Friday, Jan 12, 2018

Two Years

Hola amigos! Guess what? It is now two years in Ecuador for the Gorisheks. We entered the country January 11, 2016. What a crazy run so far! Bahia de Caraquez to Cuenca to Olon, with many adventures in between. In another month we will be at the 2 year mark when our Cedulas were issued.

That issue date in February is our official Ecuador residency date. The reason it’s significant is that we can then leave the country for 5 years at a time, and still be able to maintain Ecuadorian residency. Might be time for a trip to Columbia!

Actually, I don’t know what we will be doing next. I do feel like I would like to see more of South America. What I do know is that the weather has finally turned sunny and bright here and I don’t want to go anywhere while it’s goin’ on in Olon. Speaking of Olon, I shot a couple picks while I was waiting for the bus this week.

Main Street in Olon

Our New Supermarket…

Inside…

Outside…

…and Around

Across the street from our supermarket is where I buy my cervezas. They do a great job keeping them cold!

Cervezas and More

Los Frailes Beach

Los Frailes Beach

I made a trip just north of Puerto Lopez last Saturday with Chase, Easton, and Michelle. We went to Los Frailes beach in the Machalilla National Park. Heidi and I visited this beach in 2014 during our exploratory trip of the coast. After two years in Ecuador, It still is one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve seen.

Today there were more people at the beach than the last time I was here. Even so, there was still plenty of wide open beach sand. We all took a dip in the ocean and the water temperature was fantastic.

View Point Los Frailes Beach (Easton, Todd, Michelle, Chase)

Michelle Headed for a Swim

Second Beach at Los Frailes

Beach Bum Soakin’ Up the Sun

Chase and Easton Catching Rays

Beach Mishap

I did have a slight mishap while there. We went to explore the rocks and cave at the north end of the beach. There was a perfectly good, large flat rock to stand on that jutted into the water. In order to get there I had to walk down a steeper rock that was wet. Well you guessed it. I feel on my ass cutting myself up on barnacles and other things on the rock. My prescription sunglasses went flying off my face and into a large crevasse in the rocks.

The tide was coming in and as each swell came, it blew water up in my face like a mini blow-hole while I was trying to find my sunglasses. Then, I realized I only had one flip flop on my feet. Uuugh! These are really good flip flops I bought in the states before I came, and there are no replacements like them here. After trying to find my sunglasses and flip flop for several minutes, I just said fuck it, let’s go.

Now, I only have one flip flop for one foot. I still have a lot of ground to cover walking before I will be back home. I decided I would just do it all barefoot. From leaving the beach, to walking around Puerto Lopez, then going into the TIA for groceries, to getting on the bus, and finally, getting home. The locals do it all the time. It shouldn’t be a big deal I thought, trying to convince myself.

Needs Are Basic

Chase however was a lot more hopeful about finding my flip flop. He knew they usually float so he thought maybe we would get lucky and find it. Guess what? About 100 feet further down the craggy shoreline, there was my flip flop in a shallow alcove. I couldn’t believe it. There were so many rocky places it could have gotten stuck in and I would have never seen it. But there it was.

I want to explain to you how exciting it is to have shoes for your feet. No longer did I really care about my very expensive prescription sunglasses. I have other glasses I can see with. But my flip flops! Man it was like Christmas. Padre has shoes for his feet!

I wasn’t going to have to deal with burning sand, or rocks, or thorns or any other unpleasant things I would have been stepping on. Life is pretty simple. Needs are very basic. I learned this day that shoes for your feet are a gift and blessing.

Haircut Time

We had a family outing this week to Manglaralto, a little place three towns south of us. We all needed haircuts so we went to our friend Dayvid. He is a hairstylist from the states. That is not what makes this story interesting. Dayvid used to live next door to Easton in Salt Lake City. Shortly after arriving in Olon last March, Heidi, Easton, and I are walking along the road and we hear, “Hey Easton!”. It appears Dayvid moved to Manglaralto in April of 2016, right after the earth quake. Neither knew the other was in Ecuador. It is a very small world indeed.

What’s Ahead?

When we got off the bus in Manglaralto we were walking down a dirt road on our way to Dayvid’s house. Ahead I saw this iguana and I thought for sure it would be scampering off as we approached.

All I can say is they have tough iguanas in this town. It didn’t move an inch as we approached, and honestly it looked to me like he was debating whether he was going to let us pass.

What You Lookin’ At?

By the way, Dayvid did a great haircut for all four of us. Very much worth the trip! If you need a great cut look Dayvid Crook up in Manglaralto.

Banos Bound

Chase, Easton, and our friend Michelle headed to Banos this week for a little fun. They caught the 6:45 am bus out of Olon. Got to Guayaquil just before 10 and changed buses. They were checked in at their place in Banos and out in the town by around 5 pm. Easton said the bus ride was easy breezy. Have fun you guys!

Two years in Ecuador and counting…see you next week.

Chau