Day 4: Margaritaville (12/1/09)
Woke up early and uncomfortable. The 8 hour drive the previous day really roughed up my back. Elsa was making breakfast for us, so I hurried to their condo. It was simple but good, just boiled eggs and toast.
After breakfast I got a chance to call my parents. It was only 7:30 in Portland (I guess there's a 3 hour time difference). My parents answered, but were still half asleep. It was really good to get to talk to them, even if it was brief. Before the call to my parents I hadn't been able to communicate at all. It was exciting for me to have a few emails waiting for me to read.
I really wish I could send/receive real mail here. I can send mail, but in order to do so I have to ride the bus to another town (San Vincente) and then take a ferry to a second town (Bahia). All of the mail for this area goes through the post office in Bahia.
After emailing I went back to my apartment and got ready for a trip to San Vincente. Elsa made lunch for us and then we headed to the market in San V. In Ecuador, you can't drink the water, so one of the first things we picked up was a big water jug (the kind that go in those office water dispensers). The market is where you go for produce and a few other items, everything else you buy at the grocery store. Once we stocked up on what we would need for about a week, we headed back to the condos to unload the truck.
Elsa's daughter Camila's school got cancelled for two days because most of the other parents hadn't paid their monthly bill. Camila was home and trying to keep herself busy. She begged us to go swimming, I agreed. Camila, Brigitte (the maintenance family's youngest daughter), Brent, and I went down to the ocean to swim. The water is pretty warm, but because it was so hot outside it felt cold anyway. There were a lot of pretty strong waves. It was a lot of fun. Unfortunately, Brent got stung or bit by something after just getting in and decided that Camila shouldn't swim in the ocean for a while (there had apparently been a lot of people getting stung recently). After the ocean we swam in the pool for a while and then got ready to head to Canoa (the other nearby town).
We did some more shopping in Canoa for things like milk, yogurt, and bread, then headed to "Margaritaville". "Margaritaville" is a cabana on the beach in Canoa that Elsa and Brent run. It's basically a burger shack. They're not actually opening it this season because they haven't been making enough money to make it worth it. We headed to "Coco Loco" another gringo owned business to visit the owners (I guess Brent and Elsa have become close acquaintances with them).
When we got back to the condos Margaret and I set up a DVD player and ate cheeseburgers. We watched "Shall We Dance" and then I went to bed.
After breakfast I got a chance to call my parents. It was only 7:30 in Portland (I guess there's a 3 hour time difference). My parents answered, but were still half asleep. It was really good to get to talk to them, even if it was brief. Before the call to my parents I hadn't been able to communicate at all. It was exciting for me to have a few emails waiting for me to read.
I really wish I could send/receive real mail here. I can send mail, but in order to do so I have to ride the bus to another town (San Vincente) and then take a ferry to a second town (Bahia). All of the mail for this area goes through the post office in Bahia.
After emailing I went back to my apartment and got ready for a trip to San Vincente. Elsa made lunch for us and then we headed to the market in San V. In Ecuador, you can't drink the water, so one of the first things we picked up was a big water jug (the kind that go in those office water dispensers). The market is where you go for produce and a few other items, everything else you buy at the grocery store. Once we stocked up on what we would need for about a week, we headed back to the condos to unload the truck.
Elsa's daughter Camila's school got cancelled for two days because most of the other parents hadn't paid their monthly bill. Camila was home and trying to keep herself busy. She begged us to go swimming, I agreed. Camila, Brigitte (the maintenance family's youngest daughter), Brent, and I went down to the ocean to swim. The water is pretty warm, but because it was so hot outside it felt cold anyway. There were a lot of pretty strong waves. It was a lot of fun. Unfortunately, Brent got stung or bit by something after just getting in and decided that Camila shouldn't swim in the ocean for a while (there had apparently been a lot of people getting stung recently). After the ocean we swam in the pool for a while and then got ready to head to Canoa (the other nearby town).
We did some more shopping in Canoa for things like milk, yogurt, and bread, then headed to "Margaritaville". "Margaritaville" is a cabana on the beach in Canoa that Elsa and Brent run. It's basically a burger shack. They're not actually opening it this season because they haven't been making enough money to make it worth it. We headed to "Coco Loco" another gringo owned business to visit the owners (I guess Brent and Elsa have become close acquaintances with them).
When we got back to the condos Margaret and I set up a DVD player and ate cheeseburgers. We watched "Shall We Dance" and then I went to bed.
Day 5: Manantial (12/2/09)
It's hard to believe it's already December. I feel like the last bit of summer through most of November flew by.
I feel like I'm adjusting a bit everyday and that things are getting a bit more comfortable.
I tossed and turned most of last night and forced myself to sleep in a bit today. When I pryed myself out of bed (around 11) Margaret was gone. She had left some pancake mix out for me though. I headed to Elsa's to return the movie and borrow a spatula. Elsa, Brent and Camila were all surprised to see me. They thought that I had gone in to one of the towns or something. Camila is used to waking up at 6am for school and I think Brent and Elsa usually get up by about 8, so me sleeping until 11 was weird for them.
They had planned to picnic today, but Brent was getting anxious to eat, so he suggested I skip pancakes and we eat our lunch then head to Manantial (a coastal town almost an hour north).
So, I found Margaret (she had gone for a walk on the beach) and we got ready. For lunch Elsa made some seasoned chicken and rice. After eating we piled in to the truck.
We had to stop for gas on the way and we all got ice cream bars, while Brent filled the truck.
Manantial is another fishing town, but is more serious about fishing than most of Canoa is. Canoa is mostly filled with people that work long enough to afford to party for about a month and then get jobs again when they're broke (or at least that's what I'm told).
When we got to Manantial we changed into our swim suits and set up some chairs and a blanket under a hut. The ocean looked very calm for the most part, but then huge waves would seem to just appear near the shore. The wind was strong, but it was a nice relief from the hot sun.
Camila, Brent and I went swimming for a while. The waves were so intense that we didn't dare go out much because we probably wouldn't have made it back.
There were a lot of fishing boats in the water. Most were motor boats, but there were a few sail boats. Watching the motor boats come back on to land was the most exciting part. They start going very fast and ride big waves and then skate up the sand into a leafy hut.
When we were done swimming and lounging I went in search of a bathroom. Margaret said she had found one down the road a bit, but that the man tried to charge her $1 and not even give her toilet paper (he ended up charging her $.50). Elsa decided to come with me and the man only charged us $.20 each and gave us toilet paper. After the bathroom trip we piled in to the car again and headed down the beach a ways. We parked and then continued on foot for a while, trying to find shells etc to bring back to the condos (Camila, Elsa and Brent call it treasure hunting).
There were a good number of birds here, but basically only two types. One small all black kind with long tails that hopped around on the sand and large mostly black (with some white underneath) with long forked tails that flew above populated areas. I also saw a vulture.
After getting back and showering off, Margaret made some dinner. Pork chops and potatoes. The pork chops looked a little pink still to me and I got paranoid, so I had leftover cheeseburger instead. When everything was cleaned up from dinner Margaret and I sat and talked a while.
We decided that tomorrow we would sweep and mop and do other cleaning. Margaret is eagerly awaiting the arrival of her husband (Jack), I think. He's going to fly in to Quito on the 17th and then on the 18th fly from there to Manta and we'll meet him there. I'm looking forward to the trip to Manta because it's quite a bit bigger than where we are now.
I feel like I'm adjusting a bit everyday and that things are getting a bit more comfortable.
I tossed and turned most of last night and forced myself to sleep in a bit today. When I pryed myself out of bed (around 11) Margaret was gone. She had left some pancake mix out for me though. I headed to Elsa's to return the movie and borrow a spatula. Elsa, Brent and Camila were all surprised to see me. They thought that I had gone in to one of the towns or something. Camila is used to waking up at 6am for school and I think Brent and Elsa usually get up by about 8, so me sleeping until 11 was weird for them.
They had planned to picnic today, but Brent was getting anxious to eat, so he suggested I skip pancakes and we eat our lunch then head to Manantial (a coastal town almost an hour north).
So, I found Margaret (she had gone for a walk on the beach) and we got ready. For lunch Elsa made some seasoned chicken and rice. After eating we piled in to the truck.
We had to stop for gas on the way and we all got ice cream bars, while Brent filled the truck.
Manantial is another fishing town, but is more serious about fishing than most of Canoa is. Canoa is mostly filled with people that work long enough to afford to party for about a month and then get jobs again when they're broke (or at least that's what I'm told).
When we got to Manantial we changed into our swim suits and set up some chairs and a blanket under a hut. The ocean looked very calm for the most part, but then huge waves would seem to just appear near the shore. The wind was strong, but it was a nice relief from the hot sun.
Camila, Brent and I went swimming for a while. The waves were so intense that we didn't dare go out much because we probably wouldn't have made it back.
There were a lot of fishing boats in the water. Most were motor boats, but there were a few sail boats. Watching the motor boats come back on to land was the most exciting part. They start going very fast and ride big waves and then skate up the sand into a leafy hut.
When we were done swimming and lounging I went in search of a bathroom. Margaret said she had found one down the road a bit, but that the man tried to charge her $1 and not even give her toilet paper (he ended up charging her $.50). Elsa decided to come with me and the man only charged us $.20 each and gave us toilet paper. After the bathroom trip we piled in to the car again and headed down the beach a ways. We parked and then continued on foot for a while, trying to find shells etc to bring back to the condos (Camila, Elsa and Brent call it treasure hunting).
There were a good number of birds here, but basically only two types. One small all black kind with long tails that hopped around on the sand and large mostly black (with some white underneath) with long forked tails that flew above populated areas. I also saw a vulture.
After getting back and showering off, Margaret made some dinner. Pork chops and potatoes. The pork chops looked a little pink still to me and I got paranoid, so I had leftover cheeseburger instead. When everything was cleaned up from dinner Margaret and I sat and talked a while.
We decided that tomorrow we would sweep and mop and do other cleaning. Margaret is eagerly awaiting the arrival of her husband (Jack), I think. He's going to fly in to Quito on the 17th and then on the 18th fly from there to Manta and we'll meet him there. I'm looking forward to the trip to Manta because it's quite a bit bigger than where we are now.
Day 6: Cleaning Day (12/3/09)
Today I woke up on a mission to get my laundry done. I gathered everything together, just to find out that the water was off. The power and water seem to go off at some of the most inopportune times here.
Margaret came in shortly after my discovery about the water. She had been on the phone with her husband. She made us some crepes and we smothered them with cream cheese, jam, and Nutella. We talked for a while then headed to Elsa and Brent's.
The water had come back on just after going to E&B's, so I grabbed my laundry and threw it in the wash. Margaret, Elsa, and Brent went in to Canoa to pick up a few things, but I stayed behind and sent emails. I was just setting up my blog and writing my first post when the power went out. The power goes out everyday for at least 3 hours. Usually, it goes out from 1-4 or 2-5, but occasionally it goes out around 6am and then goes out again in the afternoon.
After some lunch and some more cleaning I went for a swim in the pool with Camila. She gets home from school around 2 everyday, because school starts around 7. We swam for a long while and then Brent came to tell us dinner was about ready.
For dinner we had fish, rice and cucumber/tomato salad. The fish Brent had picked up in Manantial the day before. It was called "wa hoo" (I have no idea how they spell it). Elsa had sliced it very thinly and covered it in a lime/mustard dressing and then dipped it in flour and pan fried it. It was very good. By far the best thing we've eaten since landing in Ecuador. For dessert Brent made mango, papaya, peach, vodka slushies.
We played three games of Chinese checkers and then I headed back to the apartment and Margaret called her husband. On my way back to the apartment someone in the courtyard-like area near the pool shot a rifle. The shot was followed by loud conversation and a lot of laughing. I hadn't realized people were even still out there, so the loud noise startled me. It was just a drunk Ecuadorian who was on the condo association. There was a group of them there for a long weekend.
I watched "Sideways" then covered my mosquito bites with Caladryl and promptly fell asleep.
Margaret came in shortly after my discovery about the water. She had been on the phone with her husband. She made us some crepes and we smothered them with cream cheese, jam, and Nutella. We talked for a while then headed to Elsa and Brent's.
The water had come back on just after going to E&B's, so I grabbed my laundry and threw it in the wash. Margaret, Elsa, and Brent went in to Canoa to pick up a few things, but I stayed behind and sent emails. I was just setting up my blog and writing my first post when the power went out. The power goes out everyday for at least 3 hours. Usually, it goes out from 1-4 or 2-5, but occasionally it goes out around 6am and then goes out again in the afternoon.
After some lunch and some more cleaning I went for a swim in the pool with Camila. She gets home from school around 2 everyday, because school starts around 7. We swam for a long while and then Brent came to tell us dinner was about ready.
For dinner we had fish, rice and cucumber/tomato salad. The fish Brent had picked up in Manantial the day before. It was called "wa hoo" (I have no idea how they spell it). Elsa had sliced it very thinly and covered it in a lime/mustard dressing and then dipped it in flour and pan fried it. It was very good. By far the best thing we've eaten since landing in Ecuador. For dessert Brent made mango, papaya, peach, vodka slushies.
We played three games of Chinese checkers and then I headed back to the apartment and Margaret called her husband. On my way back to the apartment someone in the courtyard-like area near the pool shot a rifle. The shot was followed by loud conversation and a lot of laughing. I hadn't realized people were even still out there, so the loud noise startled me. It was just a drunk Ecuadorian who was on the condo association. There was a group of them there for a long weekend.
I watched "Sideways" then covered my mosquito bites with Caladryl and promptly fell asleep.
hey, its actually me (mom) that signed up not john, but jojamaka is always john. You have a few days to catch up, but it's great to read your posts. I'm going to give the blog address to others. Wiil send you an email, too. Sounds like you need to make dinner one of these days. How lucky for you to have Brent and Elsa.
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