Learning Espanol and Playing Tourista

We just received an email asking what we have been doing as I haven’t written in our blog for 3 months!  Sorry Trish.  We have been busy – but nothing real exciting to tell, I guess. 

We are really happy with our new house.  We have a lot of unused space, but what we do use is very nice.  It could be a few degrees warmer here, but we have learned that layers are the answer.   When it rains, and we are just leaving the “rainy season”, it gets bone-chilling cool.  When it isn’t raining, it is quite comfortable.  

We are about to start our third class of Spanish.  We are making progress, but still having difficulties speaking without a lot of thinking about the words.  This next class, according to our instructor, will be mostly working with what we now know and starting to make it more automatic.  We are no longer allowed to speak English in class.  I love reading the story books she gives us.  Each one is more difficult than the previous one, but I find that reading is far easier for me than speaking.   We need to practice more at home, which is happening almost on an unconscious level.  Some phrases are just becoming “normal” and then we branch out from there until one of us hits a word we can’t think of.  Then it’s a scramble to the computer or one of our worksheets that I have been putting together and adding to as we go along, to find said word.   Then we can argue about its pronunciation.  

This week we went on a little trip to a couple of small towns to the East of here; Gualaceo and Chordeleg.  They are towns that sell a lot of the native crafts.  We stopped at a Mercado to buy veggies, and then went shopping for - well - anything else.  We saw ceramics, woodwork, leather, a ton of jewelry in gold and silver, shoes, shoes and shoes, woven straw hats (Panamas), and wool and cotton woven goods.  I bought a hat, a purse and a nice warm poncho.  I love the poncho as it works well with a wheelchair.  I tried to get Steve to buy a Panama hat (a misnomer as they are not made in Panama, but right here in Ecuador) but he didn’t.   They are really inexpensive when bought in the towns like that where they are made.   I would have loved to get a pair of shoes, but they do not make shoes here to fit us larger Gringos.  I could have had some made, but that would require a return trip.  

On our way up to Gualaceo, we stopped at an orchid shop/church.  They had tons of all kinds of orchids.  I especially like the ones that hang in the air – no pot.  You just spray the roots, and I have the perfect place to hang several.   I didn’t buy any, but I have a feeling I will be back.

We have plans to go to the Inca ruins north of Canar in June when it is a bit warmer.  The ruins are at very high altitude, so that’s the reason for the wait.  I asked our driver and good friend, Patricio, to bring his daughter with us.  He said she has been asking about us, and I would love to meet her.   After that, we hope to schedule a trip to Loja and Vilacabamba, and after that a trip to the ocean, maybe near Manta.  I want to tour the El Cajas National park just to our West.  Would be nicer if we could hike, but a car tour will have to do. 

I have met, on-line, a lady and her husband who live in Panama and want to move to Cuenca.  We spend quite a bit of time trading information, as Panama is on my list of places to see.   They live in a smallish town of around 60,000, Boquete, and want to move to a city.  We would not mind at all moving to a smaller town.  They talk of how easy it is to get around there without a car (similar to here) and the more American style of homes (ranch style) which suits me fine.   I am not too sure I want to go through all the hassle of getting a residency in another country, though.  Maybe just a visit. 

Our newest food find:  the achocha or caigua.  An interesting veggie/fruit that tastes like a cross between cucumber and green pepper when raw, more like green pepper when cooked.  

 

House Pictures, as promised a long, long time ago: 

Living Room

Indoor garden w/ skylight above.  Flowers planted by builder were dead when we moved in, but we are now trying to grow veggies and herbs.

Stairs up to three bedrooms.

Note the laundry room outside the kitchen window on the back patio.

We would have picked a different color scheme, but it grows on you.

View across the bar from kitchen.  Skylight above.

Dining with Pepper.  Back door to patio and yard.

My new poncho and hat

Ginger in her room.

January 2014

2014

We survived Christmas and New Year’s.   We are doing well, and looking forward to another year in Ecuador. 

We are now taking Spanish classes 2 times a week which we feel really good about so far.  Our instructor is a native Ecuadoran, so we are learning Ecuadorian Spanish - even Cuencano Spanish.  We are finally learning to use all the words we have accumulated to actually speak, and part of her training is teaching us to “hear” the spoken language as it is used.  That makes a big difference.  The lessons on CD tend to talk in clearly enunciated slow speech, but when in the real world, that is not how the people talk.   We read, we talk, we discuss – and we are learning!  Maybe in 6 months we will be able to carry on a decent conversation. 

I took a tumble out of my wheelchair.  That in itself is nothing new – I have tumbled many times.  This time I was trying to turn around in a too-tight space and trying to move a large heavy bulk (Pepper) out of my way at the same time.  Once Pepper plops down – he stay down unless there is a treat or going for a walk in the offing.  Anyway, I gave Pep a push, the chair skidded back out from under me, but not far enough as the wall was in the way, and I hit the back of my leg, hard, on the struts in the front that hold the foot plate.  It hurt – but like I said, I have fallen out before and didn’t think too much about it at first.  Then the pain wouldn’t go away.  And my upper leg started swelling.  I think it is just two or three large – make that huge – bruises, but I am definitely having more difficulties than normal getting around.  I can stand and put weight on it without much pain.  The pain is when I try to get up off of or down onto my chair or scooter.  None of this would have happened, if I had been using my scooter, but the charge cord for it fried about a week ago, possibly from all the power outages and power surges – not sure.  I need to get a surge protector.  I had a friend of ours scour the city and Guayaquil, and Quito for something similar – no luck.   He might be able to manufacture one, but I worry as this has three wires and most DC wirings have two and I am not certain what the function of the third wire is.  So I ordered another.  It might get here in the next week.  Hope, hope, hope.

We are having a bit of a problem with customs.  Steve and I agreed to give each other a new Kindle for Christmas, and there were a few other things we needed and are not available here, so I sent off the orders.  Orders have to be less than $400 value and less than 4 kg.  So I split up the orders.  Apparently, customs doesn’t like it if you buy two of the same thing – especially electronics, even if they are in separate orders.  So, they have stopped any and all deliveries to me until they can decide if I am trafficking.  It appears as though this may also hold up my charge cord even though it was sent through a different carrier.  I have no idea how to get help.  My many attempts to contact the carrier have met with shrugs.  I was told to call the Customs, but which one?  Apparently there are many in Guayaquil.  I have no idea where to start.  I am told to expect to have to pay business taxes as they now assume everything I order is to resell.   This will likely all work out, but we now know why a lot expats prefer to pay to fly home to buy things they need.

On a more positive note, we are moving again.  No more elevators.  No more feeling like we are trapped when the power goes down.  No more worrying about running into a neighbor who is deathly afraid of dogs.  This time we are heading a bit North and West, but still in the Cuenca area.  We found a nice “house” (actually a townhouse) that is too big for us, but is brand new, very nicely laid out, and has the master bedroom and bath on the first floor.  There are three more bedrooms on the second floor.   There is a small yard – though it is gravel – for the dogs, and a good sized courtyard in the middle of the townhouses that is all fenced in, which will be good for exercising Ginger.  I will send pictures when we actually move which will probably be in two weeks.  They are still doing some finishing touches on it now.  It is higher in the mountains, so may be a bit cooler, has a country feel to it, yet there is a brand new mall going in ½ mile away that is supposed to open in 2 months.  But this is Ecuador.   A more likely open date is 6 to 8 months.   In the meantime it is only about 10 minutes by car to another major shopping center and there are lots of smaller tiendas, farmacias and restaurantes within easy walking distance. 

Thanksgiving 2013

Happy Thanksgiving!

I know I haven’t written for quite some time, but that is mostly because there hasn’t been a lot to tell.  Things are quiet right now.  We are trying to figure out what our next step should be.  

We have tried and tested the private mail system, Club Correos, and it seems to work fine.   Steve needed new shoes and a size 13 is not going to be found here.  It took 2 weeks, but they got here.   We have just sent off for some art supplies to keep us out of trouble.  We want to take a few days and go to see Loja to our South, but the dog care facility I was planning on using, Barkingham Palace, is closing and its owners heading off to other adventures.  I am searching for another, and have my eye on one, but need to go check it out yet.   

Last night as we were out walking the dogs, we saw a rat crossing the road that was almost as big as a house cat.  Steve tossed some pebbles at it but it was totally unfazed.  It wasn’t concerned about us at all, but Ginger really wanted to go check it out!  That is why Cuenca allows all the loose dogs.  Quite some time ago, the city was overrun with rats.  Hungry dogs eat rats.  So once a year they round up all the dogs, give them shots and neuter any that aren’t already, and then they set them free once again.  At least that’s what I read somewhere…

Anyway, all four of us are fine and healthy.   I am looking forward to the Spanish classes starting in January for the chance to meet some other ex-pats and to try to make what Spanish we know usable.  I admit to backing off on the course we have been working with.  Just can’t seem to get through the verb conjugations.   

Ginger has always been real excitable around other dogs.  Not fearful or aggressive – she wants to play!  I contacted a well recommended dog trainer, and HE was able to get her to behave just fine with just a tug or two on a choke chain.  It worked pretty well for me too as long as he was with me.  Some days she would do real well, and then she would go nuts again.  Our trainer wanted me to get a dog backpack and make her “work”.  We still haven’t been able to locate one, but that may be our next Club Correo shipment.  He said that if that didn’t do the trick, he suggested a shock or UHF collar.  We thought about that, and have decided to try something else.  I found a guy on-line who uses the gentler approach.  I’ve read some of his first lessons, and tried them on Ginger.  She seems to be responding.  Not fast, but maybe better.

When we first moved in, we had an issue with another tenant who doesn’t like dogs.  She complained to the manager that our dogs scared her so we should be required to pick them up whenever another tenant is in the same area as the dogs.  We got a bit of a chuckle out of that as Pepper weighs almost 90 lbs., and Ginger is about 50.  Then she said that the dogs smelled up the common areas.  I asked the manager to come by our unit and tell us if she could smell anything.  She could not.  We haven’t heard any more, but it created an unfriendly situation.  Not with manager – but we don’t know (but suspect) which tenant is trying to get us kicked out.  Most are very friendly.  These are pet-friendly units and there are other dogs here, so it shouldn’t bother us, but it does.

So, we may move again in the near future.  This condo is nice, but we would really be more comfortable in a house, so we have Brandon searching for something that may work.  It will take time.  He says he sees homes that would work for us – just not very often.  We are content to stay here until he finds our more-perfect home.  One with a yard.  Steve is getting tired of taking Pepper out at midnight or 3 am to go potty.  He has ODB - Old dog bladder.

Cuenca as home

We made it to Cuenca on Friday, the 4^th with very few glitches.  The young men we hired to wrap and pack our furniture and appliances showed up almost on schedule on Thursday and did a pretty good job.  Nothing got broken or lost.  The driver was at the house right at 7:30am on Friday.  They loaded the truck and we were on our way by 9.  We arrived in Cuenca safe and sound 5 hours later and only had to wait an hour for the truck.  They unloaded and hauled all our goods up three stories, then left to go home around 5pm.

Leaving Sucua was kind of sad.  I did like it there and the house was nice.  I’ll miss the foliage, the people (especially Sonia, our landlady who came by on Thursday and sat with me for about an hour almost in tears.   We communicated with my awful Spanish and Google translate.  She had not seen that before and was having a great time “talking” with it) and the warm climate.  I won’t miss the almost constant rain, the bugs, or the long treks into town for everything – if it was available.

Our internet is supposed to be turned on Tuesday, the 15th.  J  In the meantime, the coffee shop convenience store on the first floor has free Wi-Fi, so I’ll be able to check email and publish this.

It is so handy having a small market right down on the street level.  They carry just about anything we would need in an average week – although likely cheaper at the larger stores, Super Maxi and Coral.  Anything other than food-stuffs though, we will call a cab and head for the bigger stores or malls. 

The dogs are starting to settle in.   Ginger likes to look over the balcony at the goings on to our North – the cabbage patches.  After closer inspection, it turns out the cabbage patches are not only cabbage, but chamomile, something that I think is broccoli, some I cannot figure out and a few plots that are just starting to come up. They rotate the crops so that something is almost always ready for market.  We watched a couple ladies come out to the patches with large baskets on Friday night and picked part of one of the patches.  Then they hauled all those baskets off to the market.   The next night more folks showed up with even bigger baskets, and picked more of the plot, then covered the baskets and left.  I’m not sure when they took them away, but they were gone by morning.  This has been going on every night since we arrived.  They bring in a couple of young bulls to clean up after they are done picking.  The bulls got Ginger’s attention.   I noticed last night they were cutting the chamomile.

This condo has more space than we know what to do with.  For now, we are going with the minimalist look.  Eventually we need to buy another bed/mattress, and furniture for the guest bedroom, and a bookcase/entertainment center for the living room.  No hurry – still don’t have a TV.   We will soon start our doctor and veterinarian hunt.  I have some recommendations from “Gringo Tree” that I will check out.