Final Farewell

The last week is here. I must say I don't think I will miss the buses here. Thursday we went down to Cuenca for a convention and a chance to see our friends on more time. The bus ride was nearly 8 hours and long. No matter how many times it happens, I will still not get use to a lady sitting down beside me, pulling out here breast, and feeding her baby, then just letting it hang out for a while in case the kid gets hungry again.

Aidan and Monica

In Cuenca we had a chance to spend some time with new and old friends. I must say that our organization is truly the greatest in the world. Who else can have true family, Anywhere, Anytime, with Anyone even though they don't know anybody in a given town or country. The friends and family here of every race and culture that we have made will be there forever. So good are these friends that Sunday was a difficult day to say goodbye. I think we were among that last 15 people to leave the convention.

Back in Banos for our final few days, we have now had a chance here to say goodbye to friends. Again a difficult thing. We've only known them for a few months but it seems like forever. To have people who you've only spent 2 months with coming to you, hugging you, and asking WHEN not IF

The boys are back in town

Our Family in Banos

you will return. Again last night I think we spent about 45 mins taking pictures with different families. I can only say that we truly have an international family.




Today and tomorrow we will try and relax a little and Friday night Saturday morning is the big day. See you soon. And to the next adventure we go. Or start to prepare for our next one.

The cost of going home

Sad to think down to the wire and less then 10 days left on an incredible journey. Off to Cuenca for one last visit tomorrow for a convention and then we head home and have 4 days left. As we prepare to go home you get a realization it will cost a lot to go home. In fact I bet I could live here for several months on that cost.

Things to factor in that maybe you don't think about before coming but realize as you head home. We sold our house and now will need to rent an apartment. In Ottawa rentals run at about 1200$ a month and we will need first and last months rent. Our car we kept so thats a good thing but that being said it's been sitting for 9 months so needs some work probabky somewhere between $500-1000. And if you are going to drive you need insurance so there's another $1000 for the year. These are the basics but unfortunately there is more.

Clothing here in Ecuador is not well made and with all the walking and washing your clothes take a beating. Plus you will probably lose weight so now you need to buy clothes when you get home. And yes one final thing technology here is expensive so you are best to bring items that you don't mind selling. The nice thing about this is that the money you make selling your items you can use to buy new items back home.

One of the last factors is work. If you have a job to come home to then that's great and helps. But remember you may not have a check for 2-3 weeks after you start. If you don't have a job it's time to hit the pavement looking. At least I do have a job to go home to which helps a lot. Everything having been said is it's definitely worth the time and money to have an adventure such as this. And personally I look forward to doing it again. Maybe Mexico next time.

One month left

Sitting here in my wife's hammock in our living room it dawns one month left, in fact a little less. One month of being home with the family everyday for more then a few hours. One month of enjoying life the way things were suppose to be. And though I say the way things were meant to be I guess if you live here and need to work you would dispute that fact.

To have to work 8 hours a day for 300$ a month. To live in a home with nothing more then a cement slap for a floor and one room with a bed that converts to a table. Everyone sleeping in the same room and yet they are happier then most of us in North America could ever be. Why, how can that be. They have what they need. A roof over their heads, food for the day, and most important Family. The struggle seems little, but the rewards are large.

We have made some good friends here. Close friends, in fact I would say that it is hard to find friendships like this back home. Its great to be able to just pop in on someone or have someone pop in on you. To then spend 3 or 4 hours playing cards and chatting as best as you can even though you don't know the language that well. Our friends have helped us greatly and we will miss them.

But as much as I will miss our friends and life here there are things I look forward to back home. To enjoy a savory hamburger again, or the taste of a poutine, and nothing like a good breakfast with buds. I look forward to golf and hockey again. Sad to say its not an easy sport to play here as the courses are expensive and for members only.

And I also, sad to say look forward to heading back to work. To see clients and work closely with them. But most of all I look forward to seeing old friends and hope that I can give them a little more insight into the life we have and the things we miss because of what we have.

Ecuador you will be missed.

A crazy weekend

What a weekend. We had some friends down from Cuenca and what a blast it was. On Saturday we returned to Pailon Del Diable. Its quite the waterfall. I've written about it a few times and for the 1.50$ to visit it really worth the trip. If in Banos hop any bus headed to puyo or tena and get off in Rio Verde, once there its a 5 mon walk to the entrance and worth the walk and the money.

Sunday we went to Rio Negro where we had our meeting. I had a privilege to conduct the watchtower in Spanish. It took a little getting use to plus I had to fight the tendency of using french words but we made it through and no laughed to hard. After that we went into the back yard and the was a parrot sitting on the branch in the yard saying Hola! He was not a domesticated bird, he was free one just flying free. We then had a nice little lunch at a local restaurant called Abulos. Food was good and the price was okay. The problem was getting home. We had to wait nearly an hour to actually get a bus to stop for us.

Monday. A trip to the jungle. We returned with our tour guide from last time Sixto. Very reliable, knows his stuff, and is training some new staff. We had a great time. Took a hike through the jungle, visited the waterfall and had a great lunch. No monkeys this time but definitely worth the trip. we tired our friends out but I think they had a good time. If I could I would love to stay here and guide gringos on trips like this. To show them around and see how they enjoy the new scenarie. It is worth every minute. 

Pailon Del Diable 

Zip line baby

We could have spent the night in here

The warriors are ready

And even though our friends were leaving Tuesday we still managed to have a blast. We started with the zip line. Quite the rush 1km out and a 500ft drop over the water. It had to be done once. I took my camera and turned on the video and in the shuffle of getting set for the launch i must have powered it off so I got no footage of the trip down. Which means I'll have to try it again.  We then made our way into Banos for Kone pizza and in the fashion of most Ecuadorian business what was suppose to open at 1 was not open yet at 2. On our way home we got on a bus and a gentleman on the bus beside us had a bottle of water that did not contain any water. He was singing and dancing like there was no tomorrow. Quite humorous for us but not for those on his bus. Then as our bus was backing out he hit the bus behind us. At this point we are thinking who else has a bottle of water that doesn't have any water. So we sit and wait for the drivers to work things out and while we are waiting what happens across the street but a car T-bones a jeep at the intersection. Now they say bad things happen in threes and the fear is what will happen on the way home. Fortunately nothing, BUT, the driver lost time because of his accident so drove even crazier then usual around the 500 foot drop mountains.

Manaña

So another day in paradise. Its quite nice being here in the small town of Rio Verde, although it does present some new challenges. The bus being one. We have had to wait upwards of 30 minutes in the rain to catch a bus home, which can be a pain. Since there is no butcher in town we asked our neighbor for a chicken as she provides this service and somewhere lost in communication we got a chicken except she cooked it and provided soup as well. Not a bad thing just a bit of a surprise when it arrived and we had already had supper. And laundry can be interesting. As mentioned Heidi does a hand wash of the basics every morning and once a week we end up busing into town to drop our bedding and larger items for wash. We brought our stuff to the 2 hour wash the other day at 10 in the morning she weighed the items wrote everything down and then told us it would be ready at 8 pm. I guess the 4 had fallen off the board from beside the 2 (24 hr wash). Either way it was okay as we had a meeting at 6:30 that evening and I ran over after the meeting to pick up our stuff.

Service has been quite fulfilling. Our first day out we spoke to quite a few people in our little town. The territory is worked every 3-4 weeks but people are still willing to talk. Someone studies with our neighbor across the street so we had a chance to meet them and know them a little better. Next week we have to hike up the side of the mountain and see 4 houses there. Plus in town here no ties necessary. We went into town on Saturday for service and that was just as productive. We met a gentleman in his sewing shop who had studied with someone twice a week and then I understood he suddenly stopped coming. That evening at the meeting I asked the friend I was with who the person was that was studying with the gentlemen we met as it turns out he died 11 years ago. So I guess I have my first study here.

Meetings are very good and we are really starting to understand a lot of the language. I really hope by the time we go home to be fairly fluent. Next weeks meeting will be even better as the hall we are associated with is split into 2, since the territory is so large there is a meeting in the next town over from us every Sunday. There are only 14 friends that go there. When I told them we were going to be going they were quite happy. In fact I may even have a chance to do the reading on Sundays once in a while. Practice, practice, practice.

Manaña - so here we are, why Manaña. Living in this sleepy town has given a new appreciation for tomorrow. The running river is relaxing, our king size bed is relaxing, the fireplace is soothing, the coffee although it takes 30 minutes to make seems all the more enjoyable, and the beer is calming. I wake up some days and just want to do what I have to do, manaña, as today I want to do nothing. And today may well be one of those days. Its the election so everyone is busy voting and nothing is up and running so I think neither will I.

One Week In

So here we are 1 week later. Its a cozy little place but different living without certain amenities. For example every 2 days Heidi washes the clothes by hand since we don't have a wash machine or dryer. Then we hope the day stays nice and warm so that the clothes dry. Our oven is a square block that has 2 settings very crispy or extra crispy. The banana bread turned out good but the pan is another story all together. I don't think she'll make it. For coffee we have to boil some water, and then we have a 1 cup percolator for the brew. As for food, there are 2 small tiendas or convenience stores in town which provide the basic necessities.  We can get milk, eggs, fruit, veggies, penguino which is ice cream, as well as cerveza. Anything else we need to make our way to town which is about 15 minutes away and a different story altogether. Oh ya and if we want chicken for 10$ we can pick one across the street and our neighbor will kill and pluck it for us. So if that big black one comes back on my property oh baby look out.

Interestingly enough my internet is better here then in the great modern city of Cuenca, go figure. We also have cable and a TV. The kids are so happy for TV again.

The way to town. So the bus goes by and sometimes goes by again and again but, finally one will stop and pick us up. The process can take 20-30 minutes to catch a bus to Banos. Or in some cases you can catch the bicycle taxi as in the picture below. Now the other issue is don't miss you're stop like we did. We were about 5 minutes out of town and realized things didn't look quite right and had to taxi back to make our group for service only to realize that we were the only ones who showed up. Thats okay it gave me a reason to come into town for my favorite, Breakfast.

Back of bicycle taxi

Under the falls

Pilion Del Diable 

Life here is a little too nice and easy going. Kids can go outside and play in the river behind the house, we can go for hikes up and down the mountain side, and yesterday we went to the Pilion Del Diable a beautiful powerful waterfall. Its funny I was complaining about having to pay 1.50$ each to see it, but then we realized if you wanted to see and stand under Niagra Falls it would cost somewhere near 30$ so I guess I can deal with 1.50$ for now.

Home for a month or so

So in the Tessier manner we have moved again. Actually nice to be able to do this on a short term basis. We got a house in Rio Verde which is about 15 minutes outside of Banos de Ambato. Its a quite little town. There is a park, a tienda, and a massive waterfall. Its called devils caldron. We live about a 10 minute walk to the waterfall.

The house is exactly what we wanted. Brick and wood house with 3 bedrooms. A beautiful fire place. And the house is sitting in front of the river, nestled between the mountains. We live down a dirt road that apparently leads to another waterfall. We will have to explore and see. I've included a few shots of the house. Amazing to see the creation all around and enjoy Gods natural beauty.

We're down to the wire, 10 weeks left on the adventure. Do we stay here for the remaining time or head back to Cuenca. Time will tell but for now this is the place to be.

Our Trip to Peru

On Sunday our official visa was expiring so we had two choices. Either renew in country and spend 240$ on visas and applications plus the cost for pictures, lawyers and misc as there always is in south America or cross the border into Peru and reenter on a different visa. We chose the later. We were told that we had to leave on the expiry day of the visa and then reenter a day or two later so here is our story.

We read many horror stories about having to get off the bus and taking a taxi 10 minutes away then crossing a bridge on foot. It seems perhaps this is how it use to be done but it would seem they have streamlined the operation and is much easier these days on bus. This is what we did.

We took the bus from Guayaquil because I had to bring my sister to the airport and we hopped a bus line called CIFA. They had the best reputation so we chose them. The bus was 13$ each and we went to Mancora. When you get to the border everyone gets off and gets stamped out of Ecuador and then you line up to get stamped into Peru. After which you get back on the bus and head on to Peru with one more baggage stop to check bags where you get off the bus again.

We arrived in Mancora around 4 pm and looked for a hostel. Cost of hostels seemed to be higher then in Ecuador and you received less. To do this over we would have stopped in Zorritos instead seems to be a better option. Mancora is the equivalent of Montanita in Ecuador. A bit of a party town with no real comfort. The beach line is small as the waves come almost right to the end. But if you want to surf it has quite the waves. To make things worse heidi was sick the whole time and sitting on a bus for 8 hours sick is not enjoyable.

Coming back in we did a little differently as we didn't want to go to Guayaquil again. So we took a CIFA bus from Peru to Machala Ecuador at 1pm, which actually ended up coming around 2:30, but I guess there was a road block earlier in the day. The bus trip was about 12$ to Machala which is a little more expensive then coming in the country was but in general Peru was more expensive. At the border same deal stamp out of Peru and stamped into Ecuador. The only extra item they asked for was our birth certificates which I had thankfully brought with us and everything else went fine.

We told the driver on the bus that we were headed to Cuenca and he dropped us off at a small stop in Machala that was basically a connection point for buses and a small market which is where we jumped a 5$ bus to Cuenca. Again poor heidi was sick all the way home but we finally arrived in one piece at 10pm with another 90 days on our visa.

A trip to the jungle

So we finally did it. We took a day trip to the amazon. Our tour operator said he would make it unforgettable, and it pretty much was. It was nice too because he spoke English and was well organized.

Our day began at 8 am we hopped a van/bus along with 7 others. First stop a monkey reserve/rescue center in Puyo. A few months ago this was the place to go as the monkeys were free to roam around but now everything is in cages so basically its a monkey zoo. We enjoyed it but not really a highlight.

From there we headed on. About 20 minutes later we were at the edge of the jungle. We were brought to a wood carved canoe where we were transported down river through some rapids to our first stop, Lunch. We got off the canoe and hoped on the back of a pick up truck to get a drive to the restaurant.

The restaurant was simple but quite amazing. The owner had a pocket monkey as they are called that basically cuddled with heidi for the whole time we were there. At a few points he did get pretty excited jumping on Keefe and Aidan. Lunch came it was a chicken, rice and a potato salad, but what was cool about the meal is that they wrapped it in a banana tree leaf, and stem it for 15 minutes and voila you have your lunch ready. The restaurant was a grass hut on stilts right by the water. The view was awesome. And on the wall they had a crocodile skin hanging which was caught in the lagoon behind the restaurant.

From there we were driven to a look out to see the river below. Not a bad little spot. And this is where things really get unforgettable. As we were walking down from the look out the driver had gotten the van stuck in a ditch in the mud. So Heidi gets behind the wheel and the 3 of us begin to push. Now thanks to our experience of getting stuck in snow we were able to help by getting branches and putting them under the wheels to get them moving. At this point the van is in the middle of the road and the driver and guide are up the hill at a restaurant making plans. Another bus is trying to get by and not to happy about it either. After trying to call the driver Heidi jumps in the van and takes over, moving the van over and nearly into another ditch.

From there we drove to the trail we were going to hike. The trail leads to a beautiful waterfall. We make our way through the none traditional path and using some back paths that locals use. As we walk we go through mud and streams. The boys kept asking about quick sand. Our guide tells us soon we will arrive to some. Upon arrival at the quick sand he keeps asking the boys if the want to try it but they say no. Keefe gets this bright idea to jump over the sand and unknowingly jumps right into the middle of it. To see the panic on his face was priceless ( I wish i had a picture). After pulling the boy out we kept on our way and finally arrived at the waterfall. Everyone had a chance to swim under it and it was time to head back to the van and off to our final stop.

The final stop was Quichua tribe village. Occupied by 14 families it was interesting to see the homes and the set up of everything they had. Our journey for the day comes to an end here but we did much more in the area stay tuned.

A Trip to the Coast

The beach in Olon

So we are back in Guayaquil at the bus station. The bus from there to the town we want to visit Olon is booked until 3 PM about 4 hrs away. We are told that we can bus from Guayaquil to Santa Elena and the hop any bus headed our direction from there. Seems like a reasonable option and it was. We arrived in Olon at about 3:30 and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon and evening on the beach.

Upon arrival we checked into a small hostel called Hostel Oloncito. It was a nice little place with 7 rooms. The owner calls it a family hostel and likes to keep it that way. And where ever other hostel charged 15$ per person this owner gave the kids at half price. He didn't have a restaurant but he did have a kitchen and gave us full access to it. It was a 2 minute walk to the beach, if even. Definitely a place to stay again.

Beach in Montanita Son helping Dad at work

The beach was beautiful. I would say it rivals the beaches in Cuba. It was secluded in that it is nestled between 2 rock masses. It is cut off from Montanita which is the next town over. There are about 10 cabana's on the beach to buy food and the fruit drinks are amazing. The one stand we were using put 4 oz of rum in the glass and with fresh pineapple for your Pinacolda what more do you need, Oh yes $2.50.

Fresh Fish in the Morning

We took a day and visited Montanita. We finally found great variety in food. Anything you wanted was available it was a nice change from the usual Chicken and Rice. Although, the beach was disappointing, too many people, they wanted to charge for a chair, and all and all if your not in the party scene stay off. Many told us that this beach was well basically the drugs, sex and rock and roll capital but really I found no worse then any other place. That being said we did not stick around to see the night scene. It could very well change fast.

Keefe's Starfish

On our last day we walked the beach to the next sleepy town over and must have walk about 5 KM. it was an enjoyable walk and we found all kinds of marine life. If you want to see Sand Dollars we must have found about 50 of them. And then there are the starfish as well.


 We headed home at 6 PM. And did our trip home in reverse. We went from Montanita to Santa Elena on one bus. Then arrived with 5 minutes to spare to catch the bus to Guayaquil. We arrived in Guayaquil at 10:30 and caught the 11 PM bus to Cuenca getting home around 3 AM.

A dead turtle but a big one

Stingray on the beach

Tour of Bethel

So I guess it's been a while. I've had several comments about not having written anything so here it is. I'll have a few new posts over next few days so hope you enjoy.

We recently took a trip to the coast and here is a short blog about the first part of our journey.

Entrance to Branch

My sister is down visiting us for three weeks so we had to head to the coast to Guayaquil to pick her up, this made for a perfect little trip. We decided to see Bethel and check out the coast at the same time. On Monday we left Cuenca by bus to Guayaquil which is a 4 hour trip. The bus ride was nice we got see the Cajas again one of our favorite sites. We arrived in Guayaquil around 3 pm, and the Bed and Breakfast we stayed in, which is owned by the Mina family picked us up at the Bus station. They have a cute little place on the side of their home with 2 rooms and a bathroom and shower in each room. Cost was $10 each and $5 for the transport service which they provide with their own bus. They have a nice mall about 10 minute walk from their home which was perfect for dinner and snacks.

Dinning Room

At 1 am they drove me to the airport to pick-up my sister who basically finished customs as we arrived. Perfect timing. After a short sleep they had breakfast ready for us in the morning of eggs, toast, coffee, fruit and juice a good start to a long day. They kindly called us a taxi which showed up just in time for us to get to our tour at Bethel.

The Ecuador Branch is truly beautiful. Mango trees all over the property, well kept buildings and a convention hall on site. Our guide was from the states and had been in Ecuador for nearly 20 years I think she said. The tour took about an hour and a half and was really worth it. Especially for the boys to be able to say that they saw a branch in South America. They are now asking to see New York this summer. Will have to make it a point to visit. Although I think the highlight of the tour was seeing the lizards on site. Keefe keeps trying to find a small one he can bring home with him.

Literature Desk

After our tour we headed back to the bus station to catch our next ride further north west to the coast where we would spend the next 4 days. Although, to do it again, I would have just waited outside the branch and caught a bus to Santa Elena.

Stay tuned for our beach side vacation blog.

Half Way Point Pro's and Con's

So here we are, half way through our trip here. We've had the highs and lows the funs and I want to go home. So here is some of the good, bad and ugly.

Biggest Disappointments: Let's start by saying my biggest 3 disappointments are coffee, beer and cheese.
     Coffee: This is beautiful country with amazing coffee BUT for some reason restaurants insist of serving nothing but instant. When 4 hours out of the city some of the best coffee I've ever had is grown. And if you don't ask for the right thing you will get a cup of hot milk to put your instant coffee in.
     Beer: Again. I was coming here looking forward to trying all types of new and exciting beers. Upon my arrival I find out there are 3 types of beer, Pilsner, Club, and Club Rojo. On one trip I was able to order some beer from Peru which was a nice change. But seriously, this country needs more beers.
     Cheese: What they have you don't want to eat. I can't say it any better. Plus if I want something half decent and by decent I mean something equivalent to a Kraft cheddar then I need to go to the supermarket. Can't get it at any of the local stores. I shouldn't have to walk to 6 stores to find a half decent block of cheese. 

Pro's: So here are so of the pro's from this beautiful country.
   People: The people are kind and always ready to help. They will even go the extra mile to help you out. Many will try and speak English when possible. To try and help you understand them.
    Country: Its beautifully here. Surrounded by mountains all the time, but with a 2 to 3 hour bus trip you are in a completely different climate. Be it the beach on one side or the jungle on the other. This beautiful country comes with a con. Unfortunately as with most things we hum as don't appreciate what we have so there is litter everywhere. Unfortunately many don't care about their surrounding and just throw trash where and when they feel like it.
    Travel: You can travel the country side for next to nothing. Take a bus from one end of the country to the other for $10. Where else can you find this.
    Amneties: Unlike what you may have read there isn't much you can't get here. There are bigbox stores in every major city. If you need it, its available here. So moving here is not moving to the jungle where you have nothing.  Fact we have friends that moved here from Nicaragua for the fact that at least here they were able to have the required items they could never get in Nicaragua.
    Cost of Living: Cost of living here is nice. Its not as cheap as we had expected but that being said people who blog about the cost of living here do not have kids with them. What you may not realize coming here is almost all costs are per person. So as example you don't pay for a room for the night at a hotel/hostel its how many people for the night. So many of our costs are times 4 rather than times 2.
     Health care: Dental work is great. Yes you need to find the right doctor but it can't be beat when consider $25 for a cavity and $30 to have a tooth pulled its a good opportunity to have long needed work done. And if you need to see a doctor for other problems at $30-40 a visit it won't break the bank.
      Weather: I can live with 25 degrees everyday for the rest of my life. With the odd afternoon showers.

Con's: I hope I have less of these than pro's.
   Travel: I miss my car, what more can I say. As cheap as travel is here, it feels that many times you are taking your life in your hands. Taxi drivers driving 60 miles an hour on a side road, bus drivers who pass into on coming traffic, or for some reason feel that they must drive 40 miles an hour between stops and lights. Then there are the long haul buses who don't want to give you access to their washrooms until they feel you should have access.
    Food: I'm tired of chicken and rice. Again for a country with so much variety they don't know how to do anything outside of the box. Chicken and rice 3 times a day. And when you have something else here its quite bland. And what's with not being able to make a real hamburger.
    Internet: Wow this has been a tough one. Unreliable, slow, and did I mention slow. It turns out the company here offers a 6gig service but can only guarantee 4 gig and when you actually test it, its more like 1.5gigs. Sad to say if you need internet to work here, have a back up. Very been fortunate enough to have a back USB rocket stick for emergency situations but it really makes it tough when you need it.
    People: Unfortunately the people can be a con as well. As nice as Ecuadorians are, there are 2 areas that require major improvement. When they drive they feel like they have every right of way. Pedestrians don't matter, street signs don't matter, rules of the road and common courteousy doesn't exist. And this uncourteousness carries into other aspects of their life. I stores and restaurants if there is no official line then just hope in where you want is fine.
    Hot Water: Who knew it could be so difficult to get hot water in a home or a hotel room.

Well this is a few items I love and hate about here. I understand that pod casts are the thing of the year for 2013 so I say watch for the next few blogs to convert to pod casts with interviews from friends and people we have met here.

Health Care in Ecuador

One concern many have is what is it like if I get sick or need something medical in Ecuador. Well have no fear, here are a few examples of health care here. And Heidi probably already wrote about some of it so sorry if I'm repeating.

First let me say, if you need dental work come here for it. I finally made a visit to a dentist that had been recommended to us. When I called to make the appointment I thought I was going to struggle explaining what I needed, funny thing was the dentist answered in English. On my first visit I had a cleaning and 1 cavity filled. I have had both those procedures done back home but will say this was my best experience. I have found that some dentist back home can be quite rough but this guy was great and there was no need for freezing and no bleeding either. Cost was 50$. I had to go get an X-ray for the dentist cost was 20$ and I was given the results. I had a follow up appointment to remove a tooth that I broke about 8 years ago(hence the X-Ray). This tooth was broken below the gum line and badly abscessed. It took him 20 mins to remove it and I was fine by that afternoon. Again the cost was 30$. Last tooth I had pulled cost me over 150$. Lastly I need 4 wisdom teeth removed next week. Back home the cost to me even with insurance is 1500$ here my cost will be 120$ maybe 150 as one tooth is impacted.

What about doctors. Well if you've ever had a blood test how long did it take to get the results? One maybe two weeks. Heidi went for blood test and had the full results in her hand in 5 hrs. Everything she needed and wanted to know and they gave her the results not the doctor. Next she went to a cardiologist and he gave her the results instantly. Cost for both visits 80$. No three hour wait in the waiting room. No we'll call in two weeks, everything instant. Health care here is not something to be concerned about. Pricing is good. Doctors are good and many speak or understand English as they are expected to learn it in University.

BTW it is our half way point here. So in one of my next blogs I will write about the pro's and con's and see who those change between now and when we leave.

The Middle of the World

Inside Convention

What a weekend! Dad got all the blame this time. And I guess he deserved it. First we took the day bus from Cuenca to Quito. Not the funnest. We left at 7 AM from Cuenca on Cuenca Taxi bus line and arrived in Quito at 5PM. The bus was actually not bad. The washrooms were automatic doors, ring the bell and the driver lets you in. That being said if you try and self close the door like Aidan did then you may get squished as it is a pneumatic door. Seat space is a little less than Imbambura Flota but otherwise I think it's just as good of a line.

Upon arrival in Quito we needed a Hotel/Hostel. First tried a hotel called Ricks hotel in the Mariscal area which I had stayed at the previous week. Unfortunately it was full. It was raining. And I had no back up hotel. Heidi had a hostel app on her phone and so in the rain off we went looking for a hostel. Unfortunately most were full. Finally we stumbled upon a cute little bed and breakfast called the Maple B&B in the Mariscal area. We got a good clean room with a single bed, a bunk bed and a double bed for 40$ a night. Shared washrooms and a descent breakfast.

Middle of the world

Sunday we woke up to go to our special assembly day. Again a bit of a disaster. Up at 5:45 to be at the bus for 7. Bus ride was about 1 hr from there. Beautiful building I must say but with only 173 pubs in the circuit if you are active you are busy. Every brother pulled double and triple duty. So sitting with the family for the day doesn't happen. It was nice though to have 284 in attendance and 1 baptized. We got back home again in the pouring rain around 6 PM to go for supper. Taxi over drove our hotel and we had to walk back 2 blocks. Then after walking to where we wanted to have supper we found out it was closed.

See the line

Monday was somewhat better. I say somewhat. I started off with 60$ in my pocket and no debit card or Credit card PIN number. After walking for about 25 mins and trying to find a way to get cash Banco Pacifica did a credit card cash advance for me at the teller. Thank goodness. We wanted to go to Mindo so headed to the bus station Ophilia. Upon arrival we found out that the next bus to Mindo was at 4PM and that a taxi there would cost 50$. Scrap that idea. We had 12 hrs to kill and what to do. We went to the middle of the world.

The taxi driver offered to drive us there for 8$ and we did. We arrived and had a good time FINALLY. There were several parks for the kids and quite a few gifts shops that were to our surprise very reasonably priced. In fact I think we made one shop keepers day when we bought 30 some key chains (so don't be surprised when we bring you back a keychain). Lunch there was good as well and by 2 PM we were done. We hoped on a bus just outside the center which brought us to a larger bus station and from there hoped a double bus to the center town.

What time is it?

It started to rain again. So with help of a local lady we made our way to a mall instead, were we spent the next few hours. I felt bad for this lady though she got soaked as did we but she didn't need to. She just kindly wanted to get us to where we were going and then refused a coffee or anything from us. Our final stop before leaving was the kids treat McDonalds. They have been begging for McDonalds for 3 months.

We had the taxi take us to the bus station, which turned out to be the wrong bus station of course. Fortunately there was a direct bus from that station to the south terminal which was where we needed to go. The ride home was no joy either. We rode Imbambura Flota home and the drivers assistant was a jerk. We had to ask him 3 times to open the washroom door and it wasn't until Heidi stood beside him and waited for him to come that he finally did. It's the biggest down side here on buses is having to wait for them to feel like they want to do something before they do. And although most of our bus experiences have been good that one or two can make things bad.

The real middle of the world according to GPS

I guess with all the bad we finally made a good and got one more thing done that we wanted to see.

Phone Service is Ecuador

Keeping in contact with friends, family or business aquiantances can be a little challenging in South America so here are a few tips I have tried and used that may be of value to you.

Magic Jack - This seems to be one of the most popular options. There are 2 different models available. One plugs into your computer and as long as your computer is on you can receive phone calls to an American or Canadian phone number. The other model plugs straight into your router and your phone. With this option be sure to use the cable that comes with the magic jack and not just any network cable. It will not work if you use a standard network cable. A good internet connection is required.

VOIP Apps - Again there are many of these available. Some are free and other cost you money. The problem with some apps is if they are not design right the sound will not carry and you will have spotty phone conversations. Also to consider is how good your internet will be with these apps.

Toll Free Forwarding - Do you have an American or Canadian number you want to keep. Try this option. Cost varies but basically at 39$ a month you get an 800 number. You forward your home North American number to the 800 number, next you forward the 800 number to your local South American number. The nice thing with this option is that no internet is required and since incoming calls are free in ecuador on prepaid service then you only pay for the 800 number.

Skype - Skype has many options for phone service. In some cases you can even have a Skype number.

Rogers Canada - If Canadian I have gone through ups and downs here BUT finally Rogers seems to have fixed everything. They have a app for the tablet that gives full access to your rogers cell number. Rogers one number seem to work well to keep your old number plus with this option you have access to text messages.

Text Message Options - This can be a big deal to many, so here are a few options.

What's App - Available for Android, iPhone, and Blackberry. Simply install and have your contacts install then whenever and wherever they want to contact you they can. No international charges. Only require wifi or 3G service.

Skype - If your contacts have Skype then you can text back and forth.

To Vilcabamba We Go

Park Jipiro

Time for another tour of a new area so off to Vilcabamba we went. We decided to take the Sunday afternoon bus from Cuenca to Loja. The bus left at 4:30 and cost $7.50 ea. Kids were half price. We arrived in Loja and grabbed a Hostel for the night. We chose The Metropolitano. What can I say it had 2 beds, a shower and Wifi. Not the best place we've stayed in and not the worst. The Hostel was in the downtown area so we woke in the morning grabbed some breakfast and spent a half a day or so in Loja.

Castle in Park

Loja is basically a small Cuenca. Old buildings, clean streets and nice people. We did however find a park for the kids. The park was Park Jipiro. It was a free park and had buildings in the shape of world monuments. There was a large castle, the Taj Ma Hal, and an Eiffel Tower to name a few. From the park we  made our way to the bus station. Buses from Loja to Vilcabamba run every 15 mins and the cost is $1.25 ea.

The trip took 45 mins and we were in Vilcabamba in time for lunch. Once you arrive in the center of town you have seen the town. It's really quite small and everything is within a few blocks. As much as I don't remember the name of the restaurant we had lunch in I will say the food was good and even though the nachos were made with Doritos they were quite good.

Courtyard of Hostel Escondido

Our first 2 nights were spent in the Hostel Jardin Escondido. It was nice. Private washrooms, TV room if you wanted, Wifi through out, and a nice little pool. Breakfast was included and it was a good breakfast. Dinner on the other hand was not what we had hoped for. The food was over priced and it was a poor attempt at Mexican food. All and all it was a good spot and I would return. Cost was $40 for 4 people a night.

We then moved hotels for our last night. We stayed at Izhcayluma. This hotel was very nice top notch spot. It is a 5 minute taxi ride out of town but for $1 I will not complain well worth it. Breakfast in the morning is included with lots of variety. Through out the day you have access to the restuarant and everything is added to your bill at the end. Also available was a pool, games room with billard, ping pong and darts, as well as a massage therapist. There are several options for rooms from a private room to rooms with shared washrooms and a dorm room.

View from Hotel Izhcayluma

Our trek through town brought us down an interesting path. In Vilcabamba there is a Ecopark. We took the walk which was about 20 mins out of town. We arrived at Rumi Wilco. There, there is several trails you can walk but even more interesting is the have cabins you can rent. For $30 a night you can stay in a beautiful private cabin on stilts with a outdoor shower. We wished we had seen it sooner. Well that will be for next time.

Horseback Riding

River in Ecopark

Things to do Vilcabamba - As mentioned it is a small town but for 4 days we kept busy. We had an opportunity to ride on horses, a first for 3 of us. It was nice 2 hr ride and for a first timer the horses were great. Even the two boys were fine on their horse. And for those who want you can take 2 or 3 day hikes. There are a few different restaurants to try and it is a great place to just see nature at it's greatest. Definately a place to return to.

Things to do in Cuenca

So you're living in Cuenca or visiting and looking for things to do on a rainy day. Head on over to the Mall Del Rio. All the fun you want in one place.

Bowling - On the second level of the mall is a game center bowling alley. There are 5 lanes and the cost is 2.50 per game plus 0.70 for the shoes. The lanes are quite new and up to date with gutter bars for kids and computerized score keeping. The lanes are also kept in good shape.

Super Trampoline - It's fun for all. Anyone can go. Kids especially love it but for the big kid in you give it a try. Basically you are strapped to Bungee cords and the attendant helps you jump from the first level up to the second level and at the top you can do a front or back flip. Don't miss this exciting fun.

Go-Karts - The track is small the carts are slow, but if you want 4$ fun then it's a good way to go. Race around the track for 5 mins and no one says much if you crash into each other or the tires.

Movie Theater - We haven't tried this option yet but there is a Multi Scene in the mall as well. Plays only Spanish movies but if you are trying to learn its not a bad thing to go to.


Mall del Rio is easy to get to. Just hope the 7 or 13 bus and you are there is no time. The nice thing with both those bus lines is that the mall is the end of the line so ride the bus till everyone gets off and you are there. And if hungry there is a large food court with KFC, Pizza Hut (coming soon), Subway and several ice cream shops (big surprise).

A Trip to the Cajas

The back of a pick up at 100km/hr

Have you ever wanted to visit another planet. See different plants, experience weather changes in seconds or climb amazing landscape. Well then visit the Cajas. Cajas National Park in Ecuador is truly special. Some call it amazing, awesome and even majestic.

The View

 

The forest from the Wizard of Oz

Our trip started at 9 am on Wednesday. We took bus #13 from Cuenca till the end of the line. Once there we waited for a bus to Guayguil but none came. It seems it passes every hr not half hr. Not long later we were offered a ride in the back of a pick up. So in all 8 of use hoped. For a charge of 1$ each and signing our life away we got a ride up to the Cajas. Small tip, if accepting a ride do not be afraid of driving 100 KM an hour in the back of a pick up truck going up long windy roads where tires are squealing and you can't see around the corner. If you have no problem with that then you are set to go. If you do WAIT for the bus. Not a lot better but at least you have some protection.

We arrived at Cajas National Park around 10:15 and begun our hike. We chose the second entrance to the park as there is a little more to see. Our hike started at one of the many lakes and the weather was cool. As we made our way up and down the hike we saw many different flowers, plants and cactus. But the most amazing was the paper tree forest. It kinda reminds you of the forest in the Wizard of Oz. I was just waiting for the flying monkeys.

The Climb

We stopped for lunch on a little island/causeway. Then continued our hike. After making our way up the side of a small waterfall we decided we had time to climb to a peak. Off we went. We made it to the peak at about 1:30. At this point it was time to go home so we made our way down and off we went. The entire hike was about 5 hrs. And quite the 5 hrs it was. If in Ecuador the Cajas  is a must do. There are several paths to take and if a little adventurous then you can go off the beaten track.

The peak we climbed

One note on the weather wear layers. In a span of 5 hrs we got weather that was near freezing point, heat of 20-25 degrees and hail. So be ready, pack a lunch and enjoy the scenery.