Souvenir Photo Studio, by Al Bourassa: Friday Dec 7, 2018 Fiesta Eve

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Friday Dec 7, 2018

This morning I was awake way too early AGAIN but it did give me chance to get almost everything done before I left to bring Lizzie in for her 5,000 check-up. I don't carry any valuables or cameras when walking the dogs in the early morning, before sunrise this morning, but there are many times that I wish that I had at least my Lumix in my pocket. This morning I could have recorded a genuine cock fight without any betting going on... I would have put my money on the heavier one. These two roosters with flared red neck feathers were going at it pretty good.

I dropped off the car at the dealership 10 kms away in Tulua so David and Irma came to get me and bring me home. We had breakfast first. They are still driving a loaner from KIA in Cali because his new Cerrato Pro still has no licence plates so he can't pick it up. The red tape for such things just boggles the mind. The keep getting pushed off with manana, manana, but it's been almost a week and manana is a holiday so the darn dealership will probably be closed.

Anyway they came to our home and we all worked on Spanish together, my first effort at teaching beginner Spanish. I have had enough Spanish instruction to know where I should have begun, namely the alphabet pronunciation and then the numbers. At least then you have a shot at buying things.... Irma is a greenhorn for Spanish but her pronunciation is really good. David probably knows more Spanish than I do (he had 12 years in Cuenca) but we are all learning and feeding off each other. It worked very well.

Omaira and Jhorman came to clean house again which is very welcome. David and Irma begged off lunch because she had a hair appointment that got moved forward. So we got meals from across the street and that was, as usual, delicioso...

I caught the bus back into Tulua at 2pm to get the car which was cleaned and ready, everything checked, and the oil and fluids were changed. I was impressed with the workmanship and amiability of the staff. The price had jumped slightly to about $115 but that must be the hourly rate by now in North America.... I am not complaining if that is all it costs every 5,000 kms.

Around 5:30 we went over to the cemetery for the celebration of the Eve of the Feast of Immaculate Conception. We had our six huge faroles (lanterns) for brightening up Christian's gravesite and 2 others for the great-grandma's. It was quite a sight as many, many others did the same and most of the cemetery was lit by many candles. Each of those faroles cost about 5,000 pesos according to Cristina which is about $1.70. It is amazing that someone goes to all the trouble of getting the materials and putting them together for such a pittance.
I had brought the Sony because it is the best for night and low-light shots but, stupid me, forgot to bring a tripod. Considering that, I was lucky to get the shots I did, hand-held, even though they do not do the event justice at all. I hope to bring a tripod when we repeat this tomorrow.
We stayed there for over 3 hours and were visited by a lot of family and friends of the family.

We came home to find our escape artist loose in the house.... No, my new fix obviously worked because she (possibly with help) worked through the barrier below instead. While it is maddening, we have to give them an A for ingenuity.
I'm bagged. Time for bed.

I hope you enjoy the pictures. That was the day’s excitement.

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