It’s the simple things that give us joy!…Yesterday’s event was a perfect example…A new plan…

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Raphael, our new vegetable guy. We were thrilled to meet him and buy his fresh produce. Check out that smile!

When we heard that a vegetable guy drives around the neighborhood every Tuesday, we kept the front door open all day, hoping we wouldn’t miss his honking. All we knew was that he could appear anywhere from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm or…not appear.

At 5:30 pm, we heard a horn honking while I was upstairs changing, and Tom couldn’t move fast enough to try to explain to Raphael, who speaks no English, to wait a minute or two until I could come downstairs, put on my shoes and head out the door. I hadn’t moved that fast in a long time.

Once outside, I squealed with delight when I saw all the fresh-from-the-farm vegetables. I had to remember what we couldn’t eat that wouldn’t be cooked, but since we won’t be eating anything that may have been washed in the bad water here. It’s too risky. I did buy some carrots that I will parboil for a few minutes and then refrigerate, hoping they will be okay to snack on from time to time.

His truck was packed with produce in a somewhat disorganized manner, but we didn’t care.

With my way of eating, I avoid carrots, but while here, I am a little more lenient, and Tom likes to snack on carrots occasionally. We had been talking about how wonderful it would have been this past week if we’d been able to have green beans or broccoli. Tom won’t eat the cauliflower. It’s a favorite of mine due to its low-carb content.

As we use each item, I will wash it with bottled water and then cook it to ensure any bacteria is killed, perhaps a little longer than usual. Soon, I will cook the cauliflower for breakfast to have with a few hard-boiled eggs. Tom hasn’t been wanting breakfast lately. Instead, he’s been having toast and jelly each morning with his coffee, which seems to hold him all day.

After we purchased all the vegetables from Raphael, we managed to explain to him to come by every Tuesday so we could buy more. None of these vegetables were available in the grocery store except for the onions. Next time we go to Manta in three weeks, we’ll find a different market, hopefully with more options, but we will continue to buy produce from Raphael.

His truck was packed with a wide array of vegetables, many we don’t eat. However, we were able to find those we do eat and that are non-starchy.

We enthusiastically thanked Raphael, shaking his hand, and he seemed genuinely pleased to have provided his farm goods for us. I don’t think the price was a bargain, but at this point, there was no way we’d negotiate. After all, we only spent $8 and were happy to do so.

Once back inside with the vegetables, I found myself back in Afib. The result of moving so fast to get dressed, going down the steps from the bedroom, and putting on my shoes was enough activity to send me into a full-blown Afib event. Although my pulse never got over 103 beats per minute, I could feel the awful flutter in my chest that lasted for a few hours.

Resting and deep breathing after eating a light dinner, and eventually, it settled down. One can get Afib without a fast heartbeat. I wasn’t due to take the drug until 9:30 pm, so I waited patiently and calmly. I am not freaking out each time, as I had previously. We watched a few shows, but my mind was spinning on how much I needed to get some exercise. I have been sitting a lot over the past several months since this started again.

We’ll go through this batch in no time and look forward to Raphael’s return next Tuesday.

Today, I started a new, very slow, and easy exercise routine. Every 15 minutes, I stand up from the sofa or chair and step in place, vigorously swinging my arms for a step count of 25, not much but a beginning. Each day, I will increase the number of steps. In the interim, I test my heart every few hours to ensure I haven’t gone into Afib.

Doing this is a massive commitment since I plan to do it for 10 hours daily. This should contribute to improved cardiac health and potentially, eventually, improve the Afib. Also, I have set a goal to lose ten pounds, which I have carried for the past few years. I want to accomplish this before we leave here in 68 days, which is less than 1½ pounds a week. Losing even 10 pounds can significantly improve Afib.

I must thank Gary, one of our readers who said I should take advantage of the time here and get fit. I agreed with him but questioned if I could exercise with the problems with my legs and the Afib. Today is only Day 1, but those 68 days will pass anyway. Why not use them to improve my health?

That’s it for today, folks.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, November 1, 2013:

No, I didn’t edit the mouth on this camel, which appeared to be laughing. For more photos, please click here.

Today is our 11 year anniversary of traveling the world…Happy Travel Anniversary, my love…

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View of the houses on the oceanfront in Mirador San Jose, Ecuador, one hour from Manta.

It was 11 years ago today that we began this journey. It’s hard to believe so much time has passed. Now, as we research where we are headed next, we wonder, based on health limitations at this point, what is our best move. There is the whole world in front of us, but we’ve already been to those places that appealed to us the most, and now, we must pin down options for the future that meet our current criteria.

The ocean is closer to the house during high tide.

Times have changed over the years. Prices have rapidly escalated for flights, hotels, and holiday homes since the pandemic, and searching for options has become an entirely new ballgame, requiring diligence and patience. In the past few days, we’ve done a lot of research and eventually have to take a break when flying out of Manta is a real challenge. But we carry on, trying off and on until we’re able to pin something down.

A kind, well-intentioned reader wrote that it may make sense for me to focus on getting fit while here, and I appreciate the sentiment. But, with rainy, cloudy weather, I am not motivated to use the pool. My walking ability is limited, as mentioned, and I cannot walk even short distances. Once the weather improves, I will walk in the pool and see if that helps.

The chaise lounges for a sunny day for some vitamin D.

He also suggested I write a cookbook using the locally available foods, and again, I appreciate the good intention. Still, I have no desire to write a book after writing 4085 posts in the past 11 years. I spend enough time sitting at my computer, and spending more time writing a book, especially when we have an imminent need to research, doesn’t appeal to me.

But I appreciate our reader, who’s simply coming up with suggestions on how to enjoy our time better here. In the past few days, as we’ve become more settled, we’ve overcome the hurdle of how we’ll spend our time, and now, as we plan for the future, we are content and finding ways to enjoy our surroundings. No more angst, thanks to the help from our owner/landlord, Igor, who addressed our issues with speed and diligence.

The house is on a steep rocky hill. To get down to this sidewalk, one must walk about 1/2 mile to a stairway going down.

I think I freaked out once we arrived. I was stuck in a state of Afib for the first four days. In this state, it’s easy to panic and feel stressed, which, of course, only makes matters worse, but it is challenging to psyche oneself out of it when it feels like birds are flying around in your chest. Plus, it wasn’t very comforting to think it might never stop, which happens to many with the condition.

Now, after a week on the miraculous drug, I am Afib-free and was able to reduce the dose in half in the past two days, which I take at night, and it just so happens to make me sleep better. Whew! I am hopeful. I have enough pills left to make it through our remaining time in Ecuador, with about ten doses remaining until we get somewhere where I can buy more. So far, we haven’t found a pharmacy that carries them, but we will try a few when we get to Manta in about three weeks.

It’s unlikely we’ll use this brick charcoal grill on the right in this photo. The interior is in rough condition and would require some work to make it usable.

Once we get to Manta, we’ll also swap out the rental car for another and do our grocery shopping, this time away from downtown. Loading the groceries was a hassle for Tom while in the center of town.

Today, the cleaning person was here. I failed to buy cleaning supplies when we shopped, but fortunately, I had a bottle of plain vinegar that Maria used. She just left and did an excellent job. It is such a relief we don’t have to do the cleaning ourselves. The fact that we are tidy helps keep the place clean in the interim.

A tree in the pool area.

As for our anniversary today, there’s nothing on the agenda other than our filet mignon dinner tonight. Tom, as always, will have rice with his steak tonight; I’ll have sliced avocado on the side. Perfect. We don’t have any wine, beer, or cognac (Tom’s favorite) to share a toast. But that’s OK. Maybe tomorrow night, when we head to Kokomo again (they are supposed to be open on Wednesdays for $5 burger night), we can share a toast. We’ll see how that goes.

Have a fantastic Tuesday. We plan to.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, October 31, 2013:

Walking on the beach on the Indian Ocean yesterday afternoon, Tom shot this appearing footless photo of me. I was wearing those ugly water shoes, grateful they were hidden in the surf.
I suppose I should have zoomed in as he did when taking mine. Look! You can see shadows as I’m taking the photo. I’m too busy to edit photos right now! For more photos, please click here.

The pounding surf…There’s no “free lunch”…

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Five black vultures drinking from the pool. Some stop by every day.

The constant sound of the surf is calming. We’ve always loved being situated at an oceanfront holiday home. The sad part of such proximity to the sea is the damage and wear and tear of the exterior and interior of the properties. Salt air quickly damages metal parts on kitchen appliances and electric equipment that are rarely fixable, short of replacing the items.

Most of the houses in Mirador San Jose are stucco on the exterior, and it is easy to see the damage over the years, resulting in expensive repairs most homeowners here can’t afford nor want to pay even if they can afford it. Even the houses not directly on the ocean show signs of damage from the salt air on their exteriors.

We also observed this when we were in Florida. The more expensive homes were mainly in excellent condition when owners could afford the upkeep. But, the mid-range and lower-valued homes were often sorely lacking in upkeep.

The sun setting over the ocean.

In life, there’s no “free lunch.” There is always a price to pay for whatever we love and may, on occasion, experience in excess.. whether it is food, drink, shopping, or exposure to sea air. Even spending too much time and energy engaged in favorite activities may result in a price to pay when ignoring loved ones or responsibilities.

We’ve also experienced the “no free lunch” concept in our travels when we get a great price on a property, whether it’s a hotel or holiday home. Once we arrive, we often say, “We got what we paid for.” Although at the time of booking such a property, we may have been enthused over an excellent price we negotiated, once we arrived, we assessed that it wasn’t exactly as we’d expected.

This isn’t always the case, and many times, we’ve been thrilled to find the location and the property is more than we anticipated. The same goes for cruises. Recently, we paid a higher-than-usual price for an Azamara cruise to Norway. The ship was fantastic, the food excellent, and the cabin acceptable. But, somehow, we’d expected more, although we loved Greenland, the passengers, and more.

More of last night’s sunset.

So was the case here for this property in Ecuador. Yes, the house is lovely and was fairly represented in the photos. The owner is excellent and helpful. The pool is beautiful, as is the beach. But, with the limitations of being unable to dine out or socialize, we’ve decided to make the best of our time here.

We’ve been making delicious dinners and enjoying our evenings streaming shows on Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime. Thank goodness, the WiFi on the main floor is working well. Although there was another power outage this morning, it only lasted for two hours, and we’re back online now, enabling me to do today’s post earlier rather than later in the day.

We are discussing where we’ll go when we leave here in 72 days. Nothing has been decided yet, but most likely, we’ll do so in the next week or so and provide our decision here for all of our readers to see. There’s nothing more we can do at this point.

The ocean at sunset.

That’s it for today, dear readers. We hope you have a wonderful week ahead of you.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, October 30, 2013:

Finding the Colobus Monkeys beside us at the pool put me on a photo-taking frenzy. No more “borrowed” Colobus Monkey photos for us! Could this guy have given a more appealing pose? For more photos, please click here.

Life goes on and with it, a more positive attitude…Photos from the neighborhood…

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This is Kokomo Restaurant in Mirador San Jose, which wasn’t open when we stopped by for dinner last night;

Gee…sorry we’re been so negative lately. We always promised to “tell it like it is,” which we’ve done, but we know we’ve been sounding negative. From here, we’re doing everything we can to be more upbeat and make the best of our situation wherever we may be. This was just a bump in the road.

Most of the houses in the gated community are boxes with flat roofs used as observation decks.

Last night, we showered and dressed to go out to dinner. We’d heard from Gilles, the grocery store owner, that the local restaurant Kokomo is open on Wednesday and Saturday nights. We knew they closed at 8:00 pm, so we arrived at 5:30, thinking they’d open the bar and restaurant. Nope.

There wasn’t a soul in sight, and when we peered in the windows, it didn’t appear that the restaurant would be open anytime soon. The chairs were askew, the floor was dirty, and it didn’t look as if it had been open for a very long time. We hopped back in the car and headed back to our holiday home.

Most of the houses in the gated community are boxes with flat roofs used as observation decks.

We hadn’t defrosted anything for dinner. However, we always have onion, mushroom, and cheese omelets or scrambled eggs as a backup plan. In no time at all, we were seated at the island in the kitchen, eating our breakfast-type dinner and watching an episode of Hell’s Kitchen on my laptop with the portable Bluetooth speaker so Tom could hear.

Check out the exterior staircase on this house.

In the evening, we use our HDMI cord hooked up to the TV to watch a few streamed shows before heading to bed. By 11:00 pm, we were both sound asleep and slept well. I never woke up once during the night, which was wonderful. By 6:30 am, Tom was up and dressed, and an hour later, I had done the same.

It’s somewhat of a bright color for a house.

Right away, we got busy prepping tonight’s dinner, a cheesy hamburger mushroom bake that we both love. It would be nice to have green beans or broccoli with this dish, but none were to be found anywhere we shopped. It looks like I am mainly eating carnivore right now (except for garlic, mushrooms, and onions), which I don’t mind, and Tom would be also if it weren’t for adding rice to his dinner. It won’t hurt either of us to eat this way while we’re here.

Scenery at the edge of the gated community.

By the time we get to our next location, destination unknown at this time, we’ll be chomping at the bit for some veggies and salad and some restaurants where we can socialize and dine. For now, we’re managing with what’s available here. As a reader reminded us when we were whinging over the past several days, we have each other, and that in itself is everything. So true. Our best times are spent with just the two of us, entertaining ourselves and having fun.

We especially liked this house since it was wood, not stucco, and was more appealing.

We haven’t purchased any alcohol while here. Right now, I am avoiding wine entirely while getting used to the Afib medication, and Tom doesn’t care to drink when we aren’t socializing. This is no big deal to either of us, although I am looking forward to a glass of wine in the future when the time is right.

Many unfinished construction sites have been left unattended, most likely due to the owners running out of funds to complete it.

During the day, we often listen to podcasts, including Garage Logic in Minnesota and a variety of others. It’s been cloudy and rainy most days, so we haven’t tried the pool yet. When it warms up, we will.

We’re looking forward to that time.

There are a few single-story houses in the gated community, but not many. Most of the houses appear to be unoccupied, but it’s hard to tell.

Today is a quiet day. We aren’t going out today except to sit outside when the sun sets around 6:00 pm, hoping to take a few photos. Have a pleasant Sunday.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, October 29, 2013:

Tom spotted this monkey outside the window while we stayed at a resort in Kenya for our travel anniversary. I couldn’t grab the camera fast enough. Surprisingly, he didn’t move when he saw me. They have become used to humans at the resort. For more, please click here.

Off to Puerto Cayo to check out the village…

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A hut on the beach on the way to Puerta Cayo.

Today, we drove to Puerta Cayo to check out the town and the pharmacies. Here are the stats on this village:

Puerto Cayo, Manabí, Ecuador
Area of Puerto Cayo, Manabí, Ecuador 175.2 km²
Population: 3,642
Male Population: 1,923 (52.8%)
Female Population: 1,719 (47.2%)
Population change from 1975 to 2015: +110.2%
Population change from 2000 to 2015: +22.3%
Median Age: 24.1 years
Male Median Age: 24.9 years
Female Median Age 23.3 years

Two days…two power outages…We don’t know why this is happening and can’t ask anyone to find out the details.
I am writing this post offline on my phone without a WiFi signal since there’s no connection during power outages. Since I started this post, Igor informed us there will be power outages in the next 3 or 4 days for 2 to 3 hours per day. Great.

So it goes in Mirador San Jose, one surprise after another, but we strive to adapt and find ways to enjoy ourselves. Neither of us is distraught. We are adapting and holding our own.

A cemetery we encountered on the road to Puerto Cayo.

The Afib stopped yesterday afternoon. I am hoping to continue taking the meds to ensure it doesn’t return. I am adjusting to the side effects and almost feel like my old self again. Unfortunately, I will run out of the pills in about 35 days. Thus, this prompted today’s visit to Puerto Cayo, the closest town with pharmacies.

When the power returned around 11:00 (it went out at 7:30 am), that was when we jumped in the little car and drove to Puerto Cayo, where three pharmacies were located. I brought the package of medication with me to show the pharmacists. We stopped at all three pharmacies, and none had heard of the medication.

As we drove into the village..

On Monday, I’ll start calling pharmacies in Manta to see if they have it. If not, I will have to figure out an alternative plan. I am trying to figure out a way to get the medication sent to me from afar. Otherwise, I will have to come up with Plan B, perhaps taking them only as needed during Afib events, which is a common practice called “pill in the pocket.”

Tonight, we will attempt to go out to dinner at a little restaurant, Kokomo, here in the gated community. Supposedly, they are open on Wednesday and Saturday only, but we don’t know what time they open. We’ll head over there around 5:00 pm and check it out.

A home or business on the highway.

All we know about the restaurant is that they close at 8:00 pm. There’s no menu online, although there were a couple of photos online showing deep-fried meals. I can always order a cheeseburger without a bun and some cooked vegetables. That always works in those cases.

Last night, we enjoyed a tasty batch of chicken salad using the second chicken we’d purchased in Manta. Tom had his dinner with rice. I didn’t have a side without appropriate vegetables. My avos are yet to ripen.

Hammocks under cabanas on the beach for anyone to use.

We are hoping to meet some locals and start some social life while here. We shall see how that goes. There are a lot of English-speaking residents here, and we have already met a few: the shop owner, Gilles, and a customer, Luke, both from Quebec, Canada.

A couple of islands at a distance

We are okay. The challenges we experienced on Tuesday and Wednesday have mostly been resolved. We have hot water, and I took my first hot shower this morning. Of course, we are wondering if these power outages will be a regular thing.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, October 28, 2013:

Coconut-crusted parmesan chicken with sliced tomato, avocado, and green beans. Our usual cole slaw. It is on the side plate. All the vegetables were purchased fresh yesterday from the vegetable stand down the road from us; the cabbage, carrots, tomato, avocado, and green beans were delivered as we arrived by a guy on a motorcycle with colorful bins stacked high on the back seat. For more photos, please click here.

Trying to settle in and adapt…

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Look carefully at this photo of the gizzards and livers inside the two chickens. Notice the two chicken heads, one with eyes open. Oh, dear. We’d never made a chicken with heads and feet included, but I guess the Ecuadorian people use everything.

Note: Right now, with things getting done around the house and us getting organized, I haven’t taken any photos yet but will do so soon. Thanks for your patience.

As each day passes, we get a little more settled in. I’ve unpacked everything I need to use while here and left the remainder in the bags sitting open on the beds in both guest rooms. When it’s time to go, it will be easy to pack. Tom has done the same, only wearing a few different shirts and pants.

We haven’t been able to use the pool yet since it’s been cloudy and rainy. But once the sun appears, we certainly will. Start using it. The pool guy has been here twice since we arrived, and it looks cool and refreshing. It’s been warm and humid most days, and we’ve certainly used the aircon in the bedroom at night and the living room. We are conscientious about turning it off when we leave the room or go out and about.

Yesterday, the little store here in the gated community was open. It’s only open Monday, Thursday, and Friday, so we jumped in the car and stopped there to see about buying jugs of bottled water and to check out their inventory. We purchased a one-pound filet mignon that would be enough for one meal, a giant jug of water, and a few odds and ends. A small box of Kleenex was $4.50. The filet was $10, and the big 19-liter water jug was $1.40.

The owner of the store, Gilles, from Ontario, Canada now, after eight years living here, has a strong Spanish accent but speaks English, and we were able to ask him many questions about the area. He was very kind, and indeed, we’ll continue to stop there for eggs, water, and possibly meat since he has a small inventory.

Anything to avoid making that long drive to Manta for groceries, including the difficulty finding a parking spot and the commotion in the market. We were able to purchase most of the items we needed and may never be able to find them here. We’ll continue to stop at the little markets we encounter.

It was wonderful having a nice dinner last night. Without vegetables, I ate just the chicken. Tom had chicken and rice. When we head to Puerto Cayo in the next few days, we’ll look for the farm stand I read about online in the famous expat town. There’s no significant market there, but perhaps we can find a few things we’d like, such as green beans, broccoli, asparagus, and cauliflower.

I have four avocadoes sitting on the kitchen window sill to ripen, but it could be a week before they are ready to eat. A half of a sliced avo is an excellent addition to any meal for me. Tom, not so much. I don’t enjoy just eating meat and no sides, and Tom always enjoys rice on the side.

Last night, we enjoyed speaking to our friends, Kathy and Don, in Hawaii. We are planning to meet up in Marloth Park next year. They have been such wonderful friends, as have many others, and we always feel blessed for our friends and family members. It was great spending so much time with everyone in Nevada and Minnesota.

Now that we’re in the same time zone as Minnesota, we’ll easily be able to talk to family members anytime. What a treat that is!

As for the house, we don’t have any hot water. I reported this to Igor, the property owner, and hope to hear back soon. It’s been challenging taking showers and doing dishes in cold water. We are still waiting for the WiFi solution for the upper level. We gave up trying to get the electric kettle to work, and I am using a small pot to boil water for my decaf coffee and tea. Adaptation always prevails. But, the cold showers and dishwater aren’t something we feel we can adapt to.

I still have Afib. Even taking the potent drug. In the next few days, we’ll head to a pharmacy to buy more of the drug in case I need to up the dose. At this point, I am at a moderate dose with an option to increase the dose if necessary. It makes me feel shaky and out of sorts, but it’s what I have to do now during this period. It was prescribed for me last April when I was in hospital for Afib, but I’d never taken it until now when I had fewer symptoms.

It is estimated that the prevalence of Afib in the US ranges from 2.7 million to 6.1 million. This number is expected to rise to 12.1 million by 2030. It’s become more prevalent since people have discovered it using their fitness watches when they get an alert on their device that it detects Afib. My Fitbit does this, but I can feel it when my sinus rhythm is abnormal. Some people don’t feel any symptoms at all. I am not unique with these symptoms, but I’d like to learn how to manage it better.

That’s it for today, folks. Have a fantastic Friday.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today. October 27, 2013:

This photo was taken at Tom’s retirement party on October 27, 2012. At this point, we only used our smartphones to take photos. Little did we know then how much would change, how much we would change, how important clear photos would mean, and how much we had ahead of us. How does one unload their entire lives and travel the world for years to come? Now we know. For more photos, please click here.

I don’t know where to begin…It wasn’t an easy transition….

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Boats tied up on the shoreline.

Sorry, there was no post yesterday. I had run out of steam and simply couldn’t muster the energy to get it done by the time we returned from Manta. We had no groceries when we arrived on Tuesday, and for the second night in a row, we didn’t have anything for dinner.

There was no supermarket, open shop, or restaurant nearby, but we made it through the night without a bite to eat since breakfast. The prior night we arrived in Manta too late to eat, and that’s when the lovely young daughter of the hotel owners went to a little local market to get me some cheese.

I don’t know how to start this post. Shall I minimize the ordeal of the past 48 hours to indicate we are less adaptable than usual? Or shall I, in our usual way, tell it like it is, causing our readers to perceive we aren’t as tough as we used to be? I’ll opt for the latter and tell you exactly what happened.

Sure, we may not be as tough as we were years ago. We’re getting older and have various medical issues, typical for our ages, that impact how well we tolerate certain situations. But the fact remains, regardless of our ages, we still don’t whine and complain during difficult times and forge ahead, doing the very best we can with a good attitude, however difficult it may be at any given time.

Boats along the highway from Manta to San Jose.

Yesterday was one of those times. I don’t know how we got through it, but we did. And now, here we are in our oceanfront holiday home, not quite unpacked but with laundry done, groceries purchased, and a roasted chicken dinner on the menu for tonight.

First, before I go on, I want to preface that the property owner, Igor, who lives in Montenegro (formerly Yugoslavia), is a fantastic guy. Had he known what would transpire on Tuesday, he would have gone to any lengths to avoid the frustration we experienced. He’s making everything right over the next few days.

Properties on the ocean road.

So here’s how it rolled out. As mentioned in Tuesday’s post, we had a long wait at the gate to Mirador San Jose for Igor’s house manager to arrive. We arrived at 10:45 and ended up sitting in the car with nothing to drink, no bathroom, and turning the car off and on to cool us down in the warm, humid weather on a cloudy day.

At 1:10 pm, I walked up to the guard gate building and explained our plight to the guard. He raised a piece of paper showing our names, that we were expected to arrive, and that Sylvie, Igor’s property manager, was supposed to come at 11:00 am to let us into the property.

Although the guard and I somehow managed to communicate, he even had Sylvie’s phone number programmed into his phone. Immediately, he called her, and she acted as if she didn’t know we’d been waiting there for 2½ hours. Igor had told her we’d be arriving at 11:00, but she didn’t bother to show up.

Flowers at the entrance gate at Mirador San Jose, where we waited for over two hours on Tuesday.

After the guard called her, apparently she lives nearby, she didn’t arrive until 15 minutes later, acting as if nothing was wrong. We both surmised she had forgotten we would be at the gate at 11:00. She spoke no English other than a few words. But we don’t expect people to speak English in other countries. It’s us who has to figure it out.

When we finally got to the property, she handed us a pass to enter and exit through the gate. I asked her many using my choppy Spanish language skills, but she didn’t seem to know the answers to many of the questions, even when I used the translator on my phone.

The entrance gate to Mirador San Jose, where our holiday home is located.

After she left, we were at a loss  as to how to handle the following comments and questions, which I later posed to Igor on a WhatsApp call:

Sylvie didn’t know anything…if we hadn’t had the gate people call her, she wouldn’t have shown up. Please see the bold print after each issue to see what has been done

  1. Where does the trash go? There’s a bin down the road, and we can dump our bagged trash in the bin any day of the week.
  2. We couldn’t find any of the restaurants or grocery stores Sylvie mentioned. None of the restaurants she mentioned were open, or after reading the menus for the few that were open, we realized most likely we wouldn’t be able to dine out here. All of the food is deep-fried.
  3. The pass to the guard gate wasn’t working. Igor contacted the gate people and got our gate pass activated. It’s working now.
  4. Who will provide more gas tanks when the stove runs out? Igor contacted a guy who will deliver extra gas tanks, and when we run out, he will get him to install the new tank.
  5. The towels in the bathrooms are threadbare. Igor instructed Sylvie to purchase quality towels, which she delivered yesterday.
  6. There were minimal supplies at the house when we arrived…toilet paper…soap….trash bags. Without cash to shop at the area’s tiny shops, we had to drive back to Manta (one hour each way) to find an ATM for cash (they use American dollars here). Then, we found a grocery store and purchased about 80% of the items on our list. The larger grocery store in Manta accepted credit cards.
  7. The water machine wasn’t working. What do we do about bottled water? Igor said we have to leave the big bottle on the sidewalk with $1.25 underneath the bottle, and once a week, the water guy will come by and refill the bottle. What day? No one knows.
  8. Who do we contact for maintenance? We will contact Igor.
  9. There were several bulbs burnt out. Today, a guy came and replaced all the bulbs except one he needed to purchase and then returned in the next few days to install it. 
  10. WiFi doesn’t work upstairs. We need WiFi on both levels. Igor is working with the WiFi service providers to install an additional router upstairs.
  11. I would like to have known we needed to bring a lot of cash when most small-town shops and restaurants don’t take credit cards. Most guests stay a few days. We are staying 79 days, and our need for cash is much greater.
  12. There is no book in the house on handling any of these issues. With these questions answered and mostly resolved, we won’t need a book of instructions. But we always appreciate these books.

    The beach along the road to Manta, taken on our second trip in two days.

Of course, after all these issues arose, I contacted Igor, asking him to call me on WhatsApp, and he quickly responded as usual. He’d since addressed each of the above issues, and they are getting accomplished one by one. Igor has been responsive and supportive and shocked we had to deal with many of these issues. Igor informed us that good help is hard to find in Ecuador.

Once in the house, after doing considerable research, we concluded we had no choice but to drive back to Manta for the cash and to the supermarket. All the local markets are like “Quick and Easy” type stores, carrying soda, snacks, rice, and beans. There’s such a little shop here in the gated community, which we’ll check out today, but I doubt it will carry anything we use.

Large black bird at the edge of the pool at our holiday rental.I will continue researching to find what type of birds these are.

We’ll have to drive back to Manta every few weeks to buy groceries. We purchased as much as would fit in the freezer and only a little bit of fresh produce when they don’t carry what we typically use. Most vegetables were starchy, like peas, squash, and corn. There were no frozen vegetables we would use.

Before dinner last night, we had no water. We contacted Igor, and he said to leave the faucets open to clear the lines of air. We did this, and it worked.

An iguana we spotted at the airport in Quito.

I think we’ll be OK from here. We don’t like the prospect of driving to Manta every few weeks, but we will go check out a meat market in Puerto Cayo, about 30 minutes down the highway. If we can purchase meat, we can go to the supermarket once a month for staples at the same time as returning the rental car once a month. They wouldn’t allow us to keep the car for more than 30 days and put a hold on a credit card for $5,000, the most we’ve ever seen. It’s Avis, so we felt it would be OK, and most likely, they’ll release the hold in a timely manner.

We’re feeling better now that most of these issues are being resolved. Right now, I am having lots of Afib bouts and, fortunately, have medication with me for such an occasion. The side effects make me feel awful, but it’s what I have to do right now.

Last night, we were so exhausted that we made scrambled eggs for dinner. Bacon is basically unheard of in Ecuador. Tonight, we’re roasting two chickens for dinner with rice for Tom. We won’t be eating salads while here or any raw vegetables due to a high risk of illness from the impure tap water. I didn’t even buy celery, one of my favorite additions to various dishes.

I will try taking photos, but it’s been raining since we arrived. Once we have a sunny day and I feel better, I will be motivated to take photos. More on this story in tomorrow’s post.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, October 25, 2013:

Who can be bored in Kenya when the playful antics of our temporary dogs, Jessie and Gucci, never fail to entertain us? For more photos, please click here.

We’re off to South America today!…An unexpected surprise from an old friend…

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Tom’s old friend Jerry, from his railroad days, stopped by to celebrate our departure, bearing gifts and good humor. Thanks, Jerry! How thoughtful you are!

We’re packed and ready to go. We just returned from breakfast, each eating a little more to hold us until we can eat again. I may not eat again for 24 hours when airplane food never works for me, and there’s too little time between the two flights to stop for a meal.

We have a 1-hour, 9-minute layover in Houston after the four-hour flight from Minneapolis and then another 5-hour flight to Quito, Ecuador, much shorter than most of our flights. We don’t arrive until 11:35 pm, the same time zone as Minnesota. The cruise line has arranged for a driver to pick us up at the airport to take us to our hotel, JW Marriott. Hopefully, we’ll handle the altitude relatively easily and get a good night’s sleep.

We’ve already started drinking a lot of water, which is recommended to reduce altitude sickness at Quito’s 9350 ft. We have no idea how we’ll react to this, but time will tell.

Me and Tom are in the hotel lobby celebrating with Jerry.

Yesterday early evening, after the dreadful Minnesota Twins playoff baseball game loss, we ordered takeaway from Pizza Luce since we no longer have a rental car, which we returned on October 9, when the 30-day contract ended. When we were getting ready to pick up the food, our hotel room phone rang, and it was Tom’s old friend from the railroad, Jerry.

Our room was too messy to invite Jerry, so we met him downstairs in the lobby. We were shocked and in awe of everything Jerry had brought for us to celebrate our departure under the guise of our mutual “un-birthdays.” He had hilarious stuffed animals, decorations, a plate of delicious bars, zip drives with books, a cap for Tom, an adorable card, and more.

We couldn’t believe his thoughtfulness and generosity to come all this way to make us both feel so special before departing for South America. We kept the bars, the zip drives, and the cap and suggested Jerry keep the decorations for his next celebration for another recipient.

When it was time for all of us to go, we hugged Jerry goodbye, thanking him repeatedly for thinking of us and being so kind and generous. He’s been a regular reader of our site for years and seems to know everywhere we’ve been and everything we’ve done. It’s always fun to meet with people who’ve been following us for some time.

Jerry’s partner, Dot, made these delicious brownies and caramel bars. Tom said they were delicious. We wrapped up the balance and brought them with us so Tom could snack on the journey to Quito.

So, soon, in about an hour, we’ll take off for the airport. We’ll get the cart to bring our bags down to the lobby and then call Uber to take us to the Airport. Tom always likes to go much earlier than we need to, but I go along to avoid him feeling stressed. Yes, we should arrive two hours earlier for international flights, when we must go through immigration and the lengthy line at US security.

It takes much longer to go through security at US airports than in other countries, but we follow the flow and keep a good attitude. There’s no point in making a fuss about waiting in a queue. Thank goodness I am over 75 years old and no longer have to take my shoes off when going through security. Duh, a small perk for being this old.

That’s it for today, dear readers. We will be back tomorrow, hopefully feeling well and adapting to the altitude in the same manner as we adapt to most travel situations. We shall see.

Be well.

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

Early in the morning in the Maasai Mara, Kenya, we spotted this mother warthog nudging her babies along. We squealed with delight along with them as they scurried along. Anderson stopped the vehicle so we could watch as we noted a few lions in wait in the direction of the little pigs, hoping they’d be lunch. For the full story, please click here.

Two days and counting and stuff to do…Final evening with Greg, Heather, Madighan and Miles at a fantastic Mexican restaurant…Two game day…

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Heather and Greg at the Mexican restaurant last night in Chanhassen. We are so happy they are together and enjoying their loving relationship.

Yep, in two days, we are leaving the US after many collective months since last April when we left South Africa, traveled to Florida, then to Norway and Greenland via cruises, and ended up in Nevada and Minnesota to visit family and friends. Now, we head to Ecuador, South America, to the second-highest city in the world, Quito.

Yesterday, we called Alamo car rental to extend the rental by two days. When we talked to one rep, he said he’d handle it with an email confirmation for the extra charges. The email never arrived. Several hours later, we called again, and another rep stated we couldn’t extend it without coming to the airport to sign a new two-day contract. Hogwash!

We decided to return the car today when we checked prices and discovered it would be $295 for the two more days. Instead, this morning, Tom is running a few last-minute errands and will return the car, taking an Uber back to the hotel. When we leave on Wednesday, it will be easier and quicker at the airport when we’ll be dropped off by another Uber and avoid returning the car at that time.

Miles, 15, and Mad,14, two of Greg’s children, and our grandchildren.

Tonight, we’ll walk over to Pizza Luce, across the parking lot from the hotel, to meet Tammy, Tracy, and Vincent for one final get-together for dinner and trivia before we leave. This afternoon, TJ will stop by to get help from Tom on setting up his trail cam and to say goodbye. From that point on, we will have seen everyone we wanted to see to say goodbye and will be on our way on Wednesday morning.

Without a doubt, this was the best visit we’ve had since we began our travels. No one was sick or unavailable, and we could easily set up times together, making sure each family got our undivided attention. Between Tom’s siblings, our kids and grandkids, and friends, we had a wonderful time on every occasion.

Tom and Heather.

We spent a lot of money dining out and for other activities, but it was worth every last cent. Now, we can leave with peace of mind that we spent quality time with those we love. When will we return to the US? At this point, we have no idea. We will post the plan here when we do know, which may not be for some time.

Yesterday afternoon, we arrived at Greg’s home in Chaska to spend time with him, Heather, and the kids while watching the Minnesota Vikings football game. Again, they lost, which was disappointing but not surprising. We did our laundry during the game while Madighan and I worked on crocheting. I completed a winter scarf using every last bit of yarn.

A taco salad is the only entree Tom ever orders in Mexican restaurants. He scooped up the guacamole, which he doesn’t like, and gave it to me.

Mad said, “Grandma, I will think of you whenever I wear this!” I smiled from ear to ear, happy that it meant so much. I crocheted as fast as I could, recalling stitches from 50 years ago, the last time I crocheted when it was popular in the 1970s. During that era, crocheted clothing, purses, afghans, and pillows kept many of us busy with patterns and yarns.

Without a pattern, I used a simple stitch that my fingers remembered more than my brain. Actually, it was pretty fun, especially when it meant so much to Mad.

After the game ended, we all drove to a Mexican restaurant we’d visited in the past, Rey Azteca in Chanhassen, in our neighborhood. As we recall, the food was fresh and delicious. Every one of the six of us enjoyed the food, the ambiance, and the lively conversation. After dinner, we all said our goodbyes and Tom and I left to return to the hotel to watch the next Minnesota Twins game, already in the 5th inning. They won. We were thrilled.

After their entrees, Mad and Miles shared a Tres Leche cake drizzled with chocolate syrup. They gobbled it up.

I just received a notification from Alamo with the bill for the rental car, so Tom must already be on his way back from the airport in the Uber. I texted him on WhatsApp, and he said he’ll be here soon. We always miss one another, even when apart for short periods. How fortunate we are.

We’ll be back with more tomorrow and, most likely, even a post in the morning on our travel day since I think I can get something done before we depart.

Be well.

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

This is a different angle from the photo already shown in an earlier post, but one that we saw in our first 90-minute drive, along with Anderson, our guide, as we waited for others to arrive. This giant 15-foot croc had captured an impala. With Anderson’s walkie-talkie, he was alerted when their plane landed, and we flew off in the little plane to the Maasai Mara. For more photos, please click here.

Three days and counting…South America, here we come!…

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Like all animals in the wild, this female lion is constantly looking for the next meal to feed her cubs. This photo is from ten years ago today, while on safari in the Maasai Mara, Kenya.

In a few days, we’ll start packing, which won’t take much time. We’ve replaced many of our old clothes with new clothes. We donated our old clothes in good condition to Goodwill. All we have now are the folded items in the few drawers in our room and hanging in the closet. If we had to, we could pack in a couple of hours.

On Tuesday, we’ll start the process and be done by the end of the day. We’ve made no plans for Monday and Tuesday other than dinner and trivia at Pizza Luce with Tammy, Tracy, and Vincent, our final time together. And TJ will stop by here tomorrow afternoon to say goodbye. Today, we’re visiting Greg and the kids to watch the Minnesota Vikings football game.

Madighan and I will most likely work on our crocheting project during the game. After the game ends, Greg and his lovely girlfriend Heather, and grandchildren Madighan, and Miles will join us for dinner, most likely at a nearby Mexican restaurant they all like.

We don’t have a lot of expectations about the Vikings game. They’ve only won one game out of four. But it’s always fun to watch with hopefulness and enthusiasm that perhaps they may win. That’s how sports viewing works, anyway. It’s almost like fishing…the anticipation is nearly as exciting as the potential win.

Yesterday afternoon, we watched the Minnesota Twins playoff game, but sadly, they lost. However, they still have more games to play to see if they can progress in the playoffs for the remote possibility of making it to the World Series. It isn’t very likely, but it is worth dreaming about.

This morning, we bolted out of bed after a good night’s sleep, showered and dressed for the day, and headed downstairs to breakfast. We put together our plates of eggs and sausage and poured our coffee, hauling it back to our room on the fourth floor. We wanted to watch CBS’s Sunday Morning show one last time.

We’ve spent 4½ of the past six months in the US, including the three months we spent in Florida, and now, when we leave for South America, it could be quite a while before we return, especially when we’re heading back to Africa in eight months, for an undetermined amount of time. It’s one of those “play it by ear” situations.

We hope to stay in South Africa for at least six months, leaving after 90 days for a new 90-day visa stamp to perhaps head back to the Maasai Mara, Kenya, which we’d like to do again over ten years later. We have such unforgettable memories of that time in 2013. Maybe it won’t be quite as exciting after all the safaris we’ve done, but we expect that we’ll very much enjoy it.

Besides the above, we don’t have any plans as we prepare to leave on Wednesday. Our flight to Quito begins at 2:02 pm. We’ll most likely arrive at the airport around 11:30 am to drop off the rental car and begin waiting to board the United Airlines flight.

We’ll arrive in Quito at 11:35 pm. Celebrity Cruise Line has arranged for a driver to pick us up at the airport and bring us to the hotel, all a part of our Galapagos cruise package. Hopefully, we won’t have any issues with the altitude and can get settled in our hotel room for a good night’s sleep.

There are some walking tours of Quito arranged during the days at the hotel, but our participation will be determined by how we’re doing with the altitude and if I can walk the distances. Again, we can only “play it by ear.”

That’s it for today, dear readers. We hope all of you are enjoying your weekend.

Be well.

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

Tom nudged me in the Maasai Mara, Kenya, to turn around when I had the camera pointed in the opposite direction. I gasped when I saw this, a gift from the heavens. Thank you, Kenya. For more photos, please click here.