Sunday, January 31, 2016

Saturday January 30, 2016 Family

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Saturday January 30, 2016
I visited Mom again today and was surprised to see that somehow they had managed to get her teeth back in.  What a difference that makes to her appearance!  She seemed tired and kept complaining of sitting on a sore butt so I helped her to get comfortable on her side and she was soon fast asleep.  I slipped out to pick up a few supplies at the Dollar ($1.25 now) and returned to find Mom still fast asleep, so I closed my eyes a bit too in the big easy chair.
About 2:30 Yvette and Lou showed up and we went in the lounge to let Mom sleep undisturbed.  We played some cards for an hour then went back to find Mom awake, and without teeth again.  I left Mom in the capable hands of Yvette and Lou and I went shopping for another item I wanted for Cristina.
I got back to brother Fern & Eileen's place and Eileen took me up the street to show me this huge owl that has taken up residence just up the street.   I told him my name but he just kept asking "who... who..??"
Then I started plowing through my accumulated mail, mostly financial stuff from one outfit, so I will solve that problem on Tuesday.
Later, Yvette and Lou joined us for a delicious meal by the chef Eileen of a magnificent chicken stew, spinach salad, peas and roasted small potatoes, followed by a fabulous apple pie.  I am going to get fat if I stay here much longer.
Tomorrow will be another busy day...
I hope you enjoy the photos.  That was the day's excitement,   Cheers, Al 

Who... me????

Great horned owl??

Lou, with Yvette wearing our father's hat

Eileen and Fern are great hosts

3 of our family

Looking at Yvette's photo book

Saturday, January 30, 2016

Friday January 29, 2016 Calgary Area

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Friday January 29, 2016
Today was the first day that I got to see Mom, but first I went out to Okotoks where my good friends Gord and Emily had my winter boots, a jacket, and were lending me their hot little Bug.  It makes it so much easier when a person has their own transportation and gas is around 69c a litre.   Traveling in this gorgeous countryside with the Rocky Mountain backdrop is one of my life's guilty pleasures....
I pulled in to a 7-11 to try to activate my Canadian cel phone which should have still been active from last June, but no, they had already given my number away.  I was given a gratis SIM card by the nice folks at the 7-11 then had to wait until the evening when I got back to the computer to actually activate my service.  My new number is 403-970-2510 for this next week.
I tried to stop and see several co-workers and friends real quickly but wasn't greatly successful.   I will make time to see more people next Tuesday when I need to be in Okotoks for several appointments and then wing night at 5pm at Original Joe's.
Seeing Mom for the first time was a bit of a shock and I honestly don't think that I would have recognized her.  She has shrunken so much that her false teeth don't fit and she looked more like Auntie Laura before she passed on.  It also made for tough conversation because she talks so low, and you have to figure out if you are hearing English or French, so the brain has trouble processing this, and you are never quite sure whether you heard what you thought you heard.
When I walked in I didn't say a word and Mom stared at me for a minute, then said "For Pete's sake!" and smiled.  Later she asked me if my wife had come with me, so we know that the grey matter still has some areas working.
My sister Yvette and husband Lou from Ontario were also there so Mom was happy to see all of us.  It also gave a bit of a break to my brother Fern and his darling wife Eileen who have been so very caring and proactive during this whole process with Mom.  
We chatted with Mom for a bit then it was obvious that she was tiring so we let her nap for a couple of hours while we played cards in one of the lounges.  Then we came back and fed Mom a bit of supper, and I do mean a bit...  She doesn't eat much, so she will soon waste away, it is inevitable, and we are resigned to it.  She really enjoyed sipping on orange juice though.  We put some music on, one of her favourite artists, and she was moving her arms in time with the music and smiling.  This was truly quality time with her and we are thankful that we have come here before it is too late.
I don't know why I always have a craving for fish'n'chips when I am in Canada, so we went to a nearby Joey's and satisfied our appetites.  
Driving back to Fern & Eileen's place I was in the wrong lane to go where I wanted and I ended up downtown so I boogied north up Centre Street and saw the gorgeous skyline in the rearview mirror so I turned off on the North Hill for a  shot for you.
I hope you enjoy the photos.  That was the day's excitement,   Cheers, Al 

The windmill where Deerfoot meets McLeod Trail

I miss the majesty of the Rockies

Snowcapped in the winter, and there is no mist like in the summer

I never got tired of this view every day

That is a lot of mountains!

And this is horse and cattle country

Another lovely day in Alberta

It was so nice to live in the foothills

The snow has its own beauty

These are much stronger mountains than the Andes

This is my Alberta

And this is my fun Bug for a week

The Calgary skyline from the north hill

Friday, January 29, 2016

Thursday January 28, 2016 To Calgary

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Thursday January 28, 2016
My odyssey begins with a taxi ride to the Terminal Terrestre to catch the bus to Guayaquil at 9pm Wednesday night.  We are very fortunate to live in an area with awesome transportation options.  Hailing a taxi is not a problem.
The bus was immensely powerful and it made the trip in only 3.5 hours, then a quick taxi ride over to the airport and I had a 4-hour wait to fly out at 5am.   The Guayaquil airport was really quiet and appeared deserted until I noticed that almost every seat was taken by people sleeping across.
I decided to travel with only one backpack and my roller office bag because I could not afford to be waiting at carousels for luggage.  This turned out to be my wisest decision.
The security process in Guayaquil is unbelievably lax compared to anywhere else, they hardly check anything, just relying on the x-rays.
The 3 hour Avianca flight to San Salvador was uneventful and we had a nice breakfast  and enjoyed a movie.  We got in a little early, which is always good, because I would only normally have less than 40 minutes to change planes.  Because of another security check, this time extremely thorough, where I got relieved of several items like shave cream, cuticle scissors, etc., I just made it on time.
The green farmlands and the cone-shaped volcanic mountains around San Salvador really make the area a beautiful rustic sight.
The 5 hour flight to Los Angeles was less fun on Avianca, lots of turbulence over Mexico, and again we had a light meal and watched another movie.  At least movies help pass the time and we never seem as uncomfortable when our minds are occupied.  The plane was a huge Airbus and it was the first time that I had seen a headphone jack on the edge of the seat near our heads.  I searched and searched for the darn thing without success until I saw the lady in front of me plug in.   I though I was going to have to watch a silent movie!
Avianca is a nice airline to fly, usually it is always pleasant.  They even served a complimentary alcoholic beverage before landing.  I just decided not to cloud my mind with alcohol and just had water. 
My only problem came when I decided that I should take a washroom break about 45 minutes before landing.  There was a lineup of about 8 people waiting and it was soon apparent why...  One of the only 2 washrooms in Economy was out-of-service, so there was only one bathroom to service over 200 people... not good...
That was another of my good decisions or the next couple of hours would have been mighty uncomfortable...
In choosing my flights, I studiously made my search avoid any flights to Miami where the Homey-Land Security is a nightmare of waiting in line-ups.  Now we can add LA to that list!   I had a layover of almost 2.5 hours and almost missed my flight out because of those @#$%&*.  Trying to check in online prior to leaving, it would not let me do anything, so I had no check-in and no boarding pass.  It was my good fortune that I did not have to wait for luggage or I would probably still be there, throttling those HS @#$%&*.  I could not find the signs to direct me to WestJet so I was asking anyone in a uniform where to run.  I finally found their desk and they actually called to see if I could still make the flight, claiming that the plane was already boarded (liars).  Then I could not find the way to the Departure area and, again, was asking every uniform for the way, until I finally found it.  I made it through security without much delay, Thank God, but I was sweating.  I rush my butt to gate 24 only to find people debarking from the plane and everyone else waiting to board, late....  I actually had time to make a washroom break but did not have time to grab a bite anywhere.  I refused to pay over $9 for a lousy sandwich at Starbucks.
The 3 hour flight to Calgary was much the same, watched another movie, supposed to be Pay-per-view??, and was only offered crackers, pretzels and water or pop.  I was starving, so I paid $11 for a cheese & crackers tray and a bag of beef jerky.
Flying into Calgary almost looked like coming in the the moon, but with snow scattered about.  It was dusk, and not very inviting at all, even though the daytime temperature had been a balmy +12C.
After landing on the new runway it seemed like the jet circled the airport twice before stooping at a gate.  Everybody is standing to debark, as usual, but the door was not opening.... for a good 15 minutes... apparently some problem with the ground crew.  I could not believe the patience of the Canadians.  I dug in my bag for a pullover sweater, and put it on, because I had purposely not brought any form of jacket with me to further complicate my flight comfort.
After breezing through the Immigration, and not having to wait for luggage, I was greeted outside by my older brother Fern.  They do not live too far from the airport so it was not long before we were having a lovely home-cooked supper, along with his Irish wife Eileen and their 2 grandchildren, Kieran and Duncan.
I crashed early, after having been in motion for about 33 hours and slept well.
I hope you enjoy the photos taken with the small Samsung camera.  Due to the weight restrictions for the carry-on luggage, I had had to make the painful decision to leave my good camera behind (along with toque, nightshirt, jacket, and a few other items).
Again, the photos are not the quality that I would like to post, but beggars can't be choosers.
That was the day's excitement,   Cheers, Al 

At the entrance to Guayaquil airport at 1am

The place looked completely deserted

Arrival at San Salvador airport

Love the cone-shaped mountains in the mist

What a lovely morning sight

Circling in above Los Angeles 

Los Angeles seems to have a surprisingly small downtown area

Still circling to get to the airport at the edge of the Pacific

Looking over the Glenmore Reservoir to downtown Calgary

A wintry dusk over downtowm Cowtown

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Wednesday January 27, 2016 Traveling

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Wednesday January 27, 2016
I have just readied my laptop for traveling to Canada and re-hooked up the PC for Cristina to use for her Facebook conversations.
I will be going with a rolling office case and one backpack full of clothes, 2 books, small camera, alpaca jacket, toque, fanny pack, and a neck pillow.  Both carry-ons are now well under the 10 Kg limit so I can bring back a couple of computer items that I have ordered, and not much else.  Due to the weight, I sadly had to leave behind the big camera,... sob.   So I will apologize now for the quality of photos over the next 10 days or so.
The trip there will be reasonable, leaving here by bus at 9pm and actually arriving in Calgary at 5:30 tomorrow.   As you know this is not a pleasure trip, it is to go say goodbye to my 99-year-old Mother who is failing rapidly.   Her 100th birthday would be May 29 but it is highly unlikely that she would make it, hence the rush trip in winter...    Her health and memory are having their ups and downs so it promises to be taxing on the tear ducts.
I am so grateful for good family and friends who will help me out in Calgary with lodging and transportation, etc.  This is going to be a very stressful trip without having to worry about those items.  My sister from Ontario has also managed to get flights for almost the same time so that will be wonderful.
At this point the only major thing that I am dreading is the horrific trip back to Ecuador starting on the evening of Feb 5.  I should get home around daybreak on Feb 7.   Does anyone have any good ways of spending a 12 hour layover in Los Angeles overnight?
UPDATE - Left Cuenca at 9pm and was at the bus terminal in Guayaquil at 12:30!  That bus was powerful and the traffic was light, so now a 4-hour wait at the airport....   Delays are rare for early morning flights, which is good, because I only have a 40-minute turnaround in San Salvador which is a tiny airport.  Then to Los Angeles, then Calgary.   I don't want to jinx myself, but knock on wood, I have had pretty good luck on my flights.
Hugs to everyone.  No photos for a couple of days...  That was the day's excitement,   Cheers, Al  


Monday, January 25, 2016

Monday January 25, 2016 Azogues

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Monday January 25, 2016
Sunday morning I awoke to receive an email from Gregg A. saying “Thanks for all you are doing-- I love your work and efforts with your blog.  It brings me joy in keeping connected to a city I grew to love while living there.”   All I can say is THANK YOU Gregg for taking the time to let me know that my work is appreciated. 
Then later in the day I received an email informing me of the death a week ago of good friend Ray Holt.  We were two of the first volunteers for Hearts Of Gold eons ago and we had remained friends since.  Ray and his friend Mac could often be seen walking several dogs at once along Primero de Mayo.  Apparently Ray died of complications when trying to treat a brain tumour in Florida.   RIP my friend.  Your smile and quick wit will be missed.
Monday morning I drove Cristina to work, got gas for Toxic, went to the motorcycle place to replace my rear-view mirrors, and bought my bus ticket to Guayaquil for Wednesday night.  Gotta love the Tercera Edad (old farts) discount!  The ticket was $4.00!
Then I checked my bank statements  to see if --  1. SRI has paid our November IVA refund yet --- NO…   2.  If my bank transfer from Canada is in my account--NO…   3.  If IESS is withdrawing the right amount for both Cristina and myself – NO…  4. Do I have enough in one account for the utilities for about 6 months – YES!  Overall, not a good day for banking results obviously. 
Then I picked up Cristina after work and took her for almuerzo at Picanteria Paseo de Los Canaris (I think).  Anyway, it is owned by my buddy Segundo and his family.  We had a delicious huge ceviche (fish soup), small popcorn, large plates of either beef or chicken with lotsa rice, juice, and then watermelon for dessert.  For $2 each it hardly pays to cook at home.
After several rainy days the last few sunny days have been a godsend and I did not want to come indoors.   It did not take much convincing to get Cristina to come for a jaunt east towards Paute, up to the Josefina landslide that dammed the Paute river in 1993 and caused horrendous damage and loss of life.   We doubled back a bit and caught the back road into Azogues.  It is dangerous to try to park on the edge of these 2-lane roads to try to take photos so we did a lot of riding and not much shooting, until I found a spot inside Azogues.  To get the first two shots, I was stretched out over a guardrail, looking at my flex screen, trying to get an angle to get both the church and the mountaintop statue of the Virgin and Child.
Coming out of Azogues, Toxic balked on me twice but recovered quickly.  I had earlier bought the gas at the station at Las Americas and Ordonez Lasso and would not expect problems with gas from such a station, but I gassed up again in Chaluabamba again, so hopefully there will not be a re-occurrence.

I hope you enjoy the photos.  That was the day's excitement,   Cheers, Al 

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Saturday, January 23, 2016

Saturday January 23, 2016 Joe's Secret Garden

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Saturday January 23, 2016
The main meal was Osso Bucco tonight at Joe's Secret Garden, not usually my favourite but tonight's offering was delicious, followed by the Passion Fruit Mousse.
There were at least 4 other Canadians among the 60 folks on hand and we had many good conversations through the very enjoyable evening.
And nothing crazy happened tonight even though the moon was full.
I hope you enjoy the photos.  That was the day's excitement,   Cheers, Al 

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