Souvenir Photo Studio, by Al Bourassa

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Tuesday March 25, 2014 Morning

Please note that you can SUBSCRIBE below to this Blog if you enjoy the photos and the accompanying stories.

I certainly hope you enjoy my work which is displayed here, perfect or not. Comments are graciously accepted at aljbourassa@gmail.com.

NOTE that you may click on any photo for an ENLARGED VIEW.

Also please see my artworks for sale at http://saccc05.tripod.com/

All work is COPYRIGHT protected and may not be used in any way without purchase, or without my permission.

Tuesday March 25, 2014

Waking up before the sun does have its advantages, but as a retired old fart I would enjoy sleeping in once in a while.... The morning mist and fog on the Andes are always so mystifying as we wait for the sun to burn through and give us our usual late morning blue sky.

The plan today was to bus to the Carolina Bookstore downtown to trade books and to find a new battery for my phone (the old one was dying in 2 days). I caught my usual #16 before 1pm but that is the time most school kids are out of class so the bus was so jammed that I couldn't get off so I rode it over to the huge mercado at Feria Libre and poked around for a while. I found my phone battery for $7 and then bought a pullover for $15, and 2 pairs of Oakley knock-off sunglasses for $8. The almuerzo lunch, soup, drink, side and main dishes, in the photo was $1.50. It hardly pays to cook at home.

I then caught the first bus heading downtown and it was beginning to sprinkle. I made my way to the Carolina Bookstore and did trade my books for a Tom Clancy novel that I had yet to read and stepped out into a deluge. My tiny umbrella is not much use under rain of that intensity. I finally caught the #13 home but I was already soaked by then.

Apparently we had a 5.3 earthquake about 50 miles away in the Cajas around 10am but again I did not feel it. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/usc000npis#summary

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

I love the morning fog and mist

What can we imagine emerging from this mysterious substance?

The sun continues to burn away at it

The locals are up early

Blue sky begins to appear

This whole lunch is $1.50. I am halfway through the soup already.

Monday, March 24, 2014

Monday March 24, 2014 HoG Fabiano's

Please note that you can SUBSCRIBE below to this Blog if you enjoy the photos and the accompanying stories.

I certainly hope you enjoy my work which is displayed here, perfect or not. Comments are graciously accepted at aljbourassa@gmail.com.

NOTE that you may click on any photo for an ENLARGED VIEW.

Also please see my artworks for sale at http://saccc05.tripod.com/

All work is COPYRIGHT protected and may not be used in any way without purchase, or without my permission.

Monday March 24, 2014

Today was spent mostly in preparation for a Hearts Of Gold Volunteer Appreciation supper/meeting at Fabiano's on Presidente Cordova 4-84. Beer, salad and pizza were the order of the day.

Richard, Sheryle, and Melinda put on some presentations to show some of the projects we have been, and still are, involved in, and also gave us some hints as to upcoming fundraisers to come. A barn dance sounds like a lot of fun....

We got introduced to some new volunteers in the upper echelons of the growing organization which now has many Government hoops to jump through since it became a legal charitable foundation. It is good that we have some very qualified persons in these key positions now.

Certificates of Appreciation were handed out to us old volunteers along with yummy chocolate and a HoG carry bag.

I will go into the new office on Wednesday and get back in the saddle...

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

I was very impressed with this mural

and Fabiano's pizza is very popular

Old and new volunteers gathered

There was a good turnout

The Powerpoint presentation centered on our present programs

The crowd was very attentive

From seniors to children, HoG has reached out

Many volunteers go right to the sites

There is no doubt about the difference HoG makes

Even proper nutrition helps students attain better grades

This was the message of the evening

Founder Richard Verkley, from Calgary

We received these

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Sunday March 23, 2014 Travel Club

Please note that you can SUBSCRIBE below to this Blog if you enjoy the photos and the accompanying stories.

I certainly hope you enjoy my work which is displayed here, perfect or not. Comments are graciously accepted at aljbourassa@gmail.com.

NOTE that you may click on any photo for an ENLARGED VIEW.

Also please see my artworks for sale at http://saccc05.tripod.com/

All work is COPYRIGHT protected and may not be used in any way without purchase, or without my permission.

Sunday March 23, 2014

Today was earmarked for an inaugural presentation for a newly formed Gringo Travel Club, headed by Terra Diversa Travel Company. Over 100 Expats gathered for a presentation which turned out to be a strong pitch for an Amazon riverboat cruise over 5 days and 4 nights for an average of $2,000 per person plus another $250 in flights. Oh, and we have the privilege of paying another $50 to visit an indigenous village too. And, because we are amazingly in an exclusive travel group, we will get 10 free glasses of wine during the trip and free soft drinks.... But tips are not included and neither is Wi-Fi....

It was really obvious that they were not working on a cost-plus basis for pricing, but simply charging first world prices and looking to make a big buck. There is room for 36 folks with deep pockets, of which I am not one.

Last evening I was presented with a Certificate from GringoPost, having been voted as Best Photographer by their readers for 2014! Considering that I am a small fry in this city of over 500,000, I was quite humbled and honoured. Thank you to the folks at GringoPost and to all the nice folks who voted.

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