Easter Day 2020
Happy Easter, everyone!
Randy, Kobe, and I had a very nice Easter Day. We just took it easy and relaxed for the most part.
The only "glitch" on this day is when our neighbor's water tank ran dry. Randy and Kobe repaired the water tank so our neighbors (The Garcia-Lucero) family could continue to have water. They live on the Gualaceo side. We live on the Paute side. The Paute River divides us.
Randy mainly played games on his laptop and watch YouTube videos. Kobe played games on his computer and napped. I posted fun stuff on my Facebook account, attended a virtual Yoga class, and hosted a Facebook Watch Party in my Facebook group, Shake Your Booty!. Also, I made a Podcast about my Easter meal. My Podcast can be heard on Soundcloud and YouTube (Real Food Real People). It is titled Easter Brunch 2020 (Rainy Day).
We are still quarantined but we are holding up well. The curfew is still 2 pm to 5 am every day. In Cuenca, beginning Monday, April 13th, taxi drivers have to be back at home by 11:30 am Monday-Friday. Our taxi driver friends who live in Paute can drive Monday-Friday because they received special permission from the government in Paute. When I go to any Supermaxi Supermarket in Cuenca, everyone stands in a line (single file) six feet apart from each other. Supermaxi opens at 7:30 am and closes at 12:30 pm (approximate hours) every day. The weekends are for essential workers and anyone who can get to Supermaxi without a car. Almost no one can drive on Saturday and Sunday. At Coral (similar to Walmart), it is rumored that customers have to have their temperature taken before entering. The security people are nice and provide gloves. Vendors sell masks for $1.00 each. US currency is used in Ecuador. Ecuador also uses the metric and English systems of measurement.
There are twenty-four Provinces in Ecuador. The Province of Guayas (the capital is Guayaquil...Ecuador's largest city) has the strictest quarantine. Only four out of twenty funeral homes are open. I know most of you have seen pictures of bodies piling up in the streets. Some of this may have to do with the homes being closed and nowhere to take the bodies. Guayaquil is a tropical climate. It gets warm and few homes have air conditioning. People have been locked up without fresh air or the sun in terrible conditions. Not unexpectedly, many senior citizens are dying...not necessarily of COVID 19.
We cannot visit the coast until the quarantine is lifted. On Wednesday, April 15th the Ecuadorian government is going to decide on what to do next about the quarantine. People are protesting in Quito (capital) and Guayaquil. If the quarantine goes into May, the damage to the local economy most likely will cause some civil unrest. The economy will go into complete collapse if the quarantine goes into June...according to Economist Martin Armstrong. We await the future with the hope that our leaders will make the right decisions.
Randy, Kobe, and I had a very nice Easter Day. We just took it easy and relaxed for the most part.
The only "glitch" on this day is when our neighbor's water tank ran dry. Randy and Kobe repaired the water tank so our neighbors (The Garcia-Lucero) family could continue to have water. They live on the Gualaceo side. We live on the Paute side. The Paute River divides us.
Randy mainly played games on his laptop and watch YouTube videos. Kobe played games on his computer and napped. I posted fun stuff on my Facebook account, attended a virtual Yoga class, and hosted a Facebook Watch Party in my Facebook group, Shake Your Booty!. Also, I made a Podcast about my Easter meal. My Podcast can be heard on Soundcloud and YouTube (Real Food Real People). It is titled Easter Brunch 2020 (Rainy Day).
We are still quarantined but we are holding up well. The curfew is still 2 pm to 5 am every day. In Cuenca, beginning Monday, April 13th, taxi drivers have to be back at home by 11:30 am Monday-Friday. Our taxi driver friends who live in Paute can drive Monday-Friday because they received special permission from the government in Paute. When I go to any Supermaxi Supermarket in Cuenca, everyone stands in a line (single file) six feet apart from each other. Supermaxi opens at 7:30 am and closes at 12:30 pm (approximate hours) every day. The weekends are for essential workers and anyone who can get to Supermaxi without a car. Almost no one can drive on Saturday and Sunday. At Coral (similar to Walmart), it is rumored that customers have to have their temperature taken before entering. The security people are nice and provide gloves. Vendors sell masks for $1.00 each. US currency is used in Ecuador. Ecuador also uses the metric and English systems of measurement.
There are twenty-four Provinces in Ecuador. The Province of Guayas (the capital is Guayaquil...Ecuador's largest city) has the strictest quarantine. Only four out of twenty funeral homes are open. I know most of you have seen pictures of bodies piling up in the streets. Some of this may have to do with the homes being closed and nowhere to take the bodies. Guayaquil is a tropical climate. It gets warm and few homes have air conditioning. People have been locked up without fresh air or the sun in terrible conditions. Not unexpectedly, many senior citizens are dying...not necessarily of COVID 19.
We cannot visit the coast until the quarantine is lifted. On Wednesday, April 15th the Ecuadorian government is going to decide on what to do next about the quarantine. People are protesting in Quito (capital) and Guayaquil. If the quarantine goes into May, the damage to the local economy most likely will cause some civil unrest. The economy will go into complete collapse if the quarantine goes into June...according to Economist Martin Armstrong. We await the future with the hope that our leaders will make the right decisions.
This is me...staying positive. On a positive note, we did discover fresh Aloe Vera. Works wonders for the skin, hair, nails, etc.
Randy and Lucky (boy). Our dogs keep Randy's spirits up. Dogs make the hard times so much easier!
Our 18-year-old son, Kobe, is alive and well. He has adjusted to having longer hair. I love it when he strikes a pose.
Our house as seen through the fence of our scenic spot and one of the many trails. The Paute River is in the background.
Cookie (girl) (foreground); Background: Lucy (girl) (left) and Lucky (boy) right. Micaiah (girl) (not pictured) is in the backyard. She has plenty of room in the backyard. She can climb the hills.
Our pond and waterfall (COLOR SWAP effect). Cookie (girl) is in the foreground. The dogs love to drink from the pond. We have our own spring.
Lemons from the Farmer's Market in Paute. I enjoy making fresh lemonade. Lots of Vitamin C.
The entrance to our driveway. COLOR SWAP effect Freddy Rokano of Paute painted the Happy Trails sign.
This is the brunch I made for myself to celebrate Easter. Angel Hair Spaghetti, Fried Chicken (Broaster),
White Potatoes, Celery, Cucumbers, Carrots, Snow Peas. Healthy and delicious.
Hi, Laura,
ReplyDeleteI read your entire blog entry here and it was very interesting! Amazing facts about the quarantine in Ecuador. Compared to USA those are severe rules. We sort of self-quarantine here in no. California. But restaurants are only open for takeout. Non essential stores are closed. We can go out to shop for food and pharmacy & doctor appt. Many doctors visits are by phone only. I loved your Easter meal! Tell me how do you eat the pasta? It it plain or with oil or light sauce.
Enjoyed your blog very much!
~Susie Kurth Kirk
Thank you for your reply! Yes, Ecuador is much stricter than the USA. I am glad you told me how things are in Northern California. It would be nice if Ecuador was less strict. My son, Kobe, made the pasta. After cooking the angel hair pasta, mixes extra virgin olive oil with the pasta. I enjoy sharing my meals with others. My Podcast is Real Food Real People which is available in my Real Food Real People Podcast Group (Facebook), Food Food Food (Facebook Fan Page), Soundcloud website, and YouTube.
Delete