Good fun, good wine and great pizza!

As with so many good things and places we've discovered in Cuenca, the source of the best pizza we've enjoyed here was tucked away in an unpretentious nook, with a small sign that was barely noticable. It was the kind of place you could easily walk past without seeing.

Truth be told, we hadn't gone there for the pizza! Fellow boomer and refugee from the 60's and 70's Bill Keyes had become one of our new found friends here in Cuenca. Bill is a long time bass guitarist and he performs with some regularity at the pizza parlor in question. We had gone there specifically to hear our friend "jam". The place in question was Mitti's Pizza (Hermano Miguel 4-37 y Calle Larga). It was easily found because Bill had told us it was directly across the street from Carolina Bookstore.

We arrived at our normal dinner time but slightly ahead of Bill's expected play time so we proceeded to examine the menu curiously labeled Marco's Pizza. It turns out the current proprietor is a native Argentinean from Buenos Aires named Marcos. He was a delightful host and his pizza turned out to be excellent, expecially when accompanied by a glass of Argentinean Cabernet.

A short note about pizza here in Cuenca: While there are many fine Italian establishments in Cuenca, there is a challenge in finding really, really good traditional pizza. Pizza buffs know the three keys to this kind of pizza is crust, cheese and sauce. Crust is not a problem but cheese, as a whole, in Ecuador is OK but not very classy unless you go for the more expensive imported stuff. As to sauce... well this is a country where most people prefer dipping their french fries in mayonesa rather than salsa de tomate(ketchup). As you might image, most pizza is served with a notable absence of tomato sauce. At Mitti's we were specifically asked about the inclusion of tomato sauce (we ordered the Hongos grande with the works on the sauce). Our verdict: yum, yum, yum! No pacquete a via for the Yazell's with this baby despite its grande size!

As to the music, owner Marcos joined in on the jam with our friend Bill. The music later included an accomplished guitarist/ singer from Australia whose friends were enjoying wine and pizza of their own at the front table. At the height of the jam, we were joined at our table by an Ecuadorian friend of ours who had stopped in for a glass of wine with a Canadian client in process of becoming an Expadorian.

So there we were, clientele from Ecuador, Australia, Canada and the U.S. listening to an American and an Argentinean rocking out to the Mexican "La Bamba". That was followed up by the entire room joining in vocally on a version of the Beetles "Get Back". All this took place in the historico centro of Cuenca Ecuador.

Some might call our evening out a very unique experience. For us it was a part of yet another wonderful and blessed day, juntos en el camino de la vida!

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly!

This past week we sat down with our trusty Snoopy calendar for a family meeting. The Snoopy calendar is an important Tool for these gatherings...it has great, cute cartoons and wise sayings that keep Suzanne from getting too impatient or frustrated with Roger and sometimes, vice versa. In this case, however, it provided documentary evidence that five weeks had indeed passed since we set foot in Ecuador and we were past the midpoint in our exploratory decision making trip. Time has flown by so swiftly!

We, like so many other adventurers before us came down with the intention of investigating, inspecting, and detecting to thoroughly assure us, our friends and family back home that this is a wise, sound and prudent thing for us to do in our retirement. Never mind that deep down in our hearts and bones, we knew we had discovered someplace that was going to be called home the first week we were here. Barring the first morning's panic attack (see the post: OMG! It's Brennie!) and a couple of bouts with sniffles, life here has been pretty much a love fest of activity.

However, we came here with a process and passing the midpoint in our stay meant there was an important task needing to be accomplished! (BIG DRUM ROLL): We needed a list! (note to newcomers: even if we didn't walk different, talk different and act different than the natives, Expadorians would be easy to spot because of our constant usage and dependence upon notepads, business cards and lists!)

So here it comes: The Yazell Annotated List of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly Things We've Seen or Learned About Ecuador Midway Through Our Decision Making Trip

THE GOOD:

This is definitively the biggest of the three lists and there's probably a lot we've forgotten to put down, so forgive us if it's a little incomplete. Let's start with some important fun ones like:

MONICA MCNAUGHTON'S BROWNIES!: Suzanne thought I was tryng to be funny when I suggested that but I wasn't.. Her blondies are that yummy!
ITALIAN RESTAURANTS...There's a bunch in Cuenca but La Vina, Meditterranneo And Bertucci's are among our favs.
GREAT FLOWER MARKETS....in nearly all the mercados, plus shops in the neighborhoods, but most especially the market just a block off the Parque Calderon. We always have fresh flowers here!
QUALITY ART AND CRAFTS: The number and variety of artesans in this area is almost hard to put into words. You, of course, have all the stuff you'd expect in a tourist center but with a little hunting, you can find the kind of quality hand craftsmanship that is disappearing in other parts of the world.
MUSEOS: We won't make it through half of them this trip but what we've been through so far (at least half of them for free) is enough to advise tourists to spent at least one full day, if not two exploring Cuenca's presentations.
MOUNTAIN SCENERY: O.K. So we're in the Andes, you expect great views right? Trust me, you're not gonna be prepared for how many times your breath is taken away, not by the altitude, but just simply by the raw, unspoken beauty of the landscapes you'll encounter
ICE CREAM!!!! Except for a rare snippet of Haagen Dazs Rum Raisin, I had given up on ice cream back in the states. Tutto Freddo's is good, (very, very good) but don't leave Cuenca without a visit to MIXX. The quality and flavors wil explode your mind as well as your taste buds.
FRIENDLY PEOPLE: Ecuador has two great assests. Its land and its people. Both are rich and diverse. From children that are always smiling, curious and respectful, to the adults who show reverence for the elderly and respect for each other in ways that many other societies have forgotten, this is a land whose values even rub off on us gringos and makes us better people just by being here and living in a society where sharing a simple hello can give a day nice meaning.
PARKS AND PLAZAS: Public areas and green space abound in this city, not just the historico centro but throughout the neigborhoods as well. If you want to gauge what impact well managed public parks can have on quality of life, spend some time walking the neighborhoods of Cuenca.
AFFORDABLE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION: 29 different bus routes go almost everywhere in the city and each ride is a quarter ( discounted 50% for seniors) Buses to a nearby town are in the $2-$3 range. The absolutely highest cab fare I've paid is $3 and $2 or less will get you there 99.99% of the time in the city. Hire a private driver for anywhere you want to go for the day and pay $12 an hour!plus maybe the cost of his lunch.
ALMUERZO: Speaking of lunch, it's amazing what's available for lunch at prices that make it unafforable to eat at home. Oh, and let me add that the Ecuadorians make the most fabulous SOUPS of any country I've been in.
Real quickly, let's add in:
CUENCA SYMPHONY FREE CONCERTS, FRESH FRUIT AND PRODUCE, PANDERIAS, LITTER & TRASH REMOVAL, VARIETY OF PLANTLIFE, RIVERSIDE GREENBELT Y ALGO MAS!

O.K. Just so you know we aren't looking at things through rose colored glasses, here are the next two categories:

THE BAD:
SMELLY DIESEL EXHAUST FUMES FROM ALL THOSE BUSES: great cheap transportion but spend more than ten minutes at a popular parada waiting for your number of bus to show and you'll want to schedule some respiratory therapy.
DOGGY DEPOSITS ON THE SIDEWALKS: they do a great job picking up litter but not the presents our furry friends leave.
CAR ALARMS: The unexpected fireworks and the roosters are becoming part of my circadian cycles but Oh those car alarms that nobody seems to respond to!
HIGH IMPORT TAXES: for me, it's a shocker that Australian wines are among the most expensive heres but it applies to a lot of imports that cost more here or simply aren't available.
PLAYING TRAFFIC ROULETTE: They call them rondelles here. You may know them as roundabouts or rotaries. These circles of traffic chaos and adventure are a pure nightmare for the pedestrian who didn't plan his street crossing ahead of time and is not practiced in the fine art of street crossing survival.
POSTAGE: A great picture postcard costs a quarter or less until you want to mail it then it requires another $2 at least!
LEGAL AMBIGUITIES: Ecuadorians have some of the most tangled and complex bureaucratic procedures, rules and laws you could ever image but everyone seems to accept them as reality. It will be among the most frustrating things you will encounter on your path to living here but take a deep breath, (hire a competent lawyer!), and seek more advice than you ever thought
possible.
Last but not least, we come to:
THE UGLY:
Overall, it's one of the most beautiful countries on Earth but as with everywhere some ugliness exists. Beauty is, sometimes, in the eye of the beholder and I recognize that many of our new Ecuadorian friends will have different tastes than ours. At the risk of offending my new amigos, I have to state with certainty that we are grateful for the affordability of bathroom remodeling here, because in our humble gringo opinions, bright red ceramic fixtures against green and pink patterned tile in the master bathroom IS UGLY!

We may have missed a few things but the critical takeaway from our midpoint meeting is that our GOOD list is bountiful and well out weighs the BAD and the UGLY. It makes us feel blessed to be here as we continue juntos en el camino de la vida!

Ecua-volley anyone!

Here in Ecuador, weekends are for familia. You see families out and about together all over town, on the plazas and along the river if it's sunny. There's always much shopping at the mercados, in the centro and at the malls. And, of course, every Saturday afternoon (usually rain OR shine) families gather at the courts in the neighborhood parks to watch dads, brothers, cousins and friends compete in Ecua-volley.

Ecua-volley is the unique Ecuadorian version of volleyball and it's nearly as large a national sports pastime as futball (soccer, but don't call it that here!). In Ecua-volley, the net is slightly higher (I'm guessing about 10 to 12 inches; they use a standard soccer ball instead of the softer, lighter volleyball we're used to in the states and the teams are comprised of only 3 players. Scoring appears to be similar and the allowance of three touches is the same except that players are allowed a brief "hold" on the ball with their fingertips. Games are seriously competitive and there is usually two games going on in the standard paved courts in the park. These courts also function for futball, basketball and a rare game of tennis but Saturdays seem to reserved at virtually every one for Ecua-volley as teams gather to wait their turn at entering the court. We've only been to three different sites but it appears that the losing team loses the right to remain in competition while the winners stay to take on new challengers. There is frequently wagering between the teams and sometimes the exchange of cash is not insignificant. That can make for very spirited and intense competition. We witnessed one game in there were at least 3 dozen volleys across the net before a point was scored. Regardless if the game is competitive or casual, there is always a crowd of spectators, usually family members. If the facility is lighted, games may go fairly well into the evening. If the weather is good, pots of food and refreshment will probably appear toward the end of the day. Someone will bring a boom box and the band of victors, losers and spectators begins to blend into a neighborly gathering reminiscent of a large family reunion and picnic. On one of the first Saturdays we spent in our rental apartment, the gathering in the court behind our building lasted late into the night. Part of it then moved just down the street to a neighbors house and lasted until the wee hours of the morning. It may have kept us up alittle but the fun had by all involved was obvious.

The regular gathering of family and friends, including the weekly Ecua-volley games, are part of an enviable pattern of life here in Ecuador. Family, fun, sharing and fellowship are among some of society's best virtues here. We are delighted at being exposed to and sharing in it as we continue onward juntos en el camino de la vida!

O-setenta-tres! Having fun at Te-Bingo.

Monica's email said come join us for bingo and and a tea at the Oro Verde. The cost was five dollars per person and proceeds would benefit The Messengers of Peace Foundation. Their neighbors Mario and Yolanda were active in this charitable group. They explained that the charity supported a country rehabilitation center, school and even a foster home program for handicapped orphans.

It sounded like a worthwhile charity and once again, it looked like rain, so off to "Te Bingo" we went. It was a good decision and a delightful time was had in the fellowship of our tableful of new Expadorian friends and a gracious roomful of Ecuadorian hosts that made us feel quite welcome.

The afternoon also brought home a reminder that, as newcomers in this Spanish speaking land, it is fairly helpful (even essential) to know and understand a few key phrases "en espanol".
The utility of being able to ask "?Donde es el bano." comes to mind as one of the most obvious examples. Knowing commonly used numbers in Spanish is also helpful in terms of doing everyday shopping, asking what bus to take, etc. But here, just knowing the spanish number is only half the battle. With numerals, more than any other spanish words, it can be easy to become confused as to what you're hearing when spoken back to you. Carrying a calculator and pointing can help and is probably reccomended in a significant purchase negotiation. That's not always practical, however, in a busy shopping environment with impatient customers behind you. You simply need to learn those numbers!

And that, dear friends, brings us back to our afternoon of bingo. It turned out to be the perfect way to get in nearly two hours of practice in learning our numerales en espanol! I'm happy to report the lesson was good and the Yazells made significant progress in being able to understand the costs quickly thrown at us the next time we peruse the produce at the mercado. We still need extra practice on the numbers in the 60's (sesenta) and the 70's (setenta)because they often still sound alike to us. It was somewhat conforting to notice that even bilingual Mario who had graciously joined our table to help us with the numbers had to turn on occaision to the number board to determine the number that had been called.

We had a fun afternoon and we felt good in contributing to a worthy cause. We also left determined to do more practice on our numbers as we continue our travels, juntos en el camino de la vida!

Huffing, Puffing, Developing Calves of Steel, in Search of Great Almuerzo!

As we enter week three of our Ecuadorian exploration, we continue to be blessed with making new friends as well as getting great advice and insight from some experienced Expadorians. Roger even got a chance to make a little profit at Texas Hold Em night (always nice to go home a winner!) but the greatest riches continue to come from our interactions with the people here, both Expadorian and local.

We continue to adapt to the altitude and are beginning to cope with that well. Of course, walking up to 4 miles a day probably has helped the adjustment. We spend a portion of each day exploring a new section of this city on foot. After getting a bus route guide downtown, we also are utilizing buses more. Often, we'll take the bus to a new area we've targeted to explore, then spend a couple of hours or more walking and exploring that part of town. Sometimes our return is a walk back, but as we venture farther away, a bus ride home has become more frequent. Both usually mean that we still have to tackle "heart attack hill". From the bus stop to our edificio is about a 1.5 block walk up what has to be a fifteen degree incline. We've seen some cars struggle to make this beastie! Our first attempt required three rest stops and we generally still take at least one. Recently, we did make it in one continuous trip. We would have done the "Rocky" victory dance at the top but we were too busy huffing and puffing for breath. Suzanne says Ecuador will either give us "calves of steel" or make us prime candidates for knee surgery. We are, however, getting in great shape learning this city and we're loving the process!

Since we are out almost every day, we frequently eat out for lunch or, as they say here, almuerzo. Many blogs have been written about the almuerzo specials available in this city. Most consist of a small bread, a protein dish (meat, beans, sometimes both), lots of rice, and a veggie dish or at least a little lettuce, tomato and avacado. A small sweet bread and and beverage are usually included. Some add or at least offer soup as well. (Ecuadorians generally excel at their soups!). It is almost impossible to walk more than 4 blocks in this city without seeing small cafes, cafeterias or restaurants offering these daily specials. If you spend more than $5 per person, you qualify as a ravenous glutton. We have even spent less than $5 for the two of us and have been pressed to consume all we were served. Does quality sometimes vary? Of course, but that's been part of the fun! We love searching for those gems that offer the standard dishes at competitive prices but where the quality of the ingredients and the preparation of the foods stands above the competition. A recent such find in the Centro may be of interest to our new friends locally since it only opened this June. It is Restaurante Cilantro on Juan Jaramillo (8-86) near Benigno Malo. Our almuerzo there began with an absolutely awesome creamy chicken/noodle/mushroom soup. The rest of the ingredients, while standard fare, was quite excellent in both quality and presentation. After reviewing this restaurant's regular menu and wine list, we're planning to return for dinner as well.

We'll report back in a future as to whether owner Marco Prado wows us as much with dinner as he did with his menu a la dia. His was probably our best almuerzo so far in Cuenca.

We do, of course, plan to keep looking for more great places to eat, to keep exploring this wonderful city and to keep developing those leg muscles as we remain: juntos en el camino de la vida!

Wine in Ecuador

During our cross country trip and our initial foray into Ecuador, I took a sabbatical on my wine blog, Roger's Grapevine (www.rogersgrapvine.blogspot.com). It probably didn't come as a surprise to friends and readers who knew of our plans to explore Ecuador that my first return to the Grapevine chronicled a wine bottled here in Cuenca: Conte de la Cruz Vinto Tinto Reserva. Suzanne, after reading it, told me that I need to be including some of my Ecuadorian wine observations on our new blog. O.K. Boss, here goes:

Observation number one: Ecuador is far from being a wine lover's dream come true.
While many come to Ecuador for its reasonable cost of living in such areas as real estate, health care and fresh foods, don't count wine among those things you'll save money on. Ecuador is not a high volume wine producer and while great wines are found in nearby Chile and Argentina (wines from these two countries dominate the shelves here) prices are high. Ecuador imposed high import duties on alcohol a short time ago and is considering raising them in the coming year. The result is that I found many of my Chilean and Argentinian favorites at higher prices here in Cuenca than they were in the USA. Not exhorbitantly higher, but higher nevertheless. Variety is also a little more limited and focuses on basic mainstream varietals, some sparkling and a few dessert wines. While I've only been here just over a week, I'm fairly certain stumbling onto a good Brunello or Nebiolo will be an event worthy of a fairly significant celebration. As a result of costs, the bulk afforability of box wines is popular here. That's a growing trend back in the states, as well. But here, the box selection is still restricted to wines that are fairly fruity and young wines, often produced from second run juices. Nothing wrong with those unless you prefer more complex aged and dynamic wines. Wine is readily available here but it is either costlier or simpler in style or both.

Observation number two: Wine merchants are much less sophisticated here.
That's an economic reality and not a reflection on retail capabilities. With higher prices, less variety and lower wine consumption, Ecuadorian merchants are simply not going to invest in developing sophifisticated wine knowledge and expertise. That might change in the future if consumer demand increases. However, don't currently expect a lot of help in choosing from among the labels (most of whom may be unfamiliar) here. You have to do your own wine homework. You also need to be aware that merchant unfamiliarity with wine may extend to proper display and storage as well. Beware of the mercado proudly displaying nearly his entire selection of wine in one of his front windows. Intense sunlight is one of wine's three worst enemies when it's in the bottle and the uv index here exceeds anything regularly seen in the US.

Observation number three: There ARE opportunities here (as there always are where ever wine is sold) to find some really decent wine values, particularly if you're a red wine drinker. Because of the lower consumption levels here, the larger retailers seem to be regularly willing to offer quantity discounts to keep up inventory turns. Smaller shops do not turn inventory as fast and some of these bottles may stay on the shelf for extended periods. However, if it's a well made red wine capable of ageing and it's adequately stored, it just improves. If the retailer purchased it from the wholesaler before the import increased, he probably has kept the old retail. You potentially have a well aged wine at a better retail than its younger vintage counterpart at the big retailer. This can make for a fun outing, exploring the smaller neighborhood shops in search of these potential gems. Remember, many well made wines will have fairly extensive shelf life if not subjected to oxidation, heat or sunlight.
If you enjoy younger, fruitier and sweeter wines, there are some Ecuadorian products (to the best of my knowledge there are three current wine producers in Ecuador) that will please you at very affordble prices. Other saving alternatives are the afoementioned box wines or a line of wines from a Chilean producer labeled Guyasamin. These wines honor renown Ecuadorian artist Oswaldo Guyasamin who died in 1999 and are produced under license from the charitable foundation in Quito created by his estate. As a result of this and support of the foundation, this wine gets a modification on its tariff and you get a slightly better price point than many of its comparable counterparts.

No, Ecuador isn't a wine lover's dream come true, but wine is available here and with all the lifestyle affordabilities, you certainly don't have to do without a good glass of wine
That's a good thing because Suzanne and i do enjoy an occaisional wine break as we continue juntos en el camino de la vida.

Our first week in Ecuador!

It's been just over a week since we arrived in Cuenca and it's time to reflect on our experience. As we talked, Roger and I discovered we've both enjoyed the architecture, the mild weather and the laid back life style. We love being able to take long walks and having time to do whatever we decide for the day. However, what has had the most impact on us has been the people, both Ecuadorians and Expadorians. They have accepted and welcomed us into this community so well.
It began with Brennie, who came to our aid, then Miguel, our driver, who helped in getting phones and oriented us to the city and even showed us his favorite Italian restaurant, Bertucci's. Val and Will, good neighbors in every sense of the word who guided us through the co-op, the mercado, the bakery and more. Mick and Kathy hosted an introductory dinner where we met Jim, Angie, Pat and Sue and shared great views of the city, river and stars from their terrace. New landlords Tom and Monica have been more than gracious and we're looking forward to sharing their hospitality and meeting more new friends. While on a walk, we stopped and enjoyed a metal artisan who patiently showed this non Spanish speaking gringa the details of his craft. Neighbor Hugo, a retiree from Quito greeted us so warmly and welcomingly when we met him on a walk and discovered we shared the same edificio. Each and every day brings new acquaintances and new things to fill our calendar of activities. We've bumped into Connie and Mark at Tutto Freddos and Rich and Nancy at lunch. We're looking forward to a coffee with the Kimblers and I even get rid of Roger for an evening when he heads out to the monthly poker night! We are in awe of how this city and its residents have opened their doors and hearts to us and filled our days with not only new places but new relationships to explore.

It hasn't all been a bed of roses....they want how much for Tide at SuperMaxi????? Where do all those speeding and honking vehicles come from just when I want to cross the street???? Someone get that neigborhood rooster a clock...it isn't even close to dawn yet!!! And of course, there's the nightly rendition of the honorary Ecuadorian national anthem: the car alarm!

But all in all, it's as one local ex-pat reminded us recently: I wake up every morning, pinch myself and say "My God, I'm living here in the Andes". Cuenca and Ecuador isn't for everybody...but with each passing day, we think it just may be for us. We are so very grateful to be able to be here.....and to be juntos en el camino de la vida!

Turning Things Around

In our first two forays into the historico centro of Cuenca, we got twisted around. "You don't usually do that, are you ok?" Suzanne queried. I actually WAS a little rattled. You see, I've always been one of those people with a keen sense of direction and the ability to follow my nose and magically get to where we wanted to be. As a youngster, when we first moved to suburban Pittsburgh, Pa. My father used to always insist I accompany him downtown so he wouldn't get lost. I was not only his third born, I was his organic GPS.

Not suprising therefore, that after two episodes of mis-direction here in Ecuador's third largest city, that I became just a little mildly concerned for my mental and physical well-being. That is until I discoverd the reason for my mild confusion was NOT early onset Alzheimers. It came to me on Tuesday, the 21st of June. The folks up in the northern hemisphere recognize that date as the first day of summer as the sun treks north to warm the cockles of your pea picking hearts. Down here, we're south of zero and the sun's passage over the equator means it's moving away from us. And while it still rises in the east and sets in the west just it does for the norte americanos, we are watching its trek across the sky as we face north instead of facing south as we once did when we resided in the ole US of A.

Good ending...my brief and mild disorientation was NOT due to an organic malfunction, a major disturbance in the "force" or any other threat or crisis. It was just a simple misconception on my part that some things would be the same here as where I was from. That's not an uncommon mistake for newly arrived expat wannabes to make here. But it can sometimes be a hard thing to learn from.

Now that I turned things back around where they should be, I'm delighted to go walking more assurredly and hand-in-hand through the centro with my beloved partner of 40 years. We are confidently again: juntos en el camino de la vida!

OMG! It's Brennie!

Brenda Eddy had no reason to think that it was anything but another typical morning in Cuenca as she left Edificio La Quadra II following a visit to a pair of good friends. It was then her thoughts were interrupted by an excited shout "Oh my God, it's Brennie!".
Suzanne hadn't reacted like that to seeing someone in person for the first time since the 60's. As a young teen she had screamed when she saw Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits in his first Chicago concert. What had prompted this groupie-fan style outburst decades later at the entryway to an otherwise quiet condomiumium residence in Ecuador?

A recap of the events since our last blog may shed some light: Since then we boarded a flight from Atlanta to Quito enroute to Cuenca for our planned two month stay. The flight went well, arriving late in the evening in Quito. Our first experience with altitude adjustment occurred on a near breathless hike to baggage claim and customs. Things appeared to be going better when 3 of our 4 pieces of checked luggage came off together in the first wave. Our last piece was literally that...last. Needless to say, that led to some quality anxiety time. The anticipated hotel shuttle was not to be found, cell phones were inoperable and no courtesy phones were to be found so we invested an extra half hour arranging transport. It was early am when we finally hit the sack. It appearred booking the later flight to Cuenca on LAN was a wise choice. Not so wise was failing to read LAN's baggage restrictions which were roughly half the weight restiction for Delta. Oh well, a few trips back and forth (not to mention a few extra dollars) and we were on our way. In Cuenca, Roger nearly tripped over the luggage cart laughing as we exited baggage claim. He had immediately recognized our host landlord Bob (of Bob n Rox fame). To insure we could find our ride, Bob was waving a sign that read "The Wine Guy". Bob got us to our apartment and we settled in, armed with some names and phone numbers we could use if we needed help (our landlords were leaving shortly, but more about that to come on their blog...no bean spilling from us!) We didn't have working cells, but we had taken the step of having them unlocked and ready to receive a local sim card, hopefully from the provider convenietly located next door. (Don't wager real money on how that worked out). O.K. We'll just email some local expats we've been in contact with for advice and help. Ooops, we traveled with an I-pad which requires wireless and the apartment only has a direct modem. There were also no unlocked wifi networks showing on our computer. No problem, have the security desk guy call everyone's favorite guide and facilitator Fabian (Bob had wisely written down his name and number).

This brings us to morning in question. Roger is in the parking lot discovering the driver who has arrived is not Fabian, doesn't speak a lick of English, and when inquired about where to go for cell phone service pointed to the Mission Impossible store where Roger had already failed. Suzanne was on her way back into the building to at least retrieve Fabian's name and number when she spied Brenda Eddy on her way out.

Although we had never met, we've been reading her husband Clarke Green's blog for nearly a year and Roger and Clarke connected recently on Facebook. Imagine the excitement at seeing a familiar friendly face. It was a welcome sight in a tempest of confusion. Brennie turned out to a sweet and gracious samaritan, phoning Fabian who in turn sent brother Miguel who got us phone equipped and later that day helped get us oriented to our new city. Brennie even got us introduced to our new neighbors Val & Will. With phones in hand, we advised Mick and Kathy another bag of dog food had found its way to Ecuador. Later Roger found a computer store with wireless modem. We shopped, got to meet George and family plus Rick and Nancy at the California kitchen. We were able to let family at home know we were safe and even began to catch our breath (literally as well as figuratively).
As we watched fireworks from our balcony this evening, we felt exicited and blessed to be here. With a little help from new found friends, we remain juntos en el camino de la vida.

Brief update!

We havE been on a two week cross country tour. Some of the time has been spent visiting sights we've always wanted to see, some seeing friends, some visiting family. We haven't spent time learning how to do the blog on our I-pad and wireless access has been limited so that's part of the reason for lack of posts(along with the fact that the days seem to go by very fast!). In any case we are in the final preparations for our flight to Ecuador to begin our initial two month stay. We will arriving in Cuenca on Wednesday. We're looking forwarding to not being entirely based in a suitcase and anchored for a while but also lookinug forward to some busy explorations.

More news and posting to come...until then, we are, as always, junto en el camino de la vida!