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Dad & Benny
How cute is this? My Dad calls Benny his "chick magnet". He's a 10 lb dog with a 100 lb personality -The love of Dad's life, Benny was a gift from my sister -- great call, Claire.Arriving in LA, Claire was at the airport to meet me. It was nice to spend a couple of days with her and Sam in their lovely beachfront apt. I enjoyed catching up with my nephew a bit, and taking long walks along the beach with Claire. She drove me down to Dad’s place, about an hour south. It’s always an interesting experience to spend a week in Dad's Leisure World Senior Community and get a glimpse of his daily routine. I camped out on a futon on his living room floor, went walking with him and his sweet doggie Benny, met lots of his friends, and was a special guest at his weekly Scrabble and Cribbage Club meetings. In preparation for the tournaments, Dad and I played lots of Cribbage together (I didn't manage to beat him even once!) and several games of Scrabble (he never won a single game--I'm a bad daughter!) My dad stopped driving last year, so on Friday evening we were chauffeured to synagogue by his 94 year-old friend Walter. When I asked Walter how he was doing, his response made me chuckle - “Any better I’d be twins!”
One
Mandy & Noble
Mandy was my next door neighbor when I first moved to Atlanta in 1996. Now living in Denver with her growing family, it was great to catch up! She's the cutest new Mommy, and Kristian is a smitten Dad!! morning I took a 4 mile walk around the perimeter of the Leisure World grounds, marvelling in the well-tended gardens and kitschy statues which personalize each of the units. Dad and I went out for several meals with his friend Joanne - every morning he walks his dog with her and her dog, Rennie. On my last afternoon at Leisure World, Joanne invited a French friend of hers over and we set up a table and chairs under a tree on the lawn in front of her Leisure World condo - Le Petit Bistro, we called it.
Next I flew to Denver where I visited with my former Atlanta neighbor, Mandy. She and hubby Kristian recently welcomed Noble, their precious baby boy. It was so nice to catch up with them and see how they’ve fixed up their 100 yr old house, located on a lovely tree-lined street in one of Denver’s historic neighborhoods. Mandy had to leave early the next morning for work, so Kristain and I took a long walk around their neighborhood with Noble in the baby carrier and their dog, Cash, on his leash. Kristian is an architect, so it
Jody & Jim's Garden
Since I last visited them in Eldorado Canyon 3 yrs ago, Jody and Jim remodeled their house, adding 2 story picture windows with this view! I love the xeriscape gardens in thr foreground. was interesting to hear about the historic homes and their subsequent renovations from his perspective.
That afternoon, I took a bus towards Boulder where my cousin Jody met me. Jody & her husband Jim have an amazing house in Eldorado Canyon, a place of remarkable natural beauty just south of Boulder. Since I last visited, they've remodeled their home - opening the front and putting in ceiling to floor windows which look out into the fabulous rock formations of the canyon. They used to have a rental apt downstairs, but they've taken over that space and turned it into a guest suite, play area, and media room. In the evenings, Jody and I would watch films together. I hadn’t realized how much I miss movies!
I really enjoyed doing puzzles and playing games with their 5 year-old daughter, Arabella. Such a fun age and she’s a bright, lively, lovely girl. We immediately hung the hammock I’d brought them from Ecuador, and Arabella and I had fun swinging, pushing each other and counting the pushes in Spanish and French and English! She has a new swingset in the front yard
Hammock Hang-out
Arabella & I are chillin' on the deck in Eldo. I brought hammocks for several friends I visited....nice to give the gift of relax! that she calls her "structure".
We went to the Boulder Farmer’s Market one morning - a great way to see a slice of the culture of this notoriously liberal and hyper-environmentally aware city. Jody & Arabella also took me on a beautiful hike up and around the canyon - fantastic views every step of the way. Later in the week while Jody was at work, I took my friend Scott on the same hike. Scott had been a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ecuador and is now living in Denver. It was fun to reconnect with him, and also with my friend Chad - actually the son of a teaching colleague from Scotland days. I met Chad when he was 9 years old, and he’s now in his early 30’s! He’s been living in Boulder for 6 years now, and it’s fun to catch up with him. Chad came over to Jody’s one night when we made African food (we prepared Gilbert’s famous chicken/spinach/peanut sauce recipe). Several neighbors came over as well and a delicious time was had by all.
Jim was out of town so, Jody loaned me
Eldorado Canyon Views
Great hiking just outside Jody's door. Eldorado Canyon is a rock climber's paradise; it was interesting to watch them scaling rock faces. his car and while Jody was working I was able to do some shopping. It’s hard to find clothes my size in Ecuador so I was glad to find a few things. One of my last afternoons in Eldorado Canyon I took myself for a swim in the Artesian Pools. Heavenly to float in clean, cool water and look up and the hills and rocks above.
One of the reasons I wanted to include Colorado on my summer itinerary was to visit with some of the Engineers Without Borders who had come to work in Ecuador over the past three years. More than 20 of the volunteers who had spent time in Malingua Pamba gathered at a chic Boulder tapas restaurant for a happy hour reunion. It was so great to see everyone and reminisce about our memorable village experiences. One of the engineers from the first group of volunteers, Erin, drove me back to Denver after the gathering and invited me to stay at her lovely 1925 home. It was great to see her with her delightful baby boy, Jack. I enjoyed visiting with Jack's nanny the next morning - a college
Scott & Bella
Scott was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ecuador but has now returned to Colorado. He came to Eldo one day and we took a great hike with Bella the dog (she had just been playing in a muddy creek!) student majoring in music, she showed me how she carves her own oboe reeds from bamboo. The things your learn about when you're out and about in the world!!
I was happy to reconnect with Madelyne, a Denver accountant who had come down to visit Ecuador earlier this year. We first made contact when she read my blog while she was planning her trip. She and her husband, George, along with another couple, came to stay at Mandala and brought along donations for the little school. Madelyne and I lunched at a hip new restaurant, Fuel, which was located in the renovated taxi depot. You know how sometimes new friends feel like old friends you’ve known a long time? That’s how it felt with Madelyne!
My last night in Denver I was able to spend a bit more time with Mandy and family before I hopped the SuperShuttle van to the airport for my short flight to Reno. Exiting the plane at Reno airport, I was floored by the sight of slot machines and drunken tourists gambling right in front of the boarding gate!! I had to walk
Engineers without Borders Reunion
It was such fun to see all of these old friends again, this time on their turf. We share some amazing experiences in the Andes village of Malingua Pamba. through a casino to get to the baggage claim area. Tamara was waiting for me in the airport’s “cell phone lot” - so I called her to drive around and pick me up. My cell phone was still on roaming, and those $1.20 / minute calls sure added up (now back in Ecuador, I just opened up the Roaming Blackberry bill - $169 - gulp! )
Tamara (Chaco’s other Ecuador mommy) is living in Truckee, on the California side of Lake Tahoe. She’s renting a room in a rustic home on a wooded lane. One evening we walked down to the end of her street for a swim in the reservoir. Twice during my visit with her we had supper at The Drunken Monkey, a Japanese restaurant where she had been waitressing. Lots of delicious sushi. Tamara’s boyfriend, Brian, arrived for the weekend (he works in Portland during the week). He arrived on the train, which only goes as far as Auburn. Looking at a map, I realized that my friend Diane was living in Nevada City, right on the way to Auburn so I had Tamara drop me off for a visit
Erin, Jack & Ben
Since the first group of Engineers came to Ecuador 3 years ago, there have been lots of life changes. Erin & Drew had baby Jack!! with Diane and her new hubby. I hadn’t seen her in 6 years, so we had a lot of catching up to do.
On their way back from the train station, Tamara and Brian joined us for a tour of the Co-Housing Community where Diane & Walter are living. Co-housing is a movement which started in Scandanavia several decades ago. It’s not exactly communal living, but the layout of the row houses encourages interaction between the families who live there. Parking, storage and mailboxes are located in common areas, and the residents coordinate community suppers in a main hall several times a week. It was really interesting to glimpse this alternative way of living, and meet some of the people who have chosen to live there. When I had last seen Diane, she had just joined the planning and building committees - one of the visionaries who brought this community into being. It was a mild summer night so we all strolled into town. Nevada City is an old gold rush town, fixed up for tourism so it looks like a movie set (in fact, several films have been shot there). We had
Tamara & Brian
I finally got to meet Mama T's beau. She met him just before she left Ecuador, and they're going strong! coffee and pastries in a funky café, then Tamara, Brian, and I made our way back to Truckee.
The next day we went to the visitors’ center at Donner Lake (cheesy old-time film about the famous Donner Party who resorted to cannibalism to survive a pioneer journey across the Donner Pass). Then we took a dip in Donner Lake - icy cold and refreshing! The following day we were invited to spend the day on Lake Tahoe out on a friend’s boat. It was a brand new elegant speed boat, and they’d rigged up the aft with a 900 lb rubber bag full of water to weight down one side of the rear of the boat. Why would somebody want to do that, you ask. Well, I was introduced to a sport called wake surfing. I wasn’t daring enough to try it myself, but it was very cool watching the athletic young set (most of the others on the boat were half my age!!) The wakesurfer starts out being pulled by a rope crouched on a short surfboard.
Early one morning. Tamara drove me around the
Wake Surfing - the endless wave
Here's a new sport - and Tamara mastered it on the first try! The speedboat wake makes a perfect curl. south end of Lake Tahoe (stunning views!) all the way to Gardenerville, Nevada where my brother and his family was visiting with old friends of theirs. They have a seed farm, and it was fascinating to tour their land and see how they operate their business. I said good-bye to Mama T and made the drive to Yosemite with Bob and Kate and Holden. We stopped for a picnic lunch at Lake Tenaya on the way to meet up with the rest of the family. My Dad and Claire and Gilbert had already arrived at Curry Village, a tent cabin camp on the Yosemite Valley floor. It's so nice that Gilbert (my "wasband") is including in family gatherings, and I really enjoyed seeing him and catching up on his life. He has a condo in Atlanta and is working in the mailroom at KPMG, the accounting firm that my brother has worked at for over 20 years.
It was really nice to be all together as a family (my brother Lee & his family in New Jersey were not able to join us). Way back in the 1960's, my family used to go
A Wild Tahoe Tube Ride!
I was only brave enough to try the whitewater tubing pulled behind the speedboat! Six year-old Zac taught me all I needed to know! up to Yosemite every summer for our family vacation. It was nice to return, relive some old memories, and remember my Mom in one of her favorite places. Yosemite is a place of remarkable natural beauty. The massive rock formations of Half Dome and El Capitan tower over the valley floor. We took an excellent guided tour on an open tram, taking in the views and learning about the history of the valley. We visited the beautiful Awahnee Hotel, the Ansel Adams gallery, and one of the park's nature centers. One day we all set off on a hike up Vernal Falls. Dad and I only made it partway up (very steep hike at high altitude) and we enjoyed a leisurely stroll back to Curry Village along a shady pathway.
It was great to spend the first 2 nights in the national park, admiring wildlife and marvelling at the soaring cliffs which rose up all around. The next 3 nights we went to Camp Tuolomne, a more rustic family camp where we spent the summers of my youth. Tuolomne was started by the City of Berkeley over 80 years ago, and it still
At Inspiration Point, Yosemite
Here we are, the spectacular seven intrepid adventurers, with the breathtaking Yosemite valley just behind us. retains the flavor and traditions I remember from the 60's. Mealtimes are always fun with family-style service, college student servers, songs, recognition (which kids met the requirements to become Tuolomne rangers, who jumped off the big rock into the swimming hole, who was having a birthday, etc) and farewells to departing families. The Berkeley crowd is an interesting bunch, always lively conversation! My 83 year-old father made best friends with 8 month-old Kelly who would gurgle and chuckle and stare up at him adoringly each time he held her!
Refreshing floats in the swimming hole, strolls along the river, playing cards and scrabble, making lanyards in arts and crafts, reading in the green chair circle, playing basketball, volleyball, frisbee golf - so many ways to relax and enjoy Camp Tuolomne. So nice to sleep out under the stars on the porch of the tent cabin…that is until it started raining on the last night! The outdoor stone showers were delicious after a hot and sweaty day. The comical staff show on the last night was a take-off of Snow White set to Beatles’ music. Ah, summer camp - it’s still fun as an
Look up! Seen frm Curry Village
Sitting outside our tent cabin at, we had amazing views like this in every direction. adult, and so fun to see it all through the eyes of Gilbert (his first time at a place like this)!
I rode back down to Los Angeles in the posh rental van with Claire & Dad & Gilbert. I carefully packed and repacked, weighing each of my suitcases and carry-on bags to make sure I didn’t exceed the baggage allowance (just squeaked in under the mark without having to pay any additional fees!). I was brining back vitamins and nutritional supplements for several friends (you can get Glucosamine in Ecuador but it’s horrifically expensive…and those huge horse capsules weigh a LOT in large quantities!) Bought myself some comfortable shoes (I’m on my feet a lot as a hotel manager). All zipped up and ready to go.
My last night in LA I was able to visit with another old friend….Kelly and I met in a German course at University of Arizona in 1984. She now teaches in LA and I enjoyed spending time with her and her 3 little white rescue dogs… she fosters them and then can’t bear to give them away! We went to
Family Hike in Yosemite
Setting off for Vernal Falls, Dad and I went only part of the way and then strolled back to Curry village on the flat. a movie at The Grove, a shopping center that looks like Disneyland’s Main Street. We bought our movie tickets from an automated vending machine, which spoke to us in a British accent (!?!). Kelly drove me to LAX late at night (my flight left at 2 am!!) and all went smoothly with connection in Panama City. COPA airlines (a partner of Continental) has a great track record for punctuality and customer service - I highly recommend them! They fly all over Latin America and it was neat to be amidst Spanish speakers from so many different countries.
As you can see, my month in the US was jam-packed with family, friends, and fun! I realized that a month is just about the right amount of time for me to visit the US -- I really felt ready to head back "home" to Ecuador! Thanks for reading - be sure you click "next" below to see more photos...I can never fit them all in with the text. By the way, I'm still waiting for LOTS of visitors down here south of the Equator!!!!!!!!
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Joan
non-member comment
Expect to be in Ec last week of Oct/first week in Nov. If you are ther, see Jean for details JK