Moving2Ecuador

I started today with a list and very systematically went through each item on it. The greatest challenge was to fit just enough in the bags so each of them weighed 50 pounds and no more. I crawled into bed after 1 AM last night and started again at 7 this morning. Life felt suddenly brighter when Maria and Gabriel came by and relieved me of my toaster oven and various and sundry items, and then Gustavo came to empty out my refrigerator and my kitchen cupboards. The apartment looked definitely emptier and I could focus on the stuff I had to fit into my suitcases. I had missed dinner last night and breakfast this morning, so Maria suggested a coffee. It was back to Boncaffe next door where the coffee tasted so very good. We had a lunch date with Isabel and the family and arrived at the designated time (12:30) but of course it took another hour and a half to get to the restaurant (Lo Nuestro) and another hour or so to get fed. Maya and I were starving! The food was delicious (I like Coste...

The streets were almost dry this morning and the sky was blue with clouds, so Maya and I decided to take the teleferico up Pichincha to see the city and hoped to see more mountains. We arrived later than planned, so that when we arrived up top, the clouds started to roll in and the possible views began to fade away. Guagua and Rucu Pichincha were both covered in snow, and appeared and disappeared behind clouds as we ascended the path. We veered off the prescribed path to the start of the climb to Rucu, where we decided to rent horses for a half hour. We did not go far, but I was delighted to wander through the high paramo vegetation. Rucu Pichincha We had limited time, since Maya had her last violin lesson and last orchestra practice and last concert of the year. I dropped her off at 4 after saying goodbye to her teacher Karin, and then visited the salon downstairs where I had my last manicure and pedicure. It was amazing to talk to the ladies downstairs and remember the early days whe...

Roosters and birds woke us up. I will miss waking up to birds singing. I could hear the mountain climbers getting ready early; our wake up call was at 7:30. Breakfast was granola with fruit and yoghurt and a cappuccino which was of course not really a cappuccino but pretended to be one. We met our guide for the day, who was from Israel. He had come to Ecuador to visit family and travel and ended up volunteering and staying far longer than he planned. Ecuador has a way of grabbing you and holding tight. Our tourbus was packed with tourists from Germany, Canada, Peru, Columbia, Brasil, and Israel. Every seat including the jumpseats in the aisle were occupied. Our driver was Ricardo and guided the Spanish and Portugese speakers, and Avi guided the rest of us. As we drove onto the Panamerican Highway most of the mountains were clearly visible, including Guagua and Rucu Pichincha and the Ilinizas covered in snow, Corazon, Ruminahui, and Pasachoa. Cotopaxi was again covered in clouds. The s...

Last Blast!!!!There were so many choices as to how to best appreciate our last weekend in Ecuador. I had thought of Guayaquil, a city which I have always enjoyed, but have not entirely explored. I had never been to Loja, far in the south, nor to the valley of Vilcabamba where people regularly live more than a hundred years. The beach always beckons, and this time we were advised to travel to Esmeraldas in the north where the sun tends to shine at this time of year. Finally I decided that we had not seen the mountains in several weeks, and I believe I will miss the Avenue of the Volcanoes most of all when we leave. I had made arrangements for Fidel to come to the house at 9 to start painting, but of course this is Ecuador, and he did not show up until closer to 11, but that gave me a chance to get the apartment ready for him and for Maya and I to visit Corfu for breakfast. There is very little in my refrigerator and I have made a concerted effort not to shop for much, and I have been t...

It took far to long today to make a decision about who would paint the apartment, how much would be painted, what colour was to be used, who would buy the paint, when it would be done, how much to pay, etc etc. Maria recommended the painter who did a great job on her house, but he got lost finding our place (went to Suiza instead of Suecia) and in the interim Isabel recommended Fidel, who cleans her house and is a professional painter, and would give me a good price. He came over and agreed that the walls looked good, but suggested that it is usual for owners to expect a renter to paint before leaving. When Maria's referral came by, he did not feel that anything but the baseboards needed painting. The maintenance man from the apartment, who had originally painted the place before we moved in, suggested a price fully four times that of Antonio and Fidel. Finally, I agreed to have Fidel come tomorrow after buying the paint (I gave his son Gustavo the leftover paint when I did not fee...