Settling in.

I haven't posted anything recently and I think it's due to us settling in to our new life in Ecuador. The honeymoon phase is ending and what once was new and exciting has become part of our daily life. It's becoming more difficult to share "new" things. Never fear, there is A LOT we still haven't done. 

We are meeting our friend Joe Christley in Quito tonight. He is coming for a week long visit. Our first guest! I'm excited to show him around the cities of Quito and Cuenca. Two days in Quito and the remainder of his visit will be here in Cuenca. I'm looking forward to seeing what his impression is of Ecuador. He's a cool guy so I'm sure he will love it as much as we do. 

Here is a picture that Mike took yesterday from our rooftop. We get to see this beautiful view every day!!

Celebration of Corpus Christi

The Celebration of Corpus Christi started Thursday in Cuenca. Today we explored the 120 booths displaying candy, cookies, brownies, etc. The celebration lasts for seven days, ending next Wednesday. Below are pictures showing a wide variety of sweets that are available. 

Delta Air Lines - Flight Museum

Well, here we sit in the Quito airport waiting for our 6:30am flight home to Cuenca. Needless to say, I am not a fan of these seven and eight hour layovers. Before boarding our flight here we had time to visit the Delta Airlines Museum at Delta's World Headquarters in Atlanta. Want to see the complete photo set? Click here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/howardwood/sets/72157644851418400/

Life goes on ...

Peggy's funeral was yesterday afternoon. It was a very nice service. It was good to see friends and family that we have not seen in a while. We start the journey home to Cuenca tomorrow. 

Monday

Today was a good day. We met Mike's niece, Jennifer, at Wal-Mart in Brunswick before driving over to Jekyll Island for lunch. Here we are enjoying sitting on a swing, people watching, at Wal-Mart. Several little old ladies waved at us!!

Lunch on Jekyll Island at Latitude 31. We found this interesting since we live at Latitude 0. 

Then, we ate again!! Dinner at Fox Pizza Den. Meat lovers pizza!! While there Mike met a couple of people from his childhood. 

After dinner we walked on the pier, on St. Simons Island, viewed dolphins and strolled around The Village. 

St. Simons ... Again

As you know, we were here just a few weeks ago. Now we are back for Peggy's funeral. We are spending our days here driving around in a rented MINI Cooper. 

It's cute but as we get older it's difficult to get in and out of it. I miss my MINI Countryman!

When we returned to the hotel, after running errands and eating lunch, I stepped out of the car to see this!!

Peggy Frohling Barker

Mike's sister, Peggy, died Friday. We are back on St. Simons Island to spend time with his family. Rest in peace Peggy. We are going to miss you!!

Celebrations

Cuenca knows how to celebrate an occasion. This past weekend there were two popular ones. Benigno Malo High School celebrated their 150th anniversary with a large, well attended parade. It wasn't raining. The umbrellas are used as protection from the sun. 

And, it was "first communion", a celebration for many Catholic teens. After communion there are parties that last all night with food and dancing. 

And a typical day includes street musicians. 

Healthier Eating

After all of the trash we ate in the States, contributing to weight gain, we have decided to try and eat healthier. Here are a few of the dishes I have prepared. 

GARDEN SALAD

CABBAGE SOUP

GRILLED CHICKEN SALAD

TUNA SANDWICH ( No Mayo)

ROASTED VEGGIES AND MEATLOAF

BRUSSELS SPROUTS, PEPPERS, ONION, AND GARLIC

BREAKFAST INCLUDES DIET YOGURT, GRANOLA, AND UVILLAS. 

Cuenca, Ecuador

Home!

Going home!

It was nice to visit with family and friends over the past month. But, all good things must come to an end. Flying back home to Ecuador today. Excited!!!!