tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68329255286179740302024-03-13T04:43:32.963-07:00Life after 60...........is good!This blog has been created so that our family and friends can follow us where ever this new chapter of our lives takes us.
On April 15th,2012 we left Abbotsford BC, Canada, to start a new life in Cuenca Ecuador.
We have been searching for a place to spend our retirement and last year our search led us to Ecuador.. We knew after only a week in Cuenca that this would be the place to start.
Less than one year later, we are here.
It still feels like I am dream...............................Diana and Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14499162759613287753noreply@blogger.comBlogger74125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832925528617974030.post-9526361282587925752013-03-23T15:12:00.000-07:002013-03-23T15:12:06.492-07:0011 months and counting....It has been two months since I've posted...........and 11 months since we arrived in Cuenca!<div>
Once Carnival was over, life in Cuenca started to settle into a new norm............... going to Spanish classes twice a week.....exploring small towns on the outskirts of Cuenca......a trip to the coast.........</div>
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We heard fireworks last night and realized that it has been quite a while since we had heard them.</div>
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Just as we started to get accustomed to things, I had a small accident and have been laid up with a fractured ankle. I have a cast until April 2nd. This was my first experience with the emergency medical care here, and I have to say that the care was excellent.</div>
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I went by cab, from where I had my fall, to the x-ray clinic, saw an orthopedic doc in the same building, then met the Doc at the Hospital emergency the next day to get a cast put on. The total bill, for x-rays, doctor, and emergency room care was 149.28. This includes a follow up visit to the emergency room to get my cast adjusted because it was too tight, and the follow up visit to get my cast removed....... </div>
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Living on the third floor, with no elevator, has been a bit of a challenge. Crutches and stairs do not go together very well......other than school and dentist I stay home. The weather has been great and I spend a lot of time out on the deck.</div>
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Learning Spanish has not been easy. This old brain cannot retain much of what I learn......but, some of it is sticking. The best part of the learning is realizing that I can understand a lot more of what is being said to me. I will never be fluent, but my goal is to be able to communicate with the locals. The people here are friendly,patient and helpful, when you put forth a little effort to speak the language.</div>
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We took a trip to Salinas and Montinita last month. It rained everyday we were there, but it was warm.</div>
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It was good to get out of the mountains for a few days. Salinas was okay but I wouldn't want to live there. As much as I love the heat and the ocean beaches, Cuenca still has my vote for best place to live in Ecuador. the number one draw, for me, is the fact that you can drink the tap water.</div>
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Montinita was crazy.......kind of a cross between a Theme Park and a Hollywood movie set....</div>
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Salinas...........<br />
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Montinita.............................<br />
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Our friend Bob has purchased a pick up truck and we have had some great trips exploring the outer areas of Cuenca. </div>
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These are pictures of a trip to the mountains to Cajas National Park.........we live at 8300 feet, but we go up to the mountains....The park is about 30 minutes away and is at 11,500 feet.</div>
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So....as you can see.......Life is good!</div>
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Diana and Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14499162759613287753noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832925528617974030.post-87203219940992527122013-01-20T10:54:00.002-08:002013-01-20T10:54:50.554-08:00Out with the old and in with the new...............We are more than halfway thu the 1st month of the New Year.<br />
I'm sure that any day now things will slow down............. or not!<br />
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We pretty much covered the "out with the old" when we sold our home and belongings in Canada and the "in with the new" when we moved to Cuenca, Ecuador.<br />
The past 9 months have been a whirl wind. Settling in to a new life in a new country has been an awesome adventure. We are beginning to realise that "normal life" will never be the same "normal" as we lived before..........and, that's a good thing! Every day life is an adventure.<br />
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There is a New Years tradition here of burning an effigy, or<em> monigote</em> on New Years Eve. This is to get rid of bad luck and bring good luck for the New Year. We have had such a good year (knock on wood!) that we did not feel the need to burn off any bad luck.<br />
We did know of someone who had a pretty harsh year, so we thought we would see if we could help her out. We roamed the streets until we found the perfect monigote..............<br />
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We bought Miz Kitty home to live with us for a week before the big send off................<br />
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At midnight Miz joined our neighbours for a send off into the spirit world......................................................</div>
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This is definitely one of the strangest customs we have witnessed. All over the city the streets were filled with burning monigotes and the skies were filled with Fireworks. At times it looked like what I can only imagine a city under attack would look like. The first thing the next morning the city workers were out in force and by that afternoon only the burnt marks on the streets were left as testimony. A few afternoon rainstorms washed most of that away.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VHa9fUPetNY/UPw7G1CCefI/AAAAAAAABEs/1Y6PX5O_nA4/s1600/P1170982.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VHa9fUPetNY/UPw7G1CCefI/AAAAAAAABEs/1Y6PX5O_nA4/s320/P1170982.JPG" width="320" /></a>Diana and Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14499162759613287753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832925528617974030.post-15536939689055454302012-12-30T12:01:00.000-08:002012-12-30T12:01:43.475-08:00Parade picturesThis was an amazing thing to witness!We were able to walk amongst the floats while they were waiting to take their place in the parade.To see the entire parade pass by can take up to 8 or more hours. We walked to the front of the parade and then walked to the end.....we were able to see the whole parade in about 3 hours................ we took almost 200 pictures.<br />
Here are some of the pics we took along the way..................<br />
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The star of the parade.</div>
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Diana and Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14499162759613287753noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832925528617974030.post-28495455824541963172012-12-24T17:53:00.001-08:002012-12-24T17:53:35.837-08:00..and so this is Christmas................Christmas in Cuenca has definitely reminded us what Christmas is truly about.<br />
For the past two weeks, we have been witness to many neighbourhood pageants and parades.<br />
It seems that each church has a celebration of Jesus, and small parades of people dressed as Angels, Shepperd's, Mary's, Joeseph's, and the Baby Jesus make a small pilgrimage Thu the neighbourhoods.<br />
We attended the Cuenca Symphony's Christmas concert and I just have to say, Silent Night is as beautiful in Spanish as it is in English........<br />
Here are a few pictures we have taken around town.........<br />
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Lights along the Tomebamba River<br />
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A neighbourhood parade passing in front of our home.<br />
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Cuenca Christmas lights in El Centro.<br />
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Yep......I am an Angel!<br />
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This Nativity scene located in one of the downtown plazas is amazing. The Joseph figure is 40 feet tall.<br />
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My friend Jorie and I got to tell Santa what we wanted for Christmas.<br />
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This little cutie was singing at one of the Mercados.<br />
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Doug and I have decorated our apartment a bit and will be having a few people over for Christmas Dinner tomorrow. We will have a traditional turkey dinner....with a few twists....no cranberry sauce here.....and my pumpkin pie is made with fresh pumpkin...............<br />
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Strawberry Santa's we made for a Christmas party.<br />
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Christmas Table.</div>
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My Santa's in the window.<br />
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Our balcony.<br />
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Yesterday we went to the Flower Market and splurged on flowers for Christmas.............<br />
I heard that Ecuador provides 1/3 of the roses to the world.<br />
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What a lucky gal I am to have these beautiful flowers available to me. These 4 beautiful arrangemants were less than 18.00 for all! <br />
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Today we were awed to view a truly amazing parade. This parade is 7 to 8 hours long!<br />
We took at least a 100 pictures, But I haven't gotten a chance to look at them yet. I will post those pictures in a few days<br />
Here is an article I copied from the local News paper that explains the parade...<br />
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<em>The tradition of the Pase del Niño (or Procession of the Christ Child) is very old, dating from ancient Rome before the fall of the empire. As with the majority of the religious festivals and traditions in Ecuador, the Pase was introduced by Franciscan missionaries. The Franciscans were the first Christian missionaries to what is now Ecuador. The image now known as the Niño Viajero (Traveling Christ Child) was originally carved by an unknown sculptor in 1823 for the Cordero family of Cuenca. Eventually, the statue was inherited by Monsignor Miguel Cordero Crespo. It was Monsignor Cordero’s custom to invite everyone in his neighborhood to his home on Chirstmas Eve and celebrate a novena with them. Then in 1961, Monsignor Cordero went on a pilgrimage to holy places in Israel, Spain, and Rome, taking the statue of the Niño with him. In Rome, the statue was blessed by Pope John XXIII. When Monsignor Cordero returned to Cuenca with the blessed sculpture, the faithful of Cuenca were excited to see it, and it was named the Niño Viajero because of its travels. </em><br />
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<em>Monsignor Miguel Cordero Crespo then initiated a Pase with the Niño Viajero on Christmas Eves. At first, the statue was only accompanied by members of the Monsignor’s neighborhood, but the Pase kept growing and growing. Last year an estimated 60,000 people participated in the Pase del Niño Viajero and a similar number is expected to participate this year</em> <br />
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Well...my pies are ready to come out of the oven. <br />
Merry Christmas family and friends. We love and miss you all. Especially you, Mom.<br />
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Diana and Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14499162759613287753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832925528617974030.post-82859711125708920362012-12-14T14:10:00.000-08:002012-12-14T14:10:09.753-08:00All I want for Christmas is a few back teeth..........I heard a rumour that Christmas is only 11 days away.......<br />
We are getting into the spirit for our first Christmas in Cuenca.<br />
We put up lights on the balcony and I have decorated a bit with a few of my favourite ornaments from Canada, as well as some new Ecuadorian decorations.<br />
We are having a few friends over for Christmas dinner. It will be the first Christmas for all of us to be away from our families. We will miss our traditional Canada family Christmas.<br />
Everything is going to be so different, but we will be starting new traditions in our new home.........<br />
We have found everything we need for a Turkey dinner, except for cranberry sauce......I am going to try to make a substitute using dried cranberries. I roasted a pumpkin today to make pie and Doug and I made our Christmas chocolates.<br />
We went to a Christmas party last week end and met several new people.<br />
We met a couple from Vancouver at the grocery store last week and they have invited us to an "old fashion Canadian Christmas" party next week. How cool is that??!! Total strangers striking up a conversation in the grocery store and inviting us into their home! Can you imagine that happening at your local Safeway?<br />
Our weather has been warming up nicely. We get a bit of rain in the afternoons, but each day it is getting warmer. We may be having our Christmas feast on the balcony....<br />
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For the past two months I have been going to the dentist almost on a daily basis. I have a two week break now, and I think I will be able to eat most of the things on our Christmas menu.............. <br />
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I have a lot of work to be done, as I was born without 6 of my permanent teeth and have worn out the ones I have......<br />
I would never have been able to afford this work back in Canada without taking out a loan......<br />
I have had a bone graft that is coming along nicely and have the prep work done for 3 crowns and a bridge. In 4 months the bone graft will be strong enough for the implants. That will take care of the uppers. In February we start the work on the lowers.<br />
When it is all done, I will have had a bone graft, two implants, 10 crowns, 2 bridges, 5 veneers, 2 root canals, and I will have a gorgeous new smile and a full set of teeth for the first time in my adult life! All for less then the cost of the 2 implants back home.......<br />
The dental work I am receiving is very modern and my dentist is very caring. I would recommend coming here for dental needs to any one. The money you can save could pay for the trip!<br />
Unlike back home, in the two months he has been seeing me, my dentist has not asked for a payment. He set up the plan for the work, gave us a quote, and doesn't expect to be paid until the work is completed ...<br />
I have pictures to post, but they will have to wait till later....hubby says it is time to sit on the deck and watch the world go bye for a while. It's 5 oclock, it's about 73 degrees here in Cuenca and LIFE IS GOOD...............<br />
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Diana and Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14499162759613287753noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832925528617974030.post-51754547866201654522012-11-17T09:33:00.000-08:002012-11-17T09:33:03.236-08:00My!............... how time flies!We are coming to the end of our 7th month in Cuenca. What??!!!<br />
Where does the time go?<br />
Here it is Saturday, and I could not tell you where this week disappeared to...... let alone the past 7 months.<br />
It's been 6 or 7 weeks since my last post....sorry family. Every night I say to Doug....I didn't get to the blog today, tomorrow for sure I will post.....<br />
I have the morning to myself. Doug has gone off with a group of people to look at some volunteer work helping to rebuild a washed out walkway at a rural school. <br />
Let me see if I can fill you in on the past weeks........<br />
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I have been very busy with dental stuff. After a failed attempt to get implants, ( they discovered when they cut in to put them in, there was a thin spot in the bone that was not wide enough to support the implants) I am going to specialist, and have had a bone graft to strengthen the area. For three weeks, I have been going to the dentist EVERY day to make sure things are progressing as they should. So far so good. Now I have to wait 6 months for the graft to be strong enough to put in the implants. I have been waiting a long time to deal with my teeth issues......there are days when I want to give up on it, but Doug keeps reminding me of the big picture. Hopefully, by the end of next year, I will have a complete set of teeth!<br />
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We are getting quite settled into our apartment. <br />
Our landlords, a wonderfully kind and warm family of 4 daughters and loving parents, have kind of adopted us and have include us in family trips to the country. The mother, Raquel, is always bring us food and pots of soup.<br />
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We have been taking Spanish classes twice a week and find that we are actually able to undersatnd a lot of what is being said to us! (If I were to give one piece of advice to anyone moving here, it would be to learn as much of the language as possible before you get here.)<br />
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On our first trip with the family, we went for a drive to a small village called Barabon. We stopped at a small roadside restraunt for a late afternoon lunch. There are many different cultural things in Ecuador,not the least of which is the eating experience. This restraunt had an open pit grill that had Chicken and Cuy roasting over charcoal. I had the chicken, but others tried the Cuy......I am not going to say what Cuy is.....look it up if you want to know.........<br />
Here are a few pictures we took on this trip:<br />
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When's the last time you were able to ride in the open bed of a pick-up truck?<br />
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The eldest daughter Andrea<br />
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yummy...............................................................................</div>
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Our friend Bob and me......dig the hat?</div>
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Raquel and Maunual....the parents<br />
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The four daughters Alita,Michele,Carolina, and Andrea<br />
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This church, in the small town of Banos, was built in 1951...<br />
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Some other things we have done with the family are a trip to thier farm about an hour and a half outside of Cuenca, and we were invited to join the family at a <em>Quinceanera....</em>which is the celebration of the 15th birthday of a in Latin American countries, which marks the passing of the youg lady from childhood to womanhood.It was a huge celebration with tons of food, drinks, and dancing. We stayed to the end of the party, which was about 3 a.m.! Not an easy task for us old people.....</div>
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The past few weeks marked the celebration of Cuenca's independecne and there was much ado for this event. Also, there were big celebration for "The Day of the Dead". </div>
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I have a lot more pictures to share, but I will do that later. It's time for me to get on with my Saturday....going to the market for fresh Prawns and veggies for tonights' dinner. The fruit man will be driving thru the neighborhood soon and I will be getting my fruit from him. he comes twice a week, so I don't have to carry fruits home. For less than $5.00 I get:</div>
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a watermelon, a cantaloupe, 12 juicer oranges, 12 mandarins,6 banannas, and a pineapple.</div>
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Delivered to my door!</div>
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Life is good!</div>
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<br />Diana and Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14499162759613287753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832925528617974030.post-85895023427159768732012-10-12T16:02:00.002-07:002012-10-12T16:02:30.818-07:00Walk about.............I finally remembered to take my camera with me when I walked down town!<br />
Here are random shots of what I see when I walk in our beautiful city:<br />
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Diana and Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14499162759613287753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832925528617974030.post-66987933881814864622012-10-12T14:44:00.002-07:002012-10-12T14:48:43.443-07:00What a difference a year makes..............<br />
Last year ( and probably for quite a few years before that) Doug's birthday present usually had something to do with golf.<br />
I know he misses golf, but I think he is adjusting and finding other things to do. We have found out that there is a driving range here, as well as the Cuenca Tennis and Golf Club, so he will be looking forward to bringing his clubs here when we go back to visit Canada next summer.<br />
For his birthday this year, we went on a tour to a Village outside of Cuenca called Tarqui.<br />
It was very interesting and we enjoyed the day immensely.<br />
The trip involved a hike up a steep hillside into an area that has been considered sacred by the locals for centuries. There are many medicinal plants that grow naturally in this area and the land there is considered to belong to all the peoples of the country.<br />
When we got to the top of the hill we came to a place where a natural clearing circle was surrounded by plants and tress. As we were climbing, the weather was misty and cool and we were wondering if we were going to get rained on.<br />
When we were at the sacred place, our guide led us thu a ritual where he ask the earth Mother to forgive us for trespassing. Just as he finished the prayer chant, the clouds parted and the Sun came out. I guess we were forgiven, as the rest of the day was beautiful.<br />
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After we hiked thu the area for a while, including a short walk along the original Inca trail, we returned to the clearing for a traditional meal. The meal was layed out on a long table cloth that was spread out on the ground and we all sat around the cloth and shared the meal. After our long hike, we were famished and the meal was awesone!<br />
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Arriving at the welome center.<br />
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Our host and guide, Alfonzo<br />
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On the way up.............<br />
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We were served a traditional breakfast of Mote and eggs....yummy!<br />
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In the jungle..</div>
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This is part of the original Inca Trail. It is still used by people on a pilgrimage.<br />
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A Canari woman preparing our meal.<br />
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The meal was prepared by our host family.<br />
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After our hike, the family sang traditional songs and told us about the myths and history of the peoples of the area.<br />
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All the family members got in on the show!<br />
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This is about half way down from where we climbed.</div>
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Life is good in Ecuador!</div>
Diana and Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14499162759613287753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832925528617974030.post-27600199609745446932012-10-01T13:33:00.000-07:002012-10-01T13:33:13.049-07:00Two months!!!????I knew it had been a while since I posted, but I am shocked to see that it has been two months!<br />
Sorry family.....I know we said we would try to post at least once a week, and we will try to do better in the future.<br />
Ok now....let's see if I can give you the short version of the past two months...........<br />
We are getting settled into our apartment and furnishing our new home with the "essentials'.<br />
Sometimes it is hard to remember our goal of keeping life simple. I am getting into the habit of asking myself do you "need" this or do you just "want" this? It's not that we are denying ourselves anything, but life is a lot simpler now. The memory of all the "STUFF" we disposed of when we left Canada will always be with me.<br />
Speaking of which......we received the two trunks of things from home that we had sent to us. It was like Christmas! I am so glad that we chose to ship these. It was not cheap, but having my sewing machine and Doug's power tools, and a few personal things, like pictures, and a good set of kitchen knives and quality bedding......I would do it again..<br />
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Other than setting up the household, we have been getting acquainted with Ecuadorian life. We now have a Doctor and a Dentist. I have a hair dresser.<br />
Doug has had a great experience with the dentist. He has a new set of dentures and they are very nice.<br />
They were 1/3 of the price that he would have paid at home.<br />
My experience was not so great. I was going to get dental implants, but after the surgeon cut into my gums, they discovered a thin spot on the bone (that did not show up on the CT scan), and the implant could not be installed. Lucky me......I got to have the surgery, but didn't get to have the implant!<br />
So now, back to the drawing board to see what we can do to fix my missing teeth.......<br />
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Doug has lost at least 25 pounds. This, inspite of the fact that he visits the local panaderia (bakery) every day. It was very easy to get used to not having a car. We walk distances on a daily basis that we would never have considered walking once a month when we lived in Canada.<br />
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We go to Spanish classes twice a week and are actually starting to understand some of what is being said to us!<br />
We've made some friends and have had started exploring areas outside of the city.<br />
For Doug's birthday, we went up into the Andes mountains to a small village and had a great experience. I will post pics and a bit about that on another blog.<br />
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Here is a pic of our dining room furniture.<br />
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Our purple living room furniture.</div>
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Our bedroom...complete with the first set of curtains I have ever made!</div>
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This shot was taken from our balcony with a telephoto lens. I love that we can see the domes of the Cathredral from our place.</div>
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I promise to post more often. </div>
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Life is good!</div>
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Diana and Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14499162759613287753noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832925528617974030.post-72841372936350355552012-08-04T21:47:00.001-07:002012-08-04T21:47:53.999-07:00Busy daysWe have had a busy three days!<br />
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We were up early Thursday for a visit to the dentist and then home to pack for the move.<br />
Our hired truck showed up right on time at noon and by 2 we were moved.<br />
Our stove arrived right on time, but the fridge and washer/dryer were delayed temporarily.<br />
By Friday all the appliances were delivered. The "technicos" will be here Monday to set up the washer and dryer and we will be good to go!<br />
The living room furniture has arrived, and the dining room will be here by the end of next week, as will the two recliners for the den.<br />
Friday found us out shopping for dishes and other things that we will need. <br />
Funny thing about needs and wants............. I made a list of the things we wanted, then crossed off all the things that were not really needed and the list was more then halved. We are not doing "without".<br />
We are just keeping our life simple.<br />
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Saturday found us at the Mall rounding up a few odds and end. Now we can take a break from shopping and enjoy the place.<br />
After the rest of the furniture arrives we can take our time decorating each room. <br />
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Here is my awesome new kitchen............<br />
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I will post more pictures as we do each room.<br />
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Life is very good..............<br />
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<br />Diana and Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14499162759613287753noreply@blogger.com3S Ochoa, Cuenca, Ecuador-2.9 -78.9833333-2.9634335 -79.0622973 -2.8365665 -78.9043693tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832925528617974030.post-91686550515235131842012-08-01T22:10:00.000-07:002012-08-01T22:10:19.269-07:00Moving dayToday we started moving stuff into the new apartment.<br />
Furniture and appliances have all been ordered and some items have all ready been delivered.<br />
Our washing machine and refridgerator are lost somewhere between here and Quito and we haven't been able to get an answer as to when it will arrive.<br />
Hopefully everything will be in place by the end of next week.<br />
Back in Canada we would be having a fit and getting stressed over this, but, somehow, here it doesn't get to us as much. Everything at it's own pace and in it's own time............<br />
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Things have been going pretty well. The internet installation was done today and the TV cable company comes tomorrow.<br />
We will be moving our things from our current place tomorrow and by tomorrow night we will be staying in the new place.<br />
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The past 3 and 1/2 months have gone so fast! I will be glad to get settled into a real home. Seems like we have been on vacation and I ready to start retirement!<br />
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I have lost the internet connection several times while trying to make this post so i will leave you with a few pics and post more tomorrow night. I will be so happy to be in the new place and have a better connection!<br />
<br />This is the living room:<br />
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The dining room : </div>
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Diana and Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14499162759613287753noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832925528617974030.post-24946701381322541752012-07-13T17:41:00.001-07:002012-07-15T07:51:30.368-07:00More fun....................After giving it a bit more thought, we decided not to go to the coast until after we move into the new place.....................<br />
Now that the lease has been signed, it is time to get serious about furniture, appliances and all the various crap that makes a home.<br />
We had been looking at appliances for the past few weeks, in a casual "just looking" sort of way, but the last three days have been intense. Price comparing and deal negotiating have filled our days from breakfast till dinner.<br />
Today we sealed the deal on a fridge, stove, washer, dryer, microwave, television, vacuum, and 3 gas tanks. <br />
It pays to shop around and negotiate for the best price. It was fun, but exhausting.<br />
We are going to take the weekend to relax and then start furniture shopping on Monday.<br />
I have my eye on a purple leather living room set and I am hoping we can get the price into our budget.<br />
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The past three days we have had beautiful weather and I hope it holds for the weekend.<br />
Poor Pete has spent the past three days alone while we have been shopping, so he is going to get a whole day in the park tomorrow, weather permitting! <br />
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We are going to go check the progress on the apartment and I hope to take some pictures to post.<br />
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For now, it's time to put my feet up and have a beer............Diana and Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14499162759613287753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832925528617974030.post-84113064666346400832012-07-08T16:00:00.000-07:002012-07-08T16:00:48.734-07:00Alive and kickin'............Last week Doug, myself, and our temporary house mate, Kris got our tushes kicked by a horrible flu like virus. I was pretty sure I was going to die..............After three days, Doug and Kris were able to drag themselves to the Doctors office where we found out that we would all, indeed, live! Their joint visit to the doctors office and medicine for all three of us cost less then a pizza back home........<br />
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We are approaching our 3 month anniversary of being in Ecuador.<br />
Up to now, we have been living like we are on vacation........ it's been fun, but we are ready to start making Cuenca our home.<br />
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We finally got a one year lease signed for the apartment that we want to call our home. We are told that it will be available for at least 4 years before the owners return to Cuenca, so we feel good about setting it up as our home.<br />
We get the apartment August 1st, but we will be allowed to start moving things in sooner.<br />
Yesterday we went to the great anniversary sale at the Sukasa Store and had a great time buying kitchen and household stuff. Sukasa is a smaller version of the Bay stores in Canada, minus the clothes department. They are a bit pricey for Ecuador, but their merchandise is good quality. The anniversary sale prices were extremely good with up to 60% off of some of the things we purchased.<br />
The store was very crowded and we were there for several hours, spending at least an hour in the check out line. Doug showed a great deal of patience for that much shopping time.... Retirement and the" Ecuador way of life" are certainly agreeing with him.<br />
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SHOPPING QUEENS<br />
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It's a good thing we worked up an appetite shopping, because we stopped for a "light" lunch. We each ordered what was billed as "individual" pizza and this is what we got...............<br />
KRIS"S PIZZA<br />
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DOUG'S PIZZA</div>
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MY CALZONE- which also became my dinner............<br />
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Kris and I are planning on going back to the sale tomorrow or Tuesday without Doug so we can spend some quality time rummaging thru the sales tables and bins.......<br />
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Our weather continues to be a mix every day. Some rain most days, some clouds everyday, and some sun everyday. You get a different view from every person you talk to about when "winter" is. but, everyone agrees that the El Nino and la Nina weather patterns have affected the normal weather trend of Cuenca for the past two years. the scientific prediction is that "normal" weather will return soon.<br />
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We had one particularly wet afternoon, that caused the river that runs in front of our place, the Tomebamba, to rise about 6 feet in just a few hours. It was amazing to see Mother nature at work...........<br />
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Now that the rental contract is completed, we are planning a trip to the coast net week. A few days of sunshine and beach and beer and seafood............ oh boy! We are going to take the bus and getting there shall be half the fun. Luckily Kris still has a camera, so I will be able to take lots of pictures for posting.<br />
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Cooking with local ingredients, and on a propane stove and oven, continues to be a learning process. i am pleased to report that I made an apple pie yesterday that would make Mom proud....<br />
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During the baking of this beauty of a pie, I learned that you CAN NOT put foil in the bottom of the oven to catch the pie drippings! We had a minor flaming fire that had the foil welding it's self to the floor of the oven, but the pie was saved and the oven didn't suffer too badly.<br />
Tonight we are going to bake what we think might be sweet potatoes. They are a deep rose red potato on the outside with orange flesh.............<br />
I also made a quart of spiced beet pickles that I hope will be tasty in about 3 weeks.<br />
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Here are a few pics of our activities as we go about our daily living here in this marvellous place.........<br />
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This rainbow appeared after the big rain.<br />
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Palm trees and fir trees together.......gotta love it!<br />
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The wood work in this country is quite stunning.....(As is the good looking gringo in the Panama hat!)<br />
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The view from our bedroom window.<br />
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San Sebastian Church.<br />
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Sometimes a guy just gets tired.........................<br />
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Stuffed french toast from our favourite San Sebas cafe.<br />
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This tree grows in many of the city's park.</div>
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Ice cream...............nutritional!<br />
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The dog just informed me he needs to go outside, so I'll have to bid adios for now..............<br />
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LIFE IS GOOD!<br />
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<br />Diana and Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14499162759613287753noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832925528617974030.post-396702841953828262012-06-26T20:28:00.000-07:002012-06-26T20:28:51.785-07:00A good day indeed................Today I got my blond high lights back and found a great sushi restraunt!<br />
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<br />Diana and Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14499162759613287753noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832925528617974030.post-46983602146686984562012-06-24T14:18:00.000-07:002012-06-24T14:18:37.254-07:00Smiles.............Today has been another delightful day.<br />
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We slept in till 8:30 and then my 2 friends , Kris and Gina, and I walked up town and had breakfast together. yummy banana Pancakes at the San Sebas cafe.<br />
then a leisurely stroll that took us thru a lovely neighbourhood that I haven't been in yet. I am going to have to break down and replace my camera..............<br />
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I was just looking at the calender and was shocked to see that we have only been here here for 9 weeks. It feels so natural to call Cuenca home. <br />
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I am taking Spanish classes. OMG! My brain is so rusty...........but, I am surprised that I am starting to get an "ear" for the language and can actually pick out some words in conversations that I hear.<br />
The classes we have chosen to take are being taught by instructors that are English speakers with Spanish as a second language. I think this was a good choice for us to start with.<br />
I have 2 more weeks in the class I am taking, and then Doug and I are going to take a Spanish immersion class, taught by local instructors.<br />
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We have found a dentist that we like a lot.<br />
His office is very modern and I feel very confident in his abilities. <br />
On Monday, in less than 10 days from his first visit, Doug will have new dentures. The cost was 1/3 of what we would have paid in Canada.<br />
.............................................and, I am going to get the smile that I have been waiting 30 years for<br />
It is going to be a bit of a drawn out process, but I am so looking forward to the final results.<br />
I am getting 4 implants, 9 crowns, and 7 veneers...........but, first, I have to wear a torture device for the next three months to realign the joints in my jaw and open up my profile. I was born without many of my permanent teeth, and have been working with baby teeth and missing teeth all my life. I guess a year to correct what has been going wrong for 40 years, isn't to bad........<br />
This entire process is going to cost less then what the 4 implants would have cost in Canada. <br />
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We continue our daily explorations of the city. <br />
We have our favorite markets and grocery stores. <br />
We found a local supermarket called Mega Tienda de Sur that is very much an Ecuadorian supermarket.<br />
You definately save money buying local.<br />
The Super Maxi grocery stores offer more imported items and are more like the stores at home.<br />
There are a few items we splurge on just because they are familiar to us............Kraft mayonaise...Hunts ketchup.....Heinze BBQ......<br />
There are a few things I miss, sweet pickles and cottage cheese, to name a couple.<br />
The availabilty of fresh food kind of makes up for the things we can't find, but I am compiling a list of things that I want from home.<br />
I am getting antsy to start trying to bake with local products, using a propane stove, but that will have to wait untill we get moved into our new apartment. The place we are in now is adequate, but the kitchen is not stocked for baking or cooking more then basic meals. We have two trunks packed and waiting for shipment to us from Canada, and I am glad that I packed the kitchen stuff I did.<br />
We came here with four suitcases, and if I had it to do over, I would have come with less clothes and more kitchen items..........<br />
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The internet connection in the place we are in continues to be a pain. It spends more time down then up and running. It is a very basic connection, and you get what you pay for.<br />
We have been investigating the different options available to us when we move into the new place. We will spend more then we thought we would have to, but the internet is our connection to family and friends back home, so it is important to have a good connection.<br />
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The climate continues to be quite agreeable. We have had a bit of overcast skies, but the sun comes out everyday. Locals find it cold, but we find it very agreeable. We have had temps as low as 60, but most days we are in short sleeves. <br />
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I am staring to ramble............. it must be siesta time.<br />
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Adios para ahora.<br />
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zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz<br />
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<br />Diana and Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14499162759613287753noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832925528617974030.post-59482442466637019372012-06-17T13:51:00.001-07:002012-06-17T13:53:57.393-07:00Gone in 60 seconds...............For several days, I have been taking pictures of odd and different things, and documenting a day in our life with pictures.<br />
The last picture I took was of the fireworks at the Festival in Calderon Park. I took the pictures, put my the camera in my pocket, took four steps thru the crowd to Doug, reached back in my pocket for the camera and it was gone! In less then 60 seconds! I remember being bumped into as I turned towards Doug, and now I realize that that was most likely a pickpocket.<br />
New lesson learned...............attach items to my body! We thought we were being careful by leaving our packs at home and just putting a few essentials into our pockets, but apparently more dilligence is required. This isn't something that happens only in Cuenca, it happens all over the world.<br />
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I am now taking Spanish lessons. My brain is very rusty, and I cannot seem to absorb anything! hopefully I will be able to retrain my brain to learn............<br />
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We are settled into our temporay apartment and continue to venture out each day to explore the city.<br />
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We have found a dentist, and both had appointments Friday. Doug is going to get his dentures replaced. It is only going to cost a third of what it would cost in Canada, and by next Friday, he will have his new set.<br />
I go back Monday to see what options the dentist has come up with for me. My last dentist at home, came up with a plan that was to cost 12 thousand dollars to do implants and replace what needed to be fixed.................<br />
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Today is Fathers Day and Doug and I set out to enjoy a walk about town an what is one of the nicest days we have had yet.<br />
Here a few pictures to share with you. I borrowed these, since I don't currently have a camera............<br />
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Imbabura Volcanoe</a><br />
Beautiful blue skies.<br />
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Mercado 9 de Octubre. My favorite market<br />
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The flower market.<br />
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Sweets for sale at the Festival. <br />
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My favorite building on the Tomebamba waetrfront.</div>
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Local women on the streets in El Centro.<br />
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These Iinca ruins are located right in the city.</div>
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A typical Ecuatorian dinner.<br />
<br />Diana and Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14499162759613287753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832925528617974030.post-77849367352719026392012-06-05T19:05:00.001-07:002012-06-05T19:05:56.538-07:00A Routine life is good.............It's been two weeks since I last posted, so I figured it was time to pop in and say we are alive and well.<br />
The well part feels good, as both Doug and I were down and out for a few days with a tummy bug.<br />
We were able to get some medicine from the local Farmacia and were up and about in 3 days.<br />
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We are getting settled and life is starting to become normal.<br />
Doug has finished his first round of Spanish lessons and I have just started a 5 week course.<br />
We have been able to get by with the little bit of Spanish we know, along with a whole lot of pantomine and hand signals, but life will certainly be better when we can converse in, and understand the language.<br />
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We are now happily ensconced in our temporay penthouse apartment untill our permanent rental is finished. We are on the 5th floor with no elevator. By the end of our 3 month stay, we should be very fit!<br />
Right now I can barely make it to the top without stopping.<br />
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We have started looking for furniture and household goods and I am quite happy with what we are seeing.<br />
We stop in to check on the progress of our new place once a week . Here are some pics I took this week:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N_D9_0wm12Q/T86xCyg5ghI/AAAAAAAAAas/dmhirsRO8nw/s1600/The+kitchen+in+our+future+home.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N_D9_0wm12Q/T86xCyg5ghI/AAAAAAAAAas/dmhirsRO8nw/s320/The+kitchen+in+our+future+home.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
The kitchen has marble floors and black granite counters.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xflGodywRCQ/T86xMGRTx2I/AAAAAAAAAa0/BI8VnFQss_Y/s1600/Kitchen+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xflGodywRCQ/T86xMGRTx2I/AAAAAAAAAa0/BI8VnFQss_Y/s320/Kitchen+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k_hGGTJB3HU/T86xQf4ImpI/AAAAAAAAAa8/KyY3iu0pDu8/s1600/Bathroom+in+new+place.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k_hGGTJB3HU/T86xQf4ImpI/AAAAAAAAAa8/KyY3iu0pDu8/s320/Bathroom+in+new+place.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
One of the bathrooms.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-28yPIYZ4BSs/T86xaFv9AFI/AAAAAAAAAbE/MX8PYX88v20/s1600/Balcony+(6).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-28yPIYZ4BSs/T86xaFv9AFI/AAAAAAAAAbE/MX8PYX88v20/s320/Balcony+(6).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
The balcony.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ekSvYRkADuQ/T86xbhmrJ_I/AAAAAAAAAbM/DmpdCVgvaQM/s1600/Balcony+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ekSvYRkADuQ/T86xbhmrJ_I/AAAAAAAAAbM/DmpdCVgvaQM/s320/Balcony+(1).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The apartment should be finished on schedule.</div>
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I'm not sure where the time goes. We seem to fill our days without really trying. <br />
Once a week we go to Banos for a soak in he volcanic pools. My back pain has all but disappeared.<br />
We head out by foot and bus on a daily basis and explore a different part of the city. Sundays we take Pete to Paradise Park so he can run off leash play with other dogs.<br />
All in all, we are just enjoying life. No alarm clocks to wake up to. I don't even wear a watch anymore.<br />
The weather has been awesome. Some cool evenings. Some short periods of rain. We always have an umbrella in our back packs, just in case. I have not been cold in the month and half we have been here.<br />
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Life is good......................<br />
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Here are a few more pictures of our wonderfule city.............<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pVg5ugOZNEk/T861lOhbV0I/AAAAAAAAAbc/sWwyPB0qD30/s1600/A+band+set+up+at+10+de+Agusto+Mercado.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pVg5ugOZNEk/T861lOhbV0I/AAAAAAAAAbc/sWwyPB0qD30/s320/A+band+set+up+at+10+de+Agusto+Mercado.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Entertainment set up at 10 de Agusto Mercado</div>
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My anniversary flowers</div>
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Doug at Parque Calderon</div>
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Doug at a neighborhood Market<br />
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I like to think about all of us being under the same moon........<br />
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My friend Kris and I....and a cow in someones front yard.<br />
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Doug and Kris studying Spanish.<br />
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Kris and Doug in El Centro<br />
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Parque Calderon<br />
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Pete at the River<br />
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Pete's favorite morning nap place ...........<br />
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Tomebamba River<br />
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Stuffed toy ponies at the park<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S4_QWsJTF40/T862UPSmwNI/AAAAAAAAAdE/hsL8zrZvjPA/s1600/This+was+taken+from+the+apartment+we+are+currently+in.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S4_QWsJTF40/T862UPSmwNI/AAAAAAAAAdE/hsL8zrZvjPA/s320/This+was+taken+from+the+apartment+we+are+currently+in.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
My attempt of photogaphy art...........<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CxjoW66W1Zg/T862fDm6mJI/AAAAAAAAAdM/vo3BIpJo9Jk/s1600/Not+sure+where+this+was+taken......JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CxjoW66W1Zg/T862fDm6mJI/AAAAAAAAAdM/vo3BIpJo9Jk/s320/Not+sure+where+this+was+taken......JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<br />Diana and Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14499162759613287753noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832925528617974030.post-26592978946231497132012-05-22T06:39:00.000-07:002012-05-22T06:40:13.757-07:00Random PicturesThese are pictures taken from the airplane window as we flew home from Quito.We were flying over an area called "the avenue of the volcanoes".<br />
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This is a crater in the top of a volcano.<br />
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These pictures were taken from the different rooms of the apartment we are living in for the next three months.<br />
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Petey almost got a little brother................<br />
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Picture above is the back court yard at our apartment.<br />
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At the park.<br />
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Mother's Day Brunch</div>
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<br />Diana and Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14499162759613287753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832925528617974030.post-14976796335448980692012-05-17T20:17:00.003-07:002012-05-17T20:17:46.123-07:00Another week gone already!Part of my brain says..............Has it<strong> really</strong> been a week since my last post!?<br />
The other part says....Has it <strong>only</strong> been a week since my last post?!!<br />
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After the huge walk we took on Friday, we took a day to chill and do nothing Saturday.<br />
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On Mothers day we had a nice breakfast at San Sebas Cafe ,then took the dog to the park and had a little picnic and a nap in the grass.<br />
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Had a nice Happy Mother's day call from my son, Skip.<br />
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We went out for Pizza for Mothers day dinner. Pretty good pizza at a place called Chicago Pizza.<br />
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Afterwards, we were able to connect with Doug's family on Skype. It was great to see those smiling faces!<br />
We had to fly to Quito Tuesday to get our Cedulas. The process went very smoothly, thanks to the lovely Anna Maria, our lawyers assistant. She was able to get us in and out of the Registro Civil office in less than two hours. I don't know what she said to the lady behind the counter, but she was able to get us into a special line for expectant mothers and handicap individuals, which cut our time in half.<br />
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After we finished, we had the afternoon to ourselves and just strolled around Quito. I still don't have a camera charger, so I have no pictures. I did manage to get a few shots on my Acer Tablet, and as soon as I figure out how to down load them, I will post them.<br />
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Our cedula cards were not ready for pick up until 3:00 p.m. Wednesday, so we took a cab up to a place where you can get a gondola to a look out point. When we got there, we were told the gondola was out of service, so we ended up having a taxi ride around the city, and then we spent a few hours furniture gawking<br />
<br /> Headed to the Regestro Office and waited for our names to be called to say our cards were ready.<br />
We sat for about 25 minutes, listening to names being called and various announcements being made in Spanish. Once again, we were being looked after. A very nice young woman sitting behind us was kind enough to tell us that one announcment, that we did not understand, was telling all foreigners to please come to window four. Up to the windown we went and within 10 minutes we had our cards and were on the way to the airport. Our paperwork is now complete. We are officially card carrying residents of Ecuador.<br />
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We were back in Cuenca by 6:30. Went to the Hostal de los Perros to collect Pete, who, by the way, seems to have had a wonderful time.<br />
Our flight home was awesome, as the sun was shining and we were able to see the volanoes along the whole flight path. Truly amazing to see. I got a few pictures on the tablet and hope to post them soon. <br />
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This morning we picked up the keys to the new apartment and moved a few things over after Doug's Spanish class.<br />
Tomorrow we will finish the move from the hotel and start a new chapter of our adventure.<br />
We will be staying in this apartment for the next three months.<br />
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My number one chore tomorrow is to download some pictures from the ipod and the tablet and get a camera charger.<br />
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As always..............life is good.<br />
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<br />Diana and Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14499162759613287753noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832925528617974030.post-90781531040842316302012-05-10T15:49:00.000-07:002012-05-10T15:49:22.803-07:00Time goes so fast.............We have been in Cuenca for three weeks. Somtimes it seems like we have been here for months, but other times I wonder where the time went.<br />
Yesterday we found a 3 month rental to stay in untill our permanent place is ready.<br />
We lucked into a penthouse in a 6 story building. It has 3 bedrooms, beautiful views of the city, and is across the street from the Tomebamba River with green space for Pete.<br />
It's only downside is that it is on the top floor and has no elevator......<br />
It is fully furnished, so all we have to get up the stairs is our suitcases.<br />
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It seems like everyday we are busy from breakfast to dinner.<br />
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Yesterday we left the hotel at 10:30 and didn't get home until 5:30.<br />
We took Pete with us and walked to a place we had heard of that boards dogs. Hostel de los Perros. A great place with charming hosts.<br />
Hazel and Wally invited us into thier home and we spent a bit of time chatting. I am quite relieved to know that Pete will be in such good hands when we go to Quito next week.<br />
Afterwards, we walked down las Americas and wound our way home. We stopped for an early dinner at Cafe Mocha. A nice little place that allows Dogs. Pete was in heaven sitting in his own chair at the table.<br />
When we finaly got home, Pete was exhausted and slept untill 8 this morning.<br />
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Now that we have our rentals lined up we will soon be able to relax.<br />
Just have to get the trip to Quito done next week and then move from the hotel.<br />
I look forward to the day when we don't have something scheduled!<br />
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Today we went to Banos thermal pools to soak in the mineral waters for a bit. My back is really benifitting from this. We try to go once a week, but after the move hope to go twice a week.<br />
Doug had his Spanish class this afternoon and Pete and I walked up to the market for Prawns and salad makings.<br />
Dinner will be awesome tonight!<br />
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Tomorrow we have an 11:30 appointment to finalize the penthouse lease and then we are going to go furniture gawking at a four floor furniture store we found yesterday.<br />
Should be fun.<br />
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We are hoping for nice weather Saturday so we can pack a picnic and go back to the big park we found last week end.<br />
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Fire flies have started showing up at night. I think that's a good sign.<br />
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Love to all the family............looking forward to the time when you come to visit us in our new home.<br />
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Life is good.<br />
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<br />Diana and Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14499162759613287753noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832925528617974030.post-68584984535448017112012-05-07T18:37:00.001-07:002012-05-07T18:37:44.272-07:00Monday...............Juat a quick update.<br />
Saturday we walked up to the neighborhood where we want to rent and had a stroll around to see what was available as far as services go.<br />
Pete has been having some tummy issues, so we stopped in at a Vet's office just a block from the appointment. a lovely young Vet, Doctora Carla, gave him a check up, took his temperature and examined him throughly. She pronounced him in good health and suggested trying anothet food for him. She refused to accept any payment for this visit. Can you see that happening at home?!?<br />
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There was a 10 K run on Sunday and the streets of El Centro were lively. Normally on Sunday, it is very quiet.<br />
We walked to the opposite end of 12 de Abril, the street we are currentlt living on, and found a very large park. Pete had a great time being off leash and running with other dogs.<br />
The rain set in and we headed back home for a siesta.<br />
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We have made contact with the owners of the apartment we want and tomorrow we will be looking over the contract.<br />
Looks like everything is a go! We are very excited.<br />
Today we started looking for a furnished place that we can get a 3 month lease on. Saw one possible, and are looking at 2 more tomorrow.<br />
Doug had his second Spanish lesson today and I did some shopping at the indigenous market. I'm getting pretty good at prices for produce. <br />
I strolled around town looking at furnishings for our new home for a while and then back home to take Pete out to the park.<br />
Spent the rest of the afternoon reading and relaxing.<br />
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We are going to Quito on the 15th to get our Cedulas. That will finish up our paperwork and we will be completely legal residents of Ecuador.<br />
Our Anniversary is the 18th, so we will have a double celebration!<br />
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Tinight as we were eating dinner, a yellow faced parakeet sat in the tree by our kitchen watching us.<br />
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Life is, indeed, good.<br />
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<br />Diana and Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14499162759613287753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832925528617974030.post-67374109935780911672012-05-04T18:17:00.000-07:002012-05-04T18:17:45.728-07:00Just me and the dog........On Thursday, Doug had a Spanish class and, with our newly acquired bus pass in hand, Pete and I set out on our own.<br />
We walked about in El Centro for a few hours and stopped in to visit our friend Kris.<br />
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Over the river and thru the woods..............................................................................................</div>
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A few blocks from home we came across a run of some sort.......................................................</div>
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The flower market was in full bloom...............................................................................................</div>
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I never tire of the different views of the Cathedral that you get as you walk to different areas of town.</div>
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The pictures also show you how the weather changes from one hour to the next.</div>
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We have been rained on a few times, but we haven't been cold.</div>
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<br /></div>Diana and Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14499162759613287753noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832925528617974030.post-2779939111099843192012-05-02T21:17:00.000-07:002012-05-02T21:17:11.465-07:00Our dream home may be in site!Just as I was starting to think our wish list for our dream home may have been to lofty, out of the blue.....or, actually, out of the grey misty rain.........it appeared before our eyes!<br />
We have been taking to the streets on a daily bases looking for windows with " for rent" ("se arreinda") signs. Seems everytime we called, we got a lead on another place. After veiwing many, many apartments, we took to knocking on doors of buildings that looked like somewhere we might want to live. It is amazing how much information you can get from the doorman or security person of a building.<br />
Yesterday we took a bus to a differnt side of town and walked back to the neighborhood we are staying in. After a good 3 hour walk, about 8 or so blocks from our apartment hotel, we were ducking down side streets trying to avoid the thunder showers. We suddenly found our selves looking at a house that was being built and realized that it was a 3 floor home that appeared to have apartments on each floor. The building was very nice. Even though it was a new building, it was in keeping with the style of the rest of the street. I was tired and wanted to get back to the apartment before the rain really started, but my sweet, curious husband talked me into having a closer look. Thank goodness he did!<br />
We rattled the gate and a member of the construction crew came out and in our tiny bit of Spanish, which, by the way is growing daily, we were able to find out that, yes, they were apartments and they were for rent. He invited us in for a look, and it was like walking thru the magic mirror in wonderland!<br />
Even though the place was still under construction, we knew it was the place we wanted to live.<br />
The 2nd floor and third floor apartments are stunning. The views of the city from the balconys were breath taking.<br />
As we went from room to room we realized more and more that this was exactly what we were in search of.<br />
A woman appeared and we managed to piece together enough conversation to know that she lived in the house behind the one being built and that it was being built as a rental by her family members that were living in New York. We left our number and she said she would pass it on to the owner.<br />
Neither one of us slept much last night. We talked a great deal about the apartment and tried not to get our hopes. But, our hearts were singing at the thought.<br />
This morning the owner called us from New York and we made arrangements to go back to the place with a translator at 2:30. <br />
We had lunch with our friends from Vancouver and then went bcak to the Apartment house with a translater. <br />
I was beginning to think that I had blown things up in my mind and that a second look would bring me back to reality, but I was wrong. The place really is perfect for us! This time we took Pete with us and found out that the lady that lives behind the house has a little dog and he and Pete played chase for the hour or so that we were there.<br />
We found out that it would be 60 to 90 days before completion, but, if we were willing to sign a contract and put down a deposit, we could have the place. Tomorrow we will talk with the owner, in New York, again, and get the plan firmed up. They will get a lawyer to write up the contract and we will get a lawyer to go over it with us and make sure everything is on the up and up.<br />
Here are pictures of the outside of the place:<br />
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The pictures don't really do justice. The walls are gourgeous stone work.<br />
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If this works out for us, I will start taking pictures as the construction progresses.<br />
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Tonight we went out to a local place called the Inca Lounge ( best chicken tacos I have ever had) with Kris and Dave, new friends we have made since we arrived here. <br />
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Tomorrow Doug starts a Spanish class called "Survival Spanish". I am waiting till we get settled a bit before I start classes, but I am working with my online programs and feel more comfortable each day.<br />
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It was a bit overwhelming trying to accomplish simple tasks at first, but every day we learn something new that helps us. Today we went into one of the local corner stores and bought bus passes! We were quite pleased with ourselves...............no more fumbling for quarters.<br />
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Once again, I just have to say it....................<br />
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LIFE IS GOOD!<br />
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Bye the way family and friends, our internet connection has not been very good so we haven't been able to make the Magic Jack connection to call you. I promise that we will go somewhere tomorrow and call all of you.<br />
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<br />Diana and Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14499162759613287753noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832925528617974030.post-7592139424237579092012-05-01T09:51:00.000-07:002012-05-01T09:51:22.290-07:00Apartment Hunting<br />
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Friday & Saturday found us beating the streets for rentals. We have seen everything from dungeon-esque basement suites to palaces in the sky. We just have to find the right one in between. We have a 10 point wish list and have found an 8 that just might do the trick.........but.....we have a few more weeks so will keep looking.<br />
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The architecture of this country is truly amazing. Cuenca has been named as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The latest version of Old town, or El Centro, was built by the Colonial Spaniards. The entire area is being resurrected, under strict guide lines to keep as much original exterior structure as possible. Many times you look beyond the antique facade to find very modern and upscale homes and apartment.<br />
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The newer part of the city has gotten very modern looking, but there has now been restrictions put on future buildings in that area as well.<br />
Here are some pictures taken from the roof top of one of the buildings in new town:<br />
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Friday morning we stopped for a cup of coffee and just as we sat down, a parade came marching past the window. It was a 50th anniversary of one of the schools. There were kids from high school age to preschool. some in costume, some in school uniforms.<br />
Here are few pics:<br />
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Here a picture that Doug finds intriguing. Norfolf pines and palm trees growing togeter...................<br />
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Sunday we had a "day of rest". Six of us from the apartment hotel jumped on a bus and went to "Mall de Rio", a very modern upscale mall, and roamed around for a few hours.<br />
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After a siesta we had a small dinner party. We were all exhausted and hit the sack to start a new week on Monday.<br />
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<br />Diana and Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14499162759613287753noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832925528617974030.post-74978552464853078502012-04-26T06:41:00.001-07:002012-04-26T06:41:33.779-07:00wednesday walk about............On Wednesday we were up and out at 10:00 to look at some rentals and check out a different neighborhood.<br />
We invited another resident, Kris, of the Hotel Otorongo to join us, as she is also looking for permanent housing.We managed to get ourselves lost, but had a great day meandering the streets, and had ourselves a another great <em>almuerzo.</em><br />
The Otorongo is a great place for people who are doing what we are doing. There are people from all walks of life and all parts of the world passing thru. We all gather in the lovely courtyard often and catch up on the daily adventures we have all had.<br />
Yesterday was a birthday of one resident and several of us, along with the owner of the hotel took him out for dinner. We decided to go to a restraunt that we had stumbled across on our walk about. It was only 5 or 6 blocks away, so some uf us decided to walk. We got lost again and walked for 45 minutes before we found the place. I don't think anyone will accept our offer to walk with us again!<br />
The meal was as excellent, the conversation lively, and the company enjoyable.<br />
Today we are going to Banos for a morning soak in the volcanic water. After all our walking, we both have some aches and pains and look forward to this.<br />
This afternoon we have a couple of appointments to view rentals.<br />
Our lawyer phoned to say my paperwork was done for my cedula, but Doug's was not. We will wait untill his is done and then go to Quito to get them.<br />Diana and Doughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14499162759613287753noreply@blogger.com0