Retired in Uruguay

Day Of Deliveries!

2012-02-01T11:11:00.000-08:00

Today, the exchange rate is oh, so dismal! I've been trying to hold out for a better one but the $19.30 rate has been hanging around for a week. Today is February the first, the start of a new month and soon people will be stopping by our door for their due. So it's off to the money house (cambio) to exchange our Social Security dollars for Pesos. The Cambio house offers a better rate than the bank does. We might get 5 to 10 cents more per dollar through them or $19.35 or $19.40 this month . It makes a difference!

A good exchange rate, say like the one in November, of $19.80 can mean a project or two can be accomplished around the Glass house. Hey, a good exchange rate can even add a night out at a restaurant or a Pizza, although I like the pizzas Wally makes at home with his greek olives and feta cheese!

I mentioned people stopping by our door for payment. You might not know this but the health insurance company sends a person to your house each month to collect the premiums in person. The person or in our case a lady named Miriam arrives early in the month with our monthly preprinted health cards. She knocks on your door and waits for you to answer, she carries change. They never call first! They just assume you'll be home! In the 3 years we have lived here, I've only missed her 3 times. I had to go to the clinic the first time and get her cell phone number, call her and rearrange for her to swing by the next day. So each month you have to get a new health card to show you've paid. I just thought you like to know that tid bit.

In the midst of my financial musings I got a pleasant surprise! A package was delivered to me from a childhood school chum of mine named Jennie. Jennie and I went to the same Junior high school in our youth and later the same High School. We were on the same swim team in High School and had many of the same classes and yet we never really knew each other as friends back then. Rather, when I first joined Facebook, on a lark, I looked up some classmates names and friended her. It's funny how living here, a continent and a half away, if you count Central America as the half, I'm closer to Jennie now than I was when we spent 6 hours a day together in the same school!

Jennie is a new, up and coming photographer. She has taken classes, joined clubs and entered several competitions and won! While checking out her Facebook albums and photos I saw a print of hers that I feel in love with. It is of some palm trees on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. I love graphic quality photos, so this one, having been not only photographed by her but also computer manipulated by her as well, really struck a chord with me. It reminded me of my Southern California, Pacific coast upbringing. I gave her a thumbs up and mentioned how much I liked that photo of hers. Well, what a surprise I got when she offered to send a signed and matted copy of it to me all the way down here to Uruguay. What a sweet and amazing offer! I said Yes, Yes, Yes!

It arrived today! Her matting the 11x14 print (I so loved) made it an impressive 16x20" picture. She also surprised me by including two other beach themed photos! Another, 11x14 one, matted as well and a fantastic pelican print, now a matted 8x10 size. All photos were taken by her!

This being a blog about Uruguay you might be interested to know that the 19x24 1/2" box (6 inch deep) packaged up through her local UPS store arrived safely and was delivered through our post office to our door. In addition to the matting costs and whatever the UPS store charged her, It cost her $40 US dollars just in postage to send it down here from California, USA. It took a month to arrive. She mailed it December 27th (after Christmas) and it arrived today Feb. 1st. I just thought you blog readers, who like to know the price of mundane things, would like to know how long it took to arrive and the cost to ship such a package. Because the package was light in weight, it was able to be delivered to my door by post. I have heard horror stories of larger packages having to go through customs and being picked up in downtown Montevideo at the port. A 60% custom charge is accessed on what customs thinks the item is worth.

I wasn't charged anything today and got the pleasant surprise of not one but three photos! So I am including Jennie Duncan's photo site and a second site at http://jensphotogallery1.shutterfly.com/ so you can look at her photos. So in the midst of my fretting over the poor exchange rate today and how poor I would be this month, I was suddenly made rich! Rich in beauty and warm feelings of friendship!!! Thank you so much Jennie! You are as beautiful a person in spirit as your photos will be on my wall!

I got a second delivery today, my first firewood order of the year. Every year, I tell myself, we will start ordering wood in the summer for our winter usage but we often spend the money borrowing it for other projects. Well, I finally held some money back and we bought and received a ton today. I tried looking around for a better price but the $2700 peso price ordered from the same guy as last year (Eduardo) was the best I could get. Expats call each other with news on various prices and while I was told to look up this guy or that guy and to go here and there, the reality was that everyone I contacted had a different issue making my purchase difficult. So, I settled back on last year's guy. Back in 2009 we paid $1900 Pesos a ton or Mil but he got out of the business last year. Still, we called him just in case. No, he still was not in business. Last year, I felt I was taken advantage of by a price of $2800 pesos because some pieces of wood were too large to burn safely in my wood-stove.

So I went looking and wandering last year and found Eduardo. This year I tried a few new places first. One guy said that no wood would be available (of the size we needed) until the end of February as he was too busy selling wood for BBQ or Asado which is smaller. One guy wanted $2900 Pesos a ton and he said he would not stack the wood nor come onto your property but would just dump it in front of your house for that price.

Eduardo said he would charge me $2800 Pesos but I talked him down. I left Wally waiting in the car as he is not as willing to bargain as I am. So $2700 pesos was decided on and that included the free delivery, coming onto the property and neatly stacking the wood in my wood storage area. One ton of cut wood generally takes a pickup size trucks's bed and a small trailer full, as seen in the above picture. All my orders of a ton of wood from the many different companies all hauled in the little trailer and the pickup full of wood. So that insight might help you judge your order's worth. Astillas is the Spanish word you need for the cut open type of wood versus the word Rolos for the cut log type of wood. I always get the person to write out the price we have settled on, on a piece of paper. It helps get clearly in my head and theirs what the price was in the midst of delivery day.

Since Eduardo remembered last year's routine he remarked how quick the delivery and stacking went this year. Still in looking back over last year's post the cost went up $200 Pesos. I paid Eduardo $2500 per ton last year. As we pay our bills this month we hope to have some more money left over for a second wood order. A better exchange rate would have changed the wording "we hope to" in that sentence to "we will".

We have space now to store 3 tons of wood covered. I added the 3rd storage area while Wally was in California. We use no more than 5 tons per winter and we had about 3/4 of a ton left over from winter.

I've said it before, Uruguay is not a cheap place to live in and the prices keep going up! My health insurance went up from $1494 Pesos in June of 2011 to $1587 Pesos in the month of January, 2012. I don't know if it will be more this month. I'll have to wait for her knock. Still, richness and beauty in life can be found if you keep an eye out for it and are willing to say yes to it's delivery.

Sold Out

2012-01-30T05:06:00.000-08:00

Well, after almost 3 years of blogging, we have put ads in the side panel of the blog. I slightly rearranged the elements, to allow space. Supposedly, if any of our readers click the ads, some pennies will flow into our "ad sense" account, and when it reaches the grand sum of $10, they will issue a check. We will see.

Giving a generous estimate of possible earnings, it may give us $10 a year (or less), not enough to retire to some South American country and live near the beach...... Wait, we already have that.

Montevideo On The Cheap!

2012-01-21T12:35:00.000-08:00

Montevideo is only an hour away from us by a city bus ride costing 35 pesos each. Wally hates driving in that city's traffic so we bus it instead. Still, these days we tend not to go into that town unless business or paperwork calls on us to do so. I guess basically we are either too lazy or just too comfortable in our little beach community to want to go into the "big city" unless we have to. Well, paperwork called and we had to go. Next month, I'll post about renewing our cedula. It's been 3 years since we have moved here to Uruguay and it's time to renew our residency for another 3 years. So, I'll post on that when the process has been completed.

Since we had to go into Montevideo anyway I wanted to make the best of it. After completing some paperwork I dragged Wally around the city trying out my new camera that he brought back from the States as a gift. I had done a post last year on a friend's Quincho house and I liked the "Cannon SureShot" camera that Wayne (the house's owner) had so much, that I mentioned it to Wally over the telephone (using Skype). I don't get that excited over stuff so he knew I really wanted one by my tone.

People often say that the Capital city of Montevideo has a slight European quality and amidst the elegant decay that is somewhat true. You won't find Southwest style adobe huts for instance.

I am a visual type of person so with my new camera in hand I looked around Montevideo yesterday with a "new" photographer's eye. I love architecture so the above photo of an ornate building was a given, that photo was a definite subject to take. Still, I'm a bit quirky, so I looked round for some off the wall or more unusual subject themes to shoot. How about an old cannon embedded on a street corner?

I found this young construction worker interesting. I probably noticed him because I was also hungry. It was lunch time and I started to smell the aroma of the construction worker's lunch being cooked. This being "the land of meat", no ordinary brown bag sack lunch would do for these workers but rather a full-on lunch time Asado/BBQ was being prepared in the street (see the meat, chicken and chorizos and etc.. piled on the BBQ drum on the right?). When the workers saw I was taking this young man's photo they surprised him by dumping cold water (as a joke) down on him from above. Since I was with my husband at the time, I thought it best not to take too many photos of him peeling off his skirt! Remind me, to try coming into the city by myself, next time (smile).

The sidewalks are treacherous in Montevideo, broken and uneven from the passage of time and lack of repair. Even the relatively larger granite slab sections are dipping down from each other. You could easily break a leg or at least trip and fall flat out on the ground (Medir el suelo). Unlike in the USA if you were to fall, there is no "suing" the city. Here in this country, they feel if you are too stupid to watch your step, then that is your fault, not theirs! So keeping one eye on the ground for safety sake lead me to this interesting discovery.

On several different streets, I saw these little personal attempts or statements (?) at repairing the sidewalks. I don't know what they mean but a little mosaic tile square can be found in almost every neighborhood block. That would be an interesting scavenger hunt, photographing and finding the various tiles!

Since Wally and I are not only retired but rather poor, I try and find Cheap or preferably free things to do when we go out. Montevideo has many things to see and do that won't put a strain on your finances.

I plan to occasionally mention such things to see and do in some future posts. So here's a preview to my "On the Cheap" info.

The plaza Fabini, is a beautiful plaza with an intricate fountain featuring horses and people. The plaza is located in downtown Montevideo between the streets of the 18th of Julio and Colonia.
Usually it is filled with book sellers and people eating outside under umbrellas set out by the restaurant located there. Park benches and nice music played on large speakers can be enjoyed. The park is surrounded by some beautiful buildings that make for some nice photos.

Besides just being a lovely park to hangout in, it also has an underground artist gallery.
"The Subte" meaning underground, isn't a subway station but instead features an ever changing artist exposition. It's free! Just go down the stairs located in the park. There is also a bathroom downstairs in the gallery, that's always an important fact to know and it's free to use as well.

Here is what the entrance looks like and a picture of Wally going down the stairs.

This month's exhibit was a mix of photos, drawings and the featured expo was of several short films projected on the wall. The subject material was, of course, odd and artsy. All films played continuously and simultaneously so you could walk around the room and sit in front of what you wanted to see.

One film was a slightly disturbing one, featuring a blind man carrying around a woman with no legs. She directed him and he walked the city streets carrying her. That was the whole film, showing him carrying her and wandering around. Only a few times did he brush up against any walls so they made a good team. Wally and I watched the film for quite some time waiting for them to reach some kind of destination or for a point to be made but they never did arrive anywhere. We finally got up and went to another film. We talked about the first film and our conclusion was that it showed the endlessness of their situation. Although, I must admit , I tend not to be overly emotional and so I couldn't help but question why she just didn't get a wheel chair and him a cane or guide dog and hang out together that way! Still the film made you discuss why it was made!

The next short was called, "The Great North" and showed several non-smiling women working in an Ice factory in a snow bound place. They didn't talk either but just turned some large wooden handles and mills extracting cylinder shaped ice. There was also a "live feed" of a blue wall and window somewhere in the city and sometimes a car would drive by the window or people would peek out of it. I caught an old lady looking through it but missed taking a picture of 2 kids peeking out. So they were living art.

In a back room were some photos of trees that have become part of buildings and walls. This is either because the buildings have been built around them or they have grown through and been kept as is.

These photos have inspired me to be on the lookout for other such incidents of "tree impactions" that I might come across in the future. So, on leaving the art gallery, I took a picture of a tree breaking up the sidewalk.You can see it in the third picture above. I know it's kind of lame, but maybe, it's a start to me joining such an exposition one day. Maybe, I'll try and find more mosaic tiles embedded in the walkways and have an expo called the sidewalks of MVD!

A Grumpy Old Man Showed Up At My Door

2012-01-15T04:29:00.000-08:00

This would probably be the title of Denise's post about my return home. I had planned on arriving back home on Thursday. I didn't actually return home until today, Sunday. On Thursday, however, a grumpy old man showed up at Denise's door. Tired and frustrated from the return trip home, I was no picnic. Having lugged around way too much baggage, through San Francisco, Dallas, Buenos Aires, Buquebus terminal, Colonia and finally Atlántida, where I found a taxi home- I arrived far less like myself than I have ever been.

After a brief greeting and hugs and kisses (way too brief), I proceeded to unpack all of my goodies. I had dropped the new Macintosh laptop on the tile in the Buquebus terminal in Argentina. Upon powering it up, I found that the charger no longer worked. then I hooked up my new Yamaha electric keyboard to my virtually new Fender amplifier, only to find that the amplifier was busted. Needless to say, the grumpy old man quickly turned into a certifiable idiot.

What should have been a wonderful happy occasion turned into an unpleasant side note.

The next morning I awoke and was faced with 9 months of maintenance issue with the house. First I went to charge the battery of the car with my brand new battery charger, only to find that the battery charger didn't work. Ah well........ So I took it apart, reconnected some wires and got it charging. I decided to back up both of our old computers and then completely reinstall new systems, to speed things up. ABI (a bad idea)! The next 8 hours was spent figuring out how to get things working again and wondering why I always seem to want to improve on things that work. After a nice cup of coffee and talk with Denise, I calmed down some. She pointed out how my return had fallen far short of her expectations. Hey... they had fallen far short of mine. Friday was a better day.

Saturday, I got the car running, the computers back to operating condition, mourned briefly the passing of my "new" laptop and we settled in for a nice relaxing day.

This morning, Sunday, I woke up next to my loving wife, the birds were chirping, the sun was peeking through the window and a cool breeze was coming in. As I lay there, completely contented (and Denise was also), I had finally come home. It had taken several days, but I was home.

By the way- if you ever see that grumpy old man around the neighborhood- kick him in the ass for me!

Punta del Diablo!

2012-01-10T20:40:00.000-08:00

Well, I thought that my first blog post for this New Year would be of welcoming Wally back home here in Uruguay but I have had such a busy first month that I thought I'd better start posting a few items instead. Don't worry though, Wally, is in fact, due back, THIS WEEK, Yeah!

As promised, this new year started out with a bang! The neighborhood really out did themselves this year and I got to watch a great display of huge, colorful and loud showy rockets from the privacy of my own back yard. No need to go anywhere but stay home to see them.

The year didn't start out very promising (in a good way). Normally, I have to admit to sleeping in, as I'm NOT a morning person but for some reason it was so clear and bright that new year's morn that I was up and outside at 7 o'clock in the morning unlocking my shutters, My cat got out, when I opened the door. He normally stays by my side because of past mishaps! Well, I got distracted smelling my Gardenias, which was not hard to do, as they were in full bloom and the next thing I knew I heard and saw 2 dogs (not mine) barking and running down my drive way. I could hear their paws thumping and pounding the pavement and I saw a grey and white blur being chased up my street and into a neighbor's yard, several houses away. Well, I went running after the group, up the street in my PJ's (pajamas) shouting NO, NO, NO! realizing that in Spanish NO! means the same thing, as in English. I could see no red, on that blur of a cat up ahead and I saw that he was well ahead of the gang but still, I was thinking, Why? "Why, did I have to get up this morning?"Why couldn't I have just slept in as usual?" Long story short, I tried not to worry, my new resolve and by 11 o'clock PM, Nathan came home unscathed! Whew! So at midnight, an hour later, I happily watched the new year's fireworks (with Nathan locked in the hallway) much relieved and glad that my fortunes had changed for the better! Maybe, this new year wouldn't be so bad after all!

I finally got to see Punta del Diablo! I went with Melva and Steve, They're a couple who live in Montana and they came back to Uruguay on another scouting trip to see about retiring here. You have never heard about them before because when they first came here in June, 2011, their trip didn't go so well! In fact, they last wrote me that they were going to check out Mexico instead, over the December/ January vacation holidays.

Here's what happened to them the first time they visited Uruguay. By the way, they are an unconventional couple, she is 70 years old and he is 53? She says, she feels more like 49!

Often people write to Wally or I asking us questions (privately) through our email address when they are seriously considering moving here to live. We are happy to tell them both the pro's and the con's of living here, that they as foreigners will meet.

Steve and Melva, wanted to come to Uruguay for a first-time visit specifically in winter to see what the country was like realistically and not when it was in tourist mode. So I thought, that was sensible of them. I told them that despite their being from Montana (snow country) that they should dress really warmly since hotels, houses and even businesses aren't insulated according to US standards. I have lived in New York City before and Germany and I have lived through some rough, cold winters. One time in Germany, I hung some clothes up, to dry on a clothesline. Since it was in wintertime, the clothes were strung up, inside my house, in front of a lit wood stove. When we were late in returning home that night the fire had gone out and my clothes had become frozen solid in my living room on that line! Stiff and hard, like plastic toy clothes! I just thought you should know, I know about cold winters! I told Melva to bring knit hats, gloves, scarves and socks and a heavy robe and that she would probably have to sleep in them, to feel and stay warm. I said that even-though the temperature might read 40 to 50 degrees farehneit (in 50 degree weather, Seattleitjs wear shorts and bathing suits!)You'll be cold! The reason you are so cold here, is that you never recoup your heat loss. So the trick is never to lose your warm body temperature in the first place! I stressed this weekly, as the days for their arrival drew near!

She promptly got a chest cold upon arrival!

I repeated over and over again, that since the plane trip was so long, that they should relax for a few days in their Montevideo hotel sightseeing and enjoying that city. This way, they could get rested up and get acclimated to the weather. Besides, they should see old town and enjoy eating in the Puerto Mercado.

They said they would drive up to see me, the next day instead! As I live up the coast, they wanted to get started on seeing what properties looked like, outside, of the city, They're not "big city type" of folks. They saw me for all of 15 mins. She gave me a compliment, that she knew I would be a clean house type of person. Thank God, for advance notices! Then they drove on up the coast toward Punta del Este.

At the end of their trip, when I asked why, they would not come back to Uruguay again but were now going to checkout Mexico instead, They said they wouldn't come back to Uruguay again because nothing was open for breakfast! That wouldn't have been a problem in Montevideo!

To be honest, things started out badly for them on that first visit. Kinda like, the same way it started out for me this January (referring to Nat, the cat). June, 2011 saw another volcanic eruption in Chili. So from the start, their trip was effected when their plane was rerouted to Brazil, since planes weren't able to fly over Chili due to the volcanic ash. Brazil does not allow any US citizen to enter that country without a visa obtained well in advance and obtained from outside of the country! So the plane's passengers were met by the military and escorted off the plane. Kinda scary for newcomers, Huh?.

They waited for several hours, then were told that the airport would pay for a hotel overnight stay in Brazil with military escort only. Right when everyone was about to board the hotel bus, an announcement was made that planes could now fly out. Everyone rushed back, barely in time to re-board the plane. Of course, this meant that they missed their checkin time in the Montevideo hotel and the car rental place at the airport where their rental car was, was closed! So, they had no known place to stay that first late night and no car to find another. However, a very kindly Uruguayan woman, also on board the plane, invited them to stay that late night with her family! A big plus for Uruguay, that they would later look back on. They keep in touch with this woman.

They finally checked into a second hotel, slept a few hours then came to see me as promised. Not knowing how far it was to Punta del Este they left my house in a hurry in order to drive to that night's hotel. Can you see why that first trip left a bad taste in their mouths?

They checked out the various coastal towns (not serving breakfast) then made it up to Rocha and Punta del Diablo. Then their short trip ended and they left not wanting to come back. Until months later that is, when upon feeling better, Melva looked at her photos of their trip! They saw how beautiful Uruguay really is. They recalled the extra ordinary kindness of the Uruguayan people here. Not only of that woman but of most everyone they met here. Kind, encouraging people willing to help them . They recalled that they went to Punta del Diablo twice! That how by the end of the short trip, they finally started to wind down and relax.

They wrote me that they were not going to go to Mexico after all (in December/January) but were coming back here to Uruguay! They want to live in Rocha! They loved it so! I warned them it's isolated and few live there full-time in winter but they want slow and far away!

This time they came back and spent several days unwinding in Montevideo first. Then they wanted to have me join them and visit the Santa Teresa Fort in Rocha. They liked my post on it. By the way, I now know that the fort is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays and doesn't open until 1:00 Pm (1300 hours)! I think the guard said in a few weeks it would be open for those days due to the high high season but the sign says different! So we toured outside the fort. Then I mentioned, I hadn't seen Punta del Diablo yet so we went there to check out the town and some lots for sale since they want to buy and build a house there.

Here I am standing in the middle of the town of Punta del Diablo (Devil's point). The town is a fishing village. A very 60 hippy type of vibe exists there. The reason they liked it and I see why certain other people do, is because it seems to be the most foreign type of place in Uruguay. When people say they are going to, Ooh, South America, this is the idea of what a non-USA town should be like. Similar to a Mexican Beach town. On traveling here most people find Uruguay rather white bread/ European. "Meat and potatoes" versus Hot and Spicy "beans and rice", similar to places in the Caribbean or Mexico. So, In Punta del Diablo you feel a little more like a key west , flip flop wearing, Margaritaville singing, "JImmy Buffet" Parrothead, type of person rather than a cardigan, zipper sweater wearing, "Won't you be my neighbor" singing, "Mr. Rogers". ( a little nostalgia trip on my part, sorry!)

The above sign post reads "Avenue of the fishermen". In the second photo, you can see a working wrench that is used to pull fishing boats ashore. The third photo shows some people pulling their boat ashore. Can you see how blue the water is (versus, my town's brown water)? That's because this town sits on the true Atlantic Ocean, my town for example, is really bordering on the last river-water from the Rio de la Plata.

Looking up and down the main drag of one of the two streets of the "downtown central" area, you can see how "funky" this town is!

Since I'm such a visual person, I'm adding several photos to give you an idea of what I saw (and felt ) upon looking around. Since coming to Uruguay this was the first time I felt I was in a "Latin American" type of place (meaning foreign 3rd world). I could see the appeal.! I felt like I was on a tropical island rather than on the mainland. As a side note, I have also lived in Hawaii (Maui), lived in Guam and visited Jamaica so I know an island "type of feel" atmosphere.

People watching is always interesting no matter where you go. In the first photo above this colorful character seemed content to just sit and stare out to sea. The area behind him was called the town's feria (market stalls). Someone, down the center boardwalk, at the very last stall had quite an enterprising scheme. They held the keys for the area's public toilet. They charged 10 pesos a person (or, a head; a bad pun). Everyone pointed me further down to her stall. She walks you to the bathroom, holding on tightly to "the key". I always, have to go, so I'm used to asking "¿Dónde está su baño?" or "Where is your bathroom?" Necessity, often forces you to be quite bold!

The fishermen really do bring their daily catch into town. So since we were hungry, we went to the town's other "downtown" street and sat down at one of the many outside stalls to eat. We wanted some fish. I had Paella. Melva ordered me a rum and coke, much obliged since it was their treat. I think, on my own, I would have ordered a Mojita as I've never had one not made by Wally. I would like to know if he ever really got the recipe down right, taste wise. But hey, free is free, right? Believe it or not, they had a Mexican restaurant with tacos and Frijoles also in this town! So I will bring Wally back here for some tacos as well! This is a new phenomenon growing here in restaurants, Mexican food, It's still very rare!

I wish I had taken a picture of the Churro stand. It smelled so good I bought my own! It cost 25 pesos. They were extruded fresh out of the mill, where they then dropped into the hot oil waiting below. They were fried before your very eyes, talk about fresh! Also, they were filled with your choice of a filling. I got a cream akin to a napoleon, but they had Dulce de leche (of course) and an apple filling, a cheese filling (probably like a blintz) and I think at least 5 or six types in total. It was rolled in your choice of sugar! All for 25 pesos! Yummy!!!

Okay, I digressed! We went to see some lots (more like sand dunes to me!) A lot of building is going on here. It's been "discovered" Still it's somewhat far away. So I'm thinking it's more like a second home kinda place.

Have you noticed? Kinda seems to be my word of choice for this post. I think it's because as I write this a few weeks later I find that it's terribly hot today and that my brain is melting. Today, was a whopping 97 degrees Fahrenheit! It's not usually this hot here in Uruguay, at least, in my neighborhood!

So we left the funky downtown area and went out to where the building is taking place. Higher quality homes are starting to be built among the more bohemian places and the lot prices are going up! Now it's like 50 thousand US dollars ($50,000) to 80 thousand ($80,000) for a 500 square foot lot! Eighty grand, will get you a lot size of about, a 1000 sq. ft. I'm talking about a block from the water. The farther back you go, the cheaper the lots become.You had better get a high elevation lot, as I hear that in the months of September through November, some lower streets and lots are flooded. However, I saw giant coverts being put in along the roads as some of the parcels are being developed. I saw and toured a house "for sale" that was $270,000 US!

Taking about some bohemian houses, there really isn't a design code in place. So build what you want it to look like! As evidenced, in the photos below!

The second photo's house looked like it was inspired by a boat! If you look closely at the third photo of an apartment building, you'll see green glass bottles lining the outside wall! (They looked like wine bottles to me). Behind that building, (not seen) is a second building, exactly like the first, with more green wine bottles! The forth photo shows a building made out of industrial sheet metal (tin).

Steve and Melva want a higher elevation lot, both for the view and the flooding issues. I've mentioned that being just off the water's edge and sand, can make a great difference in weather related problems, like extreme wind and sand intrusion. So they agreed and looked at just off the water lots. That's why a view is so important to them. Notice, the forth picture in the series below. I think that in the states that little knoll would be 'bull dozed' down to ground level but that's an example of an elevated lot in Punta del Diablo. A house, will be built on top of that lot! We hiked to the top of several little knolls.

I know, that some people would be disappointed upon seeing Punta del Diablo in person after reading so many different articles about the place. Being hyped up too-much about anything can lead to disappointment. I just found the place to be exactly what it is. A little bit funky, a little bit bohemian with a beach shack feel. Also, a little up and coming and pricey! However, Melva and Steve loved it there. They have already talked to an architect who lives there. It was hilarious that they had me translate for them on what they wanted to be shown, lot wise but I did okay conveying the basics. (Ever remember the movie, "Little Big Man" with Dustin Hoffman?, I was like that).

They will have professional help with any house being built and are in contact with them already. They're hoping that by next year they can start to move here. The architect says that the 1800 sq.ft home they want to build will take at least 10 months to build using a local crew and that buildings are very "rustic" In Punta del Diablo. Most homes have stone floors to prevent the cracking that building on sand can cause to tiles.

So if you ever want a little less tame feel, come and visit Punta del Diablo. Get a "churro" while there. You won't regret it! Maybe you'll see Steve and Melva there in the future when they come back!

Wrapping up the year!

2011-12-16T20:56:00.000-08:00

I know, I just made a post about my visitors staying with me for a week (they're still here as I write this). However, as you know I am counting down the days until Wally's arrival back home here in Uruguay. Yes, we do think of Uruguay now as our home and Wally can't wait to get back here.

As a present to me he's going to turn this years blog into a book! ($59.99) The reason we want to do this is because it has been a landmark year for me.

I have now been here in Uruguay on my own without him for 8 months! He will have been gone a total of 9 months when he finally returns in January, on the twelfth, 2012.

It has been an interesting year for me! We have been married now for 38 years and this has been the first time we have been apart for more than a week in all of those years! He once went to Florida to visit his folks and I joined him in the second week as my work allowed. Many people said that I was very brave to have stayed behind in a foreign country all by myself. Especially, without really speaking the language, (Spanish) all that well. I had to take on the role of maintaining the house, learning how to change out the gas tanks, clean out the sink trap and keep an eye out for all of the various devices we have hooked up, like our Solar hot water heater. I know that there are literarily millions of single women around the globe who have been doing these types of things for eons. Still it was a good experience for me to see that I was capable of handling,"come what may" on my own.

I wasn't really alone as I had my 2 dogs and 1 cat (Barney, Sheila and Nathan the cat) for company, as well as many loving and caring friends who watched out for me.

I took on new roles. For instance, since this blog is primarily about Uruguay I took over the brunt of posting new blog posts about various things going on here in Uruguay. So, I took over Wally's computer and blogged away for any readers out there.

I learned that there are readers out there because so many of you kindly added comments of your own. Also, as a lark, Wally added (in August) a google counter to see how many "hits" we might be receiving. I thought that maybe, we might have up to 12 people who have checked in from time to time. Well guess what? The counter says that during the 3 plus years, we have been posting about Uruguay, some 50,000!!! people have at least stumbled upon our blog. That doesn't mean they actually read it but that 50,000 people know we exist or rather that our blog exists! Roughly a 1000 people a month cruise by. The countries represented by these people have circled the globe. Click on a counter and see for yourself!

Since it's impossible to add a live link to a paper book, I thought I would copy this weeks counter numbers to remember them by, as a fitting end to this year of 2011.

Worldmap Visitors

Total Pageviews

51484

By now, you can see that this last post of 2011 is going to be a self-indulgent one. I wanted to use this post as a souvenir to remember this year. It was a milestone in my life. I was pretty proud of how capable I was on my own. Of course, I did have my "ups and downs", quite literarily in fact, when I fell flat on my face a few months ago. That black eye was immortalized for all to see! I also had to run to the medical clinic one day to fight an infection that my cat Nathan caused by scratching my arm. All is forgiven him on my account so I am now including a photo tribute to Nathan my "Beloved" cat!

See how sweet he can be?

Wally has been gone for most of the year but we did get to go to the department of Rocha before he left through the kind invitation of Gustavo and Silvia. I definitely want to go back there! There is so much we still want to see! I liked a picture they took of Wally and I so much I am including it here.

Uruguay has an abundance of water ways, lagoons, rivers and coastline, so of course, I have to add a few water views here in this post. The combo below is from the lagoon in Rocha.

I am especially glad that each day, I get to see a great view of the water from my house. In fact, from inside my very living room and dinning room and kitchen! Yes, I'm using this last post to brag!!!

Speaking of my house it has finally come to a point where we can say the remodeling has stopped! We're happy with our light, bright, open floor plan and yes the enjoyable view. Since Uruguay has some fierce rain and thunder storms, being able to stay inside on a stormy day and still enjoy a view is a real luxury for us.

My outside front garden has really made coming home a treat. I like looking at the multi-tiered front garden along with my little personal "rose' garden.

Wally has missed Uruguay and me so much, that he says, he's even willing to talk about my garden with me! I had a large backyard garden in Seattle that I left behind so it was important to me that I could have a fitting substitute here, The idea was to really make Uruguay and this house feel like our natural home. In other words we don't want to be "homesick" or have a longing to return to the States (USA). We love the USA and nothing can really compare to the magnitude of having 50 separate States each diverse from the other and many as big or bigger than this whole country of Uruguay. However, we want to think of Uruguay as a comfortable place, you do come home to.

To test Wally's resolve to tolerate my gardening topics I'm adding more garden pictures of our home right now! I want them to be part of my book!

During this year I didn't drive our "Fusca" or VW bug because I'm out of practice driving a stick-shift. So it sat parked in our driveway for the year, I will have to quickly charge its battery up before Wally arrives. He has promised me that when he gets back a priority will be to make me practice driving it. I need to relearn how to drive a stick-shift. I have a Uruguayan driver's license and when I was younger I actually learned how to drive a stick-shift on a VW bug, so the knowledge is in there somewhere. You might say it's like learning to ride a bicycle, once you do learn you never forget how to do it. I definitely put that saying to the test when I started to ride a bicycle here, after a 40 year absence of use.

Another reason, that I'm starting to feel more comfortable here in my house is that the many boxes of stuff we shipped here, have finally found a permanent place throughout the house. Some on walls, others on counters.

When we first came here we felt we couldn't afford a shipping container so we sold everything and came here with 66 boxes. We should have had 67 boxes but Wally miscounted in his haste and 1 box, that wasn't numbered, went missing. We never could claim the lost box although it was the only wooden box, (a small crate ) that was mentioned as a wooden box on the manifest. That was the price we paid for trying to settle things long distance. Of course, it was the crate with our new TV in it! It also had several large framed pictures in it. Along with various smaller items. Now, whenever we can't find anything that we thought we had brought, we say, "it must have been in that crate"!

My bathroom looks like a mini picture gallery. I have hung up all of the pictures I had brought with me from my last home in Washington State (that weren't in,"that crate"). To tell the truth my bathroom now looks smaller because it's now very "busy" with everything hung up. However, I had those pictures up in my last bathroom and I wanted them up here too. One wall predominately has copies of Monet paintings. The second wall has pictures by my favorite artist, a graphic artist from the 1910s and '20s named Maxfield Parrish. He did artwork for famous companies and Magazines like Life. I have a copy of the book "Arabian Nights" that he illustrated and I did have a commemorated stamp set issued in 2001 by the US postal department. (I wonder if I brought that here?) The Irish singer Enya has a CD cover inspired by his painting "The young King of the Black Isles". I have that Print and that album. That picture is up on my wall. As is his most famous picture "Day Break".

My various cabinets are now installed! Remember we had to wait a year to get our kitchen cabinets done.

I now have a proper "Guest room" due in part to my surprise house guests! I admit that I hadn't planned on doing that room just yet and if Wally were here he might not have let me design it the way I wanted. Meaning, to buy the extra furniture, He did say it was good that I had free reign to decorate it as I wanted because now the room is useful and more importantly done!

Here's an odd, interesting tidbit, I had to remove Sheila's (Shila's) Bed from out of our bedroom and into the hallway. Normally she keeps Barney up at night with her tossing and turnings so we had long ago separated them at night to give Barney some rest. Well since Wally was away, she took it upon herself to take his place in our bed. She has since learned a new word called 'Move!" She wanted to be right by my side and on me while I slept. She is normally my shadow during the day guarding me. She must have felt I needed even more protection at night what with Wally's absence and all. Well, I tolerated a few nights of sharing my bed with her but eventually (so I wouldn't be pushed out of my own bed), I moved her bed into the hall way.

Barney then decided he liked Shila's bed better (though it's much smaller than his) so he claimed it as his own. It was a cold winter this year so he preferred sleeping with a blanket (a beach towel). Then Nathan, "the cat" decided Barney needed company and he started to sleep on a rug near Barney so I ended up putting Nathan's bed down, next to Barney's, in the hallway (Nathan loves his bed) and immediately accepted the arrangement. All of that will have to change though when Wally returns. It really isn't safe to have an obstructed hallway, in case of emergency. Normally, we keep the hallway pretty empty. We send the animals to the hallway when we eat and they accept that as a waiting zone but they will hang out there on their own sometimes just to relax or even play together. Now with everyone sleeping in the hall, it's a little crowed. My bedroom door is however, well guarded by Barney and Nathan. Shila now sleeps in the laundry room, in Barney's old bed.

Since I'm talking about pets and Nathan has already had his photos included, I'll give Mr. B. (Barney) his showcase.

Shila, was named so because I was trying to get the sound of Sheila from English into Spanish. Sheila sounds like Shayla in Spanish. I made a mistake because to get the sense of a very feminine name, a very She, girly girl image, I tried a double female sounding name, like La, also is (She La) I tried for the "e" sounding "i" spelling in Spanish. However, to get the sound of the American Sheila, I should have spelled her name more like Yila or even Llila with the double L (ll) shh sound. That is the sound of Y or the double L down here in Argentina and in Uruguay. Mexico, for instance, does not have that sound when using Y or LL So the spelling is wrong but we pronounce her name Sheila though we spell it wrongly as Shila! Now that I have gotten you throughly confused, let's see how cute she was as a pup and how she has grown. She now has her "fringes" or long adult fur grown in.

My friends can't wait until Wally returns because we haven't had a karaoke party for over a year now. I just had too much on my plate being on my own (read my years's posts) to host one. When we have a big group (over 20), we push the furniture to the walls and really open up the place. My friends say, they will let Wally rest and have 2 weeks with me alone and then we "must" have a "Welcome Home" Party!

All in all, I had an interesting time on my own this year in Uruguay but I must admit I'm looking forward to having Wally come Home!

Because I want to get this into printed book form, I'm quickly wrapping up the year and this will be the last post for 2011!

You will just have to imagine the whistle blowing and me running after the garbage collectors to give them their year-end appreciation tip.

You can perhaps imagine me walking my dogs to the vet's, to get their yearly rabies shots that are due in this month of December.

Finally you will have to take it for granted that the end of the year will be greeted with community fire works and that I will be watching them on my balcony listening to the sounds of explosions and surf!

But most of all you can imagine how glad I'll be when Wally gets back home, here in Uruguay, come January. Of course, that will be in the new year of 2012. So I guess you won't have to imagine that after all as it will probably be my first new post of the new year, 2012

See you next year!
Ciao, Denise D. Glass

Keep A Candle In The Window

2011-12-16T10:52:00.000-08:00

On that note, I will make one last post from the good 'ole USA. After having spent the last 8 months here, I will be very happy to return "home". It is hard to believe that anyplace other than the US could be home, but Uruguay is our home, now. There are some things I will miss, but others that I definitely will not. One thing I have missed greatly are our friends that we made in the last 3 years. We plan a great BBQ and Karaoke party on my return.

However, my time here with my father has proved to be a positive experience. When I first arrived, just 8 months ago, he was deeply grieving from my mother's death. He had spent 5 years, visiting her twice a day while her capacities dwindled. Toward the end, she had a mere existence and not much of a life. All of us feel that her death was a blessing in many ways.

Unbelievably, however, just a month ago, my father met and started dating again. While some may feel that this is too soon after my mother's death- remember, she was "gone" long ago. Anyway, my 88 year old dad is now dating an 89 year old "girl". And they are sickeningly "in love". They go about holding hands, saying "I love you" and carrying on like a couple of kids. Both of them are in excellent health (they have more energy than me). They go dancing on Sunday nights at a club in Modesto that specialized in "Big Band" records. Anyway- I guess that you could say that my mission here is completed and time for me to move on.

Denise has done such a good job while I am away, that I fear she has finally realized just how useless I am. I need to get back before she sees that she doesn't need me at all. So I am starting to pack and anticipating returning home in a little over 3 weeks. After 8 months, I am ready.

Keep a candle in the window.... I'm coming home soon.

Proyecto Visitante! (project visitor!)

2011-12-14T20:32:00.000-08:00

I know a talented young man by the name of Fernando Rodriguez who has started a project called "proyecto 365".

He is taking a photograph each day for a year and some of his photos are amazing! I particularly like the one he took of a lit candle.

That's where I got the idea for this post's title.

I haven't been taking photos but instead have been doing a multitude of finishing up projects or proyectos of my own around my house. As most of you know, my husband Wally is due back from the United States (USA) next month in January. I have been trying to use the money we normally use for him, like food and health insurance and instead using it to tackle problem areas that we have been neglecting. For instance, we had a past post that showed water almost entering our back patio door during a doozy of a rain storm several months back. So one project of mine was to put in a storm drain and have this work finished before Wally arrives home.

I finally saved enough for a second dog house, this time for Shila. Of course, she doesn't use it. Barney has used his from time to time but Shila (pronounced Sheila) is a little porky (like me, ha ha) and doesn't like the idea of ducking through that door, although Barney, who is taller does so easily! I used some broken concrete pieces to form a little garden planter around their houses and planted some lemon grass near Barney's house (the one with the blue roof). Lemon grass reportedly repels mosquitos and Barney has so little fur, hair really that he is prone to everything bothering him. Shila is like a tank and plows through life. Her thick fur keeps all invaders away from her body.

I have been threatening to turn our 3rd bedroom into a crafts room. I used to enjoy rubber stamping back in the States. Even though that sounds like a mindless pursuit, one can get really creative with cards. There's even stamping conventions that showcase some amazing creations. Well, while Wally has been away I have been slowly buying storage units and a desk for that purpose.

My dogs are diggers (out of boredom) because I don't go hiking and stuff with them. Maybe, when all of these projects are done I can turn to other pursuits. My point is, I understand why they do it. The challenge however has been to keep ahead of the holes and what better way to do that then to slowly concrete the back yard. Not completely, of course. I like them and me to have some grass to run and play on. Still, where I see a justification, I put down concrete or rather hire someone to help pour a concrete pad. For instance, I noticed that the space between my back (laundry room) door and the garage was a battle zone of "Fox holes" mounds, dug up by the dogs. In pictures it was quite ugly, Oh, by the way the out building is too small to be a true garage, I just slip up and call it that sometimes. So, in other words, if I wanted to walk to our storage building from my back door, on a rainy day, I would have to cross mud. To pour a concrete pad between my back door and this building made sense!

I also, poured a walkway. It was done in 3 parts by two different people (companies). I tried to get one person to do it but he wasn't available and I didn't have the funds to do it all at once. The person I originally wanted to pour everything ended up doing only two sections of walkway, his sections butt up against someone else's ugly section, one that I posted about before because I was so o disappointed. Carlos was finally available again, so he poured my last section. You have to realize that here, if a worker returns your phone calls, he's cherished and passed around, expat to expat, like an inheritance.

Those have been some of my current projects underway while Wally is away. However, you may have noticed the title of this post is project visitor or in actuality I should say visitors! I have to admit money has been tight this month. I had to buy bus tickets to attend a 2 day convention a few cities away. Both dogs need their end of the year, rabies shots and pills for parasites. They are due this month. That drain installation had cost me some pesos to put in and the last sidewalk section was accomplished along with the drain. So when I found out that our congregation was going to have visitors from the head branch, I kept my head low and didn't speak up to offer any hospitality in the form of meals. Yeah, me bad.

My good friend Carolina who speaks excellent English (most of the time) came up to me and said that the elders of our congregation (or Ancianos, in Spanish) wanted to know if I could have the visitors come to my house since they are from the USA and they speak English.They felt I would be able to converse with them. Since I happen to be the resident English speaker in our hall it was assumed that I would want to talk to them. So they asked Carolina to convey that thought to me.

Well, It seems that my lack of Spanish has finally caught up with me. Like the movie title "Lost in translation" (with Bill Murray) I didn't know exactly what was going on with their visit. I thought they wanted me to have them come to my house for a meal. So I bite the bullet and told Carolina that yes I could host a luncheon for them along with a small group of congregation members at my house. I said I had room for about a dozen people for a sit down meal.

As a side note, being known as a native English speaker tends to mark you as a well known personality. Case in point, the post office recently delivered a letter to my door that had a return address in English. I had to explain to them that it wasn't addressed to me, as it was addressed to someone else who lived on another street, a different block, a different lot number and get this a different town! I live in Marindía and the letter was to go to Salinas, the town the post office is in! In fact that return address was from someone in Canada and I'm from the USA! To be fair, I had had several letters delivered to me that week and they just assumed this one was meant for me as well. I also don't have a mailbox up yet so all my mail is put under a rock on my meter box, why you would want to know that I don't know. However, most people know me as the English speaker.

So, I dipped into my savings and agreed to host a lunch for 12, (13 counting me) on Wednesday afternoon. I went up to the Elders and said yes to the meal. The next day, Carolina called and asked if I had spoken to the Elders about what she had asked me and I said yes, I'm having a lunch for them and she said, but the Elders had wanted to know if the visitors could stay at your house for the week, spending the nights! That's where the translation into English had broken down! I now was to have house guests and a luncheon. I let Carolina know that "having someone to your house" was a little different phrasing from "having guests spend the night at your house" or "live with you!"

So the upshot is, I now have a couple, Ken and Molly Heighauss staying with me for the week!
Again, the title of this post is project visitors! After saying, "Okay", (slightly begrudgingly) that I would host them for a week I then realized that although I have a guest bedroom, the only thing in it is a bed, literarily, one piece of furniture, in a very tiny room. I would be sentencing these people to a one week prison cell. So my next project would have to be getting this room up to snuff in a hurry or to a proper guest room worthy status. Not that these people (who I had never met before) needed anything elaborate but rather my sense of propriety kicked into high gear. I have always fancied myself to be the "hostess with the mostess"(an old, corny saying).

So visiting my bank for the first time since Wally has been gone Stateside, I extracted enough dinero, the bare minimum, for a proper guest room. The money would be used for the most needed amenities and that lunch. I read under guest room etiquette, that some people don't like to sit on a bed (ever) so a proper guest room needs a chair! I bought a chair! A guest room needs a box of kleenex so that guests can blow their noses or do whatever a guest might do with a tissue, that is a must! I bought a box of tissues! A guest needs someplace to put their personal items on like a table or a dresser or something other than the bed. That purchase would be a challenge for me. The room is tiny!!! I would have to measure well for a piece to fit. First I moved the bed from the middle of the room to against the wall (an old trick) That left the mini fireplace to be proudly seen instead of its view being blocked by the bed. It seemed to open up the little room immensely (okay a little)! I didn't know what I would find but it would have to be skinny to be able to still walk by it and the bed. I ended up finding a tiny little old fashion looking desk. So, I bought a desk! A proper guest room should have an alarm clock in it so your house guests can arise without depending on you to rouse them up. I read it should be a lighted alarm clock but hey, at least a clock. I bought an alarm clock! I couldn't find a lighted version on my time schedule of 9 day's notice. I madly cleaned the house for 3 of those days. It had been a long winter and wood stove smoke was still to be seen. A proper guest room should at least have a radio. I went to Geánt, a large Walmart type store to purchase one but the radios were expensive $79 USA dollars for a simple small one. Then I saw "on sale" a tiny little black and white TV set with a radio in it for $34 (USA dollars). So, I bought a television! A guest room needs a trash can. I bought a trash can. Then I noticed that by placing the bed away from the fireplace it was now in front of a floor reaching window and that a person would be leaning against the thin glass. I pictured my guests ending up with terrible glass shards in them. So, I bought a head board! Then I realized, there was no way to mount the headboard without the rest of the bed frame, so I bought the bed frame! By now, I was down to the little things. I bought hangers, 4 pillows, a bedspread set and a bottle of wine. I never had time to find any hooks or a coat/towel rack to hang those things on. I looked for a luggage rack that all the magazine articles said I needed to put into the room so, I bought a small metal stool, that would have to do. I cleaned the house some more and learning that they were vegetarians for health reasons, I bought some fruits and vegetables for the week. Others, like myself would be feeding them big lunches throughout the week. Then I waited for their arrival.

Meanwhile, I found out that our congregations here in Uruguay have been consolidated and put under the care of the Argentina branch. My guest would be the new Argentina District overseer along with his wife. So my guests, although originally from the USA have now been serving in Argentina for some 22 years! So, of course, they speak Spanish fluently by now and could have easily stayed with any of the other Spanish speaking members. The elders had thought that since Wally has been away for so many months that I might need some English company. Ken Heighauss and his wife Molly were originally trained missionaries sent to Argentina. Then they served for some 22 years (as mentioned) in the traveling work.
He as a circuit overseer over various groups that form circuits. Because of the organizational change he has now been assigned as a District overseer. He covers both Argentina and Uruguay in his travels. So it really is a privilege to have this husband and wife couple stay at my house for their first visit to Uruguay as its District Overseer.

Well, they arrived on a Tuesday and a member of the congregation dropped off some dinner vegetable dishes for them. I ate too. The next day, I had a group over to my house for "the lunch" including the purpose of the meal my house guests. Included in this group was the Uruguayan circuit overseer and his wife. I cooked chicken, leg/thigh combos for the rest of the group who definitely do eat meat and the various guests brought tons of vegetable dishes for my house guests. It went well, Whew!

Surprisingly, despite the responsibility of oversight that Ken has he doesn't wear a suit 24/7. They actually act and dress like normal people on their down time. Molly and Ken take a brisk morning walk together everyday for 1/2 an hour and in the evenings after eatting. It allows them some time to themselves, It burns off the calories from their meals and is good for Ken's health. Here they are after their tuesday walk.

So far, things have been going smoothly, I haven't mentioned to them that Wally's bathroom sink and toilet were having plumbing problems and that I had to have a plumber come out to fix his bathroom 3 days before they arrived so that they could use his bathroom. Nor, did I mention the electrician I had come out on the same day to put in some new wall outlets in their guest room so that they could plug in any devises they might need.

Let's just say, I'm very tired but interested to see how this project visitor turns out.

Emergency Hospitalization!

2011-12-06T15:06:00.000-08:00

What is it like when the worst happens and your all alone in a foreign country?

Imagine this scenario; you're away from family, long-time friends and associates. You don't speak the language of your new country fluently just yet and then a medical emergency strikes. How do you cope? What happens in such a situation here in Uruguay?

This post is a narrative about a true, life threatening medical emergency requiring hospitalization. It did not happen to me. This is not my account of what happened but rather that of a Single woman who wishes to remain anonymous so we'll call her "Missy' for the purposes of this post.

"Missy" is a fairly new expat to this country. She's been here a little over 3 years. She was hospitalized for a sudden and surprising case of acute Pancreatic infection. She had no such prior history of this. She didn't know what she had or why she was in such pain until it was discovered during the hospital stay.What happened to her, happened at the beginning of this year in January, 2011. She is now finished with the ordeal and is fine.

I thought that most of my readers but especially other expats and those considering moving here would like to know what happens in such a medical emergency. I asked Missy some questions and her answers are in the narrative she wrote for this post.

Missy, do you have medical insurance? Do you have an ambulance rider attached to your insurance or in other words how did you get to the hospital? Since women tend to ignore aches and pains, what made you realize something was really wrong and when? Did you go to the hospital right away or did you go somewhere else first? What tests and procedures were done to you to determine what condition you had?

You can find out her answers to those questions and more in her following narrative. Please note that she tells what happened to her in her own words. I have added nothing except having bolded a few words and italicized a few others to emphasize some points I thought were unique.

Missy tell us what happened!

**I was at a New Year's eve party in Atlantida when I started to feel "not quite right". I had eaten a lot and had quite a bit of alcohol, and I don't drink very often. I felt as though I needed to either throw up, have a bowel movement or pass gas. I was finally able to have a BM and eventually I started to feel normal again. I went home that night but didn't go to sleep because the feeling persisted. It was a sort of pressure, and when I took Pepcid A/C it tended to go away. I felt uncomfortable off and on Saturday and Sunday, and by Monday afternoon, it had developed into an excruciating pain in my abdomen. I couldn't take it any longer so I called a friend, who came right over. By then I could hardly walk. She took me to the Medica Uruguaya clinic (this is my health provider) in her truck. They put me on a gurney and tried different IV's but couldn't get the pain to subside. They recommended I go to the hospital and called a taxi for me. Ambulance service is included in my monthly premium, but I've been told there is only one ambulance, and if it isn't available, you take a taxi, which is paid for.

All the way to the hospital, which is on Avenida Italia and 8 de Octobre, about an hour ride, I lay with my head in my friend's lap. When we got to the emergency room, it was quite crowded. My friend went to the desk and told them I was in terrible pain (her Spanish is excellent!) and I was moved to the head of the line. They took me in, put me on a gurney and gave me morphine. They took blood, and when the pain finally eased, took me to have a CT scan of my abdomen. These two tests confirmed that I was having an attack of acute pancreatitus. I had never heard of this and didn't know how serious it was.

I sent my friend home, as another friend was on the way who would spend the night with me. I was taken to Intensive Care and hooked up to four IV's. It was January 3, and one of the worst episodes of my life had begun. I would not be allowed to eat or drink for the next three weeks! This was horrible. I had no energy, I couldn't get out of bed, I had to wear a diaper because of constant diarrhea. I think I was on pain meds because I don't remember what I said to people or who came and went. And I had a catheter. They did give me a sponge bath every morning which felt really good. I had to wear an oxygen mask for a period of time as well.

I shared a room with another woman, and this was difficult because they let family visit any time and stay overnight as well. There would often be five or six people in the room at the same time, and the television was often blaring until 1:00 am or later. My doctor moved me the first time because I couldn't get any rest. I was moved a couple more times, once out of Intensive Care and once more because someone else needed my room.

The rooms were fine, each patient had access to a TV with cable which had a few English stations, but you had to pay for it. Most of the nurses were nice, There were several that were really kind and thoughtful, but there were a few who were arrogant and brusque. Some spoke English, but not most. There was an en suite bathroom with a shower, and the rooms were cleaned twice a day. There was no call bell, so when you needed help, you had to clap your hands until someone heard you and showed up. I thought this was strange, especially when I was later moved to a room that had a call bell when I was doing much better and hardly needed it! The rooms had big windows and a fan which contributed greatly to comfort

Two weeks after I arrived I had a procedure to remove two cysts that had developed. My surgeon attempted to drain them by puncturing them, but was not successful, so he put in a drain in each of my sides. I was awake during this procedure and even though he used a local anesthetic it hurt like hell. I was no longer going to be able to sleep any way but on my back because of these two drains.

Three days after this I went into surgery to remove my gall bladder and the section of my pancreas which had died. The cause of my illness was gall stones which had formed and blocked the duct leading to the pancreas. This caused the pancreas to begin to die, which was why I was in such pain. It can be compared to kidney stones, which I have heard are very painful. You can't live without your pancreas, and I found out later I lost nearly half. I also found out later that people can die from acute pancreatitus, about 30% don't survive. No one told me this while I was recovering, because they didn't want to scare me or stress me out. Just as well I think. With my gall bladder gone, this wouldn't occur again.

I had blood taken every week, and I was tested for diabetes often. It often hurt, because I have small veins and they were clumsy. I had lots of bruises and was often in tears. I was often in tears anyway, just because I was so miserable and I didn't want to be in the hospital. When I was recovering I begged the doctor to let me go home but he couldn't and I cried a lot because I wanted to go home.

I had CT scans and ultrasounds regularly. Medica Uruguaya is a big hospital and all the tests and procedures are done on site. They would just wheel me in my hospital bed to the appropriate room, or bring the equipment to me. Everything was covered with my insurance, and I am so glad I had it, as I was there almost eight weeks initially, 25 days in Intensive Care.

Eventually I was allowed ice water, and what a blessing that was. I had been craving liquid and was so envious of all of my roommates who could have whatever they wanted. It also made me sad because they got to go home and I didn't! I had no appetite, so not having food didn't bother me in the same way. When I finally got food, it was so disgusting I couldn't eat it anyway! It was the same thing every day, pureed squash I think. When I recovered enough to eat solid food, it wasn't so bad. I had rice, soup, chicken, potatoes, ham, pasta. I just couldn't have fruit, or anything with sugar. But I was allowed tea and ice cream with artificial sweetener. There was absolutely no spice on the food, it was completely bland.

Breakfast was served at 8:00 am and consisted of a piece of bread or crackers and a cup of tea or coffee. Later supplemented with sugar free jam. Lunch was at noon (see above), then another cup of tea and piece of bread at 4:00 pm, and dinner (see above) at 8:00 pm. Before breakfast our sheets were changed and we were given whatever meds we were prescribed.

My doctor finally let me go home on February 25, against his better judgement. He thought it was too soon, and I still had both drains in place. I think he got tired of listening to me cry, ha ha. I had to follow a diet with no fat, no sugar, no fried food, no alcohol, no fruit, no spicy food. I was glad to get home, but I had no energy for the simplest things, all I could do was sit in a chair and watch TV. I had no appetite, even for my favorite foods. I had lost about 16 pounds. A nurse from the clinic in Atlantida was sent to my house each day to clean and change the drain sites (included in my treatment). I couldn't ride my bike or even walk very far. Being in bed for so long had weakened my muscles. I had to take a nap daily and couldn't lift anything.

On March 8, I was feeling very weak, dizzy and just not well. I called the clinic and they sent an English speaking female doctor to my house. She took one look at me and said I must go to the hospital immediately. I called a taxi, and she told them to take me to emergency, no charge. When I got there I was given a blood test and put in a chair to wait for ages. They finally told me I had low potassium and I was admitted to the hospital. It was too late to see my doctor that night, but I saw him in the morning. He said I needed to stay for "a few days". I ended up staying 18 days! I never knew why my potassium was so low, but I know that's not a good thing. I was eating vegetables, and I think I wasn't supposed to. I was resigned to my fate, though, and didn't cry this time. I felt much better quite soon, so this wasn't the hideous experience the last time was. I could get in and out of bed, take a shower, walk the halls, eat regular food, etc. so it wasn't so bad. I realized though that the doctor had been right; I had gone home too soon, and this was my punishment! They were able to remove one of my drains, so that was a bonus. I wouldn't lose the other one for almost two more months, however.

I went home for the second time on March 26, and I haven't had a relapse so far. I had a few followup appointments and scans afterward, but haven't seen a doctor since beginning of May, seven months. The doctor followup visits are free, but I had to pay for additional blood tests and scans, which weren't expensive. I am eating normally now, and have gained back the weight I lost. I feel fine and am back to normal activities. I am taking no medication.

There is no doubt in my mind my surgeon saved my life. He was excellent and even spoke English. He was very patient with me and came to see me every day, even though I got upset at him often. When he went on vacation, he had another doctor visit me, who also spoke English. I received good care at Medica Uruguaya but it was certainly no frills. You had to bring your own towels, soap, shampoo, toilet paper, tissue, for example. My long hair was ruined while I was there when they tried to wash it in a small bowl and didn't get the soap out. I had to have it cut off when I got out because it was snarled and damaged beyond repair. It's growing again now and is in good health.

I don't have any family here, and that might have made my stay more pleasant. I did have lots of visits from good friends, which helped a lot and gave me something to look forward to. The early days passed verrrrry slooooly! It got better as I got better, and I had books and my laptop brought in that helped pass the time. I didn't take any pictures, it never occurred to me. I am grateful to be alive. I thought I would never be back to normal, it seemed to take forever, little steps at a time. Patience was never one of my virtues. I just turned 62, and have always had such good health which I took for granted. This came out of the blue and hit me very hard. It was so unexpected and so shocking. I'm so very glad it's over.**

I want to thank "Missy" so o much, for taking the time to write about her painful ordeal and allowing me to post it! I wanted to be sure her story got told.

"Missy" you are one brave lady and you have survived one of the worst situations imaginable. I know you will enter this coming new year of 2012 not only as a much stronger person for having survived all that you have but with a renewed appreciation and zest for life. May you enjoy life here in Uruguay for a long time! Good health to you!

PS. I realize that I didn't include any pictures of the Medica Uruguaya hospital or the clinic. Missy was not in the position to take any photos during her stay. I have not had a chance this month to go down to Montevideo to take any of my own. However, I believe her story is riveting enough to have been posted sans pictures.

PSS. There are many large hospitals in Uruguay and several in Montevideo. Missy went to Medica Uruguaya because her insurance coverage is with that hospital as is mine. However, the best hospital, a private one is reportedly the "British hospital" for care and being upscale. Click on the link for a list of hospitals and for information about them.

Radio Marindia!

2011-11-22T13:11:00.000-08:00

Your listening to the smooth sounds of 88.9 on your FM radio dial. Reaching out to our listeners down in Pinamar and all the way up to Parque del Plata. This is Radio Marindía saying, "Good Morning, Uruguay"!

Okay, I guess that's the extent of my radio career. I just couldn't help myself! I had better leave the disc jockeying to the professionals, like El señor Mario Mautone, the Director/owner and D.J. of the radio station Radio Marindía. To be fair, I hear that his wife, Ana María Alvarez also shares in some on-air announcing.

Just around the corner from my house is a radio station. I didn't notice, it was a station, when I first moved here. At first glance, it just looks like an ordinary house. Then I noticed the "name" of the house, written in iron scroll letters. I saw that the sign said, FM 106.3 with the word, "señales" under it, meaning, "signal" in Spanish. When I asked my friends about it they said yes, they do listen to the station. Well, that's the great thing about having a blog, your constantly on the look out for more things to post about on your blog. So, I decided that an interview with my local radio station was needed!

One of the first things I learned, was that the call numbers or frequency had changed! In April of this year (2011), after applying for a license, the licensing board upon approving their station, changed the frequency from 106.3 FM to 88.9 FM. Mario said you have to apply to the President of the Republic to get radio stations licensed. They (Radio Marindía) just hadn't changed the house name yet to the new dial number, even though it changed 8 months ago. Welcome to Uruguay!

I mentioned that they needed to change the house's name and get new numbers to advertise the change. That same day, when walking past the station I saw a new banner hung on the gate with the new station dial numbers advertised. They had the sign already but it was nice seeing it up. I guess loyal fans knew all along, where to tune into, despite the change.

I asked Mario, what his job description or profession is called and he said that he is a communicator or comunicador in El Español. He explained that, that meant more than just announcing things but involved a two way line of communication, a give and take, an interactive form.

He first became interested in radio and announcing when he was just a boy, at 5 years old. He used to get the family records out and set up a pretend station. Using a microphone he would introduce the songs and talk away, playing at being a DJ. He has been at it for 40 years!

The station here in Marindía or Radio Marindía as it's called, has been here in town for 5 years. It's more than just a hobby, it's a passion! However, Mario currently works in Atlántida. In 5 months he will be retiring and can devote his full time to what he loves, his wife Ana, his daughter Leticia and of course this station.

Mario has that typical smooth sounding announcer voice! Not so much in person but over the radio he really pours it on.

The station's broadcast hours are from 7AM (in the morning) to 12PM (midnight) a nice long day. The programs are set up on the computer and pre-recorded. With advertising, announcements and music preselected.The station is set up in his garage. He says the whole neighborhood, as well as, his individual neighbors, help to contribute to the station and it's programming.

I asked about advertising and announcements. He said that community events and clubs or any news worthy items can be mentioned over the radio and are announced for free. Businesses can advertise on the station for a small fee. Recently the station asked for donations to upgrade their equipment. This station uses a very large antenna on their garage roof that reaches the airways of this and the neighboring communities previously mentioned. They also use the internet. So their listeners are far flung. The whole world can hear using the internet says Mario. Their site is radiomarindia.blogspot.com It claims to be the first on-line radio station in the area.

He believes his audience is in the 30 year and up age bracket. He loves all music. His lineup of music includes melodies, music from the 1950s, '60s and '70s. Also, Brazilian and Jazz! Music International is included because he loves all types of music.

His daughter, Leticia, I met on a previous visit. I haven't gotten a chance to meet her mom, his wife, Ana yet. However, the whole family is just charming, you can tell.

Reaching out to people is something I do via the internet (our blog) and meeting them face to face, door to door. Reaching out to people using the internet and via the airways is something that Mario Mautone does very well! I was happy to have the opportunity to get to know my local radio station, Radio Marindía!

Hiring Buses!

2011-11-07T07:08:00.000-08:00

November 2nd (here in Uruguay) was the day of the defunct or Día de los Disfuntos. Isn't that an odd way of saying dead, that a person is defunct? Really though, the word defunct means "no longer exists". Well, my existing friends and I are very much alive and we don't celebrate the day of the dead.

That calendar holiday, did however mean, that most of my friends had the day off from work. So why not do what the dead cannot (see Ecclesiastes 9:5,6) and that was to enjoy a picnic!

It was decided that we should make the most of this mid-week day off and go somewhere special, so the Hills of Minas became our destination.

How would our group get there? Well, we hired a bus, 2 of them! One large commercial tour bus or "Omnibus" as it's called here and a smaller van normally used as a school bus. We ended up having a group of 61. An old fashion congregation picnic.

I was impressed with the size of the big Omnibus and always curious, I just had to ask how much it ended up costing, to rent these buses. The big tour bus was $9000 (Pesos) and the smaller school van $3200. The total of $12,200 was all inclusive meaning it included the gas and the drivers for the entire day. Since it was a calendar day off, everyone had advance notice of the trip. We all chipped in by paying $200 pesos each, putting down half, up front about 3 weeks before the date. Forty-six people fit into the large bus and the rest or 15 (not counting the driver) went via the van.

The one bummer for me was that I'm not a morning person and the pick up point was at our congregation in Salinas at 6:50 in the morning! I didn't want to leave my bike unattended in the back parking lot all day so I walked, instead of riding there. That meant a 45 min. walk, leaving my house at 6 o'clock in the morning! I did however have a game plan and that was to ask if our bus could stop on the way home that night by the highway near my street, which it did end up doing. That would later prove to be a wise decision on my part.

After roll call, we boarded our assigned buses and took off for the hour and 15 min. ride. As a side note, buses here have some of the steepest boarding steps I've ever seen with no low handicap ramps that meet the street or wheel chair access (that I can see). However, old people and crippled alike take this in stride and just seem to hop on up somehow while I "cringed" climbing aboard. The bus had a TV screen and it played music videos. I saw and heard a few Spanish ones but what always amuses me is the prevalence wherever I go of English songs playing, in particular old 1980's "hair band" music. I did enjoy hearing Peter Frampton and Toto again after all these years. Of course, this being Uruguay and all, everyone pulled out their mate gourds and hot water thermoses and settled in for the ride.

Our first stop was to the "Salus Park". It's a park built around the spring water of the Salus bottling company. They bottle the natural spring water and also bottle flavored waters like lemonade etc... The Patricia beer plant also uses the Salus mineral water in their product, so it's located in this area as well. Wally and I went to this park last year on our Anniversary. It is a conservation area and botanical garden that tries to educate people on the native flora and fauna. It has a section where the trees have identifying signs. I saw a cork tree that I noticed this time around.

The buses let us off to see the famous Puma fountain at the spring's source. We posed for pictures. My friends LOVE taking photos and goofing off in them as I saw later in some of my face shots.

Next, we climbed back on board and were driven to the family park portion where the kids aboard squealed with delight on seeing the play ground equipment.

They actually applauded which humbled me a lot. You see compared to the USA, with it's steel play ground equipment and plastic tube structures the parks here are, shall we say, very "rustic"(with humble structures). The slides here are made out of wood, I'm talking about the seat portion you slide on as well!

Here the children really appreciate special treats. On seeing their enthusiasm, even the grownups were soon joining them in hoots and hollers of merriment. My thirty something, Forty, fifty and even sixty year old friends were soon running around playing and climbing on things. Two friends did a reenactment of the movie "Titanic" on the bow of this ship-like structure. Soccer and Volley balls suddenly appeared and games of dodge ball and volley ball were played and we swung on the swings. I have the photos to prove it!

After a few hours, we boarded the bus again and visited a confectionary factory, in an area called Villa Serrana that made "alfajores" a local sweet layered cookie thing and some meringue treats. I watched, while a woman frosted by hand, one at a time, each little "ding dong" sized treat. I bought a few at 10 pesos each.

Back on the bus again, we were taken farther into Minas about 20km more to a municipal camping and picnic area by a stream called Arequita. There we spread out to eat our self packed lunches. I always seem to bring a ham and cheese sandwich with me on outtings. I tried to analize that once and I came up with the thought that since ham is such a heavily processed food I must think it keeps better in a non- refrigerated situation, besides I like ham.

After eating and stretching out for a while someone said that our group was going to climb a nearby hill.

Hills are very rare in this flat country so that's why Minas (meaning Mines) is such a valued place. I heard some kids ask, in a sort of reverential way, "daddy that's a hill (cerro) right?" One young 18 year old turned to me and said "you probably don't have areas like this one in the USA, do you?" I had to remind her that just the one state, of Washington, was almost the size of the entire country of Uruguay and that we have 50 states in the USA. So yes, we did have places like this. Thinking to myself of the Grand Canyon and Yosemite valley. Yes, we have hills and we have mountains galore. To soften the blow, I did say that depending on the state you lived in, you might not see a place like this (Kansas comes to mind). For instance, if you lived inland you might never even have seen an ocean! Still the hills of Minas are truly lovely and we were about to climb one.

Most of our picnickers joined the hill climbing party and old and young alike took off down a road following someone, who seemed to know where to go. We followed a park road and aimed toward the hill. Soon we were passing by cows and into fenced land. We shimmied under fencing and took a group picture in a field.

I saw huge birds (bigger than hawks?) circling the hill. I don't know whether there are condors here or not? These birds were really large. We walked toward a grove of Ombu trees. The Ombu tree is the national tree of Uruguay! These trees, also found in Argentina, are the romantic subject of several books, such as, "Meet me under the Ombu tree" by Santa Montefiore and another book called "Far away and Long ago" by W.H.Hudson. Hudson recalls these trees from his youth growing up on an estancia (ranch) in Argentina. Inside the shade of this wooded area we saw a path.

Soon we were walking, as they say here, Indian style or one at a time, following behind each other up a steep rocky path. For some reason I thought I needed a walking stick so I grabbed a fallen branch. It was very flimsy but I went up the entire hill carrying it. Others saw me and found truly strong sticks but once I had found my stick, I held on to that same ridiculous branch without letting it go.

The path got rockier and steeper but everyone found their own footing and all made it up to the top! The view from the top was sweeping. You could see how green and pretty the surrounding area of Minas is. Also in the distance, you could see other hills. Most hills here are named. I'm sorry, I don't know what the local name of the hill we climbed was, or if it indeed had a name?

After climbing back down again we went back to the picnic area and the more energetic (not me) took part in sack races and a friend made fresh "Tortas fritas", a fried dough snack.

At about 6:30pm, we boarded the buses one last time, for the ride home. We had spent a 12 hour day! We saw several places and had a great time among friends! Boy was I tired! How glad I was not to have to, bicycle all the way home after such a long day or to walk a long distance home. My asking the bus to stop on the highway near my street paid off big time! All in all, I would say, that hiring buses for the day was a great bargain for our group at $200 pesos per person!

Quincho!

2011-10-28T19:08:00.000-07:00

You might be more familiar with the term "thatched roof"and charming images of thatched homes in England and Ireland but those types of structures exist here in Uruguay as well.

Here a Quincho is usually a thatched BBQ area or a small pool house located in the back yard, however quinchado means thatched. Some main houses still have thatched roofs, here in Uruguay.

The idea of buying your main dwelling with a roof of straw (techo de paja) maybe daunting. The thought usually divides people into 2 camps. Some people will be deterred by the maintenance issues while other people will find these structures individually charming.

One such couple who appreciates the character and charm of a quincho home is Wayne and Janet.

By way of introduction, you may recall a visit by Wayne and Janet to my house (not a quincho) back in January 31st, of this year (2011). The second half of that blog post was about them. They had come to Uruguay on a scouting trip to see if this was a country they would like to retire to, I guess the answer was a resounding Yes! They came back and bought a quincho home.

The advantage of a quincho house is its insulating factor. It keeps you cosy in winter and cool in the summer. Its high roof pitch makes for a lot of room inside the house
and many quincho s are two story dwellings.

I recently had the privilege of seeing their roof re-thatched in this traditional style and building technique, here in Uruguay.

Both their main house and their BBQ/parilla area are thatched and upon moving into their "new home" it was time to have it redone. You can tell when the roof needs replacing when the horizontal "fixings" or wire ties are exposed all over the roof or if gullies are appearing (vertical deep patches of rot).

Here on the back of their house you can see the horizontal steel rod lines or "fixings", showing across the entire roof. So, it was time to reroof!

Traditionally these roofs have been made out of one of three material types. Each has a different life span. #1 Long straw can last from 5-20 years. #2 Combed wheat reed, 20-30 years. #3 Water reed, 30 plus years.

The ridge will last 8-15 years. It will generally need to be replaced first before the main body of the house needs a re-job. It's vulnerable to wind and weather. I have often seen the ridges covered afterwards with a cement cap.

The reeds used on Wayne and Janet's house come from the Rio Negro, the area in San Ramon.

As you can see, even within the same type of material, the life span of the roof varies. This is due to the following factors: The roof's pitch, design, location (wind and trees, etc..) the expertise of the thatcher and most importantly, timely maintenance.

Ideally the roof's pitch should be 50 degrees. This allows any rain to travel quickly down the slope along the surface from long stem to stem and off the eave (edge). The roof also over hangs the house so that gutters are not necessary.

The idea of this roof catching on fire puts people off to buying this type of home but if some simple precautions are taken then the risk is negligible. Some suggestions are to keep bon fires and leaf burning away from the house. Always keep a non crimping hose nearby, connected if possible to the water spout. Inside, have several smoke detectors and fire extinguishers throughout the house. Some people spray the roof annually with fire retardant chemicals but this easily washes off. Things like making sure the chimney is at least 5 feet above the thatch and has a spark arrester and is swept out annually is important.

It's a good idea to keep trees and overhanging branches away from the roof. The roof lasts longer when it is dry and keeping it sunny helps with this drying process.

Many people wonder about the cost of such a roof. Wayne and Janet got several estimates from reputable thatchers and the price ran from $8000 (US) to $15000 depending on the thickness and extras. This was the price to re-do both the main house and the rear barbacoa (BBQ house). The $15,000 price would result in a thatch of a diameter of 30cm a bundle. They felt that this would be overkill. They choose the 20cm thickness at a cost of $8000. They ended up having the original thatcher come and do the job. He had done the original job in 1998 (13 years ago) and had a page on the house specs already. He knew how much thatching was needed according to those original plans. The roof had not been maintained since it had first been done.

A quincho's main roof can have the thatching either, sewn, tied or screwed on.

In a sewn roof, the upper layer is secured (fixed) to the lathing with steel wire but without the use of steel rods.

In a tied roof, the upper layer is secured to the lathing with steel wire and steel rods.

In a screwed roof (please resist the urge to laugh right now) the upper layer is fixed with steel wire which is then in turn screwed to the lathing.

Wayne and Janet got a tied roof. The old rods were reused.

The workers arrived each morning at 7:30. Wayne and Janet were warned to be up at that time. At lunch they take a siesta (a nap) after eating. Besides the owner of the company, Señor Gervasio Donatte, there were 3 workers. Christopher, Anthony and sorry I didn't get the name of the third guy, he was on the roof at the time.

The re-thatching schedule went like this;

1) New reeds bundles arrive. 2) Scaffolding was erected at the front of the main house. 3) The old cement caps were removed. 4) The old roof was mostly removed down to the original matting. The original underlaying reed mat (like a very thick beach mat) was still like new having been protected by the thatch. That mat is what is clearly seen inside the house above the rafters. It adds a beautiful look to the inside ceilings.

To continue.
5) The new reed bundles were sorted and the broken small reeds removed.

6) A board is placed along the bottom of the roof to line up the first row.

7) A 20 cm bundle is thrown up to the roof (it is caught in mid air by the worker) and the ties that hold the bundles together (made of reed) are removed and tossed to the ground by said worker.

8) The bundles (one at a time) are secured (fixed) from below with wire ties. They use a long pole with a hook to push the rods in. It's like watching a giant sewing needle or harpoon.

9) gradually they work up the roof.

10) They eventually reach the top of the first side and secure the ridge. The ridge covers the last "fixing."

You can now see the worker from the other side of the house.

Using simple tools, including a comb like paddle, and some wire this process takes about a week (5 days) to work up a side. They don't work in the rain. You can still live in the house if the original matting is there because they only remove the old roof a piece at a time as they work their way up.

It will take 3 to 4 weeks to finish this project. I believe this includes the roof of the BBQ house. That new "thatch color" will last for 2 years then fade to gray like cedar wood does in furniture.

Their new thatched roof will last 15 to 20 years but it will need yearly inspections by the owner to clear off leaves etc... Also it will need to be looked after about every 5 years to help keep it at the longer life span projection. That's why it takes a special kind of person or in this case a couple who truly admire the thatched roof's charm.

To be honest, I'm one of those people who would shy away from buying a quincho. The commitment is similar to buying an historic house. You feel responsible to keep the legacy pure. I'm glad however that I got to see this traditional method of building first hand and personal. I want to thank Wayne and Janet for thinking of me. Also, I have to share photo credits with Wayne this time around. After taking some 78 photos, my camera's battery died and he helped out with a few more shots that I wanted to take. The really good photos are his!

Now, instead of thinking about only charming English cottages you can also add visions of lovely Uruguayan quincho s to your dreams. It's nice to know that there are immigrants to this country, foreigners like Wayne and Janet who value and want to help keep this Uruguayan tradition alive.

La Floresta!

2011-10-16T15:33:00.000-07:00

Ever since we first arrived in Uruguay we have made a monthly pilgrimage to La Floresta. No, not for religious reasons but to get our monthly Social Security Check.

In case we haven't mentioned this before, The United States has an agreement with Uruguay that Social Security checks can be direct deposited into the Crédit Uruguay Banco but only certain locations of those branches accept them. One was in La Floresta. When that bank was bought out by a different bank it caused a momentary panic. Would the new bank continue accepting those checks? Whew! Yes they did!

So the pilgrimage continued.

The number 711 bus takes you smack dab into the middle of that city. It's said that there are 6 hotels in this city, I saw a number of restaurants. There are two supermarkets, almost side by side to each other on the same block. A large pharmacy and a Pasta factory/store stand on the main drag. Getting off the bus you get a clear view straight to the water. I looked forward to those monthly trips into La Floresta.

La Floresta is much smaller than the city of Atlántida but both cities are celebrating 100 years this 2011. It was March for La Floresta and (I believe??) this month of October for Atlántida.

However, this is a post about La Floresta because I just found out that the branch location I go to, in order to pick up our dinero/money, is changing to a new location, towards the outskirts of Montevideo. So, no more forced monthly trips to see La Floresta.

One of the first things in La Floresta that catches your eye (after the water view) is a headstone bearing the name Miguel Perea and under that, the name of the city, La Floresta. It stands at the end of the main street. It has a commanding vista overlooking the water. I don't know if the headstone actually marks a grave or not? Is his body under there???

Why is his death marked? Who was he? Well, Miguel Perea was a Lawyer and founder of several banks but he also literally formed La Floresta by planting the Pine trees and Eucalyptus trees in the area between Sarandí and the Solís Chico streams. This was in 1909. In 1911 the area became a tourist resort for arboriculture and bathing. That's the date noted as the 100 year anniversary for this city. It officially became a City on December 3rd. 1969. Here is my take on the stone. Since he couldn't have founded the city 2 years before his birth. The stone's dates don't mark his literal birth but rather it marks the mile stones or significant years of the city and Mr. Perea's influence on it during those years. Those are the dates on the stone, 1911-1961. He missed seeing La Floresta become an "Official city" by 8 years.

The second thing one starts to notice, is that this city is dedicated to the arts.

The Development league of La Floresta or in Spanish, Liga de Formento de la Floresta has promoted cultural development in this city. This league promoted the creation of the 1st and 2nd International Biennial Sculptural encounter (meeting). The first encounter was in January of 2005. The second was also held in January, in the year 2007.

These two events attracted International artists from Argentina, Spain, Wales and Belgium besides Uruguay. For 10 days the public was invited to watch the selected artists carve large pieces of granite into finished pieces of art. These works now adorn this city.

Besides the many sculptures now on display, the city has some quirky buildings and residences that are just as artful.

In the first photo above you can see a combination of sculpture meeting residence. This is a very unusual house worthy of its own photo. Notice the decidedly "art deco" look to the second building. The third photo shows a row of houses unique from each other and from anything I've seen. In the fourth photo, the house looks like it used to be a train station.

The coastline is lovely and this must be where the seagulls come to roost, if they do roost? Because the sky had flock after flock of them flying past. I was finally able to capture a photo of some in the sky but they whiz by so fast it was hard to do. Paths and access to the beach are also very lovely and photogenic.

The city's rambla (road that fronts the water) is lined in pebbles of a brown hue and in some pattern. That must have taken a lot of time to do!

I will miss coming to this city on my monthly trips. That is why I thought, I had better commemorate this town by taking lots of photos to remember it by. Sure, I can still go there to visit any time I want but for now, I have to start my new pilgrimage to another town. Who knows what I'll find there?

Ahh... Moments!

2011-10-07T23:49:00.000-07:00

Ah! Yesterday was beautiful! The sun was shining, it was hot and clear and I took the dogs to the beach.

Yesterday, I noted that my "rose garden" actually had a few roses in it. The daisies far out shine them with a giant bush of yellow flowers and from the african ones, a multitude of purple flowers spread. My Calla Lilies are in bloom, which always reminds me of that Katherine Hepburn movie (Stage Door). My Irises have also bloomed and I forgot I had planted some white ones as well as the purple varity. I also have some yellow ones coming up in my upper garden.

For you gardeners, almost anything that you can grow along the west coast of the USA from California to Washington State can be grown here as well. That includes Bougainvillea, Hibiscus and Cactus, plant memories of my Southern California childhood. Pine trees and ferns, much more recent memories, from my 18 years in Washington State are also abundant here. Everything else, from elsewhere and in between, likewise manages to grow here. So do roses, for you Portland, Oregon, "city of roses" folk.

As for my beach visit with the dogs in tow, I did venture to dip a toe into the water to test its temperature. I didn't scream, like I did back in the depths of winter from fidget waters, so it's warming up. A few years back, during full summer mode, the water was so warm that Wally and I went night swimming to catch small fingerlings with a lantern and net.

The morning started out with a surprising ah moment, as I was shopping. Hard to see where this will lead but bear with me. While I was in a grocery store I saw a young man hovering by me. I am always aware of my surroundings and people near me, since I have (in the past) also lived in New York City. My mother, a native New Yorker, taught me some street smarts. Well, he seemed to want to approach me but was hesitant, so I looked him straight in the eye and that caused him to speak up! "I read your blog", he said "and enjoy it very much!" Then he said softly in English, "How is Wally doing?" He had seen me at the feria before but hadn't wanted to bother me there. We were in the milk aisle of this store and so it seemed easier for him to get the nerve up and say hi. His name is Diego. He is a native Uruguayan and no, I don't always bring my camera everywhere, so I couldn't take his photo, sorry. He said, he liked reading about our experiences and viewpoint of his country and our life here. I am pleased to know that I have readers from inside this country as well as out. So Diego, thanks for reading and for contributing to this post!

After shopping, doing my gardening tour and the beach trip and a few other puttering chores, I had time to talk to a few people. People in my neighborhood started to say that it was going to rain that night. For a country where most people travel by motorcycle and/or bicycle the weather is a hot topic. Your mother was right in saying, that if you need to make polite conversation, talk about the weather! I listened dutifully while our gardeners gave me a 3 and a half day rundown on the rain schedule. That night, (Thursday), Friday, Saturday and probably into Sunday (they said Domingo, of course) it was going to rain big time! I can see how, if you have to ride on an open vehicle like a bike, how dangerous it could be and how wet you could become if it rains. So wind and rain are a daily concern. I thought I was almost finished with cold icky weather and fire making as the last two days went by without stoking up my woodstove. Heeding their warning, I thought I'd better get things ready. I went out into the neighborhood (up the street) and picked up some kindling I had seen earlier in a ditch and restocked my plastic tote with branches. Then I brought a few logs inside the house. All the while I was looking at the beautiful blue sky above me!

Come evening time I began to see the first clouds brewing which lead me to wonder if riding my bicycle to my congregation meeting that night was going to be a possibility. Just in the nick of time, a returning neighbor, who normally lives in Montevideo, told me she was now staying here in Marindia with her husband. She lives right across the street from me (in their second home). Normally her grown son stays in the house. A few months ago I met her on one of her vacations here. I found out that she goes to the same Kingdom Hall as I do, when she's in town. So, Ahh..., sigh of relief, she offered to drive me in her car that night to the meeting and to some up coming meetings! Her name is Ana.

Later that night when I was safely home, the rains began! Boy did it storm! My wood stove was all primed and ready to go. All my animals were inside with me enjoying the fire. My last, Ah moment, came when I looked at my cat Nathan snuggled up with my dogs. Barney the black dog has the least amount of fur so he likes to sleep under a blanket. Nathan saw him as a soft warm pillow and so plopped down right on top of him! I am always amazed when supposing enemies like cats and dogs can get along together.

Today it poured down rain again, true to everyone's prediction. So I stayed inside. I have a future post planned. I'm just waiting on an interview. I was going to try and get it done today but instead decided to sit by the fire and enjoy another, Ah moment, watching my pet menagerie enjoy, snuggling together once more. In one photo you can see, two little black legs belonging to Barney sticking out. Looking at the above picture, how could I not help but smile at this group?

It's nice to know, during rain or shine, one can still have an ahh...moment!

The Social Club

2011-09-29T22:51:00.000-07:00

The Social Club. Back in the States you might call it the local recreational center. Maybe it's just me or rather my point of view, but it seems to play a big part in Uruguayan life.

In Seattle, I remember seeing rec. halls in various communities offering special senior citizen gatherings and classes. I remember adjoining playing fields and seeing little league being played while enthusiastic dads and moms rooted for their little ones. I remember during the summer, swim classes being held at the swimming pools of some of those rec. centers. Well, Uruguay does all of that plus adds a social context.

The above picture is of the Club Albatross (like the bird) in the town of Salinas. That town is 1 1/2 kilometers away from my home (in Marindia). In Spanish, it's listed as a Club Social y Deportivo (sports). Every community has such a club. Instead of little league in those adjoining fields soccer is the sport of choice.

Inside the club Albatros (spelled with only one "s") you will find a basketball court as part of a huge room with windows that includes a stage. This center room also has a pass thru counter that connects to a kitchen so that food can be featured at some events. Wally and I have been to this club for an afternoon gathering with an onstage comedy sketch at one time and for a rather odd singing event during another evening. That evening event was when someone was trying to raise some money for a skating (patin, in Spanish) competition. It seems that Uruguay has just, in the last few years, gotten into competitive dance skating (roller skates) and is now encouraging youth groups in this sport/art. I'm sorry that I missed it but last year (3/20/2010) this same club Albatros featured, "Fantasma Opera" (Spanish) or Phantom of the Opera on skates! An exhibition of skating by Prof. Alejandro Martinez skating to a Michael Jackson song and "moon skating" backwards if you know what I mean! I saw the videos on U Tube! I would have liked to have gone that night!

The night we went, the person was raising money to help his group travel to a competition. He claimed to be a singer and sold tickets to his show. I was hoping to see some of the skaters but inside we watched him sing instead. He sang Sinatra songs.Well at least we were able to dance and buy some beer at the event, (Patricia my favorite brand here), so enough said about his singing.

There is also a "piscina" or swimming pool in this building. Even large pools in Uruguay are rather small by North American standards. Most seem to be made out of fiberglass which limits their depth and size. Still a neighborhood pool indoors at that, is not to be snubbed.

Every year, around August 24th there is a countrywide celebration of "Rock and Roll" called the Night of Nostalgia. It's an epic event as big as a "New Years Eve" celebration would be, with advance ticket buying and Rsvp ing. The Club Albatros would be one of the places to go to on that night in Salinas. Many special events and dinner shows are held there. Here is a picture of a typical invitation I found in town advertising the 23rd year anniversary of a 5 town business commercial association.
Cena means dinner in Spanish and this dinner show will have a couple of musical groups playing that night "Old Boys" and the music of the "Kalua"group, Prices are not listed on this invitation but I doubt its more than one or two hundred pesos. Food would probably be pizza or sausage or milanese (a breaded cutlet). You can often buy a piece of spinach torta (pie) for around 30 pesos,

This commercial association is made up of the towns of: Neptuna, Pinamar, Salinas, Marindia, and Fortin De Santa Rosa. If you look on a map, the towns are listed in that order along the highway (west to east).

One of the many classes held in this club has been yoga. Yoga seems to have caught on, big time in Uruguay. It's advertised everywhere. This is not surprising, in a country where the first Spanish word taught to me was "Tranquilo" or calm (for a person), peaceful (for a place) or quiet (for an evening). That's the name we have chosen for our house's name if we can ever afford the sign. When we used to tell people we were moving to Marindia everyone would say in reference to the area Es muy tranquilo (it's very quiet). They tell me, all the time, to be tranquilo. Still others just say that word by itself when they are around me. I tend to be demonstrative, and animated using facial and hand gestures, it's usually too much for most people here so, "tranquilo!"

Many people cry that it's such a shame that this building needs sprucing up but I find the lovely brick building to be in better shape and quality than many of the neighboring community clubs. Marindia also has it's own club near my house. That one is smaller and has a more beach bar shack look to it.

Our "Club Marindia" has advertised summer "movie nights" where they show an old flick on a large screen. Other nights have seen local musical groups playing. I must admit I usually find out or remember these events a day after they have been held but I've seen the flyers stapled on telephone poles around my neighborhood. A lot of my friends live closer to Salinas so I am made more aware of that club's happenings. Inside the Club Marindia is a ping pong table and a few benches. I think some tables can be brought in. I think it has a bathroom (Toilet) However, it's a far cry from the one in Salinas. The saving grace, the redeeming difference for Club Marindia is that it is almost, right on the beach. The Club Albatros sits a little higher up but does have a view of the water as seen in the title picture (on the right).

This summer I will take advantage of Club Marindia more. I want to check out movie night, I hope they will still have those. It's a pleasant walk to that club. I can go there either on the higher dirt road (the rambla) that runs along the coast. Or I can go on the beach itself as seen in the below picture. Can you see the club's roof on the left?

Those are my two dogs running along the beach. During the week I pretty much have this beach to myself as seen in the emptiness of this photo.

Each social club has it's own special character reflecting it's unique community (mine is beach y). Some are quite sophisticated while others reflect what's important to that town. Whether you are a child, senior citizen, a young dating couple or an old married pair wanting to get out and dance, sooner or later, if you live in Uruguay, you will be in attendance at your local neighborhood sports and social club.

The Bicycle!

2011-09-16T15:54:00.000-07:00

What do Spring and Bicycles have in common?

International Ride your Bike to work Day! It's suppose to encourage people to forsake their cars for one day. You're encouraged instead, to ride a bike to work, and to anywhere else you would have used your gas-guzzling, carbon producing vehicle to go to on that day. It's a big deal to get people to give up their convenient car for the day and go low tech. That's why a special day had to be invented to promote this. I think it's been going on for about 10 years now. Each city and country has had their own bike day on different dates. New Hampshire with it's Eastern seacoast chose Friday May 20th as did San Diego, CA which also encouraged bike riding for that entire month of May. Dublin gave June 22nd a bike nod, Winnipeg, Canada had their day June 24th. In life there is always an exception to any rule and the Twin Cities of St Paul and Minneapolis are pushing their bike day into the chilly month of October (not spring).

Here in Uruguay, September 22nd will be this country's bike day. It's called Día Internacional Sin Autos (Day without cars). Riding a bicycle, It's good for the environment, your health and all that, etc... stuff.

However, in actuality, everyday here in Uruguay is, ride your bike day!

I haven't ridden a bicycle for over 4 decades, not since, I was a kid. Even then, I never rode much. Because we were poor, I never owned one of my own. I only learned how to ride one by borrowing my friend's bike. Besides, I'm a klutz! So, when my new friends here in Uruguay kept asking me, why? I was walking everywhere and why? I didn't have a bicycle, my trepidation kicked in. Oh, no! I'm suppose to be fitting in here and I am literally standing out, by standing! I'm not sitting and riding a bike, while I travel down the road.

I knew I had to take the plunge, so my first step was to obtain a bicycle. Fortunately, an expat couple living here wanted to buy new bikes and sold their old ones to me and Wally. My second step was to try and ride it! When I first sat down on it, to try and ride, I panicked! It seemed so tall. I just pictured myself falling! I kind of put it and the idea of riding a bike out of my mind. I thought to myself, well, Wally has a car, we don't really need need a bike.

Now that Wally has been temporarily back in the States, I've been more dependent on my friend's schedules than Wally's. I go to my congregation's meetings, several times a week, the same as always but I've been walking to them now instead of driving there with Wally. In the early evening I walk some 2 kilometers to the hall. Returning, I either get a ride back home or I walk back home with a small group of friends. We go back home together because of the darkness and late hour. These friends live in the same neighborhood (barrio) as I do (just a few blocks away). The problem has been that, they go to this same meeting riding on their bikes but often had to push their bikes all the way home to keep pace with me while accompanying me walking back home. I never asked them to do this! I told them just to ride on ahead but they insisted no, that we would all go together. If I walked, then so would they! Well, you can imagine how guilty I started to feel at this dilemma! So, I started to revisit the idea of trying to ride a bike, my own bike this time, to my meetings.

My first thought was that, I had never panicked before at a bike being tall, so why now? I realized, that I should lower the seat! That did it! It wasn't so scary now! Next, that old Armour hot dog jingle, started to play in my head, Yeah, my brain works in mysterious ways! But if you remember that commercial, the words were "What kind of kids eat Armour hot dogs?" and the answer was, "Fat kids, skinny kids, kids who climb on rocks, tough kids, sissy kids, even kids with chicken pox love hot dogs, Armour hot dogs, the dogs kids love to bite!" (How's that for a blast from the past?) I wasn't thinking about hot dogs however, but rather at the fact that every kid and person from age 3 to 93 on up rode bikes here in Uruguay! Fat people, skinny people, etc... and so should I!!!

By the way, ordinarily nobody rides with a helmet here unless you're a professional racer in training or riding long distance or on a bike tour. Not a good habit, but it is often said that Uruguay reminds you of being back in the 1950's. Kids still ride in the back of pickup trucks along with dogs. People here, don't run around suing other people or the city when they fall into a pot hole. You're suppose to watch where you walk! You get the drift. I just thought you would notice in the photos no one wearing a bike helmut.

Since I was now determined to ride to the meeting for the sake of my friends my first ride was in full meeting dress, skirt not slacks, no helmet, bundled up wearing a coat and a sweater (winter wear). I rode at near night, with no bike light (like most everyone else does here). I rode for 2 kilometers, each way that night. Talk about jumping right in and taking the plunge! I rode there on a back road, sweating and praying all the way to my meeting that my legs would have the strength to get me there (I'm out of shape) and that I wouldn't fall! Boy, was I exhausted! My friends quietly smiled when we all rode back home together. They couldn't help themselves and so took my picture! (by phone camera). I'm glad they did that for me! They showed me a quicker way back home that was partially paved and had some street lights! All I can say is that I finally did it!

I read a recent Uruguay forum where someone (not in Uruguay) asked are there any cyclists here? I almost fell on the floor, yes the whole country is a nation of cyclists out of necessity. Cars are expensive here so if you're not using the city bus, the majority of people here use bikes in their everyday lives. The next step up is motorcycles, then cars.

This same person asked, what the roads were like and if there were bike trails and lanes? Despite everyone riding a bike here, this country doesn't feel the need to cater to bike use.Why bother and spend money encouraging usage when everyone already does! So I'm including a picture of some of my neighborhood roads to show what I'm riding on.

These are good, beach community roads! See in the second picture, how smooth the road is? Yet, watch out for that permanent piece of granite sticking up out of it! In the 4th picture you can see the typical multi-pot hole formation and the 5th picture is of an intersection, where one road meets another. Notice the big dip, then the adjoining road!

In reality, I couldn't have picked a more perfect time of year to get out and finally start riding a bicycle. The weather has warmed up. Spring has arrived with it's fabulous fragrance, that is filling the air with the blush of wildflowers (silvestre flores). I think that the scent is from Freesia's, I see that this is not the time to be mowing your lawn but rather to let this natural perfume waft by you. Oddly, the scent reminds me of Lipstick! The good kind, like my mother and proper ladies used to wear, not the dollar thrift store variety. Yes, Lipstick must have added the scent of freesia to it's base.

In case, any of you ever visit Uruguay, you can always rent a bike. If you want to rent a bike in MVD at a good price (I am told) then the company to go to is:

Bicileteria Sur (In Central) Lanza 110 at Duranzo and Yaquron. Fridays 9am to 1pm then it reopens at 3pm to 7pm. The phone number, (I believe) is (02) 901 0792

Posada al Sur is another bicycle rental shop near the old town (Ciudad Vieja). It's near the Mercado del Puerto on Perez Castellanos, Between 25 de May and Washington. The phone number is (02) 916 5287
They are a couple who is trying to develop a trail guide, mapping bike routes and points of interest.

I wouldn't ride in Montevideo because the taxis drivers are wild drivers. Cars often drive in more than one lane at a time. A helmet would be a must there. However, if you would like a bike tour in either Montevideo or in Punta del Este then click on the link for a bicycle tour company, named bikinguruguay (This is an English page link). The other link is in Spanish but is the same company.

If you want to join a planned group event for "International Bike Day" here in Uruguay on September 22nd. then you can contact urubike which is planning to ride around city hall (La Intendencia) and have a number of other activities to do. Click or contact that group below.

In Uruguay, if you are really into biking you might want to contact urubike (that's WWW.URUBIKE.ORG)

For now, touring on a bike is not something I'm looking to do. I think I'll just stick to riding to my meetings and to my friend's houses at least until my legs (and butt) toughen up. Still, I can finally say, I am riding, The Bicycle!

Wandering and Wood!

2011-08-31T10:23:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I read the address wrong! That's how I came to be wandering around in the middle of nowhere in search of a wood yard that sells firewood. At least I took pictures!

As most people who read this blog can see, I'm not afraid to admit my faults and foolish foibles, like the time I fell flat on my face while walking and talking!

One of my failings is that, although, Wally and I own a VW bug, I haven't driven it, despite my having a Uruguayan driver's license. The reason for that is #1. I haven't driven a stick-shift in well over 30 years.
#2. We have a very steep driveway that I would have to (nervously) backdown and #3. That driveway has two deep ditches (open culverts) along either side of the street that the city put in for rain water flow a few years ago. So, I either walk to where I want to go or I take the city bus. Wally says, he was meaning to make me practice driving before he left but never got around to it. It's on the top of his agenda when he returns. As a teenager, the one time I was shown how to drive a stick-shift was on a VW BUG! So somewhere in the back of my mind the knowledge is there.

Well, after my last, fire wood order that resulted in some wood too heavy and large to really use in my wood stove, I put out some feelers and found the address of another wood yard. Actually, an expat reader of this blog named Graham emailed me an ad. While the ad had a phone number on it that I could have called, I didn't want another disappointing order sent. I became convinced that if I could show up at the yard in person with a sample piece of the wood size that I wanted, my face to face Spanish versus my non-existant phone Spanish would prevail.

So I tucked a piece of firewood into a tote bag and took off. Then I remembered that our car was still in the middle of our driveway and that would prevent a truckload of wood from delivering it's load to my backyard, where the wood storage is. So I would have to backup the VW Bug down my driveway after all or lamely wait until some friends came home from work to do it for me, how pathetic! Hey! 3 decades plus ago, I did this, so no, I wouldn't wait! I found the keys. At least, the diagram on where reverse was located was still to be seen on the stick-shift nob. I then put in the key and turned it over or tried to, the battery was dead! No problem I thought, Wally has a charger somewhere, now where is the battery located in a VW bug? I know that the engine is located in the rear, Nope, no battery there! Okay, I'll try the front hood trunk area, Nope. Oh yes, I remember, Wally complaining that the battery is inside the car under the back seat. So I figured out how to lift the seat up and Voila! Yes, there's a battery under there waiting to be charged. I once went to a "How to" weekend class for women, on basic car repair. So I knew that the plus symbol goes to the plus side and the negative to the negative etc..., well, you get it. Nothing seemed to light up or indicate that the charger was working but I waited for a while nevertheless. Then I ripped everything off in frustration and tried the car one more time. It awoke! By now the day was fast fading away so my being pissed helped me overcome any in-trepidation and I slowly backed the car down my driveway and parked the car at the side of the driveway on the lawn. Yeah! Now off to buy wood!

The address was in the town of Atlántida (only 5 kilometers away) The ad said: Pinares street (calle) and 52mts. I had a partial map of that town and knew Pinares was on the other side of Atlántida somewhere. So although, now late into the day after the car incident, I took off again, with my wood in tote. I tried to get a window seat on the bus but those were taken, so peering past a sleeping woman (who obviously didn't need the window) I tried to keep a lookout for the street. The problem was, that 52mts, mentioned in the address. I knew that Atlántida was at the 45 kilometers mark on the highway and it is one of our bigger towns, a small city, so I wrongly thought that 52mts; might mean, 52 Kms. Yes! Now I know the difference! Live and learn. I thought I saw several places starting to use the name Pinares in their store's title so I quickly asked, the now awaking woman, if I was near the street or was it further up? That was my mistake, not trusting my first impulse. For some reason, she thought it was further up which lead me to start looking for the 52 mark on the highway. When I saw the 52 Km. mark, I got off the bus at a gas station a little further away. They kindly explained the difference to me of 52 meters versus 52 Kilometers. I was now 8 kilometers from where I wanted to be! I now know, that the 52 kilometer mark is 4 towns past Atlántida or near La Floresta!

I found a bus stop and still carrying my wood, I waited for a return bus, determined to find the wood yard. I waited and I waited and I waited at that bus stop until I found out that the local city buses don't stop there, only direct route to Montevideo buses do (a kindly bus driver told me that when I flagged him down). I would have to walk into the town of La Floresta and find a bus stop there or since it was such a lovely day walk in the direction back towards Atlántida until I found the stop where the city buses stop. The problem was, I was standing on a stretch of highway that the city buses by pass, in favor of entering some of the back roads and driving along them instead to service the town's streets.

If I was going to have to walk anyway, I wanted to be walking in the direct of my goal, Atlántida and not La Floresta which was farther away. So I started off, walking back down the main highway. Which is how I came to be crossing the Solís Chico river and get these lovely photos of it. Notice the Kilometer mark of the location of this river.

I walked for 3 kilometers along that highway. Finally, I saw a city bus stop! There was a little torta frita stand nearby, so I order one (10 pesos) and ate and waited. After wandering around for some 3 hours (and still no wood purchase) I grabbed the first bus I saw, oops! I shouldn't have, this one left the highway to service the towns again, by passing the street Pinares, my goal, remember? However, I did see a store on that back city road with the title Pinares in it. So this time, I jumped off the bus and walked along that road toward the direction of the highway again. By now, it was dark and I found out, I was near an expat's home, so I went there instead for a little bathroom break and advise. We called the wood place, They were now closed! Doug drove me home! That was my Monday!

Tuesday, I woke up to an empty driveway, a wood sample in my bag and a new found knowledge of where I was going. Finally, I had arrived! I took a picture of the wood yard, ordered up my wood. It was only $2500 (pesos) per ton with delivery, instead of the previous $2800 pesos I paid that other company. The wood is now a proper size for my wood stove.

Two guys named Eduardo successfully delivered and stacked it for me. I now have my last order of fire wood in, for this soon to be finished winter season. Yeah! What a difference a day makes! That's why I can call this title wandering and wood!

Meeting A Fan!

2011-08-21T23:19:00.000-07:00

It's always nice to know that you are appreciated and that your voice matters!

In writing this blog, I churn out post after post on subjects that range from travel to trivia as it relates to Uruguay and us living here. I'm often amazed that there are people out there in cyberland that actually do read and follow along with our blog. I know this because some of them leave me comments. Some comments are kindly corrections to my perceived understanding of this country and it's language. Other people comment to ask me a few questions about living here. Still, other people's comments contain a hello and a pat on the back with an appreciating sentiment like "Wonderful blog" or "I enjoy reading your blog!" So you can imagine my joy when I get the rare opportunity to meet a fan in person!

This happened just a few days ago when I got to meet Horacio and his lovely family here in Uruguay.

Horacio is a warmhearted individual who puts you at ease the moment you meet him. His wife, Alejandra has a bubbly fun personality and immediately welcomed me into their home. I liked her a lot! Their teenage son Rodrigo is well spoken and speaks fluent English. In addition to having winning personalities this family also has some interesting stories to tell.

Horacio started to read our blog because he wanted to move here with his family. He googled Uruguay and various subjects, like retirement here and our blog's name, "Retired in Uruguay" popped up. The interesting thing is that although he began reading about us from all the way back in New Orleans, USA, He is a native Uruguayan. His wife is Argentine.

The family was very interesting to talk to because of their exposure to both Uruguayan culture and expat. For instance, because of their having lived in New Orleans and Atlanta, Georgia, the first thing I noticed when I went to dinner at their house was their big bottle of "Crystal's" hot pepper sauce, which they used on their meal generously! Because I didn't want to go out in the rain the night before, I missed Alejandra's Jambalaya. I will definitely want a rain check on that dinner! For those of you who are wondering what Jambalaya is, it is a dish from New Orleans, it has seafood and other meats in it. Click on the above link for a photo and a recipe site.

His wife being from Argentina, where the family also lived for about 11 years used to tell him that he (hence all people from Uruguay) spoke with a slight accent, which of course, he denied. Now returning to his homeland after so many years living away from it and having spent that time listening to his wife's pattern of speech, he now laughs, and says that the first thing he noticed upon coming home was an accent! Yes, he says, "we do speak with an accent I can hear it clearly now!"

Horacio is fortunate enough, to be able to work from home via the internet. His has worked a long time with a company that has allowed him to work in the USA and to get his Masters Degree there.

One of the most amazing accounts of their stay in the USA happened around the time he was getting his degree. He had gone to New Orleans to attend the University there. As luck would have it, on the very day he was to start his admissions process, "Hurricane Katrina" struck! He and his family (wife Alejandra and son Rodrigo) were one of the many families that had to be air lifted out of the area! They actually had flood waters around them and had to be rescued by helicopter from a roof top! (similar to the photo at this link) They remember holding onto the life line and being hauled into the air with swirling waters all around them!

As a consequence of the disaster Katrina brought to the area he had to switch Universities and attend the one in Atlanta, Georgia. So that's why he has also lived in Atlanta, Georgia.

His family does appreciate the lack of natural disasters here in Uruguay!

The family is quickly settling into their new home and neighborhood. They have already added 2 future guard dogs/ new puppies to the household. One is a beautiful chocolate lab and the second is a Cimarrón which is a unique breed known to Uruguay. It's classed as a guard dog. The pelt has the coloring of tortoise shell, a mix of brown and black striped markings.

Horacio was so very kind as to include in his container of goods something for my cat Nathan, a scratcher. Now that my cat Nathan is an inside only cat, my 2 armchairs were in danger of being ripped to shreds. I keep a cover on them but he finds exposed places to scratch, I have a tree branch in my living room and a carpet hung on my wall for him but he doesn't use them. I read some good reviews on this little wave shaped floor scratcher and Horacio said he could bring it. I would finally meet him and his family face to face and have dinner with them when he moved back to Uruguay.

The very night that I brought Horacio's gift back home, Nathan used it. He knew it was his, so I'm including those pictures of this appreciated present.

After a pleasant evening with this family, they walked me out under the beautiful stars and we talked, while waiting for my bus ride home. Despite being born and raised here in Uruguay, Horacio because of having been gone for such a long time from his homeland, appreciates my blog for it's small helpful insights. For instance, I mentioned to Alejandra (his wife) and he that since I had missed my #710 bus on the way to their house, the one that costs just 19 pesos to get there (I was Late), I had to take, the next one that came along, the #222. It however, costs 41 pesos to arrive at the same distance. So I warned them that different bus lines sometimes charged different prices.

I'm including an odd picture that I took on the bus ride home (sorry it's not too clear). I took the picture because I still find some of the things that happen here in Uruguay rather amusing.

On the way to their house, my bus had a man standing in the aisle playing his guitar for money. So live entertainment on a city bus. On my ride home there wasn't anyone playing live music but the bus driver had the radio on while his custom installed speakers were flashing colors in time to the beat as some models do. In the photo the speakers are straight ahead, they are oval shaped and have black rims around them. Back in Seattle, I have several friends who worked as city bus drivers for the Transit Authority, so I couldn't help but think of them. I Imagine them driving around with their favorite music on and speakers playing or being serenaded by a guitarist! No, not possible, because they're not in Uruguay!

Well, I 'd like to say one last time how much I enjoyed meeting Horacio, his wife Alejandra and their son Rodrigo. From the start to the finish I had a most pleasant evening with them.

I had better go and post this now, because I know Horacio will want to read it, he's a fan you know!

The Weather in August!

2011-08-16T12:05:00.000-07:00

Let's talk about the weather here in Uruguay.

The promised August storm may or may not have come! I can't figure it out. We have had some fierce rains dropping bucketfuls in a matter of minutes. We have had thunderstorms which have caused my ritualistic running around to unplug everything. We even had hail a few days ago. However, we didn't have them back to back for a 3 day marathon that usually signifies a real "Saintly" Tormenta, a storm front.

Instead, we have had a mix of hot, up to 73 degree F. days down to 46 degree F. days all in one week's time frame. On August 14th at 6 in the morning it was 37 degrees F.

Someone recently thought that the weather might be an interesting topic so I'll give you the following forecast for this coming week. This is based from Montevideo the capital, up the coast where I live just add a little more wind with the prediction.

Tuesday, will be cloudy and rainy but the sun is suppose to peak out.

Hi: 58 °F
Lo: 53 °F

Hi: 56 °F
Lo: 51 °F

Hi: 59 °F
Lo: 49 °F

Hi: 53 °F
Lo: 45 °F

Hi: 49 °F
Lo: 43 °F

Hi: 48 °F
Lo: 43 °F

Hi: 50 °F
Lo: 43 °F

Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Hi: 48 °F
Lo: 43 °F

Sunday

For the next 4 days it's suppose to rain or have a chance of rain (Tuesday-Friday). Tuesday night promises a thunderstorm. Saturday there will be sun with some small clouds (partly cloudy). Sunday will live up to its name and be a purely sunny day with no clouds at all shown, Yet, it will also have the coldest day's temperature at 48 degrees F. It seems like, it should be the warmest day? Oh well!

When I know that it's going to be a day with lightenings and thunders then I don't bother opening up the shutters. I don't want to get wet for a dark day. However, My house with all of its enormous windows is usually quite bright during the day and I don't need to turn on any lights. So I tend to miss the cheery atmosphere inside on dark days.

I solved that problem last week during a thunderstorm by huddling up with my desk chair and a TV tray near my back window, the only one without a shutter (it has bars though). There the whole household gang congregated. I also pushed my little heater right up to us. I didn't want to start a full on wood stove fire because the day was oddly not cold just dreary.

I stayed almost all day there at my make shift desk using the opportunity of staying indoors to try another attempt at figuring out the Spanish language and its many rules.

I was trying to tackle when to use the definite article "The", or in this case El, La, Los and Las (See Spanish has to have 4 the's!) and when not to use it. The dictionary started me out with a great sentence, "I like beer, but I don't like wine." (not true, I like both!) Well, in Spanish, you have to say "I like the beer but I don't like the wine. You have to use the definite article "the" with the beer and the wine because this implies you like all beer in general. In other words, nouns that are used to represent all of the thing need the definite article. The sentence would look like this in Spanish; "Me gusta la cerveza, pero no me gusta el vino."

Abstract nouns need the definite article since they represent the idea as a whole. Justice, would need "the" in front of it for La justicia.

Names of academic subjects like mathematics and physics need 'the" in front. Las matemáticas, la fisica. But not names of professions, occupations, religious or political convictions. "Mi padre es médico.", "Ella es Católica; él es comunista." (él with the accent mark means, "he" NOT "the"!)

Names of languages need 'the" in front of them for example; el español, el francés, but not names of countries. They are considered proper nouns (like the name of a person). There are a few exceptions, of Course! Worth mentioning are; el Uruguay, la Argentina, el Brazil, la India ,el Japón, and el Peru. The names of these countries are preceded by the definite article.You are now allowed to say just United States, as it has come to be regarded as a proper noun in its own right. So you don't have to say Los Estados Unidos anymore (if you wish) but only Estados Unidos (Who knew?)

While you use the definite article with languages and academic subjects; Don't use "the" after the words hablar and estudiar (to speak and To study). For example; "Estudia matemáticas." "He is studying mathematics." and "¿Hablas español?" or "Do you speak Spanish?"

Another point regarding languages and academic subjects; Don't use "the" after the words en and de (in and of) for example; "El libro es escrito en español." or "The book is written in Spanish."

The names of persons don't need "the" in front unless a person's name is proceeded by a title, like Mr. or General then it's; el señor Glass or el general Glass.

In general physical descriptions and body parts use "The" La cabeza (or the head) etc..

The list goes on and on. Then my lesson came around to beer again. This time I wasn't suppose to use the definite article "the" when expressing indefinite quanties. The sentence the dictionary gave me was; "no quiero vino, siempre bebo cerveza." or "I don't want (any) wine, I always drink beer." Okay, to me that seems a lot like, that first sentence about beer and wine that I started out with. So by now everything, was definitely looking indefinite. So I poured myself some wine and wondered when the thunderstorm would pass, so I could go to the store and buy beer. So much for my studying! At least, I was in my house, warm and cozy waiting out the rapidly changing weather here in Uruguay.

P.s. I didn't get this post out until Tuesday and yes, we had rain and fog today, now I'm just waiting for the promised thunderstorm tonight!

Being Thrifty!

2011-08-12T17:05:00.000-07:00

Thursday is feria day (farmers market day) for me and the nearby town of Salinas. We have the time slot from 8am to 12:30 pm to shop. Then this same group of vendors, they pack up and go to the city of Atlántida (5 kilometers away), reopening in that city for business from 3pm till evening, on this same thursday.

I've mentioned this farmer's market several times before in my blog because shopping at your local town's feria is a ritual, a way of life, here in Uruguay. Each town or city has their own special day, when the farmers and sellers roll into town and set up shop or in this case their stalls.

If you miss your town's feria day, then you have to know what day a nearby town has their day on. For instance, the town of Parque del Plata has their's on friday, I believe.

Besides wanting fresh produce, people try and make it a habit to shop at a feria because the government allows them not to charge the same kind of tax as regular stores do. That's a big savings! Did I ever mention to you that our tax down here is called I.V.A. and it's 23%! I used to think that Washington State's tax was bad enough when they crept up from an 8 point something tax and went on into the 9 percent something tax rate on purchases.

While it's true that SOME THINGS are exempt from this I.V.A. tax most things are not!

Prices of items listed, generally have the I.V.A. already added to them. So you don't have to mentally go around and add 23% to everything you just know that, it's already in the price.

I used to think that milk and such basics were exempt but apparently not.

I'll give you an example from a short visit to a regular grocery store. I bought 3 bags of milk (yeah, bags not a carton or a jug) each tiny 1 liter bag of milk cost me 13 pesos each. Other brands with omega whatever s in them would cost more but I'm being thrifty so $13 (pesos) is what I spend per bag. So the 3 bags cost me a total of 39 pesos. Next, I went to the in-store butcher and bought two small Milaneses ( a breaded cutlet, I like the chicken one) for a reasonable $59 (pesos) total and I also bought 1/2 a kilo of hamburger (especial, a polite word meaning a cheaper quality) that cost me $68 (pesos) in total. Butter or manteca in Spanish just went up from $43 to $44 (pesos) for a large stick and finally, I bought some brussel sprouts that looked better in the store than at the feria and they were amazingly a little bit cheaper! The package of sprouts cost me $25 (pesos). At another store that same package was $42 pesos. It pays to shop around. So to recap, 5 items and all of it food. The bill went; $39+59+44+68+25= $235 (pesos) out of pocket. On that list of strictly food related items, nothing was exempt from the I.V.A tax. The bill showed me that the items were worth $191.09 and I paid $43.91 in tax (i.v.a.). For a total of $235 pesos.

Bottom line is that, if you don't have to pay 23% tax on something, why would you want to. I've bought dishwashing liquid at a feria for $30 (pesos) when I would have had to pay $38 at a regular grocery store. Ferias also have clothes and other non-edible items.

I've been really thrifty while Wally is away. I limit my weekly feria trip to $500 (pesos) a visit (per week). That includes the $112 pesos, I pay for a large bag of dry dog food (8 kg s.). Other known brands can cost 3 to 6 times that, but I'm being thrifty so an off named brand it has to be. If I miss my feria day than that same bag costs me $135 at a local store. I do buy a better brand for my cat (he eats less) but it costs me a whooping $101 to $107 pesos (for only a 1 Kg. bag) at a regular store.

Some favorite items that I buy at the feria are; a little bag of dry parmesan cheese, 100grams for $11 pesos and pitted prunes at $13 pesos per 100grams. A can of whole sardines costs $27 pesos, 2 bars of soap, $27 pesos (you get a better price when you buy the two)! You get the drift. I spend roughly $125 pesos for vegetables and about $75 p's for what nots and $112 for the dog food, then with the rest of my money, I go to the regular store for a little meat and etc... Wally could never be this regulated (read stingy) he loves to cook and eat well! Our normal budget is over 2 1/2 times that, per week. However, this current tightfisted budget of mine has allowed me to do some extra projects around my house and to pay for purchases like a dog house for Barney. Shila will soon get her own dog house.

I haven't minded my self-imposed budget, because of what I have been able to accomplished with the savings, around my house.

Recently, I learned an interesting lesson. I don't know if it's an interesting thing, a good thing or just a petty thing? If a person is on too tight a budget then you start to see money leaks everywhere.
I have noticed however, that I also get angry when I feel, I've lost a peso or two, not the best quality.

The other day I wanted to treat myself to a Torta frita. It's like a fried tortilla or an elephant ear you would find at a country fair. Well, I noticed a man in Atlántida standing on a corner with his little cart so I went up to buy one. However, I also noticed that he was selling his fritas for $12 pesos and not the usual $10. Since I was already at his stand, I thought Okay, it's only 2 pesos more, so I ordered one. He then handed me one, already fried up, which meant it was cold and hence NOT crispy! So I paid 2 pesos more for an unpleasant taste treat. Being much more thrifty now, I have discovered that the best places to buy a HOT, fresh Torta frita, for only $10 pesos, is in front of a school. Go when the kids are being let out and you'll find a vendor selling to them at reasonable prices! I guess that was the interesting part of the lesson learned, where to find good tortas fritas!

Over a year ago Uruguay decommissioned their little silver 50 cent coin. Everything now is in dollar pesos. There are metal coins in addition to paper money but they are a $1 peso coin, a $5 peso coin and a $10 peso coin. What this means is that you can lose tiny amounts.

As an example, I bought some more hamburger recently ( I asked for a 1/2 kilo, as usual) and the butcher put in a little extra, about $68.85 worth (i.v.a. included). When I went to pay for it, the store rounded it up to the nearest dollar or to $69 (pesos) despite the lower sticker price (because they don't have small coinage here only dollar pesos anymore! So, I should have had the butcher put in a pinch more hamburger for an even dollar amount, since I ended up paying for it anyway! I guess I have to stop thinking like a North American and not imagine that I lost 15 cents but instead remember the first Spanish phrase I ever learned here, "Es lo que hay." It is, what there is! or in other words, "It is, what it is" Another lesson learned!

I have a few more projects, I want to do around the house (like that second dog house for $1960 pesos). Things are not cheap here! However, I will soon buck up my budget so that I will not become a miserly person but just stay a thrifty one!

P.S. A Special "Thank You" to Syd and Gundy for dropping off (by my door) a primrose plant gift for my Wedding Anniversary. Sorry, that I missed seeing you!
When I inquired later about the plant, they said, they got it at the feria! Of course!

Mundane Things!

2011-08-08T22:37:00.000-07:00

Well, It's been a while since my last blog and our readers are restless.

A friend from Washington State even wrote to give me suggestions on things to write about, in case I had writer's block.

Here is a copy of possible subjects that "D.C." from Washington suggested:

So, I'm thinking the new or old subjects I would like to hear about would be:
VW stories
Wood stove heating in detail. Tech details on stove etc. How often you 'stoke'.............
Utility expenses, power, propane, firewood, TV cable, Internet service, water,
telephone and Cell phone, gasoline, sewer or septic.
Daily temperatures thru the years...possibly a chart.
Things you are planning to purchase in the future.
Fishing, crabbing.
Are CB radios ever used there ?
Are Ham radios popular ?
What does it cost you to send a letter to the US.
What does it cost you to make a 3 minute phone call to Seattle.
What is the difference in using a cell phone to call Seattle as opposed to land line.
Is Verizon to Verizon cell talk free as it is here ?
Where does your garbage company dispose of same ?
You have bars on your windows....explain.
Is a hot tub affordable using electricity to heat it with ?
Is alcoholism and drug use prevalent in the local society ?
What does a Best Western type motel cost in your area ?
Is prostitution a common thing in the local society ?
What would a nice VW bug cost American ?
What would the same year VW Westphalia cost ?

Ha Ha Doc, I bet you didn't think that I would take your advice so literarily but here it goes.

Using the above list as a reference, I'm going to tackle for this week's post some down to earth subjects or rather, some"Mundane" things, like the Utility expenses we pay, here in Uruguay. Bear in mind that the dollar exchange rate keeps lowering. This month (August) the exchange rate is $18.25 pesos per each USA dollar. So you can do the math.

The power company is UTE which stands for Usinas y Trasmisiones Electricas. It is government owned so it's full title is the Administracion Nacional de etc...(see above). The power or electric bill varies month to month. The bill includes a little graph chart so you can tell what your usage was during the same month last year and the chart continues on up to the current month. I can see for instance that my highest usage is, not surprisingly, during the 3 months of our winter; July, August and September. Our wood stove has a fan that sends the heat throughout our house so since it's on almost 24 hours a day for those months it makes sense that those are the highest bills. We don't have an air conditioner for the summer months so winter is our only high season.

Some people are on plans so they choose initially when signing up, what time of day or night that they will be using the most electricity and then they have to stick to that same set time, month after month. If they go over the agreed amount they are charged or gigged a lot. Wally and I can't live with that kind of set choice or pressure so we just pay the standard fees. Under so many kilowatts your charged so much per watt, go over that and your then charged a higher rate for the over wattage only. It doesn't matter if I decide to reverse my schedule and party at midnight or two in the afternoon, the time of day doesn't matter only the amount of watts.

For instance, 4.82kwh= $186.47
100kwh = $274.35
179kwh= $710.09

Add that up, then add some more charges called, Cargo Flijo (fixed charge) of $114.12 then throw in some tax called I.V.A; say of $282.71 pesos and add it all up. The grand total on that bill was $1568 pesos (they round up or down to the nearest peso) or $85.92, USA dollars (at 18.25 pesos per dollar). That was for the month of march, slightly before Autumn. I'm in winter now, so it will be a bit higher this month. In most Latin American countries the cost of electricity is very high.

The water company is O.S.E. It stands for Obras Sanitarios del Estado (obras means "works" in Spanish). It too has a little water usage chart. Uruguay has clean and abundant water so the bill is much more reasonable. Depending on the month and possible home projects think around $250 - $350 pesos for water. Most people in the suburbs have well water available for gardening use and lawn irrigation. You don't have to go very deep to find water but if you do go deeper then that water is usually very potable. So the cost of city water can be decreased through well usage.

The telecommunications company is Antel. It stands for Administracion Nacional de Telecomunicaciones.You get two separate bills from them. One is for internet service and the other for your landline telephone. Mobile or cellar phone plans are through other companies. Internet is about $1000 pesos, the most expensive of the two bills. You pay more or less depending on the speed you opt for. Telephone is around $200 pesos depending on usage. They give you the dates and phone call duration times (of your calls) so you can monitor the bill. As a side note, when making phone calls, house to house calls or cell phone to cell phones calls are recommended, don't mix them up, it costs more when you do.

All of these utility bills can be paid in one place, at a neighborhood Abitab center, pictured in the above title photo.

I'll quickly run through a few more bills to answer our friends' curiosity. We used to get cable TV and paid about $50 (USA dollars) a month for it, without any of those speciality channels (although we could have ordered them and paid more). We dropped it, as we now use the computer for anything we want to watch.

Gas/propane tanks used for cooking and also for some small heaters are $373 pesos a refill. You have to first buy the tank yourself (on your own) somewhere. An empty tank can cost in the neighborhood of $2500 to $3000 pesos, then you buy the fill for $373. I remember buying a pretty gold tank, when they came to bring me my gas order fill, they took it away and gave me one of the companies' old blue tanks. They bring a pre-filled tank to you, so don't bother buying a good tank you'll never see it again anyway!

Firewood, I feel that I got "taken or gipped" on my last purchase of $2800 pesos per cord of wood, for Eucalyptus wood. An expat in Atlántida (a nearby town) has since given me an ad for firewood and a telephone number that I'm going to call and sometime this month I'll will try for it's price of $2400 pesos a cord. I will also request smaller pieces from them. I will probably go in person to see them as my telephone Spanish skills are not great.

We have a septic system it can run depending on the company you call anywhere from $600 pesos to $800 to empty. We have a very large one so about every 6 months we call for removal.

Gasoline, I don't know the exact price per gallon or Liter here in Uruguay because I've been walking everywhere. I guess, it's around $5.00 to $6.00 a gallon ,USA dollars.

Uruguay is NOT! an inexpensive or lower place to live like, let's say Mexico. It is simply a slower paced place to live, more restful.

Okay, I am now very depressed and bored with the mention of all of these "Gastos" or expenses and their rundowns.

I'll show you some flower photos now to cheer us up. I used to have two huge Camilla trees back in Washington State and they would bloom in February. That is about the equivalent for this month of August, here in Uruguay. We have had a sudden spell of warm weather and so the early bloomers are blooming. My Daffodils are all up and some trees are blooming, yellow puffs, as well. Here are some photos of what's coming up around me in Uruguay.

I choose the yellow flower photos because they are so sunny and happy looking!

I might not be able to address everything on D.C's list but I will, in the future, keep some of the items in mind and try and mention them in a blog post or two. This way, any of you that are interested in the more mundane things occurring in Uruguay can get your fill.

The Fort in Santa Teresa!

2011-07-22T17:02:00.000-07:00

I thought I would continue on with another travel post. My friends Mari and Shawn have some visitors arriving next month from the USA and were wondering what sights to take in and show them. I think the Santa Teresa Fort and the national park in the Department of Rocha are worth considering!

Located 302 Kms. away from MVD (Montevideo) near route 9, in the department of Rocha, is a National Park called Santa Teresa. This park is made up of some 1050 Hectares of land with over 2 plus million trees leading down to the ocean. These trees were planted as a means of sand control. Rocha is famous for it's huge sand dunes.

The Park is free to enter. It's open year round and has cabins available for rent as well as camping spots. You have to pay and register in advance for those over night stays as only so many people are allowed in the park, this is for crowd control. Hiking trails, a small zoo/ aviary, a beautiful old plant conservatory and a rose garden (with 300 different varieties of roses) are among the park's attractions.

The Fort is run by the Military but is a museum now. To visit the fort you have to check in at the guard station and pay about $25 pesos which is around $1.50 US.

The fortress was built in 1762. Started by the Portuguese it was then captured by the Spanish who completed its construction. It was lost for a time beneath some sand dunes for many decades and was only recently rediscovered in 1928! The beautiful bosque or woods now surrounding the fort were planted at the suggestion of the attending Archeologist Horacio Arrendondo who aided in its recovery. This was done so that the sand dunes would never again cover this place and it be lost. Because this area was buried for so long and remained untouched, it is a rich archeological and anthropology site.

The Santa Teresa Fort is completely walled in by a double masonry wall with corner lookout towers and cannon slots built right into this wall. Obviously the fort was built on a hill to enable its inhabitants the advantage of seeing across great distances in order to give the soldiers advanced warning of enemy troops approaching. You can see all the way to the ocean from this fort.

The fort contains a chapel, a kitchen cookhouse and a Smith shop (for tool making) besides barracks (which now houses several models of fortresses seen throughout Uruguay).

One can also see and walk through the Command headquarters, see an antique sword and gun collection, visit the infirmary and the Magazine (where the Amo. was kept). I even took a picture of the Latrine located along the walls top. I guess besides bullets and cannon balls raining down on your enemy, other more unmentionable things could be "dumped" onto their heads!

The grounds inside the fort are not flat but instead are rolling hills planted with grass giving the impression of gentle waves (of lawn) You feel as if you're in a very peaceful place despite its warlike history.

The fort is very lovely to look at because it is covered with mosses that give an effect of a beautiful old quilt, a mosaic of Ocher (Yellow/orange), red, blue and green mosses grow on its walls.

I think that visiting the fort is an exceptional value for the money. Come through its giant gate and step back into time. History and beauty await.

Chilly Nights, A Short Reprieve.

2011-07-11T18:13:00.000-07:00

I had a number of ideas for the title of this post. One was "Lady Sings the Blues." Another one was, "Oh, When the Saints Come Marching In". I guess I'll have to explain the reason for each.

"Lady Sings The Blues". As my last post mentioned, I was attacked by my own cat Nathan, that innocent looking creature in the picture above. To be fair he just wanted me to drop him when he thought that I was going to feed him to the local dog instead of carrying him past the dog to safety. My arm got infected from the puncture wounds. Now, many trips to the clinic and many doses of antibiotics later I am fine. I tend to heal very fast, so except for two tiny sore spots all is well, physically that is.

I guess the cat/clinic experience coupled with a few disappointments project-wise has left me feeling a little blue. In addition, some bitterly cold nights haven't exactly helped my temperament. It's been so cold that I even tried out our little fireplace in our second bedroom. This test run went fine for a while but the opening, the mouth of the fireplace is a little too large and it started to send periodic puffs of smoke into the room. I've since seen in some accessory catalogs for fireplaces, a strip that one can buy to add to the top of the opening to prevent this from happening. So one day, Wally can try and manufacture something similar here. As you can see from these pictures even our animals decided to huddle together for warmth.

Project-wise, I've had a few set backs as well, resulting in another blue moment for this lady (get it?)
I've been wanting to surprise Wally with a few changes to greet him on his return but with each accomplishment comes a tiny disappointment. The USA dollar has really taken a nose dive here in Uruguay which hasn't helped my saving up to spend on my projects. I've kept track of the dollar decline and it has gone down from $19.05 in April, to $18.80 in May, June saw $18.40 and now in July it's at $18.25. So by the time I've saved up for anything, I have to turn around and add more money to it before it can be completed. The cost of materials has also risen and one project was grossly under estimated by a worker that I use. However, the cost of something, "is what it is" or in Spanish "Es lo qué hay". The reason that my temperament is in the dumps is that for the first time, I'm really, really disappointed with the result of one of his projects. In fact, I think it's a lousy job and it was expensive! I'm heart sick with what I got! I'm not using his name here because normally he does great work, I'll blame the result on his new helper but...

A blue moment also came about when I tried to buy more wood for our wood stove. I believe that one should buy commodities "out of season" to take advantage of the price breaks. For example, buy a fan in winter and in this case, fire wood in summer, when there is less of a demand for it. Wally and I did that to some extent. We bought our wood a few months ago but we didn't have the space to store the entire amount of wood, we would need for the winter. So now that I have more space I went to call our regular supplier and guess what? He's no longer in the business. Normally a cord of wood is $2000 pesos with delivery and now I had to pay somebody else $2800 pesos. So okay, "Es lo qué hay" but the pieces of wood are huge! I did say that they were to be used for my "estufa de lena" or wood stove and not just a fireplace but I guess that got lost in translation. I will now have to find and pay someone to spilt the majority of them down, at least in half, for me to use them. More money out the door. The pieces are too heavy right now and they crush the embers and coals instead of igniting on fire. Who knew?

The new pieces of wood are on the left and my old, (better sized) bargain summer bought ones are on the right, boo hoo. At least, I had my friends, Luisa and her husband Jorge, to help me with the delivery.

"Oh, When The Saints Come Marching In." That was a title I was considering for this post as well. The reason is that two yearly back to back storms or "TORMENTAS" (in Spanish) are due and they are named after saints. That's definitely why I wanted a new wood delivery. The yearly "Santa Rosa" storm or Saint Rosa is due at the end of this month. A three day dousey of a storm (July 29-31, generally). It comes each year during the local festival called Santa Rosa, hence it's name and it arrives with a vengeance bringing rain and high winds. This storm is followed on it's heels with one called, "The Santa Ramon Tormenta". This Ramon storm occurs the first week in August. Apparently the wood I had just delivered was from this storm back in the year 2005, which killed 5 people as a result of the high winds blowing down trees. I don't think my wood personally killed anyone but rather it's from some of the trees felled by this same wind storm. Everyone made it a point to tell me of the dryness and history of my delivered wood. As an interesting side note for the past 3 days we have been experiencing another saint named period. This is a warm weather reprieve that comes before the storms. It's called Santa ??? ........... It's like an "Indian summer" we used to get up north during the fall.

Maybe when these storms, projects and my mood ends, this chilly blue period will be just a memory. Then I can look back and see the rainbow at the end of it all, like in this picture (as seen though my kitchen window) after the last storm. That being, of what I have accomplished on my own here in Uruguay.

The Clinic!

2011-06-30T00:47:00.000-07:00

I learned a new Spanish phrase this week, it's "No hay dos, sin tres" (there is no two, without a three) or in other words, bad things happen in threes. Some people may have heard the saying, sometimes when it rains it pours! I'm feeling a bit drenched like that just now.

First of all, now that winter has started and I really need to use my wood stove, the stove's handle decides to fall off. I can shove it through the hole again but it has to be finessed into holding the door closed now. The result is that sometimes I come back into a smoke filled room when the door slips open. There nothing like getting a house nice and cozy and then having to run around opening windows in the dead of winter, to quickly air out a smoky room, burr.

Little things are starting to act up around the house now. For instance, the door on Wally's bathroom won't open all the way, for some reason it's sagging. I thought that one of the little rocks my cat plays with had possibly gotten caught under the door, so I gently lifted it up to free what ever was impeding it. There was nothing there but I did manage in that act to unhinge the door entirely. It took me 45 minutes to finally get the heavy wood door back on to it's hinges. The door still does not open all of the way. I'll have to get a carpenter to shave the bottom off for me one day.

Another item under the "little things bugging me" category, is that the internet is being temperamental. I seem to have a new nemesis name Justin in the neighborhood. I've never met him but whenever he's on line my computer can't seem to establish a connection, even though my router says I am connected. He must have a curfew because I can wait him out by posting at 2 o'clock in the morning! I really wish I could be sleeping at that hour instead of waiting him out.

Oh, and by the way, did I mention I had to go to the medical clinic this week? My last straw, so to speak!

Nathan my cat, has been an inside the house cat for over a year now, since coming home scraped up several times in the past. Well, normally he enjoys looking out through, the many animal friendly windows that we have here in the house.

He sits with his buddies, my 2 dogs and watches the goings on of the neighborhood, but sometimes he escapes. He ran out of the house Monday and then jumped into my neighbor's yard. They have dogs that gather there, so I went around to fetch Nathan. Nathan has seen several of the dogs before but as I was holding Nathan to bring him back home a new dog came up to us (not a bad dog) but Nathan freaked, like I was going to feed him to the dog. Since I wasn't going to drop him he dug his claws into me, to force me into letting him go. I have never felt such excruciating pain before. I dropped him then dropped to my knees (un molested by any dogs). Both arms were now scratched but I also had one deep puncture wound across my wrist (the part where you have to flex it). I looked at that puncture mark and could swear I saw a tendon peering back at me! By now I couldn't care less about Nathan (he had made it to a shed's roof, out of reach by a 10 foot span from our wall). I just knew that I had better get myself down to the medical clinic in Salinas.

I walked into Salinas, cursing under my breath about my cat, the entire journey. Fortunately the Clinic was open. It's walk in hours are from 9am to 12pm then it closes for the traditional 3 hour lunch break so popular in Latin American countries. The clinic then reopens at 3 o'clock and stays open till 6pm. Mondays through Fridays. Saturdays it's open from 9 am to 12 o'clock only and it's closed on Sundays.

For 24 hour emergencies you can call an emergency phone number and believe it or not doctors will still make house calls here in Uruguay. You have to explain over the phone what the emergency is for them to come. There are also ambulance services that you can get to bring you to a hospital. Any of you living in Atlántida will be glad to know that your clinic is open to walk ins 24 hours a day.

I arrived at 3 o'clock and went to the admitting window and handed them my all important cedula card or national identity card and my health insurance card. They wrote my numbers down and my name and had me take a seat. At 10 minutes to six, I was finally called into the doctors office. I had to figure out how to tell them in Spanish that I was attacked by my own cat!

I explained that I was mainly concerned about the deep puncture mark. They had me go into another room and they washed my arm with disinfectant and then bandaged my wrist. I didn't need any stitches since it was a small wound, just deep. They told me to come back to the clinic two days later, so they could check up on my wrist.

Wednesday I repeated monday's experience (another 3 hour wait) this time however my hand was a little puffy and red. That caused some panic and I was told I would need to take some oral antibiotics and come back the next day to see a different doctor. I was given a "she's not to wait" note. So tomorrow I'm to be seen right away. They drew a line around the red spot and since I take the pills starting tonight, they will then check the outline and see if the red spot has grown or receded. If that red spot travels or grows then they have to be more aggressive with my treatment.

I am glad, that I had the good sense to go to the clinic and that I have health insurance. The first visit was free and I only had to buy the pills on my second visit. I will see what tomorrow will bring me.

There is some good news/ bad news (for me) regarding the Salinas clinic. They are soon to be moving to a new and bigger facility near the current Español clinic on the main highway. The good news is that that new facility will be opened 24 hours unlike now, but it is also much farther away (the bad news). I won't be able to walk there any more.

Nathan the cat, spent all night and the next day, on the neighbors shed's roof (serves him right). He finally came home when the second night was about to fall. The first thing he did upon entering the house after two days stuck out in the cold was.... to use his cat box! Yeah, thanks a lot Nathan, for your concern.

The Great Squab Calamity 0f 2011

2011-06-29T13:21:00.000-07:00

It has been some time since I posted, since coming to California to visit Dad. But I thought I would share an experience I "enjoyed" while visiting.

A couple of weeks ago, Dad decided that he would like to have squab, for dinner. Probably many people might not know what squab is. It is a baby pigeon. Two And A Half Men had a cute episode worth watching, that mentioned squab. The Wikipedia has a nice article here. While baby pigeon may not sound like an exotic food, it is well know in French cuisine, as well as Chinese restaurants. My grandfather raised pigeons back in the 1930's and 40's. My Dad grew up eating squab on a regular basis, so it has a sense of nostalgia for him.

In the early 40's (in California) squab sold for about 15 cents a pound (a squab averages a pound), and so a group of squab raisers formed an organization called the Squab Producers of California. Grandpa Glass was on the board of directors when it was formed. They were able to band together, and standardize conditions and delivery methods and command a better price. This organization still operates, today.

So Dad drove into Modesto (the the Squab Producers of California) and purchase a dozen squabs. They are going for about $8 per pound, today and are sold frozen in shrink wrap packaging. He intends to host a party, featuring squab, so, as a test case, we decided to fix a few, and invited over a friend to act as test case. We decided to use a glass convection oven to cook the squab. This was a Galloping Gourmet" product that does a great job on chicken and would cook the squab, nicely. It leaves nice drippings in the bottom, for a fantastic gravy.

The fateful evening arrived. We had a little before dinner drink. I made a Southern Margarita (a margarita made with Southern Comfort- try it!). Soon the squabs were ready to be taken out of the cooker. The rest of the meal was ready, now I just needed to make the gravy. I had simmered the neck and gizzards for a long time, to produce a nice broth. Now I just needed to add the drippings to the pan. As I upended the heavy glass cooker (very thick glass), it slipped out of it's white handles (who knew they came apart) and I spilled drippings over the counter, cabinets, floors, myself and hardly any made it into the pan. Needless to say, I was upset. Denise, who knows just how serious I am about cooking, would have admired my reserve. I did not throw away the dinner, or set the kitchen on fire. I merely stepped into the shower for a quick cleaning, mopped up the kitchen and continued on. Everything turned out very nicely (with the exception of a very, very thin gravy).

We are now prepared to move onto a nice dinner, with some of Dad's friends. Dad has volunteered to cook the squabs, and I will take care of the side dishes. I'm kind of finished with cooking squabs. I wonder why? I am sure that our future dinner will be nothing like the "The Great Squab Calamity 0f 2011".