Eight Months In - Of Rose Colored Glasses, Weather, and Freedom

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Well, here we are!

Well, here we are.  We have surpassed the 6 month mark and by a couple of months at that.  We are now in our eighth month here.  Why is this significant you ask? Well, my wife and I read a lot of other ExPat blogs and one of the recurring themes is the six month mark.  You see, that is when the rose colored glasses come off.  Allegedly.  No, this is not Paris with its beautiful rose light which inspired the saying.

That much is obvious.  Also obvious?  Our six month anniversary was marred by Mother Nature and as we all know, you don't mess with Mother Nature.  Yes, I'm showing my age a bit with that one.

My point is, we are beyond comparing our initial six month's experience with anyone else's.  Looking at it now I see I was being a bit obtuse in thinking we could anyway.  Everyone has different experiences or alternate takes on said experiences which mold how they feel.  Our experiences have left us somewhat conflicted.  Should I stay or should I go?  I will not speak for my wife though I know how she feels.  This is all on me.  One man's opinion as it were.

So many different fruits and plants.

I want to preface the next paragraph with this: I lived in Jacksonville, FL for so long it feels like my hometown.  I loved living there.  My kids are there as are my parents.  My very best friends are there. It is a beautiful city and like any growing city it is facing its own growing pains.

Now-  In Jacksonville, I heard gunshots on a regular basis.  Hell, we found a slug on our back patio though this is the exception, not the rule.

The year we left Jacksonville was in the process of surpassing their annual record of murders.  I do not like having to say that but sometimes the truth hurts.  As in every large city there are areas that are just bad.  Jacksonville is no exception.  They will figure it out.

I have not heard one gunshot here; have not seen one story where someone was killed by gun. There certainly haven't been any mass murders or school massacres as in other areas of the world (none in Jacksonville either).  No policemen have been killed by gun.  No bombings or mass killing by automobile.  No acts of terrorism.

A view of our home, Crucita from the southern mountain.

That is not a political statement nor am I advocating for pro-gun or gun control. Just stating facts here.  We had earthquakes instead.  That is the trade off I guess.  The bright side?  This massive, devastating earthquake thing will most likely not happen again in my lifetime and if it does, I'll probably be to old to care. If we do experience one of that magnitude again sooner rather than later, I will be much more equipped to deal with it than I was.  It may sound weird but I prefer earthquake to a bullet.

I have no statistical data to back this up but I feel like I have a greater chance of being shot in Jacksonville than I do being killed or seriously injured by an earthquake here.  OK.  Maybe not a very bright side but I feel that way. 

The Pacific as seen from our rooftop.  Good morning!

I think it is safe to say my personal rose colored glasses were broken in the initial terramoto and still I love it here.  I mean I love it here a lot.  Right here and now, Mother Nature notwithstanding.  It helps to remember we are not the only ones going through it.  Our friends here seem to all feel the same way which also helps because I know what we feel is normal. It also helps that friends and neighbors here reach out to check on us and us them.  It does not matter how.

Face to face, Whatsapp, Facebook.  Some days I just want to bug out but that feeling is fleeting. Most days I wake up, head to the rooftop terrace, and drink in that Pacific ocean view.  Then I smile.  I smile because I know I am supposed to be here.  I belong here.  As my wife said, we are home.

Our landlords and amigos, Victor and Deysy (Daisy).

In eight short months we have made many new friends.  There are so many wonderful people here and they are just as interested in us as we are in them. Sometimes they have more questions about us than we about them.  Our local tienda owners are a great case in point. Whenever we go in we buy for a few days at a time.  There are no shopping carts or baskets.  You get the things you can carry, place them on the counter, then go back for more.  As we do it they tell us the names of what we purchase in Spanish.

Then they always want to know the "English" name for it.  We get questions about where we are from, what is the weather like (both hotter and colder than here), do we have mosquitoes there (yes and way more than here!), do we have pets (yes. can you guess what kind?), do we like Crucita (yes we do thanks very much).  Priorities are different.  Yes, there is the need for money but most people seem to be content with life.  Things move slowly.  Stress levels are much lower than in the U.S.  Well, non-earthquake related stress anyway.  You get the point.

Can you say tranquilo (trang-kilo)?  I knew you could!

The ExPats come from everywhere.  Italy, U.S., Canada, Germany, France, Columbia, Brasil, etc.  It makes things interesting from many standpoints.  

I mentioned weather.  It does get hot here in the summer months.  Not as hot as it does where I moved from but some days are close.  It does not stay hot at night at least not most evenings.  You can generally fall asleep with your windows and doors open to reap the benefits of the sea breeze and the sound of the Pacific.

No sound machine needed here.

The summer is also the wet season.  To date I have heard thunder once, seen no lightning, and there has been one serious downpour.  The butterflies are everywhere as they migrate.  We had two stretches of week long (or close) rain.  The rest of the time the rain mostly came at night.  There are many sunny days, tasty waves, and extremely high tides.  Many times the tides cover the Malecon when at their peak.  The hottest time of year was March.  Many locals told us it would be cold soon.  Cold?  This is the Equator.  Frio they said.  Winter is coming.  Yeah right.

The summer months.  Ceiba trees on Crucita farmland.

Then, just before the earthquake something happened.  It got cool.  One day it was hot.  The next day not.  That turned out to be a blessing because we were without power for awhile.  Winter is here.  As promised.  Our A/C is off day and night. It will stay that way until Summer returns. Of course it is not really cold though some nights the wind is strong enough to give you chills.  It is cool here. It is perfect temperature day and night. You can do outside work without breaking a sweat.

There are a lot more overcast days but there is generally a few hours of sun even on these overcast days.  There is no rain to speak of so things get a bit dusty.  The mountains are brown again. The ocean temperature drops a degree or two but not enough to stop us swimming.  The tides now get very low and the beach is huge.  There are different birds around.  The whales will be here soon. August is the coolest month or so I am told.  The whales love it here in August.  It is also the very best time of year to visit the Galapagos Islands.  As the ocean currents turn cold they bring in migrating wildlife en mass.  More on that in August I hope.

Grown on our rooftop.  Mi gusto!

I won't take too much time on food in this post but farm fresh eggs and vegetables are plentiful.  Oranges or naranjas (nar-on-ha-s) are back now.  Peppers or pimientos (pim-e-in-toes) are year round as are onions or cebollas (say-bow-yas) Pineapples or pinas (pee-nyahs) are easily found and delicious.  Limes or limons (pronounced lemons) are back after a brief hiatus.  We have our own tree which produces continuously.  Potatoes or papas (spelled like it sounds) are year round as are the Ecuadorian sweet potato, comote (com-oh-tay).  Simply delicious.  So many fresh beans or frjoles (free-hole-ays) are available we still have not tried them all.  Fish or pescado (pez-cod-oh), shrimp or camaron (cam-ah-rhone) are easily found daily.

I have lost so much weight from eating well and exercise I can fit into a concert tee-shirt I wore in the early 90's.  I now wear mediums comfortably.  I was an extra large just months ago. My blood pressure is down (never all that high to begin with), I no longer smoke, and drinking is now very minimal.  All great things for my health.

So what is not to like?  Well terramotos of course.  My rose colored glasses are as I said, broken and most definitely off.  Should I stay or should I go?  I think we will stay unless something happens that makes it impossible.  Will we stay in Crucita?  Maybe.  Maybe not.  It is a perfect place to begin. Easy access to affordable transportation, food, English speaking friends, and a close proximity to a large city make it very attractive.  As time goes on we may move around the country a bit.  What is it like in the mountains, the true Amazon?  What is it like south of here, closer to Peru?  What is it like in Peru, Columbia, Chile, or Brasil?  Could we end up in one of those places someday?  Maybe. We are free to do as we will and just a few hours travel changes your environment greatly.  We are free.  What can be better than that?  Is our compass slowing swinging northward again?  I think so. Chao!

Note:  As I added pictures to this blog (the last step before publishing) we experienced another tremor or tremblor .  4.2 in strength with the epicenter just off the cost of Manta about 12 kilometers away.  No damage or injuries.  Just nerve racking. 

"I feel the earth, move, under my feet!"

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Tamera's Take: Strange Trees, Cats and Rose Colored Glasses

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

The ancient Maya of South America believed that a great Ceiba tree stood at the center of the earth, connecting the terrestrial world to the spirit-world above.  The long thick vines hanging down from its spreading limbs provided a connection to the heavens for the souls that ascended them.

The Ceiba tree’s branches were believed by Mayans to act as a seat from which the gods watched the people walking below.

Humans are not separate from nature.

Ceiba Tree facts:
During the dry season the symmetrical flowers can be rather small and inconspicuous at less than 3 cm (1 inch), to showy at more than 12 cm (5 inches); and are usually white, pinkish-white or red, with leathery petals.  This tree has a largely branchless trunk which grows to 60-70 metres (200-230 feet) and buttress roots that can be taller than a grown person.  The deep roots mean it is often one of the few trees left standing after a hurricane.

Borrowed photo. We were riding a bus. 

Thanks to the following websites for the above information:

http://www.fauna-flora.org

http://www.ceiba.org




As I write this, we are currently at the end of the dry season.  There is a bus route from our town of Crucita directly to the city of Portoviejo, about 30 km (18 miles) away.  The buses are scheduled about every 10 minutes, cost $1.10 to ride, and you hail them like a cab.  Equally, when you want to get off, you simply stand up and go to the front of the bus. The bus driver will immediately stop and let you off.

Groceries from Portoviejo

We needed to go to Portoviejo to do some grocery shopping.  We do not have a car, scooter, motorcycle or even a bicycle - yet. There are two options.  A cab or a bus.  A bus it is.

The bus makes a circle around Crucita, on Calle Malecon (coastal road) and Calle Portoviejo.  We are told by our friend Tamy to get on the bus at Calle Malecon, because it will be less crowded.  We are not sure why it will be less crowded, but any advice Tamy gives us is good advice.



It is about 50 yards (45 metres) from our gate to Calle Malecon.

As a side note, during the writing of Tamera's Take, I decide to login and listen to Pandora Internet Radio, only to receive the following message:

Zahi is not amused.

Dear Pandora Visitor,
We are deeply, deeply sorry to say that due to licensing constraints, we can no longer allow access to Pandora for listeners located outside of the U.S., Australia and New Zealand. We will continue to work diligently to realize the vision of a truly global Pandora, but for the time being we are required to restrict its use. We are very sad to have to do this, but there is no other alternative.

This frustrates me, but only for a moment.

Three countries does not sound very global.

I go to the back up plan and play some of our music saved to the laptop.




After all, I am in Crucita.  The sun is shining, the wind is blowing and the waves are crashing on the shore.   This was not the case yesterday.  It was raining on Friday.  Bus Ride Friday.  Black Friday for everyone in the U.S.

[listening to Under the Milky Way by The Church]

Back to Calle Malecon.

Calle Malecon

We are not sure what side of the Calle to catch the bus, but we know that there are no bus stops to search for, no increasingly confusing time schedules to decipher, no bus transfers to make.

Unlike the bus systems in the U.S. and probably many other countries, when we see the bus, just hail it like a cab.  Simple enough.

This is going to be easy.


After standing on the Malecon for about 3 minutes we see a bus heading our way.  Great.  This is going to be easy.  Our arms go up.  The bus stops.  "Este el Autobus a Portoviejo?" I say to the man who opens the bus door (not the driver).  "Portoviejo? Otro... (something something something and I have no idea what)."  Says the man who opens the bus door (not the driver).  However I did catch the word "otro" which means "other".  The man is smiling and pointing to the other side of the street.  Like I said, this is going to be easy.

Views from the bus on the way to Portoviejo 

We cross the street.  Well that was simple anyway.  Wait for it.  Yes.  Here it comes.  Another bus. My husband says, "you put up your arm this time, I did it last time".  I reply, "I held my arm up too". We both laugh and both put up our arms.  Better safe than sorry right?   It worked last time.  It worked this time too.

I should say at this point that "CRUCITA" is painted on the side of the buses.  In the front window is a sign that reads "Portoviejo".

[listening to Yer So Bad by Tom Petty]

The man (not the driver) opens the door.  Portoviejo?  Si.  Good, this is going to be easy.  Then there are those very steep steps.  Only two of them.  But very very steep.  My husband Jason and I are taller than most people here.

Did I mention the bus had really steep steps?

Views from the bus - house for sale

After climbing the steps, the very steep ones, I try to give the man (not the driver) money.  He does not take it.  There is no meter to drop money into.  No place to slide your Metrocard.  Confused for just a moment I keep walking up the aisle looking for two seats together.  Before I know it I am in the back of the bus and I get a look at the passengers for the first time.   All children and teenagers in school uniforms.  For the most part they are sitting in the window seat.  No one in the aisle seats.

Views from the bus - Rice Fields!

Confusion sets back in as I look towards the front of the bus, which is moving. Instinct sets in and we both choose an aisle seat. Did we get on the wrong bus? Did I say this was going to be easy?

The bus stops again and the new passengers are not school children. Feeling a little better by the addition of passengers, who are obviously not coming home from school, I relax.  It is 12:20pm.

We are on our way to Portoviejo.  Us, the school children, the other passengers who are not school children, the man (not the driver), and the driver.  We round the corner and a few more passengers get on the bus.

A man (not the other man or the driver) is walking up the aisle carrying a basket.  What is in the basket?   He is selling something to the passengers.  Fresh baked bread.  Rolls to be exact.  They smell wonderful.  I think about buying one, but decide not to.  I just want to observe for this bus ride.  There are two teenagers sitting behind me.  They are sitting very close together.  The teenage boy buys two rolls, one for himself and one for his girl-friend.

The man (not the driver).  Very nice man. 

The bus stops to let people on and let people off, as buses do.  The school children are quiet or talking very softly.  The other passengers talk socially to each other.  The man (not the driver) walks towards the back of the bus to collect the fare from each passenger.  The children pay a very small fare.  I can not see exactly how much they give him, but it seems to be a few small coins.  Jason and I each give him $1.10, he counts the money and smiles at us and nods.  We got the fare right.

This is nothing like any other bus ride I have taken.  I am actually enjoying it.  I knew it would be easy.

I hear the teenage boy behind me say, "Americanos.  No comprendo."  Of course he meant us.  He was right.

Am I wearing Rose Colored Glasses?  Who can say?!

Maybe I am, maybe not.  I will let you know.

Last Stop

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