Playing With My Kindle

October 23, 2012

Todd and I were in Cuenca a couple of weeks ago (for a week). This is our seventh trip to Cuenca since the end of April for extensive dental work we needed (and our final dental work completed *).  We have enjoyed every one of our trips to the city. It’s a 6-7 hour journey from Olón via bus to Guayaquil ($5.50 pp) and then a shuttle van to Cuenca from there ($12-15 pp). I’m sure we’ll still make regular visits, though our dental work is done. On this trip we also had scheduled appointments with lawyers, a “wellness-check” doctor’s appointment for Todd **, and a hair appointment for me.  


We stayed at the Inca Real Hotel, as usual –our “home away from home” when we go to Cuenca. It’s conveniently located near Parque Caldron, the staff treats us royally there, and they’ve always given us a generous discount because of our many weekly stays there.


Todd and I with Íme, one of our

favorite friends at Inca Real,

who is moving to a new job shortly.

Ecuador is the rose capital of the world,

and this bountiful bouquet of roses

cost $6 at the nearby flower market.

As it turns out, many of our Olón neighbors were also in Cuenca that same week; Doug and Pam were there to oversee the remodel of their new townhouse in Cuenca; Barb and Robert (from nearby Curia) were there to take care of business too, and our new Jardines de Olón neighbors Steve and Beckey (who bought Randy and Fonda’s house) were in Cuenca as well. 
 

 
But we didn’t see much of them, because Todd and I spent most of the time in bed sick with “la gripe”. The flu seems to go around every October (this is our 3^rd October here, and we’ve yet to escape it). Todd had it the week before we left, and was still recovering – I came down with it just as we arrived in Cuenca. It usually lasts a week or two. We were sick the whole time in Cuenca (with just enough energy to make it to scheduled appointments, and then back to bed).
The kind and friendly staff at Inca Real considerately brought us plenty of hot Limón and honey tea to our room frequently (the most common and effective remedy here for influenza), and fresh towels daily.

But there was NO WAY I was going to miss my hair appointment. I usually get it “done” in Montanita. Since I wear my hair long (and usually up in a ponytail), I don’t need a sophisticated cut, but do require a regular color job to get rid of the gray roots. Shortly before we went to Cuenca, I tried a different/cheaper gal in Montanita. I’ve always joked that the hairdressers in Montanita could turn my hair pink for all I care, as long as the gray is gone.
...That I could live with…
But this new gal did something worse….she turned it an “ash” color.  I don’t “do” ash – it was an awful color on me, and I was determined to get it fixed while we were in Cuenca. As sick as I was, I wasn’t missing that appointment even if I had to go dragging a glucose drip bag wheeled on a long pole attached to me.

I was very pleased with the results. **
 

About the only other commitment I was able to make while in Cuenca was to join our friends Doug & Pam, Barb & Robert, our Cuenca friend Regina P. for dinner one night at “Tiesto’s”. Todd was down for the count that night with the flu, and I didn’t have much of an appetite, but rallied (with the help of gobs of ibuprofen and a glass of wine) to join them for a while. Tiesto’s is really a special treat (pricey, but awesome food, served personally by Chef Juan Carlos Solano). Go with friends and with a healthy appetite.



Robert, Barb, Doug,
Pam & Regina

On the Sunday, the night before we left for Cuenca, we celebrated the 2^nd birthday of our little friend and neighbor, Sebastian. Sebastian is the son of Vincente and Tomasa, who are the proprietors of local tienda and hang-out – Johanita’s. Birthdays are a big deal around here, especially for the little kids. They held it at the tienda, and it was a fun mix of gringos and Ecuadorians.

We danced, we drank beer, and all of us took a shot at the piñata.





Sebastian



 

 

 

 

  

Steve, Rebecca & Will
and Todd with the balloon head.

 
And the recently instigated gringo Saturday lunch and Wednesday night gringo get-togethers have really taken off, mostly thanks to the dedicated efforts of fun ex-pats Dave and Heather (who live in Ayangue, about 20 minutes south of Olón, by car). In the last year, the number of permanent ex-pats in our area has soared, with a bunch more in the process of arriving in the next 6 months or so.

Usually the Saturday lunches are at Tito and Hannah’s cabana on the Olón beach (though recently because of our dreary weather, we’ve been doing pot-luck lunches at various homes). Wednesday night gatherings are usually in Montanita – generally at Por Que No – where T.J. (of Casa del Sol)  is showcasing some of his new micro-brews (a great, new and welcome concept here. See their Montañita Brewing Company Facebook page.

 

These are fun get-togethers and a great place to exchange information (many of us are in the process of getting ready to build/in the process of building/have built), or navigating the resident visa process here, or learning the language, and other useful tidbits.  There’s a nice bunch of people here.

We’ve tried to make it to most of these, but I’m still feeling really shitty. This year’s flu has been more virulent for me than in the past.  Earlier today, I finally went to the local Olón doctor (Dr. Edgar, next to the park), who doesn’t speak much ingles, but I like him a lot, and he’s good for these type of common ailments. He had all the prescriptions I needed on hand (the walk-in check-up, including the antibiotics and pain-relieving 'scripts cost $20). In the last 4-5 hours,  I am already starting to finally feel better. I’ve pretty much spent the last 3 weeks in bed – too lethargic to do anything more than lay there and play with my new Kindle that Doug and Pam brought back to me after a recent trip to the USA.

 

*  With Dr. Juan Fernando Vega (of the Clinica Dental Vega), and we’ve been very pleased with the results. He is gentle, speaks ingles, and is a perfectionist. We feel confident recommending him. And the cost for all these dental procedures (including oral surgery) has cost us about a quarter to a third of USA prices. His email is: juanfervega@hotmail.com

** He made the appointment after we arrived, was in to see the doctor the next day ($30 consultation fee). The doctor filled out a lab form with over 3 dozen routine blood and urine tests for Todd to take to the lab the next morning (lab tests - $34), which were then emailed to the doctor the same day, and a final (free) consultation regarding the results with the doctor later on that day.

*** I asked some of my Cuenca friends for referrals, and ended up going to Ignacio at the “Sojo Spa”. He did a great job with both the color and cut for $40.