I started this update yesterday morning. I was sitting writing it at my desk which overlooks the Tomebamba river. The views are fabulous and I think how lucky we are to have such a view. The early part of today was a beautiful sunny 23 degree day. I could see clearly to the mountains. No clouds or rain were on the horizon. You never can tell here - it often rains later in the afternoons, and that is exactly what it did. It absolutely bucketed down in some parts, and the water in the river rose very quickly to its highest level that we have seen since arriving here.

But I digress. In the morning, before it rained, I enjoyed the view and the people-watching. Women were busy washing in the river and a family nearby was washing their taxi cab. The Dad would take the bucket down to the river for water, and then the wife and daughter helped wash the car. I know this makes this place sound like a real third world country but it's not. Not everyone washes their clothes in the river or takes a bucket to collect water to wash their cars. This local custom, as one local mentioned, is also dying out and in the near future you will not see this being done.

I love shopping as it always amazes me at the price on items. Some are the same as at home and others are much cheaper. Here is some shopping trivia: I can now buy 12 roses for $2.25 at the supermarket. The price has actually gone up since we were here in February. A dozen cost me $1.45 then. They are cheaper at the flower markets in the city. And yesterday I bought two large sheets of Xmas paper, two black biros and a packet of sticky labels. The price for this was $1.00. I knew it was not going to be expensive but I was even a little surprised at how cheap this was.

There is really nothing much that I miss from my old home in Australia. My moisturizer may not be available here, but then I just make sure that any friends that come over from the US bring me some. People often ask what the bad things we find here are. Well to be quite honest with you I don't find anything bad. If it's not to my liking then it's my problem. I chose to move here and so I accept everything as it is, and enjoy the changes and challenges.

We have made a great new acquaintance in an English speaking taxi driver. He has a wonderful sense of humour and we recently employed him to drive us and our friends to the coast and back. He took us in his Father's Mitsubishi Montera so that we had plenty of room. On the way home we dropped our friends at Guayaquil as they were catching a flight back to Quito and we continued back to Cuenca - and talked non-stop all the way. The coast is quite warm compared to Cuenca and we asked why he did not use his air conditioning as this would be more comfortable, not only for temperature but also it would alleviate the noise and fumes from the passing traffic. He advised early in the trip that they it did not work but he was not sure. We had such a laugh when after we had dropped our friends at the airport and returned to a sweltering car, John decided to try-out the air-conditioning. Whooooo it worked brilliantly and we were able to drive home in absolute comfort. Even the driver laughed because he said he had never tried it before and only assumed it did not work. Air conditioners are rarely used in Cuenca. Then the next day after we returned to Cuenca he took us out again to show us a property in Gualacelo in his taxi.

But a funny thing happened on the way. The driver's phone rang and he stopped the car on the side of the road to answer it. His window was open as it was a warm day. John was in the front passenger seat. A passing car then went flying by and I felt something slap me in the face. It was mud. The passing vehicle had gone through a puddle right next to where we were parked, splashing dirty water. It came flying through the drivers open window, mostly hitting him and John, but also me in the back seat. It was so funny. The drivers side of the car was covered with mud and so was that side of his face and shirt. John had a white shirt on and it was also splattered. I got out of it very lightly with only a few splats on me and the back seat.

I have been noticing the great quality of life people enjoy here. Generally most offices and shops close for lunch from 1 - 3p.m. I am a great people-watcher. Now I have a great view from my desk. For example, I regularly notice a young man dressed in his business attire walking up and down in front of our apartment. Very casually I might add. Then the school bus stops and he greets his young daughter. He takes her bag and gives her a piggy-back home while she chats and hugs her Dad. We know that every school day, our friend leaves work at lunch time and collects his 3 year-old son from day care and also takes him home. It seems to me that these young Dads get to spend some quality time with their kids during the middle of the day. It could also be a de-stresser for the Dads as they concentrate on the child before going back to work. From my perspective, I think it is great because even if the fathers work later in the evening they have had the chance to spend some quality time with their children.

Hasta Luega Dixie