July 27, 2007

• Loja and the University

  Interesting is the fact that today we went into Loja to just look around and do some comparison shopping for taqua nut (vegetable ivory) items.  As is typical for me, I wanted to find out if the price I was being charged for the products I'm buying to sell online was fair or whether because I had never heard of vegetable ivory before I was being taken for a sucker.  Not that I ever thought that was the case but, umm, yes I wondered. (…)

July 26, 2007

• A Delightful Evening

  It's Thursday evening, about 10 pm our time and Greg and I just returned to our room from one of the most enjoyable evenings we have had since our kids were home.  (After all, nothing is neater than having all our kids around laughing and sharing stories and concerns, just loving each other!)
  We went down to dinner and Paulo (the waiter) told us that John and Carol were coming for dinner and we would share a table.  John and Carol are the owners of this fabulous spa.  They are intelligent, fun, realistic people that have found a place on earth that they love and thrive.  We discussed everything from websites to religion and politics (US politics), family and friends.  What a joy to have intellectual conversations about issues that are relevant and interesting.  We hope they know how much we enjoyed it. 
  I am going riding (horses) with Carol on Saturday.  I can't think of anything I would rather do!  My family knows how much I love to ride and how very much I miss it! (…)

• Thursday in Ecuador

  Last night was so cold that no matter how many blankets I swiped from my husband I still couldn't get warm!  It probably wasn't all that cold, but sure felt like it!  Yesterday was a rainy evening which probably made it seem much worse than it actually was.  Regardless, we went into the village today with the intention of buying a jacket of some sort, well, that didn't happen.  The shops had summer stuff but I didn't see any sweatshirts or jackets.  Good thing I have some long sleeved tops along and some sweaters, not going to be that chilled again before bed, made it miserable for me and for my husband! (…)

July 25, 2007

• A Day of Working in Ecuador

  Today was the day to spend building a new website for the taqua nut (vegetable ivory) products we became familiar with yesterday.  We met this artist at the spa who works with vegetable ivory.  After talking to him, looking at his work and doing some research we decided to make a business deal with him to sell his products on the web. (…)

• Vacation Rentals, Where to go to Find Your Best Choice

  When you decide to take that much needed vacation and want to find the rental that will be perfect for you and your family or the group you are traveling with you will want to check out VLBO.  This site has rentals in many different locations including such places as Myrtle Beach vacation rentals for you to choose from to meet your needs. (…)

July 24, 2007

• What a Wonderful Place to be

  The longer we are here at Madre Tierra Resort the more I love it.  The view from our balcony of the mountains is just stunning! (…)

• Lazy Day

  For the first time on this trip, today is the lazy day.  Seriously not wanting to do anything too demanding, in fact, may just have to take a nap later. (…)

July 23, 2007

• We are in Vilcabamba, Ecuador at the Madre Tierra Hotel Spa & Restaurant

  This morning I got up and from the balcony off our room saw the mountains peeking above the forest of trees too beautiful to describe.  The outline showcases the beautiful valley we are located in. 
  The horses at the resort were letting us know they exist and the roosters were saying good morning!  The resort was quiet, a wonderful place to relax and reflect on the adventures of the past and the experiences yet to come. (…)

July 22, 2007

• Italian Restaruant in Ecuador

  Last night I asked the gal at the front desk if there was someplace good to go get dinner since their cook decided not to show up for work.  Ahh, the joys of the hospitality industry!  Anyway, she asked what we were hungry for, always liking Italian I asked if there were any Italian restaurants around.  She said sure, there was a really good one not too far away.  She called and booked a reservation for us at La (something), a $2 cab ride from the hotel. (…)

July 21, 2007

• Exhaustion! It has hit!

  We just returned to the hotel after a day of siteseeing in Quito.  That included a tram ride to the top of some very high mountain.  The view was fabulous, very modern facilties and enclosed tram ride.  Quito is a very long and narrow city in the valley surrounded by mountains. (…)

• Quito

  After a long wait in the Atlanta airport we finally boarded our plane for Quito.  Delta moved us from one gate to another (three times) but we aren't complaining!  We were waiting for a flight to arrive from someplace..can't remember where, but apparently they decided that since they were already overbooked by 37 people for the flight they were just going to load up and take off when the weather broke and it was possible to fly.  So, we left Atlanta 3 1/2 hours late, but we did leave! (…)

July 20, 2007

• Atlanta-All Three of Us Here

  I got a phone call this morning from my daughter who was on her way back to Tucson from a meeting in New York, she was at the Atlanta airport.  Nothing like the three of us being in Atlanta at the same time and not being able to see each other! (…)

July 19, 2007

• Why Does the Atlanta Airport Freak Me Out???

  I'll tell you what, I fly often, I have been to a number of airports, run into some rather strange situations but NEVER has an airport freaked me out the way the Atlanta airport does!  I try desperately to avoid it  and when it is impossible (or just not worth spending more hours at another airport to avoid Atlanta) then something always pops up to make me wonder why the airport munchkins don't like me! (…)

July 17, 2007

• Finally - The Hotel is Booked

  Good grief!  I finally got the hotel booked for our trip to Quito, there were so many different styles from full fledge hotels to the quaint hostels that offer nearly everything you could want without the crowds of people.  I've read so many web pages regarding the different hotels I feel like they all are running together.  I finally just said shoot, go for it and booked one! (…)

July 16, 2007

• Hotel Search

  The Spa we are staying at has not gotten back to us with the promised help in obtaining a hotel in Quito, much less the reservations for the flight from Quito to Loja.  That means I'm on the internet searching out which hotel has the best deal, transportation from the airport and breakfast.  It has been educational, as well as frustrating!  Should not have counted on the assistance from the Spa I guess. (…)

July 15, 2007

• A Deer and Three Fox - It's Iowa

  It was a perfect night for a ride in the convertible, warm, clear and just before sunset.  We decided to drive out to Geode State Park near Lowell, Iowa.  It's one of our favorite places to just drive around and relax while admiring the deep green of the forest area, the calm water of the lake and the quite. (…)

July 14, 2007

• Ecuador - Anticipation

  We are off to Ecuador for two weeks of rest and relaxation (along with 4 hours a day of work) in just a couple of days.  We thought about a number of places to visit but decided to check out Ecuador, visit the Andes, rural communities, the rainforest and perhaps the beach. (…)

July 2, 2007

• Adventureland in Iowa

  If you have a houseful of kids (regardless of the age of the kids) you may want to fill their day with a trip to Adventureland in Altoona, Iowa.  Altoona is just a couple miles to the east of Des Moines so it is centrally located in the state of Iowa. (…)

June 2, 2007

• Grand Cayman

  Visiting the Grand Cayman Island is the experience of a lifetime for those that enjoy scuba or snorkeling!  It also is wonderful for the beach lover that wants to sink into soft, warm sand and build sand castels or get a tan. (…)

March 12, 2007

• Get Out of the Cold

  Winter in the majority of the country is less than pleasant for many people.  The idea of taking a cruise or going to some warm place is so appealing that the highways and airports are filled with people wanting to get away, if only for a few days, from the snow, cold and ice. (…)