We are now deep into the holiday season and thinking about what has changed. Yes, our Christmas is simple when you think of our previous Texas Christmas which involves shop till you drop and your credit card is full.
I know my first blog about Christmas Season of Angels and is one of the most amazing experience ever. We see little children all decked out as little angels cruising along the sidewalks. There are huge bags of animal crackers are at least 25-pound bags. The children are happy to receive a bag of goodies as well as the elders. Well, there are still little angels and parades, fireworks, all night music from the hills so that has not changed. What has changed is that La Mirage no longer has the magical children’s parade. I guess this is what I miss the most. I love the children gathering outside of the market and parading to the gates of La Mirage it was truly a magical time which is now just history. I have to count my blessings that for several years I marched right along with the children to find Santa and oh such grand memories. Our first Christmas in the Andes that I rediscovered the true meaning of the season. Watching the children’s parade carrying little baby Jesus back and tucked in La Mirage cradle. Oh, what a sight to behold. During the dark of the evening the fireworks exploding with color and the little fireflies in the yard presenting their fireworks show.
I really need to change the title of this blog to the season of parties. Our social life is so busy with Cotacachi friend and sometimes there are several parties on the same day. I shamefully admit that we did to not attend some simply because it is nice to be home. One of the parties was a cookie/candy exchange. So I got busy in the kitchen baking the required 9 dozen goodies for the party. Well, that really got me on a cooking jag. One of the ladies had made gingersnap cookies. Oh my, they were wonderful. I had no idea you come make gingersnaps here. So let the adventure begin which started with needing ginger powder. Of all the spices I hauled from Texas I did not have any ginger powder which I guess is because we have plenty of fresh ginger available. Thank heavens for Pinterest and I learned I could make a ginger powder out of fresh ginger which then leads to making crystallized ginger which also produced ginger sugar and ginger syrup. Later I learned you could buy ginger powder at the market but I rationalize mine was better since it was super fresh.
My aunt always made a white fruitcake which I yearn for during Christmas. This year I discovered where I can buy dried fruit which included, orange, coconut, kiwi and every other fruit available in Ecuador. So I soaked the fruit for several days in Ecuadorian orange liqueur. I call this my version of my aunt’s white fruitcake which is also loaded with toasted pecans. Oh my so yummy and memories of past family Christmas rush back with every decadent bite. I also made an assortment of cookies and candy which I like to give to friends as a little thank you for their friendship.
On Christmas, we are spoiled with yummy “Big Meat Chili” hosted by friends that happen to be the owners of Land of the Sun Hotel. Billy Boy brought my Dad’s now famous Johnny’s Bloody Mary’s. I think my Dad would be surprised but pleased to know that Johnny’s Bloody Mary’s are famous in little Cotacachi Ecuador.
So this post might be somewhat boring to readers but my blog started out as a journal for us. So bear with me as I create memories of our latest trip to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. We like taking a direct flight on Jet Blue to Fort Lauderdale and always opt for the extra room option. We were only gone for a week but it seemed like weeks and weeks on end since we missed home.
When we travel it is all about shopping for things we cannot find in Ecuador or at least at a reasonable cost. Also, it is about the food we yearn for but interesting the longer we stay in Ecuador our food taste begins to change.
We always stay at the Premiere Hotel which irony the owners are folks from Argentina and welcome us like family. The hotel’s location directly across the beach and only a mile or so from the Galleria Mall I highly recommend you check it out the Premiere Hotel f you are visiting Fort Lauderdale.
So here are a few of the must go to places, of course, Costco and a trip to a grocery store to stock up on items we think we need. Dining at Capital Grille for steak and calamari and the Charro Brother’s, Fort Myers Beach for the best Tex Mex Food ever and that is coming from Texans! During this trip, we made a few new discoveries. Friends took us to Twin Peaks which I never thought I would step foot in but wow the coldest beer ever and yummy chicken wings. Watch out Hooters for competition! They pride themselves in displaying the temperature of the beer on a screen so at 26 degrees the beer called a dirty blond was delicious kind of like a Blue Moon but I thought even better. A friend also recommended beachside dining at the Aruba Beach Cafe which we enjoyed and the location is in the middle of quaint little shops and restaurants. Oh my, I had shrimp and grits a southern tradition at Seasons 52 and Billy Boy had a huge hamburger.
The best way I can describe the experience is a step back in time…hmm we feel like time travelers. Every morning, while I walk on the beach which is right across from our hotel and Bill, takes the easier route on the sidewalk we head to Pittsburgh chain Primanti Brother’s Dinner for our fix of a to die for the breakfast sandwich. Would you believe we went there for breakfast every day? So the staff gets to know us. We could prepare this at home but somehow I do not think it would taste the same. I love walking on the beach just as the sun begins to greet a new day there is just something about the ocean and the ever-changing beauty.
Another recommendation for Italian is ll Mulino which we enjoyed so much we went twice. Watch out for the garlic rolls they will overwhelm you with garlic. They also have a great pizza!
This trip was not only for pleasure but Bill combined it with some business that he is investigating starting in the US. One is concerning organic fertilizer and pesticide that he has used for years and the other is working with a company that can track property using a state of the art system. More on that later in a future blog.
Sidebar note if you have registered to receive my blog I noticed that the pictures are not included. But if you click on the link in red you should have complete access to the blog:exploring healthcare in Ecuador
Ever wonder what healthcare is like in a third world county such as Ecuador? Wait Ecuador is not a third world county but a rapidly developing country. I know that in the US I cannot receive my lab results on the same day or worst case scenario the next day as I can in Ecuador. In fact, after my May 2018 visit to my Texas doctor, it took 2 months for me to receive notification of my lab results. Yes, healthcare in the US is changing. For example, In the US you take a prescription from your doctor to fill at your local pharmacy. In Ecuador for most medications, you do not need a prescription. If you are not feeling well a quick trip to the pharmacist who will give you the proper medication. Our pharmacist speaks English and is very helpful.
Okay, I am a retired Registered Nurse with 29+ years of experience at a large hospital in Fort Worth, Texas so yes, being a little critical when it comes to patient care. My husband recently had an emergency related to high blood pressure while in Cotacachi. It was very early on a Sunday morning and we immediately called our favorite taxi driver. In Ecuador, it is all about building relationships. Our taxi driver Freddy dropped everything and came rushing over since I did not want Billy Boy to drive. The small local Cotacachi Hospital is about 3 minutes away. So think of this little hospital like a “Care Now” in the States. Thanks to Freddy who interprets for us Bill was triage within 10 minutes upon arrival. He had an EKG and monitored for several hours until his BP was lower. Billy Boy was advised to see a cardiologist for a follow-up. Yikes, I forgot to add there was no charge for the hospital visit.
The next day we already had an appointment with a private family doctor which was something we needed to do since we have been here. During the visit the doctor examined Bill reviewed his US Medical Records and advised that while is BP was normal now he should not wait to see his cardiologist. So walking home one of our friends from La Mirage Garden Hotel and Spa offered us a ride home. Upon learning about Bill’s hospital visit he immediately made an appointment with a respected cardiologist in Ibarra for that same afternoon. Just remember what I said about building relationships. The Ibarra cardiologist conducted another EKG and administered a monitored 24 hours blood pressure test. We returned the next day for the results and received a printout. He advised a change in medication.
My husband decided he wanted to follow-up with his regular cardiologist in Quito at the medical office at Metropolitano. So that evening he emailed his cardiologist directly along with the results of his BP monitoring and received an appointment the next morning. Yes, he corresponded directly with the doctor! Wonder how long it would have taken to get an appointment with a cardiologist in Texas? Our friends decided to drive us to Quito to see the doctor since they did not think it was safe for Bill to drive. How many times in this blog will I mention building relationships?
The cardiologist that Bill had previously seen is the department head of cardiology at Metropolitano in Quito which is a state of the art hospital equal if not better than hospitals in the US. Plus the doctor speaks excellent English. He did some medical training in the US.
I have a friend in Cotacachi that recently had a severe heart attack and admitted to the hospital in Ibarra. Friends called us to find out the name of the cardiologist that Bill had seen in Quito. Is this starting to sound familiar relationship building? The local hospital contacted the Quito cardiologist and she was immediately transferred by ambulance to the Metropolitano Hospital. Upon arrival at the hospital, the doctor and the medical team was waiting in the parking lot as the ambulance arrived. She was in critical condition and received state of the art life-saving emergency surgery. The cardiologist assigned doctors to stay with her 24-7 until she released. One of the doctor’s commented to her that when she was allowed to return home he could also get to go to his home. She states that if she had been in the US she would have died simply because of the time it would have taken for her to receive the same type of care as in Quito.
The Hospital Metropolitano is one of the most complete and modern hospital medical complexes in Ecuador. The hospital has highly trained medical personnel, an infrastructure with international standards and the most advanced technology. Plus the only hospital in Ecuador with an international accreditation from the Joint Commission International (JCI), the agency that accredits and establishes the highest standards of quality in the health care system (JCAHO) in the United States, which guarantees its implementation in direct patient care. So as a Registered Nurse to me this is a really big deal!
You must understand that we do have great medical doctors and personnel in the US but I think their hands are frequently tied by the hospital, state, federal regulation concerning health care. When I was working as a nurse the hospital used a Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) which was a formal report that measures the patient’s experience regarding hospital care. So the hospitals received a database of results that they compared with similar facilities. Think of it as a report card. Sounds good right? In today’s healthcare world everything is about gaining market share, reputation, and reimbursement. Yes, follow the money. Time indeed is about money and the physicians seem driven to see a quota of patients in a prescribed timeline. Every wonder why the number of Family Practitioners are decreasing? Could it possibly be related to physician job satisfaction? So I must ask myself are doctors treated like robots with patient quotas they to meet along with time restraints to care for each patient? Again my opinion Medicare patients are really charity patients and the doctors and healthcare facilities lose money. Our doctor in Texas sees only one Medicare patient a day for an annual physical. Basically, that means that my husband and I have to go on different days. It is a blessing that some doctors will even take Medicare patients since they are losing money but they are becoming fewer and farther between. These are the doctors that are heroes without capes.
So what are the costs for healthcare in Ecuador? We recently changed from a private company to the government health insurance which we plan to use only as emergency care. We found that the private insurance at our age was way too expensive and everything relates to a pre-existing condition that was not covered for 2 years. Otherwise, we just elect to pay out of our pocket. A general practitioner doctor visit is between $10-$15. The cardiologist visit was $60 and the EKG done by the cardiologist was $30. A CAT Scan cost $400.
Turns out we live a much healthier life in Ecuador and have a built-in exercise routine of 2 miles a day simply by walking into town and back each day. The fresh fruits and vegetables are in abundance and add a health bonus. You can attend yoga classes, qigong, Zumba, meditation and join a gym at very reasonable prices. I am also a retired Registered Massage Therapist and know the health benefits of massage. You can receive a basic massage for $30 or have a day of luxury massage at La Mirage Garden Spa for less than you would pay in the US. La Mirage is my favorite place to relax with a special massage such as hot stone, grape, clay, chocolate, or facial to just name a few. Then you have time to recovery in the meditation room from your trance-like state followed by a dip in the heated Olympic size swimming pool and a soak in the whirlpool spa. You enter a fragrant lush botanical garden while watching the hummingbirds dart around and the peacocks spreading their wings in a symbolic courting dance. There is no time restraint and you can stay as long as you like. We frequently have a “girl’s day” with a nice lunch.
So in summary in Ecuador, you can sooth the mind, body, and spirit. Sometimes I feel like life gave me a promotion after leaving the stress of a healthcare job for so long!
How I Feel
Thank you for taking the time and interest to read my blog which is now going on year five.
