MOVE!!

Today was moving day. A peaceful Sunday in the city was less so in our borrowed apartment. On the top floor terrace, there is a shared American washer and dryer. Generally, on Sunday mornings I have heard the washing machine going as early as 8am. By 7:30, I had the first load in. There is nothing worse than coming home from an extended vacation and having to deal with unpacking suitcases and having piles of laundry to deal with. 

After washing our bed linens and light towels, the second load included some red pillowcases, dark towels and bath mats. I have forgotten how huge an American washer can be. European ones are much smaller and dryers in homes are a rarity. 

Since I was in the washing spirit and Ron was off to church, I did a third load of our clothes as well. There is a washer and dryer in our new apartment; why bother packing up dirty clothes when we do not have to. 

Beds were made, bathrooms wiped clean, sofa cushions straightened, runner put back on the dining room table, double-checked all windows were locked and off we went. More bags leaving then coming, we were carrying groceries we had bought and of course, the garbage had to go out to.

Great fortune was with us. We found a taxi immediately. This was our first female taxi driver in Ecuador. Unfortunately, she had no clue where the address was. Ron showed her on a map; she asked for directions a couple of times. Funny, the meter started at $1.47 and never moved. When we arrived, it was a $3 fare, which I know is about $1 too much. 

We are here in our new digs. There are three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a well-equipped kitchen and a very spacious living room/dining room. With the window open, we can hear the river rushing by. It drowns out any traffic noise, but this corner apartment has less traffic going by than the last apartment.  What there is, is somewhat

drowned out by the sounds of the river. Soothing and relaxing, it is. 

Ron needed a Superbowl fix. I found a restaurant called Common Grounds where they were catering to expats. We went there around 6:30, but it was already packed to the gills. We had passed an Ecuadorian restaurant where the displays outside showed they catered to sports events. When we went in, sure enough they had the game on multiple large screen TVs around the restaurant. There were only three people at the bar watching and one family in another room. We stayed until half time, but the show was a major disappointment. 

Back here, we watched a movie while listening to the river out our window. I am anticipating a great night of sleep.

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