Yamatout

Serge has a new toy We call it the mosquito, and my philodendron quakes every time he gets it out.  Lily no longer hides in the closet, but still watches it with great suspicion. I think she would have already pounced, if it weren't for the awful noise it makes.  As I said, mosquito

February 21, 2022 Well, that was 10 days of the extreme. From extreme boredom, to pain, to grief and finally relief.( How's that for an intro?!) The extreme boredom and pain are easy to explain. For several days, the plantar fasciitis kept me penned in my hotel room, leaving only when absolutely necessary, and walking very slowly and carefully when hunger drove me out to forage. Thursday (10th) I finally managed to meet up with friends from Varennes, (also farm neighbours), for dinner and I discovered that ibuprofen works reasonably well as an anti-inflammatory when I managed to walk almost normally, if not quickly or for long.  The following day we drove back out the farm and I moved into their former cottage. Finally, my own kitchen! Still something of a learning experience, as cooking with propane takes getting used to. Yes, I burned the onions. I then discovered that labelling norms in Ecuador are not the same as in Canada. "100% natural oat milk" can have both vanill

February 9, 2022 Well, getting the COVID test turned out to be a bit more challenging than expected as locale was suddenly turned into a construction zone, resulting in some last minute arrangements which involved confused guards, conflicting directions, and a lot of walking, but everything did work out and our noses were eventually assaulted with long q-tips. The REAL surprise was that Serge tested negative, as expected, but I somehow tested positive. We'd basically been together 24/7 for two weeks, so it is all a bit mysterious. It wasn't a false positive either because I had an antigen done at a different laboratory the same evening. Yep, positive again. I have my suspicions where I might have picked it up, and if they are correct, I haven't been contagious in nearly a week, but rules are rules, so I am still in Ecuador for another couple of weeks. I will get myself tested again then, but a test will be no longer necessary in order get home. Even the hyper cautious Canad

February 6, 2022 Otavalo on Market Day is unreal and impossible to properly photograph but here goes. I took these pictures early, during setup and before it got so crowded as to need to walk defensively. We've never had a problem here but it's best not to be careless. My pockets are pretty safe as I inserted zippered pockets inside my pockets (took a Tilley concept and ran with it!) so the only thing a pickpocket would find would be a used Kleenex, and maybe a loose nickel or two. Okay, the market - Imagine a full city block left empty, and then filled with sun parasols; that's Plaza de Ponchos, then extend this concept along the streets for blocks in all directions (including the cross streets) with 2 or 3 rows of kiosks selling absolutely everything portable, not just for tourists but the locals. Actually, mostly for the locals, except the Plaza. Further out, they often sell directly from their cars. It's a madhouse, but a really f

February 5, 2022 Wednesday, we wandered around Otavalo, finding high places to look at the town. Even our own hostel has a terrace up on the roof. I managed to take a panoramic view of about 25% of the skyline from Cotacachi to Imbabura. Thursday we did a real touristy thing, we took an organized culture tour around some local artisan workshops/villages. The distinction is a bit nebulous because often location dictates what a village will specialize in. For example, the village on the shore of Lago (lake) San Pablo specializes in woven mats and baskets made from a rush or reed that grows in the shallows (we were told many names in both Spanish and Quechua, and I remember none of them). We even got to try some things, weaving mats and narrow bands in the traditional way, and watched someone put together the bamboo pipes that are very popular in indigenous music here. Cutting and tuning the pipes is done by ear. We were also taken to some spots impo

 Sometimes things live down to your expectations. Back in 2009, I remember Rio Tinto was full of plans for a new revamped modernized employee benefits program. Lots of company meetings to explain our marvelous new choices, and perks. We could choose to pay extra for more health insurance! I remember that one of the changes was a change from scheduled indexation to 'ad-hoc' reviews. I remember being dubious at the time about the whole package (downright suspicious was closer to the mark. Companies never give you more benefits) but as it turns out, I never had the chance to choose anything. It was from Olivier that I learned to be suspicious of a company's 'good' intentions, and now it seems that 'ad-hoc' was code for 'never'. Later, during my exit ('exit' implies 'voluntary', and my leaving the company was not in any way 'voluntary') meetings, I was given 'the chance' to leave my pension fund with RTIT. At that time, I