Costa Rica...the unknown country

We've been a fair amount of places, but really haven't spent any time in Central America, if you don't count airports. We decided that it was an opportune time to drop by, as it was between home (Canada) and home-away-from-home (Ecuador).

Playa Junquillal, near Paraiso, where we're staying

We embarked on our 6 week hiatus from real life, renting an Air B&B and car (Alamo) to get us around the diminutive (relatively speaking) country. This portion of the blog will cover the first week of our new experience.

View from our patio

View of our patio (it's a shared entrance porch)

Right out of the gate, we got to enjoy (if one can phrase it that way) the transit police corruption. We'd been on the road for 3 or so hours when we got pulled over by a motorcycle officer. He claimed that we had passed in a no passing zone. (We didn't.) The long and short of it was that he wanted money to "help us out" with the ridiculously high penalties for traffic violations. (The high cost is actually true, but  he really just wanted some easy cash.) We were taken aback, not expecting it. (In general, but more specifically, during our first few hours in country.) We weren't equipped to play it cool and handed over enough Colones to make the "officer" laugh all the way to the bank. 

Near Playa Blanca

Needless to say, it ruined our first day. For general information purposes, 10.000 Colones would likely suffice. Play dumb (if you do speak Spanish, don't admit it) and claim only to have a small amount of cash on you. Doing my research (after the fact), some people claim that you can just ask for the ticket, which is unlikely to be produced, especially if they've offered you a "get out of ticket cheap" solution. Asking for a bribe (and paying one, btw, as we discovered later) is against the law here. I've also read that the Transito can't actually arrest you, but have to call the Federales or municipal force to take you to jail. This can make for awkward questions, which the transit cops want to avoid. It's your call and I'm certainly no expert.

These crazy patterns are made by...

...these industrious little fellows

We've also learned that Costa Rica is NOT Ecuador. Of course, we didn't expect it to be, but the CR is much more expensive for many things, including a lot of produce, food staples and gasoline. Happily, wine and our accommodation are both fairly affordable.

A resident lizard

He feels that this is his good side.

Costa Rica is a land filled with butterflies. Everywhere you go, they're flitting through the air, flaunting their colours and giving more sensitive souls heart attacks as they blithely soar on the currents in front of the car's windscreen. We have yet to peel any off the front of the car. While numerous, I've been having problems getting a photo.

Good milk, not so good beef, so we've heard

Barely another beach goer in sight

Other denizens of the nearby area include Brahma cows, crabs and numerous birds. It's also HOT. Of course, we're here at the start of summer, during the wet season, which makes for humid weather. We're finding the heat okay for now, but I do occasionally wilt under the sweat running down me. Thank heavens for the pool!

I'm pretty sure we'll have a good time here, despite the start. So, if you're coming to Costa Rica, bring your cash, a vacant smile that indicates you don't understand a word and lots of sun screen.

When Things Go Wrong...And They Will

Okay, so most people traveling the globe will be reluctant to tell you about the down side. The unexpected illness from food you're not used to, the miscommunications due to lack of linguistic skills, stores not having the things you are desperate for, wearing the same clothes for days on end as you try and get to where ever you're going. I guess you get the drift.

Disasters happen...get used to it

Things do go wrong. We know this, but we keep it on the down low, at least most of the time. The people we keep it from know that we do, but don't ask. They're as infatuated with the fairy tale as we are.

So what do you do when things go wrong while you're abroad? The first thing to do is take a deep breath. Case in point: our oven.

We have an oven that we bought in Canada, specifically for our apartment here. We uncrated it at the end of January, which makes it about 10 months old now. It's a self-cleaning oven, so one would think that it should...you know...self-clean. We ran the cleaning cycle for the first time at the end of August in preparation for our home exchange. Well, the thing hadn't even run the full cycle when the display went black and the "safety" lock seized up and nothing could be done. We did a bit of internet research (what did we do before the internet?) and discovered that this isn't unusual for modern ovens. (Surprise, surprise!) We did as was recommended and replaced the thermal fuse. The door unlocked, the display came up, the interior fan ran...we were in business. Thinking that all was well, we headed back home for a nice long visit.

On our return, I went to bake some chicken...no heat. There were still lights, displays, the fan was still running, but not a lick of heat. Sigh...the mother board was fried.(Special note: there is a board to run the display panel and a main control board.) Whirlpool would not do anything as our warranty was void because we'd taken the unit out of the country. (That's a whole other story, unto itself, but know that Whirlpool will not take responsibility for design flaws, known or otherwise.)

So what do you do? The part cost us $280 (including shipping within Canada). Then we had to get it here... that's another $190. We'll see how long it actually takes, but it was sent from Vancouver on the 3rd of November and is supposedly going to arrive on the 11th. (Yup, that's right...$290 for a delivery that takes more than a week. Oh, and we'll likely need to pay duty on the part as well. Working over? Priceless. Don't mistake me there was plenty of blue language between the discovery, Whirlpool's inability to admit that there was a problem with the design and actually ordering the part.

What's the lesson in this? Obviously, if you're abroad, things can be more expensive...anything that involves something back home can cost dearly, so you have to be prepared for it. A contingency fund is a necessary thing, so is a good sense of humour and patience...patience...patience. (Did I mention patience?) 

No road is completely smooth, there are pot holes, construction zones, dead ends and just getting lost. You can try and be as prepared as possible, but nothing is perfect, so paste on a smile and take care of business.

We're still waiting on the part and have confirmed that there is $25USD in duty outstanding. Fingers crossed that all goes well. Stay tuned.

Ecuadorian Contracts - Important Info!!!

We all know that things are different down here, or at least I would guess that most people have that understanding, but sometimes I forget and find myself surprised in certain circumstances.

Let's take a hypothetical situation - you're buying a new build house that has a late delivery clause. If the condo is supposed to be ready for occupancy on July 14th, but isn't ready the builder may agree to a financial penalty, most likely per day; say $20. (For arguments sake). You finally move in to your condo on the very first day it's ready for occupancy and that day is July 30th (I like easy math), that means that you should be getting a discount/refund of 17 x $20 = $340, right?

No, not necessarily. Even though this is a clause written in to the purchase agreement, if the builder doesn't pay it willingly you will need to sue him. So it comes to down to the question "is it worth it?" For $320? No. No, it isn't. 

Your lawyer might even explain to you that this is more of an "encouragement" clause, something that keeps your build on track and that you can fall back on if things really go south, say they owe you 300 days. That's assuming your contract doesn't include a way to get out of the purchase if the place isn't ready in 90/120 or however many days the property may be late. (It's possible you might have to sue to get your money back, as well, we never had to go that far.) When it was added (not at our request) we thought it was odd to have a late delivery clause...I mean, really, when has a new build ever completed on time? It seemed sort of un-Ecuadorian. Live and learn.

But it actually was a classic Ecuadorian lesson. As a people, they are notorious for agreeing to things that are completely impossible, or at the very least, improbable. I believe they really don't like conflict as a general rule and will say anything to avoid it. Now that we know there's no real way of enforcing verbal or even written agreements of this nature (without spending a load of money on legal fees etc.), the extranjero can be caught by surprise. Locals will be genuinely confused when you get upset with them for things of this nature, as this is standard practice here.

Okay...that's just funny!

What's the take away? Put those sorts of details in the contract, because you might actually need to act on it, but don't expect it to be an adjustment on the closing costs that you're lawyers follow up on. Consider yourself forewarned and always ask for clarification when talking about these finer points. Don't take anything for granted and be prepared to let some things go.

Son of a Water Leak...the Sequel

We had a little gathering at our place, for people who hadn't seen the new digs and it was actually quite successful. It was really neat to hear both English and Spanish drifting through the apartment and watching the expats working their Spanish skills with the Ecuadorians. The food came out well, for the most part, and it seemed like everyone had a really good time.

Desserts

Marinated cheese with plum tomatoes

Quinoa salad in fajita shell cups

Tapas platter

Overview: stuffed mushroom caps are missing

We saw the guests off safely and cleaned up the mess and had just settled in to enjoy the rest of the evening when we heard water gushing. We both thought the other was in the other washroom running a tap...but no, rather quickly we figured out that something was horribly wrong. The water line to our toilet in the social bathroom had broken. Of course, that line is the only one that didn't have a proper shut off valve, so we had to go out and turn off the main water valve. By the time we'd taken care of that we still had to mop up a lake of water. At least the floor isn't perfectly level, so that the water stayed in a puddle that ran from the dining room, through the living room and in to the office. Gratefully, it kept away from the wood floors in the bedrooms. There was enough water that we used the dust pan to scoop it up and put it in the mop pail and then got the rest with mops, towels and four bed sheets. There's no pictures as the situation didn't warrant the time it would have taken.

The water line was apparently overly-tightened and snapped from the pressure & we're talking the metal threaded attachment, not the plastic tube! (Boooo!) We're hoping that this is the last of the water problems. I can't decide if it's the third issue or fourth...if you don't have water, is that considered a water problem???

Fortunately the part has been replaced, our carpet is laying flat and we're back to two bathrooms. Fingers crossed that that's the last of our water troubles. (Thanks heavens for yummy food!)

Scones with dried fruit

Fruit plate!

Banos de Cuenca

You've all probably figured out that we're enjoying ourselves (for the most part) here in Cuenca. Despite our time here, we really haven't gotten out to a lot of the traditional places that tourists like to go. Sure, we made it down to the coast and have visited a few sites outside of the city limits, but many people who visit, see more in a month than we have in the whole time we've been here. Chalk it up to laziness, over involvement in getting settled or just plain comfortableness. We're hoping that will change soon.


I made a return trip to Banos de Cuenca, a suburb, really, of the city proper. The town features a very pretty blue church that sits high on the hillside, overlooking the tourist information centre and the rest of the town, if you miss your bus stop for the spas, this is where you'll likely wind up deboarding.

The town of Banos de Cuenca is a mini Banos de Agua, (quite famous and located closer to Quito,in Tungurahua province) with thermal pools and spas abounding. It's a nice way to spend an afternoon, soaking in the mineral pools, giving yourself clay treatments (now for a girl who doesn't like to get dirty...this was a challenge, but I sucked it up...twice, once for red mud and the second for blue) or packaging yourself up in a steam box (yup, like the one's you see in old gangster movies) with your head sticking out and your neck wrapped in a towel. You can also get massage services and other treatments.

Like fish en papiote...

Bring flip flops/thongs, the ground is rough and can be slippery.

Most of the spas offer some sort of package that includes all of their "public areas", meaning the pools, saunas and steam rooms. They will not tell you at the front desk if some of the services aren't available, so it's always good to ask and maybe have a walk around, before you commit to paying.


My friend and I went to Piedra de Agua for their Monday two for one special. ($35 for entry to all their services excluding treatments from their staff.) They failed to mention that the biggest pool was being serviced, but there are two other smaller mineral pools, so it wasn't a huge tragedy. The staff is attentive and you can drink and eat pool side, but the prices are higher than you would anticipate. (We had two bottles of water which cost $3.14. This sounds like a deal, if you aren't in Ecuador, but I know full well that each of those water bottles cost under 50¢ - probably well under - so the mark up is a bit much.)

Contrast pools, one cold & one hot

Even on their discount days, it isn't overly busy. I'd probably recommend avoiding holidays, as Cuencanos likely flock there for a little R & R. There are two bus lines that can take you to Banos de Cuenca, for a whopping 25¢, one way, number 12 & 200, or you can catch a cab for around $5, or so says the website.  There are other spas in Banos de Cuenca, so don`t take this as a recommendation for Piedra de Agua, although I did enjoy it. I don`t really have anything to compare it to, so take a tour of the facility before you pay and know that there aren`t really any in and out privileges, so you`re stuck with whatever they have on their menu and the associated cost if you want to spend a whole day. Other tips of note: if you elect (and pay) to only use one service and then decide you'd like access to more, there is not upgrading...you will have to pay the full entry on top of your original payment. This is something that they need to work on and which might seem strange to North Americans, but don't say you weren't warned!


So hop the bus and enjoy a few hours (or more) in Banos de Cuenca, cloudy or sunny, it's a nice way to pass some time and relax.


Other options: Novaqua & Hosteria Duran (they seem to be affiliated) , Hosteria Rodas. There may be more, if you take the time to wander around the town.

Some Stuff for Our Place Or "What You Should Bring With You"

With all my posts about our trials and travails of feathering our nest, I thought I might try to help with, what seems to be, a burning question for expats: "What do we need to bring with us?" So, I could get all existential here, and ask "what does anyone truly need?" Shelter, food and (arguably) love. In truth, what one needs for a comfortable existence is subjective.

It's all about personal perspective! (Picture source:
http://art-paper-scissors.blogspot.com/search/label/Comic%20Strip)

The overwhelming thing that seems to be desperately missed by many immigrants is comfort food. You name it...cheddar cheese, peanut butter, pickles, Dr. Pepper...for the most part the thing that you loved back in North America is probably different here, or doesn't exist. That's not to say that you can't buy cheddar cheese, peanut butter, pickles or soda here...you definitely can. So you either adapt or bring in large quantities in hopes that it will get you through to your next visit up North. If, like some of my relatives, you can't live without Twinings tea, you may not make it here.

Poutine...classic Canadian comfort food.

You can buy almost any gadget here. Appliances, tech stuff, kitchen gear, even "As Seen on TV" items, but much of it is apparently at a price that seizes the hearts of many Americans. (Canadians don't suffer from sticker shock quite as badly, but every now and again we take a sharp breath when we look at a price tag - especially now, with the dollar trading at around 80 cents US.)

The one thing that we can recommend that you bring (assuming you're shipping down a container) is kitchen appliances. For whatever reason, there is a pretty big disparity in quality. We can't quite figure out why, but North American appliances are just better, at least at this point. I won't even get in to the quirks of Indurama appliances that are quite popular here. This is not to say that you can't get by with South American appliances...almost everyone manages it and at least it's easy to get parts and service for the local brands. Even though it's completely unrelated to appliances, here are some branch names that make me giggle:



The mattresses here seem to be very comfortable (some people vehemently disagree), even if the sizes aren't quite the same as what we're used to, but we have yet to find a truly "comfortable" sofa here in Ecuador. Some are close, but most are not. Dining chairs are another mystery. Ecuador seems to like very straight backs. No adjusted angle or graceful curve on which to recline. The nuns of my mother's Catholic school would approve.


We have a friend that gets rid of more and more stuff, the longer he stays here. He's embraced simplicity in a way that is inspiring and yet foreign to us. (I can't overstate the importance of a comfortable sofa... which say more about me that I may want to admit - sad but true.)

Doesn't get much better than this...

So, really, you can get away with just bringing your clothes and filling your nest with local items...it has been done before and millions of Ecuadorians swear by it. As I will always recommend...come here, live here for an extended period, before you buy property, ship containers or cash in your retirement savings to "make the leap". Then decide what you can and can't live with (or without, for that matter). We're glad we brought our appliances and furniture, as it's what we're used to and feels right to us. It's nice to have familiar objects when in a strange new world, but we lived with the local stuff for an extended time as well and know a good life, either way.

Calefon oh my Calefon (On-demand Water Heating)

We're always for innovations that save energy and resources, which is why we were a little bit excited to move to a place that has an on-demand water heater (aka tankless water heating). These have been popular in Europe and Japan for many years and we even considered getting one for the house in Prince Edward Island. 

The actual purchase cost can be quite prohibitive and as we'd already maxed out our 'green' grant with the geothermal system and required a holding tank to run it, we skipped the on-demand water heater, or calefon, as it's known in Spanish. (We also didn't understand them all that well, but here's a handy diagram.)

Anyhow, we now find ourselves the recipients of on-demand water. The heater was tucked away tastefully in a cabinet in the kitchen, with the cold water line running into the bottom of it and hot water lines running out. (As pictured.)

Yes, it says "GO-177"

This is a propane based heater that requires good ventilation (see the exhaust at the top). What we didn't realise is that it also needs ready access to air. (I guess it makes sense with fire being involved!) So our nicely tucked away heater was basically experiencing a severe asthma attack when we ran it with the doors closed. This made the water temperature fluctuate wildly when we used the hot water for any extended period of time. (Think shower...) The builder finally recommended that until he found a solution that we only use the calefon with the doors opened.

You can barely make out the happily burning flame.

This has improved the water temperature issue (it's nice and consistent now) and the calefon doesn't sound like it's being smothered while it runs. It now makes a hearty whooshing sound (vaguely reminiscent of the furnace in Nightmare on Elm Street - okay, that might be an overstatement) and then is basically silent.

The point of all of this? Do not be afraid of the on-demand water heater. It can save a lot of money on a monthly basis and is a bit more environmentally friendly that keeping a huge tank of water warm all the time. Our dish washer seems to be quite pleased with the calefon as well...our dishes come out pristine. This makes Ron happy, both because he doesn't have to wash the dishes in the first place or make up for any dishwasher short comings.

Ron's clever solution to covering up the "widow maker"
wires for an electric water heater. It's a soap dish...

So far, we've used up about a tank and a half of gas (1/4 of one being sucked up by the gas lines running to our apartment), so we figure we can run on one tank a month (give or take) and that costs (right now) a whopping $2-$2.50. The initial outlay on a tank is $65. The gas takes care of our hot water, stove and dryer, everything else is electric. Now, if we could only get the right size water pump for the building, we just might be in shower nirvana.

Why Ecuador Isn't Like Canada 2.0

I bet most of you are thinking..."Of course Ecuador isn't like Canada, don't be silly! Ecuador is warm, Canada is not!" There is some truth to that, but Canada isn't the frozen wasteland many people imagine it to be, but that isn't the point of this post. What is different is the time North American's obsess making their home "nice". While people like "nice" things here, it isn't their be all and end all of existence. First of all, there isn't time for it and secondly, isn't family more important than worrying about whether your paint tones match? (Plus there's an entirely different style design aesthetic here.)


These facts don't take away from the beauty of the countryside, amiability of the people or general pleasure of life here. What it does do is occasionally take you aback.


Case in point; TV and internet installers. They genuinely want your business, but I'm guessing that they have little training when it comes to the care and maintenance of a client's property. Our brand new building has beautiful lines of conduit, through which to run coaxial cable, tastefully hidden by interior walls with panels for easy access. 

Each apartment is duly wired and ready for telephone,internet and TV, but for some strange and unknowable reason (that even the builder doesn't understand) the various companies are unable (or unwilling) to use the lines provided. This necessitated 'cables visibles' (I'm pretty sure you can figure out the translation on that) to be run across the outside of the building to each suite and through a hole in the window frame. Complete madness.


The actual process to get the lines installed involved a dozen different people (from the cable provider) and at least five appointments. The second to last set of installers told us it would be a good idea to run the cables through the existing conduit (!!!), in complete contravention of what all the other techs, installers and salesmen insisted on. We said "Great! Let's do it." Then he talked to his supervisor and the answer was a flat "No." It would have saved us from the following unsightliness.

Across apartment below

Around the corner - why pin it neatly against the wall, right?

Along the patio dividing wall on lower level, so what
if it slipped off the wall a little? No one will notice!

The only thing I can figure (concerning non-use of the existing conduit) is that the cable company is worried about people jacking into the wires and stealing their services. (Probably not a completely unwarranted  concern.) That being said, the installers had no real concern for the window sills and heavily damaged our neighbour's wall in the process of trying to install the cable line. (A wall that had already been repaired once after having his blinds installed.) Had they but asked for a towel or piece of cardboard the wall would have been fine.

To save our own windows Ron put the hole in the window frame himself and drilled appropriate holes to ensure the cable wasn't running pell-mell across our living room floor.

In Canada, we would deem all of this as completely unacceptable, but this is just how it is here. If you want things done a certain way, you have to be ready to provide the necessary equipment (example; a hammer for the handyman - true story) and help. What we've come to accept as the norm (as North Americas) really isn't. A worker here gets the job done, without thinking about the before and after.

The good thing is, that for the most part, the workers are willing to try and remedy the situation, if they suddenly find themselves face to face with a disappointed (and often irate) home owner. It's just all part of the learning process.

They deserve a bit of slack. Imagine living in a house complied of items you scrounged. This is the reality of many Ecuadorians, especially when it comes to installing a roof; they can be made from found items like plastic sheets (hard and soft) metal scraps and even cardboard (used mostly for temporary patching). There isn't a lot of need to "seal" the house...many have large gaps between the cinder block and around their door frames and windows, or sometimes the window is missing all together. Don't get me wrong, there is definitely money here in Cuenca and it certainly isn't the expats that have the majority, despite the prevailing stereotype, but a good portion of the workers come from outside of the city, where houses have electricity, but not a whole lot else. It is their reality, so people like us, who have lots of windows, good furniture and several appliances (pure luxury!) are the exception to the rule, in their experience.



All this being said, we're in our new space, have internet and TV ($65/month including HD), plus hot water (you don't truly appreciate it, until you don't have it for a while) and we even have upper kitchen cabinets. Life is good and that's just about all that anyone can ask for.


Oh, and for those of you wondering about TV and internet quality, they're both fairly reliable, with just enough quirks to remind you where you are.

Ecuador: Not Just a Cheap Place to Live (Tough Love Edition)

Cuenca, Ecuador has once again topped the list of best places to retire in the world. This is good news for those people with investments (particularly investment property) here in Ecuador. Many people can hear the cha-ching of yet another positive report.

It's not just about money...trust me on this.

The country is highly touted as a CHEAP PLACE TO LIVE, but under NO circumstances should anyone move here just for that reason. There is so much more to Ecuador, that it's a crime to use that as top billing. Many people come just for that and are disappointed.

Let's be serious - this is an emerging country, with strong arguments to classify it as part of the second world nations. This is NOT a little United States, Canada or any other first world country. Not only that, but it's had hundreds (thousands, really) of years to develop its own culture, processes and identity; which for us is what makes it amazing. What you might see as backwards and frustrating is actually a step forward here; something that Ecuadorians have worked very hard to achieve and are very proud of.

 

Brand new park facilities...with a view and not the type we're used to!

Crazily dangerous things for the kids to play on...but they live to tell the tale.

If you come here to save a few bucks, you'll likely be wasting your time and, in complete frankness, your hard earned money. It's an expensive thing to relocate to another country, let alone finding out, after several months (or quite frequently less) that you can't tolerate the culture. 

We already knew we loved it, before we shipped our stuff.

To me, its ridiculous for people to complain that Ecuadorians don't speak enough English, or do things the 'right' way. This is a Spanish speaking country with its own laws and traditions and for anyone to expect a people to change to make a foreigner more comfortable is laughable. Bless the Ecuadorians for being patient with my mangled Spanish, my occasional social blunders and strange ways. I came here to change myself, not to change things around me.

The sign reads "Motorcycle parking prohibited" - classic!

If you like bright, loud festivals with many fireworks (at all times of day even 6 in the morning), unexpected parades (that block traffic and result in much car honking) and the occasional dousing in water (or spray foam, flour and confetti), then by all means come. If tatty sidewalks don't throw you off, and you have the patience of Job to process paperwork, pay bills and order food; then come. If you can handle seemingly nice, understanding people turning into complete lunatics when behind the wheel of a car, then come. If you want to at least attempt to learn Spanish, then please, pack your bags and hop a plane.

 

Take on Amazonian traditional dress (a first for me in the small parades)

Matadors

Even angels and Bible characters get thirsty

Egyptians...maybe the Exodus??

Bands, floats and traffic mayhem!

But if you're looking to save a buck and still have the life you have wherever you are now, don't bother. Unless you're willing to embrace the culture and the country, please don't come here. You aren't doing yourself any favours, let alone the Ecuadorians and, worse, you'll just make it harder for the expats who really want to be here. (That's the cold hard truth that many happy expats think, but will not say - that's why I call it tough love.) We have come across Ecuadorians who just don't want to do business with foreigners, even if you speak the language and I can only assume that someone, sometime must have really ticked them off.

If you do decide to come, plan to spend the first three months adapting - it won't seem so bad really, even though things will be strange and overwhelming. The next three months are kind of a honeymoon phase: you know where to get groceries, you've taken the bus and a few taxis and you've met some nice people and the weather, well it's pretty darned awesome. The next six months are the real trial...trying to find a more permanent place to live, dealing with obtaining residency, realizing that not having a solid grasp of basic Spanish is a hassle and it's usually when you lose some of those nice people you met...they've headed back to wherever they came from because it was all just too foreign/more expensive than they thought/or several other reasons.

Please, do your research, come for a multi-month visit before you buy a property, sell all your worldly possessions and make the leap. My husband and I, well, we're really used to change and we did several things that positioned us really well to adapt to this new experience. It's not for everybody. Being away from family and long time friends is challenging. If you're set in your ways and can only use one brand of this thing or only eat that brand of whatever the change here will come hard and could be a deal breaker.

This life is a choice and we choose to embrace it as best we can, with good humour, humbleness and joy. Please, please make sure you want to do the same.

Orchid Exhibition

There are many things to do and see at any given time in Cuenca. Many to these things are free or at the very least, inexpensive. Usually we get the most pleasure from wandering out of doors, enjoying the river, roaming neighbourhoods and catching up on our vitamin D, but every once in a while there is something so tempting that we actually head to places that we avoid the rest of the time. In this case it was the mall.

Now we don't have anything against the mall, per se, but with so many vendors in our own little part of the city, we just don't feel the need to go there (pay more) and have North American style clothes, but they held an Orchid Exhibition there for a week, so we couldn't resist going and checking it out. It had the added bonus of also hosting the Cuenca Bonsai Society which was unbeknownst to us at the time. The cost was $2 per ticket and the venue offered hundreds of specimens from all over the world. I will let the pictures speak for themselves.

While the set up was a little counter intuitive, using bright coloured accessories and coloured lights which tended to draw away from the amazing colours of the flowers themselves, for the most part the exhibition was fantastic.

This one was teeny, like the size of a finger nail!

At the end, visitors were led to the prerequisite sales area which also housed the Bonsai Society, so we got to see a good selection of trees and bushes patiently reared over many years. (Of which I have no pictures for some inexplicable reason. The Orchid Exhibition is an annual event and well worth a visit, if you get a chance next year.

 

To the people mired down with the prospect of fast approaching winter, you're welcome. There are places in the world where flowers bloom all year round and where the idea of snow is fantastical, mysterious and mildly folkloric.

Until next time, be well, pray for peace, or if not that at least good sense from our leaders. (Is that a paradox??? I think so!)