Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!!

We usually make our own St. Patrick's Day cards, but that isn't really an economical thing to do from Ecuador, the postage is $2.00 to the US, and delivery can be several weeks, sometimes months before it gets delivered to the States.  So we are sending some pics of Ireland taken during our trips there.  The quality of some of the pic's aren't great, most are scans I did on our home scanner.  They aren't really in any order, but I wanted to start with this one.  My Mom took it of my Grandmother on our first family trip to Ireland in 1972, it was the first time my Grandmother had seen her brother Brian in many, many years.

Brigid King and Her Brother Brian O'Malley

Me at age 11, my Mom and my Grandmother standing on my Grandmother's land on Clare Ireland, 1971.

My brother Michael helping to bring in the hay on my Father's family farm, 1978

                             
                                 The Free Derry Square, Derry City, Co. Derry Northern Ireland

Dunluce Castle at Sunset, County Antrim, Northern Ireland.

                                                          My Mom sitting in front of Dunluce Castle

                                     
                                                Customs House, Dublin, Ireland

A road leading into Connemara, desolute beauty.

County Galway, Ireland

                            Drombeg Stone Circle, County Clare. 

This site has been Carbon dated to 945-830, B.C.  It is similar to Newgrange in the fact that the recumbent stone is placed to align with the rising sun on the Winter Solstice. 

Glendalough, County Wicklow, a mystical place. It dates back to the 12th century.

Flowers growing in the mist in Connemara, County Galway, Ireland.

 A view from the Skelligs, County Kerry, Ireland. 

This monastic settlement dates back to the 7th century.

                                            Poulnabrone Dolmen, County Clare.  Also known as Druid's Altars, this

                                            one is believed to have been constructed anytime time between 4200 B.C.

                                            and 2900 B.C.

                                            Monasterboice Round Tower and High Crosses, County Louth, Ireland. 

               The complex dates back to the early 6th century

                                 My sister Kathleen and the caretaker at the top of the Round Tower.
 

                                           
                                             Our view from the Round Tower, once in lifetime chance!

                                    The Children of Lir Sculpture in the Garden of Rememberance,  it depicts the legend of the King of Lir and his children turning into swans. 

 Dublin, Ireland.

                                      

                                            Grace O'Malley's Castle, Clare Island, County Mayo, Ireland.

My Grandmother, Brigid O'Malley- King,and my father's Family, The Murray's all lived on this Island.  The "castle" dates to the 16th century.

The Clare Island Lighthouse, County Mayo, Ireland

                                    

                             Monument to Michael Collins, this is the place on the road where he was ambushed and  murdered.  County Cork, Ireland

                          
                                             Famine Memorial along the River Liffey, Dublin, Ireland.
                                                                    Extremely moving.

Close-up of the Famine Memorial In Dublin.  Such Sorrow.

This is a close-up of the gates to a Famine Cemetery on the outskirts of Sligo Town, County Sligo, Ireland. 

  
                                                  Michael hanging on the roadside on Clare Ireland.

         
                                       Trees like this are sometimes called famine trees, because they
                                    grow and flourish in harsh condions. Unknown location, Ireland

                                     
                                                       Glendalough, Co. Wicklow, Ireland

Lady of the Lakes, Killarney, Co, Killarney, Ireland

                                             The Rock of Cashel at dusk, County Cahsel, Ireland

The Rock of Cashel, Co. Cashel, Ireland

Red Boat on Killarney Lake, Co. Killarney, Ireland.

Statue on the O'Connell Street Bridge, Dublin, Ireland.

The Infamous Prison in Dublin Ireland

The interior of the prison where the patriots were housed before being executed in the yard area. 

It was also the setting of the movie in the Name of the Father, Daniel Day-Lewis was the star f the film.

                                           A view from Dunluce Castle, County Antrim, Ireland

Carrying in the Curraugh, Aran Islands, Co. Galway, Ireland

A view of The Giant's Causeway.

 

A Flower Window Box on the island of Inishbofin, County Galway, Ireland.

Newgrange, a passage tomb. 

It pre-dates The Giza Pyramids by 600 years, and Stonehenge by 1000 years.  The interior illuminates on the winter solstice.  Some say it was the inspiration for the scene in the first Indiana Jones movie when he places his staff in the receptacle in the tomb.

I cannot even begin to give you the history of it.  It is by far the most incredible ancient structure we have ever seen.  Google it, you will be amazed.
County Meath, Ireland.

We hope you enjoyed our little tour of Ireland.  Happy St. Patrick's Day.

Fishing In Cuenca and a thought on one thing I miss- driving a car.

Our home is in a small community.  Most people / taxi drivers don't even know it exists.  Taxi drivers will comment when they come into our gated community and say it is "Muy bonito".   Our little enclave is built  along a  river named "Rio Tomebamba", it is one of the four rivers that run through Cuenca.  The community is a lovely place to live and we can stroll to the river in about 6 -7 minutes from our front door.  

Michael has always been interested in fly fishing so  he ordered fly fishing gear from Orvis and had it delivered to his Mom's home in Florida.  When we came back from the States after the holidays, we brought our new fly fishing gear home with us.

Michael has gone out to the river several times to practice casting.  He doesn't really care if he catches a fish, he is out there standing on the bank of a beautiful river, fishing.  How cool is that?

We went fishing together one Saturday morning, and found a place that was suitable for casting the poles, so we fished. 

Rio Tomebamba

Michael in action fly fishing

Me getting ready to make my first fly fishing cast.

Michael chose to stand on a huge rock, and suggested that I stand on an area on the shore where I could cast into a moving pool of water.  I threw a few casts out, lost two lures on rocks and trees (fly fishing means you have to be able to whip the line around, and this place is loaded with Eucalyptus trees).  

Suddenly I felt a tug on my line,  OMG, I had a fish. I got excited and shouted to Michael, he started calling out helpful stuff to me as he came over to my fishing spot.  "Hold the pole up, be gentle, keep pulling the line in". 

We got a fish.  It was a rainbow trout from the cool, sparkling waters that flow down from the Caja Mountains. 

It wasn't huge, but we had a nice lunch that day.

My Rainbow Trout

Our plan is to go to the Caja's National Park next week and try our hand at more fishing.  The Caja's are beautiful, so even if we don't catch a thing, it will be a great day trip.

A THOUGHT ABOUT SOMETHING I MISS:

I don't know why, but the other day I decided that I miss driving a car.  I really, really don't miss sitting in rush hour traffic on the Interstate, or trying to negotiate snowy, icy streets.  I just miss driving.   

Specifically, I miss the first warm weeks of spring in the midwest, when you start driving with the windows all the way down.  No more warming up the car on cold winter mornings.  The time before the approaching Summer months when you have to blast the A/C.  

For those few weeks in April and May, you get to feel the breeze in your hair and play the stereo a little louder.   I miss that.

Since we have been married we have owned two pick-up trucks, a Dodge Dakota and a Chevy S10, a Honda Accord that my mom gave to us, a Ford Focus Wagon, a Honda Element, a 1994 Harley Davidson Heritage Softtail, and a 1972 Volkswagon Westfalia Camper.  I miss them.

The Harley that we spent many wonderful afternoon and evening rides on. 
It also took us to two Harley Davidson Anniversary Celebrations, the 95th,
and the 100th.

Our Honda Element that we took to go camping and kayaking at Paradis Marin in Quebec 7 times. 

Our Westafalia.  It cracked us up when we drove around in it, kids that were not even born until the 90's would be giving us the "peace" sign as we drove by. 

It was definitely a Greatful Dead Bus.

You COULD NOT pay us to drive in Cuenca.  The traffic is crazy, it reminds me of what the wild west might have been like. If there is no oncoming traffic, even the bus drivers will make a left on red, and when the light is green, whoever gets to the intersection first, does what ever they want, U-turns, lefts, rights, whatever, and they had better do it fast or the guy behind them BLARES the horn. 
There are lanes painted on the streets, but like stop signs and stop lights, they are really simply suggestions. 

Life in Cuenca means taking buses, cabs or walking.  All are OK.  The buses cost a quarter, and once you know your way around, you can get to most of places you need to go to.  Cabs are inexpensive and most of  the drivers want to help you learn Spanish, or want to practice their English, and walking is great for our health. 

I just miss driving sometimes.

The last few weeks my Mom was with us in Cuenca

We moved into our new home in Cuenca on December 1st, and then we left for Florida on December 8th for the holidays.  We returned to Cuenca on January 7th and my Mom came to Ecuador with us.  We had lots of "house" things to take care of; get our internet set up, coordinate our utilities, delivery of furniture (more on that in a later blog), you know, life as it needs to be dealt with.
So to take a break from the normal day to day things, we decided to take a trip out of the city, we scheduled a tour to Ingapirca.  We had been there with my cousin Dan in August,  this time we decided to take the trip with a different  tour company, we thought we might learn additional history regarding the Inca's and the site. 

Our tour started at a Sunday market in a town named Canar, Canari's are the original people of the area, they pre-date the Inca's. The market was crazy busy, people selling grains, fruit, clothing, hardware, EVERYTHING.  We watched in awe at the activity.  

PIC's FROM CANAR:

These women are wearing the traditional Canari hat.  The hats have little "balls" hanging from them, if the balls are worn on the front, it means the woman, or man, is married.

Young Canari ladies, the "little balls" are on the back of their hats, which means they are not married. It reminds me of the tradition regarding the proper way to wear a Claddaugh ring.

The fruit and vegetables in these kinds of markets are amazing, the cabbages are the size of basketballs!!

What a great face!!

We thought the hats were so cool we bought one for a "decoration" for the house.  I am not sure what happened to the exposure on this pic, but I thought it was funny.

ON TO INGAPIRCA:

We traveled on to Ingapirca, the ride was beautiful.
 My Mom took this pic of the scenery along the way.

Our tour guide was great and we learned alot, those Inca's were amazing.

It was a beautiful day, but every so often during our tour,

the clouds would roll in.

This "road" is acutally part of the Inca Trail to Macchu Picchu, young men would travel this path to deliver messages back and forth.

Mom and me at Ingapirca



Temple of the sun, the main structure of Ingapirca



Mom, "chilling" at the Temple of the Sun.

Mom took this nice picture of us.

We learned that some of the stones have a greenish hue due to high Copper content.

Truly amazing how the stones were put in place and remain perfect.

My Mom's hat traveled around Ecuador, she looked great in it. 

We had lunch at Posada Ingapirca, great trout.  We had considered staying at this "Posada" = hotel to get a chance to see the sunrise over the ruins, we have since learned that the place is FREEZING at night.  Oh well, the lunch was good.

A pic of some young women strolling around the ruins.

We got back to life in Cuenca and decided we needed some additional plants for our patio, so we called our trusty friend and taxi driver Manny.  He took us to a nursery and negotiated the prices for us, our plants were delivered the following day for $3.00.  My Mom, Michael and I got busy potting plants. 

A few pics.

A NEIGHBORHOOD PARTY:

Michael and I are the only Americans living in our little community, and we were invited to a neighborhood barbecue while my Mom was here.  Our neighbors are really nice and super accepting of our very limited Spanish.  We had a great time and met some nice folks.

Pics from the party:

My Mom was going home on the 7th of February, so we headed out for the three hour bus ride through the Caja's to Guayaquil on the 6th.  When we got to Guayaquil we knew we would only have one more day together, so we went exploring.  We found a beautiful Cathedral that was only two blocks from our hotel, on a Monday afternoon, people were praying in the church to the various saints, it was amazing and inspiring. 

After exploring the Cathedral, my Mom and I sat in the park across the street, it is known for the Iguanas that live there.  Apparently at some point in time, this park was the city limits and the Iguanas came in from the surrounding wetlands and took up residence in the park, they are beloved residents of Guayaquil.  I didn't carry a camera with me that day, so I "borrowed" the following pictures.

The Cathedral in Guayaquil

We strolled around the Malecon and ran into a friend from Cuenca, she was also an extra in the short film Michael was in last summer.   Small world, she was on her way to Macchu Picchu!! 

Parque Simon Bolivar, also known as "Iguana Park"

When my Mom checked in at the airport, she was informed that she had been selected to have an "additional" search before she could board the plane.  OK,  you have seen my Mom's pic's.  No ugly beard, no flowing white robes, she doesn't look like a drug mule or terrorist to me.  Oh well, Ecuador, who knows why they do the stuff they do.

I am so happy that my Mom came to Cuenca, now she understands why we like it so much.  She has decided that she wants to learn Spanish so that when she returns, she will be able to communicate with the lovely people here. 

My Mom went home, and I miss her.

Life is short, cherish the time you have with the people you love.