Dooglish

July 3, 2011

Okee-dokey…so this is Ecuador…A couple of examples lately:

• An electricity bill comes in showing a June 5 generation date, a due date of June 20 but not delivered from utility folks until June 30.
• Maybe it's just me, but there really truly is a “catching a bus” jinx along the Ruta here…..No matter which direction you want to go (North or South)….guaranteed – GUARANTEED – you will see one or two buses (or cheap taxi’s*) heading in your desired direction before you can sprint across the Olon soccer field (or get waylaid at the Montanita bus stop bakery) before you can catch it, and have to wait sometimes around 15 minutes for the next one. This is especially true if you are in a hurry, need to go to the bathroom, or are carrying a very heavy load.

Jack & Me -Sept 2007
After a wade in the ocean

My brother, Jack, who bought a home in Jardines de Olon (along with several other partners, and who introduced us to this area) was recently here for a couple of weeks, along with “Big Deck” Doug (married to Pam). He has been nicknamed “Big Deck” after a humorous night on their beach balcony, but also because one of the other partners is also named Doug, and we call him “Uncle Doug” to distinguish the two of them. Most of the locals around here refer to “Big Deck” as “Dooglish” (“Douglas”, and have much respect for him, as do we gringos).

Pam ("Precious") & Dooglish

"Uncle" Doug doesn’t come here often, is a very private person, and loves lots of gadgets, electronics, and boy toys, which he brings and leaves here on his infrequent visits….It doesn’t help that ANOTHER expat gringo named “Doug” lives up the road just north of us and Todd and I call him “Georgia" Doug ...When we first met our expat friend Sitara ("Go for a Ride?") and she mentioned that her boss (based in North America) was also named “Doug”,  I thought……”oh geez….we need another Doug around here like we need another “Doug”)….we are running out of “Doug” nicknames.



Rocky & Elizabeth

Also in this last week Rocky and Elizabeth arrived from South Carolina. Their house is the southernmost (of three) houses directly on the beach in the Jardines de Olon. Beth has a huge heart towards animals, is very actively involved in animal rescue and sterilization in her hometown, and deserves all credit for convincing us to adopt Daisy a year ago. For both Todd and me, Daisy has been such a joyful companion to have along this journey. As “luck” would have it, the Proteccion Animal Ecuador happened to schedule a visit here ($10 to sterilize a dog / $5 for a cat) one day in our park while she has been here. That’s pretty darn, darn cheap. Quality medicos from Quito were here to perform the procedures.

Interestingly, many locals were resistant to take advantage of this “cheap” opportunity to sterilize their animals. And not because of moral objections.

Daisy - June 2011
Thank the good Lord
 she has been spayed.

While $5-10 may not seem like much to many folks reading this, that is generally more than many locals can afford for their pets. So Beth took it upon herself to offer not only financial assistance that day, but also walked the town with a local friend – going door to door – handing out flyers.

This is about the second or third time each of the aforementioned family/friends/neighbors have made the trip here since December, and there are several funny stories about those trips that I will re-visit in later posts.

* An “official” taxi from Montanita taxi stand to Olon (or calling for a driver pick up from Olon to Montanita, in particularly at night) costs $1.50 door TO door.  On the other hand, we have discovered/learned that many “taxi’s” hailed along the road only cost the same as the 25 cent bus fee per person….It’s a little bit sketchy at first to figure out which are the cheap taxi’s, but generally the rule of thumb: the car is beat up looking, there are other people in it (being picked up along the Ruta highway along the way until everyone is crammed in) costs only 25 cents per person. I have never felt scared jumping into one of these alone (even at night and with only guys sharing the ride) Occasionally I suspect that one or two tires may be lacking tread and we are riding on the rims or the break pads are on the thin side. Fortunately most of these drivers go much slower than the maniac bus drivers.  And almost without exception, these drivers are kind and friendly.

Also an update on the accident victims mentioned a few posts back: all that survived are out of the hospital now, with the exception of Pedro from Curia. Pedro was one of our first local friends here four years ago, whom we met when he was driving a cab, and shared many a beer with us over the years, either at our place or his. He is still essentially in a coma, though making progress; however (as near as we can understand from his family, whom we also know, it sounds like he may be in a wheel-chair for the rest of his life, if he makes it that far). That is going to be a huge hardship on their family, as well as a couple of other families whose main caregiver died in that calamity. 
          

Pedro'syoungest (?)
daughter
May 2009