Tamera's Take: Cats...I don't think we're in Kansas anymore.

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

It has been two three four five six months since our last post. Let that sink in a minute.

Airport in Guayaquil Ecuador

Someone I know, posted on Facebook the lyrics to one of my favorite songs.  Once In a Lifetime - Talking Heads.
She posted it for a specific reason having nothing to do with us, but it seemed appropriate for this segment of Tamera's Take.  And the feeling is...same as it ever was...same as it ever was.

And you may find yourself
Living in a shotgun shack
And you may find yourself
In another part of the world
And you my find yourself
Behind the wheel of a large automobile
And you may find yourself in a beautiful house
With a beautiful wife
And you may ask yourself, well
How did I get here?

(Once In a Lifetime - Talking Heads)

As I began writing this a few months ago, a Butterball turkey was thawing in my mom's refrigerator. Emeril Lagasse and Rachael Ray were on TV screeching to a studio audience about yams, cranberries and giblet gravy.

We are not in Ecuador.

Saying "chao" to our friend David last September

Still not in Ecuador.

We are not in Kansas either.

Waiting for our flight from Guayaquil to Miami

My husband and I were about 48 hours away from the traditional holiday, known in the United States as Thanksgiving. I had been to the grocery store three times in a few days to purchase food items for the feast. Trip number four was upcoming. 

It may sound like I am complaining, but I am not.  I am actually very happy to be with my family during this holiday season (and beyond).  That is what we say now, "The Holiday Season".  That time frame beginning around October 31st and ending January 2nd.  A blur of individual holidays that now resemble a box of melted crayons.  A big box of Crayolas.  All 64 of them.  No wait.  All 120 of them. Maybe it is 200 now.  They keep adding colors.  Anyway they are all melted. 

You may be asking yourself, well how did they get here?

Tornado? No.  Hurricane? No.  Earthquake?  Plausible, but no.

Very simply, Paperwork, and then more Paperwork.  The one paperwork item we got wrong prior to arriving in Ecuador.

Based on what we researched, FBI Background Checks did not, and could not, be apostilled.  That may have been the case a year ago. But government documents, processes and requirements change all the time, all over the world.

If you are trying to obtain a Resident Visa, your FBI Background Checks must be apostilled.  Let me repeat.  FBI Background Checks must be apostilled.

It takes approximately four months to receive FBI background checks, then add another month for the apostille process.

Chao Amiga!

Tourist Visas expire, temporary resident visas are just that - temporary.  So here we are back in Estados Unidos to get new FBI background checks.  Before you ask, No, you cannot use the old one. They are only valid for 90 days if you want them to be apostilled.  In addition, you must request an AUTHENTICATED FBI background check, in order for the U.S. Department of State to apostille it.

We move forward.

It was time to go to Super Target for (hopefully) my last shopping excursion prior to Thanksgiving.

And you may ask yourself
What is that beautiful house?
And you may ask yourself
Where does that highway go?
And you may ask yourself
Am I right?...Am I wrong?
And you may tell yourself
MY GOD!...WHAT HAVE I DONE?

Back again. Fast forward.

The Presidential Election in the United States is over - finally. The inauguration occurred on January 20th.  I do not get into political discussions, so I will say no more on the topic.

Christmas - Navidad - Noël - Weihnachten - Božić - Jul - Jól - Boże Narodzenie - Natal - рождество - Nollag  is now a month behind us.

Since we left Ecuador, the months have gone by fast. We have been very busy, but I have to admit, I miss Ecuador.  I am reminded of it every day the instant my laptop screensaver starts up. Thousands of photos we took during in our time in South America flow through the slideshow.  We have done our best to stay in touch with our Gringo Friends in Crucita as well as our Ecuadorian Friends - through WhatsApp or Facebook. But it is not the same as being there.  We practice speaking Spanish to each other and occasionally with other people when the opportunity arises.

To be honest, I was not sure what my feelings would be about our plan to return to Crucita in 2017.  I was afraid I would get sucked back into the things that make the United States so appealing to so many people - whether you are a citizen, a resident or a visitor.

Blondie - very happy to be out of the pet carrier

I will admit that back in September, within one hour of leaving the Miami International Airport in our National Rental Car (on our way to Jacksonville Florida), we stopped at a Starbucks, Burger King and Kangaroo Convenience Store. I even wore a Burger King crown.  It was better than going to Disney World. But that elated feeling wore off the first time we went to the grocery store.  One orange.  One dollar.  What??  Back to the land of overpriced GMO produce and even higher priced "organic" produce.

First cup of Starbucks!

We had to acclimate to our surroundings (again).

Everything is a trade-off. Public transportation was inexpensive and available everywhere in Ecuador. Unless you live in a major U.S. city, public transportation is expensive, complicated and inadequate. However, cars are easier to buy in the U.S. But the price of gas, insurance and repairs can make owning a car impossible for many people. Without going through a laundry list, suffice it to say there are pros and cons in both countries. It all depends on what you want.  What makes you happy.  What is important to your life and lifestyle. 

Every day I seemed to struggle with a strange balance of emotions.  In my thoughts are the people, places and things I love about the United States; and the people, places and things I love about Ecuador.

I missed my family and friends while in Ecuador. Now I miss the happiness and peace I found in Ecuador. I try to imagine how I can find that peace here in the United States so that I can be close to my family. I try to imagine how I can find a way to be close to my family while being in Ecuador.  I want my cake and eat it too. I know that what I want is not possible. Choices have to be made.

Something to keep in mind if you are considering moving to Ecuador. For those of you who have the financial resources to live in another country and travel as often as you want, these choices are probably not an issue. I am not one of those people. We will have to make choices.

Fast forward.

It is April 2017.  We chose our choices. For very happy reasons, we will be staying in the United States for a while.

The hiatus from blog writing is over.  Just because we are not currently in Ecuador does not mean we will not continue to blog about Ecuador.

It is sort of like starting an adventure (again).

Chao!

Tamera's Take: Scarves, Cats & Nomads

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

Before I begin, I need to say that it was a compliment that my husband borrowed my signature tag line, "are you ready", in his last post.

So we move forward.  Now I have borrowed his.

Las Grietas, Isla Santa Cruz, Galapagos

It is 9:30 am Ecuador time.  That's UTC-5:00 for you international readers.  In Jacksonville Florida it is 10:30 am.  When Daylight Savings Time comes around on Sunday, November 6, 2016 at 2:00 am, Crucita and Jacksonville will be on the same time.

It makes me feel a little closer to my loved ones back home.

What does "trouble maker" mean?

As you have read in my husband's recent blogs, some of our loved ones visited us in August. During their 10 day visit, we were treated to a trip to the Galapagos Islands for four days. Aside from a few minor stomach issues and some clouds, our time in the Galapagos was amazing. Upon returning to our house in Crucita we were greeted by our four cats and a not so fantastic story from our neighbor who was caring for them while we were gone.  Apparently one of the little darlings decided to hide in one of the guest bedrooms (upstairs) while we were loading our luggage into the truck at 3:30 am. At 4:00 am, the upstairs rooms were closed and locked.  Our cats (minus one) were downstairs, along with their food & water bowls, and beds. Our neighbor had been given a set of keys, cat food and instructions (in Spanish), the day before. We were off for Guayaquil airport.

I will make the long and excruciating story short by saying, our neighbor Maria was worried after a day went by and she only saw three of our four cats.  I only gave her keys to the downstairs and the exterior gates. Luckily she knows our landlord. The house was opened. The wayward monster kitty was scared but okay...after making a mess that cannot be described.

In the future, I will never ignore my instincts - which told me to check the entire house for a "cat count" before we left.

One cool bag, one strange hat

On Pandora Radio, I am listening to: Madonna "Just Like a Prayer", which was released spring 1989. 

I do not even have to look up the year this song was released. I know the year because forever in my memory is my four year old daughter dancing and twirling around the house, with her hair brush microphone singing that very song.  She may not have known all the words.  She certainly did not know the MTV video that caused so much controversy.  All she knew was that she loved to sing and dance.  Especially when momma sang and danced with her.  Her momma loved that too.

People close to me know I love wearing scarves.  They are my favorite accessory.  I know every way to wrap, twist and tie them.  They seem to work for me.  In any season.  Any time of day.  What is not to love?! If it is raining - cover your head.  If it is cold - wrap around your shoulders.  Having a bad hair day or the wind is blowing - twist and tie around your hair. If you need a bit of color on a drab day - just pick one and go.  My daughter likes scarves too.  Although I think she is more of a hat person. She wears them well.

I do not see a many Ecuadorians wearing scarves in Crucita. No matter.  It is my thing. I do not feel the need to change that about myself.  Although I will say that I am now recognized by my fishing hat more than my scarves around here.  It is a simple tan cotton fishing hat. I have had it for nearly 15 years.  I wear it a lot.  I brought 6 scarves with me when we moved here.  I brought the hat at the last minute.

Two weeks ago I received all the confirmation I needed; in Crucita, I am recognized by that darn fishing hat.

The only ATM in Crucita

So here is what happened.

We needed cash to pay our utility bills and buy a few things from Frema's tienda.  Jason offered to walk to the ATM machine.  The ONLY ATM machine in Crucita. I do not try to use that machine any more.  It hates me. When I say it hates me, I mean that I cannot get it to work.  Jason has no problem with it.

The issue is that the machine "requires" your card (tarjeta) to have a chip in it.  Our Visa debit cards do not have chips.  Our bank and many others in the U.S. do not feel the need to put chips in their cards. I am sure it has something (everything) to do with the cost associated with updating software, and replacing machines.

When we first arrived in Crucita, we were told there was an ATM machine in our little fishing village. It is located at the COACMES building, which is a 10 minute walk from our house. The first time we tried to use it we realized that chip technology is alive and well in Ecuador. Good for banks and security. Bad for us. In order for us to use an ATM machine, we had to go to Portoviejo - 18 miles away.  There are ATM machines that will accept cards with or without a chip.

Bus ride to Portoviejo for cash.

We did this for 5 months.  Right up until April 15, 2016.  The day before the 7.8 Terremoto (earthquake) hit Ecuador.

Two weeks post earthquake, we were really in a difficult situation. No buses to Portoviejo. Even if there were buses running, it would not have mattered.  Most bank machines were not working. Most of the buildings that had ATM's were destroyed.  Portable ATM machines were set up, along with lines of people waiting hours to use them.

We mentioned our ATM predicament to a few of our friends and acquaintances here in Crucita and asked them what they thought we should do.  First they offered us money and asked if we needed food or water.  If we have not made this clear before, that is what it is like to be here in Crucita, Ecuador. People help each other. Not just in times of catastrophe - all the time.   No "once a year slogan" required.  A slogan that lost its true meaning so long ago, that everyone forgot.  I will let that one sit.  You will either get it or you won't.

We declined the kind offers of money and food.  We were not at that point yet.

We were told by two Ecuadorians and one Canadian friend that if you "keep trying", your chip-less card will eventually work in the Crucita ATM machine.

What?!

Stunned and with some amount of disbelief, we grabbed our cards and made the trek to COACMES (co-a-may). The Cooperativa building where the ATM machine is located.  Deep breath. Google Translate App open and ready on our cell phone.  The card slides into the machine.  It speaks to us in Spanish, telling us basically that the card will not work, and "please remove your card".   We remove the unacceptable card and slide it in again.  The machine speaks to us again. Please remove your unacceptable card.  We do.  But we try again; and again; and again.  After 15 or so tries, we see a different screen appear.  Press here for Espanol. Press here for English.  Woo Hoo!  English!!!  Please enter your PIN.  Those words never looked so good.  Please select Withdraw, Inquiry, Deposit.  Withdraw Withdraw Withdraw!!!!  Please select, Savings, Checking,....blah blah, whatever came after those selections I have no idea.  Savings please!!!  Enter the amount.  We enter 200.  We receive $200, in $10's and $20's.

Jason - Las Grietas, Galapagos Ecuador

Okay.  Back to my hat story.

As I said, two weeks ago Jason walked to COACMES, to withdraw cash.  He was gone a long time.  I knew this was not a good sign.  He returned about 45 minutes later with a look on his face that meant only one thing. The attempted transaction was not successful.  Two hundred tries not successful.

I asked him for my little blue zippered wallet that contained the bank card. He looked in his recently acquired bag from the Galapagos.  All Ecuadorian men carry these by the way.

No blue wallet.  He looked in his pockets.  No blue wallet.

My "wifey" panic sets in.  His calm standard response, "I know I have it; it's here somewhere".

Obviously NOT here somewhere, as my heart sinks, we make the trek together towards COACMES. We are now looking on both sides of the street, in the ditches, trash cans, etc.

I have already envisioned what must have happened.

On Pandora Radio: Adele "Set Fire to the Rain"

Sea Lions like the benches

After the absolute frustration of 200 attempts to make that card work in the ATM machine, Jason puts the near useless card into the little blue wallet belonging to his wife.  He then puts the wallet into his black bag that reads "Galapagos" on one side and "Ecuador" on the other. Walking away from the ATM machine, knowing that he and his wife will soon be on a bus to Portoviejo.

What really happened was he put the card into the blue wallet.  Then looking away he goes through the motion of putting the wallet into his bag and misses the bag completely.  The wallet falls to the ground in front of the ATM machine.  He walks home.

Fast forward.

We are nearing COACMES at break-neck speed.  I am wearing my tan fishing hat. I look up at a young man walking towards us. I recognize him.  He works at COACMES.  I know he recognizes me by that silly hat of mine.  Instead of the usual "buenos dias, or hola", he says, "tarjeta y bolsa azul". At the same time he is making the shape of a square with his hands.  He has just told us that they have our card at COACMES.

A bus ride to Portoviejo.

It would be the last bus ride with that debit card.  It expired September 1, 2016.  Where is my new card?  At my daughter's house in Jacksonville, Florida.  We are still working out the logistics of getting that card mailed to us from the United States.  That story to be continued in another blog.

La Ruta del Sol 

We have since retrieved our back-up card from our friend Tamy. She lives just outside of Portoviejo.  That card does not expire for another year.  We may only have one card, but at least we have a working card.

It is times like these that I feel more like a vagabond than an adventurer.  Maybe there really is not a difference. Its a good thing I have a lot of scarves and an awesome hat.

It seems to be the standard, basic apparel for backpackers, travelers and Europeans. We see a lot travelers who fit that description in Ecuador. Especially when we take trip on La Ruta del Sol (The Route of the Sun).  While we were in the Galapagos last month, I saw many more.  I fit right in. Minus the backpack.

Our move to Ecuador was my first real introduction to Hostels. They are everywhere. I knew what they were, but had never actually seen one.  In my ignorance, I assumed they only existed in Europe and used by teens and twenty-somethings who were trying to find themselves. I could not be more wrong. I cannot speak for other countries, but here, they are cheap, clean and a great way to save money on lodging while on your adventures. Regardless of your age.

I must admit that until a year ago, I owned a Frommer's Guide to Paris on $3 a day.

It was bought probably 30 years ago.  After time became dog eared, torn and revered with all the hope of a girl who thought she would get the chance to experience adventures.....one day.

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Tamera's Take: P.T.S.D., CATS, and What the hell am I doing in Crucita Ecuador?

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

...going to have to get back to you on that one.

The gully gave way behind the once beautiful house.

It has been about two months since our last post.  Well, my husband's last post. I started this one on June 17, and obviously was not able to finish it. Today is July 17.  I do not know what to say except that since April 16, 2016, I have no idea what I am doing anymore.

On Pandora Radio listening to: "Under Pressure" by Queen (with a little help from David Bowie)

The song seems appropriate.

Too damaged to pass inspection. It will be torn down.

Of course I am talking about since the earthquake.  I cannot even say the "E" word without feeling nausea.  That would be the "T" word in Spanish.  Terremoto

We will just call it, IT.  If you read Stephen King, you will know that IT is just as terrifying.

The first two weeks after it happened I felt a certain amount of shock was normal.  Expected even.  I did my best to keep the shock in check.

Try to be normal.  Try to move forward.  I said these things to myself every day.  I told myself everything was going to be okay.

A month after it happened, I noticed my "shock", or whatever it was, was not subsiding.  The day I started writing this post marked two months.  Yup still there. Somewhere in the back of my mind I kept thinking ever so briefly, "PTSD".  I associated PTSD with soldiers returning from battle; victims of violent crimes; children dealing with death in the family; etc.  So that cannot be what it going on with me.

Remains of beautiful blue windows from nearby house.

I am acquainted with a few counselors, therapists and psychiatrists, both socially and professionally. I used to work at a women's center, which is how I became acquainted socially with several counselors. But here is the thing about that line of work.  Two words.  "Absolute Confidentiality".  They never discussed clients, and I never asked.  So I do not know a lot about the various types of mental illness and how they are diagnosed.

A long time passed before we could walk the beach again.

I know they exist. I know some can be treated; some can only be managed.  I do not think any can be completely cured. I say this from years of personal experience.  I will not say who, when, where, or how I know them personally.  It is confidential, and let's leave it at that.

I finally contacted one of my counselor friends.  P.T.S.D. (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Right on the mark.  Damn.

She helped me as much as she could given my location.  Actually she helped me a lot.  She researched and sent me information on free online books about P.T.S.D, online support groups and therapists, etc.  There are even support groups that you can Skype with.

Everyone knows at least one person who suffers from a mental illness. It is an illness that is hard to understand if you have never walked in those shoes.  It is not something people like to talk about.  If you have a broken leg, it is visual.  The pain is something people can relate to.  If you say, oh by the way I suffer from, (fill in the blank), people do not know how to respond or act towards you.  Yet the person with the mental illness is in pain and suffering just as much as the person with the broken leg. Just think about it the next time you meet someone who has Depression, Anxiety Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, P.T.S.D., or any other form of mental illness.

Looking down from the hillside to Crucita

As an extremely introverted person, I analyze everything. Always have.  Always will.  I know I am getting slightly off topic but it seems important for you to know that I thought about the changes in my behavior for the past couple of months.

What were some of those changes?

Crucita fishing boat waiting to go back out to sea.

Separately, they seemed insignificant at first.  However, the more of them I recognized, the more they seemed to start sticking together and forming a black hole in my mind. It was like pieces of me were disappearing.  I am sure I sound crazy at this point, so here are some specific examples.

I started to forget details and events completely.  No recollection at all.

Following a major earthquake, aftershocks are normal for two to three months. I had to look this up. I have no prior experience with earthquakes so I did a lot of research.  It was necessary in order to get through the days (and nights). But I was not able to look any of this up the first week after it happened.  Yes, we had intermittent electricity starting around day 3, but we did not have WiFi for a week.

We live near the ocean. Every time the wind blows, the doors and windows rattle, and I jump out of my skin. Why? Because it sounds and feels like the beginning of an aftershock.

Those aftershocks came.  I read the other day that Ecuador has had over 2,000 aftershocks since April 16.  The aftershocks that I only vaguely remember learning about in school. The only reason I remember the first week of aftershocks we experienced, is because every time one happened, I wrote it down in one of my notebooks.  I had no idea of the measured intensity, since I had no access to any outside communication.  All I could do was write down the time and describe them.  I am not even sure why I was doing this, except that I thought that if there was some pattern, I would see it and know if they were going away or getting worse.

If "worse" then we had to be prepared to leave; even if on foot.  We would not leave the cats. The two Sherpa cat carriers we used to bring our poor cats from Florida to Ecuador, were waiting by the door. I am sure the cats would rather take their chances than get in those carriers again, but in those carriers they would go. We would not be able to bring much else with us. Some dry food, water, change of clothes, hats, sunscreen, Off, sanitizing gel, candles, matches, cash, passports.  I had filled our beach bag with items that we thought were critical if we had to flee.  There was no pattern to those aftershocks.

Every day ready to flee.

Nightmares.  I did not really dream about the earthquake.  I dreamed about tsunamis.  Almost every day.  I still do occasionally.  Thankfully the dreams are getting better.

How does that tsunami dream look?  I am on the third or fourth floor of a building, standing in front of a large window that overlooks the ocean.  I am sure this building represents my house but looks nothing like it.  It is night as I stand in front of this window.  But darkness does not stop me from seeing the wall of ocean water coming towards me.  It is taller than the place I am standing. I do not move.  I do not yell.  I know it is coming and there is nothing I can do.  That is my nightmare.

It is important to say that during this earthquake, we were never in danger of a tsunami.  I do not know why that became my nightmare.

I will speed through some of the other "symptoms" I experienced.

No desire to take walks anymore.
No desire to touch the ocean.
I stopped taking photos.
I forgot nearly every Spanish word I knew.

Every family member and friend wanted to ask me questions and talk about the earthquake.  I did NOT want to talk about it.  At all.  Ever.  But they wanted and needed information.  So with my head spinning, I talked.

I wanted to do things to help other people here in my village or nearby, but I had absolutely no way to do so.  I felt helpless.  I felt even more guilty.  I felt guilty that I was alive and my home survived.


My husband got an Earthquake App for his phone. It sends out an alert of earthquakes/aftershocks in real-time.  So basically an alarm goes off as it happens.  I hate that app.  Every time the alarm went off I went numb.  Every time there was a notification, my husband had to say it out loud.  I finally asked him to stop telling me.  I just could not take it any more.

Sleep is a thing of the past. Before the earthquake I was in bed and asleep early every night.  I woke up between 5:30 - 6:30 am every day.  Now sleep comes as the sun rises if I am lucky.  Am I just afraid to sleep in the dark?  I do not know.  Am I ever going to feel happy again?  I do not know that either. But I hope so.

It is amazing how things can change 180 degrees in the matter of 58 seconds.  That is how long the earthquake lasted, 58 seconds.

Everyone back in the States asks us when are we coming home.  Our response - we are home.  But I would be lying if I did not admit that I miss those familiar people and places back in America.

Gertrude Stein, an American writer, poet, feminist, and playwright once wrote, "America is my country and Paris is my home town".

America is and always will be my country. I have called many places home in my life. Orange Park Florida, Newport Rhode Island, Elmira New York, Tallahassee Florida, Hollywood Florida, Gadsden Alabama, Atlanta Georgia, Jacksonville Florida.

Right now Crucita is my home.  If I am lucky, I will have the chance to call other places home as well.

I have no idea of what the future will look like.  I know what I want it to look like. But that is going to take some time and a lot of adjusting.  Until then, I am just waiting for my compass to point north again.

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Welcome New Readers from South Korea! 한국 에서 새로운 독자 오신 것을 환영합니다!

Welcome South Korea!  We hope you enjoy our blog.

오신 것을 환영합니다 한국 ! 우리는 당신이 우리 의 블로그를 즐기시기 바랍니다.


osin geos-eul hwan-yeonghabnida hangug ! ulineun dangsin-i uli ui beullogeuleul jeulgisigi balabnida.

From Ecuador to the United States - Overmans Home for Christmas

Dear Readers of Our Blog.

After surviving a devastating earthquake in Ecuador, we desperately want to go to see our family and friends for Christmas back home in the United States.  We have set up a GoFundMe account to try to achieve that goal. 

Last year we decided to move to the coast of Ecuador. This decision was reached after a lot of research and soul searching about what and where our lives needed to be. We chose the small fishing village of Crucita Ecuador, in the Manabi province. There is no mail delivery in Crucita. No large stores.  No malls.  The electricity goes out a lot.  But the land and the people are beautiful.  It is a simple life.  We were very happy.  

On April 16th, at about 7:00 pm we were watching a movie when we heard a loud boom, as if someone had just dropped 20 ton boulder next to our house. Then the house began to violently shake back and forth, as the booming sound increased.  I did not even realize I had fallen to ground when I heard my husband Jason yell, we have to get out of here, it's an earthquake.  I know I was in shock.  I also know that in a split second I had to make the decision to leave my cats and run out of the house as quickly as possible.  

We were safe for the moment.  We found some of our friends/neighbors.  They were safe too.  We later found out that one of our neighbors who we did not know personally, had been struck fatally by falling debris. 

The next few days were a total blur.  More earthquakes occurred.  No water.  No electricity.  No phones. No place to buy food.  We had no way to contact our family back in the United States to let them know we were okay.  We have friends in Portoviejo. We had no way to know if they were okay. Portoviejo is where we go to shop for food and supplies.  As with many of the roads and highways, the road to Portoviejo was collapsed.  A car had fallen into it.  I do not even know if the people survived.  I hope that they are okay. 

El Centro Portoviejo - where we used to shop

We are basically cut off from the surrounding towns.  Even if we can get to them, the places where we shopped are gone.  There are plenty of tiendas (little stores) here in Crucita and they eventually began to open.  They run out of items quickly. Cat food is nearly impossible to find.  When we do, it is almost $3 for a 2 cup bag of food. We have four cats.  

We are getting by as best as we can.  It is costing us more to live here right now. The added expenses are making things difficult. I know things will get better, as things do after a natural disaster. I just do not know when.  

The road to Portoviejo from our village Crucita.

What I do know is that we are barely getting by right now.  There is no way we can afford to fly home to the United States in December.  The prices of airline tickets continue to rise.  The availability of tickets continue to decrease.  If we are not able to buy tickets in the next month or two, we will not be able to see our family and friends in December. This will be equally devastating for us and for our family.  We cannot express how much we miss them.  We know they are missing us and have been so worried about us since the earthquake occurred.  We are hoping to have a happy reunion in December. 

Thank you for taking the time to read our story.  If you or someone you know can help us make it possible to get back to the United States, by making a donation to GoFundMe, we will not only be grateful, but we promise to show our appreciation for your kindness by paying it forward.  When we are financially able, every penny you donate to us, we will donate to other families in need. 

We thank you for all your support.

A monument to the fisherman of Crucita

Tamera's Take: Where the Wild "Ancestors" Are, Cats, and Darwin's Finches

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

"Seeing every height crowned with its crater, and the boundaries of most of the lava-streams still distinct, we are led to believe that within a period, geologically recent, the unbroken ocean was here spread out. Hence, in both space and time, we seem to be brought somewhat nearer to that great fact--that mystery of mysteries--the first appearance of new beings on this earth."
---Charles Darwin, Voyage of the Beagle

Mangrove Finches fighting for survival.

Charles Darwin Foundation

Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island

Galapagos, Ecuador

a Tel: (593) 5 2526-146/2527-013 Ext 101

In 1835, long before he began to formulate the theory of evolution, Charles Darwin sailed to the Galapagos Islands on the H.M.S. Beagle.

Much of the same flora and fauna that inspired Darwin's The Origin of Species still exists on the Galapagos today. Appropriately, ninety-seven percent of the island is national park. Two of his studies included the Mangrove Finch and the Wild Currant Tomato.

A few days ago as my husband and I walked through the empty lot on the way to Frema's tienda, we saw hundreds of red berries sprawling among the other weeds and flowers.  No. Wait. Not berries. The tiniest tomatoes (tomates) I have ever seen.

Very Tiny Wild Currant Tomatoes

I picked one tomato and put it in my pocket so I could do a little research on it when I got home. My husband said, "don't forget that's in your pocket". "I won't", I said. Of course I forgot about it.

I pulled the squished little tomato from my pocket and grabbed our laptop.

Known to botanists as Solanum Pimpinellifolium, the plant is the wild ancestor of all the domestic tomatoes we eat today, and still grows wild in northern Peru and southern Ecuador.

The common name is Wild Currant Tomato.

Amazed at our discovery, I go back to the vacant lot to take pictures and bring back a few more tomates. My first thought as I pick 4 or 5 to bring back home is that they are probably bitter and/or poisonous.

According to SmithsonianMag they are not poisonous or bitter. We each try one. They are sweet and delicious. According to Smithsonian, Science Daily and a few other websites, they are also rare and vanishing from the wild. Unfortunately a fact with so many things in the world.

I spent a couple of hours on research with the thought that Wild Currant Tomatoes might make for an interesting blog. Although, one patch of tomatoes in one vacant lot could hardly be noteworthy to many people. I shelved the idea.

Except that I wanted to grow some myself.

Seeds.

If I have the tomatoes, then I have the seeds. One more trip to the vacant lot. As I look at the green and ripe tomatoes, I notice the hundreds of little yellow flowers that will soon be fruiting.

How did this plant get here?  Maybe they are not wild. Maybe someone threw out some tomatoes or an old plant, and they managed to reproduce. As much as I read about these little tomatoes, I really do not have any practical information on how to grow them.

I shelve the blog (again) AND the idea of growing the tomatoes.

Two days later, on one of our walks, we happen to find another sprawling patch of tiny tomatoes. I am convinced now that they truly are Wild Currant Tomatoes.

Do I have my phone with me so I can take pictures. No.

As we get to the end of the unpaved road I take a visual survey of our location so I can come back later to take pictures.

After more research I find that there have been a number of expeditions to Ecuador to locate, document and gather samples. Studies have determined that the Currant Tomato has natural genetic properties that make it drought and disease resistant. Apparently Solanum Pimpinellifolium has become an important species in the cross breeding of domestic tomatoes.

CATS cannot eat tomatoes! Really.

I do not have any intention of creating a hybrid tomato, but I do intend to grow my own tiny tomatoes, albeit slightly less "wild".

I am drying out a batch of seeds now.  I will let you know how it goes.

A shout out to You Grow Girl for some down to earth (pun intended) information on growing these wild plants in your garden!

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Tamera's Take: Terremoto, Did you know this could happen? And...The Truth.

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

I am?

This is a question that I have been asked, and I have asked myself, many times since our arrival in Crucita Ecuador.

Along with;

Is it everything you thought it would be?

And most recently;

Did you know this could happen? 

To these questions I always answer the truth, regardless of who is asking.

For the past 12 days I struggled with the truth.  What is the struggle?  The struggle is that I am caught between the need to tell the truth; the need to not terrify our family and friends any more than they have already been terrified; the need to be respectful of the people who are probably in the worst situation of their life; and my own belief of what is the truth.

So here are some truths:

If you have not read any of my previous entries, this would normally be the place where I talk about something that happened to me in my childhood.  I try to tie it into whatever my point is for that blog, and then add a few pictures to keep it interesting.  Props.  That is what I do.  I use props.  It seems necessary because I am not a writer. My husband is the writer.

There will be no correlation between my youth and present day events.  There will be no cute pictures of cats. Strangely, I struggle with that too.

I am writing as much for me, as I am for you.

Hopefully this will not take me days to finish, but it could. (It did. I started two days ago.) There are moments when the past 12 days are so clear, that I can still feel the tremors.  There are moments when my mind is viewing the past 12 days through a mud splattered pane of glass.

Since the earthquake (terremoto) occurred, I felt every emotion humanly possible.

Each time that we were faced with something that we were not sure how to handle, I had to force myself to remain calm.

The phrase, "remember to be thankful for what you have, because someone else may have it worse than you", could not have been more true.  Except that I did not feel thankful.

It is important to not just remember, but know that 600+ people lost their lives; 12,000+ people were injured; 26,000+ people are homeless and slept in the streets until shelters could be erected.

What I felt was guilty.  Guilty that I reside in town that was left standing, while to north, east and south of me lies complete destruction and tragedy. Guilty that the only person from Crucita who died as a result of the earthquake, lived about 200 yards from me, and I never met her.  Guilty that we are okay due to the help of a lot of Ecuadorians, yet we are unable to do anything to help others in need.

That kind of emotion is not any good to me or others.  I know it.

I have to live with the fact that as much as I want to, I cannot help anyone. We do not have a vehicle to pick up or deliver donations. We do not speak or understand enough Spanish to communicate with people. A lot of aid has come into the country and the people of Ecuador are moving forward. Help is needed. Just not MY help. A tough reality to face.

Tomorrow will mark two weeks since the earthquake hit. Maybe two weeks is the magic number to start feeling normal.

I cannot say for others but it seems to be for me. Not that things are normal. They are not. But life is starting to feel normal again.

There is a tiny vacant lot in between our house and the tienda (Frema's) where we shop. We walked through the lot this morning and for the first time in two weeks I actually felt like taking pictures. I included a few in this post.

Yes. I am feeling normal again.

Did I know this could happen?  Yes.

Did I think it would happen?  Of course not.

That is the truth.

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©2016 TJ & Tamera Overman, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ReUse by permission only.

Tamera's Take: Household Hints - Arroz to Zapatas, Cats and You Thought You Had Problems

Welcome to our new readers from Spain, Peru and Ireland!

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

Wood table made by a local carpenter

My name is Tamera.

I am a list-aholic (aka copious note taker).  "Hi Tamera."

I have been keeping a boring-as-dirt list of household type items to talk about in one of my future blogs.  The list is finally so long that it is time.  Otherwise it is never going to go away, and I have too many other fun things to talk about.  I feel like that kid who cannot go outside until the chores are done.

I will do my best to make this as fun AND informational as I can.

Wish me luck.

If you have the kind of disposable income that allows you to hire a housekeeper, then I am happy for you.  That was our intention during the planning stages of our move to Ecuador.  It is an affordable luxury.  But we do not have that much "disposable" income.

Like building a house, plan for at least 10% to 20% in cost overages.  Our overages came in the form of government and attorney fees to extend our tourist visa (from a T-3 to a 12-IX) and application for resident visas. Not to mention that those Ecuadorian Government fees for Immigrant and Non-Immigrant Visas unexpectedly increased in 2016.

Air-tight plastic containers. No ants in these babies!

We are finally starting to recover from those overages.  Just in time for planned visits from friends and family. Maybe next year we can hire some help.  Until then, it is all on us baby!

This has not necessarily been a bad thing.  We have learned a lot about beach living.  I am not talking about the good stuff like going swimming, fishing, laying in the sun, beach-combing, getting tanned, having cocktails and watching sunsets. Yes, we do those things.  I am talking about the aftermath of all that fun; and some normal housekeeping things that you will not read on many blogs or websites about coming to Ecuador.

Backyard. Outdoor shower, sink, laundry room.....

Dirt.

Where the heck is all that dirt coming from?  Let me just tell you now that if you have a house or condo near the beach, be prepared to sweep every day.  Thankfully, carpet is rare around these parts. Floors are either concrete, tile, wood, or a combination of those materials. Our house is completely tiled with the exception of the concrete roof top terrace.

Oh, and one other exception.

More concrete. Part of the courtyard.

We have a large courtyard in the front of the house - made entirely of concrete. There is a reason for that.  The cistern is under the concrete.  The breezeway on the side of the house is concrete.  I suppose that makes sense too because the breezeway is covered.  Nothing would grow there anyway.

The area behind the house is concrete. This also makes sense because the garaje (garage), outdoor after-beach shower, tiled counter with sink, laundry room and the water pump are all located behind the house.

Concrete is your friend.  Until it is not.  Make sense or not, concrete is my enemy right now.  Yes it is easy to sweep.  But concrete dust is constant. Concrete is not the only the little dirt maker around here.

Let me break it down for you like a fraction.

Take off your shoes. Wipe your feet.

You go to the beach.  What is on the beach?   Sand.  What comes back with you from the beach? Sand.

It gets better.  Very few roads are paved in Crucita or any other beach village.  The short walk from our house to the beach is on a dirt alley.

So far we have concrete dust, beach sand and alley dirt.

Wait for it.  There is more.

The mountains all around us get a bit dusty.  The ocean winds carry that dust here and there.  Here and there all over the house.  Remember that the houses here are pretty open.  Not all windows have screens.  Not all windows have glass.  I have not seen a screen door yet.


But hey.  It is beach life. The houses are open to take advantage of the ocean breeze, because most people do not have air conditioners.  Ceiling fans seem to be an "American" thing. More and more houses have them now.  But basically, floor fans are king.

Cinderella and her brooms.

My advice.  Invest in a few brooms, dust pans with tall handles, and a lot of doormats.  Take your shoes off before you come in the house.

Salt and Rice (sal y arroz)

Every Floridian knows that you put grains of rice in your salt shaker to keep the salt from clumping. You can scratch that right off your list of helpful hints.  We have awesome sea salt made right here in Crucita.

You should store it in an airtight plastic container. Do not bother with salt and pepper shakers.  If you decide to get them, make sure they are NOT made of any type of metal; and make sure they have air tight lids.

"Would you like paper or plastic?"

We are all familiar with that phrase from the grocery store.  Take it a step further.  Paper, plastic, wood or metal.

Bamboo floor lamp. Cool wood chair.

Let's talk about metal.

The answer is simple.  No.  Never.  Nunca!  Why?  Corrosion.  Salt air corrosion.  Obviously there has to be some metal in a house.  All that concrete needs rebar.  Wood doors and windows have to be nailed or screwed into place.  Door handles, locks and hinges are metal. All that metal is painted or sealed. And still, in time, some of it rusts away.

Pots and pans are metal.  Try to use enamel coated ones. When you wash dishes, wipe off anything metal.  Do not air dry them.

Let's talk about wood.

If you are going to get outdoor patio furniture, save yourself some aggravation and buy plastic, rattan/wicker or wood.

Artisan in Montecristi making furniture.

Wicker and Rattan furniture are very popular here.  The very best place to buy this furniture is in the town of Montecristi, Ecuador.

The artisans custom make every piece of furniture.

You can show them a picture of what you want and they will make it. If you are not sure, most of them have catalogs of the work they have completed for other customers.

You can browse them and choose something that will work for you.  In a few weeks you will have your own custom furniture.

If you need cushions, there are upholsterers in Montecristi who will make them to fit your new furniture.

I found this huge oyster shell. It is my soap dish.

Trivia Time!!   Panama Hats are not from Panama.  Panama Hats originated in Montecristi.  They are still made in Montecristi.  The price depends on the weave and craftsmanship of the hat.  They are called Panama Hats because they were sent to Panama for the workers building the Panama Canal. The weave of a good Panama Hat is so tight that it will keep your head and face from being sunburned. Yet the material is so light that it breathes.


Back to wood.

If wood is more your style, you are in luck.  There are carpenters in every town.  Much like the furniture makers in Montecristi, you can meet with a carpenter, discuss what you are looking for and they will make it.  Tables, chairs, sofas, shelves, windows, doors....anything made of wood.

A word of warning about outdoor furniture.  As I have said before, the sun is very intense here. Outdoor furniture should be kept under some type of covered area or brought inside when not in use.

No caption required

Let's talk about plastic and paper.

If you do not have a covered patio area, I would suggest buying inexpensive plastic outdoor furniture. If you do not use it often, then bring it in out of the weather.  Just common sense.

I know they are not attractive, but plastic canister sets with tight, screw on plastic lids are the best. You will need a lot of them. Why?  Ants.  Not big fire ants, or medium stingy ants, or little get into everything ants.  I am talking about ants so small that you can barely see them.  So small that if one crawls on you, you cannot feel it.  So fast that if you drop one grain of sugar on your counter, you will have a colony of them on that grain of sugar in one minute.  There are two choices for food storage.  Refrigerator or plastic airtight containers.

The other necessary plastic is trash bags.  I know it is not the most ecological item, but manufacturers are getting better at making them bio-degradable.  So this brings me to the bathroom section of my blog.  When you get trash cans for your bathroom, make sure you get the ones with lids.  The little swinging lids work best.  Use your grocery bags in the bathroom trash cans.  The trash can in your kitchen should have a lid too.

Why lids on the bathroom trash can?  Two reasons - to reduce odor and insects.

Shells, an old mayo jar and wire. Decoration for my driftwood table.

 The septic systems in Ecuador cannot handle paper of ANY kind.  It does not matter how modern your house is, or how nice your condo is.  NO PAPER IN THE TOILETS!  You will find this is the same rule if you go to a mall, hotel, restaurant, etc.  In many public restrooms, you get your allotment of toilet paper before you go into the stall.  There are no rolls of toilet paper in the stalls.  There are plastic trash cans.  Now you know why.

Mess on the Malecon

I know this is a little off topic, but living here has taught me to have a little more respect for the environment.  Some things I have learned...

Conserve water use.  Reduce trash when possible.  Find new uses for things that are normally thrown away without another thought. I think they call that re-purposing.  If you can do it with pallets, you can do it with glass jars, plastic containers, wire, bags - well you get the idea.

The trash has to go somewhere.  And it is going somewhere.

It is going into your oceans, lakes, rivers, and seeping into the aquifer.

That was never more evident than what I saw on the Malecon a few days ago.

Yesterday's driftwood. Today's scratch post.

The tides right now are unusually high.  So high that they wash right over the Malecon (beach road) twice a day.

At first glance, you might just think, wow look at all that stuff washed up on the road from the super high tide.

Then you get a closer look at what it is. Mixed in with the beach sand, driftwood, rocks, shells, fish, buoys and nets, is trash.

Not trash left by people enjoying the beach.

Trash that was probably dumped out to sea from some gigantic barge from who knows where. Trash that flowed down the Portoviejo River because no one is quite sure how to handle it. Or because people think it is someone else's problem.


They are right.  It is someone else's problem.

It is my problem, your problem, his problem, her problem, their problem.  Our problem.

It is happening everywhere.  Fix it or lose it.

Peace.

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