Never a dull moment....

It was supposed to be a quiet day - take the bus into El Centro, visit some friends to see their new place and buy a handmade Christmas ornament, grab lunch (el almuerzo) at Don Colon and then walk to Rotary Market to see if we could pick up a couple of small shelves.

The sun was shining with a nice breeze, the bus came quickly and we settled in for what should have been a short bus ride. While at a traffic light just pas the Las Americas roundabout, I heard a siren. Looking out the window I saw a policeman on a motorcycle chasing a man - both weaving in and out/around the cars waiting at the light. They cross the street and both charge up the sidewalk beside the bus.

The locals are craning their necks for a view, we're now on the wrong side of the bus to see much. Siren blaring loudly, the culprit charges ONTO OUR BUS via the open rear door and heads to the front. Behind him is the policeman. They reach the front of the bus and the fight/struggle starts.

At this point we opt to get off the bus, not knowing what might happen next. A gunfight? Getting slugged by a stray fist? A few steps off the bus and backup arrives - police in cars and on motorcycles. We glance back, there are 5-6 officers holding the perpetrator (of what, we have no idea). I hadn't wanted to take a photo while on the bus but I quickly grabbed this photo.

Needless to say, the rest of the day was anti-climatic! We caught another bus down the road a bit, getting off in El Centro and finishing the walk to our friends' Kathy & Sara's new place. Well, not so new anymore, but the first time I'd seen it. Stu was there for his last furniture refinishing class which was before they truly moved in. After a tour (their terrace view is spectacular) and some great chit-chat, I picked out one of the ornaments that Kathy had been making. I love the patchwork look to it and it will be a great addition to our eventual cabin in the woods.

From there was walked to one of our favorite lunch spots, Don Colón's restaurant where we worked to find someone heading to the US in the next week or so, Don needed a letter mailed. That done, lunch consumed, coffee enjoyed and we headed out on a leisurely walk to Rotary Market where we easily found the little shelves we wanted.

Here are a couple other photos I snapped while walking El Centro...

So all in all an interesting day! How was yours?

P.S. Do we worry about crime? Check out this post: Crime in Ecuador

Six Month Anniversary

Wow! Where did the time go - we arrived in Ecuador six months ago on December 12th. A lot has happened since then but it's still amazing that it's been that long. We stay busy, in fact this was scheduled to post on our anniversary date but I was so busy it got delayed.

We still love it here but do have BIG news...we're moving! We found a wonderful apartment that offers us the two things we are missing in our current spot. An amazing view and a rooftop terrace to enjoy the outdoors. It means a bump in our budget but still close to our initial estimate. For us it's a quality of life issue and we look forward to our new digs.

It's in an 8 floor building that is only two years old. Elevator, 24 hour armed security, secure parking (not that we need that right now), only two apartments per floor, very large and well appointed. We are excited - not sure how our furniture will fit but that will all work itself out.

Back to living here...I have already written two posts about our Preconceptions, Misconceptions and Viewpoints and not much has changed since the last update. The traffic is about the same, we have a new mayor who is putting safety and transportation at the top of his list, the taxis are now metered (although how that is working out is debatable, at least for the taxi drivers), I am seeing a bit of influx on the graffiti side but I also see a lot more official murals around town, we have found that strawberries wane a bit in late May-early June but they seem to be making a comeback, restaurants continue to come and go, we find new businesses all the time and for me, my Spanish is growing slowly. I have had several compliments on my pronunciation, even though I can't roll my R's.

We continue to watch our food choices, not eating out a lot and walking more. With the bicycle in the house, Stu will be using that to continue getting/staying healthy. He is bringing me back a knee brace to help my walking. Since my fall last February, it has continued to bother me at times.

We love the weather even though many days bring a little rain. Often it's just a shower but a month ago we had long downpours. It is getting a little cooler as we move into winter here but I have still been quite warm walking around El Centro midday with bright sunlight.

We will post photos of the new place once we are moved in...needless to say, the next two weeks will be BUSY!!!!

More bus adventures!

For the last almost 6 months we have taken bus #7 and get off at Doce de Abril just across from Otorongo Plaza or further down close to Solano. I get on the bus Saturday with a list of things to do, ending the list at MegaHierro, Kwyi and SuperMaxi (all in one local area).

Enjoying the sun and sharing some candy with the lady beside me, I suddenly realize that we aren't going to Doce de Abril at all, we have passed it. I keep watching stops and realize I might as well ride it to past the airport and start at the end of my list.

The locals always seem to know when a bus route changes, not sure how, no one seemed bothered or disturbed and they all seemed to know where to get off.

I suspect this is a permanent change because the automated voice had all the new stops. BUT it could have been a one day thing due to street closures for multiple parades in town.

Ahhhh, always an adventure riding the bus in Ecuador!

The rest of the day was good other than terrible traffic, always a Saturday issue, and my walking over ten unnecessary blocks (each way, so 20 in total). I managed to get to rotary market and get a bargain on more string balls to finish my basket, from there to the hippy market for more jewelry gifts, then up to San Sebas for a late lunch (after my 20 extra blocks).

I was refreshed enough to walk a little more and walk over to Casa de la Mujer to see if my weaver was in (he wasn't) before finally grabbing a taxi home.

Yes, it was a good day! Here are a few photos...

My taxi was following the truck overflowing with this load.
Each bundle is roped together. This was just after they were dropped off.

I bought a small basket for sewing stuff, $2.50!

The strawberries are looking good but she tried to Gringo me an extra dollar so I didn't buy.

Baskets getting disbursed, pile getting smaller

Cutest little boy I've seen today!

Blood Collection Drive

Hot and red-faced after my 20 extra blocks walked.

A new bus experience...

Every bus trip is an adventure but some are more so than others. We had heard about the phenomenon of young folks getting on the bus to entertain, asking for tips, but we hadn't seen it.

We had seen the street jugglers, dancers (Argentine Tango in the middle of an intersection at a red light), unicycle riders and more, all wrangling for tips.. But last week we got serenaded...very nicely, too!

A 20-something man accompanied by the same age woman who was carrying a small dog got on board and said something loudly in Spanish. He then proceeded to play his well worn guitar with her occasional accompaniment. We enjoyed it and did give them a small tip before they got off a few stops down the road.

Always something interesting here....