once we got checked in, we went to dinner at a very nice little panaderia y pasteleria (bread and pastries) restaurant near the hostal.  Deanne Davoll introduced us to it on the day before we went to Cuenca so I probably mentioned it.  We ate ham & cheese sandwiches then had two scoops of yummy ice cream for dessert.  We came back to our hostal, looked at some excursions we want to do, then came to our room. 

One word of advice: when investigating hostals/hotels, determine if the "cable" tv is in your room or a common area.  We discovered that we do have a tv but all programs are in Spanish. Of course, for those of you who do understand Spanish, that's quite alright but I haven't quite mastered the art of "bilinguality" (for you grammarians out there, I know it isn't a word but it sounds good!).  We also now understand about expats in Ecuador not being able to get American tv programs here.  In the States, if we miss an episode of a program, we can go to the network (CBS, NBC, etc.) and watch the program, as it will stream.  When I tried that here, I could not access them because we are in a geographic region not authorized to receive them.  We did, however, watch some of the performances on America's Got Talent 2011 - we watched them on YouTube!

So, that's about it!  Jenny plans to work out at a nearby Curves tomorrow morning then we'll probably go to a dentist sometime after that. One of the hostal owners (or perhaps manager) will take us to his, who speaks English.  Quito probably won't be as exciting as Cuenca, unless someone has spare time and wants to "show us their city", as Gerard Tretto and Diane & Juan Moreno did in Cuenca.

Hasta Luego!

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

With regret, we have spent our last night, of this trip, in Cuenca, Ecuador.  We wish we had planned for a couple of more days but, alas, we did not so it is not to be.  Being in Cuenca has been great and we've met some dear people, Ecuadorian and American alike.  Before coming up to our room tonight, we spent some time talking with the night clerk; she's a very sweet young lady who goes to college and studies in the morning, works at the hostal in the afternoon/evening, then goes home to get some sleep before starting the cycle all over again!  She has one day off each week (Saturday); she spends it with her mother and grandmother!  I'm sure that's the story of a lot of young people here because they want to succeed and have the work ethic for it!  We've "adopted" her as our second "Monica" (her name).

Now, our day:  Jenny slept in, we had breakfast in our hostal, then went to Curves for her workout.  We then took the long way back, going by SuperMaxi (I think I mentioned one when we were in Tumbaco - it's a grocery store.

Shortly after returning to our hostal, we hooked up with Gerard and went to lunch at Grecia's - lunch was $2.20!  We toured a little more of the city, where a lot of ex-pats live, then went for ice cream.

Gerard dropped us off at a Panama Hat museum (remember, I told you those hats are not made in Panama; they're made here)  We saw how hats are formed, then went upstairs for a scenic view of part of Cuenca.  We also had one of those "dress up, posed" pictures made, in authentic clothing with panama hats.  Jenny wanted to get a hat but they did not have the one she liked in her size.  They were willing to resize one for her but we didn't have enough time before we leave tomorrow, so no hat - this trip.

We made our way back to the hostal, met up with Gerard again (in case you don't know, Gerard's wife is currently in Montana, USA so he has lots of free time! LOL) and went to dinner at the Coffee Tree (Gerard, please comment and correct me if I'm wrong - not wrong, different!).

We did get some rain today; it also seemed to be the warmest day of our stay.  As we've discovered, even if the temperature is cool, when the sun shines brightly (after all, we are near the Equator), it feels warm to hot.  At least we shed our jackets and went around in shirt sleeves (long because we didn't bring short).

Our plane doesn't leave until 1:45 p.m. tomorrow so we'll have the morning to pack, try to find a scale to weigh our luggage, and relax before leaving.  BTW, Continental Airlines (and probably most other U.S. carriers allow carry on luggage to weigh up to 40 pounds; Latin American Airlines (LAN) allows them to weigh up to 17 pounds!

So, it's off to bed!  If Quito is this much fun and excitement, choosing where, if we indeed decide to, retire will be difficult!  We now count Gerard Tretton, Diane & Juan Moreno as our friends.  BTW, I tried calling Diane this morning but could not get through so I'll need to send her an email before we go to bed.

Tuesday, 28 June, 2011

My sweetheart and wife's (the same person!) birthday!

Another exciting day of sightseeing and learning about Cuenca, Ecuador!

We ate breakfast in our hostal then met Gerard Tretton at the local tour bus company, in the Cuenca square, for a tour of the city.  In all the years Gerard has been here, he has never been on the tour so we are very honored that he chose to go with us.  The tour lasted about an hour and a half and was very informative; I recommend it to anyone visiting Cuenca.

We then headed towards Caja (pronounced "ka ha") National Park.  The drive was fabulous and the tour guide was very knowledgeable!  We stopped and ate at Hosteria Dos Chorreras restaurant; they have their own fish farm; we saw some small trout swimming in a pool as we entered the restaurant.  The trout was delicious!

We then went on up the mountain to the park, at an elevation of 13,667 feet!  We walked to the edge of a canyon with lakes below; we felt the effects of the high altitude and the drop in temperature from lower elevations.  Pictures, videos (I took both) or words cannot describe the scenery going, there, or coming back!  We hope to experience it again!

When we got back, we attended the ex-pat get together and met some new people.

Gerard told me I need to post some pics with this blog; I told him I don't even know how to enhance it, much less add pics!  We're trying to take lots of pics with two digital and one video cameras so we should have plenty to post, when I, or Jess Moody, figures out how to do it! Of course, I must first get them downloaded (or is it uploaded?) from the cameras!

And now, to bed!  We don't have any excursions scheduled for tomorrow but we do hope to visit a Panama Hat museum (did you know, they actually are manufactured here in Cuenca and exported?)  The manufacturing plant is out near the airport but we probably won't have time to go there; the museum is close by.

Hasta Luego!

Monday, June 27, 2011

Can you believe it, Jenny is actually awake after 10:00 p.m.!!!  We just got back to our "new" room, after relocating from the Macando Hostal to the Inca Real Hostal.  We had been contemplating it, but this morning, we decided it was time for a change, after not being able to get on the internet, either in our room or on the patio.  So, Gerard, bless his pea-picking heart (as Tennessee Ernie Ford used to say), picked us and all of our luggage up at the Macondo and brought us here, a few blocks away but closer to the town square.

We then went to his (Gerard's) home then went across the street and had a $3.00 per person lunch at Pimienta & Canela Restaurante.  It included juice (tamarindo), soup (caldo de pollo - a chicken broth with popcorn instead of crackers).  Our entre was rice, puree of potatoes and pork.  For dessert, we had maracho (a liquified rice pudding).  We were full!

Gerard then took us to his property and future home, waaaaay up in the mountains, overlooking Cuenca.  The view was spectacular!  I took lots of pictures and a video.  We then went further up onto the mountain to a little spot with even a more spectacular view!  I, personally, have never seen a more picturesque place, although I'm sure there are others elsewhere.  We then went to Turi, another place with a spectacular view (they even had the high powered binoculars - the ones that one inserts money into to activate).  A church sits on the side of the mountain that is well lit at night and can be seen from Cuenca.

After a great day, Gerard dropped us off at the hostal; we then ate a light dinner; I had grilled ham and cheese, Jenny had the potato soup with avacado (she loves it and may fix it when we get home - mine without the avacado).  We then went to the square, where the Corpus Christi celebration is still going on.  There we had dessert - I had a banana split, she had a waffle with strawberries, banana, vanilla ice cream, chocolate drizzle and whipped cream - both were yummy (we took pictures!)

We walked around the square, looking at all the confections but nothing really appealed to us at the time because we were full from the desserts - we'll get some tomorrow when it isn't so crowded.  We stayed for the sending up of the globos (the small paper hot air balloons - if you want to know more, google or wikipedia it :-)) and the lighting of the castilla (castle).  We took some still shots but I will probably take my video camera tomorrow night!

And now, it's bedtime - 10:46 and Jenny is still awake!  It's easier for her because we actually have a sofa here so she's not lying in the bed.  It's much quieter here so we're looking forward to a good nights sleep and a busy day tomorrow.

                                                                    

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Another exciting day in Ecuador!  When we got up, it was raining, after all, this is supposed to be the dry season :-).  The dampness causes the temp to feel much colder than the 60 degrees it was when we got up.

After a nice breakfast, we read our emails and kinda hung out until 10:00 a.m. when we met Juan and Diane Moreno.  We went to their house - the one they bought that was shown on House Hunters International.  It is very nice and becoming even nicer as they bought the lot next door and about doubled their property.  They have built a very nice covered patio area.  We saw, perhaps, one of the largest hummingbirds we've ever seen; tried to get a picture but it always fed on the opposite side of the feeder from us.

We then drove (Juan doing it!) to Gualaceo (wa-la-say-o) where we went to the fresh air market. We walked around for a little bit and bought a fruit called chirimoya (perhaps not pretty to look at but sweet).  While driving around town, Juan's brother called; he and his wife are here from San Francisco (?), CA. - they arrived yesterday and stayed in Gualaceo with friends.  We met them in the town square then went to lunch at the Rancho Lindo restaurant (a private home that is converted to a restaurant on the weekend).  We ate a tamale for appetizer then a main course of chicken stew - it's not like a stew Americans are accustomed to, it was delicious!

We then went to Chordeleg (chore-de-lay), the jewelry capital of this area.  Jenny took advantage of the prices and permitted me to get her birthday present early (she's so thoughtful that way)!  She also got an early birthday/ anniversary/ Christmas (whichever comes first!) from Gary Adams (our Sunday School teacher) to his wife, Becky!  BTW Becky, I was not involved in selecting the item!  I found a very pretty pair of earrings for Jenny (different from the set she had already gotten, that I had nothing to do with) but they were too 'dangly' for her.  She did select a gorgeous pair of earrings and matching necklace w/silver diamond cut chain - won't discuss the ridiculously low price I paid!  Oh, while walking around the square (every town has a square!),  we looked at a pair of earrings for which the lady wanted $49.  After a bit of bargaining by Diane (she's great!), the lady came down to $35.  She entered that amount in the calculator and said she'd hold them until we went back.  I took her calculator, erased her number, then entered $30 - she said too low (I guess that's what she said for it was in Spanish and I did not understand), then she entered $32!  I'm a great negotiator, yes! LOL.  We didn't get them though because Jenny determined them to be too heavy for her ears.

We also met one of Juan's cousins, who is the preist of the local Catholic church then went inside his church.

After a very informative (Juan is a native Cuencano but lived many years in Minnesota and now lives half the year in Orlando, Florida) day with two very sweet and dear people, we came back to our hostal, rested a bit then went to dinner in the town square, at Raymipampa's. 

Jenny had Plato Tipico, a typical Ecuadorian dish of fried pork, black sausage (morilla) (cabbage and rice stuffed inside a sausage - the taste kinda like an egg roll), traditional white cooked corn (kinda like our hominy) with egg, potatoe patty and salad (mixed beans & peas) and avacado on the side. Cost = $6.50!

I had the Churrasco - grilled fillet of beef in sauce, with fried eggs, french fries, rice and vegetables (actually the same salad Jenny had), and avacado on the side (I gave it to Jenny since I do not like them).  Cost = $6.00.  We also each had a capuchino to warm us up because it's cold! Oh, that's right, it IS winter here! :-)

We walked around the square; they were geared up for another night of Corpus Christi.  Jenny met and talked to an indigedous (indian), dressed to the hilt in his traditional outfit; quite stunning.  He permitted me to take a picture of him and Jenny.

We are taking pictures!  Oh, when at the market in Gualaceo, we did ask one lady who had a very pretty girl if we could take a picture; she first said no but then said we could if we would give her the picture.  Could not figure out how to do that one since ours is a digital camera and I had no printer!  Perhaps she remembers the old polaroid!

Its' still an exciting educational experience; Ecuador is amazing!  I know Juan loves it because he talked a lot about his Cuenca and his Ecuador.  We did drive near his boyhood home.

Jenny is out (asleep)! so I'd better get outa here and put her to bed!

Buenos noches, mi familia y amigos.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Wow, I'm actually going to get this posted on the correct date, after saying we're staying one day behind! Although it has been a full day, we decided to stay in tonight.  I have on my jacket and Jenny her robe; it was 60 degrees in Cuenca at 7:00 p.m. (last Weather Underground update) so now that the sun has been down for and hour and a half to two hours, it's colder now!  No heat in the rooms, probably anywhere!

Very early start to our day; we got up at about 5:45 to be ready to meet Gerard Tretton @ 6:15 for a trip to a couple of outdoor markets, one organic, the other no so.  The first was small and in what, to us, would be normally a vacant lot but used as a market on Saturdays.  To get the best produce, you must be early!  Forgot what it was called, but Gerard got us something that looked like a pancake, but not sweet and very good.  The second,  Centro Comercial Municipal el Arenal, was very big and had most everything one would want, including fruits, vegetables, meats, chickens, seafood, clothing, shoes, etc.  There was probably a few stolen items (watches, cell phones, etc.) as well!  Everything was in the open - no refrigerators for the meat!  That's why one goes early - to get the freshest meats, including 'cuy' (kinda like a guinea (sp?) pig.  I may try some later, when we get back to Quito; Jenny isn't that bold!

After the market, Gerard brought us back to the hostal but we hooked up again for lunch at the Kookaburra Cafe.  We met two expat couples; one lives here, the other is researching to possibly move here.  Karen and Randy Kimbler live here and are members of the FB expats group.  We enjoyed the food and fellowship.  We pretty much spent the rest of the day walking around, touring the city, including the square where the Corpus Christi festival is centered; amazing how different it was today - much quieter and a whole lot less congested!  For an afternoon snack, we had a different type of Empada - not like the 'authentic' ones we had in Tumbaco with Mike and Abby.  Jenny did get a complete manicure for $4.00 - yes, four dollars!  She said it wasn't the quality of those in the States so I reminded her this is Ecuador.  She showed them to our desk clerk; she said her fingers look very nice!  While she was getting her manicure, two boys, whose mothers work in the salon, and I taught each other our native language!

We made contact with Diane and Juan Moreno, members of the expat group.  Diane is originally from Minnesota; Juan is a native Cuencano (born in Cuenca).  They now have a home in Orlando Florida

I contacted two preachers of a Baptist Missionary church here, but the church is at camp so we will not be able to attend their services tomorrow morning.

Let us close by saying Gerard Tretton is a great expat and friend!  He has been sooooo helpful and accomodating to spend his time with us (of course, his wife is back in the States so he has nothing better to do! LOL). 

It's only 9:00 p.m., but Jenny is behind me on the bed, falling asleep. I guess the cool (she'd say cold!) fresh air and all the activities, especially walking, has worn her out!  Oh, and since the altitude here is around 7,650 feet, that probably affects us!

We have a busy day planned for tomorrow, with Diane and Juan so we'll report in tomorrow evening or Monday.

BTW,  if there are typos or misspelled words, please forgive me.  There appears to be a spell checker here, but when I click on it, everything highlights!  At least you can understand it (I hope!)

Ecuador is a great country and we're loving the experience!

Hasta luego!