Don't Try This at Home

July 7, 2010

Is this even safe??!

I am sitting here on the balcony of the Hosteria Isramar, watching this guy from the electric company fix a transformer. I don’t know much about these things, but I’m pretty concerned about the way he has the metal ladder leaning against the wire. 

The power went out about an hour ago (not unusual, but today it is only this block and not area wide).  The power seems to go out several times a week around here, usually for only a couple of hours, though there was one day when it was out for 8 hours or so.





We’ve been staying at Hosteria Isramar for almost a week while guests are in our house and we are very comfortable here. Doris (the proprietress) keeps this place spic and span; the room we are in is on the cozy side of small and includes breakfast for $25 a night (rates vary according to demand and season). It also comes with a bano privado (private bathroom) and “hot” water shower.

Hosteria Isramar - Olon

Most local hostels that advertise hot water showers are using an electrical attachment device
(attached to the WET shower head) to heat the water. Most of these heat the water to lukewarm at best, and whatever you do, don’t try and adjust/touch that thing while bathing.

We’ve had a nice time here, especially the time we’ve spent on Hosteria Isramar’s balcony, relaxing, playing cards and backgammon, and looking for whales
(it’s whale season now).

The newlywed guests in our house, Brian and Lara, are here for ten days. They are a fun, wholesome young couple.  He's in med school, and she's got a degree in health education.  They want to live abroad once he gets out of school, and work in local communities. They are the perfect pair to do that.  He's - by the way - from Kansas (Parkville), so we had a good time swapping stories about our favorite KC places to eat (Kansas City is my hometown).  They live in St. Louis now, but are moving to Columbus after the trip (he's doing his med work at Mizzou).

Tonight we are all fixing dinner at our house; Kelly and boys will be joining us. This morning Brian and Lara were attempting to make cheesecake with the limited ingredients available here. Philly Cheese is easy to find, but locating sour cream nearby is another matter. Their attempt to make sour cream from scratch did not meet with success, so they were on to plan B using a different cheesecake recipe.

It's fun getting to know our guests in person, and Todd and I are grateful for the opportunity.