Castles in Cuenca – There was a serious accident at the construction site of the new building going up next door.  Poochito watched over the injured worker until the ambulance arrived.

Clarke and Brenda Next Stage – The three time Dorkey award winner describes what can only be called Scorpoppers and Snurms (perhaps the photos will help.)

Construction Projects in Ecuador – Oh no, Ray can’t come to my party, the rains have washed out the driveway again. He went to pay the taxes on his property in La Paz and discovered that it had nearly doubled in value.

Ecuador Photos – Robert continues with his photo collage from the Corso parade in Ambato.

Faces of Cuenca – Lenny is remembering things he forgot since they left Portland like the all day rain, tall buildings, smokers on the street and delicious Latte. His friends indulged his Thai food cravings, but the best part of the visit was a hug from the grandson.

Gaithers Love Ecuador – Until they can get their new eBook uploaded to Kindle the Gaithers are offering Thriving in Ecuador as a PDF.

Grimms’ Travel Tales – Not knowing what to expect when they visited the Cuenca Zoo (it’s called Amaru which translates to “snake” in Quechua), Patty and Mike were in for a surprise when the two hour tour turned into a strenuous hike through the nature preserve.

Jill Sare’s Travel Blog – Jill has a serious attack of the gall bladder. She spent the days before Christmas hooked up to an IV at the clinic. She had planned to be in Quito to run some errands so she visited two specialists (no surgery, whew!) and reconnected with old friends. She’ll be back managing at Hosteria Mandala and won’t return to Baños until July.

Life in Quito – Liliya observes several instances of inflation around Quito. She should have bought that mattress a month ago when the prices were cheaper.

Metamorphosis – That SOZ blogger really gets around. Kathy cooks a delicious lasagna dinner for the gang.

Nancy and Chuck – After we picked up the new painting from the framers we went over to the Watsons’ penthouse rental and hung it in the dining room. Well, Randy and Chuck did the hanging while the rest of us supervised. We’ve been using taxis all over town, when Nancy found a display of the rates at the Mall del Rio she felt it was important to post it (some people don’t know the actual rates and have accused the taxi drivers of gringo gouging.)

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BobnRox in Ecuador – Two world famous bloggers came for a visit (it’s me and Nancy Watson if you haven’t guessed already.) I missed the wonderful article that Bob posted while I was travelling; I’ve seen firsthand Ecuador’s  development dollars at work.

Ecuador Adventures – Jim and Rachel return to Tumbabiro and introduce us to Beatriz and Bob Flick. Their son Eric takes us on a tour of the Flick’s “Ponderosa” ranch.

Ecuador Photos – Robert has been blogging nearly every day since I’ve been missing so you’ll have to do your own catchup with all his photos of the Corso Parade, Ambato 2009.

Ecuador…Adventure Awaits!! – Candace is a little stressed about returning to Ecuador solo. They’ll be building a beach hut on the oceanfront property they purchased last time.

Gringos Abroad – Brian tells us how to recognize pirate taxis in Cuenca.

Juntos en el Camino de la Vida – Roger and Suzanne arrived in Guayaquil earlier this week. After a good nap they’ve settled in. Time to go shopping for fresh fruit and produce at the Coopera.

Life in Quito – Liliya posts some reviews from renters of the La Ronda apartment.

Living and Retiring in Ecuador – Connie always had a love affair with the Italian language, not so much with español.

Looking for the Simple Life – Susan thought that her prescription refill was a little too high so perhaps she should go to Dr. Guillen to see what he recommended.

Metamorphosis – Kathy blogs about girl’s night out with the ladies of her weaving class. And posts some photos of the lingering parades.

Nancy and Chuck – Guess who has arrived!

Olon Again…Naturally – Leigh and Todd take a trip to Guayaquil; she posts a recipe for home-made Llapingachos.

Pro-Ecuador Blog – Linda finds out that Gary used to drink raw milk as a child and confesses her own raw indiscretions.

Retiring in Ecuador – Ever wondered about Santa Cruz in the Galapagos, David tells us it’s the best island for accommodations during your visit.

Rich and Nancy – Here’s photos of the roundabout construction and the ever popular faces of friends (thanks guys, now when I meet them on the streets of Cuenca I can call them by name.)

p.s. I know you all want to hear about my time on the coast, but I’ll have to reserve that for a future blog. We have returned to Cuenca and I’ll be staying with the Watsons. We’re having a get together at the California Kitchen this Friday from 1:00 ‘til 5:00 (you’re welcome to stick around for happy hour after that.) I would love to finally meet everyone in person. Hasta luego, Mary

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The Watsons are picking me up and we are heading to the coast for a few days. See that photo of lobster dinner at D’hugos in Salinas? I’ll be enjoying that TOMORROW! Then we are off to visit with Leigh Frost from Olon Again and Bob & Rox in Manglarato. For sure we’ll be going to Casa Blanca in Montañita.

After a couple of days by the ocean we be heading up to Cuenca so I can explore that place. We will be having a get together at the California Kitchen on Friday, January 27th in the afternoon. If you want to know more, please contact Nancy Watson at watsontravelblog@gmail.com. 

But, what about the blog you ask? Well… I might post a little about our adventures but for now the daily updates will be on hiatus until February 6th. Nancy volunteered to bring her laptop, well…

Ecuador Photos – More photos of the Ambato parade with colorful dancers from the International Ballet and the Latacunga municipal band dressed in their blue camouflage.

Living and Retiring in Ecuador – Connie ran into a couple who had been away from Cuenca for awhile; they were shocked to see how much it has changed. On the home front school is taking over their lives and Mark’s dad had a spill and broke his hip.

Rich and Nancy #1 – Off they went with friends to Loja and Vilcabamba. In part one we can see that in Loja there are many similarities to Cuenca.

Rich and Nancy #2 – Part two features photographs from around town of some whimsical things that caught their eye.

Rich and Nancy #3 – Now let’s meet Nancy’s feline friend, check out some pottery, and explore some more around town.

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Cuenca Chronicles – Sharon has received so many interesting comments from readers. They give advice (don’t worry about the cat) and ask questions (what brand of grinder do you use.) Ironically, very few of her friends and family read the blog.

Ecuador Photos – The costumed dance troupe marching in the parade reminded Robert of the International Ballet performance he saw in Quito years ago. Their performances in Ecuador are not classical ballet; they are folk dances with elaborate costumes and props.

Faces of Cuenca – Just as I’m getting ready to leave for Ecuador, Lenny and Sharon are heading back up to the States for a visit with family and friends. He’ll be hanging out at the Apple store and eating hotdogs from Costco.

Gringos Abroad – Bryan tells us seven things to know about travel insurance. He recommends World Nomads Travel Safety Hub for the latest professional travel advice on hundreds of destinations.

Kimbler’s Exit to Ecuador – Occasionally life hits a few bumps. Randy’s been suffering from gout in his big toe and poor Karen’s had to wait on him hand and foot (even doing the cooking.)

Life in Quito – Liliya checked online to determine how much they had to pay in property taxes. There is an incentive to pay it early in the year.

Nancy and Chuck – The Watsons were planning to go to Loja again but when they heard that Rich and Nancy were taking Barbara and Howard they changed their plans so the three couples could go together. They decided to check out Zamora this trip and meet back up with the rest of group for what turned out to be a very fun weekend.

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Construction Projects in Ecuador – Ray stood in line to pay his property taxes, but since he had no account he was instructed to come back the next day. The property has yet to be transferred, you’ll need to pay more and come back again tomorrow.

Ecuador 4u – Felipe thinks back on the reasons he moved to Cotacachi. He calls it the three C’s: climate, cost and culture. Ecuador is a relatively easy country to move to.

Ecuador Photos – Sea creatures on stilts, that is the only way to describe the next few entries in the Corso parade.

New Beginnings in Cuenca – Trish has a colorful plan for what she wants her new kitchen to look like. She’s worried about her visa extension; she needs more time to convert the business visa to an investment one. You would think that at least one of her properties would qualify.

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The Gaithers Love Ecuador – The Gaithers had to make a trip to the U.S. Consulate to renew their expired passports. There was a touch of sadness as they stared at flag for what their old country used to be.

Gringos Abroad – Gary, a guest blogger for Gringos, tells us about a gated community located in Puerto Cayo. The ocean side development is south of Manta, close enough for shopping but still has that small town sentiment.

Retirement: Plan B – Medical problems necessitated an unplanned trip to the States for Dale and Joan. It wasn’t all bad because they were able to visit with family over the holidays. They’re back home in Cuenca and look forward to welcoming arriving visitors.

Retiring in Ecuador – David discovered a new condo development in the coastal village of Santa Marianita. Located 15 minutes from Manta it has become a popular beach for kitesurfers and water sport enthusiasts.

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Cuenca Perspectives by Jim – Jose wanted to take Jim to the Hosteria Dos Chorreras at the edge of the Cajas for a “great trout dinner.” He wasn’t prepared to be wowed by the integration of nature into the magnificent architecture.

Ecuador Photos – Robert photographs dancers from the parade. Here’s a guy walking down the street in llama pants. There are musicians and singers and a guy that reminded him of a young Chuck Mangione.

The Gaithers Love Ecuador – Gary and Sue say that their new eBook offers a unique perspective from their business background and includes specific advice on real estate, cargo, medical care, insurance, legal issues and taxes. They were encouraged by their meetings with the author of Living in Uruguay.

Juntos en el Camino de la Vida – Roger describes Suzanne’s long running love affair with Chico’s; a good portion of her wardrobe comes from that store. To celebrate their anniversary he took her to see her friends at the Original Chico’s back in Florida.

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Gringos Abroad – Brian wants to dispel the rumors that the fixed rate for taxi service is $2 in Cuenca. Depending on the neighborhood, time of day, road and weather conditions your ride could cost more or less.

Rich and Nancy – Just a couple of blocks away from the craziness of the Feria Libre Market and the busy Av. Las Americas lies a quiet out of the way neighborhood. The City is progressing ahead with improvements and plans to demolish some of the older homes in order to widen the streets.

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Living and Retiring in Ecuador – Connie has mentored others to get their inspirational stories published in the Chicken Soup for the Soup books. She was quite taken aback when one author she helped decided to write a comparable eBook for expats and then wanted to know how to upload it to Kindle.

Rich and Nancy – Rich and Nancy walked past the parade staging area for the Day of the Innocents, a huge celebration (like these guys need an excuse.) The parades will continue until Carnaval time. They stop by to check out the construction at the roundabout.

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