Phil85207

I am in Ecuador, without a guide, my spanish in not good, I got an eye infection and just had eye surgery. Not exactly what I had planed.

I was to meet my bike club friend who is Ecuadorian on Nov 1

My plans changed a bit so I went to Ecuador 5 days early to get a feel for the country.
On my second day here I began to have eye soreness and redness, which gradually got worse.

I went to Salinas on the coast from Guayaquil, and back to Guayaquil, all the while the eye was about the same, tired feeling sore and red.

I went to Cuenca by mini van up in the Andes and by the time I got there I was in serious eye pain.
God was with me and the cabbie I got spoke great english and I told him to take me to a eye doctor.
I had an serious, contagious, eye infection I got in the US by shaking hands with someone and rubbing my eyes. I know this because the doctor ask me if I experienced something in my eye that stung like a bee for 5 or 10 minutes. I knew exactly what he meant, as I can still remember it. By now I have the infection in both eyes.

About this time I heard from my friend an found out his Visa has a problem and if he goes back to Ecuador he won't be able to leave again.

I am thinking, Isn't this great!!!

I just had eye surgery three days ago, I have been here since Oct. 24, have not even been close a bike.

ON THE UP SIDE.
This is one beautiful country with the most wonderful people. I have meet lifelong friends here, my cabby for one had been with me throughout the entire affair while in Cuenca.
By the way I have been to three cities and through several more on the trips and from what I have seen there is no way I could say this is anywhere near a third world country.
I'm most impressed with the cleanliness of the country as a whole. No trash along the hi ways, and the cities are very clean too. Guayaquil is a big city and reminds me of NYC a lot except its cleaner by a lot.
Somehow I never felt nervous walking around there, and everyone was anxious to help me with my language issues too.

Cuenca could easily be my next home. I could live here very easily. Its at 8300 ft, on the equator so the temps are great,in the 70s in the day and 60s in the evening. Now that year around, and 12 hr. daylight and 12 hr night, year around too.
I did see some roadies several times from the cab but from my point of view this is not a bike friendly place, at least coming from Mesa Arizona anyway. Well I guess thats about it. I don't know whats in store, but I will stay here until I go back home I guss. There are a few more cities I want to see while here so we will see what happens.

10 Wheels

Where is your camera?

Phil85207

I have hundreds of pictures, I just have to sort through them as If I posted all of them the sight would crash. they are all on photobucket so I think I could group them together so one could go to the link and see them all. This is the first time I am using photobucket so I will have to work on how to get it done.

10 Wheels

Just link the sildeshow.

Phil85207

That sounds so easy.

10 Wheels

The top of the PB page has a slideshow button.(the old version) New verrsion does not have the slidshow link.
Just click on it to start, if all the pics are in the same album?

Dudelsack 

Doesn't sound like you're out of the woods. It would be a bit cavalier to say No se preocupe, but I pray that you would Vaya con Dios.

rck

Phil-When you get back home you might want to check out the books by "Moritz Thomsen". H e wrote several about living in Ecuador. I agree its a beautiful country.

Phil85207

They are all in different albums and the albums are all mixed with a hundred other albums. Why they didn't upload in the order is a Mystery to me. I tried to "organize" them but only made it worse.