Here We Go 22

 Well Christmas and New years have slipped into the "remember when?" file and we have put on our "Well, 2022 will be better" hats. For all our sakes I hope that proves to be the case. I'm sure it's only me who is just a tiny bit tired of the pandemic but I attribute that to the fact that I am old, weak and impatient. After all, I have less time left than most of you. As Bob Dylan would say "It's not dark yet, but it's gettin' there". Gotta keep making that hay. 

 I thought I would put up a few pics in case Sharon hadn't covered everything and to reassure you that I am still treading the boards.

    Christmas here is a big family thing, as it is everywhere. We did have some people over for dinner who, like us, had no other immediate family here, but on the whole it was very laid back. One of the joys is that we have someone in a local bakery who cooks our turkey for us, since we don't have an oven. They do a fantastic job and it makes Christmas dinner much less of a chore. 

    We, (read Sharon), decided to exchange experiences instead of things, so my gift to Sharon was 5 dinners out at a different brew pub every night. She loves beer so score one for me. There are a surprising number of craft beer makers here so there is lots to choose from. So far we have only done three, so the gift keeps on giving.

      And all during the Christmas holiday we could look down from our apartment on a brightly lit circus tent that had been set up near the main market. It was advertising an ice show. Sort of a one ring Disney on ice which we, of course, had to check out.

A group of seven performers, Russian and Mexican, performing an ice show, in Ecuador, in a one ring circus tent! All topped off by acrobatics done on a trapeze ring, with skates on!!

Remember, in 1964 I worked with The Moscow Circus pushing tigers and bears around in a one ring circus touring Australia. This was the most unusual act I've seen since then. Just when you think you've seen it all!

Now we move to downtown Saraguro, which you are looking at here. A lovely little town about an hours bus ride from Loja. A little more indigenous with lots of handmade crafts for sale.

We are here to pick up my Christmas present. A surprise from Sharon which turned out to be dinner (in our case lunch) in the only Michelin starred restaurant in Ecuador.

And this is it, overlooking the main square. We are about to enjoy a fabulous meal.

Sunny day, fabulous food with a gorgeous dinner companion, and not a sign of ice, snow, or rain anywhere. Does life get any better?

Since it was my Christmas present I thought a picture of me might be in order. The beer was locally brewed and very good.

Each course was beautifully presented!

These are tasters, little appetizers that arrived unexpectedly. Crispy chifle (fried platano) with atun (tuna) and other creamed salsas (sauces).

A bolon. A well known and traditional 'bocadillo' (like a snack) that you saw in an earlier post. This is prepared with a green platano and stuffed with cheeses. 

Six courses, each one better than the last. My main course was 'cuy', guinea pig. A traditional dish in Ecuador, but a first for me. Sharon had a lovely delicious lamb meal. A memorable afternoon.

Finally, here are some pictures of our lovely little city on a random Sunday. Every Sunday between 10 am and 4 pm, the downtown part of Loja is blocked off to vehicular traffic so people can just wander without traffic. Very relaxing and a chance to browse at your leisure.

Lots of churches with lovely Plazas in which to relax.

Sometimes you have to look up to see the details. Just like life.

Always a little cafe open to stop for great Lojano coffee and cakes.

Not in the city, but close by in the  Podocarpus national park. I was dragged, kicking and screaming, for a hike with friends. I actually had a good time although when the trail began to go straight up I immediately abandoned my former friends, and went straight down. One of the joys of old age is knowing your limits and being able to, without shame, acknowledge them.

And that's it for this round. Hope you enjoyed the pictures. And buckle up for the last (hopefully) round of Covid. Omicron is just starting here so we are girding our loins for a couple of months of being careful ...again! We are both triple vaxed so we should be OK. Still having a good time!

      Finally, here are 

 

Nuestra Segunda Navidad y Dia de --- Nuevo

 

Our 'Segunda' Navidad in Loja, Ecuador

Our first Christmas with Nicolas and Nora. No low hanging balls on the Christmas tree this year. But the tree did remain upright for 3 weeks! 

We had two parties. (This was at the time when very few covid cases existed in Loja. Like under 50. No kissing or hugging, and everyone was double or tripled vaccinated.) One very international party with teachers from France, Columbia, Ecuador and Canada. Another 'drop-in' get-together ('At Home' with the Taylors) with our local friends to celebrate the new year (año nuevo .... careful with the pronunciation 😆) It is not expensive to hold a party in Ecuador: 7 bottles of Chilean wine ($27) and 8 bottles of various local craft beer ($13) totaling $40 ... What?! Sort of invites more drinking, si?                                                                        

On December 31st the street markets were bustling with lots of new years eve paraphernalia. One must eat 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight within one minute, I think, and make 12 wishes for the upcoming year. If you want more love in your life, wear red underwear. If you desire more money, wear yellow underwear.  These paper-mache heads are known as 'monigotes' when a body is added, like a scarecrow. These are burned at midnight to rid oneself of bad omens, negative feelings or whatever one wishes to forget from the previous year (I think).

I say "I think" because everyone has their own interpretation and, you must remember dear readers, the explanations are all in Spanish. So, it's my interpretation too! New Years is also a time for men to dress up like women. (I don't know how this tradition came about) and if you wish for future far away adventures in the next year one is to pull a suitcase around the block at midnight to ensure future travels. Whole families do this. I was asked what Canadians do at the stroke of midnight and all I could come up with is 'kissing' (through a mask at 2 meters away?), making lots of noise with noise bangers and singing the dullest song of the year 'Auld Lang Syne'.

We went to the circus. 'Magia Sobre Hielo' literally means 'Magic about Ice' so I interpreted this as a grand magic show using ice. Nope. This circus was on ice. Yes, like the Ice Capades. What?! In Ecuador? This was Ken's first ice skating show (again, What?!) and all I heard from him throughout the show was, "I can't believe I am in Loja". It was a grand show. Very entertaining with lots of acrobatics. The circus company is quite famous in Mexico and Latin America. The skaters were from Russia and Mexico. Yes, the ice surface was very small but it truly was on ice and something not normally seen in this country.

I have found my 'Loja Grind' and enjoy hiking the numerous trails at least once a week in this protected park (Sendero Universitario / Parque Francisco Vivar) with spectacular views of the city and surrounding mountains and valleys. This butterfly is one of many translucent butterflies and moths that exist in this area, as you have seen in our previous blogs.

What?! No, your eyes are not deceiving you! That is Ken hiking upward at the front of the pack. What?! Is Ken's new year's goal to hike up mountains? Stay tuned. Perhaps you will learn more in the upcoming blogs.

Hasta luego mis amigos. Y Feliz AÑO Nuevo!

Finalmente ... de Sharon (Finally ... from Sharon)

 

Hola amigos!

Finally, you will hear from me. I admit I have been neglectful with our blog, relying on Ken to keep you all up to date.

 For awhile I was feeling odd and almost a little fearful about getting back to activities like going to the gym, hiking, exploring Loja streets, enjoying cafes, going to concerts and getting together with people. It felt almost surreal, unnatural and my trepidation was so uncharacteristically strange that I truly was 'beside myself'. I was quite content to stay indoors. I was timid to get out and be the Sharon who I knew. The person who always 'Just Did It '. I have learned a lot about myself over these many months of being isolated in a foreign country.  I have learned to be more patient with myself. I accept my fears, inabilities and even more importantly, I no longer feel I must accomplish things and complete goals all the time. Embracing the emotions and traits that I used to push aside has become a good thing for me. Learning about oneself during these tumultuous times has been fascinating, yes? verdad? 

So, all of those activities I listed above are being done safely, with masks and mostly outdoors. Booster shots are now being administered in Ecuador. Ken got his awhile ago, I get mine tomorrow! And even though social distancing and masks remain mandatory, life here feels almost normal. Yes, our normal has changed and will continue to change. I have finally accepted this. I am embracing it.

On to what I have been doing... Finalmente...

                                                

            Certainly our new family additions, Nora and Nicolas, have been great distractions. Nora was prepared to join me on a 3 day hike to Cerro de Arcos in the province of El Oro, west of Loja. I left at 4 in the morning with 5 other hikers to catch a bus to a pueblito, a little town, called Manu. We began our 7 hour assent to 3,700 meters to what could be described as Ecuador's Stonehenge:  natural rock formations that stood tall with caves and vistas that filled one with awe.            

    I was glad it was not a hot sunny day when we set out from Manu. My pack was just too heavy and I suffered for it. I learned a lot of lessons on this hike. Specifically, ask more questions so you receive all the necessary details. The communications were all in Spanish though, so I struggled. But, you all know, I'm a trooper and I managed to keep up (somewhat) with the 20 and 30 year olds I was with. One of the fellows took pity and carried my sleeping bag for the three days.

 

After all sorts of weather conditions, this lovely lodge loomed in the distance where we stopped to have the best cup of hot chocolate ever! This is Refugio Cerro de Arcos, an hours hike from Cerro de Arcos where we were to camp. The interior was spectacular, built around natural rock formations. 

     It was built over 4 years with volunteers that led to helping support local youth and families in poverty. There are small cabins on the property as well as this lodge with warm, inviting rooms and an Italian restaurant. I found myself thinking, "Let's stay here!" rather than sleeping in a tent. At this point I was  wondering why I had so quickly agreed to this hike since I couldn't remember the last time I had slept in a tent!  But I did have a good time....

This was one of the spectacular views from our tent. The top photo on this page is a morning view as the sun rose. We actually set up our tent in a cave. Yes, it was cold. Did we sleep? No. I learned that my camping days are in the past no matter how much I like the people I am sharing a tent with.

The people I was sharing a tent with. Young, full of energy but truly supportive and caring. I am lucky to have met them. They have become good friends and great hiking partners. Their plan is to hike Cotopaxi this April, the best known volcano in Ecuador, at 5897 meters at the peak, and they want me to join them. Hmm. I'm still pondering. 

We ended our adventure in a city called Zaruma. Pictured above with the mayor of the city. We arrived just as the city was celebrating Independence Day. This city is southwest of Machala and I simple loved it! It is an old gold mining town and is known as the 'magical town' with all it's hilly streets and old architecture. It had been chosen as a candidate for UNESCO World Heritage Site. I tasted the famous tigrillo, a common dish in Ecuador that had first been created in this city. It is a filling plate of mashed green bananas, scrambled eggs and local cheeses. Yum! In this photo we are sampling a special drink that is quite potent with a local liquor that was perfect to end our final day of hiking. Sadly, however, this December, 2 weeks ago, a horrific, deadly sinkhole occurred in the center of this beautiful city killing and injuring many people and forcing 300 to evacuate. Roads were damaged, two heritage homes destroyed, and all of this destruction was a consequence of illegal mining. 

One of my other hiking partners, Marion, from France and two of her dogs. Marion became one of my first friends in Loja. She has been living in Ecuador for a few years teaching French. We were exploring an area just outside of Loja city. 

Here are a few of the Vilcabamba hikers. I hike with this group most Thursdays. We explore the trails and mountains in the Vilcabamba area which is a 45 minute drive south of Loja.

One of the many attractive moths that we see on route while hiking. This area is full of moths and butterflies of all sizes and colours. This particular one (which actually had many shades of blue) had chosen to rest on a fellow hikers' leg while we had stopped for our lunch break.

Another vista of the spectacular mountains and a private property hidden below.

So, my favourite outdoor activity in this glorious country is hiking. I finally found a hike I can do by myself, safely, in Loja, that is similar to the famous Grouse Grind in North Vancouver. But, it has many different routes throughout the 90 hectare reserve and it never closes due to snow!

 I also amuse myself with fitness. I am currently teaching a basic yoga class at the gym I belong to. It is a small class, thank goodness, as I do teach it in Spanish. What?! I crazily volunteered to teach it, (what?!) I don't know what I was thinking, my Spanish is not fluid. I have to pause and think a lot. But I persevere and I am no longer nervous beforehand. In fact, the students are enjoying hearing some English directions interspersed with my Spanish... Espanglish! 

I teach indoor cycling, strength training and yoga online too! If any of you want to try a class, let me know. This is a wonderful way for me to keep in touch with former clients and friends from Canada and the USA. The other day, I was caught complaining about how I continuously had to put on sunscreen everyday. My fitness client, who is living in Richmond, B.C., quickly informed me of the weather conditions many Canadians are experiencing these days. I apologized with an, "Ups" which is "oops" in espanol. 

Other faux pas: I was at the vets awhile back and taking advantage of speaking Spanish to those in the waiting room, when I asked a woman, "How many assholes does your dog have?" My friend, who was with me, burst out laughing (which didn't help my ego) and translated to the woman in correct Spanish. What I really had meant to ask was, "Cuantos anos tiene su perro?" There is only a tiny difference in pronunciation with the words 'year' and 'ass'. I wanted to know how old her dog was. I have not made that mistake since, I actually avoid the word anos all together.

The other day, Ken asked a blind man, who was waiting to cross the road, "Necesito ayudar?" translated:  "Do I need help?" The blind man politely answered "si". And, the blind man helped Ken cross the road. 

              Indoor Cycling classes anyone? Customized to your level and pace!

                   Until next time, take care of yourself and your loved ones.

 Cuidate y Feliz (Ano) Nuevo!

                                                                                                                                              

Tough Times

It has been a rough few weeks for our household lately but I thought it would be cathartic to get to work on the Blog after a long absence. I am sure most of you know that Dylan, our beloved companion of eleven years, passed away just over a month ago. We have now lost both of the pets that we brought with us to Ecuador nearly two years ago. I am at a loss to express just how much this has affected me.

I have to admit I was not prepared, and I should have been. But these things creep up on us while we are making other plans. Just another lesson that life tries to teach us and which we too often ignore. To live in the moment as much as possible. The past is gone, the future is unknowable, the present is all that is real. If we pay attention today, tomorrow we will have memories to sustain us. Every day and in every way I am reminded of how much Dylan made life better for us, and for me in particular. I can only regret the number of days I forgot to take note, and now am poorer for it.

So for those of you who have pets, take a moment to reflect on how they live life. For them there is no future, just now. And no person more important than you. I promise myself to do better if there is a next time. But for now I am left thinking I have lost the best.

   Luckily for us we have been very busy and, thankfully, able to somewhat distract ourselves from our sad news. The annual Loja Arts Festival was up and running once again this year so we were able to lift our spirits a bit by going to numerous plays, concerts, and dance recitals over a twelve day span.

   

   There were acts from all over South America and thanks to the people of Loja being diligent with masking etc. there are very few Covid cases here, so all of the events were very well attended  and received.

A number of colorful new murals livened up building walls in the El Centro area and the streets were alive with street performers and children's entertainment. All in all a very successful festival. I am already looking forward to next year which will be even more enjoyable because my Spanish will be better. It will be, I promise!

  In addition to all that, I began to have some eye problems and spent sometime investigating what the problem was. That entailed a trip to Cuenca to visit a specialist. Once again I was impressed with the speed at which things got done and the quality of the health care at a  relatively minor cost. At any rate it turns out I have age-related macular degeneration and need to be more careful about a lot of things in the future. My mother was stricken with this back in the day when there was no treatment. Thankfully now, if I continue to eat better, maintain my every day walking routine, take some specialized vitamins, and protect my eyes from the sun at all times I should be able to avoid the worst aspects of this condition. The last means, I am about to be the Roy Orbison of Loja from now on. Sunglasses at all times. And no apologies for being cool!

   So, even amidst what has been a bad time, we continue to enjoy Loja, Ecuador and everything our gracious hosts do for us every day. Despite the real world crashing our party occasionally, we continue to learn our lessons and try to enjoy what life offers us. Hope you all are doing the same. Pay attention to today. Tomorrow will never be what you expect. And remember, there are no do-overs!

STILL HERE STILL GOOD

 Well friends, my apologies for the long lag from our last post. It's not that anything drastic has happened but mostly I just got lazy and the time flew by. Herein lies one of the things you have to get used to in Ecuador: the weather never changes drastically from one day to the next. Whereas we Canadians tend to mark life's significant  moments by their proximity to major weather events... "Remember the big snowfall of '08?!" Here, in Ecuador, the weather is pretty much the same year round. In the almost two years we have been here the only thing we have remarked on, weather wise, is that it seems a little cooler and wetter in July and August. Since we have no central heating or air conditioning, it is notable that a sweater is sometimes necessary during the evenings in those months. And if it gets really bitter, maybe an extra blanket. Hardship indeed! As a consequence, months can go by as one day blends into the next. Before you know it a year has flown by. Luckily though, since we are in the valley of longevity, I am actually younger than I was last year. Shades of Shangri-La. If I go back to Canada now I will probably age twenty years as I step off the plane. I even began to feel guilty about posting my "Another lovely day in Loja" pictures on Facebook. I shudder to think I might be becoming a better person in my old age...?  Nah!  There is a secondary reason for that as well of course. We love the fact that there are so few expats in Loja that we are required to speak Spanish every day. As we see America sliding more and more into anger and chaos every day, the idea that hordes of them might suddenly come to their collective senses and decide to move here is a prospect we don't even want to entertain. So we are trying to keep quiet about how much we enjoying ourselves. You can help us out by telling people you know, that you've heard horrible things about life in Ecuador and you know a couple of people who live there who are suffering badly. Thanks for that. Of course, you, yourself are more than welcome to join us. Just sssssshh!

So now that the Covid thing seems to under control here, for the time being, with zero cases in the hospital, things are feeling more normal. Sharon is getting out hiking once or twice a week and is going to start teaching yoga classes at her old gym next week. Luckily for me the question, "Do you want to come hiking with me?" has not, as yet, crossed her lips. I do keep a secret calendar hidden away and surprisingly I always seem to have things to do on her hiking days. This sometimes requires a bit of quick thinking and invention on my part. After all, clipping the dogs nails or getting a haircut, are excuses that are only good once a month. And overuse could result in baldness! But this is South America, and, in a pinch, claiming a touch of upset stomach "from something I ate" will usually get me off the hook. I dread the day when Covid is over and I can no longer claim I have to stay home because I am so old that a case of Covid in Argentina I read about is a threat to my fragile health. Any new suggestions that will keep me sitting at home on my boney butt will be gratefully accepted.

Admit it, you would much rather see this picture of a gorgeous happy young woman doing what she loves, than one of a wizened curmudgeon,  obviously making everyone around him miserable with his constant complaining about having to trudge up  another hill that looks exactly like the last four he just climbed. I rest my case.

Next month is the big arts festival here, with music, street performers, bands, concerts et al, for two solid weeks. Performers and artists are coming from all over South America. Everyone here is looking forward to it, especially after being locked up for so long. Now that I will get off my backside for, and I will post at length about all the goings on. A good reason for you to come back soon and visit the blog, knowing that there might actually be something interesting to see for a change. So, thanks for coming by, it was a pleasure to see you again, but I'm afraid I have to go now. The cat's claws need trimming.

A New Reality

       

    We were at a dinner with some friends the other night to welcome a couple who had just arrived from the States and were busy setting up their new apartment here in Loja. As the evening progressed and I listened to everyone talking about where they had come from, and how they were enjoying their new life here in Ecuador, I was struck by my own lack of perception or introspection about what was going on in our lives.

   The pandemic has turned everything on it’s head for everyone, but it has been particularly jarring for us I think. At least for me. Our journey here was never supposed to be leaving home forever. It was simply a new adventure, and it has definitely been that, but not in the way I expected. When we left Canada it was to continue our exploration of different cultures and different places maybe for one last time before, as I put it at the time, “I have to start wearing a diaper.” I have to admit that not a lot of introspection went into what the ultimate goals were, or how long this latest adventure was going to last. Were we going to be out here until Sharon had to dig a hole for me somewhere? Or were we going to go back to the frozen North when we decided we had had enough. Those discussions never happened. And sitting at dinner the other evening I suddenly realized that, whether I liked it or not, circumstances have made a lot of choices for us while we weren’t looking. While we were just trying to avoid Covid, a lot of other things were changing for us as well.

   Firstly, it has become fairly evident that our “home and native land” is rapidly becoming a place we can no longer afford, even if we decided we wanted to go back. Being debt free in comfortable surroundings has become addictive. Oh I can hear you, and I am well aware that my profligate ways in my misspent youth are the direct cause of the four digit bank balance I now enjoy, and not the seven or eight digit one I would need to live this way in Canada. Do I regret my youthful choices? No, but had I known that at this point in my life, my options were going to be; Ecuador or an old refrigerator box on the downtown east side in Vancouver, I would have at least paused for a moment before deciding that it was still better to be the grasshopper than the ant. But every day I thank Ecuador for being here to save my sorry …backside.

Secondly, I have become accustomed to predictably decent weather these past 18 months, Having the occasionally gloomy rainy day every few weeks is a giant leap up from the five months of doom that the Vancouver winter provides. The dog used to look at me with his, “please, can we go outside just for a minute!” Now he looks at me with his, “What?!! we’re going walking again?”

But I have to admit that at that dinner the other night it came as a shock to realize that some fairly important decisions had been made by circumstances while I was engaged in my usual hobby of  just looking out the window thinking of nothing. And that means there needs to be a whole re-evaluation of what’s happening here. Turns out we are no longer visiting here, we are home. This is where we live. At least for the foreseeable future. Who knew? Well of course I should have, and, with that in mind, I need to start looking around me with the eyes of a resident and not the fleeting gaze of a tourist. I have travelled all over the world my whole life, but always with the knowledge that I was Canadian and that's where I would eventually turn up my toes. This new reality is a whole different head space to absorb, and some considerable mental adjustment will have to take place over the next little while.  So, you, dear reader, will have to give me a moment to adjust and, when I have digested this new reality, I’ll get back to you. No doubt with some blinding flash of perception that will change your life forever. Until then, just wear the dam mask will you. At least then I'll have someone to share emails with!