Friends, Food and Travel

Moving sure can skew your sense of time! Here it is August already, how did that happen? We have been very busy between our move (DONE), selling items we no longer need (DONE), meeting old and new friends (NEVER STOPS) and attending Spanish classes (TWO MORE WEEKS).

In addition we have been getting ready for our annual trip to the US. We will be gone 2.5 months this time due to taking a two week Southern Caribbean cruise just before our return.

Almost Home!

Two months have flown by, as referenced in this blog post on our US blog post:

   Winding down here in the US....

The errands and running around is almost done. Packing is complete - trunks and duffles for checked baggage (total of 6) as well as carry-ons. Reservations made for rental car in Florida, hotel in Guayaquil and transportation from there to Cuenca is also done. Stu has plugged all the holes that he could find under the rig, stuffed them with steel wool and then topped that off with pest repellant expanding foam. That, combined with inside and outside repellant granules and spray, should hopefully cut down on our mouse issue this winter.

Today Stu picked up some brake pads after hearing Scooby's brakes squeal yesterday (our Ford F-250) after fueling up Freddie and adding Sta-bil (our Freightliner). As he got ready to head home a LOUD squeal alerted him to an issue. Looks like the clutch bearings on the A/C compressor have frozen. He disconnected the belt for the ride home - no fan for cooling and no alternator for charging.

Now he's trying to take off the compressor and hopefully get the belt to at least run the fan and alternator. Depending on what he finds we will either finish the repair next year or take it to the local big truck repair place before we leave and have our neighbor bring it home and park it for us.

Still need to do laundry, drop off our trash, pick up the Trike at the Harley dealer (warranty and 1k service), put Sta-bil in during  the trike fuel fill-ups, run a few last minute errands in Cookeville tomorrow and do the final cleaning and winterizing of the RV on Friday. We hope to be on the road by 1-2pm, heading to Atlanta to spend the evening with my youngest daughter and grandkids.

From there we head to Florida for our last two days before flying to Ecuador on Wednesday. We will once again leave Scooby parked at my brother's house and take a rental car to Miami. We arrive in Guayaquil late in the day so we'll spend the night at the Holiday Inn. Our good friend, Emilio, will come pick us up and transport us and our 6 checked bags and our carry-ons back to our apartment in Cuenca.

As much as we've enjoyed our time in the US, enjoying seeing family and friends as well as enjoying the gorgeous fall colors, it will feel good to be back in Ecuador!

PRODUCT: Home or Travel Accessory

We tend to travel with a lot of electronics: two Kindle e-readers, two cell phones, two iPads and often one if not two laptops. This means carrying a mass of cables and adapters/chargers, being careful of wattage requirements for the newer iPads (or other tablets, when we had Kindle Fires).

Over the years we have tried and tossed many different adapter/charger combinations, usually settling for a duplicate of what comes with our device pre-stashed in our toiletry bag. We even bought laptop bags that came with a battery and a host of charging plugs, handy but heavy.

While Stu was in the US, I ordered two of these SHARKK® 25W 5-Port USB Wall Plug Family-Sized Charger/Adapter from Amazon. As soon as he unpacked it, he put it to use. HUGE hit! He easily plugged in and charged his iPad Air, Kindle e-reader, iPod and Android phone. No muss, no fuss!

We can now travel with the one stashed in our luggage and the other works in our house. OR we can each put one with our travel stuff. Hmmm, thinking I may get two more when we are in the US this fall.

Oh, but you STILL have to remember to bring your cables! ;)

*for Apple iPad Air / iPad Mini / iPad mini Retina / iPhone 5 / 5S / 5C / All Apple Phones and Tablets / Android Smartphones & Tablets / Samsung Galaxy / Samsung Tab / Samsung Note / And other USB-Powered Devices

Are all passports equal?

A passport from the United States allows its citizens free access to 172 other countries.

But not all travelers have such an overwhelming spread of choices: Residents of Iraq, for example, can access only 31 countries with their passport. Venturing away from Afghanistan? Your options dwindle to 28 countries.

Ecuador gives you 74 countries, Iceland 175.

See the full infographic and more information here: Not All Passports Are Created Equal.

A side note, after three years in Ecuador on a valid immigrant Visa we would qualify for Ecuadorian citizenship. That would give us dual citizenship with the US and grant us permanent status here. At this point we don't see any reason to do so, the only benefit being no restrictions on being out of country.  Currently, after two years we can be out of country for up to 18 months at a time on our current Visa. In addition, the requirements are becoming more stringent for becoming a citizen. We don't disagree with it but spending $3-5k EACH and needing to be fluent in both reading and writing Spanish pretty much rule us out.

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.

Cuenca and Altitude Sickness

There was a good article in my Gringo Tree newsletter today that I thought I should share for anyone considering visiting or moving to Cuenca.

Cuenca is 8,000 or More Feet Above Sea Level

Roughly one in five people who travel to altitudes 7,000-9,000 feet, without acclimating at lower elevations, experiences some degree of high-altitude illness. How do you know if you'll be one of the five? In general, you don't. A medical history of heart or lung disease doesn't predispose you and being physically fit doesn't protect you. 

Airplane cabins are pressurized to simulate atmospheric conditions around 7,000 feet, so if you have no trouble flying, you should have little trouble in Cuenca. What if you do? Here are some suggestions from expats who've suffered from it.

Dissolve a quarter-cup of sugar in a water bottle. When you get a little dizzy, out of breath, nauseous, or headachy, drink a couple swallows and in two or three minutes the symptoms are gone.

HydroPLUS 45 (or an equivalent) is sold at farmacias and costs $3.50 per bottle, no prescription needed. A bottle a day restores electrolytes, good for dehydration from altitude.

Mate de coca (tea)is sold at any natural-food store. It's cheap, not habit-forming, and the only side effect might be a little caffeine-like buzz. It's an almost instant cure for altitude sickness.

Two prescription drugs are effective at reducing symptoms: acetazolamide (Diamox) and dexamethasone (a powerful steroid).

If all else fails, get to a lower elevation quickly. Fastest from Cuenca is the road to Machala. You ascend to around 9,000 feet, but then descend fast; by the time you reach Girón in about a half-hour, you're under 7,000 feet, where you should feel better.

If your heart is set on Ecuador and you turn out to be susceptible to altitude sickness, your chances of making it in Cuenca are slim. You could try Cotacachi north of Quito (7,800 feet), Yunguilla Valley south of Cuenca (6,000 feet), Vilcabamba (just under 5,000 feet), or the coast (sea level).

Both times we flew to Ecuador, we took Diamox two days before departure and two days after our arrival. We both felt we benefited from it and we had few, if any, side effects. Others have used the methods described above with the Mate de Coco being the most often recommended.

You also need to stay hydrated, drink a LOT of water. The good news is the water in Cuenca is very good, often called the best in the county. And lastly, rest...and that can be difficult in this beautiful city.

Time for a mini-vacation!

I know, our whole life is a vacation to most folks but in reality we still have all the usual things to do: shopping, cooking, cleaning, paying bills, etc. Since our move to Ecuador we have spent a lot of time getting settled - dealing with paperwork, buying furniture and decorations, opening our bank account and more.

So when we read about the February special at Madre Tierra Resort in neighboring Vilcabamba, we immediately booked a room. Three nights, four days that included two one hour full body massages, a bottle of wine to accompany a Filet Mignon dinner, breakfast each morning and round trip transportation from Cuenca to the resort.

We had heard about Vilcabamba and even knew one friend we met last April had moved there. What we didn't know was how far away it was! We packed for warmer weather but also for possible cooler evenings.We grabbed a taxi into El Centro to the location of the van service. We had been advised to be there early as they left promptly at 2:30. There were two other couples when we arrived...by the time the van FINALLY left at 3:45, there were close to 18!!!

We were in a larger van so there were a couple of empty seats. The ride wasn't too bad...if you don't count the speeding in fog where you could barely see the road, slamming on of brakes when a slow moving farm vehicle was encountered and the subsequent fishtailing and hydroplaning. Good thing I keep my eyes closed when in the fog...can't take the feelings of panic when the drivers speed.

We had a brief stop in Loja and I snagged a couple of photos with my old iPhone. It looks to be a bit more modern than Cuenca, maybe a bit newer. VERY big, or at least it appeared that way at night.

But we finally made it to Madre Tierra at NINE pm after leaving our place at 1:30 so needless to say we were hungry. We were welcomed with open arms and quickly seated to enjoy our first dinner, the nightly special of soup, beef stroganoff with carrots and mash potatoes. It was delicious and I couldn't even eat it all! Sissy, the adorable little pup, quickly took care of my leftover beef. We also tried a local draft craft beer, nice and dark but smooth. Needless to say, that wasn't our last mug of that beer! Here are some phone pics I took...again, poorly lit from my old iPhone.

After dinner we walked up the steps with the co-owner, Peter. to our room, Casa #5, where the now VP of Ecuador once stayed. What a gorgeous room! Quaint and comfortable with a wonderful balcony overlooking the city. All the modern conveniences in a quiet, relaxing setting.

The next morning we walked back down those steps, wondering at the views and plants. We had breakfast around 8:30 and met some of the other guests.

We took a walk around the property while I snapped shots of the gorgeous flowers and other buildings.

Back for lunch...more homemade bread and more food than I could eat! Time for some relaxing on our balcony, enjoying the view.

While I watched the butterflies and hummingbirds flit around the huge poinsettia tree outside our front door, Stu decided to try the little citrus fruit on the tree beside our balcony. It looked and smelled like a tangerine, only smaller, but was pretty bitter. Not sure if it was really ripe or not.

We both slept well and woke up ready for our first ever full body massages. Wow!!! What a treat...the spa is breathtakingly gorgeous and very relaxing. Our massage therapist was a jewel and she understood that I needed her to be careful around my sprained ankle and still very bruised knee and shin. Oh, while Stu was having his massage, I did a little writing and was surprised to have a visit from Jiminy Cricket! (Okay, so it was really a little grasshopper but I don't know any cute grasshopper names....)

We rested the afternoon away and finally came down for our steak dinner. Stu picked the wine which we both enjoyed. He had wanted an Ecuadorian wine but settle for one from Chile. Needless to say, cuts of meat here are very different from the US and the beef is all grass fed and usually not aged. Wrapped in bacon, our filets weren't as tender as in the US but were still very good. Sissy was close by, just in case we dropped something. ;)

Because of the issues with the van service, Peter offered alternate transportation that allowed us to stay a little later before checking out. We had breakfast early, then an early lunch while we enjoyed chatting with the friends we had made. We took a taxi to Loja and then a different van service drove us back to Cuenca. We were fortunate to have no fog this time around and we made good time. Home, safe and sound before five pm.

My favorite photo of our stay.....up in the clouds!

So our general impressions? First, we can't say enough GOOD about Madre Tierra and the folks there. The owners, Peter, Gail and Suzanne are all wonderful, going out of their way to make sure you are comfortable and have everything you need.

The cooks and wait staff made sure we were satisfied and FULL, all our meals were delicious and if I had to find one thing to complain about, it would be that there was too much. But that said, they would store and reheat leftovers if asked. Honest!

The grounds are gorgeous and there were gardeners hard at work daily, trying to stay ahead of the growth. The greenhouse with the orchid garden was a little neglected but still beautiful. I took so many photos of flowers, plants, bushes and the buildings - you can see them all in our SmugMug album. (click any photo above to enlarge).

Our room was very comfortable and the balcony was used extensively. I even plugged in my laptop for a bit and worked from there. The shower was HOT and very enjoyable. I only wish my shower here in Cuenca would adjust the temperature that easily. LOL!

We never left the grounds, wanting to completely relax (which we did) for our short visit. Vilcabamba is a small, sleepy town but there are also great places to walk and hike, take horseback rides and more. Next visit we will stay longer and explore more.

Weather? Yes, it was a bit warmer than Cuenca and definitely more humid. It rained both afternoons but only for a short period (be careful on the tile steps when they are wet). It never warmed enough to try the gorgeous waterfall pool nor for shorts (for us although others wore them). It was much more casual dress than we anticipated which will help our next visit.

So yes, we WILL go back but our next mini-vacation will probably be to the coast where we will stay at a friend's B&B just outside Montanita. Time to visit the coast, once the high season is over.