Why Visitors are a Good Thing

Some of you already have the answer to this mystery. You're the type of people who love to see friends and family and can't imagine going somewhere that didn't include at least one visit with a loved one, or not catching up with someone close who has traveled to a town near you.

Erin hiking around a Laguna in the Cajas

On the flip side, there are people who travel to get away. They don't want to see anyone familiar or have the demands of friends and family pressed upon them. When guests arrive in town they don't understand why they just don't stay in a hotel. I mean, isn't it just more comfortable for everyone to have their own space?

Wild Cajas Bunny

Charming Watefall

Those are the two extremes, of course and most of us fall somewhere in between. But having guests can truly be a good thing. Especially, if you're in a new place (with a different language). I'm very guilty of getting into little set patterns and not really deviating from them, but when a guest comes, you really do want them to have a good time and see the things that interest them.

Parque Calderon from the New Cathedral

To this end, we found ourselves catching buses that we've never caught by ourselves, roaming to the outer limits of the city and turning off the TV to go wander around and marvel at the lights of the city by night. We've hired drivers to take us to the coast and clomped through the majestic Cajas without knowing the trail. This makes us more confident in our new space and allows us to consider tackling new challenges, despite the fact that we have to use a different language and venture into unknown territory.

So I challenge you. Even if you think it might be too daunting or beyond your skill set, the adventure might just make all the anxiety worth it. Don't wait for a guest. Go discover the world around you with a sense of fearless adventure and we'll try to keep doing the same.

Danica's Rants

Preparations for Carnaval - Flour and spray foam!

Okay, so sometimes things just make me a little crazy and then I rant. (Photos shamelessly stolen from: http://richandnancy.blogspot.com/2012/02/carnaval-2012.html!)


#1 - Why do female detectives on TV wear high heeled shoes? You see them running through cobble stoned streets and when they stop they're wearing 3 inch stilettos...please...at least wear shoes you can actually run in. (Yes, I've run in high heels, but not at a full out tilt that I can only manage in runners.) A little realism/practicality please.

#2 - Why is it a kindness to put down a suffering animal, but not a kindness to do the same for a terminally suffering human? And please don't tell me because we intellectually understand what we're going through...does that make the pain any less? No.

#3 - Why are so many TV female super heroes stick skinny? All the male superheroes are cut like nobody's business, but the chicks are anemic. (Again...realism...!)

#4 - Why do the posts on Pinterest obsess both with weight loss and dessert recipes? I feel so conflicted when I look at it!

#5 - People from the US accuse Canadians of saying "aboot"...we do not...Scottish people say "aboot" we say "abowt". Where this idea came from, I have no idea, but please stop saying it.

#6 - Reality TV is an oxymoron. It isn't real and is only encouraging people to bad behaviour. It's so rampant that many viewers actually think that acting like a jerk and "winning" are all that matters. It will be the downfall of our society.

#7 - Corporations and share holders expect profits to continually rise. This is impossible that's why they call it a business "cycle". For the love of God, plan for the downturns, stop firing the people on the ground, doing the real work, and get rid of one or two of your useless fat cat executives.

That's it. All the little bees I have buzzing around in my bonnet. Maybe the irritants have gone away because it's Carnaval here and kids are spraying each other with foam and water, running around like made things and have a wonderful time. Things like that can buoy my spirits, even while chewing on some "friendly" fire soap bubbles.