Vilcabamba

Before I came to Ecuador I did a lot of research on possible destinations to live. Vilcabamba was one of those destinations.

I had previously read about how wonderful this area was. However, I had also read that it was populated by 'hippy-types' and people who are a little peculiar in their nature.

I recently came across a website posting that was very illuminating and, if true, would make me think otherwise about this being a nice place to live and mainly because of the expats that have made it their home.

The article is very well written. Here is the post.

I am still happy where I am living, but try to keep an open mind.

Internet Service

Something we can't seem to do without these days: The Internet.

As you may have read on other posts, the Internet service in Ecuador is not great. Fortunately, most of the time it works well.

The cost is approximately the same as what it is in Canada. We pay $20 (SP:  vente dolares - $20) per month for 5 Mbps (called Megas in Ecuador). There are various other speeds available both slower and faster. The faster speeds get quite expensive.

The main suppliers of Internet service are:

1)   TV Cable
2)   ETAPA
3)   PuntoNet

TV Cable is regarded as the best of the bunch by most expats. I only have one comment from an Ecuadorian that ETAPA is better (from his experience).

Even though TV Cable is regarded as the best of the bunch, their technicians seem not to be trained very well.

Over the last few months we have experienced an intermittent signal quality problem. Sometimes our Internet service is out for 2 or 3 hours at a time and this can occur multiple times per week. Each time the techs come to check it out they never manage to resolve the problem.

On one visit the techs actually determined that there was indeed a signal strength problem and that it was external to the house. On the next visit (different techs), they installed a different splitter as if to say the problem was inside the house.

What amazes me is that they do not seem to record what is done on each visit so that the next set of techs can save themselves some time. Or maybe the case is that they do not believe the test results of their predecessors.

I know for sure the problem is external (SP:  fuera - meaning outside, they also use "afuera") to the house, but convincing the techs of that, with my broken Spanish, is not easy.

The techs that actually determined the problem was external to the house examined the signal strength on the pole outside the house but did not do anything to resolve the problem and never returned to attempt a repair.

Based on another earlier analysis I would guess that the some techs (or maybe all of them) are not well trained and therefore have great difficulty resolving complex problems. Hence the reason for the problems going on and on.

Who knows if we will ever get this problem resolved.

UPDATE (Jan 11, 2015):   They finally resolved the problem in mid-December. We have not had an outage since that time.

I had called them, once again, in December, and they sent out some other techs. This time they also determined there was a signal strength problem external to the house. Finally!! They told me they could not fix the problem, but that it would be fixed later that day.

I don't know when they came or what they did. I was never given any kind of report or phone call. Regardless, the problem seems to be resolved.

Around Jan 6th, we experienced a very bad connectivity problem. This problem was not the same as when the cable modem kept dropping the connection. This time it was severe "packet loss". 

"Packet loss" is basically traffic from and to your computer that gets lost in transit. This "packet loss" manifests itself as your inability to connect to a website (or some other Internet-based service) or where your web-browser takes an excessively long time to present the website webpage content you are attempting to view.

This problem lasted for a good portion of the day (6 or 7 hours). The next day I saw the same condition for about 1 hour. Since then our Internet service has been fine.

Here's hoping it stays that way.

Some people have suggested purchasing a router that will fail over to a backup Internet service if your main one goes out. Such routers are not that expensive (roughly $70). However, it means you have to double the cost of your Internet access charges because you have to maintain Internet service from two different Internet Service Providers (ISPs). This is certainly an option if the Internet is that critical to your life.

Another thing to consider is purchasing a "Business Service" from one of the ISPs. This type of service costs more money, but the ISPs tend to respond to problems in a much more efficient manner than if you purchase a standard Internet connection.

IESS - Medical Insurance in Ecuador

Since I now have my Cedula I am eligible to apply for medical insurance in Ecuador. The medical insurance I am applying for is through Ecuador's Social Security system (i.e., not private medical insurance). 

If you work in Ecuador you automatically pay into the Social Security system. For expats, we are required to pay $72 per month. Bo and Linda mentioned that their's cost $81.63 ($11.59 more for Linda as a dependent). This includes full medical, dental and optical. I think there are some exceptions like cosmetic surgery that are not covered. And I think that some medications are not covered or not completely covered. But since I am new to this, the specifics will have to wait until later.

So, the other night Nieve helped me sign up online. The IESS website is in Spanish so it was a great help in having Nieve along for the ride. In fact it was even difficult for the both us to find the correct link in the menu system to make the application. To help with that go to the IESS website, look at the bottom of the page and hover your mouse pointer over "Personas Independientes" and then select "Generar clave por primera vez". Then follow the prompts. And of course you will need your Cedula number to complete the application.

I signed up on Oct 12th. Nieve says I will have to start paying next month. I am not sure how this payment will take place but I will update this page when I find that out. 

UPDATE - January 26, 2015:  The payments are happily come out of my Banco Pichincha account here in Cuenca. Fortunately, I have not had cause to avail myself of the IESS services.

My First Birthday In Ecuador

On October 1st I turned 61. My first birthday in Ecuador!

Nieve took me out to one of our favourite (and expensive restaurants) "Zircus". She must have called ahead because when we arrived the table was encircled with rose petals.

We didn't order anything. She knew what I liked and had pre-ordered it:  Steak and Langostina along with quite a number of side-dishes, plus one of our favourite wines: Trapiche Malbec.

Zircus is a fairly new restaurant in Cuenca. It is attached to a new hotel which is located next to the Estadio Alejandro Serrano Aguilar near Ave de Solano. 

The least expensive nightly cost in this hotel (according to their website) is $103.70 USD (including tax). The rooms are quite spartan looking as is the restaurant (i.e., if you are looking for a cozy place you might consider an alternative).

In previous visits to this restaurant it has typically cost us $45 for the two of us which has included a glass of wine with our meal. This is one of the most expensive meals I have had in Cuenca.

Upon our return to the house we were greeted by her youngest son (Xavier) and his wife (Veronica) and in-laws who wished me a happy birthday.

A few days later, Xavier and his wife showed up with a very yummmy birthday cake.

Cedula - Ecuador's Identity Card

I obtained my Cedula (Ecuador's Identity Card) on September 1st, 2014.

From what I have heard, it is not necessary to ever obtain a Cedula; however, there are some advantages:

1. You can enter the Galapagos for $6 (as if you were a Nacional); instead of the $100 that tourists pay.
2. You can get refunds on all the taxes you pay after you turn 65.
3. You can get 50% discounts on airfare in Ecuador (and possibly outside Ecuador).
4. You can apply for Social Medical Insurance at a cost of $70 per month.

There may be other advantages I am not aware of.

To obtain my Cedula, I had to first obtain my permanent Visa (which I have talked about in an earlier post). After the permanent Visa is obtained you need to apply for the Certificado de Empadronamiento. You obtain this document at the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores (the same place you apply for your permanent Visa). Incidentally, they speak very good English so there is no necessity to hire a facilitator or a lawyer.

You need the following paperwork to obtain the Certificado de Empadronamiento:

1. A notarized color copy of your Birth Certificate (long form).
2. The application for the Cedula (you can fill this in English or Spanish)
3. A color copy of your passport
4. A color copy of the permanent Visa stamp in your passport
5. Marriage certificate (if you have been or are married)

** The Cedula application form can be obtained from the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores website which was http://cancilleria.gob.ec/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/formulario-cedula-julio2013.pdf at the time of my application.

I was told by a person at the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores that I would need the following documents to present to the Oficina del Registro Civil in Parque Louis Cardero (Cuenca):

1. A notarized copy of your Cedula application
2. The Certificado de Empadronamiento

It turned out that the Oficina del Registro Civil only wanted the Certificado de Empadronamiento and to look at my passport (and nothing more). So, I spent $11 for the notary that I did not have to spend.

I went to the Oficina del Registro Civil, handed in my Certificado de Empadronamiento and waited for my number to be called (roughly 3 hours). I took some stats and it takes them .7 minutes to process one applicant. This involves taking your photo and taking your fingerprints (both hands) and to enter some information into their system.

In my case it took a bit longer because when the person went to enter my information they could not enter North Battleford, Saskatchewan because that data was not available for them to select. So, they had to send an email to Quito (where this data could be input) and I had to wait an additional half-hour for this to occur.

Then I waited another half-hour for them to call my name to receive my Cedula. They get you to look it over to make sure the information is correct. Then you give it back to them and they put the official stamp on it and you are done.

Some people say you need to prove that you are single by obtaining a notarized statement that you are single. If this used to be required it is no longer necessary.

Also I would suggest that in your Cedula application form you state that all you have is a basic education. Otherwise, you may have to produce an authenticated document of your education. Why bother complicating the process? There is no advantage that I am aware of in stating anything but a basic education.

First Experience With A Dentist

Before I came to Ecuador I had noticed some minor discomfort in my teeth. So, I thought I would take advantage of the cheaper costs, that I had read about, once I arrived.

As I was busy with a lot of other activities I just never managed to find the time until the pain started to get a lot worse.

Nieve recommended a dentist that her family had been using and whom they all thought highly of and that he spoke english.

The first visit involved an x-ray which cost $15. On the second visit, the dentist told me he could not see anything wrong in the x-ray.  So at his suggestion he added a coating to three of my teeth as I was experiencing hot and cold sensitivity. This cost was $45. This seemed to help. But there was still this overall dull pain. 

So in the next week and I went back to see him again. He took another x-ray and still could not see anything. I told him there was pain in the gum below the tooth. So he hummed and hawed as if he did not know what to do next. Then suggested it might require a root canal or tooth removal. Since he could not determine what to do he did not charge me anything for this visit. As I had heard of another dentist via the gringo Internet I decided to get a second opinion. I was able to get an appointment the same day.

Her name is Dr. Grace Ordoñez. As soon as I had described the symptoms, Grace immediately prescribed a pain killer (800mg tablets of Ibuprofin), a course of antibiotics (Ciproflaxin) and made an appointment for the next day with a dentist who specializes in root canals. She said these things can get very painful. Grace charged me $10 for the consultation.

The next day at 9:30am, I had my first session with Dr. Jorge Espinosa which would be the first of three sessions. I wanted him to give me gas as I hate needles but apparently they do not use gas in Ecuador.

The first session went with very little problem. However, the second session, two days later, involved a fair amount of pain despite the Novicaine. He then prescribed a heavy duty pain killer (called Ketoralac Trometamina) which I read about on the Internet. Apparently this drug has some severe side-effects and has been banned in a number of countries. Despite this I gave it a try but fortunately observed no negative symptoms.

Now it is two days after the second session and I no longer have to take any pain killers and no longer feel any pain.

I do not know what he has in mind for the last session. Perhaps all he needs to do is install a more permanent filling. My next appointment is next Wednesday (Sept 24th). I will add an update when that session is complete.

The total cost of the three sessions on the one molar will be $330. As I have never had a root canal before I do not know what the cost would have been in Canada.

I was visiting a couple of Canadians who are in the process of moving here and one of them had been to visit the same dentist. He has two teeth that need to be cut down and then capped. Apparently this is going to cost him $800 per tooth.

If I had been able to acquire the Social Security Hospital insurance soon enough this would not have cost me anything more than my monthly medical insurance cost of $70 per month. Unfortunately, it takes three months after you acquire your Cedula (National Identification card) before you can take advantage of the system or so I have been told.

UPDATE: The root canal is finished and the pain is all gone. For some reason the Orthodontist that did the root canal does not do fillings so I had to go back to the other dentist (Ruth Ordoñez). Upon visiting her she stated that since the molar has 3 fractures and not a lot of structure (which I can confirm from feeling it) that I need to return to the Orthodontist and have him put in a "base" which then Grace can install a post and crown. The estimate was $320.

The "base" has now been put in and feels just like a filling. However, two days after getting the "base" installed, part of it fell out.

My next visit to Grace is scheduled for this Monday (Oct 6th) and I am sure she is going to say that it is not good enough for the crown and I will have to return to the Orthodontist to get the problem corrected. I will post the next part of this commentary as "Update 2".

UPDATE 2:  Even though some of the "base" had fallen out Grace said that it would be OK for the addition of the "post". However, upon starting to work on the tooth, Grace mentioned that it smelled bad. I also have noticed a small amount of pain when applying pressure to the tooth. So, Grace made another appointment for me to go back to Jorge Espinoza.

Jorge examined the tooth and determined that the tissue was just inflamed. He prescribed a 5-day course of an anti-inflammatory called "Arcoxia" (120mg) to be taken once every 24 hours. He gave me 2 free tablets and did not charge me anything for the visit. The other 3 tablets cost $11.43 including tax.

I am to complete the course of anti-inflammatory and then make another appointment with Grace to have the "post" and crown installed.

In addition to the work Grace was doing she examined my other teeth and reported that there were two molars on the left upper side of my mouth where the fillings needed to be replaced. I hadn't had any dental work done in about 25 years so I guess it was due. She replaced the fillings for $125. There were 5 fillings in 2 teeth. It took roughly 3/4 of an hour.

Stay tuned for UPDATE 3!

UPDATE 3:   I re-visited Grace and she mentioned that the smell is still present. I am not surprised as an anti-inflammatory drug is hardly going to get rid of a problem like this. She thinks that the tooth has a fracture which is allowing blood to come up into the tooth where bacteria can get at it thus causing the smell. She showed me some black material she extracted from my tooth which could have been blood. Given that this is the case she says the tooth needs to be removed. So, unfortunately, all the money I have spent on this tooth has been wasted.

Since the bad taste and smell have only been present for the last 4 or 5 days, I suspect that during the root canal Jorge may have created the fracture. But, there is no way to prove this.

Grace also said that when the tooth is removed that a bridge should be installed to prevent the bottom tooth from growing up into the hole where the old tooth had been. The bridge would cost roughly $800. Hmmm!!!

Nieve's daughter says that the cost of installing a bridge is way overpriced. She is going to ask her dentist what the cost would be.

UPDATE 4:   I had the tooth removed today - Oct 28th ($42.80) and I am now taking antibiotics (Amoxicilinia 500mg - $3.24 for 21 caps) and a pain killer (Motrin 600mg - $7.49 for 14 tablets).

The tooth definitely had a fracture. You could see it once it had been removed. You could also see black spots along the fracture area.

Grace also said that because the fracture was vertical in orientation that is why it did not show up in the X-rays.

Galapagos Adventure

We just returned from a great adventure in the Galapagos. Just for your reference the Galapagos is a small group of islands 1.426km from the coast of Ecuador and that is part of Ecuador.

There are two airports in the Galapagos. One is on the island of San Cristobal and the other is on the island of Baltra.

We started our adventure at the airport in Baltra.

Baltra is a small island that is rough and dry with low-lying brush and cactus's. There isn't anything else on the island other than for the airport and a small port on the south of the island where the water taxis wait to take you across to the main island of Santa Cruz.

Leaving Baltra

After a short crossing between Baltra and Santa Cruz we boarded a bus and then experienced an extremely rough ride over a road that was being worked on. We found our way to our accommodations and had a leisurely day exploring the town of Puerto Ayora. This is the largest town on the island and is where most of the tourists stay.

Early in the day we came across these marine iguanas having a siesta.

That night we went walking and came across a restaurant/bar that had some very lively Ecuadorian music and dancers in traditional dress.

The music had a very inspirational effect on Nieve. She loves her countries music and so do I.

Our accommodations were through a friend of Nieve's who runs a small boarding house along with her profession as a lawyer.

The cost was $50 per day. The room was very nice, not hotel quality, but very nice and clean. However, there were a couple of problems.

On our first night we discovered ants crawling on the floor in our apartment and some even managed to get into our bed. I killed around 15 to 20 and there were still more. The next day we pointed this out to Nieve's lawyer friend and she had the problem resolved that day. Another issue was the shower. There was no way to set the shower so that it was a constant temperature so you had to keep adjusting it during the shower session.

Another annoyance was that you had to use the air conditioner as there wasn't much air movement to keep the humidity at bay. The air conditioner created a cold draft which did not make for a great sleep.

We did check on the prices of some other accommodations and found that the hotels facing the ocean could cost as much as $328/day. But there are accommodations that are less. We found one hotel that looked good for $150/day. Everything is overpriced in Galapagos, including meals, cruises (even day cruises), taxis, and clothing. There is no doubt this is a tourist town.

There are three large islands and a fair number of small islands. We visited all three of the largest islands and a few of the small ones.

On the second day we went on a scuba dive off two different islands (Bartolome & Santiago) just north of Santa Cruz. Once again we had to traverse the extremely rough road going from Puerto Ayora to the north of Santa Cruz so that we could take the dive boat to our dive location. This time the ride was not so rough as the truck we road in had much better shock absorbers. 

The boat ride took approximately one hour and some of the other divers were not doing so well from the bouncing of the boat through the rough waves. Nieve wasn't sure whether she would get sea-sick or not so she took an anti-sickness pill which one of the other divers were kind enough to give her.

Rocky Bartolome Island Where We Had Our First Dive

Nieve had never dove before and as it happened did not get a chance to dive because she had difficulty breathing through the restrictive regulator that is required when diving. It regulates the air between the scuba tank (where it is stored) and your mouth. Some regulators draw air easier than others. These particular regulators had an adjustment on them, but I am not sure they remembered to help her with that as I was off diving with another group.

Nieve

They held her secure by the boat while trying to get her comfortable but it was just too much for her so she spent the rest of the day snorkeling which said she enjoyed very much. She is still adamant about learning how to dive and in a more controlled environment like a swimming pool I think she will do much better.

My dive was very good. We saw many white-tipped sharks and one hammer-head. The white-tipped sharks were only about 4 meters away from us. They were very casual just cruising around the reefs looking for the next meal I guess. There is an abundance of food for them on the reefs so there is no danger of an attack on a human unless you managed to cut yourself and were loosing blood into the water.

The cost of the scuba diving trip was $330 for the two of us. They did not offer to refund any money because Nieve was unable to dive.

The next day (Aug 9th), we hired a taxi for the day and had him take us to various spots on Santa Cruz at a cost of $150. 

The tortoise population was considerably threatened for many years and as a result there are various facilities that have been built to increase their numbers by raising them in protected environments. The following photo is from one of these facilities on Santa Cruz.
 

The Spanish word for tortoise is tortuga. This tortuga is approximately 150 years old.

Next we visited a very beautiful beach where we went swimming. The water was a bit cool to start with but once accustomed to it it was fine. We found that as we moved around in the water we could feel warmer and cooler spots. This effect could be the waters of the Humbolt current (coming from the Antarctic) and the warmer currents coming from the north intermingling.

On the way to the swimming beach we encountered this marine iguana and many others.

Once back into Puerto Ayorta we looked into the possibility of a 3 or 4 day cruise. There were many different prices, different locations that were visited, different levels of luxury on the boats, and different types of boats.

Because I was concerned about Nieve's ability to cope with the a rocking boat, we were mostly looking at a catamaran-style boat. Catamarans have two hulls and this adds to the stability (i.e., they do not roll around as much). However, Catamarans are rated in the 3rd class (called Luxury) and 4th class (called First Class) and as a result are more expensive. The only price I can remember was $1200/person for the 2nd class (called Mid-range) for a 3 day cruise. Prices like this can only be obtained if you ar already in the Galapagos. If you book before arriving you will be looking at a much higher figure.

Example of one of the many catamarans available

We could not find a cruise that was going to the islands that we wanted to go to so opted not to do this on this Galapagos visit. Instead we arranged for a day trip to Isabela (the largest island). This cost was $130 for both of us and included lunch. We left at about 9am and returned at about 4pm. It takes one hour to reach Isabela from Santa Cruz.

After reaching Isabela we were taken ashore and had a chance to do some snorkeling before boarding a tour truck which shuttled us to various sites on the south part of the island.

Our snorkel equipment, unfortunately, was less than adequate (equipment supplied by the day cruise agency). One point of delight was Nieve's experience swimming in the ocean with a couple of sea lions. That experience wasn't new for me.

The tour truck was OK except that in wearing my hat I did not see the low wooden cover over where we were to sit and waked my head a considerable blow resulting in a bit of a gash. I guess these trucks are not made for tall people.

We were transported to various locations where we saw pink flamingos and another sanctuary for land tortoises (in various stages of growth).

After seeing much of Santa Cruz, Isabela proved not much different and was not that interesting to me. Most of the wildlife that exists on this island looks very much the same as other islands, but in fact is quite different genetically and I would imagine if you observed them closely you would see the differences.

The next day (Tuesday) we took a leisurely day part of which we used going to a beach close to Puerto Ayorta. The beach was long and beautiful and the day was sunny and enjoyable.

Wednesday, we looked into the possibility of another day trip to an island called Floreana (an island southeast of Santa Cruz). Unfortunately, none of the tour boats were going to Floreana until Aug 14th (today being Aug 12th). We had already spent a fair amount of time on Santa Cruz and seen most everything it offers so rather than try and find something to do for another day while we waited for the boat cruise we decided to go to San Cristobal: An island we had not seen yet and the island we had to get to catch our flight back to the mainland.

So, on Aug 13th (Wednesday) we made a very rough, 2.5 hour boat trip to San Cristobal ($60 for both of us).

ASIDE:  One thing I should say about these boat trips is that the best place to sit is near the back end of the boat. You will experience far less roughness than if you are near the bow of the boat. Don't sit at the very back of the boat either as you may get wet if the boat has no splash curtain (which some boats do not have).

After arriving on San Cristobal we strolled around the town and found an art store with some very beautiful artwork.

We soon discovered that San Cristobal was a very boring island to spend any time on as there was very little to do and there are very few good restaurants. In retrospect we should have stayed on Santa Cruz. I had done some research before coming to the Galapagos, but had not seen any mention of San Cristobal as being a dull island to visit. Anyway we were here and had to make the best of it.

We found another place to stay for $50 per night. As with our apartment on Santa Cruz, this place was not on the malecon. It was a few streets back from the ocean. They originally wanted $60 per night, but when they noticed I was interested in going to check the hotel across the street they lowered the rate to $50 per night.

The place was small but clean and had a much better shower than we had on Santa Cruz.

The next day (Aug 14th) we rented a couple bikes for half a day ($20 for both of us) and rode around the town (Puerto Baquerizo Moreno) and made our way to another beach (La Loberia).

Near the beach there was a place where we got very close to one blue-footed boobie and took a few photos but the best one turned out a bit blurry. Nonetheless here it is and if you look real close you can see it's blue feet.

We also visited a facility called the "Interpretation Center" that contained lots of information about the early inhabitants of the islands, as well as, information on the wildlife.

On the 15th we managed to find a boat cruise to go on: The only one they seem to have on the island. There seems to be some kind of licensing issue where all the cruises must leave from Santa Cruz. In any case, this boat trip turned out to be the highlight of our stay on San Cristobal.

The boat took us to another part of the San Cristobal where we did some snorkeling but did not really see anything other than many fish.

Then we were taken to a place called Kicker Rock which is well known for the presence of sharks, sting rays, and sea turtles. This snorkeling experience proved to be very worthwhile.

Nieve was the only one to see a hammerhead shark ('tiburón martillo' in spanish - 'tiburón' means 'shark'). It was approximately 6 meters away from her and slowly swam away.

The channel behind us is where Nieve saw the hammerhead shark

We all saw many white-tipped sharks, a sting-ray and a few sea turtles. 

Some people had these small underwater cameras which I wish I had as well.

Since we had one more day before our departure we hired a taxi to show us around the rest of the island ($130). We went to another beach but did not do any swimming. We were going to see the largest fresh water lake in the Galapagos but it was very overcast in the center of the island so we decided not to bother.

August 17th was the day of our departure.

Two happy adventurers!!

And salud to you all!!

My First Experience With The Medical System

A few weeks back I managed to acquire a stomach infection which gave me an ongoing case of diarrhea. I thought it might go away on it's own, but no luck. This prompted me to involve myself with the medical system here in Cuenca.

Cuenca has both private and public hospitals.

The private hospitals are pay-as-you-go or your bills are paid via your medical insurance (which is purchasable in Ecuador). 

I have no direct experience with medical insurance (at least not yet), but I have heard that it can cost anywhere from $68 to $150 per month depending on your deductible. These plans usually include medical, optical and dental.

If I become a citizen of Ecuador (which I can do after living here for 3 years), I will be eligible to use the Social Security hospitals. This costs (if memory serves) $60 per month and covers all medications and hospital stays. I am not sure if dental and optical are included.

So far, all I have experienced is the "pay-as-you-go" scenario.

The first visit was to see if I could get them to give me antibiotics to try and get rid of the Ulcerative Colitis (UC) I have had for about 25 years. 

I believe that my UC is caused by a bad bacterium, because probiotics will control a flare-up. If it was caused by a virus (as is the mainstream belief by the medical community) then probiotics should be of no use. Or at least that is what I think.

I went to Mount Sinai hospital here in Cuenca and the consult fee was $40. The office time was approximately 20 minutes, but it could have been longer if I had wanted. The doctor was a Gastroenterologist. 

Aside:   You do not have to see a General Practitioner (GP) to get a referral in this country. You just pick a doctor, pay the fee and have your appointment that same day. You can even see a doctor in his office up until roughly 9 pm at might for a consultation.

The doctor had the same view that doctors in Canada have regarding my UC condition and that is that antibiotics will not do any good. He suggested that I have a colonoscopy as I had not had one in several years. The cost for this would have been roughly $550. I say "would have been" because I never went for the appointment.

Nieve, my Ecuadorian girlfriend, has many connections in the medical community (as she works at the Social Security hospital in Administration). She set up an appointment, one evening, for me to see another Gastroenterologist at Hospital del Rio (another private hospital). The cost for this consultation was $25.

This appointment was motivated by the fact that I had ongoing diarrhea. After telling the doctor that I had a history of UC, he was very reluctant to prescribe antibiotics as he was suspecting the diarrhea was caused by my UC and not by an infection. I tried to assure him that the diarrhea I was having was nothing like the diarrhea I have when I am having a UC flare-up. He prescribed more testing. This meant that I would have to go another 3 or 4 days before getting any antibiotics. I had already had the diarrhea for 5 days by this point.

Later that evening, I mentioned my frustration in getting the problem resolved to Nieve. Miracle that she is, she called her sister (Lorena) in Guayaquil who happens to be a doctor of tropical diseases.

Over the phone Lorena prescribed an antibiotic (Ciproflaxin (500mg)) and other supportive medications and off we went to the pharmacy. Nieve read the list of meds to the pharmacist from a hand-written note she had made earlier and $100 later I had everything I needed. Basically, if you know what you need you can go to any pharmacy, pay your money and get anything you so desire (including antibiotics).

I started taking the antibiotics that night and the next day my diarrhea was gone. I completed the course of antibiotics in 5 or 6 days. The jury is out on whether this antibiotic got rid of my UC as well. All I can say at this point is that my gut feels pretty good. I give many thanks to Nieve for saving the day.

There is also an indication in this write-up that prices vary widely depending on the doctor and/or hospital you attend. I am curious as to how much a colonoscopy would have cost at Hospital del Rio given that the consultation cost is much lower.

Visa Application Successful!

Happy day!!!

My Visa application was accepted without question. That means all my paperwork was in order. Now, I have to wait (I was told) for 1.5 - 2 months after or during which I will receive an email letting me know that I can go and pick up my Visa.

Now that my application has been submitted my 90-day Visa (that was basically a stamp in my passport) is no longer in effect. The receipt I obtained from applying for my Visa acts like an indefinite extension. So, even if it takes Immigrations 5 months to process my application I am still legally allowed to stay in the country.

My paperwork was accepted on my first try. From what I have heard this is not common. There was a couple at Immigrations, today, that told me this was there third attempt. But this time it was successful for them. This is not the first time I had of this.

A few complications that people run into are:

1. Not having their documents Apostilled (required if you are US resident) or Authenticated (required if you are a Canadian).
2. Not having an Apostilled copy of your Social Security card (US citizen) or an Authenticated copy of your SIN card (Canadian citizen) . Required when applying for a Retirement Visa (9-I). You don't need this if you are applying for an Investment Visa (9-II).  UPDATE:  I was never asked to show this card. My passport was enough.
3. Having documents where your name is spelled differently on some documents. Your name must be exactly the same on all documents (no exceptions).

One of the documents I had to get once I had arrived in Ecuador was a Certificado de Movemiento. This documents is issued by a specific office here in Cuenca and is required for any Visa application. It basically states your movements based on your passport records.

The document was very easy to get and costs $5.00 US. However, when I got mine (the first time) they had my name as Michael Bluett on the document. Having previous knowledge about the names having to be the same on all documents, I questioned this and was told "No, it's OK. It will be accepted." Since my Spanish was not very good I was not in a position to argue the point. So, I took the document and left.

A few days later I returned to the office and told them Immigrations would not accept it. This was not true as I had not been to Immigrations yet, however, I was pretty sure Immigrations would not accept it. 

I had to fill out a form which basically stated my request for a change and the reason for the change. The attendant said I could write the explanation in English. Then I was told to come back in two days.

Two days later I returned to the office and they re-issued the Certifcado, this time with my full name: Michael George Bluett (which matched all my other documents). They charged me another $5.00. Since it was their mistake to begin with, I think they should have given me the replacement for free. Again, my poor Spanish was not up to making a case out of the situation. So, instead of costing me $5.00 (US) it cost me $10.00 (US).

I am adding this information so that it might be helpful to someone else who might experience the same problem.

Along with your application it is necessary to supply a letter stating that you wish to stay in Ecuador and that is why you are applying for a Visa. Basically it's an introductory letter. An example of the letter I used is here. This was written by Nieve (my Chonida (Ecuadorian) girlfriend) and was based on a document that Malcolm (the proprietor of Casa de Cuenca) has used. Nieve did not like the letter Malcolm was using.

An Elevation Anomaly & Cuy

I have been doing a lot of walking since I have been here. And one thing I have noticed is that my feet, my ankles and my calves hurt when I have been out walking.

Since I had not been getting much exercise before I left home I thought this was related. But now I am not sure. It was still noticeable after three weeks. I think what the problem is due to is elevation.

When you arrive at an elevation of 8400 feet above sea level it takes a while for your system to adapt. It has to do with your body producing more red blood cells so that enough oxygen reaches all parts of your body. This apparently takes roughly three weeks according to my vet in Canada. Possibly longer in humans (as my vet was talking about my cat Tiger).

Today marks the 32nd day that I have been in Ecuador and I think this elevation anomaly is now residing. The affects of elevation show up in some peculiar but understandable ways.

Onto my second topic for the day.

Last evening Neive took me to a restaurant on Calle Larga (Large Street in English) called the Cuy. The Cuy serves only Cuy as a meat. Cuy is regarded as a delicacy of Cuenca and maybe that is why it was so expensive:  $36.00 for the two of us (although we did have soup, soft drinks and various other side dishes).

Cuy, for those that do not know what it is, is guinea pig. And it's name comes from the sound it makes.

It is roasted on a spit and this causes the outer skin to become crusty. The crusty skin seems to be a preference to Cuencanos (as they also like it in conjunction with a roasted pig).

Cuy is quite fatty, does not have much meat on the bones and has a taste unlike anything I have had before. I cannot think of anything that it tastes close to.

Nieve picked up one of the paws and proceeded to eat it. Apparently the bones are consumed as well.

My stomach was a little upset that evening and that may have contributed to me not liking the taste that much. Nieve seemed a little put out by the fact that I did not care for one of their national dishes. I think she will get over it.

Comments on the Current Weather

The weather today is overcast. As a result it is a little cooler than I would like. But still not that bad.

The temperature is 18 degrees C with 67% humidity (according to my cellphone).

Outside (my cellphone) says it is 20 degrees C and 65% humidity.

Accuweather.com says it is 17 degrees C (63 F) but, feels like 15 degrees C (59 F).

I think Accuweather is a bit more accurate than my cellphone. The "feels-like" temperature feels more like what it really is.

I am sitting inside and I can feel the coolness on my hands. Previous to arriving in Ecuador I had read a Blog of an expat living here in which was stated the same thing.

I am wearing a fleece which makes it comfortable.

In May, I didn't wear my fleece at all (just a short sleeve shirt - even after the sun went down).

There is no central heating in this country. The only thing available is a space heater or a gas fireplace (if you happen to have one available).

According to local information, June, July and August are the coolest months. It also rains less during this period (not that it rains that much anytime throughout the year - not as much as it does back home in Vancouver in the spring, fall and winter).

So, if I decide to stay in Cuenca, I guess this coolness is something I will have to learn to deal with.

There are locations, in Ecuador, that have a lower elevation and that are apparently a bit warmer. One example of this is Loja (which is south of Cuenca). 

Loja is a much smaller city than Cuenca and requires that your spanish be pretty good. I may consider this location in future, but for now I will continue on, at least for one full year, before making any changes.

A Very Pretty Chonera Friend

During my stay at Casa de Cuenca I was lucky enough to meet a VERY wonderful Chonera woman. Her name is Nieve (which translates to "Snow" in English). I am not sure she has ever seen snow, but I showed her a picture of our house back in Canada which was covered in snow and that photo now resides on the main screen of her cell phone.

"Chonera" is a term that is used to describe a woman from Chone, Ecuador (which is where Nieve was born).

I met Nieve on May 22nd when she came over to visit Mariel and Mariel's daughter Madeleine. Since that day I have seen her almost every day and that is likely not to change.

What A Smile!!

What a crazy look on my face!!

Nieve works as a Manager at the Social Security Hospital (IESS) here in Cuenca. And she knows the city very well. Needless to say she is a very great resource. She has been so, so helpful in everything I have been doing.

On May 25th, she took me to meet her family and to have lunch. She has 1 daughter (Hija in Spanish), 3 sons (Hijos in Spanish) and 2 grandchildren (Nietos in Spanish). They were as warm to me as if I was part of the family. Hugging is a big thing here in Cuenca even when you meet people for the first time.

Spanish lesson:   H's are silent and a J is pronounced like our H so Hija is pronounced ee-haw.  Nietos is pronounced knee-ay-tos (the ay is as in the word way).

Nieve and Madeleine (a longtime friend of Nieve's) were very helpful in that they consented to provide me with referral letters stating that they know me. I needed these to open a bank account at one of the more preferential banks in Ecuador (Banco Pichincha). An gringo that holds an account in the same bank is not acceptable as a referral.


Banco Pichincha Bank Account Requirements.

As well, Nieve and I have been looking at rental units. Her help in this has been most appreciated.

We have found a condo in a brand new building called the River View which looks very promising. It has 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms and is roughly 1200 sq ft. It has absolutely beautiful views of the mountains and river from two sides of the building as it is on the 7th floor. The apartment is totally unfurnished. The owner is asking $600/mth (US) which in terms of what a condo like this should cost is roughly $100 too much (in Cuenca). To Canadians, this would be a steal. But it is important to think in terms of Ecuador and not Canada (or whichever country you are from).

Alternatively, we have found a brand new apartment on the first floor of a three story building which is also completely unfurnished for $450 per month. This one has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms and is approximately 1400 sq ft. The only significant difference is this one has no view.

The question is:   Do I pay $150 more per month strictly for a great view?

I have been puzzling over this issue all weekend.

According to the real-estate agent, that is representing the owner, the owner is not prepared to negotiate. I am not sure I believe the real-estate agent. I am going to try to get the phone number of the owner and talk directly. Possibly signing a 2 year or possibly a 4 year lease might interest the owner in reducing the monthly rate.

UPDATE:   No need to pursue either of these as Nieve informs me that these two apartments are fairly distant from where she lives. Since Nieve is a big part of my life now I would like to find something closer to her house. The search continues.

AN ASIDE:   I have read on a few expat blogs of people living in Cuenca that there are no mosquitoes here:  That is not true.  I have killed roughly 6 in the two weeks I have been here. Fortunately, there numbers are not great.

Monctezuma Strikes!!

Onto a new chapter in the saga.

About 8 days ago (May 22nd) I had lunch with another Canadian from Quebec who was renting a furnished house not far from where I am staying. The house was OK, but I think she was paying too much ($650).

I wanted to try a lunch place that had a roasted pig outside and that had all these cooking pots of interesting food. When it came to dishing out the food, the Cuencana used her bare hands. I thought, at the time, that this is not good; however, I went against my better judgement.

This is probably not the time that resulted in me having Monctezuma's Revenge as it was not until about 6 days later (May 27th) that I had a very bad day not keeping too much distance between me and the porcelain alter. Fortunately, the discomfort was gone in one day. I did have some minor discomfort the next day. Hopefully, my system has adapted so that if I should come in contact with another bug it won't affect me.

When this happened I thought it was my Ulcerative Colitis was acting up due to the some of the stress I had experienced the day I arrived in Cuenca. But, ultimately, this was not the case.

Nice Furniture

I visited a fairly high-end furniture store to check out the prices.

The prices are quite good relative to Canada. Here are some examples:

Buffet for $900

$1800 Dining Room Table & Chairs

This set of dining room table & chairs may seem expensive but for a design like this the cost would be considerably more in Canada. Beautiful design work. Might be my next dining room furniture.