Thoughtful update from reader/friend….Thanks, Bob!…What inspires expats to live in Ecuador…

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On the few evenings when it hasn’t been cloudy, Tom has been able to take these sunset photos shown today.

Yesterday, we received the following email from reader/friend Bob, whom I’ve never met but who found our site on Tom’s Facebook page. He attended high school with Tom many moons ago. Bob has been a loyal and consistent reader for several years, and we certainly enjoy hearing from him now and then.

Bob either posts a comment on a particular post or sends us an email with questions or comments, all of which have been very kind and supportive of our world travels and lifestyle. Here is the message Bob sent yesterday, commenting about yesterday’s post found here.

I had written that I had no idea if the vegetables we’d purchased from Raphael’s truck were a good deal or not. With our intent to support local farmers and other local vendors, we weren’t worried about prices when we thought what we were purchasing was within a reasonable range of what we may have paid in the US. Plus, the produce is pesticide-free and organic, based on insects we’ve found on the products.

This shot looks somewhat like a question mark.

If, at any point, we feel a vendor is taking advantage of the fact that we’re foreigners, we’d either negotiate a better price or, in some cases, not purchase if we felt the item(s) were grossly overpriced. Most recently, when we stayed in the US for several months off and on, we didn’t go grocery shopping and had no idea how much prices had increased with recent inflation.

While in Florida for three months, from the end of April until July, we had groceries delivered From Kroger, when there is a possibility prices were slightly higher for delivered groceries. So again, our knowledge of prices wasn’t necessarily accurate.

When Bob wrote yesterday, he so kindly did the research for us, taking our list of items we purchased from Raphael’s truck to his local market, Cub, as described in his message below:

“I read your blog today, and since I eat a lot of fruits and veggies, I went shopping today. I went to Cub Foods.
I did a price shop for you.

Watermelon $5.99
Broccoli. Head $3.99
Whole cabbage $2.25
Med zucchini  $2.79 
Carrots $1.25 lb
Med Avocado $.77 ea (x 3)
Strawberries $3.99 lb on sale
So you got “fresh from the farm” for half what it was at Cub today.
Enjoy,
Bob”
I was thrilled to see this information from Bob. How thoughtful of him to take the time to check these prices and report back to us. Thanks, Bob! You inspired today’s post with this information and gave us peace of mind, knowing we weren’t overpaying, although in this case, for the convenience of Raphael showing up twice a week at our door, we may have been willing to pay more than US listed prices. Apparently, we did not overpay when Bob explained we spent about half of the current US prices.
Another stunning view.
Considering we’re currently buying food from Raphael and the little market in the gated community, we are only spending about half for groceries of what we’d have paid in the US or many other countries. When we return to Manta on November 22 to exchange the rental car and for my second cardiology appointment, we will grocery shop at a big market and have a better idea of prices in Ecuador.
Over the years, we’ve heard many expats have moved to Ecuador due to the low cost of living, including housing, products, and services. Most residents living in Mirador San Jose are French Canadians who chose to retire here, partly due to the lower cost of living here than in Canada.
The rays streaming down from the horizon are enchanting.
We’ve yet to discover the prices of the houses in this beachside neighborhood. Surely, we’ll hear about that and report back here. However, I found this one listing of a home currently on the market for $189,900s, not directly on the ocean as the holiday house we are renting. See here for details.
Also, here is a link for an oceanfront vacant lot for sale in Mirador, San Jose, priced at $34,000.
That’s it for today, folks. We’ll be back with more tomorrow.
Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, November 12, 2013:

These huge pods have continued to dry out on a tree in the garden in Kenya. For more photos, please click here.

An amazing encounter with Raphael..Again, it’s the simple things…

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Here is the produce we purchased from Raphael last evening. The total cost was US $12.50. I don’t know if this is a good price or not, but since we are grateful to be able to buy these, we are fine with the cost. There are three avocados behind the bag of strawberries and a giant zucchini to the right. We aren’t eating salads right now.

Last night, as we were preparing dinner of pork chops, rice, green beans, and cooked carrots for Tom and grilled fish (unknown type) and veggies for me, we heard Raphael’s honking horn. We couldn’t get outdoors quickly enough to find Raphael with a huge grin on his face while asking how we were in Spanish. We enthusiastically answered, “Bien. Como estas?”

Over the years of selling his fresh farm goods to the English-speaking locals in Mirador San Jose, he’s learned the English translation of all his fruits and vegetables, making selecting our preferences easy when we merely say the names of what we’d like to buy.

We don’t bother to ask prices for his bounties, nor do we attempt to explain why we aren’t interested in potatoes, beets, corn, and other starchy, sugary fruits and vegetables. When he suggests such items, we shake our heads, and he continues to let us know any new items he may have that he didn’t have last time. He comes by each Tuesday and Friday close to 5:00 pm.

I nearly jumped for joy when I spotted a container of blackberries and another with strawberries. With my way of eating, I can have berries in moderation, ½ cup per day. He let me choose those I wanted from the containers, as my mouth watered at the prospect of eating these fresh-from-farm berries.

The berries didn’t look as if they were washed. I’d picked fresh berries in the past and could tell. Since I will be eating them uncooked, we soaked and rinsed the two batches separately in bottled water, letting them sit for several hours. This morning, I put about a ½ cup of the blackberries in a bowl, which I promptly tasted. They were so tart, much to my delight, that I’d have to add a little of my sweetener to be able to eat them.

The fact they were tart indicated they weren’t genetically modified to be sweet, as are blackberries, blueberries, and strawberries in the US and other countries, to appeal to consumers who prefer fruits to be sweet. It was only when I was a kid, back in the 50s, that berries were so tart that my mother placed a bowl of sugar next to them, to which we added several teaspoons to the berries. Then, they tasted good.

Now, in the US and many other countries, when you buy berries, sugar is unnecessary when they are already so sweet they are hard to stop eating. Before I adopted a low-carb way of eating in 2011, I could easily and mindlessly eat a bowl of berries without any added sweetener, munching on them as if they were salty nuts, which also are hard to stop eating.

This morning, I had my usual bowl of two eggs cooked in a bowl with ½ avocado for breakfast. But this time, I added a small bowl of fresh, sweetened blackberries on the side. What a treat it was! For me, it was comparable to having a fine dessert.

As shown in the photo above, Tom will enjoy another watermelon while I munch on the berries until Raphael returns and hopefully has more berries in his truck.

We’ll repeat last night’s dinner tonight with pork chops (for Tom) and fish (for me), both of which are marinating in the refrigerator. But this time, we’ll add steamed buttered broccoli as our vegetable instead of green beans and carrots. Buying the pork chops and fish at the little nearby market in this gated community and buying fresh vegetables from Raphael makes shopping for food much more accessible than we initially anticipated.

When we return to Manta on November 22 to return the car and visit the cardiologist, we will shop at MegaMaxi, the huge Walmart-like store in the shopping center, recommended by the locals at Kokomo’s last Wednesday night.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, November 11, 2013:

On our first cruise and venture outside the US on January 3, 2013, on the Celebrity Century, an “Old Hollywood” style ship, sailing through the breathtaking Panama Canal. This cruise line and particular ship may remain our favorite, even after many additional cruises. Our all-time favorite bartender is shown on the far right, Juan. What a guy! For more photos, please click here.

And the beat goes on…Hopefully…

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A seal swooning to the sky.

We are doing ok. After over two weeks, we’re settled in and have created a comfortable routine, which provides us with a degree of familiarity and contentment. Sure, in an ideal world, we’d be able to socialize more often than on Wednesday nights, but when was and when is the world perfect? Not recently, from our recollection.

Many might assume that in our nomadic lifestyle, we wouldn’t stay in touch with what’s happening worldwide. Still, I assure you we pay close attention to world affairs, impacting our travels and the lives of those we love in the US and other countries, praying everyone is safe and out of harm’s way.

No doubt, it’s horrifying to hear about the war In Israel, the ongoing war in Ukraine, and wars and strife throughout the world wrought by terror mongers who are heartless and incapable of caring about humanity. What a sorrowful fate for so many.

Basking in the sun.

And yet, it seems easy to sit back and focus on the nuances of our days and nights with issues that may be monumental to us at the time and are infinitesimal in the realm of worldwide affairs. Everything is relative, and a simple annoyance can send us into a tailspin, impacting our entire day.

I sometimes kick myself when caught up in such a simple annoyance when I stop to think about the horrors others are facing worldwide. It would be easy with our lifestyle over the past 11 years of world travel to isolate ourselves from the realities of what is transpiring in the world and stay entrenched in our occasional challenges, but we refuse to put our heads in the sand in a state of oblivion, exempt from the emotions

We all seek comfort in our lives, and it’s easy to wrap ourselves around the routines that provide us with that comfort. We are not exempt from seeking those comforts even amid what is happening in the world. Thus, with that in mind, we are striving to center ourselves here in Ecuador for the next few months.

Beautiful birds frequent the craggy rocks. “This is a Gull. The bifurcated tail gull ( Creagrus furcatus) is completely nocturnal and thus avoids the attacks of the frigates, which fly during the day.

How do we find that level of comfort? By engaging in familiar activities, we incorporate into our lives wherever we may be at any given time. Sure, our surroundings dictate how we spend a portion of each day to entertain and educate ourselves and, of course, take photos to share with all of you.

We’ve had to face that the above opportunities are not available right now, not in this location. There are no social venues other than Wednesday nights for dinner at Kokomo in the gated community. There is nowhere to drive to see scenery we haven’t already seen. The beach is lovely, but the weather is not, nor is it expected to be in the remaining time we’re here. It’s the rainy season now.

It’s too far to drive to the supermarket in Manta once a week and go out for breakfast or lunch, which we always enjoy. Instead, we were finding some meat at the tiny market, allowing us to have enough for dinners, one week at a time. Then, of course, we delight in Raphael suddenly appearing every Tuesday and Friday with his truckload of fresh farm vegetables. His prices are somewhat high, but we like to support local vendors and are willing to pay a little more, knowing doing so helps him and his family.

Iguanas  were checking out the activity at the pier.

We spend a certain amount of time each day communicating with family and friends via Facebook, WhatsApp calls, and texts, all of which work well here in San Jose with a good internet signal when at the house. When we drive to Manta, which we’ve done a few times since we arrived on October 24, we lose our Google Fi signal for most of the drive since it is so remote.

We always say we like remote locations, where we’ve stayed in most countries, but in all cases except here, it’s been convenient to shop, sightsee, and dine out. Good photo ops have been in abundance. Thus, we apologize for the lack of photos in Ecuador, but we certainly had plenty while in the Galapagos only weeks ago. Today, we are including a few more photos from that adventure.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, November 10, 2013:

I would’ve loved to try the pufferfish (click to see NG’s pufferfish video), a deadly poisonous fish if not cleaned properly, but I passed since it was flour-battered and fried. “Chips” in Kenya translates to French fries, not potato chips, which Tom promptly figured out. For more photos, please click here.

Trip to Manta to a highly rated cardiologist…On a new plan…

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Once we arrived in Manta, there was considerable traffic.

I continue to write about my heart problems to be transparent with our lives of world travel and also to share the path we’ve chosen for those who may be experiencing similar issues. None of the information we share is suggestioning “what you should do.” Please see your medical professionals for your specific needs.

So here’s the story as it rolled out over the past few months. The day we arrived in Mirador San Jose, on October 24, the Afib started again. I didn’t experience it at all while we were on the Galapagos cruise or in Quito, even during the difficult days of seasickness on the cruise and during the four days of high altitude in Quito, at 9350 feet above sea level. I was grateful I had no problems at that time.

It’s easy to figure out what road signs are saying.

Once we got here and the Afib wouldn’t stop, I started taking the drug, Flecainide, that I’d been prescribed last April when I was in the hospital for three days, having many tests with no specific answers as to why I had Afib. Many times, I read that Afib doesn’t necessarily appear for any particular reason, making it difficult to treat and tolerate. We all want answers.

I only had enough pills for three months of Flecainide at one per day, which I’d only taken once after getting out of the hospital, which I stopped when I had awful side effects. I had one bad episode on the airplane from South Africa to Florida and never had another bout until I had a few events on the cruise to Norway. Those bouts resolved on their own after a few hours. Then, after the cruises, I never had a bout while we were in Nevada for nine nights, but then I had a few events in Minnesota during the month we were there.

A man walking with his horse or donkey carrying a load of supplies.

After reading that exercise can help Afib, I gradually increased my daily walking steps. After one week, I was in a constant state of Afb. The one Fleacainide a day wasn’t enough. I knew I needed to up the dose to two pills a day, 12 hours apart, per the suggestion of the cardiologists in South Africa. When I took the second dose 12 hours later, without any improvement, yesterday morning, I knew I needed to see a cardiologist.

Immediately, I got to work searching online for a five-star rated cardiologist and found in Manta Dr. Alfredo Zambrano. I called their office, but they spoke no English. When they saw my call coming in, to which I hung up when I couldn’t communicate with them, they immediately sent me a WhatsApp message, translated into English. My appointment was for 3:00 pm yesterday, only hours after our initial contact.

With a high poverty rate in Ecuador. The national poverty rate in Ecuador is estimated at 25% of the population, while the extreme poverty rate stands at 10.7%, with the highest incidence in rural areas. Many homes and buildings are distressed.

Of course, I was still in Afib when we arrived for the appointment. I had written down all my questions in Spanish using Google Translate and handed the doctor my phone to read the questions. One of his assistants spoke excellent English and translated for us.

He did a lengthy ultrasound and an ECG. My appointment lasted one hour. The bill was $100, which included the tests. A few years ago, I had a similar appointment to get checked out in the US, and the 15-minute appointment was US $480. Hmmm…

An old boat in a side yard.

Well, anyway, the doctor showed me on the ultrasound screen that I have a problem with my mitral valve, referred to as a regurgitating mitral valve, which medication can help at this point. It’s what is causing the Afib. He prescribed three new drugs and had me stop taking my current blood pressure and Afiib drugs. I started the new drugs yesterday on our way back to San Jose.

These drugs all have side effects, some more than others. By the time I went to bed at about 10:30 pm, I had taken all three drugs, spaced out for specific times as prescribed, and never taken all at once. One by one, as I took the drugs, within about 45 minutes, I began to feel the side effects. After taking a second dose, it’s taken until this morning for the Afib symptoms to stop.

A typical shop on the side of the road.

Yes, I feel drained and exhausted, but the doctor said I can start walking again once I’m feeling better. It may take weeks to adjust to the meds, but I am not giving up. This is my life, and I will do whatever it takes to get through this. Down the road, I may need surgery, but he said not right now. Thank goodness.

After the pharmacy, we began the one-hour drive back, heading directly to the restaurant for dinner at Kokomo in the gated community. We hadn’t prepared anything for dinner. It was busy, and we had an opportunity to chat with some locals. I wasn’t myself, but I did my best to smile and be cheerful. We didn’t stay long. I was anxious to get back to the house to put on my pajamas and relax for the rest of the night while I waited for the drugs to work. So far, so good. We did the right thing going to the cardiologist, who, by the way, had a very professional office and staff.

Today’s a new day. I feel relieved and hopeful. Sure, I am feeling the side effects, but I will work through them in the coming weeks; I am looking forward to being able to stop thinking and writing about this troublesome condition. Thanks for listening, dear readers.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, November 9, 2013:

This goat in our yard in Kenya was definitely not camera-shy, practically stepping on my foot as she approached. For more photos, please click here.

This is my reality…Hopefully dining out tonight at Kokomo….

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A pelican on the hunt for food. Notice the fish he’s already caught.

Note: Sorry, there aren’t any new photos today. Here are a few from Galapagos, only weeks ago.

The weeks are starting to fly by. We make the best of it while enjoying good meals with available food items. Going out to dinner every Wednesday night at Kokomo has certainly added to our enjoyment. And with the suggestions from some of our readers, particularly Marylin, we are streaming some good shows. More suggestions are welcome for newer shows. We watched all the older shows in lockdown in India in a hotel for ten months.

We listen to many podcasts on various topics and services during the day, which helps as background noise. Even while preparing a post, I can pay attention to the majority of a podcast. It’s great entertainment. No, there aren’t any easy-to-access drive-by sites to visit from here, although we looked at every possible tourist venue within a two-hour drive.

Locals have told us not to drive the highway at night in the dark. Like many other countries, crimes are committed on the highways at night. We decided long ago not to go in the dark on the N4 from the airport in Nelspruit, South Africa, to Marloth Park. We were warned about this by many residents in Marloth Park, and now, the same warning is here in Ecuador.

A stork in Galapagos.

So here is my reality, which I write with considerable angst and frustration. I had to stop the walking schedule for now. It was causing me to be in Afib constantly and only stopped at night two hours after I took the single 100 mg. dose of Flecainide but started up again 12 hours later, shortly after I awoke.

Today, I am not walking any more steps than I must. In desperation, I took a second dose of the drug a few minutes ago, which worked for me about ten days ago for several days, but I knew I’d run out if I took two a day until I could get more. We visited three pharmacies, and none of them carried this antiarrhythmic drug. After considerable online research, it appears this drug isn’t available in Ecuador.

My only option is to see a cardiologist in Manta to help figure out what I need. With this much Afib, I may also require a blood thinner to prevent strokes. I don’t like taking so much medication, especially those with awful side effects. But, right now, I feel I have no choice at this location. This constant Afib has to stop.

Today, we have an appointment with a highly-reviewed cardiologist in Manta at 3:00 pm. We’ll leave here at 1:15 pm to ensure we arrive on time. They don’t speak English but communicate with me via WhatsApp, using its translator. I tried calling their phone number, but when no English was spoken, they immediately sent me a WhatsApp request, inquiring how they could help and how soon we needed an appointment.

A fur seal in the Galapagos.

Based on my racing heart, when they suggested 3:00 pm today, I was all over it. We don’t like going so late in the day, but we’re not being picky about the time at this point.

As mentioned above, I will not do the walking schedule today. I will ask the doctor if the walking schedule is OK during my appointment and go from there. I will report back tomorrow as to what transpires today.

We need groceries but won’t have time to shop after the appointment. We must figure something out from here until we return the car to Manta two weeks from today.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, November 8, 2013:

After days of rain last night, this ugly thing came for a visit only inches from Tom’s bare feet. We’d always heard that insects with red coloration indicated it is poisonous. This millipede is toxic to insects that it consumes, only leaving an itchy streak on a human if it walks over bare skin. No thanks. Tom picked it up with the dustpan and brush, tossing it well into the yard. For more photos, please click here.

Sad news from Marloth Park…The impact of power outages…

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Red hibiscus are commonly found in this area.

Louise wrote to me yesterday to share the sad news of the loss of Nyala Nina, Norman’s partner, and Noah and Natalie’s mother, had her baby a few weeks ago. Sadly, the little one, a female, had an injured leg within a few days of her birth. Dr. Peet darted her, but the injury was so intense she had to be euthanized. This news saddened everyone in Marloth Park, as we are now. The gestation period for a nyala is 220 days. It will be a long time until she has another offspring.

On another note: The power was out for two hours. Maria, our weekly cleaner, is here, and the bedding is stuck in the washer, unable to complete the cycle due to the outage. There is no way it will be done before she leaves around 11. Making the bed is a challenge since the bed is so low and close to the floor. There are other sheets, but today, we decided to wash the mattress cover since it smelled dusty and moldy. So we must wait to remake the bed when the bedding is done.

Bougainvillea in the front garden of the holiday home.

Being located on the ocean, all fabrics have that musty smell. In a way, it makes us rethink choosing holiday homes situated on the ocean. The humidity is palpable. Everything feels wet, even our clean clothes, when we put them on. The question is…will we wash and dry everything before we go or wait and see where we go next and do it there?

In the next 30 days, we will know where we are going from here. Flying out of here is tricky. Manta, the closest city, doesn’t have many options. We don’t want to fly back to Quito, and the next biggest airport is Guayaquil, a three-hour drive from here. Plus, we have to figure out where we’ll be able to drop off the final rental car.

Pink bougainvillea n the front garden.

Time will tell. At this point, we continue to research our options, but now, with the power outages, the time to do so is limited. I still spend several hours posting each day, and with limited cooking supplies, it seems to take longer to prepare meals.

Also, now that I have increased my daily indoor “stepping/walking,” every 15 minutes, that takes up a considerable amount of time each day. I have found it easier to walk every 15 minutes rather than attempt to get it done in one or two fell swoops. My legs aren’t ready for that yet. It may take several weeks before I can walk a longer distance over an extended period.

This is where we have to drop off the garbage. Recycling is not done here.

We are looking forward to going out for dinner tomorrow night. I translated the menu and found one more item I can eat: chicken kabobs. I don’t know how they are made or the sauces used, but I will figure something out. Otherwise, there were no other options besides the plain, dry hamburger patties I had last week.

The lot next door is for sale. We have no idea as to the asking price.

It’s still morning here, and the day is young. We have plenty to do to keep us busy, making the days fly by in a blur. Two months from now, we will be on our way to the yet-to-be-determined location.

Two birds on the beach.

Of course, we will report back as soon as we know more. Oddly, we aren’t worried about this, knowing full well that we will figure something out that works for us. Since the pandemic, we don’t plan as far ahead as we used to years ago. With the ongoing possibility of lock-downs in some locations, we aren’t willing to risk losing more money.

Maria managed to get the bedding on the bed before she left and, once again, did a fantastic job. We certainly appreciate having a weekly cleaner, making our days easier, and spending less time washing floors and dusting.

Today will be a quiet day. With the power back on, hopefully, for the remainder of the day, we can continue with research while every 15 minutes, I start walking again.

Be well.

Photos from ten years ago today, November 7, 2013:

In Diani Beach, Kenya…hand washing our underwear and placing it in the kitchen window seems to dry it more quickly than hanging it anywhere else inside. I no longer use the clothesline. The last time I walked out back to hang a few items in the tall grass, I was stung on my thigh, resulting in a very painful huge welt that eventually turned into a huge black bruise, lasting for weeks. For more photos, please click here.

Monday, Monday…Oh, oh…load shedding…

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The sun sets a few minutes after 6:00 pm. It doesn’t change daily, only based on the cloud cover since we are located at the Equator.

We’re fortunate that the back of this oceanfront property is facing the west. On clear evenings, we can watch the sunset while we lounge at the table and chairs by the pool. We’ve never lost interest in sunsets all these years, especially when we’ve spent time in properties overlooking the ocean.

It’s been cloudy most days. We’ve yet to have a fully sunny day. It may start that way, but in a few hours, the clouds roll in, and with it comes drizzles and often rain. Neither of us cares to use the pool or sit outdoors on cloudy days. However, I am looking forward to being able to do some walking in the pool if the weather changes.

See below:

“The inter-Andean valleys have a temperate climate and rainy season from October to May and a dry season from June to September; average monthly temperatures are about 14.5C (58.1F) in the rainy season and 15C (59F) in the dry season.”

Since we arrived two weeks ago, the temperature has been mainly in the 21C (70F) range to a high of 27C (80F) with very high humidity  (often 88%) and dew point (75), basically uncomfortable weather. The pool is not heated, and the water is cold, making it less comfortable than we’d prefer.

With all the walking I am doing, I am okay with waiting until it warms up a bit, which it may not be while we’re still here. If not, I am fine as long as I’m getting exercise by walking.

It started to disappear into the horizon in less than a minute.

So here we are with ‘load shedding” in Ecuador. Apparently, due to the lack of rain in the mountains, the reservoirs are low, and the country’s electric company has instituted power outages. They don’t call it load shedding here. Here’s an article about this from this site:

“Power supply disruptions are occurring across Ecuador as of Oct. 30 due to production shortfall. Business disruptions are likely.”

Power supply disruptions are occurring throughout Ecuador as of Oct. 30 due to lower hydroelectric power generation in the midst of ongoing drought conditions in the Amazon region. Authorities have stated that rolling blackouts of up to 4 hours are likely throughout the country until early December. A recent deal to import electricity from Colombia may alleviate the severity of power outages, but energy shortages are likely to persist.

Commercial disruptions are likely for businesses dependent on public electricity. Transport disruptions due to malfunctioning traffic signals are possible during periods of power failure. Temporary commercial and communications outages, including cellular service disruptions, may also occur during blackouts. The outages are unlikely to affect government buildings and businesses relying on private generators. Essential services like ATMs and petrol stations may temporarily cease operations during load-shedding periods.

There is an increased security risk as a result of power outages. Blackouts could adversely affect security protocols, including alarm systems and electronic fences; opportunistic criminal activity could increase during electricity outages.”

Here we go again. We experienced the outages last week but didn’t write about it, assuming it might be a temporary fault causing the disruption. After speaking with residents at Kokomo at dinner last Wednesday, they were all aware of it when they’d been notified by email.

I haven’t found a definitive schedule for this area online, but Carol, whom we met last Wednesday, offered to send me the schedule when she receives it soon. That way, we can plan our day.

That’s it for today, folks.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, November 6, 2013:

Sunday’s sunset in Kenya from owner’s Jeri and Hans’ third-floor veranda. For more photos, please click here.

The walking continues…Hopeful for the future…Football day!…

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The watermelon was a little mushy and made it difficult to get all the seeds out. Tom ate the small seeds.

For the first time in years, Tom wanted to eat watermelon. When Raphael stopped by with his packed vegetable truck on Friday for the second time in a week, Tom spotted a watermelon and said, “Let’s get that also!”

Over the past few days, I’ve asked Tom if he wanted me to cut it into bite-sized pieces. Each time he said, “No thanks.” Finally, today, with a bit of prodding from me, he said, “Yes.” He never wants to make “work” for me, but good grief, I am happy to cut it up for him. I’m much better at this than he is, and besides, I try to remove all the seeds, which I always did for him and my kids decades ago until they came out with seedless watermelons.

Although I am still busy with the walking and will continue to walk day after day, it won’t take me too long to cut it up. Unfortunately, I don’t have a container to put it in, but I will use two of the larger pots with lids and get it all cut up today. After I just took a break to cut the entire watermelon, we noticed that the seeds were different from those in watermelons in the US.

I hadn’t cut a watermelon in almost 12 years. Tom had joined me in the low-carb way of eating long before we left the US and hadn’t eaten any fruit since then. During that time, he lost 40 pounds and got off seven drugs a day, when this way of eating helped his irritable bowel syndrome symptoms dissipate entirely.

Recently, he’s lost a lot of weight and is at his lowest and been enjoying a few foods he’s missed over the years, for example, two pieces of toast with butter and strawberry jam for breakfast and now a watermelon snack. We’ll see if this combination causes any gastrointestinal issues, and if not, he can continue to enjoy these foods. Otherwise, the only other food with carbs that he eats daily is white rice with dinner, and that doesn’t bother him at all.

Again tonight, we’ve roasting two large chicken breasts in the oven with the skin, which we’ll remove at dinner, with carrots and mushrooms in the pan. Plus, tonight, I’m adding fresh green beans for him and grilled eggplant (aubergine) for me. We aren’t eating any salads while here since we’re concerned about tap water, which the farmers are using to rinse off the vegetables. We aren’t taking any chances.

I miss having a big salad each night with my meal since all I have with my protein source is vegetables, which aren’t very filling. Each evening, I am a little hungry after dinner, but since I am slowly losing weight, as desired, that hunger usually subsides quickly. I don’t think of food for the remainder ot the evening. Thus, for most dinners, I have two vegetables and whatever meat we’re having.

For breakfast, I’ve had steamed vegetables, new or leftover from the prior evening’s dinner, and half of an avocado with an egg dropped into the pit’s hole. Then I cook it in the microwave for a few minutes (covered with a paper towel). This is a healthy and delicious way to start the day.

If I get hungry at midday, I’ll have some sliced sugar-free deli ham or chicken with one slice of cheddar cheese in the shape of a sandwich without the bread. Tom may have this with me from time to time. I don’t usually eat anything during the day between breakfast and dinner, but now that I am trying to lose a few pounds, I have found having a light snack during the day helps me eat less at dinner.

It isn’t a lot of food in a day, but my metabolism has been slow since I had heart surgery, something I’ve read online from other patients. But now, with daily walking and cutting back on the volume of food, I feel confident I can finally lose these few extra pounds. I must be diligent since I won’t lose more than a pound or two weekly. Of course, we have our scale with us, which we use for weighing our luggage and ourselves.

With nine weeks until we leave Ecuador, I should have lost all the weight I wanted by then. I read repeatedly that dropping as little as 10% of one’s body weight can significantly help those with Afib. This, in itself, is enough motivation for me, coupled with the walking. I can already feel the improvement in my heart and my legs.

That’s it for today, folks. As soon as I get this post uploaded, Tom will use my laptop to stream the Minnesota Vikings game, scheduled for 1:00 pm, since his Chromebook doesn’t have an HDMI outlet.

Happy day to all.

Photo from ten years ago today, November 5, 2013:

There were no photos posted on this date ten years ago. Instead, it was a story about how I started eating a low-carb diet to improve my health that Dr. David Perlmutter posted on his website. See the post here.

Houses in the gated community…

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This is a Travelers Palm (Ravenala madagascariensis). We encountered a few of these in Mirador San Jose.

Yesterday, when we drove to the little store, we drove around the neighborhood looking for photo ops. Other than the flat-roofed houses and dry vegetation of unsold lots, there weren’t many photo ops. Eventually, the balance of the lots will be sold, but it could be a long time when this location is far from shopping and entertainment.

Most of the people we’ve met here are French Canadian, as mentioned and as described below:

“The inhabitants of the French colony of Canada (modern-day Quebec) called themselves the Canadiens and came mostly from northwestern France. The early inhabitants of Acadia, or Acadians (Acadiens), came mostly but not exclusively from the southwestern regions of France.”

We love the look of this wooden house, which we posted earlier, in the gated community with a Traveler’s Palm in the front.

From what we’ve heard from locals, the company promoted the development of this gated community via seminars and video presentations that primarily took place in Canada, appealing to those on the brink of retirement. Word of mouth spread., builders stepped in, and many of the lots were sold.

On Wednesday night at Kokomo, we met one of those builders, a friendly French Canadian who was proud of the houses he’d built. We are living in such a house, and it seems well-built. The ravages wrecked by the sea air are the ultimate source of wear and tear in these and other oceanfront and other nearby houses.

There’s a soccer field and tennis courts in Mirador San Jose, but we’ve yet to see anyone using these.

Most of the houses are stucco, but after decades in the real estate business, I observed that stucco is not exempt from wear and tear from moisture from humid environments. Nor is wood. Even in Marloth Park, South Africa, far from the sea but near a river and especially humid during the summer months, stucco houses eventually show wear and evidence of mold.

We’ve observed that the brick houses in Marloth Park seem to endure during the hot and humid times of the years, and the house’s exteriors seem to last the longest, even over many new siding materials that claim to resist moisture. Many homes being built there are brick and blend well with the bush environment.

“In a completely brick-built house the interior walls are actively absorbing the air humidity. Bricks can easily absorb humidity, as they have a surface that is more diffusion-open than other materials. As opposed to other materials, humidity doesn’t harm bricks.”

A Christmas tree-like pine is growing in the neighborhood.

But in Ecuador, brick may not be affordable, and lower-quality brick can cause problems down the road. Of course, it’s at the discretion of each buyer and their builder which type of exterior they may choose to use and that which is most affordable. Appearance is also a factor, and brick may not appeal to the buyer in many cases, depending on the style of the house.

In any case, most of the houses in Mirador San Jose are stucco with flat roofs. However, each house appears to have its own unique design, which was suited to the desires of the owners when the houses were initially built. Here is the link to the development for Mirador San Jose.

Another Christmas tree-like pine is growing in the neighborhood. Most of the houses in this gated community have flat roofs, except for the above wood house.

Of course, the more we interact with the locals at dinner on Wednesday nights, the more we’ll discover. We’re certainly no experts on what is transpiring in this gated community. Nor will we be by the time we leave here in a few months. We are always curious about our surroundings and share our perceptions here with all of you, whether accurate or not. As we learn more, we’ll share more.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, November 4, 2013:

The Regency Hotel London, in South Kensington, England, where we’ll stay for 15 nights before boarding our ship at the port in Harwich, a three-hour drive from London. For more photos, please click here.

Not much sightseeing while here…

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Tom, when we were in Florida about six months ago.

Note: Sorry, but we don’t have new photos to share. It’s been raining, and we haven’t gone out.

In researching this area, I came across this page on TripAdvisor listing the points of interest to tourists who may be staying in or around Manta, Ecuador, an hour’s drive from here. Based on the remote location of this holiday home, there really isn’t anything nearby that we can experience from the car.

Although I started exercising a few days ago, it’s still too early for me to expect to be able to walk long distances. Only time will tell, and it could be weeks before I am strong enough to tackle any such tours. Actually, in reviewing the activities listed on the above site, we aren’t interested in any of these since, in 2017, we visited Manta while on a cruise. At that time, we toured some of the events listed.

Instead, we’re staying put at this house until we head back to Manta in less than three weeks to return the rental car for another and buy groceries at the Walmart-type store Mega-Maxi, the locals told us about on Wednesday night. It will be interesting to shop at this big store.

As we’ve run out of some foodstuffs in the past few days and with the need to keep purchasing water, we’ve been going to the tiny market here in Mirador San Jose, owned by a friendly French Canadian, Gilles. Thank goodness, we got plenty of cash at the ATM in Manta when we were last there on October 26 and shopped at a market downtown that didn’t work for us.

Me, on the same date, while in Florida.

The locals said they enjoy shopping at Mega-Maxi, where we will find everything we want to round out our meals and supplies. We’ll still buy some produce from Raphael, the local vegetable guy, when he stops by every Tuesday. The question is, can we go another 19 days without going to a supermarket? Right now, in the freezer, we have enough meat to last for six dinners and multiple cans of wild-caught tuna, with which we can make tuna salad with rice and vegetables on the side, making it a total of eight days.

With leftover ribs for Tom and seafood for me, for this evening, we have enough food to last for nine more dinners, taking us through November 15, considering we’ll be dining out every Wednesday. You may ask, why don’t we go to Manta now? The answer is simple. We don’t feel like sitting in the car for over two hours round trip to the grocery shop any more often than we have to. Doing so on the day we return the rental car and get a new car is an ideal scenario.

Next week, we’ll return to Puerta Cayo, a tiny town with a meat market, Carnisariato San Isidro. It will be interesting to check out what they have and see if we can purchase enough to last until November 22. The little shop in this gated community has only a few meat options. We already tried the filet mignon, but it was very tough.

We laugh now over how we grumbled a little to each other while in Marloth Park that we had to drive 20 minutes to the Spar Market in Komatipoort. We’ll appreciate that short distance all the more when we return. Plus, their selections were vast, and we seldom left with items we couldn’t find.

But we have truly settled in and feel more comfortable here as we roll into an easy routine. It will be especially lovely when the sun comes out, and we can use the pool. It’s been raining off and on most days. We’ve had one sunny day so far. The house itself is fine, and the extra exercise I am getting going up and down the stairs to the bedrooms several times each day.

Each day is a new challenge as I continue rebuilding my fitness and health. Today is only day three, but I have already developed a routine to get me up and moving every 15 minutes. I start when I get out of bed and continue until 5:00 pm, when I stop to make dinner.

In time, I will lengthen the fast-walking period, hopefully enabling me to walk long distances eventually. Right now, the number of steps I am doing is working, and I am not going into Afib at the current pace. If I walked too hard and fast, I know I’d run into an Afib event. I remember, only so well, when my grandson Miles and I were leaving Target Field after the Minnesota Twins baseball game, and trying to keep up with the crowd’s pace left me in Afib for hours that night.

It’s a dual purpose: the exercise improves my heart health and also my ability to walk longer distances. This is a huge motivator. I realize now that I am active again how much I was stationary each day, fearful of triggering an episode. Most likely, being stationary exacerbated my condition. I am hopeful but prepared for potential setbacks that won’t deter me.

Again, thanks to our reader, Gary, for spurring me on to do this rather than whining about my limitations.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, November 3, 2013:

The Indian Ocean in Kenya has clean, white sand beaches, only cluttered with seaweed coming ashore during the rising and falling of the tides. For more photos, please click here.