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Published: April 17th 2021
Birthday Carrot Cake
With lots of fresh grated ginger, craisins and not nuts. That's how I love it!! Super sunny day on the new Swiss Bistro outdoor patio! Even during a pandemic I managed to enjoy my bday! The day before (which is always Valentine's Day) fell on a Sunday so I arranged for an outdoor luncheon with 10 friends. The best restaurant in Baños, Swiss Bistro, had just re-opened in their new location -- the gardens of a lovely hotel (Ali Samay) - centrally located but not well-known (they mostly work with tour groups). I wanted to help the owner (my dear friend Patrick) jump-start his new and improved dining experience by re-introducing our gringo group to this formerly favorite establishment. A couple of the attendees didn't feel comfortable dining at the same table with so many others, so we arranged for a separate table for them a few meters away from the group. It was a bright, sunny day as we gathered to celebrate Valentine's Day, commemorate my birth, rejoice in the restaurant's re-opening, and enjoy the fine cuisine.
Patrick had helped me put together a special surf'n'turf menu for $20 per person. We started with cream of tomato soup flavored with lemon grass, followed by a slab of gently grilled salmon with a balsamic glaze alongside a
Scary Caves!!
My buddy Joaquin protected me as we explored the underground caverns with massive mosaic murals! hunk of perfectly cooked beef -- all served with sauteed veggies and potatoes au gratin. Pitchers of fresh lemonade & hibiscus blossom tea. The dessert was my creation - super dense, moist carrot cake studded with craisins and lots of fresh grated ginger. A delicious time was had by all. To use one of my Dad's favorite quotes, "The quality of the food was only exceeded by that of the company!"
On my actual birthday Mario, Melissa & Joaquin arrived from Quito to celebrate with me! We joined some friends at a big table in a private room for a pizza party. My favorite local Italian restauant (Carpe Diem di Verdi) had just reopened in a beautiful, spacious facility. Owner Filippo was very happy to receive us! Of course, another carrot cake for the second celebration! The next morning we all went to the hot springs together and spent the day enjoying Baños. The following day we set off on an excursion to Puyo, a town just over an hour away that is considered the gateway to the Amazon. They had never been, so I was excited to show them all
My Fave Family!
Joaquin, Meli & Mario in the hardwood hot tub at El Jardin Lodge in Puyo. Ahhh.... the wonders of the Ruta de las Cascadas - Waterfall Route - leading down to Puyo.
Of course we had to stop and visit the crazy mosaic caves and the observation tower overlooking the jungle. There's always something new to see there...this time huge butterfly chairs waiting to be mosaic tiled. We stayed at the best lodge in Puyo - El Jardin. My favorite part of the place (aside from the excellent food at their restaurant) are the wooden hot tubs located in the gardens of the hotel. Joaquin and I splashed around together before dinner, then he and his parents took a soak after the evening meal. Fun and relaxation!
Shana's grandson turned 18 during his visit to Baños. I asked if he might want to join me on a paragliding adventure to mark the occasion. His knee-jerk reaction was, "I'm afraid of heights" followed almost immediately by, "but I want to go!" He was finishing up his volunteer-internship at a fancy hotel in town, so we tried to coordinate our flight with his days off, but the weather would not
Fly Niton
Thank you, Edgar, for making this experience happen. You were an excellent tandem pilot! cooperate. Good thing he still had some time left before leaving because we had to wait more than two weeks for the rains to clear, checking in each day with the tour operator. Finally, the perfect day (if a bit extra windy!!)
We started off with a safety and information talk at the office in town. We tried a practice run using a harness hanging from the ceiling to get a sense of how it would feel...three steps forward, three steps back, then a short run. It was like wearing a huge backpack that formed a type of bucket seat which would be clipped onto the pilot's harness. Of course we were going to fly tandem...it would take months and years of training before a solo flight.
Shana and Maricarmen came with to cheer us on so we followed Edgar in my truck. About a half hour away and up on a flat hillside we made ready for takeoff. It was great to have Shana's walker along because she could move her comfy seat any angle to get the best view once
That's Me Up There!
Soaring amidst the clouds with breathtaking views below! we were up in flight. We had been advised to dress warmly and I was glad that I had worn my Peruvian wool sweater (purchased back in 1990 but still in good shape since I seldom use it) along with my windproof down jacket. It was windy and chilly once we got up high! Since I weigh a fair bit more than Alex and the winds were brisk, it was decided that I would do my flight first.
So...my desire to soar in the skies goes waayyy back...in High School I once jumped off an overpass to try out a friend's hang glider...almost broke my arm! The summer I turned 18 I studied in Mexico and went parasailing on Mismaloya Beach (where Night of the Iguana was filmed). Rising up in the sky being pulled behind a speedboat, looking down on the treetops and peering down at the intricate and colorful coral reefs ... it was like nothing I'd ever experienced and I've never forgotten the rush. I really wanted to go paragliding last year on my 60th birthday, but after the hooplah of my big party COVID hit and it
Up in the Air
Majestic views of patchwork farms, rugged hillsides, treetops, rivers and distant Andes peaks. was no longer an option. So I waited. And now a year later it was time.
As my feet lifted off the ground and we rose above the patchwork valleys I turned to Edgar (my pilot) and said, "I've dreamt of doing this since I was a kid!" I loved his response: "It is an honor to help you realize your dream!" As we rose higher and higher I could feel my chest expanding with emotion, my heart pounding with joy, my entire being filled with exhilaration! We dipped and turned, chased flocks of birds and bent to the will of the winds. My cell phone had been safely corded through my sleeve and I slipped it out to take a few selfies. Big mistake! Like trying read on a moving bus. I immediately started to feel slightly nauseous after looking down at the phone then out at the huge views.
After about 10 minutes the winds really kicked in, rocking us from side to side, and Edgar asked if I'd like to go down. I nodded reluctantly, not wanting the experience
Where We Landed
Touched down in a field of flowers...a perfect ending to a most excellent aerial adventure! to end so soon, but at the same time not wanting to finish up feeling even worse. We descended gently into a field of yellow wildflowers, a soft landing that barely bent my knees. My nausea gently subsided while I watched Alex suit up for his turn at flight. As the afternoon wore on, the skies became more and more stunning and revealed glimpses of the nearby snow-capped Andean peaks.
I am grateful that Maricarmen now lives in my neighbor Shana's home with her. Mari has completely taken over her care and Mari's presence has freed me up to take on a few more students as I have more flexibility to plan my days. I continue to have them both over for lunch a few times a week, which lightens Mari's workload a bit. I enjoy cooking and feeding those I love - it's in my DNA! Now that I have a bit of perspective, I realize what an emotional toll it was taking on me to be Shana's sole caregiver for nearly a year.
Sometimes only Shana comes over and we
Dog Yoga
Chiquita always joins in during our yoga practice. play a few games of Scrabble, just like the old days. Her mind remains sharp for word games and we are still quite evenly matched, though I do help her more and more with scoring and remind her of certain plays. It's good for both Shana and Mari to have a break from one another from time to time. Mari is a whirlwind of home improvement projects and she pushes Shana to go through old boxes, get out and take short walks and has even convinced her to begin physical therapy.
I continue to do yoga three mornings a week with a couple of lady friends. We have assembled a series of stretches and postures that I wrote in marker on a big cardboard panel. We always start with a mantra that Adriana sent me from Peru via WhatsApp. A regular yoga practice is beneficial in so many ways! The mere fact that we take an hour to slow our breath and become fully conscious of in and out breathing seems like important prevention in times of COVID. I find that not only my strength and muscle tone have improved, but
Standing Bow Pose
Also known as dancer pose...one of my favorite yoga postures - balance, strength and stretch. also my overall balance is much stronger. Flo's pooch Chiquita makes the rounds to greet each of us as we come to the mat. Her soft, sweet presence enhances our practice.
Months ago Lupe and I had begun planning a trip to Cuenca together. Lupe lives in Quito and it's too long to drive directly to Cuenca from there (9 hours) so she broke up the trip, staying a couple of days at my house on the way. We made the requisite visit to the awesome Pailon del Diablo waterfall and soaked together in the hot springs before heading on down to Cuenca (just a six hour drive from Baños). Lupe's plan was to visit an old friend who lives in Cuenca whom she had not seen in many years. Alas, at the last moment her friend was not feeling well so Lupe just booked a room in a guest house and went exploring on her own.
There were a number of friends I was hoping to see in Cuenca but the timing was such that several of them had gone to
Overlooking Río Tomebamba
From the riverview terrace of Julia's new Cuenca condo. We always have so much fun together! the US for extended visits to get vaccinated. Vaccine schedules are only just barely beginning now in Ecuador...it will likely take up to a year or two before the Ecuadorian populace is fully vaccinated. I was able to connect with a few friends in Cuenca and was especially happy that Julia had decided to return from her Galapagos adventure a few days early (it was hellishly hot there so she cut it short) and we were able to spend some time together at her fabulous new condo.
Last Oct Shana and I had taken a trip to Cuenca (the Jewel of the Andes - a stunningly restored Colonial Historic Center - a charming city which straddles several rushing rivers) but back then many things were still mostly shut down. I'd been especially disappointed that the Artesa pottery factory had not reopened. Hooray, this time I could visit -- they still haven't resumed the factory tours but I visited the gorgeous shop where a young man was doing a kind of market research, asking me which of the new designs I preferred - if I liked the matte glazes (yes!) and which
Artesa Bodega
Quality ceramics factory - these are the seconds (minor flaws, usually in the glaze) Like a candy shop without calories. I spent several hours here! pieces I might choose to use together on a table setting. He certainly found the right gal to survey! I especially love the Vega designs by Artesa.
I asked permission to spend time in the 'seconds' storeroom....the 'dents and dings bodega' is like a candy shop without calories and at bargain prices! Sometimes there's just a drip of glaze down the back or a bubble or streak in the glaze. I think some of the 'oops' designs are even more beautiful and interesting than the perfect pieces! I spent close to two hours perusing the beautiful ceramic dinnerware, tiles, vases, etc. All the while I could hear the activity of the adjacent factory workers, pinging each piece to confirm the integrity of the first firing before hand-painting and glazing each item. Such luscious porcelain glazes and designs; the forms and colors mae my mouth water!
I bought so many things that once I got home I had to free up room in my corner cupboard! I'd bought some large mugs (I like to use them instead of a bowl for soup or
Cup Hooks
A cheap and easy solution to a space problem! Once I bought more Cuenca ceramics, I had to free up some room so I hung the mugs from the bottom of the corner cupboard! yogurt with granola), so I had the brilliant idea of getting some simple cup hooks to hang them off of the bottom of the cupboard, an area which had been wasted space. I'm really pleased with how it looks - I get to admire my assortment of gorgeous ceramic mugs!
Not too many other home improvements to report during this blog installment. I did replace my front gate with a geometric, Mondrian-style wrought iron gate that I moved from another doorway where it wasn't needed or fully visible. When I first bought my house there were lots of squiggly, black wrought iron fences and even two 'New Orleans-style' lampposts. Definitely not my taste! One by one I've removed the offending swirls of metal and now, after changing out the front pedestrian gate and slicing off the 'S' adornments on the garage gate I have created a sleeker, less 'frou frou' image.
The old tire and tie ottoman footstools are finally finished....complete with wooden legs that slot right into the ridges of the inner circle of the tire. You may remember
New Front Gate
Bye Bye to the swirly curly New Orleans style wrought iron. I relocated this geometric gate to my front walk - much hipper! CiCi agrees. having read about the embroidered OshKoshB'Gosh overalls that were to be repurposed into a shoulder bag. Well, Zahra completed that incredible project for me and it has become one of my most favorite possessions. She managed to incorporate all of the existing pockets in the design, mirroring my embroidery colors and stitches with fancy sewing machine edging. Decades ago I had embroidered the flap of a pocket for my Mom's denim vest, and that piece got incorporated into the design as well. Zahra lined the purse with soft, pink fabric and even added one more embroidered piece as an inside pocket! Such a special creation...nothing like it in all the world.
I had a visit from my adopted sister Beatriz who now lives 1 1/2 hours away in Riobamba. During quarantine and online teaching she has gained so much weight that none of her clothes fit her, so I suggested she and hubby Juan come early on a Saturday and spend the night in order to give Zahra sufficient time to do the necessary alterations. Zahra manages to find fabric to expand sizes -- in the seams, the hems, the pockets,
Overalls to Handbag
I embroidered these OshKosh overalls in 1975 and Zahra gave them new life as a purse full of pockets! the waistbands. It's like magic how she can turn a pair of size 8 pants into a size 12 almost imperceptibly. True artistry and creativity!
While Zahra was busy "expanding" Beatriz's wardrobe, we took a drive up into the mountains across the river from Baños. There was a new tourist overlook (mirador) that I had been hearing about and I wanted to see it for myself. It's called "the hands of G'd" and it's copied from some place in China or Korea -- basically a raised walkway that is held up by two giant hands. Alas, the day we went up it was cloudy so we could barely see down into the valley below. I was stunned by how many tourists were there...dozens of vehicles lining the narrow, curvy road. Like so many things these days, it's all about the photo op!!
One more short anecdote before I close this bi-monthly edition of my blog. My old friend Jan ('old' because I've known him for over a decade and 'old' because he's well into his 80's) is one of the most well
'The Hands of G-d'
Look through the fog and you'll see Baños down below. Pity about the weather the morning we visited this new tourist lookout area. travelled humans I've ever met. He now lives in Bangkok and I had the pleasure of attending a ZOOM birthday for him recently. A fellow Jew (yes, we are both MOTTs - Members of The Tribe), we were corresponding in the week leading up to Passover. He recalled a seder dinner he was invited to in Addis Ababa...with over 3,000 Ethiopian Jews in attendance! I recalled a seder I hosted in Aberdeen, Scotland (I was the only Jew in attendance!) and another seder in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (a few Jews and our matzohs imported from Singapore!). I was lamenting that there is no matzoh to be had in Baños.
The next day I got a text from Itai, an Israeli guy who runs a hostel here in Baños. Apparently, Jan had made a call to the Chabad rabbi in Quito who in turn contacted Itai who invited me to come over and pick up some matzoh!! It appeared to be homemade (none of this Manichewitz from a box stuff) but surely baked according to Hebrew law. Amazing! SO, in memory of my Dad I made matzoh brei (fried matzoh -- with
Completed Footstools
With their wooden legs they are both beautiful and functional!!
salt and pepper the way he liked it, NOT with powdered sugar as so many people eat it). A taste memory that tugged the heartstrings.
If you are so inclined, keep scrolling down and click the "next" arrow too -- there are more than two dozen additional photos to this post. You can click on each pic for the full image and caption. Thanks for reading. It's what keeps me writing!!
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bonnie moreno
non-member comment
birthday adventures
Happy belated birthday Jill. Your flying adventure sounds like so much fun, so glad you got to do it. I am always so happy to read your blog & see what new & exciting things you are doing. Take care & be safe.