Friday, October 31, 2014

"HALLOWEEN" in CUENCA....

   The customs of many Latin American countries have sort of been blended with traditions and the American influence....  in Mexico they celebrate "Dia de los Muertos!" ..they are starting to dress in costumes here and give candy to the kids,  but it's not that big....but what is big is their  tradition of eating COLADA MORADA & GUAGUAS DE PAN.....

COLADA MORADA is a rather thick fruit punch,  a dark purple color because of the fruits ....very good...you really need to eat it with a spoon to scoop up the chunks of plums, pineapple,   etc...

GUAGUAS de PAN .... Quechua for "bread children"  -- meaning sweet rolls in the shape of people (kids) ....  Delicious fruit marmalade filled little rolls.....

Last night Susana brought over the warm Colada Morada and a couple of the doll rolls for us to enjoy....she made the Colada Morada and it was delicious!! ....


  Susana Cabrera is our dear neighbor and
precious friend...
 
Today is Geovani's birthday so I made a couple of hot sauces and some humus to take to him.....Bertha invited us to eat almuerzo with them to celebrate....she made tacos and they were delicious!!  Bertha is becoming a very good Mexican cook which makes me feel really good because they hardly knew anything about Mexican food before we moved in....She made ground beef taco meat, refried beans,  & guacamole, and put that all on the table with hot flour tortillas,  sour cream,  shredded lettuce, grated cheese,  tortilla chips, and my hot sauces.....we all chowed down....it was so good to see them enjoying the tacos they each made...
 
The humus I served with carrot sticks and slices of cucumber....they liked that too....
 
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Yesterday we met some very nice people who just moved here 2 months ago from St. Louis.....They have been going to Mass at different Catholic Churches here (there are 52 so you can go to a different one each week of the year! )   Now they are going to San Roque where there  is an English Mass every Sunday at 12:30 pm so we will check it out....Months ago they started an English Mass at 9 am so we never went....Noon Mass with lunch after is our typical Sunday.
 
Anyway Patricia and Lyle Rhoades came to our house -- she looking for clothes (found a cute jacket)  ....  really enjoyed meeting them -- they are so much like us... both entrepreneurs, conservative politically, pro life,  & leaving the U.S. to escape all the horrid changes to our country......they seem to be very happy here and are close to having their Residency Visas and Cedulas.....what you call muy buena gente ..--  "good people" ... with a delightful sense of humor,  both of them!!   As soon as they get their Cedulas (national ID) we will help them get enrolled in IESS so they can get into the medical care system here....Lyle told about having an intestinal problem a few months ago in the states where he was hospitalized a couple of days  = $17,000.00 bill   --- compared to my week in the Hospital del Rio where the bill was $1100.00 and we had to pay $56!!!  
 
This weekend are the "Fiestas de Cuenca" where they celebrate their independence from Spain......All kinds of parades,  rodeos,  food fairs,  and vendors selling everything imaginable....   Lots of tourists and traffic -- hopefully we'll get to El Centro to participate....
 
 
 
Hope everyone has a very HAPPY HALLOWEEN and to the children....
LOT'S OF CANDY!!!
 
 
 
 


Monday, October 27, 2014

.... A RELAXING WEEKEND .....

    Saturday morning was just gorgeous and a perfect day to eat casually outside with our neighbors Geovani, Bertha, daughter Dominica Cristina (Titi) and Bertha's father Rogerio -- whom Rick has named "THE CHIEF"....

 I had told Geovani I was craving Chancho from the little place he took us to -- kind of a driveway set up serving only on Saturdays roasted pig with all the trimmings,  Cuenca style....
We arrived about noon worried that she (the owner/cook) might have already sold out,  but we were in luck!   We ordered these plates of chancho for $2.50 ea....
 
We had chancho  (roast pig), mote, yapingachos  (potato cakes) and a little salad on the plates...very generous servings for only $2.50 each...
 

Behind "the Chief" and Geovani you can see up the driveway to the street side "kitchen" which is basically a bar-b-que set up with the roast pig, etc.....She has a lot of TO GO customers with a steady stream loading up on pork and trimmings to take home.

Ricardo asked the name of the place -- it has no name,  it's on a side street outside,  you just kind of have to know where it is and how to get there... a secret no name outdoor cafe with great food.

As we left I ordered a pound of the pork,  4 yapingachos, and some roasted corn = $9 .... delicious treat .....to put in our frig or freezer...


Then we went to the Italian bread & cheese maker who is only open on Saturdays....
 

Geovani was impressed and got some whole wheat bread & cheese with Aji peppers....

We went home to their house and Bertha made coffee so we could taste the bread and cheeses.... most delicious!!!
 
 
SUNDAY was pretty much our usual Sunday with Mass at the beautiful cathedral...
 

 
Lunch afterwards at Don Colon for $4....


And here's Don Colon getting ready to enjoy some of his own food....He's quite a character...always ready with a wise crack and a smile....We chose the chicken soup - yummy!,  the Italian spaghetti with heavy meat sauce,  juice,  and dessert of mixed fruits.....It was all VERY good,  and when you consider it was only $4 each including tax and tip it was a great bargain!!
 
Next a stop at the Mercado de Flores - I can't resist - but I only bought a small pot of pansies for $1.....
 
In the late afternoon I decided to make
 
 CHOCOLATE FUDGE with SEA SALT:
2 CUPS SEMI SWEET CHOCOLATE CHIPS
1 CAN CONDENSED MILK
1 1/2 TEASPOONS VANILLA
1/4 TEASPOON SEA SALT
I added walnuts.....
Just melt together the choc chips and milk, remove from heat and add vanilla...sprinkle sea salt over fudge or add to melted choc mixture...
Line a 8 x8 baking dish with alum foil and put in the choc --- refrigerate for 2 hours, and then enjoy!
 
This is good and different as the sea salt gives a twist to the very sweet fudge.....
 
So that was our relaxing weekend in Cuenca.....
 

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

FELIZ CUMPLEANOS LINDA, QUERIDA HIJA....

Today is our youngest daughter's birthday.....so this is dedicated to her.....

The difficult thing about being an expat is not always being with family on special occasions...today is one of those days when we wish we could be together,  but Linda and family are coming for Christmas so we will do our celebrating then....

Our beautiful youngest daughter and family were here a year ago.....and we all went to shop for hats......
 
 Linda makes an incredible hat model - here with daughter Olivia ----GORGEOUS!!

 
All the hats looked great on her!!
 
 
 
Linda is married to Scott Bates and has a son Nicolas, 11,  and daughter Olivia, 8......adorable children whom we miss so much.
 
Linda is an attorney, lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.....Linda is fluent in Spanish and French as well as English....She graduated from the University of Oklahoma spending her junior year at the Sorbonne in Paris taking all her classes in French....then home to Omaha to get her law degree from Creighton University....
 
SO HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO "OUR BABY" LINDA.....
 
 
 
The gardener showed up today -- I usually call him and was getting ready to do so....guess he knew it was time to cut the grass....An old man with one of the few mowers in Cuenca...most of them use weed wackers....He did a nice job and I pay him $20...
 
If the seamstress calls this afternoon Susana and I will go pick up our clothes and some tee shirts (polo type with logo) that she ordered....She was quoted $9 ea.  embroidered with logo so I'm anxious to see how they look.
 
It's such a BEAUTIFUL day in Cuenca!!
 
 

Sunday, October 19, 2014

.....TACANIJO UPDATE.....MEXICAN HEAVEN!!

  

 .....WOW!!   TACANIJO is no longer a little "hole-in-the wall" restaurant!!!  It's a big and beautiful FIRST CLASS  authentic  Mexican restaurant.....


Last night we went for Mexican food at Tacanijo  -- Marcela had told me they had opened the new area -- a year long project to expand ---  we were so amazed and delighted.....
 
We arrived a little before 6 pm so while we waited we started talking to Shannon and Richard Montenegro.....our now new friends......they joined us at our table in the "new" area which is so bright and cheery,  full of the colors of Mexico....







 All of the tables are covered in darling
Mexican table cloths....the place is a fiesta of light and color....one cute accent
is the bike table  ( the base is an old
bicycle) -- other tables have bases made
from old sewing machine pedestals....etc......

A very large room with lots of tables to
accomodate lots of people!!

  AND  -  PERFECT FOR PARTIES!!

 CONGRATULATIONS TO PAULO & MARCELA!!!!

Rick and I ordered TORTILLA SOUP
which we love, guacamole,   and Molones ( I think)
anyway they are little empanadas of corn tortillas, 6 to a plate,  very yummy....

Shannon and Richard ordered a couple of plates each....they wanted to try new dishes.....

 
 








To get to Taconijo go north on Las Americas---
HUACAS 1-54  y Las Americas......

Wednesday thru Saturday only .. 6 - 10 pm


We had such a nice time with Shannon and Richard but had to hurry off as we had told our taxi driver to return at 7pm......mistake,  too little time.....but we will get together again soon.

It wasn't a late night,  but a MOST ENJOYABLE one!!


SUNDAY MASS today was truly beautiful .... the Cathedral was packed for a special celebration with the Bishop .... they installed a relic of Pope John Paul II above one of the altars.....

Afterwards we had lunch at Don Colon and listened to the music of the Indians:




Image dining al fresco in perfect weather,  listening to live music from the Andes.....delicious lunch....lovely people watching view..... terrific music......
IT DON'T GET MUCH BETTER THAN THIS....
 
As we were leaving we met a darling couple recently moved here  (ll days ago) from Texas...
 
Melody and Jeff Crabb...
 
more new friends with whom we can  enjoy the good life in  Cuenca .....
 
 
 
 



 

 
 
 

Saturday, October 18, 2014

....SHOPPING ITALIAN....

  It was another lovely sunny morning in Cuenca when Susana picked us up to go to Filippo's, the Italian cheese, sausage & bread maker....  We found his spot in the courtyard on Augustin Cueva and 12 de Abril.....his long table laden with wonderful fresh crusty breads and home made cheeses from his native Naples & Sorrento, Italy....

Giving samples of cheeses and breads.....

 We sampled it all...





Filippo is an Italian immigrant who is building a terrific business here and educating people at the same time.....Ecuadorians really know nothing about making different types of cheeses.....I got some Guyere cheese  and some I don't know what with nuts,  another with Aji (the local hot red pepper)  some olive bread  (with huge whole ripe olives)  a big round loaf of crusty bread, an apple torte and some pizza.....      In January he plans to offer classes teaching what wines with what cheeses....Right now Filippo only sells on Saturday in the courtyard....his shop will be ready in January so we'll be able to buy anytime then.

Susana's eyes were opened to some good cheeses and breads....he gives very generous samples of whatever you want so it's almost like having lunch of cheese, bread, pizza and torta...

With our bags of Italian delights we drove to Susana's seamstress....
I had several tops/blouses I wanted taken in and Susana needed to pick up a blouse she had made....  The seamstress is Rosa Elena....
 
"CLASE CONFECCIONES"
098 873 6713
281 2799
 
Rosa Elena Yllescas does great work and charges very little...she makes blouses for $7 to $10 depending upon the material and design and she does all kinds of alterations....I'm having 4 tops altered for about $10.
 
 
As soon as we got home we got into the delights of our Italian Shopping experience......Um, um good!!
 
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Yesterday Rick spent several hours going to the hospital to pick up my records and taking them to the cardiologist......Bottom line is this heart arrythmia happened within the last year...they say stress so I must learn not to care so much.... hopefully with care my heart and blood pressure will return to normal.
 
I made a cream soup of cauliflower and potatoes which turned out pretty good.  Yolanda and Juan Gabriel like to be here for dinner,  so guess they like my cooking....I always need to have something for them to eat and they really seem to appreciate it.
 
Ricardo has been taking great care of me....he has seperated all the medications and makes sure I get the right ones at the right time....and he makes me a great breakfast every day....this morning it was easy over eggs over 2 lightly toasted corn tortillas with a spicy tomato sauce he made from scratch....it was DELICIOUS!!!  And bacon from Ital Deli which has wonderful meat, and everything.... he takes the bus over to get me bacon from there because it's the best...BUT, he says he's only going to do this for me for the rest of my life,  so.........(a nice sence of humor too)
 
Think we'll go to Tacanijo tonight for some awesome tortilla soup....I made some hot peppers and carrots so we'll see what they think....Marcela (Paulo's wife) called the other day to see how I am & I told her we'd see them this weekend.....
 
 
Life continues to be good in Cuenca...
 
 

Thursday, October 16, 2014

......SEEING THE CARDIOLOGIST....

     My appointment with the IESS Cardiologist was this morning at 8:30......Susana drove and Bertha went with to make sure all went without any misunderstandings.....

The IESS has a lovely old colonial building downtown as well as the hospital on the outskirts.....Only bad thing is that there aren't elevators so we had to walk up a big flight of stairs....

 
Huffing and puffing we found the office of Dr. Marchat and sat down to wait.....the building hasn't been remodeled so you see original wood floors & doors, etc.
 

 
As I looked around the waiting room I saw a HUGE difference between the doctor's office waiting room in Cuenca and any doctors' office in the states......
 

 
This lovely little shrine to Our Lady just overwhelmed me --- this Dr. Marchat  has to be a great person- seeing the lovely statue of the Madonna definitely gave me confidence in him as a healer and excellent doctor......when later I asked him if I could have a glass of wine and he said,  of course,  3or 4,   I KNEW this is a wonderful doctor!!!
 
Basically he told me I have an enlarged heart because of the high blood pressure,  my heart is improved & now beating normally,  BP  140/80 which is good for me......He gave me prescriptions for 3 of the 4 medications I am taking...one of them isn't available thru IESS....unfortunately it's the one that costs $1.45 ea. & I need 2 a day, but all in all I got 3 months of prescriptions and paid nothing.
 

 
We picked up the medications at the IESS pharmacy just down the hall from the doctor's office - it was all so simple and all free...well we pay our premiums of $80 mo for the 2 of us, no deductibles, no co-pays,  and the doctors are very well educated and nice!!!    And no long waiting........
 
We left there and went to the tailor to pick up my blazer and blouse......I love it!!  The fit is perfect.   I want comfortable, not too tight,  but a rather fitted look and that's what I got,  plus the tailoring is terrific with a deep  inside pocket for money/credit card and 3 outside pockets .....The blouse is really cute and just what I wanted.....Boy am I sold on getting your clothes made to measure here......with fabric and tailoring I spent only $80 for the 2 pieces.....a very good deal!!!
 
************************
 
I am feeling better every day......Yesterday Jean Lehman came to visit bearing such gifts.....a gorgeous bouquet of mixed flowers including Goldenrod,  the state flower of Nebraska.   And she brought some gourmet Italian food,  Spaghetti Bolongese with Greek salads and  garlic bread...Oh,  it tasted soooo good!!!   We had a lovely afternoon visiting about everything under the sun.....Jean and I have SO MUCH in common so we laugh and cry together and enjoy our friendship to the hilt....
 
It's so amazing the lovely people we have met here -- they all come with different stories,  but similar in many ways.....only a certain kind of person immigrates to another country,  and they usually are interesting and fun people and make great new friends!!
 
Fanny Cordero called and is coming this afternoon so I think I'll take a little nap.....
 
Hasta pronto!!
 
 
 
 

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

......and HOSPITAL DEL RIO ....


So my health care saga continues.....

Tuesday evening Susana took us to the hospital where I had mostly the same tests as Friday -- nothing was any better so the decision was to admit me... only problem was there were no beds available   (lucky for me)  so they transferred me to the best hospital here,  the Hospital del Rio,  a private teaching hospital connected with a private medical school......It's only about 5 years old and very nice.

More tests and then I was put into a 4 bed room with only 1 other occupant - a very ill old lady who made almost no sounds....

A Gerontologist was assigned to me and the rounds of doctors and nurses began.....one of the most interesting is a gal named Nora who is from Romania - she speaks English, Spanish, Romanian and Hungarian....a med student who really has her act together,  and a delightful sense of humor.   Another outstanding nurse is Tatiana (something) Correa and she LOVES corn tortillas!

I was hooked up to a heart monitor and had constant readings of my heart and blood pressure,  IV drip,   and I had oxygen too....and then the pills began.
My problem is an arrhythmia in my heart and very high blood pressure....they had to treat both carefully; slowing down my "dancing heart" and lowering my blood pressure,  but not too fast .....

The room was light and bright and my bed was by the huge window wall with a view of the mountain.

The picture doesn't do it justice,  but it sure helped to pass the time with no TV, no WiFi, no computer and visitors were VERY limited.    My friends were kicked out and then this power hungry semi administrator tried to kick out Ricardo....Well,  he went to the top director and ended up making a friend who told him he could be there as long as he wanted, any time he wanted,  he just couldn't sleep there......
 
The Cardiologist who came to see me was a Dr. Santiago Domingues who went to Medical School in Mexico City ---  a great school that everyone wants to attend but few can afford.   Really nice doctor,  guapo too!!
 
They finally got my heart beating normally and my blood pressure to an acceptable level and I was released Monday.....but not before the bill was paid!
 
Now this was all under IESS, the national health care system for which we pay premiums of about $80 month for the two of us,  so we weren't expecting a bill.  Rick went down to settle up.    The total charges were over $1000 which compared to the US was nothing,  and we were to pay  $56.    Ricardo,  mainly to test the system, told them he had no money.   They insisted I couldn't leave the hospital unless he paid....at this point I still was connected to the IV drip which they would not remove until the bill was settled!      So after much discussion and approval by the head guy Ricardo agreed to sign a note and leave his cedula there until Oct. 22, when my social security check is deposited, and then go pay. 
 
The whole point is to prove that everything is negotiable  -- sometimes the Cuencanos forget this.....Frankly I'm not sure it was worth the trouble,  but Ricardo always wants to challenge those in authority and win,  and that's a good thing.
 
Susana picked us up in her son Ruben Jr.'s "new" car, he driving, and Susana so nervous....but he's a good driver just not terribly experienced...but he will be....he has just started Law School at the University here so he and his cousin Paul  (Bertha's son) will share rides when possible.....
 
Got home and Bertha had made a big pot of delicious chicken vegetable soup which she and Geovanni brought over steaming hot....Susana sat and visited and then I was down for a nap.    Later on Susana and Bertha came over to visit for awhile.....they are so caring and kind....
 
Am taking a lot of medications but I do feel better,  at least I can breath better....not being able to get your breath or breathe deep is scary.
 
Will see a new cardiologist on Thursday so we'll see what he has to say.  His office is downtown and much closer for us -  the IESS and Hospital del Rio are on the outskirts of Cuenca so this will be more convenient.....
 
All in all I am very impressed and pleased with the medical care here.....God only knows what this would have cost us in the US, and now with some of the stuff coming out about Obamacare I am wondering if I would have even been treated!!
 
Rick is doing the cooking and doing a great job....he did grow up in the restaurant business but he never loved the cooking part,  but HE CAN COOK!
And I have a supply of my favorite ice cream -- life is good!!
 
Many thanks for all the prayers....I know they helped....MIL GRACIAS!!
 
 
 
 
 
 

Sunday, October 5, 2014

.......the IESS HOSPITAL....

     THIS PAST WEEK I WAS SICK ...TIRED & LISTLESS AND VERY SHORT OF BREATH WHICH CAUSED ME TO LOSE A LOT OF SLEEP ...  I JUST COULDN'T BREATHE!

RICK FINALLY INSISTED ON MAKING AN APPOINTMENT TO SEE THE DOCTOR ON FRIDAY THE 3RD AT 6:45 PM....HER LAST APPOINTMENT OF THE DAY.   I WASN'T HAPPY ABOUT GOING,  BUT I REALLY WASN'T FEELING WORTH A DAMN SO DECIDED I HAD BETTER....

I  KNEW NOTHING ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT RUN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM HERE BUT RICK HAD BEEN SEEING SOME DOCTORS AND FELT EVERYTHING WAS GOOD.....

FIRST  I SAW DR. MARTINEZ -- SHE ASKED ME A FEW QUESTIONS AND TOOK MY BLOOD PRESSURE.....160/90 ......   --  SHE SENT ME OVER TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM.  ......BY NOW I'M FEELING BAD,  SO RICK GOT ME A WHEEL CHAIR......THEN I SAW THE EMERGENCY ROOM DOCTOR AND SHE GAVE  ME  ORDERS FOR BLOOD WORK,  XRAYS, AND EKG .

FIRST THE BLOOD WORK -- VERY NICE AND EFFICIENT,  THEN OFF TO THE XRAY DEPT., BUT IT WAS MORE THAN AN XRAY.....MORE LIKE AN MRI --- YOU LAY DOWN ON A MACHINE THAT TAKES YOU INTO  AN OPEN CAVE,  HOLD YOUR BREATH AND COME BACK OUT.....

WITH THESE RESULTS I WENT TO GET AN EKG...........AFTER THE EKG WAS DONE ANOTHER YOUNG FEMALE DOCTOR CAME IN WITH A SERIOUS LOOK ON HER FACE....."YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE IS VERY HIGH, AND WE NEED TO GIVE YOU SOME MEDICATION"......FOLLOW ME......RICK PUSHED ME INTO A WARD ROOM WITH LOTS OF BEDS & SHE MOTIONED US TO ONE THAT WAS OCCUPIED.  SHE ASKED THE WOMAN IF HER PAIN WAS BETTER AND THE LADY SAID YES,  SO SHE STARTED GETTING UP AND THEN SMILED AT ME & SAID I'D GET A NICE WARM BED......4 NURSES CAME INTO THE CURTAINED PARTITION,  RIPPED OFF THE SHEETS & PUT ON CLEAN ONES,  HELPED ME OUT OF MY SWEATER & BRA WHILE I WAS STILL SEATED IN THE WHEEL CHAIR, PUT A GOWN ON ME AND AN IV IN MY HAND, AND THEN INTO BED......THEY WERE VERY FAST BUT VERY SWEET AND KIND AND MADE ME FEEL I WAS IN GOOD HANDS......

THEY STARTED THE IV DRIP WITH MEDICATION,  AND MY BLOOD PRESSURE STARTED GOING UP!    IT GOT TO 175/110 AND THEY GAVE ME A BIG BLUE PILL AND A SHOT IN MY STOMACH (CLOSE TO MY BELLY BUTTON).......THEN THEY ASKED RICK TO GO GET ME A COUPLE OF PILLS TO PUT UNDER MY TONGUE.

SINCE IT WAS LATE AT NIGHT THEIR PHARMACY WAS CLOSED SO HE HAD TO TAKE A TAXI OVER TO MT. SINAI HOSPITAL AS THEY ARE 24 HR PHARM.   THE TAXI RIDE TO & FROM THE HOSPITAL COST $7,   THE 2 PILLS COST  .20 !!

THE  IESS HOSPITAL IS NOT FANCY BUT IT IS VERY WELL EQUIPPED AND STAFFED....ALL OF THE MEDICAL PEOPLE SEEM TO BE VERY WELL TRAINED AND ANSWER ALL YOUR QUESTIONS......THEY PUT EVERYTHING INTO THE COMPUTER AND THEY ALL RECORD WHAT THEY ARE DOING -- YOU GO FOR THE TESTS AND BRING THE RESULTS BACK TO THEM SO YOU HAVE CONTROL OF YOUR MEDICAL RECORDS....

ABOUT 2 AM MY PRESSURE WAS DOWN TO 145/80 I THINK,  AND I WANTED TO GO HOME.....THEY DID ANOTHER EKG ......MY NOSE WAS CONGESTED AND I COULDN'T SLEEP  (IT WAS TOO HOT IN THERE FOR ME BUT PERFECT FOR THE CUENCANOS WHO ARE ALWAYS COLD),  AND ABOUT THAT TIME RICK'S PHONE RANG......

BERTHA CALLED WORRIED ABOUT US......PAUL  (THEIR 20 YR OLD SON) HAD JUST COME HOME AND SAW THAT OUR LIGHTS WERE STILL ON SO THEY STARTED INVESTIGATING.......LONG STORY SHORT,  THEY INSISTED ON COMING TO PICK US UP,  AND BY THE TIME WE GOT TO THE DOOR GIOVANNI AND PAUL WERE WAITING WITH THE CAR.    ALL THE WAY HOME WE GOT SCOLDED BECAUSE WE DIDN'T CALL THEM SO THAT THEY COULD HELP US!!!

WE GOT HOME AND SUSANA  (IN PJ'S) AND BERTHA WERE UP AND WORRIED....WE ALL GOT TO BED ABOUT 3:30 OR SO......

IT WAS A GOOD EXPERIENCE BECAUSE I NEVER FELT INTIMIDATED OR BADLY TREATED OR THAT THEY DIDN'T CARE! ..... I HAVE BEEN TOLD TO REST AND SEE A CARDIOLOGIST RIGHT AWAY SO TOMORROW WE'LL MAKE AN APPOINTMENT...MY HEAT RATE IS NOT NORMAL....IT RACES AND THEN SLOWS DOWN TO A NORMAL BEAT,  AND THEN RACES AGAIN.....THEY UPED MY BLOOD PRESSURE MEDS TO 2 A DAY INSTEAD OF ONE ....NEXT THE CARDIOLOGIST......

THE INSURANCE  COSTS US $82 A MONTH FOR THE 2 OF US....AND WE ARE COVERED FOR EVERYTHING......THERE WAS NO PAPERWORK,  NO BILL  (ALTHO RICK DID HAVE TO PAY 20 CENTS FOR THE 2 PILLS I TOOK !  :) )  WE CAN GO AS OFTEN AS WE WANT AND SEE ALL THE SPECIALISTS WE WANT FOR $80 BUSKS A MONTH!!

YES THERE ARE PLENTY OF PRIVATE DOCTORS HERE AND THEY ARE NOT EXPENSIVE AT ALL COMPARED TO THE US,  BUT IF YOU HAVE TO BE IN THE HOSPITAL THAT CAN GET PRICY, SO WE PREFER THE GOVERNMENT SYSTEM....AND MOST OF THE PRIVATE DOCTORS WORK AT LEAST ONE DAY A WEEK IN THE GOVERNMENT SYSTEM.....

MY HUSBAND HAS BEEN WAITING ON ME HAND AND FOOT.....I DID MAKE MEAT LOAF EARLIER IN THE WEEK AND BEEF BURGANDY SO LUCKILY THERE'S PLENTY TO EAT SO HE ONLY HAS TO MAKE SANDWICHES OR SCRAMBLED EGGS....AND THEN SUSANA KEEPS BRINGING TREATS......

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DURING THE WEEK I DID GO OUT WITH "THE GIRLS" ...... WENT TO THE MALL ONE DAY...SUSANA ENDED UP BUYING A PRETTY BLACK BLOUSE  (NO PIC, SORRY)....

BUT WHAT I WANTED YOU TO SEE IS THAT THE MALL STORES ARE LIKE MALL STORES ALL OVER  -- NOTE THE SALE SIGNS IN ENGLISH......



 



THERE ARE ALWAYS ANNOYING LITTLE THINGS TO UPSET YOU IF YOU LET THEM....THE HOSPITAL HAD SO MANY GUARDS AND LOCKED DOORS, AND OF COURSE, NO ONE HAD THE KEYS.....SO YOU HAD TO DO A LOT OF WALKING WHICH WASN'T NECESSARY IF ALL THE DOORS HAD BEEN OPEN......ALL THE SECURITY MEASURES CERTAINLY WEREN'T NECESSARY, BUT THOSE GUARDS ARE JOBS!!!! IT'S DIFFERENT HERE, NOT BAD, JUST DIFFERENT. WE ACCEPT THE DIFFERENCES AND CONCENTRATE ON THE HUNDREDS OF GOOD DIFFERENCES.....AND WE LOVE CUENCA!