THE ADVENTURES OF KAREN

Adventure # 1 (Misadventure?)
I fell.. I wasn't watching where I was going..again. I have this little technique that usually works. I keep watch, out of the corner of my eye, on Randy. I make him walk in front of me.. if I see him dodge or change his cadence, then I know I need to look where I am going; to be alert for road hazards. Well my "little technique" did not work this time.

We were walking through one of the Art festival displays at the Otorongo Plaza. Randy saw the drain that runs lengthwise through the whole Plaza. It is shallow at one end and deep at the other (where we were).. His stride was perfect to walk over it without changing his cadence.. I, on the other hand, steped right into it.PLOP. Fell very hard, on concrete. I managed to not break anything and due to ice and one whole day to just recover, I have bounced back to my old self.. minus the "little technique".

Why? you say, would a festival be located with a very long open drain running through it? Where un-observing people can step into it? Why was it not covered with wood, so folks would not fall into it?
Well thats Ecuador for you. They depend on folks looking out for themselves. It's one of those things here that you have to understand. Road work is usually done without alot of danger signs or barricades either. If there is an effort to make the way passable for foot traffic, a very flimsy piece of wood is used, without hand rails or other safety precautions. Each person has to take responsibility for his own safety. That said, I rather love that about this country, even though I fell into that ditch. I wish that they would cover it with a grate, and I hope that they do someday. But in the mean time I am learning to walk with caution and take responsiblity for my own safety, and not rely on others to ensure it. Randy is pretty happy about that too.  Here are some photos of a sidewalk on our way home from the bus stop.

Log anyone?

Big chunk of brick and concrete.

Everyone is talking about the rain. It comes and it goes. I tend to hang out at the computer when its too rainy to wander around town. I am lucky that I have this great view too, so I can watch people coming and going. On this one rainy day we had hail that was deafening ! I was looking out the window and noticed that these folks on the other side of the river had just hunkered down with a big plastic cover and were waiting it out..

 Right after the hail let up, these two ladies made a mad dash with just umbrellas.. no coats and one is in high heels. I just had to laugh!

Adventure #2 is not so painful...I am going to be leaving for the southern part of Ecuador this Sunday. I have been invited to go with our friend Chella to visit her family in Macara. Her father is being honored with a school dedication. We are also going to be able to go into Peru for a visit with her other family. I am packing for hot weather, mosquitoes and stomach stuff..as I was told to bring something for digestion. Chella is worried that the spices there will upset my stomach. She says their food is much spicier than Cuenca! I am more worried about the mosquitoes, I can never stop scratching! I may have to talk with Chuck Watson about his mosquito cure when he went to the jungle. I think it was dragons blood and whiskey?

This is Chella!

Adventure #3 is our Gardening Adventures. 

Here are some cheery flowers we are very proud of

Yep, they finally are blooming!

Bougainvillea

Not a clue, anyone know what this is?