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Posts by Ann Henry:

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Adiós Independences Day

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What a difference a year makes! Last July 4th is now a distant memory along with all my other family memories. Last year we were co-hosting a huge celebration making over 100 copycats What A Burger’s Texas Style.

Life seemed so simple then. If you had told me last year that I would be spending over 100 days in-home quarantine I would have thought you were crazy. But now the world has gone crazy with so much hate, destruction, and violence in the United States. Yes, I am glad to be in little Ecuador even though it is a hardship for the people.

I am beginning to be a “tin hat” researching the conspiracy theories circulating with the nasty Chinese Import gift upon the unsuspecting world.  So was it a biological accident or just another part of the plan demic? The debate in my head continues.

Memories Last Year

 

So this year we went with another couple to our friend’s Mexican Restaurant in Otavalo.  Carlos is Ecuadorian but trained in California.  Oh, we forgive him about California. He has the best Tex Mex around! Bill brings his garden-grown jalapeno and Carlo roasts them for us. The good food, friendship, and margaritas melt our fears away at least for a moment. We are around 100 days since we have been out to eat but who is counting! Taco Bello and Carlos are one of our favorite places to go. So our celebration is different this year but our attitude and thoughts are of home, friends, and family.

Please wear a mask!

Texas Annie Ecuador

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Self Quarantine 100 Days

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This little guy keeps me grounded so I know what day it is since days just run into days and then weeks and then months.
Yikes, how time flies when you are old. Yes, today was day 100 of staying home and staying safe. Bill has gone to Ibarra twice to shop at Supermaxi the closest large grocery store. Within the past few weeks, I have walked to town. The walk is much-needed for exercise. I have to admit for us it has not been difficult staying home. Our home is secluded with a high wall and a large yard and garden. Bill works in the greenhouse making sure we have plenty of jalapenos for my homemade salsa. We have an abundance of lemon, figs, oranges, and avocado trees producing bumper crops! The dogs even eat the avocados. I have been making bread with the help of my bread machine. The local cream from the market is fresh and so thick you can turn it upside down and it will not drip out. So I make butter in the food processor which also supplies me with buttermilk. Maybe if we lived in a condo or an apartment it would have been difficult but we have done just fine. But the beauty we see every day is amazing. The lord is an amazing artist. Every morning I gaze at Mama Cotacachi. Photo by Pachi Lopez. 
The end of the day sometimes lights the sky on fire.
Ecuador adopted a system of traffic light colors for restrictions. They did this in order to allow different areas, with different levels of need, to react to the virus according to what the local government deemed necessary. Our province, and most of the country, have been classified as red light restrictions for a few months. But as of June 1st, our area has had a modified red light restriction. We can all be outside of our property on foot on any day of the week, so long as we have a mask on and maintain distancing from others (before it was 2 days per week depending on ID numbers). Taxis can now drive 4 days a week (rather than 1 day per week), depending on their license plate number. Personal vehicles can drive 2 days a week (rather than 1 day per week). If you are over 65 they want you to stay at home but no one is checking. Stores that support construction (hardware, etc.) are allowed to be open for business, and restaurants with outdoor seating and the ability to offer distance are allowed to be open. As before, all businesses considered to be essential are open—-food, pharmacies, and yes even alcohol(!).
Masks everywhere for sale. The creativity of the  Ecuadorians quickly shifts what they sell.  It’s amazing how hard it is to walk a longer distance at this altitude (8,000 ft/ 2438 m) and be able to breathe easily behind a mask! Whew!
We are quite spoiled by deliveries to our home front gate. We get fresh fruits and vegetables from our local market, restaurant delivery from almost all of the local restaurants and even our pharmacy delivers right to our door.
Current Status: Cotacachi jumped from 21 to 27 cases of COVID-19 on June 19th. There are 15 new cases in Imbabura and 6 of them are in Cotacachi…..that’s 40% of new cases. Deaths in the province have increased from 25 to 27.  Masks, hand washing, and physical distancing are the standard practice.  When you enter any type of store you step on a mat that has a Clorox solution to disinfect your shoes and you use hand sanitizer. Sometimes you are even sprayed down with the disinfectant solution. I have seen them spray dollar bills!  All vehicles entering Cotacachi are also sprayed down with disinfectant.  The streets have been washed down with disinfectant. This little city is certainly trying to protect us.
My friend Susan took the picture below and title it traffic in Cotacachi! So some things do stay the same.
Stay safe
Texas Annie Ecuador
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What A Difference A Year Makes: Mother’s Day 2020

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A year ago on Mother’s Day, we were celebrating by having a wonderful breakfast surrounding the luxury of the La Mirage Garden Hotel and Spa in Cotacachi, Ecuador.  They offer the best complete breakfast you can find anywhere. So that was my Mother’s Day choice of breakfast instead of lunch.  La Mirage is just 300 short steps out of the back gate to this little piece of heaven that I call my happy place. Of course, I had a Mimosa for starters. Never in my wildest imagination did I know what was looming for the next Mother’s Day which landed on day 60 of our complete lockdown in our home in Cotacachi, Ecuador. Yes, the demon virus had us still in lockdown. However, as it turns out this was the sweetest and most memorable of all Mother’s Days. Billy Boy ordered home delivery from my favorite Chinese food. This was the first time we had any take-out at all during the past 60 days of home confinement. So he surprised me! He pulled out a bottle of sparkling wine and set the dining room table. We just settled on everyday plates and the soup in plastic restaurant containers. So we feasted on what the restaurant calls My Home Town Snack which is similar to a chicken egg drop soup but loaded with spaghetti noodles.  Then we had the 5 flavored fried shrimp which derives the name because it boasts 5 different flavors sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and savory. It lives up to its name and does have a burst of flavor in every bite.  Of course, Bill’s favorite fried rice is sprinkled with peanuts which they prepare just for him.  Of course, we had to also have potstickers!

Everything was perfect. I could get hooked on take-out being delivered right to your door. Below is a comparison between Mother’s Day 2019 and 2020. So it is not where you go but who you are loving with making moments indeed special. Thank you, My Honey Love!

Mother’s Day 

Stay strong and remember “this too will pass”

Texas Annie Ecuador

 

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