A Changing of The Guard in Quito

The Presidential Palace in Quito prior
to the ceremonial changing of the guard

Although elections were recently held in Ecuador, this post isn't about a new administration in our capitol city.  It's about a ceremony that occurs on most Monday mornings at 11:30 am.  It is a formal presentation and changing of the guard at the Presidential Palace.   This stately residence and office of the President of the Republic is located on the north side of the beautiful Plaza de la Independencia in the heart of the historico centro in Quito, Ecuador's capital city.

The Yazells being touristas in Quito!

When our son Stephen scheduled travel through Quito on his first visit to our new home, we decided to spend a couple of days showing him our capitol before his flight back to the US. (since we know someone will ask, we will be blogging later about the new international airport in Quito!).  Suzanne and I also stayed over a couple of more days to visit some of the of the areas we hadn't seen yet.  Other than Roger's birthday celebration, one of the highlights of our stay was the aforementioned guard changing ceremony at the Presidential Palace.

  Due to Presidente Correa being enroute to the Pope's coronation, the ceremony was overseen by Ecuador's current Vice President,  Lenin Moreno.   He is from our home city of Cuenca and we Cuencanos are proud of the fact that he was a nominee for the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize!

Vice Presidente Moreno is in the center of this photo.  

In any case, we hope you enjoy the photos we took during the ceremony and hope you get a chance to enjoy this simple but elegant ceremony for yourself when you visit:

Here comes the guards!

No patriotic ceremony is complete without a good military band!

Some high step marching was called for as the guards assembled!

Students provided vocal accompaniment for the National Anthem.

The Ecuadorian flag is raised on the center tower of the palace during the National Anthem.

Colorful uniforms on units throughout the plaza made an impressive sight!

Quito was the very first city ever named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's historico centro has beautiful churches, government buildings, museums, wonderful plazas and a mixture of great architecture that includes old European , gothic and even a little art deco in addition to the classic colonial.
This is a must stop for any visitor to Ecuador, especially if you plan to spend a day or two in Quito in transition to the coast, the Amazonia, the Galapagos or even the rest of the Andean Sierra.

We thoroughly enjoy each and every time we visit this city but are always happy to return to Cuenca, our home and first love in Ecuador.  We feel fortunate to live in a country with so much to explore and enjoy as we continue our journey "juntos en el camino de la vida".

Moving to Ecuador? Odds are you WON'T make it as a resident here!

We get a lot of prospective newcomers that read our blog and contact us for advice and with questions.  We also run into people almost on a weekly basis who come to Ecuador to "check it out" because of all the great things they've heard.   We are always happy to help...after all, many who came here before us were instrumental in our decision to relocate here and we would have had a much more difficult time if they had not been welcoming and helpful to us.  After spending two years in the process and a little more than a year as full-time, permanent residents, we can now tell you, without hesitation, that we made the right choice for us.  We are unabashed fans of this wonderful country and its people.

Now we are going to tell you something you don't really want to hear:

It has been estimated that a majority of those of you who move to Ecuador in the coming year will return to your home country within two years.  For many of those who do so, the return is likely to be at a heavy financial cost!  Others of you may be financially unable to return and could wind up being unhappy and bitter in your new home!

This is not something totally new, it is a trend that came into effect right after Ecuador jumped into the limelight as the number one overseas retirement destination.  It is a trend that has been been steadily accelerating.  In our humble opinion, it occurs because most who are planning to come simply aren't investing enough time and effort in researching what it really means to move overseas.   It is critically important to know what it actually requires of you before you take the plunge! That means qualifying AND quantifying the costs of relocation....emotional, social, cultural and psychological costs as well as the financial ones.  So many of you do a minimum amount of research, often depending upon newspaper or magazine articles and internet sites or relocation seminars that view overseas relocation through rose-colored glasses.   Some of you are simply naive enough to fully believe whatever you have read.  Others simply fail to recognize that it is their own responsibility to do due diligence and fact-checking in assessing this information.  Others are just in a rush to find a quick, easy fix to the difficult position they are currently in.   Whatever the case, not adequately doing your homework can make you very susceptible to an unrealistic sense of euphoria and wonderment at the opportunities presented by living abroad and can leave you uninformed about the potential pitfalls.  This makes you very unprepared to deal with the inevitable challenges you will face in relocating overseas.

Moving to another country CAN be a wonderful and rewarding opportunity, BUT, without a doubt, it IS ALSO a very life-altering event.   Even for those of us who are now happily ensconced here as residents of Ecuador, there were times when the process of moving here tried our patience, stressed us out, exhausted us and challenged our entire life and value systems in ways we never thought possible.   Dear readers, moving permanently to a foreign country is definitely NOT for the timid, nor is it for the faint of heart.  It is NOT for those who cannot face challenge and adversity.  It is NOT for those unsure of their own place in the world.  It is NOT for those who have trouble dealing with others whose perspectives and values are much different than their own.  It is NOT for those who are afraid to learn new things and enjoy new adventures.  The truth is that it might NOT be the right thing for you!

Having said all that, we can tell you we are joyously glad we made the decision to relocate here!  For us, it was well worth all the effort, stress and heartache to make it happen.  What we can't tell you is if it would be worth all that for YOU.  You have to decide that for yourselves.  And making that decision properly will require you  to invest a lot of time, effort and due diligence.  Putting it simply, to make sure you are making the right decision, you are going to have to do a lot of homework.

What does that involve?

1.  Lots, and I mean lots, of research:

  Be a sceptic of everything you read online (including in blogs!) or in newspapers and magazines and verify all the information you get from official or reliable sources.  Correspond with companies, ex-patriates, anybody who might write back, hire some help (definitely a lawyer!).  Make a list of 100 questions you need answered.  After those are answered, do it again and then do it again...realize that after a half dozen times of doing it, you might possibly arrive at half of what you will need to know!  Make an appointment and visit an Ecuadorian consulate if you can.  (This will be a necessity once you make the decision to start the process, anyway.)  If possible, make a visit to Ecuador before you make the final decision.   Make a list of everything you haven't yet gotten answers for, (healthcare facilities, can I find a computer, rechargeable batteries, ironing boards, what's it like walking the neighborhoods, etc, can I shop open air markets, etc??).  Revisit your question list often because as you find answers, they will generate more questions. Whenever you ask a question that someone whose help you seek can't answer, be sure to ask them where they go to find the answer if it was their question.  It will be a real scavenger hunt getting all your answers but well worth the time and effort.

2.  Self-examination:

 How many times have you relocated before now?  How did you handle that?  Do you only associate and/or socialize with people who have the same interests and values as you?  Can you live without many of your favorite American brands?  Can you make the effort to learn some Spanish? (Yes, folks, that WILL be a necessity...you don't have to be fully fluent but you DO need at least a rudimentary knowledge of the language in order to fit in here!)  Are you capable of the many new things you will need to do and learn?  Do you understand you will need to adopt a lot of new ways of going about everyday life?  How difficult will it be for you to be separated from family and old friends for extended periods of time? Can you adjust to a lifestyle that is very, very different than what you are accustomed to "back home"?   Many people, after reading the highly positive, benefit-laden articles on the wonders of moving abroad,  will mistakenly assume that moving to Ecuador will allow them to enjoy the lifestyle they were used to "on the cheap".  Sorry to burst your bubble, but it simply ain't going to be like that!  It IS a different country, different culture and different lifestyle.....like anywhere else you might choose to live, there may be many highly wonderful, positive things about it but there will also be some challenges, difficulties and some absolute negatives.  The real question is...are YOU prepared to handle a major change in YOUR life?  In order to take advantage of and appreciate the many positives there are, and in order to minimize the impact of the unavoidable negatives you will have to adjust how you lead your daily life.  Are you prepared to do that?  If your answer is NO...I would advise that you don't come to Ecuador!


This self-examination and assessment of your ability to adjust is truly as important as all the research you will do on learning about Ecuador and what it offers and requires as a potential new home.   Don't fail to do it before you make your final decision!



3.  Know what you want, understand what you will minimally need and make your expectations realistic:

Sometime back, a veteran ex-patriate resident here posted an ad on a popular English internet classified website seeking an apartment located in the historico centro of Cuenca with all the amenities, fully furnished appliances and utilities, including internet service,  for a fairly ridiculous amount (but one often quoted in magazine articles as a rent that could be readily obtained in the city).  He meant the post to be a humorous essay directed to knowledgeable veterans of relocation, but it caused a firestorm of reaction directed at the arrogance (and/or ignorance) of the poster.  What was even more astounding, however, was the number of emails sent from prospective newcomers who stated THEY were looking for exactly the same kind of facility and would the poster please share the list of received responses with them, as well.   It really underscored the fact that more and more newcomers are NOT doing all the research they need to and are coming and/or seeking to come to Ecuador with expectations that are simply not very realistic!   We've overheard local suggestions of deliberate falsehoods in one of the most popular relocation magazines read by people exploring the possibilities of moving to Ecuador.   That criticism may be a little harsh and over reaching.  However, there is little doubt that that the magazine in question does tend to present a rather distorted viewpoint.

 (Let's face it folks... these people earn their living selling ads to the companies who want to sell YOU what you need to relocate here...they have a vested financial interest in painting the rosiest possible picture as to the benefits of relocation and in keeping the mention of any possible pitfalls or problems to an absolute minimum! They are not, nor will they ever be, concerned about being 100% accountable for telling you everything you probably should know.   That's  NOT the reason they are publishing their magazine!   Keep in mind, accountability in fact-finding is YOUR responsibility, not a magazine's.  It's also not the responsibility of a government agency, nor is it really the full responsibility of a relocation service....you are are going to have to take this bull by the horns and meet the challenge face on.  If you want your relocation to work, it's up to YOU to make it happen!)

It isn't lying to say you can rent a 3 bedroom house in a major city in Ecuador for under $350 per month.  It can be done!  However, it could be considered a type of distortion to assume that people immigrating here from the USA would actually want to live in that house!  It certainly won't have any appliances in it, utilities will NOT be included,  plumbing may or may not be fully functional. There certainly will be no alarms nor security and no internet.  The curtains and light fixtures, if any at all, will likely have been removed by the previous tenant as he vacated.   Any cleaning, repairs or remodeling prior to moving in will be totally your responsibility, not the landlord's (oh, and after you do them, you might expect a rent increase because the value of the property just increased and your landlord could get more from a new tenant!). 

  Know what you would like to have in a home here. Know, too, what you want in terms of lifestyle, in events, social activities, transportation, etc.,  and know what your minimum requirements are in each of the categories you measure.  Know, as well, what your budget will allow for each of those.  Then (and ONLY then)  begin to research how well those needs can be met here and what the cost will be.  You will have to do a lot of looking...some things may come well under your budget, some may not.  Generally everyday cost of thing and healthcare is much more affordable here than in the US.  Owning a car, buying fine wine,  and owning a fully furnished ranch home with full blown security  plus all the amenities such as a gym or swimming pool may very well cost you much more than it would back home!  It will cost you big time, both financially and stress wise to ship a container of personal belongings.   On all these matters, you have to your homework and do it well.  Trust me, it will be harder to do this accurately for Ecuador than it would be for you to do locally back home.  However, in order to make a good decision, you need to invest the time and effort it will take to do it well.

4. The overwhelming majority of the work needs to be done BEFORE you ever leave your current home:

The famous Chinese philosopher and author of "The Art of War, Sun Tzu once wrote "Great Generals seek victory first, then enter into battle!"  It is an axiom that has been applied to business management.  It is also an extremely applicable  philosophy to follow in in your relocation process.  Get your act together BEFORE you leave home, not AFTER you arrive in Ecuador.   There are a thousand and one "i's" to be dotted and "t's" to be crossed and many, many of them become extremely difficult to do and/or coordinate once you've left home.    Getting the required police reports is a very illustrative example....in some states, these reports, by law,  cannot be picked up by a third party nor can they be mailed to you.   They are a necessity and it can add much burden and expense or even derail your residency process if you didn't have that document taken care of in the right format before you left. And folks, that's just one example of the many problems you could encounter.    Find out what you need to do and DO it BEFORE you come.  Have a plan, execute it, and then book your travel to Ecuador, because getting yourself here is one of the last things you will need to accomplish on a very long "to do" list.

Will it be cumbersome gathering all the information you need stateside?  Yes, and because of that,  some people actually schedule a trip to Ecuador just for research purposes.  If you do so, plan that trip well and make it much more than just a "touristy" "look-see" adventure.  It will pay big dividends and solve many of your problems in advance.  It's simply a matter of doing your homework and that will take time and effort.

5. Do your homework and make an informed decision:

Ecuador is a truly amazing, beautiful country, one of the most unique on Earth and it has a lot to offer as a potential new home.   We give thanks virtually every day that we decided to come here and we feel
amazingly blessed to have had the opportunity to "restart" our lives here in Cuenca.   We don't have all the answers for you but by doing this blog we hope to put you on the path to finding the answers for yourself.

 We'll leave you with the following pieces of advice:

It is impossible to ask "too" many questions,,,,,keep asking, keep researching, keep doing your homework.  (We're still learning and we started our process over two years ago!)

Always remember, you're moving to a totally different country.  While the overall cost of living is less, some things you are used to will cost much more.  You are NOT going to find your former lifestyle at a discount here...be prepared to make some changes and adjustments.  Some will be modest, a few even fun, but some may be hard.

People are different here.    It's not just the Ecuadorians that are different, it is also your fellow "gringos".   If you adjust to a new life here, you will become different, too.   The very process of relocation and adjustment will make you a different person than what you were before you came....be prepared for that.


Hopefully, you haven't been discouraged by our admonitions in this blog, just awakened to look at this whole process a little more realistically than before.  If so, it's time to roll up those shirt sleeves and get to work!     Take your time, do it right, do it thoroughly, and, most of all, find a way to enjoy yourselves along the way.  If it all works out, it may well become the most rewarding thing you've ever done.  If not, and your decision is that it's best for you not to come, you will have learned and grown as a result of your efforts in ways you can't yet imagine. That experience, in itself, may help lead you to your heart's desire.

Best wishes from us in your quest as we continue ours:  "juntos en el camino de la vida."

Being Tercera Edad in Ecuador:

As a 65+ year old resident of Ecuador, Roger is "tercera edad" 

The recent posting about paying our first property taxes in Ecuador has led to a couple of inquiries from readers and Facebook friends wanting to learn more about "tercera edad".    Tercera edad in Spanish translates as third age and generically refers to those who are sixty-five years or older.  Basically, it means senior citizen.   Three ages.....childhood, adulthood, and seniors ("tercera edad").

Seniors are revered and respected here in Ecuador (and in most of Latin America) much more openly and publicly than in the US.  It is not at all an uncommon experience to have an Ecuadorian (even a teenager!) offer a senior their seat when they board a fully loaded bus.  Seniors, even though they are strangers, are warmly and respectfully greeted when encountered in public places.  In a country where you wait in line for nearly everything, many facilities have special service lines for the handicapped, pregnant women and "tercera edad".  Some facilities that use a "take a number for your turn" (government offices, airline offices, pharmacies, etc) will offer a special number for "tercera edad" customrs that advances your turn in the order of customers being called.  Many businesses will offer special discounts for "tercera edad".  (Example: The Futbol Club Deportiva Cuenca offers half price tickets if you are tercera edad)

Tercera edad is also an official status recognized by the government with benefits proscribed by law.  Most forms of public transportation (except taxis) are required to discount fares by 50% for tercera edad.  In the case of airlines, it only applies to tickets purchased in person and issued in Ecuador (online purchases...no) with flights originating from an Ecuadorian airport.  The discount only applies to the base cost of the ticket and and applicable taxes or special access fees must be paid in full and be based on the full fare so the discount often is on 30 to 40% of the full cost but it's still a nice perk anyway!  My municipal bus rides, however, a full 50% discount meaning I only pay 12.5 cents to ride!  Admission fees to parks and government funded facilities and events are discounted 50% for "tercera edad"

Public utility bills are discounted, as are property taxes (we discussed that in the previous blog which led to the inquiries).   The I.V.A. (Ecuadorian value added tax) of 12% is refunded up to $140 per month for tercera edad 65 to 70 and after age 70 is fully refunded in any amount.   Of course, getting these benefits requires some legwork, and dealing with a copious amount of bureaucracy, but that's to be expected here in Ecuador.   

The monetary savings are nice but the real and most important benefit of being "tercera edad" in this country is the warm feeling that comes from being a respected, revered member of society. As you walk the streets, you see young people walking arm in arm with their elderly parents or grandparents. You also see extra courtesy paid publicly on a regular basis to seniors.  The warm glow that comes in the "sunset of life" here doesn't just come from that bright orb on the horizon.   For Roger, it's  good to be "tercera edad" as we continue our journey "juntos en el camino de la vida".

Paying Property Taxes In Ecuador....what fun!

It was recently just over a year since we Yazells had returned to Ecuador and took up permanent residency.   Guess what that meant?   It was time for us to become bona fide, official taxpayers.  I had heard that among the benefits of being "tercera edad" was that I would be entitled to a discount on property taxes.    Being here a year and having become more experienced at dealing with bureaucracy and things Ecuadorian, I was fairly certain I would not receive such a benefit by simply asking for it.  Surely, there had to be a  bureaucratic process complete with forms to fill out, copies to be made (any government process in Ecuador requires you kill at least a couple of trees with the paperwork that's needed) and, most certainly lines to wait in and some "problemas" to overcome.

 When you know you're to be going through this kind of these process,  you eventually learn to do at least two things:

1) You gather together every bit of documentation and paperwork that might in any way conceivably relate to the whole process and then add a few others that just simply have to do with being a gringo in Ecuador and organize a traveling file to take with you!

 2)  You recruit a good guide and interpreter to help you through the process!

In our case, the help we recruited was Priscilla Idrovo, sister and sister-in-law to our two Ecuadorian attorneys.  Patricia is fully bilingual and in addition to helping at the law firm, she works as a "facilitator" for gringos needing special assistance and translation.  We had utilized her before in such tasks as opening bank accounts, in getting registered as "tercera edad" with SRI (the Ecuadorian equivalent of the Internal Revenue Service) and in handling some special needs with our Ecuadorian insurance company.   In these matters and a couple of others she has proven to be a very valuable asset.

Property taxes are paid in municipality offices located near the new cathedral across from Parque Calderon.  So, armed with all our gathered documentation, we met Priscilla downtown at 9:00am and marched the few short blocks to the office and got a waiting number, in our case: #89.  Several windows were in operation so the wait wasn't really exorbitant,...only about 20 minutes.  At first, our clerk couldn't find our property in the computer system (good thing, we bought the entire deed and our receipt showing that the property transfer had been registered with the city last year!)  With the paperwork we showed her she found our property in the system.  She was preparing to print out a tax bill when we inquired about the "descuento para tercera edad".   Examining my cedula (Ecuadorian resident ID), she said that while I certainly was eligible for tercera edad, it had to be approved and entered into the system prior to the tax bill being paid.  That process, of course, took place in an entirely different city department.   We were politely directed to an office two doors down the street and told to return when we were approved and appropriately entered.

Down the street we went, Suzanne and I lugging our file of goodies.  With Priscilla as guide, into the directed office we went.  No numbers here, just three different lines...one, however, was for an information desk....perhaps a good place to start.  The info desk directed us to the second line (I probably would have just entered the first one had I been there on my own!)   After being in line for a length of time, we were informed there was, of course,  an application form to be filled out.  (You will always stand in line to speak to somebody to learn you have to fill out an application form in Ecuador.  Sometimes you will even have to get into another line line to actually get that form...Don't ever expect to just find a kiosk that explains what forms you need and then find a supply of those forms readily available)  Copies of both our cedulas had to be attached to the application as well as a copy of the previous year's paid tax (even though paid by the previous owner), a copy of the registration of transfer with the city and a complete copy of our deed.

(Now you see why we brought the fat file of documents, don't you?)

 For those of you inexperienced with these type of situations, everything you apply for or do in Ecudador requires some sort of copying, usually in copious amounts, but there is NEVER a copying machine available at the office that requires said copies.  There is, however, always, a commercial copying facility somewhere nearby.

After a second trip up to our clerk to clarify what was being asked for on the form, off down the street trudges our entourage to procure the required copies.  This, of course, necessitates another wait in line. (Said copy center is within two blocks of the aforementioned municipal offices, three banks, the provincial offices for Azuay, the courthouse, and at least ten lawyer, real estate and notary offices.  Needless to say, there's a WHOLE LOT of copying going on here everyday!)  The one upside is that B&W copies are a mere 3 cents each...we were in and out for less than a buck!

Back to our helpful clerk who carefully examines all the stuff we had copied and our application. He proclaims we have everything in order (as close as you get to receiving a bureaucratic Atta Boy!).  Going back into the computer to register our application, he pauses and announces to us that we, however still have one "problema" (you knew this was coming...didn't you?).  You see, we purchased our house shortly after our return to Ecuador and our identity as the buyers was confirmed and entered on all our paperwork with copies of our passports and all our property identification was tied to our passport numbers. (Apparently, this was why our first clerk could not initially find our property.  She was utilizing the cedula number which we had obtained a few weeks AFTER we had bought our house. She finally utilized the deed registration number to find us in the computer.)

What to do?   Why, of course, we had to make an application to change our property identification from our passport numbers to our cedula numbers.   But, of course, that can't be done at this department. "Por favor", it is necessary to go down the street to yet another municipal office and speak with the appropriate official in charge of handling the process of changing those numbers. Off we go, yet again!  There was an information desk on the first floor.  That's a good place to start (especially when you have a fluent speaker of Spanish with you to explain EXACTLY what you need to accomplish!)  Up to the second floor and Huzzah!, within 15 minutes, we were actually headed back to office number two, confident our numbers were now changed.

At office number two, our clerk (we've almost become well acquainted by now!) confirms , yes id numbers have changed. He goes about doing his initialing, stamping and entering and announces we have now been approved for our senior citizen discount.  We can now return to office number one and proceed with the process of actually paying our taxes.

It's been a while so the turn numbers were now in the triple digits but our former clerk recognizes us and waves us back to her window.  A couple minutes of computer searching and then a big smile on her face tells me it is now time to dig deep and start pulling out my wallet.  I was finally about to pay my first property taxes in Ecuador!

Suzanne remarked later, that as our lady announced what we owed in taxes, my jaw dropped so low she thought I was going to fracture my jaw on the marble counter at the cashier's window.  "Are you kidding me?" I asked in perfect English...I was assured through Priscilla's translation, that the amount I heard, was, indeed,  my correct, fully due and payable property tax bill for the year.

As I handed across a twenty dollar bill and waited for my printed receipt (as well as my change!!!), I marveled at the morning's process we had gone through.  A year ago, the entire affair would have been quite stressful for the two of us. This year, we were better prepared and knew to expect the unexpected. We had resourceful help and we were certainly more "tranquillo" and patient about the entire process.  As she handed me my receipt (and my change...did you get that, folks? - I gave her a twenty to pay my property taxes and I GOT change!!!)  The wonderful lady at window number 8 assured me it would be easier next year... just bring this year's receipt and my cedula...leave all the document files at home.   Have a nice day and she hoped to see me again next year.

So there you have it... the fun story of paying our first property taxes in Ecuador.  We're now Ecuadorian taxpayers and we're happy to be continuing our marvelous journey: "juntos en el camino de la vida"!

In Cuenca, Ecuador...time goes by quickly!

Wow, we've only blogged three times since the beginning of November and it has been over eight weeks since our last posting!    When they said this was a busy season in Cuenca, they weren't kidding!

We may have to apologize twice today.... once for our inattentiveness to this blog.  And then we'll do so again for the length of today's posting.  I'll be making an awkward attempt at recapping what's been going on in our lives at Casa Yazell during this very hectic season.  As a result this posting may encompass a little bit of lengthy rambling.  Hopefully, we can catch a lot of our stateside friends up on what has been going on in our life here south of the equator and hopefully, it will be of some interest.

Suzanne in the catacombs beneath
Catedral de la Immaculada Concepcion

Here goes:

Traditional  pastry and beverage
for Day of the Dead celebrations

The rush probably began in late October/ early November.  We observed Day of the Dead by visiting the crypts in the Cathedral as well as the old cathedral museum.  Things really kicked into high gear on Tres de Noviembre (3rd of Novemeber).   That marks the city of Cuenca's Independence Day and a week long celebration that includes a major arts and crafts festival featuring artisans from all over Latin America.  (We bought some artwork, a Peruvian sweater for Suzanne, a Bolivian jacket for me and bunches of other stuff!)  There were, of course, the obligatory Cuenca fireworks, music concerts and more activities than you could shake a stick at.

Lots of different activities take place in Cuenca during the week 

We squeezed in a number of personal social activities, including a great sausage making party with a group of our friends:

Roger's ability at feeding the meat grinder draws a crowd of
admirers during a sausage making party!

Suzanne did her usual great job
 with holiday decorations!

During this time period Orquesta Sinfonica Cuenca, the Cuenca Symphony, was finishing their 2nd season of 2012 and we always enjoy their performances.  However, the one celebrating their 40th anniversary was a most enjoyable event.  We also helped some friends celebrate a birthday, went to at least two open houses and a fund raiser for a local animal shelter.   We started decorating our new home for the holidays (we posted about that in November).

We attended two dinners over the the Thanksgiving holiday period, and then we hosted our own holiday open house...our first big gathering in our new home.  We attended several more parties, open houses and even a fund raiser for a local animal shelter.  It was during this period that Suzanne, her friend Toni and friend Monica organized and began the Cuenca Ladies Dominoes Tourney for Charity.  Their first event raised over $500 for a children's orphanage and their second event will be held this coming week.

Immediately after our open house, workmen showed up to start the repair and remodeling project on our front patio.  They began by creating an awning over the walls between our front patio and our neighbors to the north (the Ordonez-Crespo family) to take care of moisture seepage during heavy rains.  Near the completion, we decided to add planter boxes and have some custom wrought iron furniture made. After that, we decided I could paint the exterior and patio walls to give it a whole new look.  All this extended an eight day project into several weeks that straddled Christmas, New Year's and Carnaval...a typical Ecuadorian timetable!

Our front patio as it looked
when we moved in last year.

Work begins on the wall! 

Let's add some planter boxes!

Even a little rain didn't delay work.

Before we continue on with the saga of the hectic season, here's a look at our front patio today and how it looks after nearly all the work is done:

Ok, back to all the activities of the hectic season! By now we're intermingling all this with some physical checkups (doing well, thanks for asking!), some Christmas gift shopping (I got a tiesto, Suzanne got a Peruvian nativity).  We, of course, enjoyed the plethora of activities and decorations that were all over town for the holidays.

A 15 ft lighted modern art nativity
in one of the plazas. This was just one of
the many decorations for the holidays!

A very, very special highlight was the annual Pase de Viaje Nino on Christmas Eve Day in Cuenca. It is Latin America's largest.  The speculation is that there are more participants in the parade (tens of thousands) than there are spectators.  It went on for about 10 hours!  Suzanne and I watched for two hours, ate a long lunch and came back to watch two hours more!  Here's some scenes:

Part of the parade crowd.

Any parade with animals, especially a large one will
leave its mark on city streets!

Slipping a lot of stuff (visits to friends, poker nights, trips to nurseries for plants, etc) let's go right on into New Year's Eve.  Two parties here:  Our friends Bill and Dean hosted a birthday dinner party for a neighbor that included a fun look at everybody's wedding pictures (she discovered it was also our 42nd anniversary).   There were going to be NO cabs after 10pm and we had planned to burn an effigy in our our street at midnight.  (It's an Ecuadorian custom to burn all the regrets and troubles of the previous year and prepare for a new start by doing this).

As a result we left that party and returned home about 10pm.  Fireworks were already begining and we sat on the front patio with a glass of wine (and our dummy) awaiting our appointment with the bonfire.  Our Ecuadorian neighbors summoned us across the street (they already were planning their own fire along with some of their guests).  We mingled with the mixed crowd of guests (Canadians, Ecuadorians, Columbians and us).  We danced, drank wine and then, at midnight, jointly set the viejos ablaze as fireworks from ALL across the city ringed the horizon as far as we could see.

Suzanne and her effigy!

The viejos (old year effigies) going up in flames.

The crowd cheers as we burn away the bad things from
the previous year (By the way, Suzanne was holding my
glass so I could take this shot).

The next day Suzanne and I took an anniversary trip to the Cajas Mountains and stayed at Dos Chorreras Lodge.  It was cold and rainy most of the time we were there.  But we did manage a hike, some horsebacking riding, some terrific trout dinners as well as quality time in front of our cabana's fireplace.  We had a great time!

The Dos Chorreras Lodge

Suzanne during a tour of an old mountain village

There's always some spectacular scenery in the Cajas!

Roger just before a rainy
horseback ride in the mountains!

The fireplace came in real handy, it was rainy and chilly!

Suzanne made a friend while we were there!

So far, you've gotten the highlights:  We've passed over a lot of events and stuff:  i.e., two friends moved in new digs during this time period, we went to a one man show on Ernest Hemmingway at DiBacco's Restaurant...oh and three more restaurants opened in town....two friends remodeled their terraces...a friend had surgery and recovered.  The symphony has even begun another season...there have been at least six new museum exhibits in town to see. We even got to attend a special preview of what's ahead for the city presented especially for expatriates by the Cuenca Alcaldia (Mayor's office).

We've also been skyping more with friends back home.  We've  celebrated carnaval and have had a national election. (If you haven't heard, President Correa was re-elected).   This week we get to pay our Ecuadorian property taxes (we've now passed our first year mark as residents!) We even learned we have two visitations coming from the states to get ready for.  

I've rambled a lot but we just wanted all our readers and friends in the USA to know that our life is full and rewarding here for us in Ecuador.  We feel blessed as we continue our journey "juntos en el camino de la vida".

We'll blog again soon...I promise...meanwhile, I think I need a good nap.  We are, after all, retired and supposed to be taking life easy!