Go For a Ride?

April 28, 2011



Photo Courtesy of Sitara



We’ve been back in our house since around the first of March; we reserved the month to ourselves to enjoy being home for awhile, and it’s been a treat after almost 5 months of living in a rented apartment. It’s just nice to be in our own bed, putter in our own garden, take care of the little chores that all houses require, and be close to the beach again.

But during the busy season (which started for us in mid-October when we moved to the apartment) Todd and I did have many wonderful opportunities to meet and/or get to know better so many interesting people (locals and tourists alike).



Sitara, me, and docs
back in November





Back of Bubba's head,
Sitara and Joanie.

One gal that Todd and I became very fond of is Sitara. She is a Norte Americana, but has spent the better part of the last 12 years in Latin/South America, speaks the language fluently, is intelligent and independent, amply accomplished in several specialized fields of interest. She landed in Ecuador not too long after Todd and I moved to the apartment, and she and I struck up a conversation while sitting at adjoining tables in a Montanita café  one afternoon. She was looking for a place live for awhile, and ended renting a cute house in the same local neighborhood a few doors down from our apartment. We all became great friends (as she did with many people around here – a beautiful and generous woman inside and out).  It’s a little tough to write this now, because Sitara just left this week for the States to be with family for an indefinite time. There were several going away parties for her, and Sit, when you read this, know that you are missed (sniff).

Susanna and German Mike
at Sitara's going away party





Rene, artisan and owner of the

Spondylus Shell Art Gallery and Jewlery Store in Montanita.

A man of many talents, who joined in the impromtu jam session at the party.

I don't believe they have a dedicated website, but the above link is very informative




Joanie and Bubba



Rene and Gloria

Viktors of Latvia
with Todd on the beach

We had a Latvian family stay at our house during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. They were a nice, friendly bunch, although at times there were a few language barriers. They didn’t speak much Spanish, we obviously don’t speak any Slavic dialect, but their English was pretty good and they were an enjoyable group to have around the neighborhood. Plus, they left a ton of great tabloids and books (including all three of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium series – in hardback). Which would have been a bit more thrilling for me if they weren’t all written (we think) in a Finish dialect that not even German Mike (who speaks four languages, including Russian) can identify…But I think our book exchange library may now have cornered the market on this Scandinavian reading material in case anyone is looking for it.

Karen & Randy Kimbler

Me & Karen
(Finally, we get to meet!)





 

Karen, Randy, Chuck (he and his wife Nancy also write an

entertaining blog "Nancy and Chuck - Retirement in Ecuador")

and Rox and Bob who live nearby, and write an

informative blog: "BobnRox"





We did have the house to ourselves for the first couple of weeks in December, and alternated between the apartment and our home, but generally enjoyed staying in Jardines during most of that time to relax and prepare for the onslaught of family, friends, and visitors arriving for the Christmas, New Year’s , February- April holidays. During that time, we had the pleasure of a visit from expats Karen and Randy Kimbler (from Northwest U.S. and now living in Cuenca) who came to stay with us for a day and night. Karen writes an entertaining and enlightening blog “Kimbler’s Exit to Ecuador”  that details their experience of moving to Cuenca, Ecuador, (I’m a fan) and I really looked forward to spending time with them in person. We weren’t disappointed – they were an interesting, intelligent, adventurous, open-minded couple to hang with.

We had a wonderful time with them, and we look forward to anytime we have an opportunity to spend with them next.

Chuck, Randy, and Karen

Robert and Barb

In January we had several different groups stay in our house (and other rentals that Todd offers) – all fun groups, and one family in our house were repeat customers whom we have enjoyed in the past. We also had a chance to get to know Barb and Robert, guests (and now friends) in our home in January during their adventure here, and they purchased a darling beach front home in Curia (the next town north of Olon) while they were here. More on that later.

February we had several easygoing and pleasurable couples from Canada staying together at the house,  They were also an adventuresome gang and spent time exploring various areas of Ecuador during their stay. They seemed to ease right into the Ecuadorian tranquillo lifestyle after a few days. Thank goodness, because in the 24 hours we had to prepare for their check in, everything that could have gone wrong…did... DID go wrong….I mean like the previous guests left a mess, the power was out for the 15 hours prior, and our apartment flooded with 3 inches of water around a half hour before they arrived. Once again, another story, but one I am still too traumatized to go into detail now.

There is a lot more I want to and will write more about the folks we got to know during this time, but for now, I’ll leave it at this.

No, that is not a cigarette dangling
from Daisy's mouth. It's a "chewy"

On a more current note, we have found a visiting vet for Daisy (Dr. Byron) that has just begun to see her on a regular basis, and we have a lot of confidence in him. She had a disturbing lip growth that he removed, he checked out her still intact female organs (despite being sterile now), and started the inoculations she needs. There are several other vets that make “house calls” to Olon that we can “vet” for (no pun intended), but we are happy for now with Dr. Byron’s qualifications and concern and care for Daisy.

She is also getting used to occasionally riding in a motor vehicle. The first time she had to get into an automobile was the night of the tsunami (when we took her with us to the hills), and it took both of us to lift her into the vehicle several times that night, much to her resistance.

Now, because we occasionally have use of “Big Deck Doug’s” truck, we have gotten her more used to “going for a ride” in the pick-up bed (not inside the cab).  She is starting to like better “going for rides", although we still need to lift her heavy butt into the pick-up bed every time.



No party is complete here without
music and dancing

One last dance, friend
Until we meet again.

Dog is as Dog Does

April 11, 2011

Daisy never did much cotton to CAT while we were living in the apartment, although I admit I became quite fond of her scrappy feline calico presence. CAT just cracked me up. She loved to be held, petted, especially on her tummy, and loved to be held lying on her back (which in my experience with cats is kinda weird). We never let her in the apartment; she drove us crazy because she was so “talky”, especially at meal times.

CAT wtih one of
her relatives or friends

 One of the funnier things was that CAT got pissed that we were letting Daisy inside and CAT figured out how to open screen door to get in…much to Daisy’s chagrin.

CAT tried to buddy up with Daisy, but Daisy was having nothing to do with that.  I think Daisy is just a little scared of cats. In Daisy’s younger days, she loved chasing cats, but I’m guessing a few of them got in a few well-placed clawed nose swipes during her “let’s hound cats” learning curve.

Daisy spent most nights with us at the apartment (breakfast and dinner included), but couldn’t wait to get back to her “hood” every morning and loved hanging around with all the fun folks staying in Jardines de Olon during the busy season. And honestly, all of our visitors were great with her too… We tried to make sure that all willing guests had a bag of dog food around, just in case she came around looking for a snack.

For awhile we left her “official” food bowls at Big Deck’s house since family and friends were there for most of December through March during the holidays (while we were at the apartment). That’s Daisy’s usual favorite house to hang out at (when we’re not home), because she can keep a sharp eye out on the beach, especially for the rogue beach donkeys and cows that dare to come around and threaten our well being.  One kind guest mentioned that Daisy was the “perfect vacation dog”.  Daisy loves everyone and everyone loves her – she is the ideal neighborhood ambassador and mascot.  In particular, Daisy became extremely fond of “Big Deck” Doug while he was here, and those two became the best of buddies. She also became enamored with my little brother Jack, who played and petted her, and teased her unmercifully.

Daisy is a well mannered dog. She’s just plain smart and independent – she needed to be. By the time we all discovered her hanging around Jardines, I guess she was around 6-7 months old. She knows she is not allowed in anyone’s house, she’s not a “barky” dog nor a “lickey” dog (though we are still trying to teach her some manners about sniffing peoples’ butts). Our guests have been good about only feeding her from a designated bowl at mealtimes - she’s NOT allowed TO BEG at tables, though she is not above trying occasionally (STRONGLY DISCOURAGED WITH ANY DOG HERE – Daisy or not).  She doesn’t usually jump on anyone (she’d better not) except when she’s really excited to see someone familiar and missed them – and please nip that in the bud with a good knee to her solar plexus if she tries it. She’s a big girl, and doesn’t always know her own strength.

A while back, on a drizzly December day, Todd and I took a walk south down to the Montanita Point with Daisy, and found a coveted Galapagos turtle washed in (coveted because they are already usually dead  and the shell of these things are treasured…but before they are ready to use or display, a lot of nasty, smelly, elbow-grease  work required after the vultures get done).We hid it in some tall grass near a more or less empty  stretch of beach and went to retrieve it around a week later with Oswaldo’s borrowed wheel barrel. 

Vultures had barely started eating it and its head and legs were dangling by rubbery skin. It smelled awful when we lifted the carcass into the barrel. We got about 20-40 ft with it, and then decided the chore might be easier/weigh much lighter if we used a couple of sharp beach rocks to chop off few the superfluous flesh fragments. That was a mistake, because between the dead turtle smell and plethora of maggots in wheelbarrow, we both tossed our cookies. We ended up letting the corpse wash back out to sea and we are pretty sure our neighbors would be grateful to know that we didn’t bring it back here to “cure’ it in one of our empty lots.

Daisy protecting us from the dangerous paper mache dinosaur effigy we burned on New Year´s Eve.

Crazy For You

April 6, 2011

One trait that all Ecuadorians seem to share is ingenuity – it’s one of the characteristics I love most about them. They have an uncanny ability to forge through just about any difficulty with solutions that are truly creative, resourceful, and practical.  They really know how to make the most use of what’s at hand. 



Scaffolding



This is especially true of many housing/road construction projects and car repairs I’ve seen, but also is evident in the many lovely ways their food (“comida típica”), culture and customs have evolved along this Pacific coastline which has been continuously settled for at least 5000 years.* Not to mention their broad knowledge and use of native plants for natural medicinal purposes.

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The rope in the forground is
serving as a temporary speed bump.

But the thing that tickles me most is how they manage and vie to squeeze as many folks as possible at any given time on one vehicle whether it’s a bus, taxi, or bike. The more affluent families own a motor -scooter and it never ceases to astonish me how many people they can squeeze on one.

From mid-October 2010 until the first of March this year, we sublet a friend’s apartment (east of the Ruta, on the calle de la lavenderia) while our beach house was –for the most part – occupied by vacationers during our busy season.  Generally speaking, it was a positive experience because we adored and knew all our local neighbors and liked the barrio, but it was an adjustment, nevertheless.

Most municipalities around here turn the city water off from around 10PM to 6AM (and sometimes for a couple of hours during the day) for conservation purposes. For those who have cisterns (as we do at our house), this is not an issue: water supply is continual and generally these interruptions go unnoticed, unless the electrical power goes out simultaneously, in which case pumping & heating devices are also neutered. 

Our apartment lacked a cistern and we were at mercy of the municipal water provisions. For the first couple of weeks, the kitchen faucet squealed loudly in any position we set it until we replaced the whole damn thing.  The advantage to that racket was that we always knew when the water came back on because of the fingernail on chalkboard sound emanating from the kitchen sink. In a way, the shrieking spigot noise served as an early warning system if one of us had accidently left a faucet turned on (you would be surprised how easy it is to inadvertently  leave a faucet turned to “on” position while the water is temporarily  “off”).

Then there was another night when I almost blew my head off - Wiley Coyote style -trying to light the unfamiliar propane oven.  Seriously, I am still trying to re-cultivate my eyebrows after that experience…. We were never able to take a decent hot shower there during our sojourn; it was waaaaay too small for the both of us; and the weather was crappy, cold, and unseasonably wet. ** We were essentially cooped up together 24/7 for a few months (but everyone around here was feeling that way by the end of November).

The street we lived on was perpetually muddy more often than not…. Almost daily we trudged through the muck (gloppy, sloppy, and slick as snot) to catch a bus, to do a load of wash at our house (outside utility room) a few times a week, and occasionally savor a hot shower at “Big Deck’s” temporarily vacant house (the one owned by my brother Jack, Doug and Pam, and a couple of other partners), or to take Daisy for a walk on the beach.

We bickered more than usual over our shared laptop time, whose trash turn it was, what or where to eat, and bathroom courtesies. ..And more often than not, we squabbled about which one of us was working harder to make this “dream” happen, because we were both working non-stop during this time and all too often in miserable moods.  My memory of this first “season” here is a blur of turnover preparation and cleaning activity, and Todd’s schedule was even more hectic. We were at least settled into one place for awhile during that time, without having to move around every couple of weeks. But I will admit, during this last Christmas season in particular, I envied my more settled friends who were enjoying snowy holiday traditions with their families.

In many other ways, we loved our time in that triplex apartment.  We saw an insane number of new, colorful birds in the more jungle environment (I put bread crumbs on our back wall early each morning to attract them and enjoyed watching them through the window while having coffee in bed), had more opportunity to converse in Spanish, met local people that we might not have gotten to know otherwise, and in general, had the chance to become more absorbed in the local community. And during the better times, because we were living much more simply, without a lot of material encumbrances or the usual taken-for-granted luxuries (like hot showers), we felt kind of like a couple of 19 year old kids sharing our first apartment (cinder block shelves included).

I mean, yes, we love our life here.  We live in a tropical ocean paradise (maybe not St. Bart’s, but still, naturally spectacular).  We get to meet interesting people from all over the world. We have a wonderful opportunity to immerse into an entirely new culture, and every day is a learning adventure.

But…but I would be remiss not to mention that moving to a different country causes considerable stress on even the best of relationships. Todd and I got married, moved to a new country, and adopted our new daughter Daisy within 30 days, so I suppose our more vociferous quarrels this first year are understandable. And yet, we have learned better how to shrug off the petty, handle with more humor and tolerance the delicate conversations and – this is my favorite – “only one of us gets to go crazy at a time”. ***

* According to most sources I know, but a knowledgeable friend of mine recently mentioned that he had read that possible Pre-Clovis artifacts have been discovered along our coastline.

* * The weather finally began to brighten in mid-December. Locals told us this was the longest, coldest winter in memory.

*** One of my favorite lines from a movie, but danged if I can remember which one.

What`s Up Doc?

March 26, 2011

It has been longer than usual since I last posted, and for that I apologize; Todd and I have been entertaining company, as well as preparing for several groups of vacationing guests arriving later this week (aside from our house, Todd also handles rental requests for a number of other part-time and local homeowners, and we have recently taken on property management duties for a couple of those).

Also, I am in a quandary. I write every day and originally thought it would not take me much time to edit my earlier notes and post accordingly to catch up to present day. But it seems that the faster I go the behind-er I get, and I am eager to post current events. Still, in order for my comments on “now” to make sense, I need to touch upon some happenings since November occasionally. My past narrative last left off with “Boose”, and I will be bouncing between then and now for awhile.

Bear with me as I figure out how to toggle between now and then.

Our beach on a
normal day

One last thing about the tsunami…Those waves never went past our normal high tide line (though there was one more additional alert sounded around 2AM our time – almost 24 hours after the Japanese earthquake – when our tide did get scarily sucked out further than normal in the dark – but with no resulting inland surge). 

However, the recent proximity of the moon generated huge waves that came further ashore than we’ve yet seen; a few nights ago the tide came all the way up to the beachfront cabanita restaurants (a good 25-30 feet past normal high tide) and I noticed that waves were "breaking right" (the Montanita side of the point is known for this, but I have never seen the waves “break right”* on our side).  Several locals told us these monster waves occur about twice a year, so maybe the moon’s nearness was only a small factor.  Unfortunately, I don’t have a good picture of the high tides because it was either dark or early, early morning (at least earlier than I generally arise).

A few nights ago I checked out a traveling bazaar that is set up near our town park for a few days. They were hawking everything from kettles to bras, and included an M.C. to liven things up (I am still not fluent enough in Spanish to understand a lot of what is said word for word, but he was demonstrating various items for sale, and it almost sounded to me like he was auctioning a few things as well – see the below video).  Much of the merchandise is not normally available locally, and I’m sure it’s a great convenience for those who would otherwise have to drive to Libertad/Salinas (cities 45 minutes-hour away) and lack adequate personal transportation to do so.



Recently, we also spent some time with a New York native visitor – Frank – who for the last 3 weeks stayed at a rental house in nearby Curia, owned by an Iowa friend of ours. We got acquainted with him through this blog, and really enjoyed getting the chance to know him better. One of the great things about living in this area is the opportunity to meet interesting travelers, and we certainly enjoyed getting to know Frank.  He also brought us paperbacks, a ton of Q-Tips (upon our request, because the Q-Tips here are relatively expensive and as sturdy as a strand of spaghetti) and he brought tabloids (next to bacon and hot chili peppers in jars, they are another thing I crave). NOT that I am hinting or anything……

Okay, so to go back a little…

Janie, Tom, Payal

We ended up having a GREAT time with the three doctors (Payal, Janie, and Tom) who are finishing up their residency at George Washington University and were here for a month last fall to do volunteer work at the Manglaralto clinic and for some much needed R&R. The weather was gloomy and drippy during their stay, but they were great sports about it. They dragged a twin bed mattress from the downstairs bedroom into the living room and made a comfy DVD watching “fort” on the floor in front of the TV for their down time. We ended doing a lot together, fixing dinners at our house, playing cards, and hanging around Montanita some evenings.  They were also great about letting me slip into our outside utility room to do our wash a couple of times a week, and we kind of became a big, happy family with our doctor “kids”. 

One night we all headed into Montanita for the evening and drank “Adios Mother F..kers” at a Bar Alley cocktail stand (“Galen´s” –our favorite) until we were adequately “adios-ed”.  Another morning we took an interesting trip up to a nearby hillside spa/retreat to find out more (ask questions) about the shamanic healing ceremonies they offer that include the"sacred" ayahuasca plant (Payal, Janie and Tom - if you are reading this, kids...remember that interesting little expedition?).

All in all, we had such a fun time with them that I felt bad about my initial sourpuss attitude about moving to the rental apartment earlier in the season than Todd and I anticipated.

One more thing....The other day, while walking across the soccer field on my way to catch the bus, I realized my shirt was inside out. Many a fashion faux pas can be committed here,but that is not one of them. Daisy sat with me while I waited for the bus for a half hour. Once I got on the bus (which thankfully wasn´t crowded) I went to the very back, where I dived underneath my seat and flipped my shirt around, barely getting it done before the money-guy came around.  **

* As seen from a surfer´s perspective from the ocean, waves generally veer to the left as they head towards the beach (at least along the Pacific shoreline). I might not be accurately informed about this, so feel free to correct me if I am wrong. But waves “breaking right” along our 8-mile stretch of beach is an unusual sight.

**  PS to Dr. Tom - I can`t find the copy of the “Daisy” group hug video you took when you all were leaving… If your cute, scrawny Chinese butt has time (inside joke, folks), please send it again.

Feet Don´t Fail Me Now 2

March 13, 2011

It has been two days since the earthquake in Japan and ensuing tsunami warnings along the Pacific Rim.  It was virtually impossible to get an internet connection after my last post that day* and yesterday saw us busy getting our home and Big Deck’s house back in order since we had moved all vulnerable electronics, furniture, books, etc. onto high counters or to upstairs rooms in both houses.  All outdoor items were moved inside, and we closed and shuttered windows.  Perhaps we took more precaution than was necessary, but we felt better safe than sorry – especially if the need to evacuate took on urgency.

Around 1:00 PM the day of the tsunami warning, most stores were closed; Montanita was deserted and we heard that police were closing all the roads except those leading into the hills.  We saw many, many locals loading up trucks and cycles with mattresses and other personal items.  Todd and German Mike took our neighbor Carlos, his wife Maria and their kids up to family’s house in the hills a few minutes away.  And as you can see from the adjoining pictures, they also took their mattress.

The view from
Barb & Robert´s patio

Todd had the chance to run up to Curia (a little town just north of Olon) to check on the adorable beachfront house recently purchased by our new friends, Barbara and Robert who live in Stanford (more on them later).  By this point we were fairly confident that the tsunami drama would probably be nothing more than higher than usual tides.  The news we were hearing about the waves’ impact (or should I say lack of it?) in Hawaii and along the California coast was encouraging, but Todd and I were still waiting for its collision with the Galapagos Islands before making a decision to vacate our neighborhood.

By 4:00 PM in the afternoon, I don’t think anyone around here was really that worried. And honestly, I think the atmosphere in town around then became almost festive.  Locals and gringos alike were packed, ready and encouraged to go to the hills and most did. A bunch of Montanita folks headed to the hillside Montanita Zip-line Canopy place and had a big tsunami party; locals and gringos headed to friends’ hillside homes and all of the higher elevation hotels were open and welcoming.  We did go up to “El Retiro” (a very nice hillside retreat near us) which was crowded with vehicles and local people in a generally jolly mood) but came back down to the beach around 9:00 PM feeling it was safe and wanting to keep an eye on our houses.  President Correa sounded a coastal all-clear some time after midnight, but I think a lot people stayed up in the hills until early morning.

 

I suppose there are some reading this that are nervous about tsunamis and may be having second thoughts about coming to Ecuador.  But where exactly do you go in this world where there aren’t natural disasters occasionally?

I grew up in Kansas...we had tornados there (I still love that weather….about the only Kansas weather I miss).  In Palm Springs, we had earthquakes (those will get your attention, for sure) and there are hurricanes and volcanoes and landslides and fires and floods and I don’t know…whatever. Wherever.

Are hearts are saddened by the devastation in Japan, and we remember all those whose lives have been affected by the tragedy in our prayers. But still, we cannot live in fear. I confess, I live in fear at times, but more from my inner demons than any damn tsunami… I am reminded of a verse by Kahlil Gibran about fear.  In context it is more about our fear of living rather than dying (and has absolutely nothing to do with natural disasters), but one of my all time favorite verses, nevertheless:

“But if in your fear you would seek only love’s peace and love’s pleasure,

Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love’s threshing-floor,
Into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears.”

 

* I added couple of more pictures to my last post “Feet Don’t Fail Me Now” that didn’t make it the first time because of a bad internet connection.

Feet Don't Fail Me Now

March 11, 2011


I am interrupting my narrative to report on the potential tsunami that may strike our coast later this afternoon:

Our coastline
around10:00 AM

Shortly before daybreak, we woke up to Randy and Fonda yelling and pounding on our door in the dark, warning us of a tsunami.  Another friend, TJ also sent a text message to alert us and others.  Initially, there was some panic since we weren’t aware where the earthquake had hit, or when to expect the ensuing waves.  We all live only a hundred yards or so from the ocean. Neighbors Randy and Fonda, and Bobby headed to the hills. Todd ran to get our friend and neighbor Doug’s truck (“Big Blue” - they are currently back in the States now) and began loading up our computer, cash & bank cards, and a couple of other things.  I made the bed, washed last night’s dishes, and took a shower…. Don’t ask me why…I found my reaction strange, but felt that we had some time before heading to the hills. I did put on my running shoes and grabbed the camera, a couple of valiums (?!) and looked for Daisy (who is going through another pseudo heat cycle).

10:00 AM (Eastern Standard Time)



In the meantime the town’s loudspeakers and cruising police vehicles were announcing the tsunami warning.  About then we heard the earthquake had occurred in Japan and we had a few hours warning should we need to evacuate. We were also hearing other reports that Ecuador’s President Correa was calling for a coastal evacuation by noon.  I headed over to Doug and Jack’s house to turn on the news and realized that we have some time (first reports are saying to expect waves around 5PM our time) to decide a course of action. We texted family and friends, especially those who live on the Northern USA coast and are still sleeping.

Fonda, Todd, Sitara
Comparing notes and news

Now that we have a few more facts, things have calmed down.  Randy and Fonda returned from the hills chuckling about their reaction; Bobby had also taken time to shower first; Randy thought to grab their passports, and Fonda “brought the towel”… A towel… which is pretty good thinking when you consider the likelihood of getting wet.

It is a sparklingly sunny morning here, the ocean is calm, so it feels strange to be hunkered down at Jack and Doug & Pam’s (for the sake of brevity, I am calling it the “Big Deck’s” house from now on, and until circumstances change, I am taking photos from this beachfront balcony) and watching the news on their satellite TV. Right now we are waiting to see how the tsunami affects Hawaii and the western US coast; we are not particularly worried yet, but definitely ready to start moving downstairs items in this house (and ours) to upper level rooms.  We have a big pot of coffee going, neighbors have been in and out, and our friend Sitara (with her puppy Lily) is with us as well. Sitara has a few packed bags with her, and considerately thought to bring a nice bottle of wine. 

1:00 PM EST – Olon, Ecuador

While many of the locals seem fairly sanguine about the impending tsunami waves, announcements continue over the town’s loudspeakers, and preparations are clearly being made to brace against a potentially larger than normal tide surge.  I don’t think that anyone here is really expecting to face a huge wall of water coming at us like a speeding jet, but everyone is buttoning down the hatches, and we are as well.

We have moved most everything in Big Deck’s house that is electronic or vulnerable to the upstairs rooms, or several feet off the downstairs floors, and brought inside all the outdoor  stuff like chairs, kayaks, and toys that are around. We have locked most windows and storm shutters as well. We are getting ready to do the same thing at our house next, and depending on reports once the waves hit the Galapagos, prepared to unplug /disconnect all electrical and gas driven devices in both houses before we leave head for the hills (according to everyone I’ve asked so far, we have half hour to an hour to do this. We are grateful for the adequate warning we have to get ready, especially in light of the sad news broadcasts we are watching from Japan).

The funny – kinda ha ha – thing is that one of the other owners of this beach front property was just here this last week, and he loves gadgets (thank God).  Because through the years he has brought most every type of survival tool necessary, such as walkie-talkies, powerful flashlights, flares, and psychedelic laser lights….

Franklin demonstrating
our emergency water vehicle this AM

Not to mention this particular tsunami water vehicle that he left that might prove to be lifesaving should we need it.  See adjoining picture.

Neighbor Carlos’ wife Maria and kids Franklin and Adrianna posed for this pic shortly before they fled to higher ground a few minutes ago.  They packed their mattress, a couple of suitcases, and Todd and German Mike drove them there (about 15minutes away).

It is now around 3:30 PM our time and we are all noticing the breeze picking up on our shoreline.

I will post through the day as I can, assuming our internet works, but it is only now that I am getting a connection long enough to post this, thus far.