tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56125775265383543302024-03-05T01:06:16.564-05:00A Single Expat in CuencaBarryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11685539235248442349noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612577526538354330.post-19990535619771596042011-08-16T15:51:00.000-05:002011-08-16T15:51:13.876-05:00Revolving Doors<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> What’s past is past…</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> What the future Holds…</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> is yet to be discovered </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> and </span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">embraced!</span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> ---------------------</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For those who have been following my musings </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">over the past few years…you will be all too </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">familiar (</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">up to a point</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">) about my comings and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">goings. If you’re new to my Blog then…I need </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">to back up a bit so that you might better </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">understand…where I’m coming from and what </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I hope will be forthcoming.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I started my Expat life and journey back in </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">December 2005. This was when I took my first </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">trip to Thailand. From the first moment I set </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">foot on Thai soil…I new this place…steeped in </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">its mystical ways…would have deep seated </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">meaning(s) for me. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Once I arrived in Chiang Mai…I experienced a </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">major epiphany and knew instantly…that this </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">city…would be my new home. This all proved </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">true as within a little over a year…I was a newly </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">rooted resident of Chiang Mai.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’m not going to delve into my past living </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">experiences in Chiang Mai… as that would be </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">redundant. I will say however that…I lived in </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Chiang Mai for almost three (3) years. But…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">as life usually has unexpected surprises in </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">store for all (</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">or many</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">) of us…and without </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">rehashing what does not need to be re-</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">visited…I will tell you that my tenure in </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thailand became somewhat…”abbreviated”.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After my departure from Thailand…as many of </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">you know…I chose to take up residence in </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cuenca, Ecuador. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My past musings in Cuenca... can be found in </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">their entirety by clicking on the this link… </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">http://CuencaBarry.blogspot.com</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I now present to you…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">the next upcoming chapter of my life!</span></span></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With the previous paragraph(s) </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">out of the way…I now welcome you…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">to my newest adventure in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">living and into…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My "Re-Expatriated" Life...</span></span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">in and around</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> "The Rose of the North"</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Chiang Mai, Thailand</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Of course this will proceed hand-in-hand with </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">whomever…whatever… and wherever…my </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">continuing expat life leads me next.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So for now…a “Pre-Welcome” into my future </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">musings. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I sincerely hope…you enjoy the ride with me </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">as your guide. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That said…maybe…my writings </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">will awaken a “travelers quest” in you and just </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">maybe…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">you’ll visit both me</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> and Chiang Mai </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">for </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">yourself…in the not to distant future.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> nonetheless…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> until my actual “new” Blog launch…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sawadee Krup...which </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">means Hello/Good-bye…</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> (“Krup” for a male…</span></i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">”Ka” for a female)</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> "See you already learned some Thai"</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">FYI…my new “upcoming” Blog address is: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><a href="http://barry-thai.blogspot.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">http://barry-thai.blogspot.com</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Have a great day (</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">มีวัน</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">ที่ดี</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> in Thai)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><b><i><u><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span></u></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><b><i><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> A Special Note…</span></span></span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> To my Cuencano Amigo’s </span></span></span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> y </span></span></span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> North American Friends.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have lived amongst you for about 15 (fifteen)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">months </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and…have made many friends and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">acquaintances. Some have developed into real </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">honest-to-goodness “highly-valued” friendships. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For those (</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">you know who you are</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">) friends…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I sincerely hope that distance will not interfere </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">with our relationships.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For those whom I consider “acquaintances”…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I truly hope that we can stay in-touch as…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I value whatever level of friendship has </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">developed </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">with each and every one of you.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thankfully…technology makes contact quite </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">easy…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">utilizing e-mails… FaceBook…SKYPE etc. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">and I hope [at least] some will take advantage </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">of this.</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So my friends…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I wish you happiness and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">well-being.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(Tan mis amigos…le deseo felicidad y </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">bienestar.)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Once Again…FYI…my new Blog address</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">will be:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><a href="http://barry-thai.blogspot.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">http://barry-thai.blogspot.com</span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ciao for Now…Barry</span><o:p></o:p></div>Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11685539235248442349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612577526538354330.post-76154414265708190742011-06-18T18:44:00.000-05:002011-06-18T18:44:50.144-05:00On the Move Again (Almost)<!--StartFragment--> <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>June 18, 2011</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><br />
</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">As I was perched on one of my chosen benches in </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Parke Calderone today…it came to mind that </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I hadn’t </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">written anything in quite some time. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Well, nothing </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">has really happened with the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">exception of my recent </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">trip back to Thailand.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">So…I rushed back to my apartemento and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">started </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">writing. This is the result. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I know…I know…Exciting isn’t it? :) :)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Just as a tiny refresher…my latest trip to Thailand…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">occurred about 2 months ago and lasted a whole </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">month...in the Land of Smiles. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">For those who do not know (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">even though I </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">mentioned </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">this in my last Blog</i>)…I have decided </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">to return once </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">again (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">this time to stay</i>) to Thailand… </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">specifically Chiang Mai.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The reasons (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">3 major</i>) are few but for me…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">powerful </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">forgive me if I am repeating myself </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">from </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the previous Blog</i>).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">The reason(s)…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Wine…Women…and Song…<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Just Kidding :) :)</i></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br />
</i></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">No…the real reason(s) for me are the following:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;">Firstly…is the Weather</span></span></u></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">. Yes it’s eternal spring in </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Cuenca…which by the way… is located “high” in </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">the Andes (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">elevation 8500 ft</i>). This keeps the weather </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">depending on each of the two seasons</i>) in the low </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">40F’s [at night] to mid 70F’s [mid afternoon] on a </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">daily basis. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Now… for most folks this would be ideal. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">For someone (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">like yours truly</i>)…who because of </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">my </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">ten (10) “beach living” years in S. Florida </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">and three </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">(3) years in Thailand…<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">not so ideal</b>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">In fact…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">mornings and especially evenings…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">it is Downright Chilly (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">if not cold</i>).<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Yes it’s warm to hot in Thailand year-round but…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I’ll take that over being chilled and/or cold </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">anytime…"more my speed"</span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;">Scondly…is the food</span></span></u></b><u><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;">.</span></span></u><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> I’ve said this many times </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">before so…forgive me if you feel I’m repeating </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">myself (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I am</i>). <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Nobody…Not Anywhere and at </u></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Anytime…can even come close to the Taste of </u></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Thai Food</u></i>. That by the way…also includes </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">multitudes of fresh fruits and vegetables that one </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">can stand. ‘Nuff said!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;">Thirdly</span></span></u></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;">:</span> (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">but definitely not least</i>)…and remember…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">me being a single guy…are the <u>Thai Women</u>. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Once again…’Nuff Said!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">So there you have it…my three (3) main reasons </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">for returning to “LOS” (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Land of Smiles</i>). </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Now…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">don’t get me wrong…as there are many more </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">reasons than the three I just mentioned.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The following is a gentle touch on this </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“incomplete” list of reasons. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I would need to first mention…the easy </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">going and smiling Thai peoples…the simple </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">life-styles…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">the plethora of entertainment…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">”in” and “nearby” </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">country travels…the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">availability of modern goods…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">foodstuffs etc. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">This along with many and varied </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">venues of </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">entertainment…world class (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and very </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">low cost</i>) </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">medical treatment…and you may now...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">understand some of the reasons for my deciding </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">to return to Thailand…specifically Chiang Mai.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;">On my way:</span><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">In my last writing...I mentioned that I had not yet </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">made any concrete dates for my return. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Obviously </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">that has now changed.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">For those interested…I will be leaving Cuenca </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">on </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">September 1st…leaving Ecuador on </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">September 2nd </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">and then…spending time with </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">family and friends </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">in South Florida for a week. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">After my Florida fling…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">it’s back on the plane </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">to Upstate and Downstate </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">New York for more </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">family. This will encompass </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">a few days and then </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">back in the air and…onward </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">too Chiang Mai, </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Thailand via Inchon, S. Korea.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;">What Next?</span><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">As my mind is always thinking ahead…it hit </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">me </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">that (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and this is extremely important</i>!)...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">I need to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">settle on a “New Title” for my Blog </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">told you it </i></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">was important) :)</i></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Something tells me that </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">“A Single Expat in </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Cuenca”...when I’m going to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">be living in </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Thailand…well…just won’t cut it.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">So…now comes the real work. If you think </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">coming up with a good solid title is easy…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">well…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">plain and simple…It Is Not and…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">not by a </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">long shot! </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">So…I‘m throwing this </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">out to anyone </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">who is interested in assisting me… </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">in my quest </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">for a new title. No…I’m not </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">promising I’ll use </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">your suggestion but…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">maybe <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;">:)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Oh yes…for those that may be looking for </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">compensation re: the above…let me say this </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">now </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">and upfront and in a friendly way. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><u><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;">Ain’t No Way No How! Plain enough?</span></b></u><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"> </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">That said...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">all your suggestions will be welcomed!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;">Back in Cuenca</span><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">As of now…I’m basically living in limbo. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Some (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not all</i>) of my compadres in Cuenca </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">know </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">of my upcoming re-expatriating to </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Thailand. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">That said…word (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I believe</i>) is </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">spreading rapidly. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">This is after all…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">a fairly small Gringo community.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">One of my personal grievances here in </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Cuenca </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">and a fairly strong reason behind my </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">move (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">no…</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">its not a big deal</i>) is finding things </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">to do along </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">with other people (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">many married </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">couples...which </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">complicates things</i>). This…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">has never been easy. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">I personally like to be able </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">to share experiences. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Where’s the fun in sightseeing solo?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">So…for now I am biding my time and “just” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">starting to think of putting items up for sale…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">t</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">hinking of pre-packing luggage (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">YUK</i>) and…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">a few thousand other small things that need </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">be addressed.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Rest assured that when things start popping </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">I have some news for you…I will </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">definitely </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">“wind up my thinking cap” and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">send off a new…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">updated Blog.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">BTW…Please (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and seriously</i>)…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">if anyone has a </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">title suggestion for my Blog…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">for when I’m </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">residing in Thailand…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><u>please let me know</u>. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Who knows…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">maybe one day you can tell your friends that...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">my Blog title was your idea. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Now…wouldn’t that make you feel “special” ? <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;">:) </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Until next time…Have a great day </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span></div><!--EndFragment-->Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11685539235248442349noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612577526538354330.post-10205845767528685782011-06-02T09:43:00.000-05:002011-06-02T09:43:15.340-05:00Past...Present & Future<div class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;">Thursday, June 2, 2011</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So…it’s been a couple (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">OK a few</i>) months since I last </div><div class="MsoNormal">wrote anything of consequence But to tell you the truth…</div><div class="MsoNormal">to me…my own absence has been somewhat refreshing. </div><div class="MsoNormal">You see… writing the Blog had almost become almost </div><div class="MsoNormal">(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I shudder...</i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">to use this term</i>)…a job…YIKES!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Anyway…for those of you that have missed my epic (?) </div><div class="MsoNormal">scribes…you may relax as I only took a little detour </div><div class="MsoNormal">regarding my writings. For those that have “not” missed </div><div class="MsoNormal">me… well either read on or…go on your merry way…</div><div class="MsoNormal">”up too you”!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;">TODAY…</span></span><o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br />
</b></div><div class="MsoNormal">I’ve been mulling over what to write about and…have </div><div class="MsoNormal">decided to forego all (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">well not all that much</i>) that may </div><div class="MsoNormal">have happened during this non-writing period. With that </div><div class="MsoNormal">in mind I will start this Blog as of a few months ago</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><u><b>THAILAND (</b><i><b>part deux</b></i><b>)</b></u>…that’s the number two…</div><div class="MsoNormal">or those that have no inkling of French.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I don’t recall if I previously mentioned the situation that </div><div class="MsoNormal">I had…with my Thai Ex-wife Aor…regarding the selling </div><div class="MsoNormal">the property in Chiang Mai, Thailand. As it turned out…<br />
any Thai Consulate and or Embassy in the U.S. proved<br />
to be a completely worthless endeavor…with regards to </div><div class="MsoNormal">obtaining the required paperwork (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">can you say…</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">MASSIVE RED-TAPE)</i>. This left me with one available </div><div class="MsoNormal">means in which to bring my real estate debacle to an </div><div class="MsoNormal">amicable close. How you ask?...</div><div class="MsoNormal">By making another round-trip to Thailand.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;">LET THE GAMES BEGIN !!!!!</span></span><o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br />
</b></div><div class="MsoNormal">Now if one is flying within ones own country or even a </div><div class="MsoNormal">neighboring country in the same hemisphere…one can </div><div class="MsoNormal">imagine a “normal” (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and somewhat affordable) </i>flight </div><div class="MsoNormal">schedule. That said...and being that I am presently </div><div class="MsoNormal">residing in South America i.e. Ecuador….well let’s </div><div class="MsoNormal">just say...“it’s a game changer”.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After numerous searches on the Internet for a flight to </div><div class="MsoNormal">Chiang Mai and…after many weeks of searching…</div><div class="MsoNormal">I came across a flight that would allow me to by-pass the </div><div class="MsoNormal">Good ‘Ol U.S of A entirely. My route took me from Quito, </div><div class="MsoNormal">Ecuador to Paris, France, to Bangkok and finally to...</div><div class="MsoNormal">Chiang Mai. </div><div class="MsoNormal">This “little” trip only took me 50 (yes fifty) plus hours and </div><div class="MsoNormal">by the way…was each way. “Not” a fun trip by anyone’s </div><div class="MsoNormal">standards (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">except maybe the airline</i>)!</div><div class="MsoNormal">After all is said and done I have to say the flights were </div><div class="MsoNormal">all pleasant…overall the service was good and more </div><div class="MsoNormal">importantly “safe”.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;">NOW OR THEN...GOOD STUFF…</span></span><o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">Soon after my arrival in Chiang Mai and after catching my </div><div class="MsoNormal">breath…I got in touch with Aor (my ex) and we got down</div><div class="MsoNormal"> to business (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">real business</i>).</div><div class="MsoNormal">Off we went to what is loosely translated from Thai…as </div><div class="MsoNormal">the “land office”. This is always a fun place…as is any </div><div class="MsoNormal">government agency throughout the world. I must say </div><div class="MsoNormal">though…they did get us in and out as quickly as possible. </div><div class="MsoNormal">Whether this is the rule or the exception…I have no idea …</div><div class="MsoNormal">nor do I care! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After a short wait I signed where they told me to sign…</div><div class="MsoNormal">and Aor likewise signed. I then paid the exorbitant </div><div class="MsoNormal">fee of roughly U.S.$5 dollars...and wah-lah…we were </div><div class="MsoNormal">done! Now and hopefully soon…the house will sell and </div><div class="MsoNormal">I’ll be the recipient of a good portion of my original </div><div class="MsoNormal">monies…I hope!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;">A FUNNY THING HAPPENED...</span></span><o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">You know the old saying “Never Say Never” well this </div><div class="MsoNormal">proved very apropos.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">When I left Thailand a bit over year ago…I basically </div><div class="MsoNormal">said good-bye to LOS (land of smiles) and hello to </div><div class="MsoNormal">Ecuador. This…to the point that I even applied for and </div><div class="MsoNormal">received my…”legal residency” in Ecuador. However…</div><div class="MsoNormal">coming back once again to LOS…that same feeling of </div><div class="MsoNormal">years ago (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">this being my very first visit to Thailand</i>) hit </div><div class="MsoNormal">me like a “ton of bricks”. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The feeling that I am referring to occurred on the first </div><div class="MsoNormal">morning of my “first trip” to Thailand. This feeling very </div><div class="MsoNormal">simply…was an internal voice that simply said…</div><div class="MsoNormal">”I’m Home”!</div><div class="MsoNormal">Guess what…my latest trip last month was in essence…</div><div class="MsoNormal">”déjà vu”!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Anyway…to continue on with my little story...after doing </div><div class="MsoNormal">the legal stuff…I made contact with some of my friends </div><div class="MsoNormal">in Chiang Mai. This [meeting friends] also gave me a </div><div class="MsoNormal">chance to re-acquaint myself with the city and it’s surrounds.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Unfortunately…everything didn’t go as smooth as I </div><div class="MsoNormal">thought it would (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">what a surprise</i>). The first thing that </div><div class="MsoNormal">threw me…happened the day after my arrival. This day…</div><div class="MsoNormal">being a Saturday…was also the now “once a month” </div><div class="MsoNormal">meeting of the Chiang Mai Ex-Pats Club. I was somewhat </div><div class="MsoNormal">excited as I “new”…I would get to see more than a few </div><div class="MsoNormal">of my Chiang Mai friends. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;">SURPRISE!</span></span><o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">I arrived the customary ½ hour before start time. This </div><div class="MsoNormal">BTW…is to give everyone a chance to socialize a bit…</div><div class="MsoNormal">while sampling some coffee and “goodies”. Apparently </div><div class="MsoNormal">people got mixed up (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">as I found </i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">out later</i>) regarding </div><div class="MsoNormal">the meeting date. The result…out of the average 2-300 </div><div class="MsoNormal">or so people that show up regularly for these meetings…</div><div class="MsoNormal">maybe …maybe 60 made their presence known. </div><div class="MsoNormal">Of the 60 people…I new exactly 4…yes “four” people. </div><div class="MsoNormal">It wasn’t a total loss however as I did get to spend some </div><div class="MsoNormal">quality time with [granted] a few friends.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Now…you know there is always a down side to a story. </b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">This being no exception…here it comes</b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;">...</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">My downside…happened once I rented my motorbike (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">yes…</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the </i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">same make and model that I owned while living in </i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Chiang Mai</i>). After renting said motorbike…I got on the </div><div class="MsoNormal">inner-moat roadway that surrounds Old Chiang Mai City. </div><div class="MsoNormal">My purpose was simply to get back to my Guesthouse. </div><div class="MsoNormal">This was when I did a “very…very stupid thing”! </div><div class="MsoNormal">At approximately 40 mph…I decided to adjust my side- </div><div class="MsoNormal">view mirrors. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">HELLOOOOOO….</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br />
</b></div><div class="MsoNormal">It’s said that at the moment of an accident…ones brain </div><div class="MsoNormal">shuts down. I now know that…this IS a truism if there </div><div class="MsoNormal">ever was one…because…one moment I was riding and </div><div class="MsoNormal">the very next moment…I was...”kissing the pavement” of </div><div class="MsoNormal">the roadway. To say that I was extremely lucky is a huge </div><div class="MsoNormal">understatement! Luckily…nothing was broken…that with </div><div class="MsoNormal">the exception of my pride. And of course bruises (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">possibly </i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I think some torn tendons</i>).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">To make a longish story short…I went to Maw Pan </div><div class="MsoNormal">(<i>pronounced "paan"</i>) my old doc in town and after 2 visits</div><div class="MsoNormal"> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(a week apart</i>) with some medication and 2 weeks hence…</div><div class="MsoNormal">doc and I decided I needed to get an X-ray. This …just to </div><div class="MsoNormal">confirm his original findings. So…off I went (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">on my </i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">motorbike</i>) to the hospital. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">To say that they [hospital] are efficient would be a gross </div><div class="MsoNormal">understatement and that…in capital letters. I entered into </div><div class="MsoNormal">the outpatient area…went to the front desk and was </div><div class="MsoNormal">immediately and literally handed over to a very pretty </div><div class="MsoNormal">English speaking floor nurse. She understood that all I </div><div class="MsoNormal">needed…was X-rays and an X-ray report for my doctor. </div><div class="MsoNormal">She then physically led me to the x-ray area on the other </div><div class="MsoNormal">side of the hospital. I was then “asked” to wait.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">X-rays (2 of them) taken…I waited a bit more…was </div><div class="MsoNormal">handed my report along with my x-rays and with the </div><div class="MsoNormal">verbal report that told me “all was well” and I was done. </div><div class="MsoNormal">Total time in the hospital…under 1 (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">one</i>) hour. </div><div class="MsoNormal">Complete cost for the X-rays…500 Baht or U.S. $16.66</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Total cost for my two (2) doctor visits, medications and </div><div class="MsoNormal">along with the outpatient hospital visit with x-rays… </div><div class="MsoNormal">under U.S.$55 (fifty-five).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So…now after another fun 50+ hour trip back to Cuenca </div><div class="MsoNormal">(<i>Ecuador</i>)…I am and have been for a bit over a week…</div><div class="MsoNormal">once again back in my “departemento” (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">apartment</i>).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;">AND NOW TO…CUT TO THE CHASE!</span></span><o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">For those that do not already know…I have decided to </div><div class="MsoNormal">return…once again to live in Chiang Mai. </div><div class="MsoNormal">I guess this statement makes it “official”.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><br />
</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>There are a few major reasons for my decision. </b></div><div class="MsoNormal">The first reason…being the weather. </div><div class="MsoNormal">You see…after living 10 years in S. Florida…on or very </div><div class="MsoNormal">close to the beach and then followed by 3 years in </div><div class="MsoNormal">Thailand….I am convinced that my body will never be </div><div class="MsoNormal">comfortable in a 50-70F degree temperature range…</div><div class="MsoNormal">such as it is in Cuenca. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In actuality the range as of late…has been 50 to low 60’s </div><div class="MsoNormal">under clouds or rainy skies…YUK! This by the way...</div><div class="MsoNormal">will get worse as Ecuador is coming into the colder </div><div class="MsoNormal">months! Incidentally…there are those that would say…</div><div class="MsoNormal">well move to the warmer climes near Ecuador’s Beaches. </div><div class="MsoNormal">To that I say…”been there-done that”…and no thank-you!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The second reason is food. </div><div class="MsoNormal">I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again…</div><div class="MsoNormal">No place… Nowhere…even comes close to Thai food…</div><div class="MsoNormal">’nuff said!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Thirdly …but definitely not lastly…are the women. </div><div class="MsoNormal">Now don’t get me wrong…as there are some beautiful </div><div class="MsoNormal">women in Cuenca. Again I am only basing this on my </div><div class="MsoNormal">one year in “Cuenca”!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The problem as I and many other single men in this town </div><div class="MsoNormal">see it…is this simple fact:…”life is all encompassed in a </div><div class="MsoNormal">very strong Catholic upbringing”…wherein ”marriage” is </div><div class="MsoNormal">the only acceptable way of life for a woman…period </div><div class="MsoNormal">end-of-story. I for one…am not inclined to marry again…</div><div class="MsoNormal">so life (<i>for me anyway</i>) in Cuenca/Ecuador is…well...</div><div class="MsoNormal">a very lonely affair!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Now I am not saying that women in Thailand don’t care </div><div class="MsoNormal">about marriage. They do…and I don’t blame them…it is </div><div class="MsoNormal">after all a way for many Thai women …to lift themselves </div><div class="MsoNormal">out of a...shall we say…underprivileged-type lifestyle. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">That said…”IF” marriage proved (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">for me</i>) to be the only </div><div class="MsoNormal">way to have a long lasting relationship…so be it. </div><div class="MsoNormal">However…in Thailand (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">as in many other countries</i>) there </div><div class="MsoNormal">are two ways to get married. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">One way of course…is under religious vows etc. </div><div class="MsoNormal">The second way is...marriage by way of a Civil Contract…</div><div class="MsoNormal">which of course binds one legally. That leaves me one </div><div class="MsoNormal">option (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">if it comes to that</i>)…which is a religious ceremony </div><div class="MsoNormal">and without legal parameters.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;">The Big Question…</span></span><o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">When is my upcoming re-expatriation to Thailand...</div><div class="MsoNormal">going to happen? The answer simply is this…</div><div class="MsoNormal">I am planning…but as of this writing no reservations </div><div class="MsoNormal">have been made…to leave Ecuador the beginning of this </div><div class="MsoNormal">coming September…visit family and some friends in the </div><div class="MsoNormal">states and then off to Thailand i.e. to renew my Thai-</div><div class="MsoNormal">type lifestyle.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So there you have it folks and until next time…</div><div class="MsoNormal">Have a great day and embrace life for what it is …”wonderful” :) :)</div>Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11685539235248442349noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612577526538354330.post-26018018647611739352011-03-16T17:45:00.000-05:002011-03-16T17:45:25.009-05:00A Bit of Exploring in and Around Cuenca<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Cuenca Sightseeing...</span></span></u></b><br />
<b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">the "Old", "New" and</span></span></u></b><br />
<b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">I</span></span></u></b><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">n-Between!</span></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">Finally…I have a choice of sightseeing companions. I’m<br />
sure many of you are aware that I have this dislike of<br />
“not” having somebody in which to share the joys of<br />
discovery. The result…except for a rare occasion…<br />
well…I refrain from doing much in the way of<br />
sightseeing. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This has always bothered me somewhat because life in<br />
general can get boring...doing and seeing the same thing<br />
day in and day out.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Recently my friends Ellie & Wally left the heat of<br />
South Florida and are now vacationing in Cuenca for a<br />
month and…yours truly has a couple of willing sight-<br />
seeing companions. This by the way…has giving me a<br />
new level of enjoyment with regards to Cuenca and<br />
its environs.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I’ll get back to these forays in a moment but first I want<br />
to give you a hint as to my “almost” new arrivals.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">My friend Jim is do to arrive in Ecuador in a couple/few<br />
days. We met while he was here…a few months ago…<br />
for what I call a “look-see” regarding Cuenca. He is now<br />
after a very long…cold and very rough Chicago winter…<br />
moving here!<br />
<br />
So Jim…here is a hearty pre-welcome to you.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Also on my welcome list is Jeanne…whom I met at a<br />
Gringo Night a few months ago. I met her incidentally…<br />
the evening before she was returning to San Francisco.<br />
Months later she once again returned to Cuenca for a few<br />
days…secured an apartment for herself and a few(?) pets.<br />
Jeanne is due to arrive in literally a few days.<br />
<br />
So Jeanne…a pre-welcome to you too<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;">.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal">Whether or not I’ll be busy helping my two new amigos<br />
sightseeing or just having more friends to hang with will<br />
remain to be seen but…I am looking forward to their<br />
arrivals!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Now back to today’s...</span></b></span></u><br />
<u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Adventure…</span></b></span></u></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As a start to our sightseeing…we decided to start small<br />
and took advantage of The Cuenca City Tour. This by<br />
the way cost all of five ($5) bucks per head and lasted<br />
just about... 2 hours. Now I need to back-up a bit. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Today’s trip was planned for the day before but…we<br />
found out that the time we planned for (1 pm)…well…<br />
there was no tour scheduled [anymore] for that hour.<br />
Hence today’s trip…started at 11 a.m. All this actually<br />
turned out for the better…as today’s weather…was<br />
gorgeous (<i>yesterday was overcast</i>).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The tour took us around Parke Calderone (<i>Cuenca </i><br />
<i></i><i>Centro</i>) and then headed out through various parts of<br />
town. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-nXW2MS1kXCx_KdPc4q3zuWrLBBPx8VQ87ADinz9Ls2lQKWYN5rtdlNUBaGgpPUejWnx0ugO2-CtQHXbX_WKxfjhGf11qCk4g5HsL7l-X1Bw-RfLKr7AgmDkVMXQ03okjHnLOCCXvC4I/s1600/DSCN0301.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="507" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-nXW2MS1kXCx_KdPc4q3zuWrLBBPx8VQ87ADinz9Ls2lQKWYN5rtdlNUBaGgpPUejWnx0ugO2-CtQHXbX_WKxfjhGf11qCk4g5HsL7l-X1Bw-RfLKr7AgmDkVMXQ03okjHnLOCCXvC4I/s640/DSCN0301.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">To me it was interesting do to the fact…that we were<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">This afforded a view of the city…quite different than<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7RwmDL-zeR3CDC5S8pVpMdXwAyXzwR9my0rK9i64l868LALD5QMSdcn_68IVrd6r4bp5AcJSf-kUfLxNt8EQb3l8idRb62B_IN4epYBZN3LBszwJ0PBSg62p75EMMPHbVIVaW9whuIlI/s1600/DSCN0310.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7RwmDL-zeR3CDC5S8pVpMdXwAyXzwR9my0rK9i64l868LALD5QMSdcn_68IVrd6r4bp5AcJSf-kUfLxNt8EQb3l8idRb62B_IN4epYBZN3LBszwJ0PBSg62p75EMMPHbVIVaW9whuIlI/s640/DSCN0310.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Where we were going …I had no idea. Where we ended<br />
up…was in a place that I briefly visited when I still a<br />
“very green”newbie. The place is situated high above<br />
Cuenca. The destination name…is Turi [pronounced<br />
TOO REE] and is known for it’s high look-out point over-<br />
looking Cuenca. It also is highlighted…by its <u>very white</u><br />
church just above the lookout point. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>While…well above the city (cuidad) of Cuenca…and as<br />
all tours generally do...we had about 20 minutes to roam<br />
around this quaint mountainous town...while enjoying<br />
some refreshments (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">can you say beer</i>) <span style="font-family: Wingdings;">J</span> and taking in the<br />
sights of Cuenca Cuidad (<i>City</i>).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbtcL7osLDq5u0mdvyJhwdHeLWhAAM7NyAuLT_bWj3dHD8VmMibDIQQK4Fl2Hn7syYBVEfH9Ey_Gk42DWqFLYICyM1MSEflOH3jsxkvs5dMaIfr5dyjTYyht5rGajECK_vSIcgt15DgQI/s1600/DSCN0344.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbtcL7osLDq5u0mdvyJhwdHeLWhAAM7NyAuLT_bWj3dHD8VmMibDIQQK4Fl2Hn7syYBVEfH9Ey_Gk42DWqFLYICyM1MSEflOH3jsxkvs5dMaIfr5dyjTYyht5rGajECK_vSIcgt15DgQI/s640/DSCN0344.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg84hhiJw53A_zY_xZaz_jPQ5B_IPa22_uO5Ll_Z0CqNaaEjDxGlyfb5j6I16lM23D7S9IsFzCQS6tzUmcSr_nfkSg6iM_A2iC9YFyl1EoGiIcxZg5A03poC2r5v_wvrPw_4Ph63ExZQd4/s1600/DSCN0351.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg84hhiJw53A_zY_xZaz_jPQ5B_IPa22_uO5Ll_Z0CqNaaEjDxGlyfb5j6I16lM23D7S9IsFzCQS6tzUmcSr_nfkSg6iM_A2iC9YFyl1EoGiIcxZg5A03poC2r5v_wvrPw_4Ph63ExZQd4/s640/DSCN0351.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmjaE9qrL71o2PibHKLlMSVgMsG_OHiPlEyuRGfNlC0N9_L_9d4KGP2YfJ1-HLuTvO8e6C7ecdBBEto4AQOOeTx3kED3B35-LaR6p2TfA2IXE66nMik2RC7Ka83vb0Dlfw5Nhvmy2Ahag/s1600/DSCN0352.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmjaE9qrL71o2PibHKLlMSVgMsG_OHiPlEyuRGfNlC0N9_L_9d4KGP2YfJ1-HLuTvO8e6C7ecdBBEto4AQOOeTx3kED3B35-LaR6p2TfA2IXE66nMik2RC7Ka83vb0Dlfw5Nhvmy2Ahag/s640/DSCN0352.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>It was then time to reverse the trip and return back to<br />
Cuenca proper. Once back…and two hours later…<br />
we decided to take in some well deserved “shade”<br />
(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">remember we were sitting in </i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the sun…up on the </i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">upper-</i><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">tier of a double-decker bus</i>) to cool off.<br />
<br />
Being that it was well after one (1) p.m. …one can<br />
imagine that the ‘ol stomach alarms…would make<br />
themselves known…and “they did”!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1lb1GDi7nO1NaeqSEoUTCkkdrROqBC_flRe__MSbXydjuFCZu63C9gLPnVeBSmaX-zIqcmJmX5X2_yhtLsWPcYte20D-Jy1W-rRG5Mn7hL_9OP-1UPdsGQYwbtbiOMKL9VOXo-9_xze0/s1600/DSCN0323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1lb1GDi7nO1NaeqSEoUTCkkdrROqBC_flRe__MSbXydjuFCZu63C9gLPnVeBSmaX-zIqcmJmX5X2_yhtLsWPcYte20D-Jy1W-rRG5Mn7hL_9OP-1UPdsGQYwbtbiOMKL9VOXo-9_xze0/s640/DSCN0323.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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Now being that between the three of us (<i>I being the one </i><br />
<i>living here</i>)…the onus unsurprisingly fell on guess who...<br />
to find...a place to eat.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Now I’ve never eaten lunch there but…as I’ve reported<br />
on previous Blogs…California Kitchen soon came to mind.<br />
This…especially since Ellie & Wally have never been there.<br />
Guess who made a good choice in this suggestion?<br />
Me…that’s who<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;">!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal">Anyway after a pleasant and very fulfilling lunch…we<br />
parted company for the day and also to…maybe take a<br />
nap...(especially Ellie)<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;">. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></span></u></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Surprise!!!!!</span></b></span></u></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;"><br />
</span><br />
I was going to continue this Blog as different trips made </div><div class="MsoNormal">themselves known. Unfortunately Ellie & Wally have<br />
cut their stay in Cuenca short for personal reasons and<br />
are heading towards the coastal beach areas. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
Hasta Luego guys<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;">...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal">So… now I prepare myself for the next amigo(s) arrivals<br />
and we shall see if and how busy I may (<i>or not</i>) be<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;">.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;"><br />
</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Hasta Pronto mi amigos y amigas</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"> :)</span></span>Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11685539235248442349noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612577526538354330.post-30946217478285021962011-02-23T16:15:00.000-05:002011-02-23T16:15:49.850-05:00"A Short Update"<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">When there’s nothing to write about…</span></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">This absence of excitement…</div><div class="MsoNormal">is mainly due to life (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">for me anyway</i>) being in somewhat </div><div class="MsoNormal">of a neutral state of affairs which by the way…</div><div class="MsoNormal">is not a bad thing.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Now this is not to say that I haven’t been active </div><div class="MsoNormal">(<i>OK…a little bit anyway</i>).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I did take a day trip with mi amigo Charlie to a place </div><div class="MsoNormal">called Ingapirca. This incidentally…translates to...</div><div class="MsoNormal">“Wall of the Inca”. Now don’t get bent out of shape as…</div><div class="MsoNormal">I’m not going to give you a lesson in Inca ruins (<i>whew</i>)...</div><div class="MsoNormal">that is…other than to say that these particular ruins are </div><div class="MsoNormal">"tiny" compared to the ever-popular and world renowned </div><div class="MsoNormal">"Machu Picchu"...in Peru.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In short we enjoyed a really nice day...even with the 3 </div><div class="MsoNormal">hours or so each way on a bus and...I got to see something </div><div class="MsoNormal">other than Cuenca.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWkBwMbEMvzg6SXMwuzo0n811I43LfBsqVqpTBBgWd6aoWUvH0sRFXK6j7cNXu5PR8KNrwiMAfBEm8ZTvILGYrNQJ44m_wvNmLu5oKBPiQ-kBbzW4n3trAYFLTtj5vSFMbfDhzOgePMiY/s1600/Ingapirca+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWkBwMbEMvzg6SXMwuzo0n811I43LfBsqVqpTBBgWd6aoWUvH0sRFXK6j7cNXu5PR8KNrwiMAfBEm8ZTvILGYrNQJ44m_wvNmLu5oKBPiQ-kBbzW4n3trAYFLTtj5vSFMbfDhzOgePMiY/s640/Ingapirca+010.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJKmUKVmdKUPDX2eGpH0HpygDqAdN_1GA3wlDjL5SzxAER40VLPW6dcKZVdyPQAvoXeR8vCTp3qKKswhwDuD1uTSAK5p6afoiSBM527aK3Qgz1N06LYXFxjZLaus6esVt-hde0Q2AZbY8/s1600/DSCN0281.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJKmUKVmdKUPDX2eGpH0HpygDqAdN_1GA3wlDjL5SzxAER40VLPW6dcKZVdyPQAvoXeR8vCTp3qKKswhwDuD1uTSAK5p6afoiSBM527aK3Qgz1N06LYXFxjZLaus6esVt-hde0Q2AZbY8/s400/DSCN0281.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Other than the above and as I hinted in the previous Blog…</div><div class="MsoNormal">my big focus now is…on my upcoming trip to Thailand...</div><div class="MsoNormal">i.e. ...</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">“LOS” as in “Land of Smiles”</span></u></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">To tell you the truth…I feel like the mammoth and </div><div class="MsoNormal">powerful rocket…tied to its Gantry…waiting for </div><div class="MsoNormal">ignition and it’s subsequent “lift-off”.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In the meantime…my “hectic life” in these environs (LOL) </div><div class="MsoNormal">take precedence and…must be endured. ..ahhhh…</div><div class="MsoNormal">such is life<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;">!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal">Now even though I’m a tad less than 2 months from the </div><div class="MsoNormal">start of my East Asia trip…I am not idle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My immediate </div><div class="MsoNormal">focus is on finding a suitable and affordable place…to </div><div class="MsoNormal">call my own temporarily…for my month in Chiang Mai.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Thankfully my friend Jim (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">living in Chiang Mai</i>)...</div><div class="MsoNormal">is being an enormous help to me in checking out a </div><div class="MsoNormal">couple of Guesthouses. This…after some fairly intense </div><div class="MsoNormal">Internet searches. Also living the good life in Chiang Mai…</div><div class="MsoNormal">is my friend Larry who has suggested my staying in the </div><div class="MsoNormal">Guesthouse that he’s currently enjoying.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Unfortunately…I can be “picky” and this time is...</div><div class="MsoNormal">"no exception". </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I have this “active focus” on staying within the bounds </div><div class="MsoNormal">of Old Chiang Mai’ [Walled City] and not (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">even though </i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">it’s within </i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">walking distance)</i> outside the Mote.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Some may call this being “thick-headed”…so be it! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So…as of this moment…in my search for a guesthouse </div><div class="MsoNormal">and depending on updates…I await and anticipate the </div><div class="MsoNormal">offing from mi amigo…Jim. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Incidentally…the aforementioned search has been </div><div class="MsoNormal">narrowed down to [one] place with the easily pronounced </div><div class="MsoNormal">name (LOL) for westerners of….</div><div class="MsoNormal">Fueng Fa [FWENG FA] Place!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>I may be jumping the gun…but here is the link to the </div><div class="MsoNormal">guesthouse for those that are interested. The rates that </div><div class="MsoNormal">you will see are in Thai Baht…which "currently" </div><div class="MsoNormal">convert to roughly...30 THB to 1 USD... </div><div class="MsoNormal"><u>www.fuengfaplace.com/index.html</u></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So…now you have a fairly good (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">but admittedly</i>) short </div><div class="MsoNormal">idea as to what is happening in my life…</div><div class="MsoNormal">here below the Equator.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Until next time mi amigos y amigas<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;">...</span></div><!--EndFragment-->Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11685539235248442349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612577526538354330.post-19131588038970011822011-02-03T17:28:00.000-05:002011-02-03T17:28:06.268-05:00Internet Connection...Maybe...Could be...Possible...hmmmm<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">NOTE: You may notice different </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">print heights and I can give you no </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">clue or reason...but I do apologize!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">=========================</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">NOT IN A MILLION YEARS…</span></span></u></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">The above comment has to do with </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">what I am currently </span></span><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">(</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">and have been </span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><i></i></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">for quite a few months</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">) experiencing </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">...regarding my “actually” obtaining </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Internet service. I must say however </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">that I do have inconsistent service </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">(</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">somewhat like pirating</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">) by way of </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">wi-fi from a hotel...</span></span><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">half way up the </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Times;"></span>street from my departemento.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Anyway not to get off the subject…</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">and going back in </span></span><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">time…I had </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Times;"></span>originally “contracted” with the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">premier Internet provider in Ecuador…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">named “ETAPA”. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">All was well until I received a call </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">from them stating (</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">and without any </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">reason what-so-ever</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">) they could not </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">install the Internet to my residencia. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Well…that was OK [then] as my free </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">wi-fi was working pretty good. This...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">is when the “S**T’ hit the proverbial</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">fan and my free wi-fi…all of a sudden…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">required the much dreaded…password.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Well being a guy who hailed from </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Brooklyn…I took </span></span><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">the “bull by the </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">horns” </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">so to speak…went to the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Hotel-Restaurant where I was </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">getting my [previous “free” wi-fi]…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">sat down…invested in a good but </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">overpriced appetizer and obtained </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">the much the needed “password”. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">This by the way…</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">got locked into </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">my computer and I was good as </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">gold…for a few weeks anyway.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Those few weeks became an </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">exercise in futility as…</span></span><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">I never new </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">when </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">and or if I would get on-line…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">thus my decision…to once again </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">try to get ETAPA as my Internet </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">provider. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">This time however I enlisted the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">help of Martha who over time…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">in Cuenca has become not only my </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">apartment finder…but a good friend. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">That brings me to my current angst.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Please take note…that this is now </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">day three (3) of </span></span><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">“trying” to obtain </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Times;"></span>service from the illustrious </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">organization known as ETAPA. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">It seems that "their" idea of “pronto” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">is M-A-Y-B-E…today, tomorrow...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">or whenever !!!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Incidentally…you may have heard </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">of the rumor that </span></span><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">things move slowly </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Times;"></span>here (</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">and elsewhere</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">) in South </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">America. Believe me...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">IT IS </span></b><u><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">NO</span></b></u><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"> RUMOR…IT IS </span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">PLAIN </span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">SIMPLE… “</span></b><u><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">FACT</span></b></u><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">”.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Anyway…</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">I’m getting a bit off the ‘ol track!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">This latest chapter in my ETAPA </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">dealings started </span></span><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">three (3) days ago </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Times;"></span>as in Monday. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">After arriving with Martha (</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">my </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">translator in this...</span></i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">adventure</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">) at </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">ETAPA’s Sacred Ground (</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Main </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Office</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">) we finally…after about an </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">hour had all the T’s crossed & I’s </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">dotted. We were told that installation </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">would take place Wednesday (</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">today</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">And…off we went to our business </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">and I was HAPPY…HAPPY :)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">The story…doesn’t end here </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">(</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">as if you couldn’t guess</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">After the success at ETAPA on </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Monday…Martha </span></span><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">made some calls </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Times;"></span>(</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">unbeknownst to me</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">) and this was </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">the result:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">OK…it’s now Tuesday evening </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">and I am now at </span></span><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Gringo Night at </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Times;"></span>Di Bacco’s Restaurante…having a </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">very good drink along with good </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">conversation and “here comes Martha”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">like a major storm cloud about to </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">unleash a torrent”. She almost literally </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">dragged me out of the restaurant </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">telling me that the ETAPA installer </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">is waiting for me. HELLOOOO!!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">WOW I thought…this is amazing </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">and of course I </span></span><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">understood Martha’s </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Times;"></span>rushing me (s</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">he tried calling </span></i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">me </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">about ten (10) times</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">). Anyway…yes </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">the installer was piddling around with </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">the building wires and I must say he </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">did try…but he apparently (?) ran </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">into a “Grande Problemo” and told </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">me in broken English he would </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">return at Ocho Media (8:30 am) the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">next day (</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">today Wednesday</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">THIS DID NOT HAPPEN!.........</span></span></u></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">SURPRISE!!!!!</span></span></u></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">To continue (</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">after a calming breath</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">) </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">8:30 turned into </span></span><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">10:30…and beyond. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Times;"></span>After calling Martha (</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">many times</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">) </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">we decided I should go about my </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">business and do...whatever.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Now…you are probably thinking </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">that at least I had </span></span><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">the rest of the day </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Times;"></span>to enjoy life and I was…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">[notice I said "was"]! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">At about Noon I made up to meet my </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">friend Charlie for coffee or whatever </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">and that I would just wait for him </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">in El Parke Calderone. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">This mi amigoes…is when I got </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">the phone call from Martha that…</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">they [ETAPA] were on the way </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">and would be there [steady now]...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span><br />
<u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">in cinco minutos (</span></u><i><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">5 minutes</span></u></i><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">)</span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Now…one would think that after </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">living in Ecuador </span></span><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">8+ months I would </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Times;"></span>understand the linguistic variances </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">of five (5) minutos…NOT!!!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">I rushed home and W-A-I-T-E-D...</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">BTW it was about 11:30 a.m.. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">At 2:30 I had given up! </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">So…una mas vez (</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">one more </span></i></span><span style="font-family: Times;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">time</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">)...</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">I called </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Martha and told her to call </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">"THOSE" people and tell them to </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">come </span><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">manana</span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"> as I had my </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">appointment to meet mi amigo </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Gerard for a late lunch. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">You’ll never guess what happened </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">next (</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">or maybe </span></i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">you will</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">)…as (</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">and </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">I still can’t believe this…although </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">I saw it with my own eyes</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">)…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Cammie...mi gato (</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">my cat</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">) is </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">apparently half watch dog </span></span><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">(</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">cat…</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">what-ever</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">) </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">as…all of a sudden she </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">stood up straight and statuesque….</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">staring straight at the door and then </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">ran for it. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">The only thing missing was barking. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Well lo and behold I opened the </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">door and there stood </span></span><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">two Etapa </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Installers. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">After a couple of quick </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">calls and back and forth conversation </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">between Martha and the Etapa </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">hombres they swore they would be </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">done in a half hour. In they came…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">started doing what they </span><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">(</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">supposedly</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">) </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">do best and BAM</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><u><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">they hit the proverbial wall!</span></b></u></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><b><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow;"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">It’s Mac Attack time…</span></u></span></span></b><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><u><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">“Not what you think”…</span></span></u></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><u><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">no Big Macs but the </span></span></u><u><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">realization </span></span></u></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><u><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">that I have a </span></span></u><u><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">“Mac” computer </span></span></u><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">and </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">“dos </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">hombres” have absolutely... </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">“no clue”.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Back on the phone with Martha </span></span><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">(</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">I </span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">owe her </span></i></span><span style="font-family: Times;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">BIG TIME when this is done</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">)…</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Times;"></span>it turns out that she and the head </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">installer are good friends. Anyway </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">he made a call after talking with her </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">and to make this </span><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">story somewhat </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">shorter…</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">manana he…his friend </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">(</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">who knows the ins and outs of </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Macs</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">) (?) and Martha are all coming </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">to mi departemento at 8:30 a.m.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">(</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">well see</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">) to bring this installation </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">to a final…and hopefully happy </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">conclusion. Party time anyone?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Well…it’s now day four (4) of this </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">debacle and OMG…</span></span><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">it’s 8:20 a.m…</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Times;"></span>I have one sneaker on and there’s a…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">knock on my door. Could it possibly </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">be true…an Ecuadorian Service Person…”EARLY”? </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Believe it or not…not only is he early </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">but there are now three (3) hombres </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">and uno hombre is “familiar” with </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Macs. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">I am UTERLLY SPEECHLESS </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">(</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">but ecstatic</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">They came…they fixed…and they </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">said adios. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Time elapsed…maybe </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">15 minutes…</span><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">and I now have my own...</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Times;"></span>wi-fi connection...YES :) </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">So…my first order of business was </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">to FINALLY </span></span><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">secure my flight to </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Times;"></span>Thailand (</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">for about 2 months hence</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">This little jaunt is necessary...so that </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">hopefully one day the house in </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Thailand will be sold. But…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">first things first.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">After about an hour of playing </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">"yes/no/maybe" with </span></span><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Expedia.com </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">and with </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">some minor changes in </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">flight dates…Yes…yours truly has </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">succeeded in securing his reservation.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">The only thing left now is to reserve </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">“local to/from” </span></span><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">flights…both within </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Times;"></span>Ecuador and Thailand…but I have </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">time to get his done. The important </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">items were the Intercontinental Flights…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">and right now I </span><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">just can’t even “think” </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Times;"></span>of making any more reservations!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">There will be more information </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">regarding these </span></span><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">flights…as I get closer </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">to my </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">actual flight date. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">This by the way (</span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">if you’re interested</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">)…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">are my flight dates (</span><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">excluding the </span></u></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">“in-country” flights</span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">I leave 4/20/11 and return 5/20/11.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">So I guess it’s best to keep this </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">current Blog on the </span></span><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">short(ish) side </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">and get </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">outside for a bit and then…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">yes...I can now get on mi</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">computadora/Internet…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">anytime I wish! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Hasta Pronto y </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Tenga un dia agradable<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">(See you Soon and </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Have a Nice day) :) :</span></span><span style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">)</span></span></div>Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11685539235248442349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612577526538354330.post-42401354363249727092011-01-01T09:46:00.001-05:002011-01-01T09:46:42.315-05:00<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"> </span><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;">2011...</span></u></span></b><b><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;">A Brand New...</span></u></span></b><b><u><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;">NEW YEAR </span></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><b><u><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><br />
</span></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"> </span>First of All…in case you haven’t heard it enough times…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> here’s “uno mas” (one more)…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: 22pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">**FELIZ ANO NUEVO**</span></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"> **HAPPY NEW YEAR**</span></b></span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: 22pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><br />
</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">OK…I’m going to start the New Year Blog by backtracking </div><div class="MsoNormal">about a week. The reason for this…is that Cuenca puts on</div><div class="MsoNormal">a holiday show like I’ve never seen which…by the way in </div><div class="MsoNormal">reality…started a few weeks ago.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Now one would think that all this holiday merry making…</div><div class="MsoNormal">parades (<i>especially parades</i>) would culminate at the end</div><div class="MsoNormal">of Christmas Day. WRONG!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">From what I hear…the biggest partying...with more </div><div class="MsoNormal">parades etc…will be New Years Eve [and Day?)… </div><div class="MsoNormal">[and if my ears have not deceived me]...continues through </div><div class="MsoNormal">January… although not as intense thank goodness [I think].</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">But for now…as you might imagine…and the way </div><div class="MsoNormal">Cuencano’s party…last night one might have thought that…</div><div class="MsoNormal">it was the 4<sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">th</span></sup> of July instead of the night “before”…</div><div class="MsoNormal">Christmas Eve. Of course…besides the fireworks </div><div class="MsoNormal">(<i>let’s not forget the BIG BOOMS</i>) there was a Christmas </div><div class="MsoNormal">show /pageant. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Now I’m literally a stones throw from the festivities in </div><div class="MsoNormal">the park. So…around midnight (<i>lala-lala-lala)…</i>I for one </div><div class="MsoNormal">was very happy when they rolled up the tent (<i>so to speak</i>)</div><div class="MsoNormal">and took a rest until manana…Christmas Eve “Day”.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">From what I hear…on Christmas Eve “day”…there is a </div><div class="MsoNormal">continuous six or eight (6 or 8) hour parade through </div><div class="MsoNormal">Cuenca Centro. Incidentally…this turned out to be…</div><div class="MsoNormal">“not” an exaggeration! YIKES!!!!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Being a (<i>still</i>) Nuevo (<i>new</i>) denizen of Cuenca and </div><div class="MsoNormal">wanting to share these experiences…I’ve taken a bunch </div><div class="MsoNormal">of pics to give you an idea. Incidentally…the process of </div><div class="MsoNormal">taking these pics wasn’t easy as…there were “what </div><div class="MsoNormal">seemed like” thousands of people in Parke Calderone </div><div class="MsoNormal">which…if you hadn’t guessed was the center of all the</div><div class="MsoNormal">action.<br />
<br />
<u>NOTE: Unfortunately the pics that I took...refuse</u><br />
<u>to load into the blog. I will try at a later date. Sorry!!</u><br />
<br />
Now of course the “powers that be” didn’t “just” put </div><div class="MsoNormal">on a very long and very large “home-town” parade but…</div><div class="MsoNormal">there were all the other trappings one would expect at </div><div class="MsoNormal">a gathering such as I experienced. You name it…it was </div><div class="MsoNormal">there and mostly with a South American flair vs. what </div><div class="MsoNormal">we Norte Americano’s are used too.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Cotton-Candy…Stuffed Pony’s for photo-ops…a </div><div class="MsoNormal">cacophony of music…street ice cream (<i>picture ice </i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>cream molded in a cup with a sick in it…</i><i>cost about a </i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>quarter</i>)…all types of foodstuffs (<i>some cooked ”literally” </i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>and right on the spot as “on the sidewalks” </i>and also </div><div class="MsoNormal">many different trinkets etc. being sold. I think you get </div><div class="MsoNormal">the idea…yes? If not…think “carnival”<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;">.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal">Oh and one “must” not forget …Mother Nature! She </div><div class="MsoNormal">did it up right…i.e. “sunshine…a few high clouds and a</div><div class="MsoNormal">temp…of about 70F. <u>One could </u><u>not ask for a better day</u>! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Now to be truthful…fast forward a few hours (<i>evening</i>)…</div><div class="MsoNormal">and…apparently Mama Nature decided she was being </div><div class="MsoNormal">w-a-y-y-y-y too nice and…can you say downpour? </div><div class="MsoNormal">However…by this time…ahem…yours truly was </div><div class="MsoNormal">comfortably ensconced in his departemento. </div><div class="MsoNormal">=========================================</div><div class="MsoNormal">NOTE: </div><div class="MsoNormal">FYI…and only because this was bugging me…I just </div><div class="MsoNormal">went through my records etc. … and finally came up with </div><div class="MsoNormal">“my” approximate time in Ecuador. That number is “8” </div><div class="MsoNormal">as in the amount of months living here below the equator<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;">. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal">=========================================</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Now back to the present!</span> </span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">Last night (<i>that being Tuesday…27 Deciembre</i>)…I went </div><div class="MsoNormal">to a Post Christmas / Pre-New Years Party at George & </div><div class="MsoNormal">Tom’s place. The invitation asked that the guests come </div><div class="MsoNormal">dressed for the occasion…you know things like a suit and </div><div class="MsoNormal">or sports jacket…slacks etc. I’m pretty sure you get the idea.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">That said…guess who “does not” own a sport jacket let </div><div class="MsoNormal">alone a suit…hmmm? Please understand that when I </div><div class="MsoNormal">expatriated…yours truly disposed of such trappings with </div><div class="MsoNormal">the knowledge that there would never be any need for such. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">On a whole I have been right.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Anyway…getting back to the party stuff. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Although “sans” suit ‘n tie…I was acceptably dressed and …</div><div class="MsoNormal">I “was” comfortable. What did I wear? </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Well…I got all duded-up in my “good” black jeans…new </div><div class="MsoNormal">western boots…black T-shirt covered by my new black </div><div class="MsoNormal">security vest [which BTW is quite dressy]…all covered by </div><div class="MsoNormal">my western [cowboy] hat.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">(I guess I need to take a photo if this for you guys) </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The party itself was…akin to an upscale “cocktail” party. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">George and Tom…did it up right with an open bar. The </div><div class="MsoNormal">bar included two (2)…possibly three (3) bartenders. Along </div><div class="MsoNormal">with the bar was a <u>full...</u><u>dining room sized table</u> complete </div><div class="MsoNormal">with all sorts of goodies (<i>finger food</i>) freshly prepared </div><div class="MsoNormal">throughout the night by some very “friendly and </div><div class="MsoNormal">competent” kitchen staff.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Of course…no party can succeed without a good blend of </div><div class="MsoNormal">people…to make the party a success that it truly </div><div class="MsoNormal">deserved. This presence was “absolutely” in evidence </div><div class="MsoNormal">for this party!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I for one had a very “high-spirited” night…as I’m sure did </div><div class="MsoNormal">everyone else. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><u>Thank you George and Tom!</u></div><div class="MsoNormal"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><br />
</span></u></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Abrupt course change…</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><br />
</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">This is the day that I…do to a medical concern (<i>albeit a </i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>small one</i>) and after considering that I haven’t had a </div><div class="MsoNormal">check-up in a while…I went to see an Ecuadorian doctor. </div><div class="MsoNormal">My new Doctor (<i>this statement should give you </i><i>a hint</i>) </div><div class="MsoNormal">happens to be a “Medicina Interna” or in English…a </div><div class="MsoNormal">“Medical Internist”. El Doctor…was referred by another</div><div class="MsoNormal">Expat and friend…here in Cuenca…so off I went!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Now I’ve often heard of the wide chasm between the U.S. </div><div class="MsoNormal">Medical Doctor and the Ecuadorian Doctor. Before I </div><div class="MsoNormal">continue and…before those of you in the U.S. go off on a </div><div class="MsoNormal">“very unfair” tangent…here me out! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Dr. Martinez was schooled both in Ecuador and the U.S. </div><div class="MsoNormal">This…by the way is true for a great many Medical </div><div class="MsoNormal">personnel both in Ecuador and throughout a large part of </div><div class="MsoNormal">what is called…Third World countries.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Getting back to that...</span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">“wide chasm"</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal">I called Dr. Martinez (<i>Yes…direct to his cell phone)</i> </div><div class="MsoNormal">yesterday and made my 12:15 pm appointment for today. </div><div class="MsoNormal">This by the way was my choice as I could have seen him </div><div class="MsoNormal">yesterday...but…I had other plans. One should also be </div><div class="MsoNormal">aware that the good doctor speaks ”perfect” English!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">And now…the rest of the story…</div><div class="MsoNormal">and you will then understand the word(s) “wide-chasm”…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I arrived about five minutes early and the good doctor...</div><div class="MsoNormal">hadn’t returned from his “rounds” at the hospital as yet. </div><div class="MsoNormal">So…I waited…in a very ordinary waiting room. </div><div class="MsoNormal">At 12:15…guess who walked in…yep Dr. Martinez. </div><div class="MsoNormal">Within a few minutes I was sitting across from him in </div><div class="MsoNormal">his office. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Now…I won’t go into all that transpired...but I will share </div><div class="MsoNormal">the following:</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Unlike his U.S. Medical compatriots…Dr. Martinez took </div><div class="MsoNormal">his very amicable and professional time in getting to know </div><div class="MsoNormal">something about me and of course my reason for seeing </div><div class="MsoNormal">him.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Now if I remember correctly…in the U.S. there is always </div><div class="MsoNormal">a nurse present. In Ecuador (<i>at least with my </i><i>limited </i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>knowledge</i>)…well…there was “No Nurse”…period!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After getting to know a little about each other…he</div><div class="MsoNormal">proceeded to examine me. Apparently there is (<i>hopefully</i>) </div><div class="MsoNormal">nothing much to be concerned about. I am however going </div><div class="MsoNormal">for a blood test manana and [we] will both know more by…</div><div class="MsoNormal">ready for this…here it comes…5pm tomorrow.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Yes I was a little apprehensive…what with not ever having </div><div class="MsoNormal">a blood test in Ecuador and/or not speaking the language </div><div class="MsoNormal">(<i>to any great extent anyway</i>). </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As it turned out…whatever my lingering fears were…the </div><div class="MsoNormal">feeling was unfounded. I arrived at 8:30 a.m. The staff </div><div class="MsoNormal">was very professional…fast and friendly. My results? </div><div class="MsoNormal">They’ll be ready by 4 pm and I’ll get those results from </div><div class="MsoNormal">my Doctor at 5 pm. Incidentally…the clinic was clean…</div><div class="MsoNormal">modern…no pain and…I was “in” and “out” in ten</div><div class="MsoNormal">(10) minutes flat!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It was my "option" to either pick-up the printed results or </div><div class="MsoNormal">the clinic would e-mail it to my doctor. I chose the latter.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">OK…like…I’m a </span></span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">“time traveler now”. </span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">Its hours later and I just returned from seeing the doc. </div><div class="MsoNormal">Keeping it simple…the results weren’t great but they </div><div class="MsoNormal">weren’t terrible. That said…yours truly needs too… </div><div class="MsoNormal"><u>“put the breaks on”</u>…as in <u>not eating</u> most of the good </div><div class="MsoNormal">stuff that’s bad. In short I need to be cognizant of what </div><div class="MsoNormal">I’m eating while…making a real effort in <u>not</u> buying </div><div class="MsoNormal">(<i>and then eating</i>) the goodies.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Incidentally…</div><div class="MsoNormal">No Appointment was necessary for the Lab.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As for costs…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The time spent with Dr. Martinez…about 1 hour…</div><div class="MsoNormal">Cost 30.00 Bucks </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Next Day follow-up visit (1/2 hour)…FREE</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The Docs bedside manner…incalculable </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Cost for the Lab…$78.00</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><u>TOTAL COST = $108.00 <o:p></o:p></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><br />
</span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">And now returning to </span></span></u></b><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">normalcy as in…</span></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">“Jumping Back”…</span></span></u></b><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">to the present</span></span></u></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">…</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><br />
</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>New Years Eve Day (El Dia de Noche Vieja)</i>…and </div><div class="MsoNormal">it’s 72F and Partly Sunny. [<i>Sorry ‘bout that folks but if I </i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>didn’t tell </i><i>you about the weather here in beautiful </i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Cuenca…</i><i>I wouldn’t be doing this Cuidad (City) justice].</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="MsoNormal">As for New Years Eve…I have no real idea…other than </div><div class="MsoNormal">what people tell me about past New Years Eve’s (N<i>oche </i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Vieja</i>) anyway. To be sure I will tell you about all. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">That being said however…from what I’ve heard they do it </div><div class="MsoNormal">up big here in Ecuador. It is now around 2:15 pm and the </div><div class="MsoNormal">“BOOMS” and fireworks have already started. <u>If</u> this is any </div><div class="MsoNormal">indication for the rest of the day/night… then I will </div><div class="MsoNormal">probably be dreary eyed in starting the New Year manana!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Getting away from the </span></span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">holiday theme</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">(<i>just for a moment</i>)…</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><br />
</b></div><div class="MsoNormal">I discovered a brand new coffee shop and…made my </div><div class="MsoNormal">“inaugural” visit about 2 hours ago. What drew me to</div><div class="MsoNormal">“Coffee Tree”…is the fact that they have an <u>extremely </u></div><div class="MsoNormal"><u>rare </u><u>phenomenon</u> displayed (<i>and for use</i>) in front of the</div><div class="MsoNormal">place. This being…”outdoor tables" (<i>mostly with umbrellas</i>)</div><div class="MsoNormal">and comfortable chairs)…something akin to Paris and </div><div class="MsoNormal">Roma...(<i>what a great discovery</i>).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Wingdings;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal">Incidentally…I was treated to a small parade while I was</div><div class="MsoNormal">having my outdoor Coffee. Here’s a few fotos…<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">(Once again...do to photo malfunction...no pics available<br />
at the present time.)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Unless something or someone changes my mind…I most </div><div class="MsoNormal">likely <u>will not</u> be joining the “late night” partying. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Now don’t get me wrong as it’s not like I don’t like it…</div><div class="MsoNormal">it’s just that after a life-time of New Years Eve goings-on </div><div class="MsoNormal">stuff…I can very easily forgo the festivities…and enjoy it </div><div class="MsoNormal">[safely] from my apartment. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">By the way…there "was" a planned Gringo New Years </div><div class="MsoNormal">Eve party…but late word is that it has been cancelled. The </div><div class="MsoNormal">following is a quoted e-mail that was sent to a friend of </div><div class="MsoNormal">mine and forwarded to me…<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana;">“buses will stop running and taxis will be </span></i><i><span style="font-family: Verdana;">EXTREMELY </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></i><i><span style="font-family: Verdana;">scarce. The reason for this is </span></i><i><span style="font-family: Verdana;">that </span></i><i><span style="font-family: Verdana;">most streets are</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana;">going to be blocked off </span></i><i><span style="font-family: Verdana;">completely with effigy fires, </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></i><i><span style="font-family: Verdana;">fireworks, </span></i><i><span style="font-family: Verdana;">dancing, </span></i><i><span style="font-family: Verdana;">drinking, musical groups. Also, </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></i><i><span style="font-family: Verdana;">hundreds of </span></i><i><span style="font-family: Verdana;">men dressed as women will be </span></i><i><span style="font-family: Verdana;">roaming </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></i><i><span style="font-family: Verdana;">the </span></i><i><span style="font-family: Verdana;">streets with long ropes blocking </span></i><i><span style="font-family: Verdana;">off vehicle </span></i><i><span style="font-family: Verdana;">traffic </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></i><i><span style="font-family: Verdana;">and demanding pocket </span></i><i><span style="font-family: Verdana;">change to pass. </span></i><i><span style="font-family: Verdana;">This is a </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></i><i><span style="font-family: Verdana;">cultural tradition.</span></i><i><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Gangs of children...</span></i><i><span style="font-family: Verdana;">do this also”. </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal">I understand the above goes on until 4 or 5 a.m.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">And the Rains Came…</span></span><o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">I have no idea what’s going to happen tonight and being </div><div class="MsoNormal">that I’ve decided “not” to venture outdoors I really don’t care. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">That said and here’s where the sub-title comes in…on my </div><div class="MsoNormal">way to getting pizza for me…myself…and I…the sky </div><div class="MsoNormal">opened up and did not let up for about an hour (<i>and it </i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>wasn’t just </i><i>a drizzle either</i>). It’s hard to tell at the<br />
moment what nature is throwing at us…but it looks OK<br />
for the present time. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">All bets are off for the evening’s celebratory events. </div><div class="MsoNormal">And like I said before…I’ll be inside…nice and dry<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;">!!!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal">…and so the…Eleventh Year of the Second Millennium </div><div class="MsoNormal">starts and I wish you all a Very Happy New Year…one </div><div class="MsoNormal">filled with laughter…good health…an accumulation of </div><div class="MsoNormal">wealth and most of all happiness and serenity<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;">.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal">Until Next Time and...</div><div class="MsoNormal">From Just a Little Below the Equator<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Feliz Ano Nuevo Mi Amigos y Amigas</div><div class="MsoNormal">(Happy New Year my Friends)<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;"><br />
</span></div>Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11685539235248442349noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612577526538354330.post-11851746179985378982010-12-21T12:19:00.000-05:002010-12-21T12:19:27.193-05:00<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">21 Decimbre, 2010<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">OK...I’m back. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">This…being an absence of about one month. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I guess one can say I got lazy and they’d probably be right. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">In either case...are you ready to absorb my observations </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">once again? </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Here it goes</span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">…..<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Ecuador can be strange at times!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The reason I just made that statement is...do to the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">language </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">situation. It is well known that most </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Ecuadorians (and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">South Americans in general)“do not” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">speak English…and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">if they do…they are usually quite </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">shy about it and would </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">rather…once quarried…just shake </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">their head “no”.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The reason I pointed out this apparent shyness is not </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">because they…as a people are inherently shy. Just the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">opposite as…they are not! What they are fearful of...is </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">that (and I’m considering many can speak and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">understand the English language) they may make a </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">mistake! In doing so and…in their mind this would make </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">him/her look and feel uneducated. So…when asked if </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">they Hablar English?…they’re reply is usually No…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">lo siento (<i>I’m sorry</i>)…No Hablar English!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">So…[where was I going with this]…oh yes…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I picked myself this morning to get out and go have </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">breakfast instead of me cooking for “me” once again! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Now…just because it’s close and easy to get to and…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">the food is always good and the price very reasonable…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I found myself at Raymipampa’s Restaurante.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">While I was sitting there reading my Kindle and having </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">breakfast…my hearing “finally” deduced…that something </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">wasn’t quite right in “Kansas” (<i>Cuenca</i></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">). <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">HARK!!!!!! What pray tell is that sound?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Why…it’s Christmas Music playing over the sound system </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">but…IT’S IN… YES…IT’S IN ENGLISH!!!! ...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">and I’m in Ecuador. Will wonders never cease?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">OK...OK…I know…it was a looong way of getting to the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">point of “making my point”</span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">…but I had fun getting there</span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>And the ‘Beat Goes On”</b> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">now what’s he talking about</i>?)…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">OK…most…if not all of you know…I recently (like </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">almost 2 months ago) moved to another (my present) </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">location. Welllll…….<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Call me crazy but…the race is “on again”! <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I’m talking about looking once again for new digs…as in </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">apartment! Again…most of you know that my so-called </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Internet has been well…like a thorn in my side. This along </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">with my “RIDICULOUSLY” Tiny Kitchen…well…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I feel the need for change…”for a change”! (hey…it’s been </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">two (2) months ye know.) </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">So…anyway within the next half hour I should get a call </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">from my ''dapartemente" finder (Martha… about a place </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">(<i>in town</i>) to look at. This time however…I am “not” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">giving her an answer re: talking the apartment (<i>or not</i>) so fast..</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">as I want to be as sure as possible…and also to compare </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">other offerings. That said…one needs to understand that </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">one can “never” be sure until one lives in the “new” dwelling. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The reason for this is the “noise level” and “times” of these </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">possible …loud noises<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(<i>fireworks “the BOOM kind”…</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><i>car alarms [a BIGGY]</i> etc etc). Now one can NEVER be </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">sure but...this is where <u>Due Diligence</u> can pay off!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Guess what…I met Martha at the corner of the “possible” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">new digs. Yes…it had a balcony (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">narrow but…still a </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">balcony</i>) and yes it is situated above a farmacia (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">pharmacy</i>)…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">and yes…it’s all of 2 blocks from Parke Calderone. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">So you ask…what’s the problem?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Well to tell you the truth we never even made into the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">apartment. It seems that since the last time Martha was </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">there…the owner rented out the…<u>better sit down for this one</u>…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">entryway/foyer area to a "CD Shop". Yes...one needs to go </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">through the “business” in order to get to the main locked </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">doorway…which…I suppose gets one into the apartment(?). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I never found out…as the furthest I got was the sidewalk in </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">front of the CD shop and...“not a step further”!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">So…I’m still entrenched in my current apartment and happy </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">to be here<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;">!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">BTW…while talking with Martha (<i>after the aborted </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><i>apartment appointment</i>)…I mentioned that I might be open </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">to looking at either furnished or unfurnished in what is </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">considered “New Town” and which is on the south side of </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">the Rio Tomebamba (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tomebamba River</i>).<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Anyway she mentioned a nice furnished apartment is </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">available and…by the way she described it…is in a stand </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">alone small house with 2 levels in a secured area. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">To tell </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">you the truth I am torn between El Centro and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">the possibility of being near but...outside of Old Town.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Here’s the kicker…the rent ($250.00) includes utilities </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">(<i>not sure of the internet yet</i>). </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Sounds like I’m interested hmmm?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Truthfully I’m not sure yet but I may just call and set an </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">appointment with Martha real soon.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Anyway…enough of the apartment stuff for now. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Right around the corner as most of you are aware…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">are the Christmas and New Year holidays. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">For all my Jewish friends I wish you all a post </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Happy Hanaukah! To “all”...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I wish you have a Very Happy Holiday Season<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;">!!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Myself ?...Monday (12/27) yours truly is off to an </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“All Holiday” party at a Gringo couples home in town.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">So mi amigo’s y me amiga’s …<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Feliz Navidad…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Chanukah Feliz y </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Feliz Ano Neuvo </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">(</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah and </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Happy New Year</i>) :) :) :)</span></div><!--EndFragment-->Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11685539235248442349noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612577526538354330.post-58216943341409192042010-11-29T18:38:00.000-05:002010-11-29T18:38:02.133-05:00Just Everyday Stuff in Ecuador<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Note:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">OK…you just may have noticed that I’ve arbitrarily </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">changed</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> the look (once again) of my Blog. One other </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">thing you may </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">(or may not) have noticed is that I’ve </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">restructured the the </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Blog "type lay-out" as…I’ve gotten </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">wind of a couple of </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">remarks </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">stating that it was more </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">“like a report” vs. a</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">“story”...</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">so I </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">hope this is an easier </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">and more enjoyable read. </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Also…</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I hope you all like…what you see<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;">!</span></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;"><br />
</span></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">=======================================<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Etapa just called and informed me in broken English…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">that </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">they could <u>not connect my Internet for me</u> and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">[for me] to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">come and pick-up my deposit. When asked </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">why…they </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">could not nor would not…explain. This is </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">when I called </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Jose and I am now going to meet him at </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Etapa and try to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">get to the bottom of this!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Well the result of my (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">too late for Etapa</i>) meeting with </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Jose </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">re: this debacle was this…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Being that he [Jose] will </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">be out of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">town…until sometime in the middle of next </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">week…I just </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">need to cool my heels a bit longer. This said </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">my next step </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">would be getting my refund from Etapa and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">then meeting </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">with an hombre from something called </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">“Punta-net”…which </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">according to Jose is “in all likely-</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">hood” better and less </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">expensive than Etapa…and also </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">with better speed.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">This mi amigo’s remains to be seen. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Anyway…realistically </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">I’m probably looking at an </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Internet connection hopefully </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">in the “very” beginning </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">of Deciembre (December).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Today [Saturday] is (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and I can only call it this</i>) “prep-</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">day”</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">as </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">in getting ready for manana where everyone in </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Ecuador </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">are “shut-ins”…as this is do to the forthcoming</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Census </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">taking exercise! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Actually…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Remember EVERYTHING is CLOSED MANANA</i>)…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">I’m in pretty good shape as I went food shopping </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">yesterday… </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">went to the ATM this morning and just got </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">back from the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">DVD store where I stocked up on three (3) </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">movies at a </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">buck </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">apiece. That along with my Kindle and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">some </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">planned </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">cooking…I guessing I’ll make it through </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">the next </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">12 hours </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">A-OK!. Now if I had Internet…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">well one can </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">always dream…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">can’t one?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">As for the rest of today…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">at 2 p.m. there is a live performance by an American </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">guitarist…at Kookaburra Café here in town that many </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">expats are supposedly going too. Unfortunately… as it </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">turned out…not many people came and they were lucky…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">as the performance wasn’t very entertaining. I did </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">however </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">get to meet a couple that are “soon-to-be” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Expat Cuencano’s. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">So…the hour wasn’t a complete loss!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Anyway…after the debacle of Kookaburra (and keeping </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">mind the “shut-in” stuff for manana)…I stopped off at </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Raymipampa Restaurant for an early dinner and also took </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">half home in a doggy-bag…for tomorrows “adventure” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">mi apartemente! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Well Sunday as in<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>the day of the Census has arrived and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">my </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">day of “State Imposed Shut-in”…has started. I look </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">at this </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">semi-imprisonment as a way to do some house-</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">keeping and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">just chillin’. Realistically…that’s all anyone </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">can do. BTW…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">whether the Census taker comes early…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">late…or not at all…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">is of no consequence…as the official </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">ruling stands firm…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><u>i.e.</u> <u>one cannot leave their homes </u></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><u>until 5 or 5:30 p.m.</u> </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">nobody </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">seems exactly sure as to...</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the end time</i>).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Before I forget…and this has nothing what-so-ever to </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">do </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">with all this official stuff…I feel I must answer my </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">friend </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Don’s e-mail.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Note: <o:p></o:p></span></u></div><div class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Under normal circumstance I would never address a </span></u></div><div class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-size: 14pt;">personal e-mail in this Blog. However…the content </span></u></div><div class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-size: 14pt;">may </span></u><u><span style="font-size: 14pt;">be of interest to others also. This is do to the fact </span></u></div><div class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-size: 14pt;">that…I </span></u><u><span style="font-size: 14pt;">feel this response should be “timely” and also </span></u></div><div class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-size: 14pt;">that (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">as you \</i></span></u><u><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">now know) </i>my wi-fi<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>connection is hit ‘n </span></u></div><div class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-size: 14pt;">miss! But first I </span></u><u><span style="font-size: 14pt;">need to back up a bit.</span></u></div><div class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></u></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">After…getting up early[ish] this Sunday morning…as </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">usual </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">I went to check my Internet (i.e. E-mail). Well I </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">almost could </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">not believe what I was seeing. This was…I </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">not only had </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">some mail (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">which is nothing unusual)</i> but…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">that I had </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">[working] Internet (wi-fi)…which (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not only </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">active</i>) was a lot </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">stronger than normal).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Anyway…getting back to Don. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Don had commented in his last e-mail to me…about my </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">latest Blog and how he couldn’t understand how…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">a</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">ccomplish this [blog] with so very infrequent Internet </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">connections. Well Don (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and anyone else who might be </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">wondering</i>)…it’s really quite simple. You see…all my </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">“raw” </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Blogging is done <u>off-line in “Microsoft Word”</u>. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Once </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">complete and corrections made…I then “cut & paste” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">“almost” finished Blog to my Blog website.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">You’ll notice that I mentioned “almost” a moment ago. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">The reason for this…is simple. Even though I proofread </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">content…I still have to re-align my “new” Blog entry </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">to fit </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">the base parameters and…also too make some “last </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">minute” </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">corrections during my final read.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">So…as you can see…not so simple after all. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Anyway…Don…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I hope that this answered your question!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Getting back to the Census...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">They (t<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">he Census takers</i>) were in-fact a…No Show. This </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">at </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">least (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">as far as I was concerned</i>) was what I experienced. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">As for anyone else that I spoke to…they all had a Census </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">taker at their door. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Do I care? Not really and this "not showing" of course does </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">“not” surprise me in the least!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">So…that’s it for now mi aqmigos y amigas. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Once again I hope you like the new look and the new blog </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">commentary structure :)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Ciao for Now </span></div>Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11685539235248442349noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612577526538354330.post-65327902989851815162010-11-26T09:49:00.000-05:002010-11-26T09:49:39.090-05:00FILLING IN THE BLANKS<div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Friday (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Viernes</i>)…19 Noviembre 2010<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Filling in the “blanks”……..<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Over the past “many” days I’ve been busy with [as I’m </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">sure </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">you can guess]…the Internet conundrum.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">The Ecuadorian Bank account (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">necessary for the Internet</i>) </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">is </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">now done! This being said…I just returned from the </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">bank </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">albeit…empty handed.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">You see (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and remember…this is Ecuador</i>) today was the </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">day </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">that I was to pick-up my “debit” card…in which case </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">I would </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">then have ATM access. I would have also been </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">sure my </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">account </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">was “live”. Well-l-l-l...it wasn’t!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Lo Siento (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I’m Sorry</i>) Senor…No “active” account…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">No Debit card and…yes…yours truly has to return this </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">coming Monday for said Debit Card and whatever else…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">kind of papers await me.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Ahhh the joys of South American Customer Service (?)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">So…now it’s about 11 a.m. and I am obliged to wait…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">for the Etapa “installation hombre” who…hopefully will </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">(a) Come…and (b) [keeping my fingers XX’d]…be </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">successful at installing said internet. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Somehow...I have a feeling that…”IF” Etapa comes…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">It’ll be late or…I’ll need to do a “do-over” on Monday </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">at the very least</i>)!!!!!! </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Soooo…..now I wait!!!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Quick Note: Etapa…a “No Show”! <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">It’s now early <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sunday (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Domingo</i>)</b> a.m. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Luckily I picked-up another errant wi-fi signal which…</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">gave </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">me about a half hours worth of connection and </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">allowed </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">me </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">to send a couple of e-mails along with deleting </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">a lot of crap.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Monday (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lunes</i>)</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;">…<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">22 Noviembre 2010</b>…a.m..<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Finally…finaly…fianally! <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">My Bank Acocount with Pichincha bank is now…after </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">another 2 or so hours…”activated”…as are the Debit Card </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">and Transfer card. These cards are necessary in order to </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">make </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">any intra-account transfers…don’t ask… </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">’cause I </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">have no </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">use for it...but it’s something that </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">“<u>one has to have</u>” [????]. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">As for my Etapa (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Internet</i>) </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Installation…”manana”…we’ll </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">see!!!! </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">More later </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">….</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">If you’re keeping track of this <u>idiocy</u>…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">it’s now <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Wednesday (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Miercoles</i>)</b> and (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">believe it or not</i>)…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Etapa (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">BTW that’s pronounces EEETAAPA</i>) came about </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">noon and left about 12:15. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Results…NADA!!! ARGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">It seems that the phone number on the Etapa “Proof of </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Telephone Service” that I received from the owner…was </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">“her” phone number. Thus No Installation! Anyway…</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">after </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">I talked to not…“Un”…but “Dos” Amigo Cuencanos </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">and…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">I guess after some behind the scenes negotiations… </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">bottom </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">line…el Dos Hombres from Etapa are due to come </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">back </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">manana…Thursday (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jueves</i>)…A.K.A.…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Si...Thanksgiving Day</i>). <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Now…Etapa “promised” to arrive at my door early a.m. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I mentioned to mi amigo who had set-up this upcoming </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">visit that…I had an early Turkey Dinner appointment and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">will have to leave by 1 p.m. His response (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and in typical </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sud (South) Americano style</i>) told me to…just (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">marchar</i>) </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">leave! <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I guess that means…if they don’t show by then…”they’ll” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">just have to reschedule me [perfecto] !!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Anyway…with luck…my Internet woes…will be a thing </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">of the past come manana. Incidentally…I’ve had “some” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">luck in picking up some stray wi-fi signals over the past </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">couple of days. This of course has enabled me to check </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">some sites and do some e-mails. Unfortunately and </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">because </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">the stray signals are…shall we say…weakish…</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">this translated </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">to a high incidence of “extremely low” </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Internet speeds…too </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">low in fact to let me get SKYPE </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">to actually work. </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Isn’t </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">“high tech” wonderful ???</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">BTW and before I forget…this coming Sunday is the day </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">that the Republic of Ecuador does it’s Census. This occurs </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">every ten (10) years. Now…the Census rules are thus: <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Talk about “shutting down a country”…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 14pt;">One cannot leave their home from 8 am. until 5:30 p.m.</span></u></b><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">This is supposed to ensure that “everyone” will be </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">available </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">to the Census taker (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">visitors included</i>). The </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">penalty...</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">as I </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">understand it</i>) is that a person ignoring this </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">rule…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><u>will</u> be apprehended and end up in jail for the next </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">24 </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">hours (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I’m being quite serious here</i>). Furthermore </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">again as I understand it</i>)…<u>ALL streets will be CLOSED </u></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><u>and enforced by the Police Force.</u></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><u><br />
</u></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">BTW…I got lucky as…my Cuencano friend gave me a </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">“copy” of the six (6) page Census. Being that the Census is </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">only in Espanol...he was nice enough to fill in the blanks </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">for me. This way when the Census taker arrives…I just </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">need to hand over the copy and he/she will just transpose </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">the information…[I Hope] !!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Getting back to my previous police statement. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">One should understand that the police force in Ecuador is a</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><u>“National Police Force”</u>…one in which… police totting </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Automatic Weapons are not uncommon. No…it’s not a </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">“police state”...but they <u>Do Not</u> fool around either! I’m just </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">glad that this is a “once in a decade” exercise!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">OK…enough of that!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Thursday (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jueves</i>)…25 Noviembre, 2010<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Another day…and more waiting for the Etapa Technicians. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">The big question…will they come before my self-imposed </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">1 p.m. deadline or not. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Actually will they come at all! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">It’s now just a bit past 9 a.m. and all I can do is wait it out!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">OK…another day came and another day went. By </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">1:30p.m. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">I called my friendly interpreter Jose and…to make </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">a long </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">story short…he called Etapa…cancelled the rest of </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">the day </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">and rescheduled per my instructions for next...</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Monday </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lunes</i>).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">The reasoning behind this…is that I refuse to sit in my </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">apartment for another L-O-N-G day...manana Friday<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(</i><i>V</i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">iernes</i>). <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">So…si…still no Internet! Do you think I might be getting </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">just a <u>teeny bit crazy</u> over this? Actually…I’m not…just a </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">bit annoyed. But..hey…this is Ecuador! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">On a brighter note…I just returned from Thanksgiving </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Dinner at my newish friend Julia’s place. Nice folks all </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">we totaled 9 personas</i>) and… wayyy too much food! <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">One needs to understand that this was somewhat special </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">to me as I haven’t been to a “family-sized” Thanksgiving </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Dinner for…well…quite a number of years. In addition </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">to the food was of course…was the other Expats present </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">for said dinner and of also the good natured jabbering </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">that went along with it (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hey that’s a big part of this type </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">dinner…right?</i>) </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">And speaking of Turkey Day…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">By the time you will read this…Thanksgiving will be a </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">thing of the past. </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Sooo…this being the case…let me wish </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">you all…a belated Happy Thanksgiving.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">OK folks…</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">time to get out there and “walk it off”</i>) </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Until next time…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><i>Buenas Noches y Sonreir </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Good Night and Smile </span></div>Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11685539235248442349noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612577526538354330.post-50058857488986620162010-11-08T14:07:00.000-05:002010-11-08T14:07:19.640-05:00MY MOVE & OTHER STUFF<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Wednesday (Miercoles)…3 Noviembre<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Fiesta (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Festival</i>) is “finally” over and things are back to </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">normal…well normal for Cuenca. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Getting back to Fiesta </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">one </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">more time (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">uno mas tiempo</i>)… on the last day and…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">solely </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">by accident…I met my friend Charlie in Carolina’s </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">bookstore </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">and…being that neither one of us had any </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">plans and…being </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">that we were a half block from the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">upper end of the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">“Escalante” (<i>stairs</i>)…we decided </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">especially since I haven’t </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">absorbed the experience</i>) to </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">take in the last day of the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">“Fiesta Flea Market”. This </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">market incidentally… had been </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">going on for the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">duration of the holiday.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Now I really had no thought what-so-ever of buying </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">anything…but as luck (?) would have it…I happened </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">upon </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">a stall that was selling…and I’m at a loss for the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Ecuadorian </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">word…”western” (<i>sombrero?</i>) type hats. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">One caught my eye </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">and well…you can guess the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">outcome!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">If by some ridiculous chance you have not guessed…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">well I </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">did end up acquiring un sombrero. The hat in </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">particular is </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">all leather with very good workmanship </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">and fits just right. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">The cost…asking price was $35.00…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">agreed price after some </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">friendly bantering ended at </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">25.00 bucks!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Now for a little bit…the final price was bugging me a </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">somewhat…as I remember seeing a decent hat in Corral </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Hypermarcado (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">large market akin to Target</i>). However…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">as I needed to do a bit of shopping in this store…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I expressly </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">took a close look at the hat in question. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">The price…$2.95 </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">[two dollars and ninety-five cents]. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Yes…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">you read that right </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">however…although it looked </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">good…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">it was in deed of very </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">poor quality and…made </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">entirely of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">the "V" word...as in vinyl. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">This knowledge…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">definitely </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">took </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">the “sting” out of my</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">previous uncertainty<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;">.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Friday (Viernes)…5 Noviembre<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">As for mi nuevo departemento (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">my new apartment</i>)…the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“dust has just about settled”. Everything is working but </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">with </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">one exception and that unfortunately is the Internet. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Apparently…the building has wi-fi but… this is all </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">private. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">So mi amigos…I’m left with one option…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">that being…to get </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">“my own” Internet directly into my </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">apartment. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Now getting </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">this service in EC is “not” the same as </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">you’d </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">expect in the </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">states (<i>what a surprise...huh?</i>). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">If I understand </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">correctly…I first need to open a bank </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">account as Etapa (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">provider</i>)…takes their monthly </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">payment (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">around $28.00…</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">for decent speed</i>) directly </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">from </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">my new bank account (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">this </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">by the way…is a </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">good thing</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">as </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">it’s much easier this way</i>). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Unfortunately...I’ve been told </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">that this process takes </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">a “few” </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">days (keep in mind that "a few days" here in </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Ecuador...well </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">can mean just about "when-ever"!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Once this is done…I need to physically go to Etapa </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">with </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">the above bank information...my proof of </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">residency...</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">[Cedula & Censo]…the deposit </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">see above</i>) and a copy of </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">a </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">utility bill from the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">“apartment owner”. Once “all” this </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">is </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">complete I </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">will once again be joining the ranks of the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“connected populace”. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">You can be certain that…an E-mail </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">will be </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">forthcoming </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">regarding this little “new” adventures’ </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">completion.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Sunday (Domingo)…7 Noviembre</span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">”Greetings and Salutations”….<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Buenos Dias…as it’s early Sunday morning and as I </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">just </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">finished a nice home-made…all-American breakfast…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">I </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">thought I’d fill in some blanks concerning life in </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">general…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">specifically in Cuenca. What brought me to </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">this point…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">was the act of having breakfast with my </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">friend “R” yesterday.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">The reasoning behind this…was </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">due to happenstance within </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">the place that we had said </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Desayano (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Breakfast</i>). The meal </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">in of itself…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">excluding “R”s company</i>) was nothing earth </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">shattering </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">or for that matter…. memorable. In fact…before </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">I </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">started this “blog” entry…hard as I tried…and to no </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">avail…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">could I remember what the meal consisted of.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">No…what prompted this tale…happened post-meal.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">You see…as we were leaving this little Colombian </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">restaurante…both myself and ”R” (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">she speaks Espanol </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">quite </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">well</i>)…struck up a conversation with the new </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">owner </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">apparently he bought out the old owner…</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">due to said </i></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">owners </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">health situation…as he returned </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">to Colombia for </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">treatment</i>). </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Anyway… this is when </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">“it” actually sunk into </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">my dense </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">brain [after all this time </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">in country]...that the “it”...</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">I’m alluding to is…the subtle </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">yet important differences </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">between this country…and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">most likely all of South America…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">and the North </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">American way of life.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">At it’s most basic level…I’m talking about the simple </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">polite</i>) way of greeting…well “anyone”.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Getting back to my breakfast! After having a brief </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">conversation with the new owner and while making </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">some </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">small talk…it was finally time to take leave.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Now…think about this...<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">In North America (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">especially the U.S</i>.)<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">…</i>one would </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">pay the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">bill and…leave the premises. Actually (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I’m guilty of this </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">too</i>)…one may pay the bill and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">before leaving…(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">remember </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you already left a </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">[probably too generous] tip</i>)…proclaiming </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">a sincere </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">“thank you” to the wait-person etc…rather than the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">other way around. Weird…huh? <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Here in Cuenca...just the opposite (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and “zero” tip </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">expected</i>).</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">But…I’ve sidestepped the real purpose of </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">today’s “rant”. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">That is simply this…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“Day to Day Living and Then Some”<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Here in the midst of South America…one expects </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">propriety! </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">What I’m referring to is the act of…either </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">meeting someone </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">on the street or entering a business </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">etc. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">A friendly “Buenos </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Dias”…”Buenas Tardes” or </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">“Buenas Noches” greeting would </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">be exchanged…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">depending on the time of day. This versus </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">if any at </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all</i>) in the U.S. where “slang is king”…a greeting </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">may sound something akin to this...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Hey…how are ye doin?…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Nice to see ye!...Yo!... </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">What’s </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">happinin?...See ya!…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Take Care!…or just a </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">plain “nod” </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">with or without a smile</i>). </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">The list...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">as one can imagine…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">can go on…and on...and on!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I just mentioned “on the street”! These “personal” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">greetings </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">also extend too a “physical greeting” where </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">hugs and…a </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">sort of “cheek-to-cheek faux kiss” is </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">exhibited. Incidentally…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">this greeting is “not” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">relegated to specific sexual rules. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">The greeting…is </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">quite common between men and woman… </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">woman and woman and “not so common but is in </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">evidence” </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">within two men greeting each other.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">It should also be noted that a “hug” type greeting is…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">while not a highly common occurrence…is </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">acceptable. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">A hearty handshake between the male </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">population is also </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">common.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Now please keep in mind that all of the above are my </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">own </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">personal observations…i.e …</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">a fairly Nuevo (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">new</i>) Gringo<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;">.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Earlier I mentioned “tipping”…or should I say the lack </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">of it. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Although things are changing a bit…leaving a tip </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">in an </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Ecuadorian restaurant is “not” expected. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">However…leaving </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">“small” loose change is appreciated. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Unfortunately…and this </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">I can only point to our [U.S.] </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">upbringing… brain-washing…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">extravagance…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">what-ever…as we not only tip “everywhere”…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">but over-</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">tipping is not uncommon in the states.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">One thing that was drummed into my head by Expat </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">articles </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">as well as other Expats here in EC is that one </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">does not “tip”!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">That said...</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">I can understand that there will be those of </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">you </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">who </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">may come for a vacation and/or look-see”…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">bearing in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">mind your habitual tipping…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><u>If you feel you must tip…</u></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><u>then the “rule of thumb” </u></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><u>is 10%...</u></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><u>but keep in mind these few</u></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><u> paragraphs…please!</u></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">One other item to keep in mind is </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">use of Half Dollar </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">coins </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">and/or One Dollar Coins are in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">“daily” use and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">are “very” </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">commonplace…so be careful<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;">.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;"></span>(a) tipping was and is “not” expected (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">especially </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Taxi Drivers</i>). </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">NOTE: …my own observation…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">when it comes to cabs [and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">I don’t take them often]…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">over the past year or so (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I’m told</i>)…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">quoted rates have </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">increased somewhat do in large part to the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">drivers…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">having had a taste of tips and …not getting said tips </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">as a rule…have caused this mini-fare hike! It should </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">also be </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">noted that even though most cabs are licensed </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">and metered…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">one would be hard-pressed to see </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">evidence of “any” meter in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">“any” cab. I have actually </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">seen a meter (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">in plain site</i>)…one </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">time and one time </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">only and…obviously…not used!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">One more item regarding “tipping”...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">As many of you are aware…before my moving to </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Ecuador…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">yours truly…for three (3) years lived in </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Thailand where </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">there is a saying which is…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">“Same Same”. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Personally…I have expanded on this </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">saying to: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">“Same Same But Different”…which as </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">you may have </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">ascertained…refers to this countries </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">“way of life”. That </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">said...here’s the rest of my...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">“tipping” commentary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">There are numerous Norte Americanos…who </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">because of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">their “lack” of International travel…along </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">with (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">in most cases</i>) </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">a life’s worth of day to day </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">living in their “familiar hometown </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">environment”…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">are so accustomed to tipping…well they can’t </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">help </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">themselves…as it’s almost second nature to them. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">The </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">problem then (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and again because of the </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gringo’s general </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">good nature</i>) can become one of </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">open resentment by "some" of </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">the “host” </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">countries </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">population…”if” in fact the...</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><u>now expected</u> tip </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">does </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">not materialize.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I’ve always tried to remember the tried and true..</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> “Same Same but Different” </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">adage…as it helps </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">one remember </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">that </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">we’re...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">“not in Kansas anymore”. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Smile and the World is Brighter</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Hasta Pronto </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><!--EndFragment-->Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11685539235248442349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612577526538354330.post-39603991559274940662010-11-03T10:29:00.000-05:002010-11-03T10:29:47.880-05:00HOLIDAYS & MOVING DAYS<div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;">Viernes (Friday) 29 Octubre 2010<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I’m actually starting this BLOG today…Friday (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Viernes</i>)…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">but the preparations etc. have already begun. What I’m </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">referring </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">to is the fast approaching Cuenca Independence </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Day or as it’s </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">called here… Indepencia de Cuenca.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX-OkcuqzKc9xFk7o8hyphenhyphendDYv5M1diszd6YTdfJIn3AcKd9Cw4DcaVBg408vsay-sv13xHov2p80yKr1FKz28myabVRCHE7MPjDtNIB0lhoVsGiFqnZENgdpjmPW4qfb3Cavk6x5KwDmDE/s1600/DSCN0147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX-OkcuqzKc9xFk7o8hyphenhyphendDYv5M1diszd6YTdfJIn3AcKd9Cw4DcaVBg408vsay-sv13xHov2p80yKr1FKz28myabVRCHE7MPjDtNIB0lhoVsGiFqnZENgdpjmPW4qfb3Cavk6x5KwDmDE/s400/DSCN0147.JPG" width="233" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">The date for this impending </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">holiday…is actuality taking </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">place </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">this coming Wednesday </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Miercoles</i>)…3 Noviembre. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">However </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">this being Ecuador…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">this holiday is actually preceded </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">by another </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">holiday…one in </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">which is the previous day and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">falling on </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Tuesday (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Martes</i>)…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">2 Noviembre. This holiday by </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">the way…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">has the distinctive </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">designation of being called </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><u>Dia de los Muertos </u></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">or...Day of </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">the Dead.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">The following is a direct quote…from my friend and writer </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Dixie Davie as it appeared in her newsletter and website…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">www.retire-in-ecuador. com. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">In the article…Dixie explains Dia de los Muertos as such: </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">“celebrated with a belief that it is easy for the dead to come </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">back </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">to earth and visit their living relatives on this particular </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">day. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Altars are erected and piled with food, trinkets, </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">wreaths </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">flowers. Breads, candies and cakes are made in </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">the shapes </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">the bodies or other symbols. Sometimes the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">name of the dead </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">person is inscribed on these edible </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">mementos. The typical food </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">for the day is “guaguas de </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">*pan”…accompanied by a beverage </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">called “colada morada”.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">The foods have a remote origin in the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Incas, who offered </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">their gods their bodies and blood in </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">sacrificial </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">ceremonies”.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">It is currently 2:30 pm and as I sit in my departemento </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">apartment</i>)…I can clearly hear the loud…albeit muffled </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">“sound checks”…along with some musica (?) already </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">starting…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">so tonight should be…an experience to say the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">least. What </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">will happen tonight and throughout the next </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">five (5) days is …</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">well I haven’t a clue. This…other than </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">the fact that there will be </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">“musica”…holiday </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">food and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">partying to all hours…throughout </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Cuenca can only be put </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">into so many words. Even these few </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">words…”still”… </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">would not…nor could not…describe what can </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">only be </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">experienced and…only by experiencing this town in </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">person.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Speaking of tonight or I should say the latter part of this </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">afternoon and…in the middle of all the “holiday party </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">build-up”…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">I will be picking up my new departemento </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">keys </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">and starting </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">manana Sabado (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Saturday</i>)…yours truly </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">will </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">“start” my fast </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">approaching move in earnest. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Luckily…my new departemento is only about 3 blocks </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">from </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">my current location. This incidentally allows me to </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">basically </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">move myself via my “rolling” luggage…of which </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">I have “dos” </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">two</i>) and will take place over this [yes…</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">moving during a </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">holiday] weekend. Thank goodness for </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">wheels and elevators<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;">.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">“<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Best Laid Plans”… Sabado (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Saturday</i>) </b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br />
</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Well it’s Sabado (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Saturday for all you gringos</i>) and [my </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">plan] </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">was to meet Martha…my apartment finder…give </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">new place </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">a once over…get the keys and start moving</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">whatever I could </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">manage by myself. The rest would </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">wait </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">until </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">manana when my </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">friend Gerard…who has </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">kindly </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">offered to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">help with the move…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">using his new car. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">This </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">way…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">moving </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">the somewhat larger and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">heavier items </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">[well the few </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">that I have] </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">would hopefully be a </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">breeze.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 14pt;">“This”…mi amigos’...proved to be the outcome…<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">The reality is that Martha ran into [some] difficulties. An </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">hour </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">became two (2) and ended up with a record…</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">seven</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">yes…“7”</i>) </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">hours delay. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">By this time the start/stop/start/stop </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">and so on…</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">drew </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">to </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">a close and…well…all I can say is that </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">these delays </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">took </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">their toll. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Hence…by the time I finally did </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">my </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">“walk-</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">through“ of the new </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">apartment …I had already </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">decided to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">forgo <u>any</u> moving today and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">just take </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">advantage </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">of Gerard’s </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">[moving service] car and...</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">do it all </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">manana.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">So…here I sit with 95% of everything I own “packed </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">and </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">ready </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">to go”… and…with “nowhere to go” until </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">tomorrow </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">a.m. </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Anyway </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">manana is another day and…</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">hopefully one </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">which I </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">will have </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">accomplished </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">the task at hand<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;">.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">“Moving Day Has Arrived”… Domingo (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sunday</i>)<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Finally…all is “almost” done (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">well 99% any</i>way) and it </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">is </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">now </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">8;40 a.m. on Domingo (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sunday</i>)…as I wait for </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">mi </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">amigo Gerard </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">to arrive with his car to facilitate my </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">move. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Now… it’s just a </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">little matter of loading the car…</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">unloading </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">the car…loading the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">elevator…unloading </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">the elevator </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I’m sure you get the picture</i>). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">OK…I don’t want you to think for un minuto that…</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">just </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">because </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Gerard and his generous assistance got </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">me moved </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">that…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">that was </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">that. It wasn’t…not by a </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">long shot…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">as I still </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">had to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">return to my </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">now “old” </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">departmento </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">apartment</i>) and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">re-pack </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">my now </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">once </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">again</i>) empty </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">suitcases…repack the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">smaller </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">“unmoved” items into </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">said </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">suitcases and make a couple </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">of trips </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">[on foot] to complete </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">my </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">move.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">This done…now came the fun job of putting all my </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">worldly </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">belongings in their proper places. I won’t bore </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">you with the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">details other than to say that…finding said </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">places in some </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">instances was no easy task. This process </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">however did take </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">some </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">time and succeeded in…yes… </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">obliterating whatever </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">reserve strength I had left in this...</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">body of mine!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4nZeiHSCm-kOshMkllZS-wi2FHLTEvh8XtmEv8w7f3yXX8eZt0oIm8dZEw1pqxJtAxDIKqmRXWzV1heDbjZnSeDPHvmaRAS2yjB1pIYH2hIv0dD-9dS5I0YOG2iLAW8YLOVKXxpg5qXM/s1600/DSCN0150.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4nZeiHSCm-kOshMkllZS-wi2FHLTEvh8XtmEv8w7f3yXX8eZt0oIm8dZEw1pqxJtAxDIKqmRXWzV1heDbjZnSeDPHvmaRAS2yjB1pIYH2hIv0dD-9dS5I0YOG2iLAW8YLOVKXxpg5qXM/s640/DSCN0150.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Work done…it was </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">thankfully time to…</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">”rest”</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">. Now </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">I’m not </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">sure if I ever mentioned </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">this before but…I am </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">not the kind of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">person </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">that can take <u>any type</u> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">of siesta. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">This however </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">did not </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">deter me in the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">least from trying… </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">albeit as I “did” try </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">but alas…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">this little </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">venture of a nap </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">was </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">unsuccessful…though…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">I did get to relax.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">So...now with the <u>task</u> of resting done</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">…it was time to get </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">ready </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">f</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">or my dinner invitation at my friends’ Karen & </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Peters’ </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">place. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Keeping in mind that I’ve never been to </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">their </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">departemanto…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">what should have been an easy and </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">short cab </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">ride...of course…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">turned into an “adventurers” </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">exercise in futility.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Please understand that in most cases Cuenca cab drivers </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">know </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">how to deliver you to where you want to go…but…</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">every once </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">in awhile <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(as was the case today</i>) the driver </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">just doesn’t know </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">“how” too get to ones desired </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">destination. Also…keep in mind </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">that there is a minor </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">item to contend with in this situation…was </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">our “inability” </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">to connect verbally. Don’t ask me how…but </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">someway…</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">somehow…apparently the gods were smiling on us…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I finally made it to my destination. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Upon entering K & P’s departemento…I was </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">“somewhat” </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">prepared (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">do to previous conversations with </i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Karen & Pete</i>) </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">for </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">the sight that awaited me. To say that </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">it was large (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">by most </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ecuadorian standards</i>) would be a </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">“gross understatement”. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">I guess one might call their place </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Ecuadorian modern. Roomy…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">airy and comfortable would </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">be just a few words that come to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">mind.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">The best part of the night (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">other than their warm and </i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">receptive </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">companionship</i>) was the sumptuous meal that </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Karen prepared. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">To try and tell you all about the meal </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">would actually detract </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">from the “overall delightful </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">epicurean experience”...so I won’t…</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">so there!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;"></span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I will however tell you that Karen baked some [huge] </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">chicken breasts covered with fresh mushroom sauce and </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">was </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">sided with steamed broccoli and homemade rice pilaf. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">All this </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">accompanied by some very good wine and great </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">desert (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">one of </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">which was Karen’s wonderful homemade </i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Apple Cobbler along </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">with my offering…as in Strawberry </i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Short Cake</i>). </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">What a wonderful way to end a long…</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">but very satisfying day. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Ohh…almost forgot…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">all the food was organic and need I say…delicioso!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">So…that mi amigos y amigas…is where things stand at </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">the </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">moment. </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Manana…this hombre needs to do a </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">“major” food </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">shopping en El Supermacado in which...</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">to replenish </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">El Cocina (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">kitchen</i>)…wish me luck<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;">!</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Hasta Pronto<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;">...</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><<<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">POST-NOTE</i>>><o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">It’s now Tuesday (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Martes)</i> evening (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">about 9:30 pm</i>) and </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">just </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">had too include this tidbit. Actually…this is a </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">“kind of” </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">restaurant and “date” review mixed together…</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">as I had a very </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">enjoyable dinner with a Mujer Norte </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Americano (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">North </i></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">American Woman</i>) whom at this point </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">I’ll just identify as “R”</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">The dinner took place at a restaurant called Tiesto’s </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">which…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">is situated “within” the outer edge of Cuenca </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Centro. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Now one needs to understand…I’ve been vying </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">to sample </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Tiesto’s dinner fare since I’ve arrived in this </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">beautiful place </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">called Cuenca. The only problem and </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">reason why I hadn’t </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">gone until tonight was that… </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Tiesto’s is actually geared to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">parties of 2 or more. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Now that’s not to say that “un persona” </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">would not be </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">s</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">erved but…I for one…do not think a solo </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">person would </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">enjoy or…for that matter feel the ambience… </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">friendliness </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">and warmth that is Tiesto’s.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">As for cost…to be fair…Tiesto’s rates “high” in the cost </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">category. That said however…compared to a comparable </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">restaurant in Any Hometown, U.S.A. and…considering a </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">North American restaurant of equal quality that I found in </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Tiesto’s...well there’s “no contest”…Tiesto’s wins hands </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">down…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">both in cost…quality and ambience!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">The wonderful part of the Tiesto’s experience is…the </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">array </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">various flavorful spice and flavor mixtures that </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">one will find </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">awaiting them on their table. This along </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">with some absolutely…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">wonderful tasty and imaginative </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">dishes…well if and when you </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">ever find yourself in Cuenca…</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Tiesto’s is a definite…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">“Do Not Miss” stopover!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">On a personal note…my dinner date with “S”…well…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I feel very good about the evening. Now whether “S” </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">feels the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">same…well…like I like to say…time will tell<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;">...</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Wingdings;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Ciao todo (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all</i>) for now…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">*[translation of ”pan” is bread...</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">so I’m guessing that...</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"> this holiday item is indeed a type of bread]</span></div>Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11685539235248442349noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612577526538354330.post-83863018546450641222010-10-26T08:19:00.000-05:002010-10-26T08:19:45.874-05:00Touring the sites "Outside...but close too Cuenca"<!--StartFragment--> <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">Domingo (Sunday), 24 Octubre, 2010</span><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16.0pt;"><u><o:p></o:p></u></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">I started the day early…like 6 a.m. This…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">do to the fact </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">that I had to meet my </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">Expedition Van at 8:05 a.m. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">For some </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">imaginary reason I really thought that they </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">would be there “on-time”. So…me…being </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">me…A.K.A...</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">“Mr. Early for Everything” got </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">there at exactly 8 a.m. and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">TA-DAH…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">w-a-i-t-e-d!!!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">Actually and by Ecuadorian standards </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">(<i>if there ever </i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;"><i>were any</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">) it wasn’t bad...as </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">the van in question got to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">my pick-up point </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">before 8:15 a.m. Of course I was the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">first to </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">be picked up and then came the rest of the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">pick-up points in various parts of Cuenca.</span><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">At the end…we totaled nine personas. The </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">make-up of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">"touristas" included one other </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">male Gringo from </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">Australia…3 Norte </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">Americanos Women and 4 Senoras </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">from </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">Peru…plus yours truly...and joined by our </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">driver and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">tour guide Diego! </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">Needless to </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">say...</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">it was an interesting group.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">Once we were all settled…off we went to </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">explore the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">country-side along with the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">wares </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">plied by the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">Indigenousness peoples </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">living </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">in these towns. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">Now one should understand that as far as </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">sightseeing </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">goes…I for one really do not </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">get into this type of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">excitement (?). I do </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">however…enjoy seeing new and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">different </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">places including it’s histories. Thankfully </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">this </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">trip also included some amazing </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">scenery. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">This scenery </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">incidentally…not </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">only included </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">what one would expect </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;"></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">(<i>forests… rolling </i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;"><i>mountainous lands etc</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">.) </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">but also some </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">stunning Spanish Colonial </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">architecture all </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">within some </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">beautiful towns </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">and cities.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">The principle cuidad </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">(<i>City</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">) </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">that we visited...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">is </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">called </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">Chordeleg </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">(<i>sure-de-leg</i>)...</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">which is </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">a fairly decent </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">sized </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">city </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">but one...with a </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">really </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">beautiful town </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">center and </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">is known </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;"></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">for it’s </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">Gold & Silver </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">Jewlery. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK_0qokWz1_VAiLeav4yHBOpdwIWtQ4fu0LW0c3DzoyvRsJQV1Thup7dD2A14JFBl5Bcx4-jx62w1uoPLKCkGwBOidu9B9YL86huD80ofX-MpRKQSV5vsdevC6IW2bBWt2upp6D1sEKaw/s1600/DSCN0139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK_0qokWz1_VAiLeav4yHBOpdwIWtQ4fu0LW0c3DzoyvRsJQV1Thup7dD2A14JFBl5Bcx4-jx62w1uoPLKCkGwBOidu9B9YL86huD80ofX-MpRKQSV5vsdevC6IW2bBWt2upp6D1sEKaw/s400/DSCN0139.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQEFjQixcBotkst2FIF8HdHP1AhFi3QakjR6oPVflxRleuL3_7oJ7R2hA3sKvCxUH_c3c2kQ4Hldhbqosx5p9-ubDkpE0FiNadHRF0CmXGbkXRU6T_ca1ERxUrimqMxbrWLd0MsU3RZe0/s1600/DSCN0134.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQEFjQixcBotkst2FIF8HdHP1AhFi3QakjR6oPVflxRleuL3_7oJ7R2hA3sKvCxUH_c3c2kQ4Hldhbqosx5p9-ubDkpE0FiNadHRF0CmXGbkXRU6T_ca1ERxUrimqMxbrWLd0MsU3RZe0/s400/DSCN0134.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Now...being that I had exactly "zero" </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">interest in window-shopping...I roamed the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">immediate area and finally stumbled upon </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">a nice shaded resting spot i El Parke Centro. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">As luck would have it…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">a middle aged </span></div></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">woman </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19pt;">with </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19pt;">her </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">son sat down </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">next to me </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">and tried (<i>notice I said "tried"</i>) </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">t</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">o </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">strike </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">up </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">a </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">conver</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">sation.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">Of course I politely told her in my </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">best Spanish…”No Hablar Espanol” and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">with her </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">prodding this...became </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">“Yo Hablar </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">Espanol Poquito”... </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;"></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">(<i>I speak a little Spanish</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">Now maybe it was my long absence from </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">the U.S. East </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">Coast but…it seems I’ve </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">lost </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">the edge on my long ago </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">learned </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">ingrained “Sixth Sense”...OMG !!! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">Now…when it comes to unknown peoples </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">wanting </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">something other than just being </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">friendly...my inner alarms </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">should have </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">gone </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">off “loud ‘n clear”…they didn’t! </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">This </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">i</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">nstance </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">proved to be the case…as the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">woman </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">in </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">question (<i>and my 6</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16.0pt;"><i>th</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;"><i> sense </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;"><i>finally made it’s </i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;"><i>appearance albeit a little </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;"><i>late</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">)…was w</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">hat </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">one could </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">only call and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">compare with a </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">Born-Again Christian but </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">with a Spanish-twist.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">==============================</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Note:</span></i></span><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Before anyone…who might be a Born-</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Again </span></i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Christian </span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">please...do not read </span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">anything into </span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">the above paragraph </span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">as…</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">I hold no </span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">prejudices against anyone’s </span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">beliefs. </span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">I do however…do not like being </span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">cajoled </span></i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">into anything…</span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">especially when </span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">any religion </span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">is involved.</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;"><i>==============================</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">Anyway with this new information about </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">my </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">new </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">acquaintance…I quickly excused </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">myself and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">meandered this beautiful and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">peaceful city.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">Approaching the Van’s departure time…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">I eventually </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">re-claimed my seat along with </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">my travel-mates </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">(<i>all accounted for</i>) and off </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">we went for a few more stops.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">One stop in particular made up for all the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">jewelry shops </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">etc. This was an extremely </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">run-down establishment in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">a very small </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">town called San Bartolome. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">The people in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">this town are known for their </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">Spanish </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">Guitar Making.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">As the story was told to us (<i>and I hope I </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;"><i>have all the </i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;"><i>facts correct</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">)…many many </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">generations have since past. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">When the first Spanish families settled in </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">this area…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">one family started the Guitar </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">Crafting business. As time </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">went on the art </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">of Spanish Guitar crafting was passed </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">to other families…who then in turn moved </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">to different </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">areas of Ecuador. Apparently </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">however…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">San Bartolome remains the anchor.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">OK…nececito history lesson done.</span><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">The Guitars are made from a very rare </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">wood…all hand </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">crafted and…if I recall </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">correctly…a single guitar will take </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">4-6 </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">weeks </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">to bring its beauty to completion. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">The cost </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">in case you're wondering...ranges </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">from </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">about $200 to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">$600. The guitar in the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">photo </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">below was priced at about </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">$240. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">All this by </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">the way…is accomplished by </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">one </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">hombre </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">and his son. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">No...the guy on the Guitar is not the son </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">but...</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">our now almost famous tour-guide </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">Diego. The </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">gentleman behind him is the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">owner...father and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">craftsman.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwlOs_hS9T8huJGalcxW9c4BR8HzsGilNmT9_ogYe3fTfXhttpwLZjWuyf2it4N8z7NTTnRynFEXIxzWCIdYyG8sRtg0xl0bjECH1-M_9MzvewRdbyMzLqUK1xM_AbaAm5rMjs3D5Pj5o/s1600/DSCN0120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwlOs_hS9T8huJGalcxW9c4BR8HzsGilNmT9_ogYe3fTfXhttpwLZjWuyf2it4N8z7NTTnRynFEXIxzWCIdYyG8sRtg0xl0bjECH1-M_9MzvewRdbyMzLqUK1xM_AbaAm5rMjs3D5Pj5o/s400/DSCN0120.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">From what I understood…the father </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">makes the guitars </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">(r<i>emember…all by hand</i>) </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">but cannot play the instrument...</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">at all. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">T</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">his </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">is where the son comes in…who at the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">time </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">our visit had his soul connected to </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">Internet. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">(<i>Yes...</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;"><i>even in the mountains of Ecuador</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">All told…I am quite sure that if I </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">were one </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">whoever played a guitar </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">(<i>at least a little bit</i>)…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">I would </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">have bought one of these </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">beauties...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">on the spot!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">Well…once again it was time </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">to pile into </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">El Van and off we </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">went to…YES…E-A-T </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">lunch...</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">(<i>You knew this was coming!</i>)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">The place...that was part of the tour for </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">lunch (<i>almuerzo</i>)…was in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">its former life a </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;"><u style="text-underline: #0020E3;">privado hosienda</u> (<i>Private House</i>). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">Today </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">the hosienda is called </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">“Hosteria Uzuhupud” </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">and is now a beautiful </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">hostel which rests in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">the Paute valley.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">Within the confines of the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">Hosteria there </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">is </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">in evidence…a swimming </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">pool…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">hot springs…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">58 rooms..tennis…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">discoteca </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">(disco)…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">outdoor restaurante etc. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">The rates…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">I truthfully have no idea. That </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">said however…one day I </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">would love to </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">spend some “miini-vacation” time there…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">one day </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 19.0pt;">J</span><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">At this point..and to tell you the truth…the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">tour went into </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">“over-kill”…as I was past </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">caring about anything (<i>time </i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;"><i>elapsed about </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;"><i>6 horas (6 hours</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">). All I wanted was to see </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">the tours conclusion but…NO!!! There was </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">more! </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">Unfortunately…I was beyond caring </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">and (<i>maybe I sub</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;"><i>consciously</i>) buried the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">rest...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">into my subconscious </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">where it will stay!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">Overall…it was a great “get-outta-town” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">escape.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">I’m glad I did it but…with the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">exception of my previous </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">stated desire of </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">visiting Uzuhupud again…I think this </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;"></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">hombre </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">has had it for…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">at least the foreseeable future! </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 19.0pt;">J</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">Now with this...my update on my roamings...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">completed...</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">I REALLY </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">need to get <u>crackin’ n' </u></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;"><u>start packin’</u> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">for my upcoming </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">re-location…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">to my Nueve </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 25px;">Apartemento (<i>new apartment</i>).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">See you soon…for now </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 19.0pt;">J</span><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19.0pt;">[Para ahora veale pronto] </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 19.0pt;">J</span></div><!--EndFragment--> <br />
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</div>Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11685539235248442349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612577526538354330.post-85552282159857518482010-10-23T10:43:00.000-05:002010-10-23T10:43:29.769-05:00The Art of Change<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>Viernes (Friday) 22 Octubre, 2010<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Well…if you hadn’t noticed…I’ve been on what one </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">would </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">call a mini-sabbatical. Actually I guess I just fell </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">out of the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">habit of writing since I returned from my U.S. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">trip or maybe…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">it was just plain laziness. Whatever the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">case…</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">I’m BA-AACCKKKK </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Anyway…I do have some new updating to share </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">What pray tell…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">you ask…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">has he gone and done this time? Actually…</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">it’s not </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">anything major…but it does require some </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">work </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">on my </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">part. However…I need to back-peddle and in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">doing </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">that you will probably determine...</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">the “cause and effect”.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">When I first moved into my apartemento…as most new <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">renters…I was indeed excited. Being in the very heart </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Cuenca one could not feel anything "but" excitement. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">The </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">down-side of all this was the fact that my </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">apartemento had </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">two…of what I then thought were </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">minor </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">inconveniences. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">One was of course the “pseudo” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">kitchen and the other was </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">the “absence” of a...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">true bedroom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">If you haven’t already guessed my news...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">well here it is.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br />
As of 1 Noviembre…I shall [once again] be moving. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Now this is definitely not a big move…however it is a </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">move </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">that will keep me firmly within grasp the my </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">current </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">neighborhood..,albeit a tiny bit further from </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">El Parke Calderone. <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">The good thing about my forthcoming move is that…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">my new habitat will be within the bounds of a </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">“Professional </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Building” complete with a bank...Doctors...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Lawyers </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">and also </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">a guard at the front entry portal.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">The building itself is situated on one of the main east-</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">bound </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">streets in Cuenca…which thankfully carries...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">No Buses.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">My soon-to-be apartemento is situated on the seventh </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">(7<sup>th</sup>) </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">floor and yes...it’s accessible via elevator and or </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">stairs. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">The stairs incidentally will be used by yours truly </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">when I </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">feel the need for exercise. This by the way has </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">become a </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">“daily” habit…No Joke!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Now as for the apartemento…there is plenty of large </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">glass </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">areas…it’s a bit larger than my current place and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">yes…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">it contains a "real" bedroom and (<i>not that I need </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><i>both</i>)…but </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">two (2) bathrooms.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">The kitchen is a real kitchen this time. However it is tiny. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Picture a fairly wider than normal hallway with all the <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">accoutrements of a kitchen...and you’ll have a </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">reasonable </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">mental picture as to what I’m trying to </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">convey </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">to you.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">I will however say this…the kitchen has a fair amount of <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">working space along with plenty of storage areas. On </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">upside…the owner [literally]…yesterday had a new </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">gas </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">range and refrigerator delivered to the apartemento.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Hopefully…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">both items are already installed at this juncture. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Incidentally…there is quite a large [pass-through] </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">opening </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">between the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">kitchen and the living room which </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">lends a much needed </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">airiness to the overall ambience.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">And speaking of the living room…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">it’s approximately twice the size of my current one and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">includes </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">“real” furniture. This by the way contrasts </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">sharply with the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">[almost] “lawn type” furniture I now have. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">By the way...the same thing </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">is in evidence concerning </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">the bedroom furniture.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">As for closet space…how does a walk-in closet sound <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">for the bedroom plus…waaay too much storage area...<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">more that I can ever take advantage of.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">So…all-in-all…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">this looks as though this will be a good move. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Oh almost forgot. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">The monthly rent...$300 bucks + electric...gas </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">and wi-fi. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">All told...</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">under $350. Oh and No Lease!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">As for anything else on the immediate horizon…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">In about 2 hours I am meeting a friend and together we <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">will go and pre-pay a day-trip for this coming Sunday to <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">nearby "artisan" towns. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">I really don’t expect much…as </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">this is a</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">“tourist” geared </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">outing but…it is something I’ve </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">been planning </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">for quite </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">awhile and am looking foreword </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">to the chance of "</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">gettin' </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">outta’ Dodge" for a day.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Hopefully I will have absorbed enough culture etc. and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">will </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">then be able to extrapolate on this event in the very</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">near future.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">I sincerely hope I haven’t bored you today…but moving </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">into </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">a new place…anywhere...and especially in a foreign </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">country is not something that </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">happens everyday. Yes…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">I know I’ve moved recently…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">but this just seems more of </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">the “permanent” type (hope so)!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Hasta Pronto </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><!--EndFragment-->Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11685539235248442349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612577526538354330.post-86589711022772667062010-10-05T17:17:00.000-05:002010-10-05T17:17:35.175-05:00and...In Conclusion...<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>Thursday, September 30, 2010<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">OMG…I’m still in shock. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Why you ask…’cause El Weatherman was R-I-G-H-T. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">He forecast rain and “rain” it did. In fact it’s now a bit <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">after 4 p.m. and it’s still raining. So…even though I <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">usually put the poor weatherman down…I must <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">“commend” him today…even if it’s the only day in <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">recent memory that he or she…happened </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">(<i>by accident ?</i>) </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">to be right. ‘Nuff said!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">FYI…it’s now 9:30 p.m. and YES…it’s still raining. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">The </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">rain however did not stop us from getting’ out and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">into </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">a local restaurant for dinner.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">The restaurant had a wide variety of foods…but guess <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">who could not pass up the Cheeseburger Platter <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">(<i>a serious platter that is</i>)…go on guess </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">. Oh yes…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">we can’t forget the very large Vodka ‘n Tonic too. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">In addition to this news…it should be noted that <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">“this guy” is still <u>full</u> about 2 hours later. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Do I hear the word “DIET” in my very near future?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Other than the above…I guess one can say…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">We…Wuz Rained Out today.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Now "de Weather Guy"…feeling that he’s on a roll…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">is </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">calling for “about” (<i>I love that word</i>) an 80% chance </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">the wet stuff. Guess we’ll all have to wait ‘n see!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">More Earth-shaking news to come </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><b>Friday, Octubre, 1, 2010</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">OK…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">today definitely falls under the “mixed-bag” category. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">The rain was still in evidence well into the early </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">afternoon </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">hours. I will say however…that it was </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">nowhere close to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">the type of rain that had inundated </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">this region for the past </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">36+ hours. And then all at once </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">the rain was gone and the </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">sun came out to say “hola” </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Now with 90% of the clouds on the run to places </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">unknown…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">we are finally free to get out of the house…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">sans </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">umbrella’s etc.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Anyway…with El Sun sort of hinting that it may actually </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">stay awhile…we all piled into my brothers’ car and off </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">we went to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">find a pumpkin patch. Find it we did…however </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">do to all the </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">rain (<i>I think this was the reason</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">) the “patch” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">wasn’t ready to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">receive visitors as yet. So…the car trip </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">continued along the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">winding roads of the Catskill </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">mountains…until we found </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">ourselves at...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">“The Inn at Saint Joseph” in Forestburgh, NY.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><br />
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</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">If I got the story correctly…the Inn was originally a </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Catholic </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Church Retreat…which later turned into its </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">present state…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">as in a hotel (<i>or an Inn as they prefer to </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><i>call it</i>). Bottom-line…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">the Inn has an air of an extremely </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">comfortable and welcoming “retreat” in which…one </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">might use as a wonderful week-end </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">escape from </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">so-called civilization.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">While there…we were invited to roam the grounds and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">hotel </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">freely at our leisure…which we did…but not </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">before I sampled </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">some of the free varieties of cakes. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">There were also teas...</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">coffee...fruits etc. …all for the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">taking but…El Pig-o here… decided…NO…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">as that would be pushin’ it </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Back to the roaming part. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">We continued to explore the grounds…but not all of the <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">One Thousand Acres. I’ll let my Bro and Sis-in-law have <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">that honor. Seriously though…the grounds include a <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">beautiful lake complete with canoes, hammocks </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">(scattered throughout the property) and many more </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">things </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">that I’m </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">sure we missed in our quick self-tour.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">By-the-way…inside the Main House held a full usable</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">library complete with plush furniture to relax in while </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">reading…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">a small working kitchen (<i>that’s where I found </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><i>the cakes and </i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><i>coffee</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">) </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"> …a full dining room…with </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">some really great staid </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">furniture and…well I could keep </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">going but I think you probably </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">get the picture.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">From there it was back into the car and we were off to </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">more </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">country road driving and finally returned back at </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Allen & Linda’s place.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Now at this point you might be figuring that I’m going </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">to tell </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">you that this is the end of the day…”NOT” </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">This was just a “catch ones breath” interlude!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">During this timely interlude…Linda made a great and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">much appreciated dinner of Baked Chicken Breasts </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">topped with </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">home-made spiced apple compote…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Sweat Potato Pie and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Tossed Salad. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Note: For all those that </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">personally know Linda </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">(<i>I did </i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><i>promise </i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><i>her this</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">)…Yes…</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Linda actually cooked </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">dinner with </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">her </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">own two hands. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Yes…I actually </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">witnessed this rare </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">phenomenon…with my </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">own two </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">eyes of this never </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">before "now revealed" </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">event.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">To top off the day…we then went to the Rivoli Theatre </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">S. Fallsburg, N.Y. to see a show called Bathroom </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Humor. I’m </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">not a theatre critic however...but I must say </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">it was an enjoyable </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">and humorous play that topped the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">day perfectly. My thanks to Allen…Linda and Scott </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">(<i>my nephew</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">) for a wonderful day.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Tomorrow Linda has planned a big and…full day of <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">which I’m not exactly sure what to expect…so more </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">on </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">these upcoming events as they materialize.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">‘till then…ciao for now<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>Saturday, Octubre 2, 2010<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Well…my on again off again traveling day is fast </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">approaching </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">and being that I bought more than a few </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">needed personal </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">items…I need to get “crackin” so that </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">I can transport said items. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">What this means in plain </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">language is that…I need to re-arrange </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">all my things </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">that I originally brought with me and co-mingle</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">them with the new. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">To help accomplish this I picked up a “cheap-o” duffle-</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">like bag </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">and hopefully everything will actually fit into my </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><u>now</u> two (2) </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">carry-ons…and my one “checked” bag </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">(<i>original luggage</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">). Why </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">I did this is beyond me and I </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">truly do not know why I do this to </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Well…here goes nothin’ </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">I’ll report back at the end of our traveling …to parts <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">unknown day </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">OK…I have to be truthful here. By that I mean it is now </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">12:22 a.m. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">(<i>yes…you read that right</i>)...22 minutes after </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">midnight and I am currently sitting in Guayaquil Airport </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">after my flight back to Ecuador.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Get this… I “only” have 5 & ½ hours until the check-in </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">desk for TAME Airlines opens and I can tell them that </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">this “muchacho” has been waiting all night in order to </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">catch the first flight to Cuenca and home! <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">All of the above followed a 3 ½ hour flight from </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Ft. Lauderdale to Bogota, Columbia…where I had a </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">wonderful 1½ hour layover…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>followed by another </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">1½ flight to Guayaquil (<i>my current </i><u><i>looong lay-over</i></u><i> </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><i>location</i>)! <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">I do have to say however… that the flight on Avianca <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Airlines was very nice as was the flight crew and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">attendants. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">The down side to all this was the habitual </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">security checks </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">along the way.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Just to give you an idea…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><u>Ft. Lauderdale Airport</u>…one (1) security check but...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">extremely thorough. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><u>Bogota, Columbia</u> (<i>remember this is a flight transfer </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><i>within t</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><i>he same airline</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">)…one (1) security check.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">and the winner is…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><u>Guayaquil</u> ...where…I processing through and was </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">“LEAVING” </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">the arrivals area. This entailed going the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Passport Control </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">and these days…and as you </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">probably know...“this” is a lot of fun </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">and then once </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">again </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><u>another</u> full baggage check.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">This mi amigos y amigas...is a grand total of three (3) </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">security </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">checks in total elapsed times…equaling some </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">9 hours (<i>so far</i>), ARRGGGGG!!!!!!!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">So…now I sit here trying to recall what…I and my </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">upstate </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">family crew did on Sunday…from memory </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">(<i>uh-oh</i>) </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">So let’s see…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>Sunday Octubre 3, 2010<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">The first thing to report on was the weather which </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">surprise of all surprises…El Weatherman was once </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">again (<i>Yes…I know this is </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><i>UN-BELEIVABLE</i>)…but he </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">or she was right-on. He called for </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">clear skies and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">sunshine…and that was EXACTLY what we got.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Hey… </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">what’s this world coming too when El Weatherman </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">is </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">right so many times? What’s wrong with this picture </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">anyway? </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">All kidding aside my hat’s off to him or her…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">well that is if I actually </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">owned a hat! </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">OK…enough stalling. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">As you all know I am blessed with “total recall”.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Did I hear someone say “no” you don‘t. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">OK…OK…I don’t. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">But what </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">if I really did? </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Now tell me that’s not scary ;)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Anyway…I do actually recall…well some stuff. This is…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">after all </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">(<i>early on what is now</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">) Tuesday morning (<i>11/5</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">So…now I digress!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Anyway…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">we went to…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">what I am going to name and use as a sub-title…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>CIDER HOUSE RULES</b></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">…cool huh?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">The reason for this title (<i>other than the fact that it once </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><i>was a </i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><i>highly popular movie</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">)…is the fact that it is the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">actual name of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">a place that produces Organic Cider.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">The actual name is really </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Cider Mills & Country Market. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">This was a definitely different </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">learning experience and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">quite enjoyable. The grounds and buildings…although </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">not yet completely finished (<i>Cider Mills </i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><i>has only in </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><i>business about a year</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">) is a converted farm area. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">However…besides the “converted and upgraded </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">farmhouse…the Mill for making the actual cider..a<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>stable…</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">what-ever…there is a country </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">store and small </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">i</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">ce ream </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">parlor / eatery with “really” </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">good foodstuffs </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">While on the grounds and taking advantage of the</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">beautiful </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">day and scenery…we also got to go on a </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">real horse-pulled "</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">hay ride"…one in which by the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">way </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">was decorated for Halloween Season. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"> Incidentally </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">"the hay-ride" also took us to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">a “brand-</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"> new” horse</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"> stable and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><i>not fully completed </i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><i>as </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><i> evidenced </i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><i>by the <u>still new wood aroma</u></i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Talk about some beautiful animals…WOW!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Anyway...after roaming around the grounds…taking </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">fotos </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">and sampling a bit of lunch at the ice-cream parlor </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">(<i>I had some </i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><i>really great chili</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">)…we were once again on </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">the road and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">heading for a country-fair (<i>I think Bro & </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><i></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><i>Sis-in-law were </i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><i>trying to "contrify" this city boy</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">The fair itself was somewhat </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">small and being late in the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">day already…well it was a bit uninteresting. That said </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">though…I gotta tell ye’’…for a </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">city-boy…and this was a </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">bit </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">foreign to me...yet nether-the-less…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">I did have fun. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">The day ended with us doing some country style sight </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">seeing. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">This included various small towns…farms…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">extremely </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">secluded homes etc. I know it sounds like </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">I’m “putting this down”…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">but I’m not at all. It was just a </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">pleasant drive through the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">mountainous roads of </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">upstate </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">New York on a gorgeous day.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>Monday, Octubre 4, 2010<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">My travel day started with an unconventional side-trip. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Here’s the story…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">There is a Bas-Mitzvah that my Bro and Sis-in-law…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">plus…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">plus… plus…etc…are going to. So…we stopped </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">off at </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">place where the party is going to be held </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">(<i>they are </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><i>very </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><i>close with Doc & Millie…the father and</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><i>daughter i.e </i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><i>Bas-</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><i>Mitvah-ette</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">). I’m guessing the catering </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">establishment </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">was </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">someone’s home a very long time </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">ago and was </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">converted </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">to it’s present state.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">The Catering Establishment is situated on a mountain-</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">top over-looking some of the most </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">stunning green </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">forest-clad mountains that I’ve ever had the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">privilege of </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">seeing…and for as far as the eye can see…well </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">it can </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">be </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">humbling…besides leaving one speechless. I’m </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">sure </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">that </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Millie is going to have a party she will never forget.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">She has my personal good wishes and congratulations.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">From there it was on to Newburgh International Airport. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Incidentally…as the airport is not at all large at all…its </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">really </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">hard </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">for me to swallow the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“International” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">designation. Anyway…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">this </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">was the start of my trip </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">(<i>odyssey ?)</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"> back to Ecuador.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Part “Uno” landed me back in Ft. Lauderdale, FL and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">another </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">stay (<i>overnight</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">) with Ellie & Wally. However…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">before we </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">actually arrived at their abode…we made a </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">“pit-stop” at Piranha </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Pats. The restaurant is widely </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">known for and…has <i><u>superb</u></i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"> Rib Platters along with </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">many other great dishes.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Now it was late and I wasn’t exactly starving…but </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">yours </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">truly…before whatever meal I ultimately decided </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">on…</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">needed a good </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">and large…kickin’ drink. Well the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">drink in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">question ended up </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">being a LARGE ...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">"Long Island Iced Tea" </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">and …it hit the spot </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">That then led to my order of “hot ‘n </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">spicy” chicken </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">fingers…a </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">baked potato with a side of </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">delicious </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">cole </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">slaw </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">(<i>hey...I had to finish my vacation </i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><i>with a “BANG</i>”)</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">But wait…the foodie inside me said…the vacations still </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">on and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">there’s one more day in which to add to the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">already ridiculous </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">amount of food I’ve inhaled </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">(<i>I’m gonna suffer for this…</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><i>like dieting</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Anyway Tuesday morning (<i>but late</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">) we were off again…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">this </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">time to a diner very near the beach. Ohhh…I can </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">still </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">taste the </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">French Toast…REALLY WELL DONE </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">bacon </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">(j<i>ust how I like ‘em</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">) </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">and good bottom-less mugs </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">of coffee…</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">hmmmm </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">OK…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">end of party time and the warning flags are now...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">flying strong!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">I won’t go into any detail as to the flight(s) to Cuenca </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">but </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">I will </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">say that the “lay-over” in Guayaquil was </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">ridiculous! </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">The lay-over lasted </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">from about 11:30 p.m. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Tuesday the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">5<sup>th</sup>…through </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Wednesday </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">6 a.m. as this </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">was the boarding </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">time for the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">scheduled 7 a.m. take-off.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Thankfully all the flights were uneventful (<i>the best kind</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">) </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">I am now home in Cuenca and…“running on empty” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">(<i>as far </i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><i>as sleep goes</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">) </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">L</span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">. It seems that I’m just one of </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">those people </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">that hit a plateau for sleep and once said </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">plateau is breached…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">well things just feel as though I’ve </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">slept 8 hours. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Weird huh?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">I think tomorrow I just might be sleeping a little later than <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">normal…ye think? <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">So mi amigos…all I now need to do…is proof read and <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">publish for (<i>hopefully</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">) your enjoyment my jaw-dropping <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">adventures </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Until next time…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><!--EndFragment-->Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11685539235248442349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612577526538354330.post-31700228220232844612010-09-30T12:12:00.000-05:002010-09-30T12:12:04.865-05:00<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"><b>Friday, September 17, 2010<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><b><u><br />
</u></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><b><u>The latest “update” </u></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><b><u>re: my "wheel-less" situation!</u></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">If anything…things have degenerated into…me not<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">[yet another day] doing much of anything unless it </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">involves</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">“foot-power”. All…however is not lost as Jill will </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">be free from </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">her professional environment and will be </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">home Saturday </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">afternoon and through Sunday.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">So for now...the plan is to go to various places! What </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">my </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">daughter has in mind is something that I am </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">presently </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">unaware of. Whatever it may be…at least I’ll </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">be spending </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">some actual time with her and my grand-</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">children…not to </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">mention going…well…someplace </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">I will keep you all advised as to what this place…places…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">what-ever may prove to be…when I find out! So…as it <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">now stands…I will be hiking it once again today. The <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">difference…is this time I have the breakfast ingredients <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">in the house…where I can prepare it myself and then <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">where-in a duplication of my previous walk is highly </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">“likely”!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">The only planned difference will be that I will be doing </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">some </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">shopping for some “really important” stuff that I </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">need </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">JJ</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Who knows I may even end up with “zilch”.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Basically I’m </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">looking for items that…well that I feel safer </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">buying here in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">the states versus buying in Ecuador. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Most things like clothes </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">et al…will be acquired once I’m </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">at my brother and sister-in-law </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">(<i>Allen and Linda</i>) in </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">upstate New York (<i>more on this at an </i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"><i>obvious later date</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">FYI…the reason that I shy away from buying most items <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">in Cuenca (<i>or for that matter…anywhere in S. America</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">)…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Is quite simple. Even if the item may actually cost less </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">and </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">may even have the same quality (<i>or better</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">)…the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">chance of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">me being over-charged is quite high. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Why(?)…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">it’s really </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">simple…I am unequivocally...a Gringo…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">specifically a non-</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Spanish </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Speaking Gringo. On top </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">of that…bargaining is </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">an “art-</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">form”…one which by the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">way…yours truly is </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">wholly inept!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">A few moments ago…I mentioned I might end up with </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">"zilch" </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">during my walking shopping spree. To tell you </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">truth…</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">I am shocked at how truly insightful I am </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">sometimes. </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Yep…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">you guessed it. I bought na-da…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">zilch…nothin'!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">It wasn’t that I didn’t try. Topping my list was a average <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">priced digital camera. You know…one of the really slim <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">light ones that are endowed with numerous bells and <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">whistles. I actually found one in my cost range (<i>the </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"><i>lower-</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><i>mid-range</i>)…however the “selected sample" </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">model on </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">“display” </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">was [hellooo] “powerless” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">(<i>i.e.–no batteries</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">). </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">What a </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">way to run a </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">business…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">”GO TARGET”…yikes!!!!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">As for the rest of my list…yeah you can see the writing <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">on the wall can’t ‘ye? <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Basically I took a long walk...with an air-conditioned <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">diversion through a large store and ended up killing time. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">This by the way…all is good ‘cause I was able to get cool <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">(<i>this is Florida you know</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">) and get in a few more miles of <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">exercise walking </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">I just had to "add" this little gem…and yes it’s about...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">food </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;"></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Lunchtime (<i>at Jill's place</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">) and what to eat…ta-dah </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Salami & Cheese on Stone-ground bread with mustard <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">along with Sour-cream and Green Onion Chips and…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">YES!!...Garlic Pickles and Mountain Dew…HEAVEN </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">HAPPY...HAPPY </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">More later if anything happens today. If not …then no </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">more </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">until manana…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"><b>Saturday, September 19, 2010<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">By the way…before I forget…I’ve simply forgotten about <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">the heat in South Florida. It’s somewhat humid (<i>not <o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"><i>claustrophobic</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">) but definitely hot as in hovering around <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">90F. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"><i><u>Remember…I’ve gotten somewhat used to my temps <o:p></o:p></u></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"><i><u>in Ecuador which hovers between 50 and 75F degrees.<o:p></o:p></u></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"><i><u><br />
</u></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Today was no exception (<i>it’s now late afternoon</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">) <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">and currently 87F. One could probably say (<i>with <o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"><i>confidence</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">) that it feels hotter than it truly is… as the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">sun </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">is very strong!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Besides the above…there’s nothing much to report…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">with the exception of my ongoing search for a slim </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">pocket </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">camera. FYI…on purpose I left my good and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">trusty Nikon </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">home in Ecuador mainly because of its </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">bulkiness…figuring </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">I’d pick one up in S. Florida. The </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">problem turns out…not of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">finding one that I am </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">comfortable with…but finding one that </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">is not…purple… </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">red… turquoise or any other weird color...which seems </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">to be all that is available (<i>you'd think they'd realize that </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><i>nobody wants these beauty's</i>).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">What I’m looking for is something compact...”not” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">crazily </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">priced…good quality with a healthy amount of </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">enhancements </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">and preferably brushed (<i>or not</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">) silver </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">or something similar…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">like black! Now I ask you…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">is </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">that being too demanding?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Anyway…sadly my search was once again one of </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">the </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">“fruitless kind”! Guess I’ll just need to keep on </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">searching </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">L</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Tonight the plan is for my daughter Jill and I to escape </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">the </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">kiddies (<i>having Cayla [the oldest] baby-sit</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">) for an </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">hour or so…</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">while we visit Bahama Breeze (<i>mentioned </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"><i>earlier</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">) for a light </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">snack and “ahhhh”…relaxing tall and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">cool and…one more </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">time…relaxing drinks…and with </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">no pre-teens whining! </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">That’s about all for now…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">so until the next “news update”…ciao ciao </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"><b>Tuesday, September 21 thru </b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"><b>Friday September 24, 2010</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"><b>Raleigh, NC</b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Spent a couple few days with my very close friend </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Millicent </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">and her husband Allen in Apex, N.C…which </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">is a stones, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">throw from Raleigh/Durham. Besides </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">catching up on times </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">past and the fairly recent…I had </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">pleasure of Millicent & Allen’s company or should I </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">say that they made my brief stay with </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">them very easy </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">and pleasurable.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Of course…as by now many of you have realized…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">I enjoy </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">different and interesting restaurants. This visit </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">was no </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">exception. Without my usual “foodie” revue…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">I will say that </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">all of the visited restaurants “passed” with </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">flying colors and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">all gave me an excuse to “take-home” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">the spoils of my </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">meal(s)…of which I enjoyed for the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">next days breakfast. Incidentally...this breakfast thing </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">stems back to my former </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">life in Thailand...where the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">main </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">meal is breakfast (<i>i.e. Dinner</i>) </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">and has proven to </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">be a </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">very good thing…health-wise!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">The only thing that I can comment on that was not </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">exceptional </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">was the weather. While it was extremely </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">sunny for my time </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">in the Apex (<i>Raleigh</i>)…unfortunately </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">it was in the midst of a </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">mini “heat-wave”. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Remember </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">this is the end of September and the beginning of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Fall season and…the temperatures(s) are mid 90’s </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">as in 95F/96F…OUCH!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Anyway…after my relaxing time with Mill and Allen...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">it’s now </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">time for the next leg of my U.S.A trip.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">If your looking for me…I am now sitting in the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Raleigh/Durham </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Int’l Airport awaiting my flight. This by </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">the way isn’t for another </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">hour and a half…so I’m not </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">exactly partying away the time </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">. Fortunately…RDU </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">(the airport) is a very nice…clean…and comfortable </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">airport.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">So mi amigos y amigas…I shall once again bring you </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">up </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">to date of my roamings…sometime in the very </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">near future.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Chao (<i>correct spelling in Ecuador</i>) for now </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"><b>Friday, September 24 thru</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"><b>Sunday September 26, 2010</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"><b>Howard Beach, NY</b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">After a comfortable and quick flight from Raleigh I </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">l</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">anded at </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">JFK to thankfully cooler weather. Once I </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">gratefully claimed </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">my lone piece of luggage I made </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">contact with a local private </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">car service (about half the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">cost of a taxi) and was whisked </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">to my daughter Lori’s </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">place all-told...in about a half hour.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">My visit with daughter Lori, husband Mike and grand-</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">kids </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Victoria and Justin was short…but proved to be </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">an easy </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">time including all the normal everyday stuff </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">one would expect. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Just for a quick first day outing...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Lori suggested we take the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">kids (<i>and me</i>) for some </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">really great Ice Cream (<i>2 x’s in 2 days</i>) </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">and that should </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">give you a hint! The following day (<i>Saturday</i>) </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">the whole </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">family (<i>and me again</i>) went to Justin’s Soccer </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">practice </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">and enjoyed spring like weather while the kids knocked </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">themselves out </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">. Following this activity we all got </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">back in the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">car (<i>actually a really plush van</i>) and off we </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">went to play </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">miniature golf. The difference with this </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">course is that it was </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">18 holes instead of the usual 9.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">I did pretty well at the game...but nothing to jump </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">up 'n down about :) </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Then…as I hinted at before </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">(ahhh anticipation) it was </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">time for another...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">“Ice Cream” visit….</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">yeah!!!! </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">I didn’t really accomplish anything with my visiting </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Lori other </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">than the important stuff like reconnecting </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">with my grand-kiddies </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">along with Lori & Mike…so it </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">was a nice break from what...tends </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">to become </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">hectic </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">vacationing.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">A short sweet trip indeed but one with good memories </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Late this morning…it was time to hit the road again. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">This time </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Lori took me to the Short-line Bus departure </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">point sans the rest </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">of the family…like to a 7-11 shop in </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Queens. Then a quick </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">3 hour trip…to upstate NY and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Allen & Linda… as in brother </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">and sister-in-law. This will </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">commence my weeklong visit with </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">them and a part-time </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">visit with my nephew Scott…starting </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">mid-week.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">So as my day draws to a close I look forward to an </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">enjoyable </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">week in the mountains of upstate NY where </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">by-the-way…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">the Fall Foliage is just starting to make </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">it’s annual appearance. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">If I’m lucky maybe I’ll get a few </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">photos of the seasonal changes and…maybe I’ll even </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">share them with you </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Later the same day (<i>as in Sunday</i>)…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">The bus trip was indeed a “trip”. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">When I boarded the bus in Queens N.Y. ...destination...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">upstate N.Y. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">specifically Monticello…I was pleasantly </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">surprised to </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">find </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">about three people on board. I took the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">fist "two" </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">seats…as I </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">decided that I didn’t need a seat </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">partner…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">and prepared for </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">a relaxing quick trip through </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">mountainous regions of upstate </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">New York.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Off we went winding through the streets of Queens and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">then </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">to the hinterlands of the northern tiers of New York </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">City and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">beyond. Unbeknownst to me…my comfortable </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">reverie was </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">about to change as we started making </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">“scheduled” stops to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">pick up more travelers.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">It turns out that we made probably a half dozen or so </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">stops </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">while filling the bus almost to the full mark. Luckily </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">I maintained </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">my "double-front seat" un-accosted by the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">general populace. Yes…yes…I know I was selfish…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">but I didn’t care. All I wanted </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">was for the bus trip to be </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">completed [in comfort] as soon as possible.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Well…the much awaited time finally arrived as we </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">pulled into </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">the terminal where I eventually found my </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">onward ride to my </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">bro ‘n sis-in-law’s place. This ride </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">came in the form of my </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Mom and her husband Morty. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">So after some hugs and some </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">quick talk we where off to </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Allen & Linda place in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">picturesque...Swan Lake, N.Y.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Surprise surprise as there was a...family and friends <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">gathering at their house which apparently had grown <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">beyond anyone’s expectations. This and a very <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">welcoming B-B-Q helped ease my arrival as I gladly <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">took-over the duties of lending my manny years of </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">B-B-Q experience...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">by flipping the chicken and hot dogs. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"><b>Monday, September 27, 2010</b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">My first full day in the mountains of New York was a day <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">filled with grey skies and a hell of a lot of rain and...of <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">course the good company of Allen and Linda (<i>my afore-</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"><i>mentioned brother </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><i>and sister-in-law</i>). In a way the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">“staying” indoors was a </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">good thing as it gave us all a </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">chance to play “catch-up” </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">awhile. What we were doing </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">actually was awaiting the arrival of my </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">cousin Steve and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">wife Sue too my</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"> Bro an </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Sis-in-laws upstate abode.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">I really cannot thank Steve and Sue enough for visiting <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">as they are not exactly around the corner. Their </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">“corner </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">of the world” incidentally is somewhere in </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">E. Northport N.Y. ...</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">which for all who are unfamiliar with </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">the greater New York </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">area…on a good day this little trip </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">can take about a 3 hours </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">to where I am at the present </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">time. Unfortunately… their trip </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">was not on a good day. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">As I mentioned previously it’s…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">R-A-I-N-I-N-G [and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">not </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">lightly]. Anyway the wet trip took </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Steve and Sue just </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">about 4 hours.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">It should be noted that although the Internet has </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">brought </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">us together via Facebook…we haven’t seen </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">each </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">other…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">well I’ve lost track of really how long that </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">time </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">frame has </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">become.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"><b>Tuesday, September 28, 2010</b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Well after a “full” day of shopping…I know now…what…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">“shop ‘till you drop” actually means and more importantly…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">feels like! <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Good God!!! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">I truly do not see nor understand…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">why... </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">many women </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">are sooo drawn to this act of decadence.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">I did however succeed in getting most of the items that </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">I had </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">decided were important to obtain while in the states. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">It’s not </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">because one cannot buy these items in EC but…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">because of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">the ridiculous high costs of the same items in…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">well S. America </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">in general.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">As you might imagine…after all this shopping...ones </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">body </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">needs to refuel. I can now tell you that…along with </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">this </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">urge </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">being addressed it also took care of…a very </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">long </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">standing </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">wanting of Chinese Food. One needs to </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">understand </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">that as near </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">as I can recall…it has probably </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">been a good 13 or 14 </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">years since I’ve </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">tasted NY-style </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Chinese type of food.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">So...I am now fully satiated in the wanted food areas </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">involving </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">New York style Chinese Food. However…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">restaurant wasn’t! </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><b>What????</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Actually…Allen & Linda have discovered this little place </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">have been eating (<i>notice I didn’t say dining</i>) there </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">quite </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">regularly. OK…</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">I’ll spill the beans </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Believe it or not…I’m talking about a <u>Chinese Take-out </u></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">place </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">which has about a dozen mundane tables and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">chairs. The </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">food and friendliness of the owners is </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">delicious and very </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">neighborly (<i>in that order</i>). Mmmmmm…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">I can still taste the </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">food </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">and it’s hours later </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"><b>Wednesday, September 29, 2010</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18pt;"><b><i><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #bf9000;">A day in the wilds of the Catskills!</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: lime;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></u></i></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18pt;"><b><i><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br />
</span></span></u></i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgINPKlgb32oE5Vax9wAcEhCyaEnA_0BBzXNbxJZBhGkZ4pl9RQevgI_87f3jt4tRs9X4Vl_crCbHd871aNsrjjl6WnsWJriqTwF5tBNvdPcDY_BYurS35bJbQ42DxWACuScbY2K5ODPGE/s1600/IMG_5999.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgINPKlgb32oE5Vax9wAcEhCyaEnA_0BBzXNbxJZBhGkZ4pl9RQevgI_87f3jt4tRs9X4Vl_crCbHd871aNsrjjl6WnsWJriqTwF5tBNvdPcDY_BYurS35bJbQ42DxWACuScbY2K5ODPGE/s320/IMG_5999.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Yes…your eyes are not </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">playing tricks on you. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">I confess…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">that’s me (t<i>he </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><i>kid from Brooklyn</i>) in my </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">“apple pickin’ gear’.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Incidentally the long “high-</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">tech plunger” lookin’ </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">thingee </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">is </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">how you get the “really” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">high apples to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">detach them-</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">selves </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">from their twigs… </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">branches…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">what-ever and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">then…[hopefully] </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">fall into the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">bucket </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">(<i>that’s the red </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><i>t</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><i>hinkgee part</i>) and “not”…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">fall </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">onto the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">ground. This by the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">way is generally what </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">happened </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">to the…ahem…so called </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">picked apples </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">L</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">After about 2 fun-filled hours we were again off to </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">parts </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">unknown (<i>at least to me</i>).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">The next stop was the town of New Paltz, NY which </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">I confess…I didn’t know was a college town. Not </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">only is it a college town but…the SUNY New Paltz </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">University is geared </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">to the “arts”. With this information…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">and if you closed </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">your eyes…you might imagine the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">dress and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">demeanor of some of the art students. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">To call some </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">of the outfits “off the wall” would be an </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">understatement…to say the least. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Do to the mix of college students and the historic nature </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">of the city and it’s two plus century homes…along with </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">beautiful weather…well it was a really nice…relaxing </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">and enjoyable experience…even with the “grueling” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">and forced walking </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"> [joking]</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Like all of my roamings..we took a much needed break </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">to ingest some food-stuffs. The mentioned food-stuffs </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">came in the form of Pizza…the likes that which…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">would rival any N.Y.C. pizza joint and might…just might </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">even beat some of the NY City places at their own game. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">This by the way comes from the “mouth of babes”...as </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">(<i>if you weren't already aware</i>) yours truly...was born </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y. and I know my </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Pizza. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">So there!! </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">After that really good pizza break it was once again </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">time to continue our fun time odyssey!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">From the city of New Paltz proper…and being that we </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">were close…we arrived at a place high in the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">mountains…which turned out to be a spa aptly named </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Mohonk Mountain House. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvbTBAz8C9JOjfGg1wd-O1l5XB6OJbhLo-KcdnKKc07hs8sxpe9pEZlGhmOUVdAOzLxfGH2EPuIo-Ccs5s5Dt3ttuPxXHt3lVU8N3KTGqgSfsuNkZwIrd8ZrJ__EE3-dGxe-BQNio2dq0/s1600/IMG_6016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvbTBAz8C9JOjfGg1wd-O1l5XB6OJbhLo-KcdnKKc07hs8sxpe9pEZlGhmOUVdAOzLxfGH2EPuIo-Ccs5s5Dt3ttuPxXHt3lVU8N3KTGqgSfsuNkZwIrd8ZrJ__EE3-dGxe-BQNio2dq0/s320/IMG_6016.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">The spa is located </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">near the actual city </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">of New Paltz, NY. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">and is surrounded </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">by what one can </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">only call deep </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">forests. By the way…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">I used the term “aptly”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">do to the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">fact that this </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">entire region…many </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">moons ago…was </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">inhabited by what were commonly known </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">as “redskins”</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">or “Injuns” by the then new-comers… </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">the “white-man”!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Anyway (<i>forgive the little history lesson</i>) we then </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">surreptitiously roamed the scenically wooded play-</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">ground </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">of the “well-heeled” clientele...that regularly </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">visit </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Mohonk </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Spa (<i>as it is commonly called</i>). This </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">incidentally…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">is enjoyed </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">by what ”few” average people </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">have </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">experienced or for that </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">matter...are even aware of.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5YXrSdipmCOEMG3L_S7YMHvgYWeT6ErnwawoliRiqI00j-Ww5EIYbkAlPmlqwk5qi_xDBvo8NonWVV5lZbizhv4wkkDA_DPGItn7tZRlzTbDURhqaKYJQihidmfzy5mKnDdqSgU5WOTU/s1600/IMG_6043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5YXrSdipmCOEMG3L_S7YMHvgYWeT6ErnwawoliRiqI00j-Ww5EIYbkAlPmlqwk5qi_xDBvo8NonWVV5lZbizhv4wkkDA_DPGItn7tZRlzTbDURhqaKYJQihidmfzy5mKnDdqSgU5WOTU/s320/IMG_6043.JPG" width="320" /></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5YXrSdipmCOEMG3L_S7YMHvgYWeT6ErnwawoliRiqI00j-Ww5EIYbkAlPmlqwk5qi_xDBvo8NonWVV5lZbizhv4wkkDA_DPGItn7tZRlzTbDURhqaKYJQihidmfzy5mKnDdqSgU5WOTU/s1600/IMG_6043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><u>t</u></span></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5YXrSdipmCOEMG3L_S7YMHvgYWeT6ErnwawoliRiqI00j-Ww5EIYbkAlPmlqwk5qi_xDBvo8NonWVV5lZbizhv4wkkDA_DPGItn7tZRlzTbDURhqaKYJQihidmfzy5mKnDdqSgU5WOTU/s1600/IMG_6043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;">I of course had to </span></a></u></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5YXrSdipmCOEMG3L_S7YMHvgYWeT6ErnwawoliRiqI00j-Ww5EIYbkAlPmlqwk5qi_xDBvo8NonWVV5lZbizhv4wkkDA_DPGItn7tZRlzTbDURhqaKYJQihidmfzy5mKnDdqSgU5WOTU/s1600/IMG_6043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;">complain a bit of </span></a></u></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5YXrSdipmCOEMG3L_S7YMHvgYWeT6ErnwawoliRiqI00j-Ww5EIYbkAlPmlqwk5qi_xDBvo8NonWVV5lZbizhv4wkkDA_DPGItn7tZRlzTbDURhqaKYJQihidmfzy5mKnDdqSgU5WOTU/s1600/IMG_6043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></span></u></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">of all the “walking” </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">we </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">were doing </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">(<i>after </i></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><i>all I </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><i>am on vacation</i>). </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">That </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">walking “part” of </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">grounds </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">and </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">breathing </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">the fresh…</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">crisp…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">cool </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">scented </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">air was extremely </span></div></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">invigorating and </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">calming </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">at the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">same </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">time.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhun6Bton6NWMZMEMjzoslNGsK33Vw1j-FgLsfRmDB3iifVCgFKizdAn20bh6HkIjKX7TdA78WLdVtxBr7Nv7NIiM0TOYnxpKYgJHPuxKEnsgkQvJ2SjjelYLbmFVUF2HQuSUyIH8YAbWk/s1600/IMG_6053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhun6Bton6NWMZMEMjzoslNGsK33Vw1j-FgLsfRmDB3iifVCgFKizdAn20bh6HkIjKX7TdA78WLdVtxBr7Nv7NIiM0TOYnxpKYgJHPuxKEnsgkQvJ2SjjelYLbmFVUF2HQuSUyIH8YAbWk/s400/IMG_6053.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">I now understand why this Spa… </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">which has been in </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">business for </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">the past One-Hundred and Forty </span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">[yes…140] </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">years…is a well-</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">reserved focal point for the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">mid to upper </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">crust.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">From there it was back on the road and back to Allen </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Linda retreat in the mountains…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">which they call home.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Tomorrow…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">the “all-knowing-all seeing” weatherman (hmmm) </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">is </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">calling </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">for heavy rains…all day! Time (<i>as always</i>) will </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">tell </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">I will be sure to keep you all informed…as I know…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">you </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">are all awaiting this news with baited breath. </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Adios for now… <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Note: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">You'll probably notice that some of the type</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">alignment is "out-of-whack". This is do to the fact that</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">well...I've thrown-up my hands in trying to outwit the</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">program (<i>yeah...like that's possible</i>). Hopefully...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">this won't affect your enjoyment.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">More to come in the very near future!</span><br />
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</div>Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11685539235248442349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612577526538354330.post-37795629387083336582010-09-16T16:24:00.000-05:002010-09-16T16:24:36.442-05:00My Trip to the U.S. of A.<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">In starting my U.S.A. trip…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">I left Cuenca for Guayaquil Airport a bit before 5 p.m. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">for a 7 pm flight. So…after a fairly decent longish waiting </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">period…it was time to board my flight which was to take </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">an astonishing amount of time…like all of about 40 </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">minutes. After landing in Guayaquil…I got my bag in </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">about 10 minutes and proceeded to wait. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">My flight on Avianca to Ft Lauderdale via Bogota is at </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">6:10 am </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">manana. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">The airline counter opens at 3 a.m.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">so yes…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">I have a bit of a wait.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">It’s now about 9:15 pm and there are…a fairly decent </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">amount of people just hanging around. Included in this </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">group are a few little kids that are being their </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">rambunctious selves…hopefully they will board soon…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">even so I still…after 4 months in Ecuador can’t get over </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">the good behavior of these “little” kids (<i>probably around </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"><i>age 8-10</i>).<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Now…for the food and beverage report. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Remember…I’m in an Airport!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">I actually did not intend to “snack” as much as I did. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">However…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">the coffee shop (<i>as is the entire airport</i>) is </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">modern…clean and people friendly. Back to the “snack”! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">A large…fresh ground coffee…a large Empanada </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">(<i>always good but surprisingly good for an airport</i>)…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">a bottle of water and a large cookie to top it all off. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Cuanta Costa (<i>how much</i>)? Keeping in mind I’m in an </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Airport…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">8 bucks.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">I’m guessing here but I have a feeling that just the large </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">coffee (<i>with nowhere near the same “fresh roasted” </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"><i>quality</i>) </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">and large cookie…would probably set me back </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">the same </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">in total or <u>more</u>…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">in the confines of JFK or for </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">that matter…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">just about any airport in the U.S.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">So…now I sit and wait for the next five (5) and half hours </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">until the Avianca desk opens for business. BTW…this </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">is </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">why I ordered a large coffee…as in to keep me awake </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">whole night…YIKES!!!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">That’s about it for now. What am I going to do for the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">next </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">five plus hours? Well…I intend to read my book(s) </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">[bought </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">a new one just for this trip]…walk around and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">maybe doze </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">off a bit. To be sure I will keep you in the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">loop! </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">OK…leg #2 of my trip to the U.S. is done as I am now </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">sitting </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">in the departure terminal in Bogota, Columbia.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Comparison note re: security…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Guayquil was an absolute breeze. Yes they X-rayed </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">etc. but nothing over the top. I did however...become </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">separated on a "permanent basis" of a small </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">f</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">inger- </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">nail </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">scissor…which I guess their security deemed </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">excessive …ARRRRG!!!!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">The BIGGY was in leaving “emigration” (<i>correct S.A. </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"><i>spelling</i>) </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">as that took some time. They were very thorough </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">via their computer and document checking. I don’t know…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">maybe the security guy got confused what with my U.S. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">passport and my Ecuadorian Cedula and Censo </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">(<i>it turned out that they wanted the Censo which for some </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><i>reason they deemed more “importante</i>)!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Bogota was a whole ‘nother story as I ended up going </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">through Full </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Security…3 separate times. Thankfully I </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">wasn’t carrying anything dangerous such as food </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">‘cause the security-dogs would have surely found </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">that stash </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Anyway…I’m now sitting (<i>again</i>) and awaiting the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">boarding of my </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Ft. Lauderdale leg of my trip. BTW…No </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">I did not sleep at all since I left Cuanca. I was up from </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">7 a.m. Monday thru…well it’s now Tuesday and almost </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">9 a.m. I did however sleep a bit (<i>not much</i>) on </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">flight </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">from Cuenca to Bogota!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Looking back…my Bogota to Ft Lauderdale flight was </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">very nice. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">I also had an amicable woman sitting next to </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">me who was from Bogota but now lives in W. Palm </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Beach Fl. Anyway having Nancy (<i>her name</i>) as an </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">in-flight neighbor helped the 3+ hours flying time move </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">quickly. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">This acquaintancee…also helped me after we </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">were done with the [ever popular] act of clearing Customs </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">and getting out of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">the International Arrivals area of the </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">airport.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Now you may be wondering…”what’s he talking about”! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Well…as it turned out S. Florida welcomed our plane </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">(<i>and many others</i>) with a real honest to goodness </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">healthy rainfall. Of course there was no way to tell </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">this was going on until we were all done with customs…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">baggage claim…etc and were out amongst the masses </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">trying to meet they’re friends/family (<i>whomever</i>) who </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">were trying to pick them in the International Arrivals area.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">You see…my friend Donna had the “honor“ </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"> of picking </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">me up. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Of course this being S. Florida…a place mind </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">you that…when it rains…no matter how inconsequential </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">or severe…general driving...along with its speeds </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">“go right down the tubes”!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Anyway…and keeping in mind that the one cell phone </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">I have...that will work in the states…didn’t! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Ye gotta love it!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">All of this was do to the fact..the phone is </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">the “pre-paid” </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">type which unfortunately did not have </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">any “time” </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">remaining. Fortunately however…my </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">“plane” friend </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">was also waiting for her husband who </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">thankfully had </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">a his phone with him and thusly I was </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">able to finally get </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">in touch with Donna who…surprise </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">surprise…was </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">slowed by the “rain caused” traffic. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">To make a long(ish) </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">story shorter…Donna (<i>like the </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><i>vision she is</i>) appeared </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">at the airport pick-up point and off </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">we went...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">to places unknown </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Places unknown…along with not eating anything </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">normal in the last 20 or so hours…led us to a </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">watering-hole…as in someplace where yours truly </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">could absorb food and atmosphere unknown in </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Cuenca. Place “in-point” (<i>this time</i>) turned out to </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">be Two-Jays Delicatessen.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Now before I go on…it should be said that one of </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">my goals on trips to the U.S. …is to eat in places </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">and eat foods…that cannot be gotten in Ecuador </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">or at the very least…known dishes that are </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">unfortunately… not prepared as they should be </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">(<i>well not as I remember them anyway</i>).<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Back to my event recounting…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Funny but the foods remembered and now consumed…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">for some reason are not those that are expected. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">The Combo Corned-beef and Pastrami on Club was </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">OK…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">but as Two Jays…no longer offered a Club </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">(<i>Hoagie for </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><i>those of you not from the East coast</i>) </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Sandwich anymore…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">well it was just not the same! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">With the “unClub” came </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">French Fries and I ordered </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">a Dr. Browns’ Cream Soda. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Now...this unfortunately </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">arrived in its metal container </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">(</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><i>can</i>)…instead of the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">“bottle” it <u>should</u> have came in! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">So once again…</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">not the same nor as good</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">L</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Anyway…after consuming my first meal in the likes of </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">S. Florida…we continued our trip to my daughter Jills’ </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">place of business. She by-the-way…is in charge of a </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">good sized pre-school in Weston. Once there Jill gave </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Donna (<i>they had never met until this point</i>) the Grand </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Tour of the facility…and Donna left to get on with her </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">daily life (<i>more on Donna later in my daily musings</i>).<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">It was then time to finally get to Jill’s apartment…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">decompress a bit…spend some time with my grandkids…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">and finally to some REAL and needed sleep.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">So until manana </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Wednesday, 15 September<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Woke up at an “unheard of” hour (<i>for me anyway</i>)…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">10:30 a.m. This by the way only happened because </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Donna called and became my alarm clock this morning.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Now I know what “roughing it” means </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">I had a </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">“scrumptious“ breakfast of a much needed mug </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">coffee and something just a wee-bit different…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">((<i>what pray-tell is he talking about now</i>))…a “left-over </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">piece of pizza” and for desert (<i>the best part</i>)…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">a Krispy Cream Iced Donut…WOW!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">So…once again I await the arrival of Donna whom </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">is really helping </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">me out…in just getting around and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">doing stuff. I want the world to know this…as it is </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">taking Donna probably 45-60 minutes (<i>una via</i>)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">[1-way]) </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">to get to me and then what-ever…so I </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">REALLY </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">appreciate what she’s doing. That said </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Donna and I </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">never connected on my last trip to </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">S. Fl so I guess </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">we are both making up for that too!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Anyway I will report on the days’ events…yet to come </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">later today or manana </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">OK…I’m back…its still Wednesday but late. Anyway…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Donna and I did a little catching up and eventually </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">got out to do a bit of exploring as neither of us new </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">the area. Eventually…we (<i>actually me</i>) decided it </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">was time to stifle the “beast in the belly”…so off we </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">went and luckily found a place called Bahama Breeze. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">As you might be able to guess from the name…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">the restaurant offered a variety of dishes but…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">with a decidedly different and wonderful twist to their </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">“foods with a flair”. Can you tell I was impressed? </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">The only down side was the prices…which to </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">someone like myself i.e. Expat…were quite high </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">when compared to what I am now used to in Ecuador. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Yes…yes…I know I’m not in Ecuador but “back in the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">U.S.A.”. That however doesn’t mean I can’t complain. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">After all this is my Blog! </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">It was now getting a wee bit late…as Donna had to get </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">back to her life. So we made just one more stop at </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Walgreens to pick up a few items etc. Upon </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">entering </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">the store…I literally forgot the amount of items </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">one store can carry. It almost blew my mind! Yes…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Cuenca has large stores that carry similar items as </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Walgreens…CVS… Walmart etc…but nothing on </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">this shear scale of sellable goods. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">At this point we needed to make haste…so Donna </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">dropped me back at Jill’s abode and off she went.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Tomorrow…I had planned to do a bit of reminiscent </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">exploring of the old neighborhood after shopping for </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">my Western Boots (<i>this has been a long planned item</i>) </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">and then a quick meeting with my cousin Bonnie at </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">her Mom’s place in Lauderdale Lakes. That’s when </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">the BRAKES were applied as Jill told me she needed </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">her car for work etc. So…all plans now need to be </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">changed…cancelled or I’ll see what happens.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Anyway…this leaves me with a chance to do a little </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">morning walk on the way for some breakfast and also </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">explore the immediate area. After this it’s back to the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Jill’s apartment complex…access the Internet via free </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">wi-fi at the Sales Office/Pool area and yep…as you </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">might have guessed…after my internet session…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">make use of the pool…YES! </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">And now mi amigos…it’s time to make a few calls…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">chill…and do a bit of reading and then off to dreamland </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Thursday, 16 September<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">“FOOTLOOSE”…which is how I’m describing my current </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">situation as in “not” having any wheels. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">This wouldn’t have been a problem in that I would have </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">been using my daughter Jill’s car for the day. However </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">her work plans changed thus so did mine. In a way this </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">was good as this a.m. I needed to acquire some </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">breakfast. So…off I went (<i>on foot</i>) once again in search </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">of food. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">I had two choices…go “this way” or “that way”. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">I chose “this way” which was the closest but unfortunately </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">yielded absolutely nothing. That left “that way”…as in the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">only other choice in which I actually found my target…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">which in this case was a Bagel Store. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Now for those of you that have never had the opportunity </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">to indulge oneself at an East coast Bagel establishment…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">they offer quite a wide variety of foods from breakfasts </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">and lunch. FYI…most of these shops are closed mid </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">to late afternoon!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">I must say this however…I have been in the states for </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">3 days now…have eaten in a few restaurants and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">noticed a higher dining cost than what I’ve become </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">accustomed too…since living “outside” the U.S. This </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">said…this mornings breakfast was “an <u>extremely rude</u> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">awakening” for me…one in which the only way I can </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">truly express myself is to say that I’m suffering </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">“Sticker Shock”!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">To give you an idea…Coffee…a plate of two eggs...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">home fries...corned-beef hash and a bagel. Cost…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">incl. tax and tip…$11.00… OUCH! God forbid if I </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">added juice (<i>I shudder to just think of that</i>)!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">I will say this though…as definitely enjoyed the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">“consumption” </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">part of my breakfast ordeal </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Now to give those of you who are Expats a better </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">feel for the cost difference…the above cost </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">represents minimally…2 times the higher priced </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">breakfast (<i>in Cuenca</i>) or up to 5 (<i>yes you read right…</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;"><i>FIVE</i>) </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">times the cost of an average breakfast </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">(<i>again Cuenca</i>). </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Incidentally…for those of you who </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">are not aware of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Cuenca’s cost of living rating…</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Cuenca is situated </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">as part of the “upper” </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">cost of living structure!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">OK...enough of economics and back to S. Florida…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">Being that I’m wheel-less…I’m off to the pool area to </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">make use of the complexes free wi-fi…catch up on </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">e-mail etc…then maybe a bit of experiencing the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">pool itself and well…just enjoying Florida’s </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">warming sun </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">""""NOT""" </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Apparently...Mr. Sun decided to take a short vacation </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">and invited </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">his relatives (<i>The Clouds</i>) to take it's place.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">(</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><i>It's amazing how plans even simple ones...change</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">).</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">So...I did a bit more walking to get some snacks </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">(<i>this time I took the shorter walk</i>). I'm figuring that I </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">probably walked a good six (6) miles today. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">BTW...I'm not complaining...just stating a fact!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14pt;">So until mananas adventures…ciao for now </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div>Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11685539235248442349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612577526538354330.post-91473884434742171092010-09-02T16:29:00.000-05:002010-09-02T16:29:04.814-05:00BREAKING NEWS......<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b><u><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-large;">BREAKING NEWS……</span></span></i></u></b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;"> <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">“NOTHING MUCH HAPPENED…</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';"></span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"> THESE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS”</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Well…I might be stretching the truth a bit…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">maybe a little!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Basically I guess I’m experiencing what one might call…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">the everyday “ins ‘n outs” of well…just living a retired </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">lifestyle </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">here in Cuenca.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I know that sounds boring to some of you but in reality...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">it’s how can I explain this to you…”just nice” </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">This is not to say that I’m vegetating…’cause I’m not </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">(</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;"><i>not too much anywa</i>y). In fact this past week I’ve been </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">busy </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">with…better sit down for this…nightlife!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Last Saturday evening I went to a “reservations only” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">dinner/show at California Kitchen. The evening consisted </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">of a "price fixed" dinner along with…what was billed as </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">a </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">“Belly Dance” show.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">In reality the show was performed by an Ecuadorian </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Dance </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">Troupe and included…yes…the advertised Belly </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">Dance along </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">with a variety of Spanish Dancing. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">The troupe consisted of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">three and a half couples </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">(<i>remember the Belly Dancer</i>). </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">Also as an “umplanned” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">happening the show included…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">a “wardrobe malfunction” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">and “NO” it wasn’t part of the show. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">It was…how shall I say this…quickly “covered up” </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">As always California Kitchens' food was very good and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">along with a </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">packed </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">house...everyone (<i>including yours truly</i>) </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">had a </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">great night…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">which “by the way” cost a whopping </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">Fifteen Bucks!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">The other happening…was a 60<sup>th</sup> Birthday Party this </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">past </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">Tuesday. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">Now before I go on you need to understand that a fair </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">amount </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">of the older (<i>retired</i>) population in Cuenca…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">”start” the end </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">of the day somewhat early. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">That said…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">the Birthday Party </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">wasn’t even starting until the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">"ungodly hour" of 8pm (<i>YIKES</i>). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">OK…enough of the silly (<i>if not reality</i>) stuff!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">The “Fiesta de Cumpleanos” (<i>birthday party</i>) was for </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">George and took place in George and Tom’s “temporary” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">apartemento . </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">I say temporary because they are </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">awaiting </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">the completion of their new apartment which </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">probably won’t </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">be ready for another year. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">Anyway the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">present apartment is </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">HUGE!...and with this </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">being the case…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">there was a “full house” of guests.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">So…with wine and drink flowing…and along with really </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">tasty finger snacks…the night was off to a good start.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Beside </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">the foodstuffs I… like everyone else in attendance…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">were meeting and yakking with new and not so new faces. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I have to say the party seemed to have been a success.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Anyway…guess who didn’t walk into his apartemento </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">until about 11 p.m. OMG </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">OK…enough of the parties etc. and moving on to the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">other stuff!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">The other stuff as I alluded to…was basically my normal </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">comings and goings…with una anomalia (<i>one exception</i>). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">This being my “almost” completing the needed flight </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">reservations </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">for my upcoming trip to the states </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">(<i>in about a week from now</i>).<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Thankfully…and as most are very aware…almost all </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">flight reservations were completed “on-line”. This leaves </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">just two items…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">(1)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">booking my round-trip (<i>in Ecuador</i>) flight reservations </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"> and</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">(2)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">making arrangements for my trip from NYC to upstate </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">NY…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">which incidentally will most likely be a "bus trip"…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">”long story” and one that will be told at a later date </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">(<i>post U.S. trip</i>).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">By manana…the first will hopefully be done i.e...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"> "in-country" </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">flight booking! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">FYI…there are a couple of reasons for a </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">“non-internet” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">booking in Ecuador. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">First and foremost is that in most cases…it is "not" easy </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">to do this…as most Ecuadorians buy goods and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">services for cash vs Credit Cards…so the system isn’t </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">really set-up for this. In plain language…it can become </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">quite expensive to charge “anything” considering the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">hefty </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">surcharges involved!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Encompassing this is…[and to me a very important item]</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">is </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">the "</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Senior Discount"... which by the way...is in the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">neighborhood of 40%...a</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">nd from what I can see is not </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">available in “on-line’ bookings!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">The second item that I’m presently concerned with is </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">(<i>as I mentioned before</i>) the “bus trip” from N.Y.C. to </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">upstate </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">N.Y. (<i>brother and sister-in-law</i>). This can only be </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">completed </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">in person just prior to the bus trip. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">So obviuosely this has to wait.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"> Otherwise…I AM NOW (<i>almost</i>) READY!!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">So mi amigos…I would venture a "guesstimate" that my </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">next </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">report will be </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">after my return from<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the states...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">(<i>1</i><sup><i>st</i></sup><i> week October</i>)…that is unless I feel the urge to report </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">from someplace in the states </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Ciao for Now...me amigos y amigas </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><!--EndFragment-->Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11685539235248442349noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612577526538354330.post-88043440363637544032010-08-18T12:47:00.000-05:002010-08-18T12:47:45.483-05:00BRIGHT SUN-SHINEY DAYS (and then some)<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>Monday thru Wednesday, 16 to 18 of August, 2010<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">( <i>Lunes por Miercoles, 16 a 18 de Augusto, 2010 </i>) <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">OK I’m guilty...as I spent awhile absorbing some “sun” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">YES…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">you read right as we do indeed have that </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Very Large Bright </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Yellow Ball beaming it’s rays and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">smile down to us Cuencanos…while reading my </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">book </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">in Parque Calderone.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">By the way…if it seems to you that I spend a lot of </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">time in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Parque Calderone…you are right and I do so </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">with good </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">reason. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">You see…El Parque is exactly </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">one-half block from my </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">apartemento. Being that the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">green grass and trees are so </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">very close…I now </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">consider this “hallowed ground” area to </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">be my </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">(<i>almost</i>) personal “back-yard” </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">In either case…while taking in the “rays” and diligently </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">reading </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">my </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">book…my friend Jim happened to appear </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">while at</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"> the same...time casting a friendly shadow on </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">guess who and 'yon book.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">As friends sometimes do…we just sat and caught up </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">on the comings and goings on in our "retiring"lives.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Now...while in the middle of our ”very important </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">jabbering” ...</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">along comes my neighbor Pete who aptly </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">joins into our exciting conversation. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">This highly productive give and take exercise...went </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">on for quite awhile until the appetite </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">“alarms” starting </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">increase in intensity.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Considering that we were literally across the street </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">from </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Raymipampa Restaurante and/or Tuttta Freddo...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">we had a </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">choice. Well not really as…Raymipampa </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">had no available </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">seats. So off we went to Tutta </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Freddo </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">for what Jim said was </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">possibly the best </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">(<i>believe it or not</i>) </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Pizza in Cuenca. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">At this </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">point in time…and until further notice I am </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">remaining an </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">“open-minded” skeptic!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">The resulting pizza (<i>although nowhere compared </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><i>to </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><i>my </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><i>Brooklyn Italian Pizza in N.Y.</i>)…was indeed </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">acceptably </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">good. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">By the way…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">I opted for the “personal” [like we had a size choice]…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Pepperoni Pizza. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Pizza aside…the best part of the meal was “the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">company” as </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">we had quite a bit in common and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">pleasant un-rushed </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">conversation.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Next stop...was later [6p.m.] at Carolinas Bookshop…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">about which I mentioned in my previous “blog” for more </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">food and yakking </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">"Time Jump"…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">and it’s about two days later and the story continues </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">it’s </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">flow (<i>so to speak..for better or worse</i>).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">The Bookstore get together was pleasant with a </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">chance to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">catch-up with a few acquaintances and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">where I also met a </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">few new possible-friends-in-</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">the-making!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">OK now bare with me folks...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">we're moving through </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">time and it's now the next </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">morning as in 5:30 a.m. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Tuesday and...it's travel-time!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">The </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">gathering of “Cedula seeking Expats” </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">trip is now </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">under-way…and once again...it's up and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">across </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Cajas National Park and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">heading into Guayaquil </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">for the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">express purpose of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">picking-up of our much sought after </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Certfied Cedulas!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Finally. after 3 ½ travel hours…we "once again" </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">entered </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">“The Registration Office” and well…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">I’ll spare </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">you the ins 'n outs and give you the...</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">short </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">version!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">We explained our reasons for the visit...gave our </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">names…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">sat down for ten (10) minutes and…well...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">we </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">were </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">now newly </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Registered Cedula holders…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Signed...Sealed and Delivered </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">After a relaxing (<i>and for Ecuador and us…</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><i>an </i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><i>expensive </i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><i>”hotel”) </i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">lunch…we were then “headin’ </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">on </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">back”...</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">through Cajas and on to Cuenca!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">With the above…now said and done…my next big </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">(<i>must do</i>) t</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">hing is to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">finally make my reservations for </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">my </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">approximate…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">three (3) week visit to the states.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">More on this as it develops. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">But...as for now…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Adios Mi Amigos y Amigas<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><!--EndFragment-->Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11685539235248442349noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612577526538354330.post-10454801066914015612010-08-15T22:27:00.000-05:002010-08-15T22:27:06.577-05:00Sunday in Cuenca<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>Sunday (Domingo) 15 de Augusto, 2010<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Before I start...<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">REMEMBER IT'S WINTER IN…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">"THESE HERE PARTS" OF EL MUNDO (<i>The World</i>)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Being that we just had a hint of sun (<i>first time this week</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">)… <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">I put on my layers (<i>only 3 today</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">) of clothes...grabbed my <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">book and headed over to El Parque Calderone for a bit <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">of sun...fresh air...a bit of reading and also...to be </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">around </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">the other denizens of Cuenca.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">Now Sundays in El Parque is always busy catering to</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">the influx of family's and their various activities, <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">However...today (<i>maybe 'cause of my late start</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">)...I was <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">treated to a sight that I personally have never seen. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">What did you see...you ask? </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Well I saw first hand...an almost never-ending flood of <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Cuencano's who were just exiting one of <u>“The”</u> focal <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">points of Cuenca. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">The focal point in question...the awesome…marble clad… <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">“El Catedral de la Immaculada Concepcion” otherwise <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">known in English as…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">The Church of the Immaculate Conception. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">The church incidentally is also known as…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">The “New Cathedral” in which construction was started <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">in 1885 (Yes…the “new” one) </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Now once the streaming multitudes exited…they <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">headed across el calle (<i>the</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"> <i>street</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">) into Parque </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Calderone </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">and…in which I can only describe them </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">(<i>the multitudes</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">) </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">as…descending like "a flock of </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">seagulls"...intent on laying </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">around a beach that was </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">covered with scraps of food.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">[ How's that for a visual? ]<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Anyway...it was nice being ensconced in everyday real <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">life for a change. I will say this...It was a kick to observe <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">and also to feel part of (<i>albeit a tiny bit</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">) in what was <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">going on within the throng of the various families’...<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">”park day”!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Also among the humanities were of course the "peddlers"...<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">selling everything from ice-cream cones...chips...<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">cotton candy (<i>although I have zero idea of what the <o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><i>Espanol name is</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">)...street shows...children-sized [almost] <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">real life-like pony's (<i>for photos</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">) and for some reason....<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">lots and lots of cars around El Parque. These by the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">way…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">were being “herded” by police and their whistles </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">in an </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">attempt to "keep 'em moving". </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">All-In-All...a circus atmosphere and in one where <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">everyone is enjoying themselves! </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">I have one other observation...the little kids are so very…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">very cute...and well behaved! What a “pleasure” to be <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">able to be in the midst of all these simple pleasures.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">So now back in El Apartemente...it is now around 2 p.m. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">and my AccuWeather.com "thigamajig" tells me...it's all <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">of 54F and partly sunny (<i>which of course it isn't...can <o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><i>you say C-L-O-U-D-Y</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">) ? <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Anyway this “so far”…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">has been my mostly outdoorsy day. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Now…Manana (<i>Monday...i.e. Lunes</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">)...<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">I have a "Bring a Dish of Something or Some Sort of </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Drink" </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">get-together at Carolinas' Bookshop. So...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">I</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">'m "yes"... </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">looking forward to that and seeing and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">carousing (hmmmm)...</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">with a bunch of Expats and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">actually…<u>not</u> being home in my apartemeno in the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">early evening. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">The gathering/party itself is from 6-8pm and…along </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">with </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">the various “hand-delivered” food and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">drink…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;"></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">should be “fun” </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">The following day…which…if you’ve been “paying </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">attention”…</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">is Tuesday (<i>Martes</i></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">)...whiich means it's </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">back into the mini-van </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">at 7a.m. and off to Guayaquil </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 19px;">to get my Cedula ... </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><u><br />
</u></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><u>***Ha-la-looo-ya*** </u> </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">The rest of the week...wellll...<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">I guess it's...back to the old retirement grind…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">and so…until next time…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Ciao mi amigos y amigas…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">Sonria y el mundo sonria detras en usted<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;">(Smile and the world smiles back at you) </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><!--EndFragment-->Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11685539235248442349noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612577526538354330.post-1118345897062058302010-08-11T20:40:00.036-05:002010-08-11T21:17:20.855-05:00AWESOME...INSPIRING...MIND-BLOWING!!!<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">Wednesday (Miercoles) 11 de Augusto, 2010<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">First the really great stuff…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">As the title gives hint too…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">AMAZING…MIND-BLOWING… AWESOME… <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">GORGEOUS… INSPIRING and…<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: x-large;"><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"> <img alt="imgres.jpg" src="webkit-fake-url://C790005E-9A06-4100-B2C0-7D19B30F896C/imgres.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">I’m sure there are many more descriptive words.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: x-large;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: x-large;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: x-large;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: x-large;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: x-large;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: x-large;"><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><img alt="imgres.jpg" src="webkit-fake-url://F9E9165B-D5C2-4DD3-972C-55785B0C2164/imgres.jpg" /> <img alt="imgres.jpg" src="webkit-fake-url://F503E87A-02D7-4E02-9DA6-BB4815DC4E1B/imgres.jpg" /><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">The above is my attempt in giving you…albeit...</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">a small hint </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">as to the descriptive scenery throughout </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">about 95% </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">of our (<i>my two friends and our guide / </i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;"><i>interpreter</i>) trip </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">via a very comfortable mini-van.</span></div></span></span></div></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">The place…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">Cajas National Park which incidentally…crosses the <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">Continental Divide somewhere between Cuenca and <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">Guayaquil (<i>pronounced…Goo-why-a-keel</i>).<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">To give you a small idea of our trip…we traveled up <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">to an elevation of…thirteen thousand feet (<i>13,000ft</i>) </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">or </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">just shy of 4km or…almost 2.5 miles high.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">Keeping in mind that Ecuador as a whole…is a <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">micro-climatic area…we traveled from a temp of low <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">40F (<i>Cuenca…a.m.</i>) to Guayaquil (<i>about mid-high </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;"><i>80F’s </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;"><i>for the time we were there</i>).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">The drive took just about three (3) hours. Once the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">van </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">dropped us off near the airport (<i>drop-off point</i>)…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">we taxied directly to the Registration Office and…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">“lucked-out”…BIG TIME! <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">The building is huge…and so was the mob of people. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">However our guide/translator…after a few quick hit ‘n <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">misses ended up at the correct window where we <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">“prepaid” the cost of the Cedulas ($2.00).<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">That done we were ushered into a room that…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">and I’m guessing here…probably contained a <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">thousand people. The upswing to all this was that <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">there were 24 or so booths in which various citizens'<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">type business was conducted. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">So with our personal “next” numbers in hand…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">we sat...and waited !!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">I still cannot believe it but we probably waited <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">about a half hour… and we were each in our own<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">little both with our own clerk…about to embark on <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">the needed “Residency” classification </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">Jumping ahead a bit…after going over our required <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">paperwork…getting finger-printed (<i>no ink</i>)…photos <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">taken…we were done! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">Well almost as we were then </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">informed that we needed </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">to return in 48 hours to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">pick up our Cedula I.D. Cards...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">DECISION TIME !!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">We could have camped out in a hotel for the next<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">two (2) days or return to Cuenca…hence return at a <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">later date. We opted to return back to Cuenca...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">that same day (<i>Tuesday</i>)...<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">Now at this point one needs to [again] understand the</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">Ecuadorian mind-set...<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">Remember my past Rantings? <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">Ye know things like...later don’t necessarily mean that <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">day or for that matter…the day after next etc. etc.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">Anyway…with our knowledge of how things sometimes <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">work in these here parts </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">…we decided to leave <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">Guayaquil and return on the following Tuesday (<i>one <o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;"><i>week later to the day</i>). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">The reasoning behind this is </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">simple! Thursday…(<i>though </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;"><i>this is the suggested day</i>)…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">is way too soon and Friday…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">well...it’s another National Holiday! </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">(<i>Ecuador is loaded </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;"><i>with Legal Holidays</i>) and Monday...</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">which is the start of </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">the week…is a BIG no-no!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">So…next Tuesday at 7 a.m. we ‘re off again to…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">”hopefully” bring this governmental adventure to a close!!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">OK…official stuff done! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">Now it was time to get some </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">“fuel” as in lunch and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">have a look-see around.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">Now…Guayaquil is a BIG CITY! <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">I’ve always heard the “bad” things about the city and <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">to be fair… depending on how one presents or carries <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">him/herself in public (<i>and this is true in most cities of <o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;"><i>the world</i>)…probably translates to the degree of crime <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">one may or may not attract. With this in mind…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">Off we went to do a bit of exploration and also <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">to “do lunch” </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">Now…there is an area that is called El Malecon </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">(The Malakon)…which is nestled by the El Rio Guayas <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">(<i>The Guayas [goo-why-aas] River</i>). The area frequented <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">by everyday people...stretches about 2.5 miles and is <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">made up of (<i>and I’m quoting this from a guide book</i>)… </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">”sculptures…ponds…playgrounds…gardens and of <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">course river views”. There is also a covered outdoor <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">food court in which yours truly and friends took part in.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"> <img alt="imgres.jpg" src="webkit-fake-url://EA3ECC65-A93A-4583-8E09-602C5CB33C36/imgres.jpg" /> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"><img alt="3394200191.gif" src="webkit-fake-url://D447E879-DA5B-4D01-9B1C-24900C701ADE/3394200191.gif" /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: x-large;"><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">The food was surprisingly “very” good…considering it</span></div></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">was not a restaurant i.e. “food court”. The ‘views’ and <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">over-all ambience (<i>yes…food court</i>) was very relaxing <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">and enjoyable…as was the company of my...<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">comrades-in-arms. </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">Anyway as the temps and least we forget the humidity <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">that Guayaquil is known for (<i>as in high</i>)...we figured it <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">was time to VAMOOSE !!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">However…before we grabbed a taxi back to the <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">“van” site we made a quickie stop to a small park a </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">few </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">blocks away.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">The park is known for its...Iguana (<i>some where “huge”</i>) <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">and Turtle (<i>also quite large</i>) population where they <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">roam free (<i>well the Iguana do anyway</i>). This by the <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">way…was a very welcome respite from the heat as <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">the park has many many large trees!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">OK…Iguanas and Turtles finished with...it was time to <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">head on back to the “van” and back to hittin’ the <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">road to Cuenca.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">I MUST CONFESS !!!!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">If you haven't already guessed...I cheated a bit as...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">all photos represented here were "sadly" not taken</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">by yours truly...as I forget to take "El Camera" with</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">me on this trip. So...these pics are stock photos</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">I found on the web. Still...it gives you a tiny idea</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">of what I experienced.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">Now on with the rest of the story...</span><br />
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</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">Back in the mountainous regions of Cajas National </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">Park once again…I was presented with a sight that</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">was well…too awesome for words. Remember…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">13,000 feet. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">If you’ve ever flown (<i>as most have</i>) in a large <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">passenger jet you will be able to relate to this.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">Remember when being a passenger...on a passenger <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">jet…and then starting the decent from the very high <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">altitudes and going through the clouds? </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">Well…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">then also try to recall those puffy clouds.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">Now picture yourself driving on a 2-lane mostly well-<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">paved road. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">Next envision yourself traveling through </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">those…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">lush green mountains accompanied by </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">beautiful white </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">puffy clouds which are waiting for you </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">to “drive” through. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">However…as you drive…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">you realize…no…it isn’t like </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">being in a jet at all. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">Because in a jet aircraft it’s an </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">“impersonal and ignored </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">experience” and your through </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">those clouds in a </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">few minutes "flat"!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">Now while being a part of and...up in the Cajas </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">mountains… convert those few </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">moments to...well an </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">“unlimited and one-of-a-kind” </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">experience like no other</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">one in which I…and maybe </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">one day you…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">will never forget!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;">Hasta Pronto mi Amigos y Amigas </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14pt;">J</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11685539235248442349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612577526538354330.post-50691875082253152872010-08-10T19:54:00.000-05:002010-08-10T19:54:59.505-05:00The Road to Legalization<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>Monday (Lunes) 9 de August (Augusto), 2010<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Well it’s been...if not exciting…a hectic week or so. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">You see after quite some time…I was “finally” ready to <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">get my Censo and my Cedula.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Now…both these documents are laminated cards and…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">both are required enabling me to stay and live as a </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">retiree </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">in Ecuador. The cards also label me as a legal</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">“residencia”. This also by the way… gives me the right </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">live in Ecuador along with all the rights that any born </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">Ecuadorian </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">has...with t</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">he exception of the right to vote.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Now that I’ve laid the foundation for you…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">comes the “good” part.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Working through my Abogado (<i>attorney</i>) in Quito is </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Linda…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">the attorney’s assistant in Cuenca. Well one fine </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">and bright </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">sun shiny day…Linda picked me up and off </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">we went to get </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">my much needed Censo and Cedula </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">(<i>from now on referred </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;"><i>to as C&C</i>).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">First stop was the (<i>I think</i>) main police station. In this <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">illustrious stanchion of society…and after about a half <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">hour wait…we (<i>Linda…myself and the Policia Officer</i>) <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">went through the needed motions and “wa-laa”…I was <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">now the proud owner of a Censo.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">With Censo in hand…we now were off to get my Cedula. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Now you just know that this is where the fun starts! <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Ye know what…You’re right! <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">After driving across town we entered “the building” and <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">of course found a small mob scene. Well…Linda went <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">right to the front of the line…then to the front of <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">another line and…came back to me with “The News”. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">What you may ask was this news? <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Well apparently…the day before (<i>Monday</i>) was <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">the day that the “new” rule changes went into effect! <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">And…imagine even the Abogados weren’t aware <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">of this! What a Surprise! <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Too make this story somewhat palatable…the ONLY <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">places in Ecuador to “now” obtain” ones Cedula is <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">either in Quito or Guayaquil. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">This is when I found out the “Rest of the Story”.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">It seems the rule changes also affected…to a certain <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">extent the following<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>two other locations. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">In Quito…the process for getting ones Cedula went <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">from a three (3) days romp in the Capital…to eight…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">yes count ‘em (8) glorious days. This was by the way…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">precipitated by a phone call “from” my attorney <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">(<i>not me calling her</i>) telling me that I could fly to Quito… <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">spend one night there…fly back and she would </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">pick-up </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">the Cedula and send it via TACA Airlines to me </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">(<i>this by the way</i>) </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">is similar to an overnight delivery…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">but extremely </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;"><u>inexpensive</u>…like $1.30 </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">(<i>as in a dollar thirty</i>)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Overall cost to me…approximately $200<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-or-<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Guayaquil…which by the way…I have never been to…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">nor had I any plans of ever visiting. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Guayaquil is Ecuadors largest city and encompasses <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">all the hot weather (<i>80’s-90’s and humid</i>)… dirt… grit…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">need I say crime…of any big city. However from what <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I’ve heard the Government office to which we are going…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">is very modern…referencing the above mentioned <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">documents is easier to obtain…as opposed to the <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">rest of the country!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Anyway…with the above information in hand…I literally <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">stumbled upon something at the last Friday Night get <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">together at Zoe’s. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Apparently…(<i>surprise</i>) I’m not alone in this figurative boat. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">There are 2 guys who I found out were hiring a car with a </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">driver…which would take them to Guayaquil. Going along <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">with them is a Cuencano who would act as an Interpreter <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">and guide for the Gringos (<i>us</i>). <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Well…moving to the end of this exciting…nail-biting story <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">we are leaving on this adventure like 6 a.m. manana. With <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">any luck we will have secured our Cedulas and return in <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">the afternoon. However (<i>and I’m not a betting person</i>)…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I would wager a bet that we will be spending the night in <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Guayaquil and returning the next day.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Incidentally...we do have a back-up plan. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">If said Cedula’s won’t be ready by Wednesday…we will <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">return to Cuenca and then go back once again the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">following </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">Tuesday. This...to simply pick-up the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">documents </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">and return </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">once again… home…with our </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">legal residencies in hand. </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">And with that mi amigo’s I shall continue my diatribe...<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">whence I return once again from my visit to Guayaquil !<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Hasta Pronto </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><!--EndFragment-->Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11685539235248442349noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612577526538354330.post-4170587170583044962010-07-31T11:51:00.000-05:002010-07-31T11:51:21.489-05:00Day Trip<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>Friday (Viernes) 30 de July (Julio) 2010<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">So…what I thought was going to be a maybe a two </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">(2) hour drive out of Cuenca to see my friend Girard’s </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">property…turned into a “TRIP”.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">To better understand all this…I guess I need to back </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">up a bit…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">A couple/few weeks ago Girard asked if I’d like to get </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">out of town to see his property and also see some </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">scenery on the way. He also told me he had asked a </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">mutual acquaintance Graham to join us. Well…after a </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">couple of “false starts” during the past couple weeks…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">we </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">were about to and finally get on with our road trip.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Now originally Gerard had mentioned that we’d get </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">out of town for a couple of hours. Keeping in mind </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">our past get togethers and the fact that he’s married </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">to a Cuencano whom I'm sure he would want to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">get </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">home to…I had no doubt that a couple of hours...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">literally meant </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">a couple of hours.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">To make a long story short the couple of hours turned </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">into about six (6). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Now “I am not complaining one bit” </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">however…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">I’m the kind of person that should <u>never</u> be </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">told that </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">something will last “X” hours and then…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">surprise…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">it’s far and above the original “guesstimate”.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">All in all (<i>and I think I speak for all concerned</i>) I had a </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">very enjoyable afternoon/evening. I did indeed get to </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">see some beautiful countryside with incredible </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">mountain </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">ranges. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">On this note…I feel compelled to </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">state that the </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">extremely </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">green and very high </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">(<i>approximately </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;"><i>12,000 ft.</i>) mountains </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">were well…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">AWESOME!!!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">In addition…the sight of the surrounding unspoiled </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">natural land was indeed inspiring…and that’s not </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">even mentioning the “clean mountain air”! </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">The only thing that made me “just a teeny bit” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">(<i>Ok…high anxiety</i>) apprehensive was the constant </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">upwards (<i>and what seemed as “never-ending”</i>) </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">driving onwards towards the yet unseen summit of</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;"> the “MOUNTAIN”(<i>or into the clouds for all I knew</i>)! </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Hey…12,000 feet is by no means a pimply hill </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Anyway once at the top…the view was indeed </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">awesome. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I cannot believe people actually live up there.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Now I need to back-up a bit. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Gerard’s property is nowhere near the top. In fact </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">his </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">place...when built…will be situated someplace </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">near the lower(est) range of the mountain. However </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">this property (<i>with a stunning view)</i> is probably a </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">good </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">half-hour drive to Cuenca proper.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I will say this…as awesome as this adventure was </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">to me…I was very happy to be heading down to a </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">much lower and more civilized area (<i>I am after all... </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><i>a </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;"><i>"city-boy"</i>).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Oh incidentally. Along our way down "El Mountain"</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">we made a “tourista” pit-stop at Mirador (<i>viewpoint</i>) </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">de Turi…which is a well known over-look of Cuenca </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Cuidad and very glad I had a chance to experience </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">this sight.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjppOQ7LeIV5XfHwMm6hoLjSnlQUIpTwPoIAkuBcq54V8qsACJLReoC0Md0Dw6s4sE8g19jPBdFxpTM1JU_idLldespdy4Ne-q3DAasf_AGTaInOhn95wX6N9D4-onUc5rLSC9Sbz509Qs/s1600/800px-Cuenca_(Ecuador)_from_Turi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjppOQ7LeIV5XfHwMm6hoLjSnlQUIpTwPoIAkuBcq54V8qsACJLReoC0Md0Dw6s4sE8g19jPBdFxpTM1JU_idLldespdy4Ne-q3DAasf_AGTaInOhn95wX6N9D4-onUc5rLSC9Sbz509Qs/s400/800px-Cuenca_(Ecuador)_from_Turi.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">After our stop overlooking Cuenca it was about </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">this time that the three of us…decided it was time </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">to “fill the bellies”. This incidentally suited me just </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">fine as the El Estomago (<i>Stomach</i>) was starting to </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">send me “alert” messages ! </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Well…finally entering Cuenca Centro and being that </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Graham had never had the pleasure of dining there…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">we invaded Raymipampa Café y Restaurante. Good </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">choice…as we all ended up having the same thing…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Fried Shrimp with French Fries…a side salad of </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">various items (<i>the only thing I remember was the </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><i>Guacamole</i>) and a drink (<i>my choice was limonada</i>). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Of course this being Raymipampa they once again... </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><u>did not</u> miss providing a “huge“ portion. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">By the way..under six (6) bucks a piece !<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">So folks…that was my day and until the next rant…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Hasta Luego y tenga un bien dia<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">(<i>So long and have a good day</i>) </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><!--EndFragment-->Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11685539235248442349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612577526538354330.post-61156179603802933032010-07-29T12:56:00.000-05:002010-07-29T12:56:40.304-05:00Cuenca...In & Around the City<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>Sunday (Domingo) 25 Julio 2010</b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Calisto MT'; font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></span></u></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Hi everyone. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">You may have noticed that I’ve made some </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">changes as in the type </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">and general look of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">my </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">Blog.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Now...none of this is “carved in stone”. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">That </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">said...</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">I would of course welcome any </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">constructive </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">criticism </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">and or suggestions about </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">any of the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">changes.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">So…with the above business “out-of-the-way”…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">off we go to more of my rants </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>Monday (Lunes) 26 Julio 2010</b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">As this morning…a day that falls in the category </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">beautiful and sunny…I did a bit of perusing </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">the local </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">area. I ended up at the <u>Indigenousness </u></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;"><u>{for lack of a </u></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;"><u>better word}…Flea market</u> in the heart </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">of Cuenca. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">Now I had ZERO plans to buy anything </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">however…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">as I was “just looking” a sweater type </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">jacket caught </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">my eye.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Now….it should be known that I have never been </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">one f</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">or bargaining. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">OK…but it’s an unspoken law in </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">these parts…that one </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">is supposed to bargain. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">So…this Norte Americano </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">Cuencano (<i>how’s that for </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;"><i>a mouthful? </i>) played the game </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">as best I could.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Bottom-Line…this morning I bought an </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">Alpaca </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">Jacket and saved literally a couple of bucks...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">$16 down from $18. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I know…I know…Not a big deal. However…to the <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Indigenousness vendor bargaining is a way of life </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">and…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">not only do they thrive on the “play” but get </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">insulted if </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">you refuse to participate. This so much </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">so…that if you </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">refuse to bargain they just may </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">refuse to sell to you!! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">So...there be the truth !!!!!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">On a more serious note…I received my passport </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">from </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">my Quito attorney which included my </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">“Residencia Visa”. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">The Visa was signed by the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">Ministerio de Gobierio </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">Director General de Extranjeria…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">which by the way </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">translates to: Government Ministry </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">Main Directorate of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">Foreigners (<i>no actual translation </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;"><i>available anywhere for extranjeria…but this was the </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;"><i>best explanation I </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;"><i>received</i>)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>Tuesday (Martes) 27 Julio, 2010</b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Today proved to be the day where an Official of </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">some </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">sort should have said…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">”LET THE GAMES BEGIN”.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">The reason for this...will become apparent as you </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">read on!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">I guess I should call this the day of reckoning </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">although…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">I had know way of knowing what lay </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">before me. This was </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">the day where I should have </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">been done with getting all </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">the “residency” papers </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">completed. So what happened </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">you asked????</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">This morning my attorneys assistant picked me up</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">and off </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">we went to play the Government Game…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">which in this </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">case was my "quest" to secure my </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">Cedula y Censo. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">Anyway…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">here’s the rest of the story!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">After 2 hours of being driven around to various </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">agencies </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">and getting photos etc. I now have my </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Censo </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">. Censo in hand w</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">e then continued to </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">proceed to another government </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">office to get the...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">“all important” Cedula (<i>which finalizes </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;"><i>my legality</i>).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">We arrived and she [Linda] then found out that </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">“you know </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">who” could only get the Cedula in Quito. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">This incidentally </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">wasn’t directed specifically at me </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">but…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">is a "new and infant" regulation. As one gets </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">a</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">ccustomed too…rule changes like </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">getting “blind-</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">sided” in a football game (<i>ouch</i>)!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Unfortunately…this new regulation went into </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">effect yesterday (<i>Monday</i>). Apparently the cause is </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">do to the influx of </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">Peruvians and Columbians </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">(<i>not to mention Cubans</i>). From </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">what it looks like now…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">I will need to travel back to Quito </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">for a day </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">(<i>possibly two</i>) in order to</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;"> resolve this Cedula situation.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">OK…Just back from a nice relaxing lunch. I finally </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">spoke </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">with my abogado (<i>attorney</i>) Gabriella. Her final </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">comment…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">due to the new regulation…"I do indeed" </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">have to travel to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">Quito (<i>or Guayaquil –ain’t gonna </i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;"><i>happen</i>) and have 2 months i</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">n which to complete this </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">situation.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">She also informed me </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">that the “process” takes 3 days.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">The first day is a “full day” the third is a quick pick-up.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">ARRRGGGG….I can’t even think of this now…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">so </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">more </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">stuff later on in the near future!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>Wednesday (Miercoles) 28 Julio, 2010</b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Today is “home maker” (<i>that’s me</i>) day. ;o ;o<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">That means laundry…food shopping…ye’ know…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">funstuff </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Back to the laundry and…FYI this is done by hand </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">as I now </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">have “no” washer/dryer. Now "if" I really </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">wanted to go native…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">I would do as the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">Indigenous </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">people do and take the dirty </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">clothes </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">to the river and…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">well you get the idea!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">THIS…mi amigo’s...ain’t gonna happen!!!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Thankfully…the above is true only for the clothes </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">that would </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">most likely shrink from the heat in a...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">“dryer”.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">So now with some of my chores done…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">i.e. picked-up l</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">aundry and did the wash by hand. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">This by </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">the way is now hanging </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">[and blocking] my </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">windows. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">Truthfully…I feel as though </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">I’ve stepped </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">back in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">time (<i>again</i>) by about 60 years...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">ye’ gotta love it </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Anyway...next up is a “run” to the SuperMaxi. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Actually…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">yes I’m doing it again…a bus ride there </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">and return via </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">El Taxi.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>Thursday (Jueves) 29 Julio, 2010</b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">In order to finish the past few days Blog…I just </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">have </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">uno comment!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Early yesterday (Wednesday) or it may even have </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">been </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">the night before…my Internet went into to </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">slow-mode. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">No that’s not entirely true…as even </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">though it was telling </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">me it was working…it was </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">indeed...not!!!! </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">There was no way I could access </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">the internet…period!!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">So…this morning I was also set to venture out to <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">California Kitchen and would then have the use </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">of their </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">free wi-fi. Anyway…it is now Noon and as </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">I was just </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">about to pack-up El Laptop I figured I'd </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">give it a try.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Now I don’t know if it’s coincidence or my Mac has <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">other “special” ;) ;) capabilities but low ‘n behold </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">the Internet connection is now in "go mode" and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">is now </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 19px;">working...Ha-La-Loo-Ya...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Am I complaining…NO WAY </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">And with that mi amigos y amigas…</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Hasta Luego </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"> </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><!--EndFragment-->Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11685539235248442349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5612577526538354330.post-58893725989832787532010-07-25T18:34:00.000-05:002010-07-25T18:34:35.672-05:00An Unplanned and Late Posting<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman Bold"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b><u>{Note: My Apologies...</u></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman Bold"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b><u>As I Thought I Had Already Posted This}</u></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman Bold"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b><u><br />
</u></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman Bold"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b><u>LUNES (Monday) 19 de Julio de 2010<o:p></o:p></u></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I had really no intention of writing so soon after my last </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">entry but…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">as trivial as this might seem I felt it was worth</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">sharing.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Being that I had virtually nothing worthwhile in my </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">humble abode to conjure up Desayuno (<i>Breakfast</i>)…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I strolled down my six (6) flights of stairs…made a left for </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">a half block and then a short few feet to Raymipampa </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Restaurante for a decent bite. Now this is not a new thing </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">to either you or myself. However the driving force behind </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">my penning this entry was a </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">very…very tiny event that </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">presented itself “en el restaurante”.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">A while ago I said I would not go into the actual </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">composition of any particular meal anymore. Well…this </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">is the exception which will allow you to understand my </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">compulsion to scribe this entry.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">This morning I had once again what is fast becoming my </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">irregular morning meal at Raymipampa…consisting of </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Choice of Eggs…2 fresh baked individual bread loaves….</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">“Fresh and Natural (<i>my choice</i>) Pineapple Juice and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">(<i>it came in Large Beer Mug</i>)…I also ordered…and this is </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">the </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">kicker…a Large Coffee instead of the normal and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">smallish </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">“cup of coffee”.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Well…all was as expected with the exception of the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">coffee…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">yet to be brought to my table. In a few minutes </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">however…this was resolved as the waitress brought…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">yes…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">a large mug of steaming hot coffee.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">So…now I was satisfied…finished the meal…enjoyed the </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">large coffee immensely and preceded to the register and as</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">yet...unaware of the actual cost of the meal. Now...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">normally (<i>normal coffee included</i>) the cost would be </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">$2.20 </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">however…with the large coffee…well anyone’s </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">guess.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Now if this was anywhere else...the States…Thailand…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">wherever…one would expect to pay…and pay over and </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">above the norm<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>for that extra large coffee…right? So…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">after telling (<i>no written bill mind you</i>) the cashier my </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">order including con Café Grande (<i>with a large coffee</i>)…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">she pointed to the register…and…</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">wonders of wonders…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">$2.20 y no une centavo mas (<i>not a cent more</i>)!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I know this was not “earth-shaking” but...</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I felt I just had to share.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">So…now I’m off to do some real exciting stuff like…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">taking in my laundry…stopping at the bookshop for </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">my “long awaited" mail from </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">Aor and then on to </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">SuperMaxi to do some much needed grocery </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;">replenishment!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">So for now and after this unscheduled rant…<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Hasta Luego…a usted todo (to you all)...</span><!--EndFragment-->Barryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11685539235248442349noreply@blogger.com0