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Sunday, January 31, 2016

Where to Eat - Restaurante Motumbo!

Questions? E-mail us!
Twitter - @JOTOinEcuador

We have now been here more than two months.  Before we left many asked us a very difficult question. What will you miss the most?  I will not restate the obvious things but there were other things, things I thought would be obvious.  These things were based largely on food.  Through internet research it seemed I would not be able to get certain items here.  Pizza, BBQ, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Greek, German, etc.  Even what I consider just plain old U.S. food which is mostly a myriad of international cuisines that have been fused with pure U.S fare. Will Ferrell lampooned our idea of cuisine in Talladega Nights.

Pure deliciousness produced by packs of wild dogs!
I know what you are thinking and I am not saying it is a bad thing.  Really, I am not. It is a great thing. In the United States you can probably get some form of any type of food you would ever want to try. All cuisine everywhere is based on what is produced locally and is at some point, fused with what is available through trade.  Tea, coffee, spices, fruits, vegetables, cheeses and meats.  We love food, and what is not to love?

As a U.S. citizen I also fell in love with everything easy.  I want hot, now and *cough* affordable. Okay in reality heat lamp warm, almost now and the illusion of affordable.

(Insert fast food restaurant name here), the next time you make a product that actually looks like one you advertise on television, let me know.  There is your next marketing campaign Fast Food conglomerates.  "Product on the television is actually larger and fresher than it appears."  But I digress.

David prepares someone's bill.
Good news.  The television is good for other things.  Food Network comes to mind.  HGTV, PBS, and the Travel Channel (No Reservations. My favorite!) also have great cuisine based shows.  The BBC does a great job with their culinary lineup.  There are even decent cooking shows on good old U.S. network television.  Why is that?  Because a growing number of people all around the world realize "heat lamp warm and almost now and the illusion of affordable" are all really just a big crock of old fryer oil out back.

It does not matter.  People get it.  You can go to your local Farmer's or even Flea Market and buy locally grown produce. This supports your local economy and you can get a week's worth of fresh vegetables for the cost of a number one combo. The vegetables even have smell and taste.  They have not been stored and "preserved" to death.  No dyes either. Just good food.

Even good, healthy, packaged food.  Not rice cakes!

Good, healthy (mostly healthy anyway) food. Yep.  People are falling in love with good food again. I am lucky enough to be in good food mecca.  They take their food very seriously in Ecuador.  It is not at all hard to find.  You can find it on the bus.  Yes, on the bus.  On the weekends it can be bought while sunbathing on la playa, delivered to your beach towel, parasol, or tent (carpa).  There is street food.  Very good street food.  Then there are the restaurants.  Italian, Japanese, BBQ, Steak Houses, Indian, etc.  We mustn't forget the Ecuadorian restaurants.  They demand respect. They stand tall with the rest of the world.  They are pure bliss.

Sometimes you just need something really, really bad for you.
I guess what I am saying is that I thought I would miss food and convenience the most, even that fast food stuff.  I guess I did miss it enough because I was a bad boy last week.  I broke.  I got mushroom and Swiss burger, large onion rings, and Coca Cola from Carl's Jr. in the mall.  It cost more than a full dinner at many Crucita restaurants.  The point is I am not missing anything because it is all here. There are however better or maybe just different foods around.  Definitely less expensive foods. 

Before I begin in earnest there are one or two important things to know.

First, the peanut (mani) figures prominently in certain sopas (soups).  If you have an allergy stay away from soup called "viche".  There is a possibility peanut allergies are moot here.  There is some question as to whether the way peanuts are grown/processed in the U.S. could be responsible for the allergy.  Should you decide to test that theory please make sure you have your up to date epinephrine with you.

Cerdo con Arroz, Platanos, y Ensalada. Look it up.  This plate? $7
If you are not feeling brave (or stupid depending on how you look at it) you may want to ask about any dish just to be on the safe side.  Have your epinephrine with you just to be on the safest side.  Second, most of the restaurants here serve their own version of the same things.  I know it might sound boring on the face but it is all done just a bit differently. Remember, people from all of South America live here.  People from all over the world live here.  All of our foods live with us in perfect symmetry.

Our friend Tamy told us it is impossible to say things like "this is the best ceviche around" because the next restaurant's will be just a bit different. Not necessarily better (though I think you will soon have a favorite) just different techniques, slight variations in ingredients, or perhaps both.  The result is a diverse dining experience no matter where you eat.  It reminds my wife and I of back home.  Every family has their secret recipe.  Aunt Sharon's Million Dollar Pie, Dottie's Best Chocolate Chip Cookies, Joyce's Beef Supreme, Nana's...well ANYTHING that Nana made!

Restaurante Motumbo on Calle Malecon.  Delicioso!
I think a very good place to start is the first place my wife and I ate ceviche. We chose a nice restaurant here in Crucita right off the bat; Restaurante Motumbo. I'd say we got lucky but in truth, we have not eaten at any place we would not go back to yet.  Restaurante Motumbo is a five minute walk from our front door.  There are literally ten other restaurants between our door and there.  That is only in the southern direction.  They are on every block in all directions.  We will try to get to all in due course.

It is an impossible dream but very convenient to my mind.

We chose Motumbo for it's beautiful hardwood rattan tables set out for alfresco dining on the Malecon, overlooking the Pacific.  We had nothing else to go on.  

The name Motumbo is also used by some as a "comedic" character.  The "stories" were further perpetuated by a 1990's Argentine rock band named Los Piojos.  There is a video and no, I will not link it.  This video has NOTHING to do with Restaurante Motumbo.  Investigate at your peril.  It is beyond R rated.  I say this to you for one reason.  If you search only for Motumbo you will most likely come across only the "comedic" information.  There is no Restaurante Motumbo website, though there there is an "unofficial" Facebook page

David and Denise supporting EMELEC!
Suffice it to say the owners David and Denise opened their restaurant after David spent many years working for a corporation in Quito.  He left the corporate business and opened his own successful soybean processing plant.  His products were instrumental in the creation of healthy school lunches.  In the process he invented revolutionary production equipment.  One thing lead to another and it was decided he would try his hand opening his own restaurant in Crucita.  Live the dream.  He met his wife Denise and the two started off on their new adventure together.  They were not sure they would succeed but being no strangers to risk, they took a chance.  They did succeed however, and the restaurant has grown.  I dare say they are more than happy with the result.  I know we are.

The name sticks as well it should.  You do not mess with success.  

On the wall behind the bar hangs the last neck tie David ever wore.  A reminder of why he is here. He will never wear another.  His favorite band is also represented in the form of a clock.  Pink Floyd, The Wall.  He saw Sir Paul McCartney's concert in Quito in 2014.  There is a collection of David's hats in the corner of the bar.  He admits that he loses hats constantly, but never, ever loses sunglasses. David is bi-lingual, friendly, courteous, and willing to talk.  His good nature is infectious and his staff follows his lead.  He and Denise work the restaurant together expertly.  A lot of gringos (not a derogatory term here) frequent Restaurante Motumbo because of these things.  A lot of Ecuadorians eat there as well.  It is authentic fare.

Busy Night at Restaurante Motumbo
Restaurante Motumbo is located directly on the Malecon.  The street (calle) is the only thing between you and the Pacific.  You may dine alfresco, inside the beautiful bamboo restaurant, or sit at the bar. Wherever you sit, the ocean breeze and the sound of waves crashing on the beach are with you.  It is open every day from 11:00 to 23:00.  The menu is bi-lingual and even has a glossary of terms so you can understand everything you're ordering.  As a bonus, his menu contains information on local and nearby activities, such as paragliding, bird watching tours, hiking trails, whale watching expeditions, and much more.  


There is good wine (not easy to find in Crucita, at least not yet) as well as a full bar.  Drinks such as a Pina Colada, an Electric Lemonade, or a Bloody Mary are not only beautiful but skillfully made. The bonus is they are made to order with fresh ingredients.  If you are at the bar they are made right in front of you. David will talk you through the ingredients of whatever he is making, even if it is not for you.  Sometimes you will be lucky enough to get a sample if there is a bit left over in the blender.  There are a number of non-alcoholic drinks and jugos (juices) available that are simply delicious.  Even milk shakes are on the menu.

Electric Lemonade!
The restaurant routinely serves seafood fare as do most restaurants on the coast.  Here you will find large portions of excellent ceviches and viches made with fish, shrimp, shellfish, or mixtas meaning a mix of two or more seafoods. Breaded and fried, pan fried, or baked fish and shrimp, pastas (award winning I might add), as well as chicken or pork dishes are always available.  Arroz (rice) comes with everything as do plantanos (plantains slow cooked, breaded, and fried).  Bolones are delicious. The ingredients are fresh.  The seafood and produce vendors come to him, as they do with all the restaurants, and on some days you will see the fish and vegetables you are about to eat purchased before your eyes.  

The entire staff can cook. The entire staff.  If David is not there another will cook.  It will be the same fresh and robust taste no matter what.  David has taught his staff to cook to taste.  OK. Maybe they learned from each other.  Maybe from their own family.  Remember I said they take their food seriously in Ecuador.  Nothing comes out of that kitchen unless it has been tasted and found acceptable.  The fry oil is always fresh.  The batter is delicious.  As with the drinks, David will share how things are made.  He has no secrets. You will find out things you never knew.  The man is well traveled, educated, and has four degrees. You are in good company.

Ceviche Pescado
As with most restaurants credit cards are not accepted here.  Cash is king in Crucita so come prepared.  The most expensive single meal on the menu is $14.  There is a seafood meal for two available.  The least expensive is $3 (a personal pizza w/drink).  Most dinners and ceviches run between $7 and $8.  A party of two can easily enjoy an excellent meal with appetizer and cocktails for $30 at most. The tip should generally be $1-$3 depending on service.  That $30 will buy a very big meal.


Bring your appetite!  Incidentally, that is also very good tip. 

Service is how you want it and this has generally been true everywhere we have eaten.  You can enjoy a leisurely meal and take as long as you like.  You can be in and out quickly.  It depends on you.  If you are in a hurry when you order, order everything at once. Remember, everything is cooked to order and may take a bit of time.

The Wall on well, the wall.
If you want something else, you must let the staff know.  They leave you alone to eat and drink.  They do not refill your water or drink unless you ask.  They do not hover.  It is not bad service.  It is polite.  A check will not be delivered to your table unless you request it but in reality, you should go to the bar and pay.  The bill will be tallied in front of you.  Give the tip at time of payment.  Do not leave it on the table.  At Restaurante Motumbo it will be shared among the entire staff and rightfully so.  They all had a hand in preparing the meal you just enjoyed.  

David tells us he and Denise are embarking on a new adventure.  They recently broke ground on a new hostel on the Crucita Malecon next door to their restaurant.   I know the word "hostel" makes us (or at least me) think "shared" amenities.  Sometimes even sleeping quarters are shared. David has cleared this up.  In Ecuador the term hostel also means small hotel and this is what they are building.

It will feature private rooms with air conditioning as well as private bathrooms.
They hope to have it open by July.  If they put as much love into this enterprise as they do in their food and I have no doubt they will; it will be a huge success.  Chao!

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Twitter @JOTOinEcuador

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Friday, January 29, 2016

Tamera's Take: Everything's Eventual, Cats & Cell Phone Communication

Tamera's Take is about being here.
Are you ready?  I am.

Before any "constant readers" start plotting my death (and you know who you are), yes "Everything's Eventual" is the title of a book by SK.  Just as SK uses songs, life events and literary quotes to punctuate his stories, I am using his book title to punctuate my story.  How do I know he does this? Because I have been a constant reader for over 30 years.  I read my first SK novel while I was pregnant with my daughter.  The book terrified me.  I loved it.  I still read his books.

The rainy season has begun.
Anyway, I thought about using "The Cell", but that was too obvious.  Are we okay now? Good. Then I will continue.

Last week in "Octopus's Garden, Cats & Water Always Wins", I wrote about not having enough time to blog because of everything that has happened to us in the past couple of weeks. Eventually though you have to just suck it up, quit whining and write (or paint, or clean your house, or whatever it is that you need to do).

Stephen King said it.  He is right.
Eerily always right.

“Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.” 
― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft


Roof Top Terrace
At this moment I need to move from the rooftop terrace that I love so much, and get out of the sun before Senor Sol burns a hole in my retinas.  It may only be 8:30 am but the sun is serious around here.  Downstairs I go.

That is better - sort of.  I have lost my view, the ocean breeze and the sound of tropical birds, but my eyesight is thankful that I relocated to the shade of the first floor patio.

The view from the roof was especially beautiful today.

Our Beige and Sage Colored Mountains
When we arrived in Crucita late November, we were told that the rainy season starts in December and continues through February or March.  November is the end of the dry season. That was evident. Everything was dusty and dry. There are mountains along the coast of Crucita. They were beige with tinges of sage green here and there.

We looked forward to the rainy season so our mountains would turn green. December came and went. Where was all that rain we heard about?  


Beautiful Rocafuerte

A few miles inland everything was green. We know this because we visited a number of towns in the Manabi province during the past two months.

Portoviejo, Charapoto, Rocafuerte, El Pueblito, La Boca, San Jacinto, San Clemente, Bahia, San Vicente, Chone, and Manta.  

There was rain.  It just never made it to the coast.

That all changed about seven days ago.

We have been able to call our friends and family back home using a Skype phone account.  This is a little different than the Skype you can use for free on your computer (or smart device).  Free Skype does not work on every computer (or smart device).  Also, our bank is not going to "Skype" when they need to contact us.  We pay $13.50 each month for Skype phone subscription to receive a U.S. VoIP phone number and unlimited use of that number.  We can call anyone in the U.S., and anyone who has our number can call us.  It costs them nothing to call us.

We use the cheap LG smartphone that we brought with us.  It is not an "unlocked" phone, and does not have an active cell phone plan. But that does not matter.  As long as we have access to WiFi, we can use this cell phone for calls to/from the U.S.

What is the downside?  There are only two downsides. First, we have to have access to WiFi. Second, we cannot use it to call anyone with an Ecuador phone number, and vice versa.

We have WiFi set up at our house and free WiFi is available at many restaurants, hotels, malls, and even some buses.  This is not a problem unless our electricity is out, or we are nowhere near a free WiFi hotspot.
San Vicente.  Across the bay from Bahia.

We have only lost electricity a few times and never for more than an hour.

That all changed five days ago.

We need to be able to make phone calls to people and businesses in Ecuador.  Skype Phone was not the solution to that problem.

If you are only going to be here for a short period of time, you can use a U.S. cell phone plan (Verizon, AT&T, etc) with an international calling feature. You may have read other blogs advising travelers to bring an unlocked cell phone, so they can use one of the local cellular carriers.

Why go to the trouble of bringing an unlocked cell phone? Because cell phones are supposed to be very, very, very expensive in Ecuador.

At least this is what we read and heard.

We agonized over this dilemma.
We are not short-timers.
We did not have an unlocked cell phone.
We waited until the first week of 2016 to get our Ecuadorian cell phone/number.  There was no reason to wait.  It was much easier than we ever could have imagined.  Lesson learned.

You can shop for just about anything in El Centro.
There are various options for obtaining local cellular service in Ecuador, but for us it made the most sense to buy a smartphone and use a prepaid (prepago) chip.

There are a number of cell service carriers in Ecuador.  The two main service providers are Movistar and Claro. We chose Claro, and bought a new Samsung Galaxy.  It came with an Amigo Chip that gives us 2 for 1 on every dollar we spend to recharge (recarga) data/talk/text.

In addition we have unlimited "Whatsapp", that allows us to talk and text for free with anyone else who has Whatsapp.  Total cost for the device, sim cards, amigo chip and promtional plan, was less than $140 USD.  We will probably spend no more than $10 per month to recharge data/talk/text (megas/voz/mensaje).

You can get a basic cell phone for less than $20 USD. You can get a basic smartphone for less than $50 USD.  If basic is not your style, no problem.  You can get the brand, style and features you want in a price range that meets your needs.

Blah Blah Blah
Good luck with getting "unlocked" cell phones in the U.S. anyway without paying a fortune.  I do not know why, but the cell phone carriers in the U.S. are the only ones that lock their devices so that they cannot be used with other carriers.

If you want to bring your cell phone, there are technicians in Ecuador that can repair and unlock most cell phones for a fee.  If you are in Portoviejo, go to El Centro shopping district.  Keep in mind that once unlocked it may or may not work on other networks.  

Note:  At the time of our arrival in 2015, Ecuador Customs allowed each traveler to bring only ONE cell phone.  There are also customs restrictions on other electronic devices, such as laptops, tablets, digital equipment.

Check the Customs Regulations before you travel.


By now you may be wondering, "is she ever going to finish the story about the rain, green mountains, blah blah blah?".

Yes.

Everything's eventual.

Then it started to rain.
Rain. Finally.

I cannot express how happy I was when it finally started to rain.  Not just drizzly little droplets that look more like mist and disappear instantly when the sun comes out.  Or worse, appear in the middle of the night when you are not even sure that it rained.

This was big rain.  This was soaking rain.  This was last Saturday.

So what if we miss a beach day.  There will be plenty more. Besides, all this rain is going help turn our mountain green. Sunday.  Still raining.  No problem.  Bring it on.

We have not lost power.  Our WiFi is a little wobbly but still doing what WiFi is supposed to do.

Midnight on Sunday night, or Monday morning depending on how you look at it, everything stops. No electricity.

No electricity means no WiFi.  No WiFi means no Skype Phone.

Everything is going to be okay. Our laptop was fully charged.  Our Claro cell phone was fully charged.  The power is never out for very long.  I did all of our laundry two days ago.  I had already packed our necessary documents into the laptop bag for our morning meeting on Monday.  Manta Monday.  Manta Monday with our Attorney at the Immigration Office.

Waiting on the Malecon for our attorney to pick us up.
At 7:00 am on Monday, the electricity was still out.  Our attorney was picking us up at 9:00 am. One more thing that does not work without electricity - the water pump.  We have bottled water for drinking and cooking.  The water for the rest of the house comes from our cistern.

The electric pump in the laundry room brings the water from the cistern to the kitchen and bathrooms.

Not today.  No electricity.  No showers.

My husband and I are resourceful people.  We have been camping many times.  We have been through our share of Hurricanes in Florida.  We have a gas stove and five gallon bottles of water! Camping showers done.  Stove top coffee made.  We are ready on time.

Still raining.  Still no electricity.
I felt like "Rainman" taking these pictures from the car.

My first trip to Manta and I saw almost nothing, except flashes of green things as I looked through the windows of the car. I assume we drove past farms, trees and mountains.  It was hard to tell through the rain and fogged up windows.  I also saw the ocean and big boats.  They were the gray things floating in the gray water, that I saw through the fogged up windows of the car that was driving in the rain.

Tamera was very tired and just a bit cranky from having had no sleep the night before.

Very cool whale sculpture at San Clemente beach.
I was also under a bit of pressure.  I was the designated translator between the four of us (who were in Manta that day to apply for 12-IX Visas) and our attorney.   Our attorney does not speak English.  I speak the most Spanish out of the three Americans and one Canadian.  Our attorney was there to speak to the immigration officials on our behalf and file the necessary documents.  But we still needed to speak with him.  There were questions to be asked and answers needed.  Anyway, I was the designated translator.

I will not go into any more details about our experience at the immigration office, except to say that the staff were all very efficient and courteous.  Our attorney was very skilled, very efficient and very nice.

The day was a success.  We should have our new tourist visas by Monday or Tuesday.

I gave the attorney our new Ecuadorian cell phone number.  He is supposed to call me when our Visas are ready.

The view from the rooftop terrace is especially beautiful today.

It is green.  Very green.





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Saturday, January 23, 2016

Tamera's Take: Octopus's Garden, Cats & Water Always Wins

Tamera's Take is about being here.
Are you ready?  I am.

Octopus Garden - Courtesy of Divetime.com
"I'd like to be under the sea
In an octopus's garden in the shade
He'd let us in, knows where we've been
In his octopus's garden in the shade

I'd ask my friends to come and see
An octopus's garden with me
I'd like to be under the sea
In an octopus's garden in the shade

We would be warm below the storm
In our little hideaway beneath the waves
Resting our head on the sea bed
In an octopus's garden near a cave

My Octopus Garden

We would sing and dance around
Because we know we can't be found
I'd like to be under the sea
In an octopus's garden in the shade

We would shout and swim about
The coral that lies beneath the waves
(Lies beneath the ocean waves)
Oh what joy for every girl and boy
Knowing they're happy and they're safe
(Happy and they're safe)

We would be so happy you and me
No one there to tell us what to do
I'd like to be under the sea
In an octopus's garden with you
In an octopus's garden with you
In an octopus's garden with you"

                      by Richard Starkey/Ringo Starr

A lot has happened in the past ten days.  So much that my husband and I have not had time to write anything new for our blog.

I guess you could say we have transitioned into the next phase of our adventure in Ecuador.  Well, that would not be an accurate statement.  "You" are not saying anything about it.  I am.

The problem I face is this.  I do not have time to write because we are so busy.  But because we are so busy, I have a lot to write about.
High Tide.  Very High Tide.

I am one of those "list" people.  Someone who is forever mentally organizing all those little bits of shiny junk that are swirling around in my head.  All the events, sights, sounds, people, places, sea turtles, birds, cats, paperwork, trees, sea turtle nests, flowers, shells, bands, waves, sunrises, immigration, sunsets, fruits, vegetables, bicycles, keys, cars, cedulas, stores, hats, lamps, driftwood, 12-IX tourist visa, pottery, garbage, gardens, bingo, buses, houses, rain, attorney, shacks, walls, bits of rope, more bits of rope, passports, sea glass, dead fish, live fish, music, waves, sand, and as much as I have tried to ignore them - small colorful rocks.

Every day, for just a moment, panic sets in as I try to find one of my four notebooks so I can make my lists.  Lists of things to remember for some future reference that I may or may not remember why. My husband is kind when he blogs about my lists,  He praises me for taking "copious notes". Though, on some level it must be annoying to him.  It is annoying to me.  Especially when I cannot find one of my four identical spiral notebooks to write those copious notes.

South Crucita Beach at the Cliffs
Then there are the digital photos to sort through.  Literally thousands of them. We are not crazy picture-takers by nature.

I am an amateur photographer relegated to using the camera on my Motorola Droid cell phone.  Sometimes it takes 30 or 50 shots on a camera phone to get 2 or 3 decent pictures.

All my SLRs are carefully packed in a bin, stored at my mother's house in Florida.  I would love to have them even though I know I would get very little use out of them.  Film is expensive.  Developing film is expensive.  Finding someone skilled to develop my film is difficult at best.  I could set up a dark room and do it myself.  I certainly have the space in our house.  What I do not have is the equipment - here.

You guessed it.  Packed away in a bin in Florida.


I am not complaining.  My husband does not have any of his bass guitars, amps, recording equipment.  They are not even packed in a bin in Florida.  They are in the hands of some other musicians.  Maybe in Florida.  Maybe not.
I cannot bring this home?

So this Raven (me) collects her bits of shiny junk and artistically (in her mind) arranges them around the house.  The need to create was so strong yesterday, that she built a very tiny bench - do not laugh - for shells.

She built it out of pieces of wood that had washed on the shore of the beach in Crucita.  Okay so the junk does not have to be shiny for a Raven to pick it up.  Just interesting in some way.

"Why is a Raven like a writing desk?  I don't know."

Right now a Raven is more like an Octopus. At least in the collecting of shiny bits of junk and bringing it home.

None of this is the reason we have been busy.

It is impossible for two people who have worked all their lives to go somewhere and do absolutely nothing.  Maybe for the first few weeks.

After that, the mind starts to go a little numb and I can actually feel the cogs breaking away from the gears.  I have the added disadvantage of not being able to do very much physically.

Writing this blog has been great for both of us.  We have a creative outlet.  We think the readers enjoy the stories, and hopefully we are providing helpful information for anyone who wants to visit or live in Ecuador.
Houses on the Cliff

Enter a new purpose.

Our friend Tamy has started a company of her own.  She works hard and is actually well on her way to having a successful business.  She has clients.  Probably more than she thought she would have at this early stage.  Tamy is very smart and knows that if she wants to consistently reach her target audience, she has to do some marketing.  She has already created a branding logo - which is fabulous. She is now working on her website.


Enter Tamera and Jason.

Finders Keepers
Tamy has hired a web designer, but she has to provide him with content, layout, and the mechanics of how she wants her website to work.  She is bi-lingual and her English is excellent.  However, as we have discovered while learning Spanish, everything does NOT translate.  I will give you an example.

Garage (garaje in Spanish).  Seems simple enough. Except that a "garage" in the United States is, well, a garage. It has a roof, walls, a roll up door and sometimes a window or two. The definition of a "garaje" is a private parking space, where a vehicle is stored. In Ecuador that means a secured parking lot or driveway.

Our property has a garaje. There is an eight foot high locked gate to secure the garaje. If we ever buy a car or motorcycle, we can park it in our garaje and it will be safe.

Make no mistake. It is not a garage. An American will see the word "garage" and think what we thought when we first read the description of our property in Crucita.

Translation.

I will give you another example.

Shiny Beach Stuff
We saw a sign today that read: "Deposito basura el receptaculo.  Cuide el medio ambiente." We know enough Spanish to understand that the first sentence stated, "put your trash in the receptacle". I did not even read the second sentence. The first one was instruction enough for me. Then Jason says, "what does ambiente mean?".

I had no idea.  If I had to guess I would say, "ambient". I turn on my cell phone to translate.  Sure enough. It means ambient. What does ambient have to do with trash? I am not sure. I translate "Cuide". It means "care". I translate "el medio". It means "the middle".

Put them all together and you get, "Care the middle ambient". That has to be wrong. It does not even make sense.

It is that translation thing again.

I type the entire sentence into the translator.  "Care for the environment."  That makes sense.

As a favor for our new friends, Tamy & Jared, we are helping her to create her website content. What else do we have to do?!  My husband Jason is the writer of the family.  I review content and agonize over sentence structure, word placement, etc.  He and I do not always agree.  We will leave it at that. All in all we really are enjoying the process; and helping our friends create a website North Americans will understand.
T-3 Passport Stamp

The best part is that we are learning from each other. Our Spanish is getting better every day. It has to. We are going to really need it on Monday.

When the tides are high, and El Nino is in effect, the landscape at the beach changes drastically. Devastatingly is a better word.

This is sort of true of our life right now.
Full Moon.  Check.
El Nino.  Check.
Extremely High Tides.  Check.
Water crashing over the Malecon every day.  Check.
FBI Background checks needed for Resident Visas.  No Check.
FBI Background checks first promised in 8 weeks; then 10-13 weeks.  Still No Check.


Waves crashing over the Malecon.  Huge rocks washing away with the tide.  Things washing ashore, then being dragged back out to sea.  Workers scrambling to rebuild retaining walls to keep the "cliff houses" from disappearing.  Water always wins.

No swimming against the tide.  No fighting a run-out.  You have to figure out how to work with the water.  Water always wins.

Tiny Shell Bench
For those of you who are thinking about obtaining your Resident Visa in Ecuador, you must read Paperwork, Paperwork and More Paperwork.  Then add this piece of information.

The turnaround time to receive your FBI Background Checks has increased three times since we started the process last year.  We should have received ours last week according the latest FBI estimate.  When they did not arrive, I called the FBI.  Yes, you can call the FBI.  My mother advised me to "light a fire under them".  Needless to say I did NOT take her advice.  Remember.  Water always wins.  Work with the water.

Water Over the Malecon.  Water Always Wins.
Our new estimate for receiving the FBI background checks is around the first week of March.  Our current 90 day T-3 Tourist Visa expires at the end of February.  I knew that there was a possibility that we would not receive our Resident Visas prior to our Tourist Visa expiration date.

I set aside the contingency money to cover the cost of obtaining the 12-IX Tourist Visa that allows us an additional 90 days to stay in the country while we wait for our Resident Visas to be processed.

What I did not count on was that in 2016 the cost of those 12-IX Tourist Visas increased significantly.  I also had not counted on the FBI taking so long to process our requests for background checks.  By the way the customer service agent at the FBI office said, and I quote, "we are just opening September 2015 mail now".   Okay I understand they are busy.

The final wave over the Malecon is that our Immigration Attorney can not file any of our documents for the Resident Visas until those FBI background checks arrive.

Monday.  Manta Monday.
Two of my very important notebooks!

We have spent the past few days organizing and copying the necessary documents to apply for our 12-IX Tourist Visas.  Our attorney is taking us to the town of Manta on Monday, so we can go to the Ecuadorian Immigration Office (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility). There we will fill out the necessary forms (with the help of our attorney), have our photos taken, then provide them with copies of our passports, the T-3 stamp on our passports, a financial statement, state background checks (thankfully we had those prior to arriving in Ecuador).

We opted for paying our attorney to assist us with this process, otherwise we would have to go to the Immigration Office in Manta two or three times, and we would have to rely on my limited Spanish vocabulary when speaking to the immigration officials.

We only have to go Manta one time with our attorney. The attorney will handle the rest for us.

I am very thankful we have an attorney.

My people better get this Visa thing fixed.
You could choose to do all this on your own, but I would not advise it.

The forms have to be filled out in Spanish. The documents have to be translated into Spanish.  Manta is 40 km away.

Three trips to an Immigration Office in Manta is not my idea of fun.  One trip is going to be difficult enough given my limited Spanish.  Our attorney does not speak English. I will do my best to communicate with him in Spanish.

I think it is time to take a break and go in search of a few more shiny bits of junk for my Octopus Garden.  The tide is low right now.  But not for long.

Remember.  Water always wins.


                              
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Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Transitions - The Waiting is the Hardest Part

Sanduches in El Centro.  No choice,  Sanduches.
There is a TV show I like.  No Reservations.  It is not a cooking show but rather, a kind of hybrid video travel blog.  The host takes you on adventures all around the world.  He exposes you to all the cuisine, culture, and people that make up this Mundo Viejo Loco.  He takes you to places you might fear to tread because the establishment may appear dirty, is off the beaten path, or is not the typical tourist trap.  He eats things you might fear to eat because it looks "gross" or it is something your culture says is wrong to eat.  As my wife referenced in a previous post, do not mistake worn for dirty.  You will definitely miss out.

(Glossary at the bottom,  Google is too hard right?)

The host of No Reservations is Anthony Bourdain, a renowned Chef, TV personality, and now, movie star.  He is not out for shock value though I suppose he might be shocking at times.  He is as I said, an accomplished chef but no prude.  He provides me with a great deal of inspiration.  He has great taste in music, is not afraid of a drink, and is what I would call a plain speaker.  He enjoys fine food. He showed me fine food is like rhythm.  It is where you find it.

In any event, I often find myself calling on my "AB" spirit guide when it comes to exploration.  That being said, lets talk about food.

If you find yourself in Ecuador you are one lucky person.  The diversity of cultures can and will make your head spin.  Fifteen kilometers can mean the difference in the way rompope is made.  One kilometer can mean the difference in how strong the aguardiente is, whether a shot is comforting or will melt your eyeballs in their sockets.  Ten feet can mean the difference in your ceviche.  Is it precooked on the stove/baked, has the Chef let the citrus cure the raw seafood as it marinades, is it spicy or mild, is salsa de tomate involved?  Five feet can mean the difference in leche de coco being delicious or being this side of well, sickening.

Rompope at the Dulceria Bam Bam, Roqueforte.
My wife and I are resolute in the idea that we will try whatever we can.  My wife is a pescatarian. She used to be vegetarian (AB has few kind words for vegetarians) but she now eats fish because her health demands more protein. This was a compromise on her part.  I will eat the carne, pollo, cerdo and yes, cuy dishes. Hell, I will eat every dish. Apparently, iguana is a dish served here, and yes, I will eat that too.  Wall of Voodoo should be proud.  My wife will concentrate on vegetables, fruit, and pescado.

As most of you know, we live in Crucita.  A seaside fishing village which is a parish of the city of Portoviejo.  Portoviejo is the capital of the Manabi province.  One of the twenty four provinces of Ecuador.  It is known for its seafood, arroz, ceviches, and viches.  Bolones are fantastic in all their different forms.  Plantanos are a staple, rivaling arroz.  Both come with just about every meal.

Mango con limon y sal.
These things are extremely important to know. Why? Because the food here is representative of the cultures in all provinces as well as influences from the rest of the world.  Everyone makes the journey to la playa at some point.  We have neighbors from Cuenca, Guayaquil, Quito, Banos, Montecito, and Manta.  There are Germans, Canadians, Brazilians, English, Americans, French, and Italians.  The food is influenced by all.

We have been to many restaurants already and will talk about them all in due time.  You do not need to go to a restaurant for a great meal though. There are all kinds of street foods here. Fried banana, plantanos, salted green mango in limon juice, pan de yucca y queso, mamey mata serrano (a hard to find fruit only available in Manabi for a short time each year) and the list goes on.

Then of course you can cook for yourself.  Plentiful fresh produce, butchers, fish markets, and herb merchants are literally everywhere.

Vendors come by your home.  Tiendas have things that make your local convenience store look inadequate, only because they are. If you are lucky your neighbors will cook you a meal or twenty. Forget luck.  Show them you respect them.  Learn their customs so as not to offend.  Speak to them. They love their country and their familia. They love people and are so generous it is amazing. Reciprocate and you will experience some of the best food, familia, and fun of your life.

Home baked Sea Trout
As you may have guessed, my wife and I are transforming.  Our blog is as well.  The tools you need to move or visit here have been given.  There are a few loose ends perhaps.  Write us and we can help.  We are moving on to an actual life here.  This is the first step in that transformation.  You can now look forward as we are, to cuisine, culture, education, and fun.  Below is a simple food glossary to help you understand what we now know.

Rompope (rum-poe-pay):  A popular dessert drink made with egg yolk, vanilla, milk and aguardiente

Aguardiente (ah-gwar-dee-in-tay) Sugar cane spirits, made commercially but often distilled at home.  Homemade is the best kind

Ceviche (say-bee-chay) - A seafood dish generally served with chips de plantanos.  There are many variations on this dish (fish, shrimp, mussels, crab) but just think seafood salsa.  Some is made from precooked fish, Some is raw fish cured in citrus juices.  I have only had it served cold, just like salsa

Viche - (bee-chay) - A hot, peanut based seafood soup.  Primary ingredients may be fish, shrimp, or shellfish.  Mixta is my favorite meaning all seafood.  It will also have vegetables including plantanos.

Salsa de tomate (sal-sah day tow-mah-tay) tomato sauce

Pan de Yucca y Queso
Limon (lai-mon) - Lime

Leche de coco (lay-chay day coco) - Milk of the coconut.  Delicious

Bolones (bow-low-nays) Plantain dumplings that resemble hush puppies.  They come in a variety of flavors and can be stuffed with cheese or cheese and ham.

Carne (car-nay) - Beef


Pollo (po-yo) Chicken
Best chips ever.  Tostitos are dead.

Cerdo (ser-doh) Pork

Cuy (Kai) - Roasted guinea pig

Arroz (ah-roz) - Rice

Mundo Viejo Loco (mon-doh vee-a-ho low-co)  Crazy world

Plantanos (plan-tan-yos) Plantains. A vegetable that looks like a banana

Pan de Yucca y Queso (Pan-day-yuck-ah e kay-so)  Bread of yucca root and cheese

Mamey Mata Serrano (Mam-eh mat-ah ser-ra-no) - A fruit I cannot describe well.  It is like having a sweet apple, cantelope, and pear in one bite.  There really are no words but it may be the best fruit I have ever eaten.

Tiendas - (tee-en-dahs) - Small family owned shops that are like a mini grocery store. Do not be fooled by the size.  They carry an amazing variety of goods and you can even recharge your prepaid cell phone or DTV.  Chao!  Adios is not a word used here.  We are learning.

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Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Ласкаво просимо. Ми щиро сподіваємося, що вам сподобається.

Ласкаво просимо. Ми щиро сподіваємося, що вам сподобається.

Laskavo prosymo. My shchyro spodivayemosya, shcho vam spodobayetʹsya.

Welcome.  We sincerely hope you enjoy!

Tamera's Take: Art is Where You Find It

Tamera's Take is about being here.
Are you ready?  I am.

In the absence of all my art supplies I have been relegated to taking photos of other forms of art.  Art is not necessarily in the "eyes of the beholder".  It is definitely where you find it.  I can find art just about anywhere.  Or maybe it finds me.  

Either way, here is some of what has captured my attention since we arrived in November.  Some are actual murals; some could be considered graffiti; some are architecture or simply the abstract colors of fading paint; and then there are collages formed in the natural course of things.  

I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.

Mural in Portoviejo

Vote No!

Tile Mosaic on the Malecon

Crazy Ladybug

The beauty of architecture

North Crucita Beach Fish Market

Whitewash wall with splash of color

Corner "window" of a small bar.  No kidding.

"You & I" ....love, wings and all that stuff

Spigot hides behind shells

Lonely shell

The equivalent of pink flamingo lawn ornament - plastic lobster!

A different color each year.

Do you see the LOVE?

Mural in Crucita

Handle made in Italy

Safe little hiding spot.

Weathered wood and cast iron handles - love it.

Lot for sale - if you can decipher the phone number!

My Ceiba Trees.

Plant and Flower Nursery near Portoviejo

EMELEC!

I do not know how this plants survives the tides.

These stars are pretty common around here.

Jacaranda Tree


Paint spill or Dali's Space Elephant - you decide.

Nice brush work!

This wall is a different color every week.

More mural in Portoviejo

Bamboo Pagoda with stain glass chandelier

Women's Rights, Political Statement and ART!

More of those stars I love so much.

I miss him....nothing more to say.
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