Cuenca Updates: Sunday Jan 8/12

Sunday, January 08, 2012

Sunday Jan 8/12

Saturday Jan 7/12 continued

Well Saturday didn’t exactly go as planned because we couldn’t cut the debit card in half. Bella needed it to go get some more deposit money for the contractors and I needed it to get more supplies. Bella trumped me this day because she was going to the area of the bank to meet a new bridge player for lunch, named Manon, from Tennessee I think, who is here alone as her husband initially didn’t want to come to Ecuador.

So we decided to check out the light fixtures at a hardware store (ferreteria) on the road above us, Gonzalez Suarez, and we ended up buying four very nice fixtures for the main floor which I cabbed over to the new house right away, then walked home. We only need about 9 more fixtures for the upper floors. Bella took a bus for her luncheon and then checked out the #15 bus route to see how handy it can be from the new house.

There were celebrations going on in the community with all kinds of fireworks until the wee hours.

Sunday Jan 8/12 update

I walked to Kywi to swap the gas line and pick up the balance of the supplies today for security and plumbing. They did not have 16 meters of the gas line so I had to take a credit. There is no way I want to splice gas lines and restrict the flow and maybe cause leaks. I tried to buy their best reversing security gate electronic lock and they were out of stock. I ended up getting 3 cute light fixtures for the bedrooms and several energy-saving bulbs, and the two faucets for the washing machine area. I managed to fit it all in my backpack.

Then I cabbed over to the Coral store in the Monay Mall and picked up the 16 meters of gas line as well as Bella’s bathtub. They drafted one of the employees to carry the tub over to the house and I paid him $2 for his trouble. I removed the shower doors in the second floor bathroom and put the tub in place. It fits in well with a few inches to spare so maybe we can get that project under way as well. Now I am all itchy on my hands from the fiberglass.

I put bulbs in Bella’s new fancy lamp and tried it only to discover the switch does not work. I guess we will have to jerry-rig something there. Welcome to Ecuador. You literally should check out everything before you leave the store.

We now have most of the supplies in place for a proposed meeting with Michael, Jorge, and a couple of the contractors tomorrow so we all get on the same page and get some work done. Hopefully they will show me the proper way to install fixtures in their paper thin ceilings which are made with bamboo crossmembers and fibrous leaves coated in plaster which is very soft. I had managed to put a fixture in the new terrace but that portion was concrete.

We enjoyed Skyping with family this week. Thank you to those that keep in contact this way.

That was today’s excitement. Hugs to all.