Saturday May 12, 2012

Saturday May 12/12 update

Another bad night last night and broken up sleeping patterns but I still got up after 9am and swept the house top to bottom as we are expecting company and the cleaning lady doesn’t come until Wednesday.

Bella was busy preparing the supper all day, everything except the main course, which is my duty to go get.

I busied myself with varnishing the new shelf unit in my room and that turned out nice, since I didn’t overdo it as I normally do.   Then I went outside and moved some rocks into the gully they had carved next to our sidewalk when they were playing with the road surface.  We have no idea if they are returning or if this is it??  In any case, since the road now slopes toward the houses then slopes to the east, I did not want any rushing water eroding under the sidewalk and creating further problems.  Hopefully these carefully placed rocks will prevent any damage.

I saw Peso and Pancho enjoying the sunshine so I decided to join them on the terrace and get some reading done.  Peso took off before I got the camera ready so I only got a shot of Pancho.

Then I shaved and showered and headed off to get the promised chicken at Segundo’s restaurant.  I was early so I just parked myself at a table and watched Marta patiently rotate the spit with 3 chickens, changing hands, changing the angle of the spit, standing, sitting, and the poor girl is bored to tears.  After 5pm they took off the chicken on the left and bagged it for me and I headed back home.

I was kinda surprised to see Julio and Paola’s vehicle in front of our house as we were expecting them at 5:30.  Bella says they showed up at 5:05  had already given them the grand tour so we stood around and discussed their business problems while the potatoes cooked .

Julio and Paola are the wonderful couple who rescued us off the mountaintop zoo when a huge rainstorm was threatening to send us sliding soaking wet to the bottom.  Then they had taken us to the neighbouring town of Paute for a lovely meal, quick tour, then to Julio’s family’s farm.  This meal was to repay this debt and to get better acquainted with this beautiful family.

The children were quite content to watch the Disney channel once I got it changed to the Spanish language for them.  Rafaela, the oldest, is into TaeKwonDo and will be getting her yellow belt next month.  Carolina is a skater and little Juliano is into soccer.  It was so sweet as they gave us big hugs on arrival and departure.

The meal was a hit with the adults, not so much with the fussier children who are not accustomed to trying strangely prepared foods.  Julio couldn’t have enough mashed potatoes and butter and must have had 5 helpings.  The broccoli salad was a hit with Paola and she kept the bowl at her side and was sure she got the recipe before she left.  The dessert of chocolate éclairs didn’t last very long and gathered many compliments for Bella the excellent cook.

I told the children that they were very lucky to have such a pretty Mom and a handsome Dad so they are guaranteed to be good-looking themselves.  Julio had to translate most of it and, when he got to the part of the handsome Dad, Rafaela gave him a "you've got to be kidding" look that got us all roaring.   The kids were so very well behaved all evening.

This couple owns a company that makes upscale bedding mostly and they employ 35 personnel.  The rules for employing someone here are way different than in Canada as they have no UIC and if they fire someone they must pay a large severance equivalent to 1.5 months salary for every year.  Even with an iron-clad one-year contract he was not immune to being sued by a lazy pregnant employee and losing in the courts to the tune of $5,000, which is a pretty good annual salary here.

We had many discussions about cultural differences and Julio gave us many insights from his time in Minneapolis.  They are truly a delightful couple, both younger than our children, but very eager for our friendship.  Julio says he told his parents about our visit to the farm when they weren’t there and the parents have requested that we are brought out there to meet them, even though they speak no English at all.  We had better start remembering some of the Spanish we are supposed to be learning.

I also asked Paola to let me know when one of the kids has a competition as I would love to attend.  Julio also indicated he might take me to a local soccer game some day.

All in all it was a truly wonderful evening.

Enjoy the pics.    That was today’s excitement.    Hugs to all.

120512 A lazy Saturday for Pancho

120512 Marta cooking our chicken to perfection

120512 Julio and Paola

120512 Rafaela, Carolina, and Juliano

Friday May 11, 2012

Friday May 11/12 update

To bed at 1am, up at 4:30, work on more pictures, back to bed at 7:30, then I got a call at 10:30 from Chris and it was time to get moving.  Chris and Bettye were coming over at noon and the girls were playing bridge all afternoon so Chris wanted to buy me lunch somewhere.

When they arrived Chris and I headed across the bridge and had almuerzo at a restaurant that is always busy but we had never tried yet.  The lomo plancha (minute steak), beans and rice were excellent.

We continued up the street to Monay Mall and the Coral store and noticed this sign on the way in that appeared to say YO MAMA.  See the photo below.  At first glance it was shocking until upon closer examination we noted the heart in between.  Then we had to recall that Yo in Spanish means “I”.    Mystery solved. 

We poked around and went through every department and he picked up few items he needed.  Then I showed him the rest of the mall and he was very impressed.  For a small mall it really has a great selection of items and a decent food court.

Next was to show him GranAki, another grocery/department store that had many items that piqued his interest like a carafe coffee maker for $32.  He also got to see the same computer desk as mine plus other furniture tables, exercise stuff, etc.  Again he was very impressed that we have all this within easy walking distance.

Then my regular computer store was closed but there was another one further up that was willing to also negotiate for the printer ink he needed as he has the same printer as me.

As we continued up Gonzalez Suarez I pointed out the various stores where we had bought different things as we made our way to our old neighborhood.  As we had been wandering for 3.5 hours already we took a load off our feet and shared a large Pilsner at Segundo’s restaurant.  We saw four of the daughters and then Segundo and his wife Carmelita showed up and chatted with us.  We had to leave quickly when the restaurant got overly smoky when one daughter was fanning the coal and wood to get their small BBQ fired up.

The next stop was at the Italian meat shop where we get the best pork chops.  Bella had given me vague instructions to get some and had given me a $20 bill.  So the hilarity started when I was trying to get them to give me $20 worth, but in packages of 3 (which worked out to be about $4 each).   After many pantomimes, laughing, and continuous flashing of the $20 bill one girl finally understood.

I then took Chris down Max Uhle, again pointing out the various vendors we had used, including my great bike mechanic, before we walked home along the Tomebamba.  There were some boys getting soccer instruction along the riverbank so I managed to drag out my camera.   Not too many photos today…

Once bridge was concluded we had cooked chicken sandwiches in freshly baked bread with Bella’s phenomenal mushroom soup.  Dessert was chocolate chip cookies in a cake style which was too decadent to describe but definitely too hard to resist.

The four of us then played some more Rook and I finally remembered some key rules that made playing much easier.   A good time was had by all and then I had to do dishes after they headed home.

Enjoy the pics.    That was today’s excitement.    Hugs to all.

120511 Yo Mama ???

120511 This shot is way wide

120511 This shot is headed in the goal

Thursday May 10, 2012

Thursday May 10/12 update

This morning we awoke to vibration as the grader and packer were back.  It appears they had added a layer of black dirt and so we had mud for the moment.  They continued to add truckloads of the clay and rock  so we have a small hope that this will be transformed into a smooth paved road soon.

Bella was staying home all day to make tomato pickles so she didn’t want to join me.

I again had to go to Coral because they did not link my discount card to my Cedula number as requested last time we were there.   This time it did work because I made a small purchase of a butter knife and it did process correctly for tax purposes.

I then walked over to our old rental place and rang the buzzer because Segundo had told us of a Canadian couple from Toronto in financial difficulty waiting for money to arrive from their family.  There was no answer so as I was walking away I was hailed by an Ecuadorian in English asking “Are you looking for Terry?”,  I replied that I didn’t know their names but that they were Canadians and I wanted to know if they needed help.  This fellow said he was meeting Terry later, as they had now moved to a different area, and he would give him our card.

Since I was in our old stomping grounds I gave the neighborhood a walk-through.  I saw a fellow “combing” the large frond plants that are plentiful here that they use as the fill for those thin mortar ceiling tiles, also in the photo.  I saw the door open at the Community hall for Los Sauces.  There were kind faces I remembered so I stopped in to say hello.  I told them how much we missed them and their kindness.   They told me to come on the 19^th at 6:30 for a procession to the church, a mass, then a return procession.  I have marked it on our calendar and hope we can make it.

I proceeded to walk uphill towards El Centro and stopped at the 10 De Augusto market for a pit stop.  Then I continued to Huyana Capac and turned left to go to the Banco Central and the Inca ruins and museum.  The entrance was free ands the girl at the desk knew just enough English to direct people.  The museum was small and had a lot of mannequin displays but photographs were not allowed.   I fought off the impulse to take just one and continued outside to have a quick look at the Inca Pumapongo ruins.  Here I ran into a group of 4 people with one wearing a Tilley hat.  It turns out they were Vancouverites who have been here about two years. 

The ruins are impressive in size, with terraced stone levels but actually the surprise attraction was the beautiful gardens and aviary at the bottom.  It was great to see parrots and toucans and raptors and other tropical birds. 

See  http://youtu.be/eaR3B23bLjs  and    http://youtu.be/Mgr-4zqIJe8

To the west of the aviary they had several llamas grazing.  I wasn’t going to venture down a skinny sidewalk at the edge of the aviary but a familiar movement caught my eye. 

Please enjoy the following video of this magnificent peacock strutting in full regalia for his pea-hen.  He just turned and turned and even flashed his bum and winked…  This was from about 10 feet away and no fence to obstruct, so it was a golden opportunity, almost as gold as the plate below the tail.  What a glorious sight. 

This is worth a look - http://youtu.be/XotM26bLbzc

While there, I got a call from this Terry who said they had money troubles because of a delayed payment from a client.  He said he is self-employed and must rely on client payments to survive, they are not near retirement age yet.  I just expressed my relief that they were OK and he thanked me for our concern.   When I mentioned it to Bella she indicated the names she had been given was Mike and Olivia, not a terry, so this is very strange…

Enjoy the pics and videos.    That was today’s excitement.    Hugs to all.

120510 The 10 De Augusto Mercado on a slow day

120510 Combing fibers for roof panels like on top left

120510 Chopper going overhead

120510 Museo on left, Banco Central on right

120510 Interior courtyard of a building behind

120510 Looking down on the aviary section

120510 Inca Pumapongo Ruins 1

120510 Inca Pumapongo Ruins 2 - Cooking ovens?

120510 Inca Pumapongo Ruins 3

120510 Inca Pumapongo Ruins 4

120510 Inca Pumapongo Ruins 5

120510 Inca Pumapongo Ruins 6 - looking down on gardens

120510 Inca Pumapongo Ruins 7 - Ovens?

120510 Inca Pumapongo Ruins 8 - Ovens too?

120510 Colourful parrots 1

120510 Colourful Parrots 2

120510 PeaHen

120510 Colourful Peacock 1

120510 Colourful Peacock 2

120510 Peacock giving a rear wink !

120510 Oh so pretty

120510 Ponds and Ducks 1

120510 Ponds and Ducks 2

120510 Ponds and Ducks 3

120510 Raptor hawks - set them free !

120410 Llama lawnmowers

120510 Pair of Toucans

120510 I dunno, maybe a buzzard?

Wednesday May 9, 2012

Wednesday May 9/12 update

Yesterday I took a shot of the house across the street already at the second floor stage.  How come the new construction seems to be going way faster than the demolition did??  It makes no sense.

Today we awoke to road construction on our tiny street!   First the grader a few times, then a packer, then the gravel trucks, then many combinations of the grader, the packer and a water truck.  I honestly thought they were going to slope the road away from the homes but, unless my perspective is way off, it appears to be sloping our way with about a 6” lip to our sidewalk.  We are uncertain if they will be paving or not, likely not today for sure, but it seems they are done our section in about 4 hours.   We certainly hope they will be putting some other surface down soon because this present stuff is like clay and the water does not soak in, it just sits there.

I took some pics and videos at different stages just for posterity.

We also got to see the daycare kids doing their shirttail routine again today.   That is so darn cute.

Other than that we both just lazed the day away and got caught up on some sleep prior to the next few bust days planned.

Enjoy the pics.    That was today’s excitement.    Hugs to all.

120509 Why is construction going faster than the demolition

120509 The shirttail gang

120509 The best view in the neighbourhood

120509 Scraping down the street

120509 They hydraulically bend the wheels

120509 Nice to see some machinery do the big work

120509 Gravel dumps

120509 Spreading the gravel

120509 Time for the vibrating packer

120509 Followed by the water truck (going backwards)

Tuesday May 8, 2012

Tuesday May 8/12 update

I had to call the CIBC Aventura folks to see if we had 10,000 points to transfer to Aeroplan points.  We have 9858 points would you believe…..   Calling from the NetTalk was an ordeal.  The 800# started of going through then quit and cut off.  Several more tries would either not ring or there would be a recording that we cannot reach that number from our area (Calgary??).  This did not make sense at all.  So I tried the 514 number and got through easily to the call center in Montreal.

Bella then booked an airline ticket with Air Canada so we will get both Aventura points to put us over the 10,000, plus we get direct Aeroplan points.   She is so clever.

Today I joined Bella at the book exchange because we were to meet Bettye and Chris later at the Carolina bookstore and go for lunch at the Sabor Latino.   The lunch was quite different than yesterday’s, with fish today, but still supremely excellent for $1.75.   The lady there is really enjoying the business we are bringing in.

Then the ladies were heading over to Bettye’s to make some kind of food with her fancy food processor.  We went separate directions to complete some errands but met to catch the bus as Chris and I went with them.  We all ended up playing Rook most of the afternoon.  Bettye and Chris both enjoyed this new game because it is a risk-taking and thinking game.  It was a tough afternoon as nobody could hardly make their bids but we had a few good laughs and that is the important thing.

Then they cooked us supper, quinoa with huge chicken breasts and a delicious salad.  Mmmmm good.

They have such a nice view from their 7^th floor apartment and the only photo today is of the mist forming on the hills in the evening.

After Chris and I did dishes we caught a taxi home to catch the end of DWTS, and to feed the boys.

Enjoy the pic.    That was today’s excitement.    Hugs to all.

120508 Evening Mist Forming

Monday May 7, 2012

Monday May 7/12 update

Off to Spanish class again this morning with a stop at Etapa to pay our cable bill in person, then it will be monthly withdrawals from here on.

I had happened to catch the #16 almost immediately before 9, and the lineup at Etapa was only 5 people so I was done there by 9:15, so I walked to Parque De La Madre and the Tomebamba.   I stopped by Michael Berger’s office but he wasn’t there so I took a couple of shots from the fifth floor windows.  They have some great views from that building. 

I saw two young ladies taking pictures of each other so I offered to take the photos of both of them together and they were happy with the offer.  It turns out that both of them are from Quito and both speak pretty good English.  The shorter gal actually lives in Boston now, and the two of them had been in Cuenca for 4 days already and loving it.

I could hear the hummingbirds along the river so I waited for a good ½ hour by some flute-shaped flowers but they never came down to feed. 

We have an interesting assortment of people in our Spanish class, starting with Martha Mays, the teacher who has lived in Spain and still doesn’t consider herself fluent in Spanish.   Ray, originally from Kentucky, but lived in Florida for 30 years, is single and moved here permanently.  Paul, who does infomercials for a local restaurant also wants to branch out to other companies.  Since he is in sales and advertising, and knows a video whiz, I have given him my amateur DVD of the kids of Cuenca to get their thoughts.  Michael Keith, from Toronto, who wears a Tilley hat also, runs an online travel firm with his wife Susan Birkenshaw.  For the last 3 years they have been snowbirding here for 6 months each year.  He and Susan rents the whole floor of a  building in El Centro, with 2 apartments for $400 a month.  They have invited us to a party at their place on May 26 before they go back.   I am not too familiar with the nice couple of Mike and Patty other than they just bought a car in the northern country town of Cotacachi and drove it back because the vehicle prices are so much better up there,   Cars are very expensive here.    Some small puddle jumper with 200k on it still will command $6000 here.

Outside the window of the class is the Parque De La Madre with the statue of Jeffersen Perez, the only Olympic gold medal winner from Ecuador, in speed-walking.  Along the road in front it must be illegal to park because I saw this female meter maid taking photos of licence plates and also the serial number through the windshield.

Ray and Michael joined me at the Sabor latino for the almerzo lunch and they were properly impressed.  After lunch I am walking down the escalinata (stairs) ands I see these guys on a scaffold at a 10 degree list, loosely supported on bricks and a beam.  It seems to me we get a lot of emails with this type of danger photo.

I had heard that the Papeleria Mosalves near the soccer stadium was having a liquidation so I decided I would investigate.  I got some photo paper, business card stock, 2 pads of stickies, a good set of scissors, and a good English-Spanish dictionary, all for $13.88, and most of that wasn’t part of the liquidation.

As I got home I broke down and stopped at the local video store.  They have a lot of those triple feature compilations so I had to check.  I came home with 8 more movies for $5.  Our collection is now 125 movies.

My little buddy is being shy today only coming in twice so far but checking me out several times.  Maybe it is because the window isn’t open far enough because it is pretty cool with the heavy cloud cover.  I want him to adapt to the smaller opening.   Then I relented and let him in.  I got a video of him having a good feed then he went to the wire outside and chattered up a storm.   See   http://youtu.be/U-jvt3h4JJM

Bella says he yakked at her all morning because my window wasn’t open for his treats.  After supper he stopped at the closed window and made a disgusted sound and took off again.  It is getting dark so I doubt he’ll be back.

Enjoy the pics and video.    That was today’s excitement.    Hugs to all.

120507 Aztec motif glass

120507 Art is the classroom - gorgeous!

120507 Immaculate Conception+ west El Centro

120507 Broader view of El Centro

120507 Jefferson Perez statue

120507 Lovely Rita, Meter Maid   *the Beatles tune

120507 Old buildings above the river 1

120507 Old buildings above the river 2

120507 Two gals from Quito

120507 I ain't getting on that thing!

120507 View from Michael's building 1

120507 View from Michael's building 2