I feel the need to state before this post that the word talent is used very loosely. It is extremely subjective as to whether there is any real talent involved, but moreso the ambition or will to do something.
I think going without a kitchen and the ability to cook for three months, has brought out my inner Betty Crocker. I have never enjoyed more in my life, baking and cooking. And experimenting! Part of it, I think, is having the time. Ok, probably most of it. Baking is expecially satisfying to me. And John is benefiting from that as well as all the workers and our guardians. There are things you can't buy here as far as ingredients, but that just makes things all the more challenging. For the most part, there is a good substitute. The first time I made something with sour cream, I am 99% sure it wasn't sour cream I used. But, it turned out great!
John is also working on his talents. Of course, they were always there as well, but he just never had the time to use them. He has been working on installing light fixtures for me. Now, this may not sound difficult to the average person, but you have to remember, the ceilings here are made of cement. So this involves chipping out a space for the designated light fixture. And it is not easy! What would normally been done in a couple hours has taken a couple days. But, we really did want to experience the Ecuadorian life so here it is!
We are sincerely enjoying the beautiful weather here. It really couldn't be any nicer, with the gentle ocean breeze coming off the ocean most all the time. Which brings me to this morning, where the breeze for some reason, decided to stop. Completely. While I was in the kitchen preparing to make my next project, I noticed I was sweating. A lot. So, as I grabbed my sweat towel, I was inspired by a bit of self-written poetry. Now is the time I will refer back to the first paragraph of this blog post. So, I am going to put myself and my "talents" out there and share the little ditty that came to me;
The breeze has ceased,
I am on my knees,
With sweat between my breests,
Saying please, please, please,
I need a breeze!
I, personally thought it was very good, my first shot at poetry. John, not so much. Boy, he is a tough critic!
We really don't have much to complain about as far as weather. Seriously. I think averaged year round, it is probably the best. That is if you don't like snow and cold. Which is us. We are plugging along with our construction. Crossing our fingers and hoping for a Grand Opening towards the end of April. The swimming pool construction started today and we are told it will take a month. But we have to remember, the Ecuadorian interpretation of time and ours is quite different. So we will not hold our breath and just be happy when it is finished.
Annabel has turned into quite the guard dog for us. She alerts us when someone she doesn't know is in the front of the house, which is great. Now we just have to find her "off" button. She is a really good dog with great instincts. Josie doesn't seem to interested in protecting the casa, but she does follow Annabel's lead once she starts.
The breeze is starting back up, so it is time to head back to the kitchen. Enjoy the day!
Monday, February 25, 2013
Friday, February 15, 2013
Carnaval Week and Upcoming Election
This past weekend was Carnaval here in Ecuador. Thousands of people descended upon the coast to spend time and party at the beach. We were rather lucky here in Punta Carnero, as our beach only was mildly busy compared to the beach in Salinas. It did, however, take on a life of its own of a rather intriguing excitement. We had planned to just stay at our house during this four day celebration which started on Saturday and went until Tuesday. On Saturday, the fun and festive atmosphere lured us to take a walk on the beach to see what it was all about. We were not at all disappointed. The families, friends, children and pets were all having a wonderful time on the beach. There were vendors selling ice cream, slushies, coconut milk, beer, soda, hats, sunglasses, movies... you name it. On Tuesday, the last day of the celebration, our friends James and Cecilia came out from Salinas to enjoy our much quieter and wavier beach. We had a blast playing in the waves. Plus we enjoyed a few cervezas sitting on the beach after our swim. It doesn't get too much better than that. It was, in a way, sad when it was all over, although we certainly enjoy our quiet beach again, which is why we chose the Punta Carnero area.
Yesterday was Valentine's Day here as well. It is very much celebrated with many mylar heart balloons and Valentine's Day gifts for your sweetheart being sold on the street (just like Phoenix : ) John and I chose to celebrate by going to a movie in the afternoon. We saw Lincoln (which wasn't exactly a romantic movie) and it was very good. Hollywood is good when they have you on the edge of your seat to see if the 13th Amendment was going to be passed. Geez!!
When we left the movie theater and went over to our corner to wait for the bus, a huge parade of el Presidente Rafael Correa supporters went by. It was rather exciting. There was loud music playing and people yelling and flags flying and loudspeakers speaking. It seemed to go on forever! The reason for this exciting demonstration of political support is that the election is on Sunday, February 17. Sunday, now that is a novel idea for an election day. Not so many people have to take off from work to go vote, which is good, because here it is highly suggested you vote if you are a citizen or resident with a cedula. You can face a fine if you don't vote. From what we have heard, Correa is a heavy favorite and there isn't any real competition for him. There are several others running against him, though. Interesting fact; there is an alcohol ban from yesterday through election day here. No alcohol to be consumed or served during this time. Keeps everyone with a clear head, I guess.
Our construction is moving along. It is just about time to think about getting the pool started in the back yard. There are still many details to finish in the house, along with the larger project of the beach bungalow room being torn apart (wood ceiling and wood wall being removed and replaced with termite proof cement). Looking forward to a grand opening hopefully by the end of April to early May!
Yesterday was Valentine's Day here as well. It is very much celebrated with many mylar heart balloons and Valentine's Day gifts for your sweetheart being sold on the street (just like Phoenix : ) John and I chose to celebrate by going to a movie in the afternoon. We saw Lincoln (which wasn't exactly a romantic movie) and it was very good. Hollywood is good when they have you on the edge of your seat to see if the 13th Amendment was going to be passed. Geez!!
When we left the movie theater and went over to our corner to wait for the bus, a huge parade of el Presidente Rafael Correa supporters went by. It was rather exciting. There was loud music playing and people yelling and flags flying and loudspeakers speaking. It seemed to go on forever! The reason for this exciting demonstration of political support is that the election is on Sunday, February 17. Sunday, now that is a novel idea for an election day. Not so many people have to take off from work to go vote, which is good, because here it is highly suggested you vote if you are a citizen or resident with a cedula. You can face a fine if you don't vote. From what we have heard, Correa is a heavy favorite and there isn't any real competition for him. There are several others running against him, though. Interesting fact; there is an alcohol ban from yesterday through election day here. No alcohol to be consumed or served during this time. Keeps everyone with a clear head, I guess.
Our construction is moving along. It is just about time to think about getting the pool started in the back yard. There are still many details to finish in the house, along with the larger project of the beach bungalow room being torn apart (wood ceiling and wood wall being removed and replaced with termite proof cement). Looking forward to a grand opening hopefully by the end of April to early May!
Friday, February 8, 2013
Adjusting to Life by the Sea
First of all, I would like to apologize for the length of time in between postings. I don't really have a good excuse, just that time has gotten away from me. To just say I have been busy is a cop out because there is always time if you make it. But, anyway, here I am again.
We love living by the ocean. As in any place you live, you have to take the good with the bad. And as long as the good makes all the bad worth it, it is fine, which is defnitely the case here. There are many things we didn't realize about living in salt air. The main thing being that anything metal or I guess I could say any metal that is not stainless steel, galvanized or aluminum can and will rust. And quickly! When we first got here we had put a metal lock on the front doors to make it more secure. By the time we took it off to put up the new aluminum doors, it had completely rusted and corroded. Plastic is our friend, too, as is WD-40. That rubbed on our metal dresser handles and such helps prevent the oxidation process. In the evening we can see the salt in the air blowing off the ocean under the street light.
We have replaced all of our wood windows and doors with white aluminum. Not only does it look better, but the maintenance goes down to practically nothing compared to the wood. We are very excited with the transformation of the house so far. The reason I haven't posted any pictures is because nothing is completely done. We have figured it is the Ecuadorian way to finish things 80-90% and then move on to the next project. It has been a frustration of ours, but we know eventually it will all get done.
All the plants, flowers and trees we planted are thriving. I have some beautiful bougainvillea, roses, begonias, hibiscus and other plants I don't know the English names for. Things grow like crazy here, so I am excited to see my flower bed mature. Unfortunately, Annabel and Josie love the flower bed, too. That is, racing through it at high speeds. Also picking out clumps of who knows what it eat out of it. I think that is how they got sick recently. They both had a bacterial infection which caused much vomiting and diarrhea. Thank goodness to an excellent vet who knew just what to do to make them better (and was kind enough to let me bring Annabel to her house at 11:30 at night to start treatment). She also makes house calls during the day, so that worked out great when Josie became ill the next day. If you are thinking it is expensive to have a vet come to your house, our vet charges $20 per dog. It is a wonderful convenience for us since we don't have a car and beats taking the dogs in a taxi. Thanks to my friend Carlota, who brought a taxi to us the night Annabel was sick so we could get her to the vet.
We continue to work on all the details of getting the house ready. We have installed a perimeter laser alarm and a home alarm for our safety and the safety of our guests. This is a third world country and as in any area like this, you must protect your home. I guess that goes for anywhere, though, because Phoenix wasn't exactly crime free : ). A huge thanks to our friend, Matt Klein for taking the time to fly down here for us and helping us out with some electronic things. His assistance was absolutely priceless. Plus we got to have some fun as well. Hopefully within a couple weeks we can think about starting to install the pool in the back yard. We have been waiting for the aluminum guy to be finished with the doors and windows as they have been constructing them onsite in our back yard. It will be wonderful to not have any dust and dirt flying around from construction. The kitchen is functional and almost done (yeah, the 90% there). It has been wonderful to be able to cook and bake again. The construction workers have reaped the benefit of my baking hobby.
It is time for Carnival in Ecuador. The next four days will be absolute craziness from what I here. We were told we probably won't be able to leave our house because of the amount of people around. We have planned for it like a snowstorm, stocking up on food and anything else we might need for the next few days. It will be fun and exciting to see (from the balcony of our house). Next Wednesday we will get to celebrate our guardians' son Kevin's 7th birthday. He has chosen to celebrate here (and invite the rest of their family as well) so that John and I can be there. I can't tell you how honored that makes us feel. He has a special place in our heart already : ).
I promise to be more diligent on my postings. Hopefully some projects will be completed soon and we will have many pictures to post.
We love living by the ocean. As in any place you live, you have to take the good with the bad. And as long as the good makes all the bad worth it, it is fine, which is defnitely the case here. There are many things we didn't realize about living in salt air. The main thing being that anything metal or I guess I could say any metal that is not stainless steel, galvanized or aluminum can and will rust. And quickly! When we first got here we had put a metal lock on the front doors to make it more secure. By the time we took it off to put up the new aluminum doors, it had completely rusted and corroded. Plastic is our friend, too, as is WD-40. That rubbed on our metal dresser handles and such helps prevent the oxidation process. In the evening we can see the salt in the air blowing off the ocean under the street light.
We have replaced all of our wood windows and doors with white aluminum. Not only does it look better, but the maintenance goes down to practically nothing compared to the wood. We are very excited with the transformation of the house so far. The reason I haven't posted any pictures is because nothing is completely done. We have figured it is the Ecuadorian way to finish things 80-90% and then move on to the next project. It has been a frustration of ours, but we know eventually it will all get done.
All the plants, flowers and trees we planted are thriving. I have some beautiful bougainvillea, roses, begonias, hibiscus and other plants I don't know the English names for. Things grow like crazy here, so I am excited to see my flower bed mature. Unfortunately, Annabel and Josie love the flower bed, too. That is, racing through it at high speeds. Also picking out clumps of who knows what it eat out of it. I think that is how they got sick recently. They both had a bacterial infection which caused much vomiting and diarrhea. Thank goodness to an excellent vet who knew just what to do to make them better (and was kind enough to let me bring Annabel to her house at 11:30 at night to start treatment). She also makes house calls during the day, so that worked out great when Josie became ill the next day. If you are thinking it is expensive to have a vet come to your house, our vet charges $20 per dog. It is a wonderful convenience for us since we don't have a car and beats taking the dogs in a taxi. Thanks to my friend Carlota, who brought a taxi to us the night Annabel was sick so we could get her to the vet.
We continue to work on all the details of getting the house ready. We have installed a perimeter laser alarm and a home alarm for our safety and the safety of our guests. This is a third world country and as in any area like this, you must protect your home. I guess that goes for anywhere, though, because Phoenix wasn't exactly crime free : ). A huge thanks to our friend, Matt Klein for taking the time to fly down here for us and helping us out with some electronic things. His assistance was absolutely priceless. Plus we got to have some fun as well. Hopefully within a couple weeks we can think about starting to install the pool in the back yard. We have been waiting for the aluminum guy to be finished with the doors and windows as they have been constructing them onsite in our back yard. It will be wonderful to not have any dust and dirt flying around from construction. The kitchen is functional and almost done (yeah, the 90% there). It has been wonderful to be able to cook and bake again. The construction workers have reaped the benefit of my baking hobby.
It is time for Carnival in Ecuador. The next four days will be absolute craziness from what I here. We were told we probably won't be able to leave our house because of the amount of people around. We have planned for it like a snowstorm, stocking up on food and anything else we might need for the next few days. It will be fun and exciting to see (from the balcony of our house). Next Wednesday we will get to celebrate our guardians' son Kevin's 7th birthday. He has chosen to celebrate here (and invite the rest of their family as well) so that John and I can be there. I can't tell you how honored that makes us feel. He has a special place in our heart already : ).
I promise to be more diligent on my postings. Hopefully some projects will be completed soon and we will have many pictures to post.
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Out With the Old, In With the New
It is hard to believe another year is coming to an end. On New Year's Eve last year when John gave me my kiss at midnight, he said "we are going to have a very exciting year". And was it ever. We seem to be writing our story as we go along. The adventures and experiences we have had were not always planned, but definitely welcome. I would be lying if I said I didn't feel any apprehension about moving to Ecuador. It was definitely outside our comfort zone, but I have to say we have no regrets.
Ecuador has a New Year's tradition of burning effigies. It symbolizes putting the year behind you, be it good or bad, and welcoming in the new year. We plan on participating in this ritual, as I think the meaning is very important.
This year we also started our own Christmas Eve tradition. The initial plan was to stay home with the puppies and just enjoy each other's company. But, we had this awesome Santa suit here and Christmas just wouldn't be the same without somehow using it. We had talked to our guardian family, Jimmy and Mirian, and asked them if their family would like a visit from Papa Noel (Ecuadorian Santa Claus). They said yes, and also that there were many children in the neighborhood where their family lives. So the idea just snowballed from there. John and I headed down by the mercado where there are many little shops and bought a load of candy and cute little Christmas bags to put it in. Our plan was to met Jimmy on a corner near their neighborhood and he would take us in from there. So we are standing out on the road in front of our house waiting for a taxi to take us. We weren't having any luck and getting to the point of running late. People were honking and waving at Papa Noel as they went by. One very nice couple pulled over and asked if we would take a picture for them with Papa Noel. We obliged. They knew we were waiting for a taxi and asked where we were going. When we told them, they said, we will take you there. They got such a big kick out of having Papa Noel ride in their vehicle. Thank you to Geovonni and Martha,they saved us from being late. We hope we meet them again one day.
Our 100 bags of candy did not last long, as Mirian and Jimmy did not exaggerate about there being a lot of kids in the neighborhood. Within 20 minutes we had given away all the candy and hopped in a taxi to head home. Next year we will plan on having much more. The experience was priceless to us and are happy to have started a Christmas Eve tradition here in Ecuador.
Our house rennovating is moving along. Our kitchen is about 80% done. The front gates were finished and installed this week. The tile is almost done except for our room, which we will be moving out of so that can be completed, hopefully soon. The bathrooms are coming along as well. the next big project is having all the doors and windows replaced. Everything we get put in new, makes everything old look... well, older (hence the continued additions to the rennovation).
The puppies are growing like crazy, adding so much fun and enjoyment to our lives. We can't imagine our lives without them, even though they are in their terrible twos right now. It is very fortunate that we have the time to devote to giving them lots of attention and training them. We will be building a nice gated area for them in the front side so they have a place to go if things get too hectic. They already like laying over in that area, so it should be a great place for them.
I was walking on the beach this morning and I met a lady. We exchanged greetings and she walked past me. A few seconds later, I heard her call to me and I turned around. She walked back to me and started speaking in Spanish something about my feet. It was obvious to her I wasn't quite getting what she was trying to tell me. She bent down and took off my flip flops and handed them to me. Then she said "mucho mejor" (much better). The moral of the story is (my moral anyway), is to take the time, feel what is around you, be it the sand squishing between your toes, or the water lapping over our feet. May you all have the opportunity in this next year to feel the sand under your feet (or whatever it is that makes you happy). Happy New Year, and may 2013 be the best year ever!
Ecuador has a New Year's tradition of burning effigies. It symbolizes putting the year behind you, be it good or bad, and welcoming in the new year. We plan on participating in this ritual, as I think the meaning is very important.
This year we also started our own Christmas Eve tradition. The initial plan was to stay home with the puppies and just enjoy each other's company. But, we had this awesome Santa suit here and Christmas just wouldn't be the same without somehow using it. We had talked to our guardian family, Jimmy and Mirian, and asked them if their family would like a visit from Papa Noel (Ecuadorian Santa Claus). They said yes, and also that there were many children in the neighborhood where their family lives. So the idea just snowballed from there. John and I headed down by the mercado where there are many little shops and bought a load of candy and cute little Christmas bags to put it in. Our plan was to met Jimmy on a corner near their neighborhood and he would take us in from there. So we are standing out on the road in front of our house waiting for a taxi to take us. We weren't having any luck and getting to the point of running late. People were honking and waving at Papa Noel as they went by. One very nice couple pulled over and asked if we would take a picture for them with Papa Noel. We obliged. They knew we were waiting for a taxi and asked where we were going. When we told them, they said, we will take you there. They got such a big kick out of having Papa Noel ride in their vehicle. Thank you to Geovonni and Martha,they saved us from being late. We hope we meet them again one day.
Our 100 bags of candy did not last long, as Mirian and Jimmy did not exaggerate about there being a lot of kids in the neighborhood. Within 20 minutes we had given away all the candy and hopped in a taxi to head home. Next year we will plan on having much more. The experience was priceless to us and are happy to have started a Christmas Eve tradition here in Ecuador.
Our house rennovating is moving along. Our kitchen is about 80% done. The front gates were finished and installed this week. The tile is almost done except for our room, which we will be moving out of so that can be completed, hopefully soon. The bathrooms are coming along as well. the next big project is having all the doors and windows replaced. Everything we get put in new, makes everything old look... well, older (hence the continued additions to the rennovation).
The puppies are growing like crazy, adding so much fun and enjoyment to our lives. We can't imagine our lives without them, even though they are in their terrible twos right now. It is very fortunate that we have the time to devote to giving them lots of attention and training them. We will be building a nice gated area for them in the front side so they have a place to go if things get too hectic. They already like laying over in that area, so it should be a great place for them.
I was walking on the beach this morning and I met a lady. We exchanged greetings and she walked past me. A few seconds later, I heard her call to me and I turned around. She walked back to me and started speaking in Spanish something about my feet. It was obvious to her I wasn't quite getting what she was trying to tell me. She bent down and took off my flip flops and handed them to me. Then she said "mucho mejor" (much better). The moral of the story is (my moral anyway), is to take the time, feel what is around you, be it the sand squishing between your toes, or the water lapping over our feet. May you all have the opportunity in this next year to feel the sand under your feet (or whatever it is that makes you happy). Happy New Year, and may 2013 be the best year ever!
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Counting the days...
We are counting the days for our kitchen to be done. Not that I mind cooking with a George Foreman Grill, toaster oven and electric fry pan. But the options are somewhat limited, especially without adequate counter space to prepare anything. Our cabinets are here and will be installed tomorrow. Then the granite, stove, dishwasher and refrigerator will be ready to be brought in. The renovating is actually moving along quite well, if only we would quit adding projects. The bathrooms were demo'd this week and the new tile purchased. One of the bathrooms even has some new tile installed in it already. There was amazingly beautiful tile underneath the old tile they removed (not really).
Victor, one of our not camera shy workers (note the beautiful tile)
New tile being installed already in one bathroom
We learn something new for sure every week and maybe every day. One thing we learned this week is if there is something at the store that you like and don't want to be without, you must buy it when they have it and buy a LOT! I have a granola that I have become quite fond of and am very disappointed when I am unable to get it. The other day we hit the jackpot and were at the store right after they stocked it. I bought 8 bags of it (I wish I would have bought more!). We have heard of other items that you must stock up on when you see it (coffee filters, dog treats, etc...). Why do I have a feeling I could end up on an episode of hoarders one day?
Note the ingredients on my favorite granola (or should I say lack of). No preservatives, chemicals or anything else nasty. I feel pretty good about eating it, not to mention it tastes awesome!
The puppies are growing like weeds and bringing us endless joy every day. We are so thankful they came into our lives when the did. They are a bright spot of sunshine amidst all the dirt and dust. And so much fun! They are pretty much poop trained and the pee puddles diminish every day.
Josie whispering toAnnabel, "what kind of trouble should we get in now?"
So we end another week here in Ecuador. We look forward to the progression of this next week and hopefully I will be able to post some pictures of our new kitchen very soon!
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Making Progress
We are continuing to see our house come together with the new tile. The first floor (which is the biggest area because it included the large front veranda) is completely tiled and about 75% done with the grout. The upstairs is about 60% tiled with no grout yet. The bad news is as we put in the new floor, we see what else needs to be done. We have now made the decision to redo all the bathrooms as well (that would be 5 bathrooms). Our project now seems to have no end. Patience, must have much patience. The good news is it is going to look awesome when it is all finished.
The kitchen is still being prepped for the cabinets which are scheduled to be coming on Wednesday. We learned very quickly not to hold to much hope on dates since it only leads to disappointment. They will get here when they get here. Meanwhile, we have been opening some of the boxes from our container (even though we have nowhere to put anything yet) and found our electric fry pan. We were able to have scrambled eggs for dinner tonight. That may not sound like a big deal, but let me tell you, after sandwiches, granola, etc... for 7 weeks, it was awesome! We have also been able to make pizza in our toaster oven. They sell these great little personal cheese pizzas at Hyper Market for $1.84. And we have been splurging on chocolate filled croissants (which are to die for when heated up in the toaster oven They are so good, we have limited ourselves to one a week just to make sure we don't get carried away. We also make sure to hit the mercado up at least once a week to get our fresh fruit and vegetables The mangos are absolutely awesome. The large ones run about 4-5 mangos for a dollar and boy are they sweet! They are very messy and juicy, so I justify eating two of them at once since I already have juice dripping all over my face. The bananas we got this week were 8 for $.50. Strawberries are about $1.50 a pound, but they make an awesome treat as well. We are also fortunate because every once in a while our caretakers, Jimmy and Mirian, bring us over a delicious lunch or dinner. Mirian's mother must have really been a good teacher, because Mirian is a great cook. And her presentation is awesome. I did have to tell her I didn't like pescado, though (fish). John said her ceviche was awesome, too (something else I had to pass on ).
Meanwhile, our puppies, Annabel and Josie, are doing absolutely awesome. They are a bright spot in our day, for sure. They had their first vet visit on Friday and got their first set of vaccines, along with a vitiman shot and an anti-parisite medication (total vet bill was $20). Neither one was happy about getting their shots. I hope they have a short memory, because they have to go back again in a month. They are always playing and cuddling with each other, which just reinforces why we took both of them.
On Tuesday, our friends Will and Janis had to go to Guayaquil to take care of some business and they asked me to go with. It was a great opportunity to get a little more shopping done. We went to a huge mall, which was very modern and a lot of fun to look around in. Our grocery store here in Salinas is called Super Maxi. Well, in the mall in Guayaquil they have a Mega Maxi! It is like Super Maxi on steroids. We had Pizza Hut pizza for lunch in their foodcourt. And guess what? It tasted just like Pizza Hut in the U.S. It was really good! Nothing like good old American junk food to clog up the arteries. A big thanks to Will and Janis for taking me with. It was a lot of fun. We stopped and bought some honey at a roadside stand on the way home, too. The mixture I got is supposed to prevent and cure just about everything- lol!
As we end this week, I now have a operable washing machine. The dryer, well, not so much. Something shorted out on it and if we can't get it repaired, we are going to replace it with a gas dryer, as gas is much cheaper than electricity here. Slowly, but surely, we are getting back to normal (which I have always said is a setting on a dryer- just hopefully not my broken one). Looking forward to seeing what this week will bring us.
The kitchen is still being prepped for the cabinets which are scheduled to be coming on Wednesday. We learned very quickly not to hold to much hope on dates since it only leads to disappointment. They will get here when they get here. Meanwhile, we have been opening some of the boxes from our container (even though we have nowhere to put anything yet) and found our electric fry pan. We were able to have scrambled eggs for dinner tonight. That may not sound like a big deal, but let me tell you, after sandwiches, granola, etc... for 7 weeks, it was awesome! We have also been able to make pizza in our toaster oven. They sell these great little personal cheese pizzas at Hyper Market for $1.84. And we have been splurging on chocolate filled croissants (which are to die for when heated up in the toaster oven They are so good, we have limited ourselves to one a week just to make sure we don't get carried away. We also make sure to hit the mercado up at least once a week to get our fresh fruit and vegetables The mangos are absolutely awesome. The large ones run about 4-5 mangos for a dollar and boy are they sweet! They are very messy and juicy, so I justify eating two of them at once since I already have juice dripping all over my face. The bananas we got this week were 8 for $.50. Strawberries are about $1.50 a pound, but they make an awesome treat as well. We are also fortunate because every once in a while our caretakers, Jimmy and Mirian, bring us over a delicious lunch or dinner. Mirian's mother must have really been a good teacher, because Mirian is a great cook. And her presentation is awesome. I did have to tell her I didn't like pescado, though (fish). John said her ceviche was awesome, too (something else I had to pass on ).
Meanwhile, our puppies, Annabel and Josie, are doing absolutely awesome. They are a bright spot in our day, for sure. They had their first vet visit on Friday and got their first set of vaccines, along with a vitiman shot and an anti-parisite medication (total vet bill was $20). Neither one was happy about getting their shots. I hope they have a short memory, because they have to go back again in a month. They are always playing and cuddling with each other, which just reinforces why we took both of them.
On Tuesday, our friends Will and Janis had to go to Guayaquil to take care of some business and they asked me to go with. It was a great opportunity to get a little more shopping done. We went to a huge mall, which was very modern and a lot of fun to look around in. Our grocery store here in Salinas is called Super Maxi. Well, in the mall in Guayaquil they have a Mega Maxi! It is like Super Maxi on steroids. We had Pizza Hut pizza for lunch in their foodcourt. And guess what? It tasted just like Pizza Hut in the U.S. It was really good! Nothing like good old American junk food to clog up the arteries. A big thanks to Will and Janis for taking me with. It was a lot of fun. We stopped and bought some honey at a roadside stand on the way home, too. The mixture I got is supposed to prevent and cure just about everything- lol!
As we end this week, I now have a operable washing machine. The dryer, well, not so much. Something shorted out on it and if we can't get it repaired, we are going to replace it with a gas dryer, as gas is much cheaper than electricity here. Slowly, but surely, we are getting back to normal (which I have always said is a setting on a dryer- just hopefully not my broken one). Looking forward to seeing what this week will bring us.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
New Arrivals
This was definitely a week of arrivals. We had been thinking about getting a Golden Retriever and a Beagle puppy. I had looked at the ads in the Guayaquil newspaper and even emailed a couple of ads for a Golden Retriever that was advertised. Late Monday afternoon John got a call from someone regarding the Golden Retriever puppies. He said he was going to come to Punta Carnero (a 2 hour drive) that evening and would be bring some puppies for us to see. We told him we were interested in one female. Well, they ended up bringing two females, and within about 2 minutes of holding them, John and I decided to take them both. There was no way we could choose and they were so young we did not want to separate them as they were already being separated from their mother. They were only 4 1/2 weeks old, which is too young, but apparently that is very common here. I have to say taking both of the puppies was the best decision we ever made. We will not be getting a beagle pup, but that is ok. They have slept through the night every night since we have had them and have not whined at all. Josie and Annabel are very playful, happy, hungry little puppies. We are very lucky to have them. They will have their first vet visit on Friday for their 6 week vaccines.
Josie and Annabel, sisters forever
Josie
Annabel in her favorite spot under the cocktail table
The second arrival of the week was our container. After more red tape and jumping through a few more hoops, the container was scheduled to arrive between 9-10am on Wednesday morning. John had woke up with a high fever and body aches that morning, so we were ok with the container being late. Unfortunately it ended up being really late and didn't show up until 7:30pm. John was not any better, in fact he was much worse, unable to even get out of bed. Our neighbors, Will and Janis came down so Will could communciate with the drivers and unloaders so we could get started. I am forever grateful for their help because I felt so lost by myself. Our caretakers, Jimmy and Mirian helped the unloaders and myself and by midnight we had it all off the truck. Unloading in the dark with no liftgate, no pallet jack, no dolly (you get the picture) was very interesting. We did have a four wheel cart and a couple dollies that we had brought along. Trying to teach them how to use it was proving fruitless, so I finally gave up and just let them carry everything. The semi truck left and the little truck that the unloaders (also the unpackers) pulled in our driveway and all five of them jumped in the covered back to sleep. They were up the next morning by 7am ready to start unpacking and unwrapping what we could. Since our new tile floor is still being installed we were really limited as to where we could go with things. Thank goodness we have the workshop in the back where we were able to put a lot of it. It may be a few weeks before we are able to really get organized. Once our kitchen is in that will really help (another 3 weeks or so).
Right now, we are just taking one day at a time and getting done what we can. The best part is we are now able to sleep in our own bed (big smile : ). After six weeks on an air mattress (it was a pillowtop air mattress which I would highly recommend if you ever have to sleep on one), it was pure heaven to sleep on the real thing. It's the small things. We are enjoying our puppies, the beach, the beautiful sunsets and our lives here in Ecuador.
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