BREAKING DOWN AND CAMPING OUT

It’s been the same old song ever since purchasing the property last July; Jeff was determined to camp out amid its pine trees. From my perspective, the likelihood of that happening was fairly remote, so this “city chick” (as he loves to call me), cheerfully humored him. I swear, I tried to hold out as long as I could.

Now don’t get the wrong impression ~ ask anyone and they’ll more than likely tell you I’m not really the princess or prima donna type. But still, my former camping days pretty much amounted to “roughing it” in a real camper or RV. You know - the ones with microwaves, TV’s and comfy mattresses kind.

And yet it was that I finally broke down. We hit the local department store to pick up some last minute provisions like pots, pans, and plastic dishes, and then there I was - dare I say it? - almost excited to be piling the truck with the tent, sleeping bags, and every other thing we could think of needing.

By the time we got there, it was a crystal blue afternoon at 10,800 feet high, the sun bearing directly down on us. Still, we had the perfect view of the light puffy clouds below drifting through the valley.

We pitched the tent together, and I blew up the air mattresses and washed the new pots and pans, while Jeff set up the fire pit. He even set up a great “latrine with a view”. What more could I want? Oh my word, I thought. We’re actually camping!

Sitting with my wine in hand and Jeff with his cocktail, we toasted to our future up here where nature couldn’t get any purer. Minutes later Jeff hopped onto his tractor, and I returned to writing this blog. Bliss. If this is any sign of the peace to come, I’m loving it.

Then came time for cocktail hour and our first sunset. The pink-orange of the sun teasingly peeked out from the clouds below us, slowly melting to where we could see it no more. Minutes later the silence was broken. Dusk apparently signals the birds and tree frogs to share their presence, because all of a sudden there was a grand cacophony of song, only to become silent once again within the half hour. Very cool.

NIGHTFALL

Cheese, crackers, rotisserie chicken and a lovely fire - the only thing we’d forgotten were the S’mores. Dang! And then a sprinkle, which soon turned into a light rain. No problem. We tucked into the sleeping bags and hunkered down, I with the iPad to read, and Jeff with his Kindle. Life is good!

I have to admit, the rest of the night wasn’t the best for sleeping. I quickly learned the air mattress definitely needs to be filled to the max if we don’t want our backs to break, and that I couldn’t let my nose and face pop out of the bag unless I wanted them to be chilled off. But otherwise it worked out fine, and well worth it when we woke up to sunshine covering the pleats of the green valley below. Jeff got the fire going again, and soon we were dining on bacon, eggs, avocado and toast. Hot coffee in hand, we lingered for a bit to take it all in.

I know now that this “city chick” will probably jump next time when her husband wants to go camping. Lesson learned, though ~ the S’more fixings are coming with us!

NEW HORIZONS FOR OUR NUEVOS AMIGOS

Not so long ago we arrived in Cuenca to settle in for (what we certainly expect to be) the rest of our lives. There was so much to do - find an apartment, a reputable bank, telephone service. But in between all that scouting, we also “played tourist”, and hopped on the red City Bus Tour to get a lay of the land.

On that bus happened to be a giggly honeymooning couple from Texas, Karl and Brenda. Karl had scoped out the city a few years ago as a possible retirement destination on his own, and then he met his new love Brenda. This time he was here to share it with her, now in hopes that she’d fall in love with the city, too. Would Brenda leave her thriving career to take the leap with him? Could she?

That’s a huge question for anyone considering moving permanently to a foreign country. For many, it’s a leap so fraught with anxiety-producing challenges that most would conclude that there’d be no way. But consider it Brenda did, and soon after they returned to the U.S., they put their house in Texas up for sale. 

Fast-forward a year plus, and here they are, celebrating the arrival. We call it “their turn”. For Jeff and I it’s a bonus that they’ve been staying with us - thoroughly enjoying being part of their adventure, and sharing the heady ups and downs of the move. No doubt about it, like so many others who have come before, you’re torn between the excitement of it all, and the whole batch of whirlwind decision-making you’re thrown into. Worse yet, it’s all got to get done as quickly as possible.

Of course, the primary concern is finding a place to live. You would think that renting an apartment would be easy with all these beautiful buildings, but not necessarily. We were lucky to have followed the advice of another ex-pat (on that same city bus tour!) and hired the services of an awesome english-speaking agent to help us. Sweet Maribel was happy to do the same for Karl and Brenda. In our eyes, she’s a miracle worker. She knows the more desirable areas, and what’s available out there. Many apartments are already furnished, which narrows options if you’re bringing in a container, or if you like the apartment itself but not the furniture. North Americans also tend to treasure outdoor space such as terraces, but those are very hard to find. Thankfully after scouting out several places, Maribel found a place that works nicely for them.

Meanwhile, another big question is where to put your money. There are banks, and also there are credit unions typically called cooperativas. Some have better reputations than others, and you need to tease it out. Then the big questions are, “How safe are the banks here?” and, “How much should we put in?” Those are really important questions, but if you don’t know anyone, how do you know? Any guidance you can get from others is helpful, but of course, the decisions you make are very personal. At this point CD’s earn significantly more interest than in the U.S., which is a bonus. Most are covered by the equivalent of our FDIC called COSEDE. Our personal take on it is that our money is just as safe here barring any outrageous failing of the world economy, the event in which we'd all be affected, ~ and at least it’s making good money for us now.

Getting set up with cell service is also high on the list of “to do’s” when you arrive. You’re probably envisioning a simple get in and get out kind of deal to do it, but of course, that's not necessarily so. When I went with Karl and Brenda it reminded me of how glad I was not to have had a first born child to give up, because at any moment I expected they’d ask. They request everything - passports, bank accounts, international credit cards, utility bills, references with land lines only ~ all,or none, of which they might ultimately accept. The process with Karl and Brenda went into a second day, with hours of waiting each time. But as things are wont to happen, they may be slow in Latin America, but almost always things eventually go through. 

This good luck rainbow appeared outside our window yesterday morning, and Karl and Brenda moved into their apartment last night. They’ve got a container on the way, so for the time being they’re “camping in”. They’ve been troopers through this first phase of what feels like lunacy, and yet I often feel compelled to assure them how great it’ll be once they’re all settled in. It’s definitely both exciting and overwhelming at the same time. Trying to get things accomplished without spanish as a second language doesn't make it any easier. Fortunately Karl’s a quick study and is well on his way, so the main ingredients to success are already there ~ great attitudes, respect for this beautiful culture, major patience, and adaptability. They’re off to a fabulous start!

FOOTNOTE: Last night a segment was aired on ABC News entitled "American Retirees Find Paradise in Ecuador".Our good friends Edd and Cynthia were featured, and Jeff and I even got a 5 second blip on the screen with John Quiñones. Such excitement! If interested, check it out on www.abcnews.go.com , and look for the video. What a hoot!

BUILDING A NEST IN THE ANDES

We’ve owned our Ecuadorian property for just about about a year now, and this was the first official week for the “construction kick-off”. The excavator is clearing way for the foundation, and Jeff’s gleefully running around on his new tractor. “We’re actually building a house in the Andes!” I say to myself.  Who would’ve thunk?

I love living in Cuenca. It’s just the right size for me, easy to navigate anywhere on foot, by taxi, bus, or car. It may be relatively small for some, but I love how it offers just about everything you need - from access to everyday necessities to great restaurants, to really cool cultural events. It’s pretty much all here for the taking if you choose to take advantage of it.

But alas, as I may have mentioned in earlier blogs, city life just doesn’t hold the same appeal for my husband Jeff. He loves Cuenca, too, but is just too physical a guy to be stuck in an apartment all day. The better part of the first year was fine with all the flurry of activity of settling in, but soon boredom snuck up on him. "I can only sit in front of the computer for so long," he'd say. "Let's get out of here and take a drive or something!"

Now of course, I’ll follow my husband just about anywhere. And yes,

too, enjoyed the drives, but personally I often felt like I’d walked away from “my things” - writing, working out, reading, and even cleaning the house (which believe it or not, I actually like to do!) I’m a “nester”, and I’m okay with keeping myself busy with every day things. But I could see his body itching, and I knew we needed more. He needs to wake up, get going, create and build. I need that too, but more so in my head. 

I have to admit, though, I’m excited to be going over to his side. Our new land is actually part of a larger farm - horses, deer and all. Jeff’s been designing the house, and to see it come to fruition on computer has admittedly been really amazing.

All my life, I’d always moved into already-built apartments or houses. Granted, I’d make them my own in terms of decorating, but now I know that isn’t the same. Jeff’s giving me carte blanche to get creative and choose all materials on the inside, as I did with him on the outside. Of course, we’ve both reserved the right to say “no way!” if we feel really strongly about something. We’re fully aware that house building can be a couple’s undoing, and nothing could ever be worth that for either of us.

So now that dear friends who have brought down a container with a few major items tough to get here like radiant heating supplies and a wood stove (yes, the nights can get chilly up there at 10,500 feet!) we’re vibrating with anticipation. I promise to keep you updated on our progress once in awhile. In the meantime, if you’re so inclined, wish us luck ~ we’re sure going to need it!