Coming Back

In which, we revive our blog

So as you can see, we are absolutely TERRIBLE about updating this blog. The last post was July and we're now almost halfway through November. EEK.

While there's a lot that's happened, there's also a lot that's been normal. We've pretty much settled into a daily routine, with the occasional adventure. August was pretty tame, as we were trying to settle in after our June/July adventure to the beach. At the beginning of September, we met up with the proofreading guru herself,  my friend and sensei, Caitlin Pyle! She and her husband Ben were here in Ecuador for 3 months (they've since moved on to Argentina) so we met up down in Banos for a weekend trip. That was really fun and involved an afternoon trek to Pailon del Diablo (Devil's Cauldron) and the zoo! Check out their blog over at The Work Anywhere Life - they've got some really great pictures and videos of the weekend.

Taking a tarabita over the river valley

Pailon del Diablo - the actual waterfall is DIRECTLY to the right

On a bridge, looking back at Pailon del Diablo

After that, we spent the rest of September putting our lives together for our big trip home in October. That involved several weeks of prep for Jethro as well as a last-minute trip to Quito/Otavalo for some gifts.

Raw, local honey!

We also made a little side trip to Ibarra, about 45 minutes north of Otavalo, for el Caceria del Zorro, which is basically, the fox hunt. Only in this particular hunt, it's a rider dressed as the character Zorro, and everyone chases him down. We weren't able to stay for the actual race but we did get to see the parade. There were over 600 riders in the parade, which meant a LOT of horses, which made my inner 9-year-old girl so very, very happy.

There are actually several race categories, for both younger and older riders to compete and chase the Zorro. Seeing them all in the parade was exhilarating, with the variety of horses and riders. Some were beautiful, other were extremely talented and well trained. I really hope we get the opportunity to come back and see the race someday!

After this last trip, it was nose to the grind. The apartment needed cleaning and we had to ensure that our housesitters had all the information they needed to make their stay as easy as possible. We had made arrangements for a retired American couple living in Panama to come and stay in our apartment with Jethro so we didn't have to leave him at the vet for the entire time. Clyde and Terry were AMAZING and you can follow their adventures at Along the Gringo Trail. 

With those arrangements made, we headed home to good ol' South Kackalacky (South Carolina, for the uninitiated amongst us) for Will and Amanda's wedding in Charleston as well as a chance to visit with our friends and family.

Aren't they just ridiculously good-looking??

For those who don't follow me on Facebook or Instagram, I won't relive our ordeal to even get back home (TL;DR - it was a version of hell on earth), but at the end of the day we made it back. We had a great time visiting with everyone, catching up with our families and spending quality time with those we love. We were in the States for about 3 weeks, from October 7th - October 29th. We got in all the good Southern cooking we'd been missing and did some shopping for some of us (...me) to correct our wardrobe shortcomings.

That time my sisters and I were all on the same continent, in the same state, city, and room!!

It was a great time, and for those we didn't manage to see, we're sorry! We'll be in Ecuador for 7-8 more months though, so feel free to come see us!

We made it back to Quito on Thursday, the 29th, and the trip back was MUCH more pleasant than the trip home. Even so, by the time we pulled up to our apartment the next day, I was pretty much ready to never travel with checked luggage again. It's nice to have all those things when you settle in, but lugging two 50# duffel bags is no joke.

We had a bit of a snafu with Clyde and Terry's transportation to Quito, but they finally got underway at about 6pm. A little later than they hoped, but they made it there safe and sound and enjoyed several adventures over the holiday weekend.

Pan de guagua and colada morada

Oh yeah, did I mention we arrived back on a holiday weekend? November 2nd is Dia de los Difuntos, or Day of the Dead. They celebrate it here in Ecuador a little differently than what you might expect. There's special bread (pan de guagua) and drink (colada morada) that everyone makes based on their own family recipes. There's fireworks and parades, and here in Ambato they have one of the biggest fairs in the entire country. On November 2nd itself, many families go to the cemeteries to remember their loved ones. It becomes a family outing, with food and games abounding.

We didn't go to any of the cemeteries, but we did check out the fair since it was literally 3 blocks from our apartment. We went Saturday morning to avoid the crowds. It was a beautiful, bright sunny day and it was a perfect re-introduction back into Ecuador and Ambato. There are vendors and artisans from all over the country selling their wares. There's also a CRAP ton of food from all over the country, which is just another way of spelling happiness.

Basically, to keep MILs away... ;)

Since then, we've basically been settling back in, trying to adjust to the altitude and finding a schedule again. 

This past Thursday, Ambato celebrated the 195th anniversary of its declaration of independence from Spain. There were parades and commemorations and people all over the place. It also coincided with a South American World Cup Qualifying match between Ecuador and Uruguay. We went to watch the match at a small restaurant with our downstairs neighbor, Andrea, and had the pleasure of seeing Ecuador win! It was an exciting game, and it was fun to watch it with the locals. As you might imagine, they were VERY animated. 

So that's it. We're back and once we get fully acclimated to the altitude again, we'll start looking at some more adventures. Banos is in the books (always), as well as Quisapincha, Puyo, and Riobamba. Who knows, maybe we'll get really adventurous and try the beach again?

Cleaning Up and Getting Gone

In which, we make a Final Decision

So, I have a confession to make - I actually had the Visa post written in January, but I forgot about it and just 'found' it again when I came to write this post so...you get a couple posts in succession! Also, due to some recent changes on the Ecuadorian  side, we've changed our minds (again) on how we're going to be handling that situation, so I'll be writing another post on visas in the very near future.

Anyway, onto the more important and INFINITELY more exciting news - we bought our tickets to Ecuador!!

We will officially be leaving Wednesday, March 25 from Atlanta at 5:50pm. We are so excited, especially me. It feels real now, you know? Like, it's not as if we weren't going to go, but having the tickets in hand (or at least, in electronic format) just takes it to that next level of reality. It's really on the books. It's really happening. I really have to make a concerted effort to get my house cleaned up and cleared out. Oy vey.

As I'm sure some of you will be curious about, we also got Jethro booked on our flight! Needless to say, I am so completely relieved to have that worry off my back. We ended up taking him to Petsmart to do an absolute, final double check on the crate-sizing issue. Wonder of wonders, he ended up fitting appropriately into the 2nd largest crate, which made him eligible to be shipped as baggage, rather than cargo. I might have done a crazy-happy dance in the middle of the store that had both Jethro and my husband acting like they didn't know me...

Ahem.

Jethro 'enjoying' his new crate

Anyway. We will be flying with Delta again, on a direct flight from Atlanta to Quito. When I called to ask them about shipping Jethro, they allayed all of my fears. Yes, we can book him now and guarantee him a spot. Yes, the plane can accommodate his crate size as checked baggage. No, he will not get bumped if the plane gets too full; basically, if we fly, he flies. Yes, we can pay the $200 crate-based shipping fee rather than the $2500 cargo rate. That last one especially made me ecstatic.

Torn apart music room

In other news, we have started clearing out the house, but it's been in fits and bursts. Our bonus room is pretty much done and I've started tearing apart our music room as well. Mainly it's just a matter of organizing what's in there, then relegating everything to its appropriate pile - store, donate/sell, throw away.

As you can see, it's a bit of a mess right now, but it's nothing a couple of hours and a few trash bags can't fix. My  mom graciously (!!) left me a ginormous box full of odds and ends encompassing my entire life as well as portions of my sisters'. Some of it has been really fun to go through and see, while other stuff is headed straight for the donate/trash bin. Sorry, Mom! I'll keep the important stuff, like these.

Sweet baby Nikes. circa 1987

The plan is to have our house available to rent for the beginning of April. We'll be putting it on the market in just a few weeks, so if you know of a couple or small family looking for a low-maintenance house for a year, send them our way. I'll be sure to post a link to the listing once it gets put up.

That box was FULL o' baby stuff

So there you have it. March 25th is the drop-dead date. Several people have asked if we're having a going-away party. We are not officially planning anything, but we'd love to see all of you guys! If you want to hang out, hit us up! The last week before take-off is sure to be a cluster, but we'll be happy to squeeze any and all available fun out of the time before we leave.

That being said...the sooner the better, y'all. Hop to it!

The Black Hole that is...Visas

Visas. Never have there been so many questions about any topic than how to get into a country (legally), how to stay in said country (also legally), and what the rules and regulations are governing your movements in and around the country once you obtain the ability to stay (hopefully legally).

I don't have all the answers. In fact, I have very few answers so please don't look to me for advice. All I'm going to be doing here is telling you what our plan is and how we came to make that our plan. This is subject to change, of course, and we will definitely keep you appraised of the process as we go along. So let's get to it.

First off - you don't need to apply for a visa prior to entering Ecuador. The country has a lovely 'open door' policy for pretty much everyone, save a few countries (I'm looking at you, Pakistan).

When coming through Immigration you will receive what's called a T-3 visa that's good for 90 days in a chronological year. You don't pay or do anything except fill out the paperwork they hand you on the plane, then hand it to the lovely people in Immigration while they ask you if you've been to Ecuador before and how long you plan to stay. After inputting the information into their computers, they smile at you and say, 'Bienvenido a Ecuador!' and you go on through. You now have 90 days (3 months) in the country.

There are two other visas that we're planning on applying for to ensure a full year's stay. A 12-9 visa is good for 6 months and a 12-10 visa is good for another 90 days.

All three of these visas are considered 'non-immigrant' visas. If we wanted to stay permanently in the country, we'd have to apply for an immigrant visa on the grounds of retirement, professional ability or investment. We had considered going the professional visa route, but Ecuador places some restrictions on travel after receiving an immigrant visa and we ultimately decided that we only want to commit ourselves for a year at this point.

So right now, I'm thinking that we will apply for the 12-9 visa to start off our sojourn. Apparently you can do all the paperwork and legwork before ever leaving the States and simply arrive in the country with the visa in hand, therefore bypassing the need for the T-3 at the get-go.

Originally we were considering doing the T-3, then the 12-9, then the 12-10. Then, one of John's best friends got engaged over the holidays (congrats, Will and Amanda!!) and it's looking like their wedding will be in October of 2015. Since we're planning to arrive at the end of March/beginning of April, that puts the wedding roughly six months out from our arrival in Ecuador. Since the 12-9 is good for 6 months, it seems like it would be easier to start with that, then take a trip out of the country once it expires, then return on either the T-3 or 12-10.

This is all subject to change, but that's my thought process so far. If you have any questions or advice, I'd love to hear it!

Taking a little look-see...

Just as an FYI, don't get less than five hours of sleep when you have to work a 10-hour day. I fantasized about taking a nap yesterday but totally whiffed on it and then ended up missing my 10:30 bedtime later on. Needless to say, I'm running on fumes right now and there isn't enough coffee in my office to keep me running much past 3pm...

ANYWAY. On to more interesting things than the back of my eyelids. You may have noticed in the last post where I mentioned we are taking a two week trip to Ecuador in order to kind of scope out the area. Well, that's happening in three more days. We leave Atlanta this Thursday at 6:30pm and we'll arrive in Quito (the capital of Ecuador) around 11:30pm.

In case you were curious, flights to Ecuador aren't as expensive as you might think. Depending on time of year and where you leave from, they can run from about $1000 to $1400 total round-trip for two tickets. Ours ended up being a little more pricey than normal because we had specific criteria. I have to work Thursday morning, so we had to have a flight leaving in the afternoon/early evening. John gets nervous about flight connections, ESPECIALLY international connections, so we wanted a direct flight. We wanted to be home early on Thanksgiving so that we could spend at least a little time with our families, so we needed a flight returning before 8am.

All of this added up to about $500 more than what we would have paid had we bought plane tickets like we normally do -"What's cheapest?"

The plan is to fly into Quito and acclimatize for a few days. Quito sits at over 9000 ft above sea level, making it the highest national capital city in the world. So, acclimatizing is a necessity, especially since Simpsonville, SC sits around 860 ft above sea level. Holy popping-ears Batman! Note to self: bring gum.

Quito has over 2.2 million people living in it and is, as I mentioned earlier, the capital of Ecuador. It's actually quite a modern city and has many of the first-world amenities that we're used to, so we're anticipating that it will be a great jumping-off point for us. One interesting little factoid about Quito is that it's one of the longest continually occupied cities in the Americas, and I think it's the longest continually occupied capital. Talk about history.

We plan to be in Quito for a few days getting to know the city as well as visiting the surrounding areas to the north. A few cities we hope to visit include Cotacachi, Otavalo and Ibarra. At roughly 90 miles away, Ibarra is the furthest of those cities from Quito. These cities are known for their local markets, where they specialize in leather and woolen goods as well as a variety of local produce.

After a few days in the north, we plan to take the main highway south towards a city called Cuenca. On the way we hope to check out Ambato and Banos. For the enquiring amongst you, we plan on using public transportation to get around. Buses and taxis are ubiquitous all over Ecuador and they are cheap, which is the song of my people.

Cuenca is considered the cultural capital of Ecuador, and it is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With a lively arts scene and markets galore, 'El Centro' is kind of the heartbeat of the city. Think Downtown Greenville, but bigger. It has a population of about 330,000, which puts Greenville City to shame with its 60,000.

We plan on staying in what are called 'hostals.' It's not a hostel, although those are available. This is more like a smaller version of a bed and breakfast. Many Ecuadorians open their homes and rent out extra rooms to travelers, creating an extra source of income for themselves and allowing people like John and myself to see the country from a local POV. Currently, we've book two hostals - one in Quito for when we arrive, and one in Cuenca. Everything in between will be an adventure, which is sort of panic-inducing as well as exhilarating. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this aspect of it, so I'll let you know as we go along how well it works out (or doesn't).

So that's where we're at for now. We plan on updating the blog with LOTS of pictures while we're gone, and John might even get on here before we leave to tell you how excited he is to be taking pictures with a GoPro Hero3+ and the whole saga about getting one that actually, you know, WORKS.

If you have any other burning questions about WHY we're doing this, take a look at the first post. If you still have a plethora of questions after that, feel free to ask in the comments or hit me up on Facebook. We're more than happy to talk your ear off about all the thoughts that have gone through our little brains as we came to this decision about changing our life.

Have a Happy Monday!

V