Various Oregon Birding Piks: SETTLING IN

I’ve been anticipating when I could write this blog. We are now (5/21/24) legal residents of this special country of Ecuador. The paperwork process, from the time we met with our visa agent until we received our Cedulas, was 28 days. We hired a person named Ulises, who also happens to be the official legal translator for the Loja province. (Not sure where he learned his English). And so I had emailed him all the documents which needed translated ahead of time, so his time for us was only going to various offices to engage in the appropriate processes.

We ourselves only went to two offices : the first was to the next town over, Malacatos, to sign over POA to him and give him all our documents and passports, the 2nd and last was on the final day when we got our Cedulas at the Registro Civil.

It was really pretty straightforward since all our paperwork was in order. A Cedula is basically an ID Number, and legally proves we are temporary residents. In 21 months we will apply for permanent residency. Between now and then Rosie and I will need to take a 3.5 hour drive north to Cuenca where we will need to spend a few days getting our marriage certificate registered here in Ecuador. I will also need to provide the latest documentation from the US Social Security Office on payouts. Other than that, the authorities check to see that we have not committed any crimes or been out of the country for over 90 days.

Last night, just after we’d gone to bed, the cabin began shaking and vibrating. It lasted maybe 6-8 seconds. A few seconds afterward it dawned on us that it was an earthquake! (Buster slept right through it). Sure enough, on a small chat group I am part of, I learned that everyone else felt it also. Turns out the epicenter was about 50 miles to the north and 5.1 magnitude. Hmmm, do we really want to be here? I mentioned such to a friend in Oregon who said, “You could move back here and wait for the BIG ONE.” From talking to a few down here, it appears the Vilcabamba area is not on a major fault line, so no really big ones have been recorded here…….yet.

THE BLUE DOT IS WHERE WE LIVE

From time to time Ecuador makes the national news. We’ve learned first hand that what is presented in the USA is inaccurate, and/or biased. The legacy media must just be desperate to promote a new story, something that incites fear and doubt. We have not paid attention to such, and recommend you don’t either. Or if you want to get our take on what the news may be saying, ask us for our opinion.

We live in a cabin overlooking a river valley. It is a large, one room cabin, but sometimes we feel like we are glamping since we are used to a bigger house. The sun goes down here on the equator at 6:30 PM and comes up at 6:00 AM. So we have to get used to 11 1/2 hours of darkness. We are usually tired enough to go to bed around nine, but then wake up around 5:00, when it is still dark. Buster usually wants out then anyway, and he lets us know. If we buy a house I may put in a cat door so he can come and go at will, but run the risk of him hauling in mice to eat. Our cabin is in a large valley with high hills to the east and west. This means it gets light at least 2 hours before we see the sun, and the sun sets behind the mountain an hour before sunset.

The weather here is often on the hot side, around 80 degrees. Often on those hot, sunny afternoons I head for the pool to cool off. I won’t stay out there long because the sun is blaring down and with my light skin, it does not take long to bake. I dove in the other day and began hearing something like static electricity, and quickly realized I had not taken out my hearing aids. Thankfully they still work. We appreciate when there is a cloud cover and it is cooler. A few weeks ago it was quite windy, bringing in dark clouds. It finally began to rain which came down in buckets. We have a 5 gallon bucket outside for food scraps, and by the time the rain stopped the bucket was full! Last week I could see from our cabin that the river was brown and appeared to have more water. When I got down there the water level was probably 2.5 feet higher than usual. All that water and it did not rain here. But it did rain higher up in the Andes, and it must have really come down in torrents to raise the water level like it did.

I am usually up by 06:00 and make coffee, sit out in the hammock reading for an hour, then head to the river.

Often the sky is blue and it is so peaceful to watch the hillside across the valley receive the morning sun and to hear the birds. The usual birds I see and hear while resting in the hammock are Mockingbirds, Motmots, Orioles, Horneros, Doves, Fasciated Wrens and Saffron Finches. We are more or less settled in. Often when we go to town we buy something we’ll need in the long term. It is nice to not have much in the way of obligations, not needing to be somewhere. In a way it is nice to plan and enjoy life in your retirement. I recently joined a photography group. We go on a jaunt taking pictures one week, and share our results the next week - on Thursdays. We occasionally hike with the hiking group on Tuesdays. I have been asked to do a presentation of the common birds of the area to some homeschooling families, so that will be fun. Afterward they may want to go on a birding outing, so we shall see how much interest is drummed up.

The river is about 1/4 mile away, all downhill, and I go there every morning with my binocs and camera. Occasionally I get a decent pic. The other evening I was able to get pics of an otter.

I see the Whooping Motmots every day. I had put bananas out to feed the blue-gray tanagers, and now the motmots come as well. Sooo beautiful! They are so photogenic that I can’t resist the temptation, so end up taking pics of them all the time. (I ended up making a blog which all of you got)

Often when people spend a few weeks in another country, their digestive system lets them know it is unhappy with the change. We’ve both had to deal with Montezuma’s revenge. After that we also had some kind of respiratory bug. Being an RN I know what medications to use for these circumstances, and it is nice that one can get plenty of them over-the-counter here, antibiotics included.

As you know, birding is my hobby. In the area where we live it is not really that great for great birding. But there are places an hour away that are. I finally did get up to Cerro Toledo with the hiking group, but it was just too cloudy and windy at the top, so our hike started maybe 2 miles down from the top. I did see one new bird, a Rufous-headed Pygmy Tyrant.

RUFOUS-HEADED PYGMY-TYRANT

I have not met any other serious birders as yet. I think there are some in the city of Loja though I’ve yet to inquire. After we get a car I’ll inquire if other birders live nearby. I am toying with the idea of starting a birding group to go on outings once per month. I may also start a bird guiding business.

In mid April the electricity began cutting out. We learned that the rains have not been filling up the reservoirs so as to keep the hydro-electric plants going full bore. So they were shutting off our electricity from 8:00 AM - 12:00 noon. But in 2-3 weeks it has started raining more, and Ecuador is now buying electricity from Columbia, so it is not as much of a problem. We’ve heard other various related rumors as to why the shortage, but I won’t bother writing about such.

Here in the tropics the insect life is prolific. We have not found the biting insects to be overwhelming thankfully, just annoying at times. If you leave fruit out on the counter, the fruit flies will be there in no time. The ants are numerous. They come in all sizes. We had some kind of supplements in gel caps, and these tiny ants ate right through the gel caps! We bought one of the fly swatters which is shaped like a tennis racket and emits an electrical charge when you swat a fly. If you don’t pick the dead fly off the counter or floor, the ants will be there eating it in short order.

The door to our cabin is not flush with the floor, so ants and other insects can crawl right under, so we had gone to placing a sheet type of thing there to help prevent such. On our first morning there was this black slug type of thing about 4 inches long slithering along on the floor.

I’ve never seen anything like it. If it was a few feet long and a few inches wide, it could star in some sifi flick. He is now living in the septic tank. After a couple weeks we decided to buy some screening to tape up over the windows to prevent the insects from coming in. The morning after we put it up we noticed Buster was missing, so after inspecting one window, we determined he pushed his way out, the tape not holding it well enough. We have since decided to latch the windows so that they are still open, but not wide enough so he can get out. And at the time I write this, we have bought some “raid” ant spray, taped card-board to the bottom of the door, and spray the threshold area every few days. So now those little “hormidas” should be less pervasive.

If you read our first two blogs, you may be wondering just how our cat Buster is faring. I can tell you he is indeed a real trooper. He endured the move of 3 days of serious inconvenience and it did not take long to accept his new situation.

He knows his limits now and, as far as we know, has not gone off on any long jaunts away from our cabin. If it is a hot day, he will find a place in the shade to take a siesta. He is usually not very active until late in the day. In the evening he wants out. Luckily he comes in before 09:00 and we keep him in for the night. Around 05:00 (or before) he starts yowling to go out. But after the sun is up, he is ready to sleep, usually on our bed. We take him for walks down to the main house and back, and when we need to leave the premises, he sometimes follows us down to the volley ball court where he may wait until we return. We bought a 5 lb bag of dry cat food for him, and thankfully he gobbles it right down. Guess he likes the local cuisine. We just hope it is healthy stuff and not junk food for cats. We are glad we brought him. So he will live out the rest of his life here at the equator. We think he is happy. He has become more affectionate. With a new place to explore we could describe him as “Buster in Wonderland.”

We usually take the bus to town when we need to. It is 10 km away and costs us a buck each. (They use USA currency). It is a cash society, and only very large stores accept a credit card, and even then I need to give my passport # along with it. Not sure why if it works anyway? Ever wonder what happened to all those Sacajawea dollar coins? They are here in Ecuador and used freely and extensively. A one dollar bill is scarce. The ATM usually has funds, but occasionally does not. We opened up a bank account about 3 weeks after we’d arrived. It turns out they accept personal checks from our bank in Oregon, and for any amount we are told. However, it may take up to 10 days to clear. We are not sure if it is safer to wire funds here or write a check as just described.

Some parts of the culture here are simply foreign to us, but normal to them. For instance, breast feeding in public is perfectly acceptable. Here is a woman in the front seat of the bus nursing her infant.

I have seen plenty of nursing mothers with their babies. I have yet to see a baby bottle. All the infants and toddlers seem pretty robust as well.

Mayonnaise does not come in a jar here:

We see wasp/bee nests in many places. So far we’ve not been stung. And the bumblebees are huge! The grounds keeper here is Vinicio, and we’ve come to like him and appreciate his work. He is very self motivated, and with a few acres of grounds to keep up with, he does not lack for things to do. About a month after we’d been here, he scraped off a bees nest that was adhered to the side of one of the buildings. Soon after he came by with a bowl of honey comb, and so we tasted it, and were surprised at how good it was. The result…….the bees, needing a new location to make their next nest, decided the light fixture of our cabin porch was the ideal place. At least they are not aggressive and I could sit in the hammock undisturbed. I ended up placing a plastic bag over this group and in less than 24 hours they were all dead.

Tumeric/Curcumen plants grow right outside our door in the garden beds. We have used the small tubers to include in our juicing ventures.

There are numerous medium-sized brown birds called “Horneros” here. The name in Spanish means Bakery. It has something to do with the nest they make, which looks a lot like an earthen oven.

They are made out of wet mud and dead plants, and I am sure they make a new nest every nesting season. The reason being that the results last a few years, and so you often see 3-4 nests in the same tree. Those birds are often seen on the ground, and Buster likes to chase them. He has not caught one yet, but he has caught a dove. And the other night he brought home a rodent. I am not sure if this is a large mouse or a small rat?

A couple weeks after being here, we signed up for Spanish class - beginners. It is from 10:30 to 11:30 on Wednesdays. The bus comes by at 07:00 and again at 11:00, so that does not work. So we struck out for our first class, walking along the road, hoping to flag down a taxi. I stuck out my hand for the first car which came along, and he stopped. He did not speak English nor we Spanish, and it turned out to be the fastest ride we have ever taken to town, or anywhere in Ecuador for that matter. (White knuckle express!) However, a few days later we went to town with Angel, the owner here, and he was not far behind for speed. Not sure we’ll get used to such. Their driving habits simply do not reflect their many good traits.

On our first trip to town, right after getting out of a taxi, we saw Hernan, the taxi driver we used extensively here last winter. He saw us first and gestured a greeting. (Not actually sure I would have recognized him right away). What are the chances of that? A week later I was standing on the sidewalk, and Hernan comes driving by in a car, not in his taxi. He apparently has a foreigner who rents from him, and he takes her car out once a week. She does not like it. It is a JAC, which is some kind of Chinese economy car. He took us for a ride. He explained it was for sale and that I could probably get a good deal on it. He even let me drive it. But after consulting a few people, I decided it was not something I’d want.

A week later, while in town, we stopped at the local produce market we prefer, and who should be there but Blake and Britney Bowen. I’d been corosponding with her for over a year before we arrived last winter, went to their house for T-giving, and met Blakes dad on the plane to Catamayo. What are the chances that their vehicle was at the shop and they’d be in town at the same time as us? We also ran into Britney a few weeks later with her mom at the hardware store. Small town or some kind of pre-arranged coincidence?

On Wednesday, May 1, while in the city of Loja, we were at the large supermarket called Super Maxi. While waiting outside, I got to talking to a taxi driver. After piecing loose info together, I figured out he was the same taxi driver who gave us a lift back to Vilcabamba last winter with our visa lawyer, who he is good friends with. What are the chances of such a meeting in a city of 200K?

The language barrier: To make life easier, we must learn Spanish. We are taking the beginners class once a week, as well as studying on our own and engaging in conversations as we are able. Three years ago when I was at the coast, I wanted to commend the cook, so I asked the waitress, “Donde es la cochina.” (Where is the Pig!). No wonder she looked at me weird. I should have asked, “Donde es El Concinero?” (The Cook). I suspect there will be similar mistakes until we get better with Spanish.

The drivers to all vehicles often use their horn. We are used to it now. They simply use it as a way to remind another driver that the light is green, or I’m pulling out now, or it is time to go. In the states we usually use it because we are mad at another driver, or need to let another driver know they are out of line. We only use it when we must. Not so here.

A week or two after living here, I started noticing small, tan colored pieces of something on the porch, just outside the door each morning.

I’d sweep them off, and there would be more the next morning. I noticed the same thing on the ground alongside another building here, and then also noticed pieces of figs. Then I put it together that bats were bringing figs here, eating the insides, and some parts were ending up on the porch floor. Thankfully this only went on for about 2 weeks, and has not happened since. The other evening while relaxing in the hammock, I saw 4 bats fly out from between the sheet metal and the roof tiles. Oh well, guess as long as they don’t bother us we won’t worry about it.

Every other Saturday evening or so a few of us play ping-pong at Angel’s house. I used to play as a kid and my brothers and I got pretty good, my younger brother even doing some competing in the Air Force. However, at 70, my reflexes and coordination are far from what they used to be, so Angel’s son Sammy, who is about 12, whips my butt quite easily. He seems to enjoy such.

What do you think this is? An earing? Looks like it could be as shiny and gold as it is.

But no, it is a chrysalis. We usually know such as a cocoon. Something a caterpillar makes before he becomes a moth/butterfly. We found 2 of these on the same day, one of which I taped onto a bush at the corner of our cabin. We watched it but missed out when the butterfly emerged. Guess I could have put some netting around it so we could figure it out. Maybe next time/year. And how about this caterpillar?

This one is 6 inches long! Get a group of them together and I’ll bet they can do some damage. The locals hate them because they do so much damage.

We’ve now borrowed Angel’s car to go to town twice (well, if he is offering we may as well take advantage of such). On the way back the 2nd time, just as we were coming within site of our cabin, this rainbow was perched over it, as if a sign from heaven that we are where we are supposed to be. Guess I best remember that when hard times come.