As many visitors to Cotacachi have discovered, and now the local people are finding out as well, Lee and Peg Carper are dedicated to improving the lot of street dogs in Cotacachi.
A DOG’S DAY IN COTACACHI
by Lee Carper
Last week, Wednesday the 19th of November, was not unlike any other day for us in Cotacachi until about [...]

Learn how to become a homeowner of new homes built by a designer of Cotacachi fine crafts.
When I see a tapestry such as this below from Jose Cotacachi I marvel at the technique, design, dedication and art involved.

I had my eye on this one but finally a client bought it back in September for [...]

This project was started by by Jorge Quilumbaqui, the developer of Primavera One and Two.

Jorge started off as a laborer for a local indigenous builder and made good after years of struggle. Now he is considered to be one of the indigenous elders in Cotacachi, an example to younger generations of how to prosper in what, years ago, was a difficult environment.

Here’s Jorge, second from left standing with some of the medal winners

Jorge hasn’t forgotten his roots though and employs dozens and dozens of builders in his various projects as well as local girls in his hotel in Cotacachi, Sumak Huasi.

Earlier this year Jorge came to Meson de Las Flores to tell me about his plan to stage an athletics competition for indigenous children. He would call it the Indigenous Olympics and it would primarily be a way to financially help all the different indigenous communities around Cotacachi. Using his own money and also sponsorship the prizes for the winning children athletes would be a computer or school utensils for the entire school year.

Some of the children, in good humor and ready to compete!

Knowing us at Meson de Las Flores very well and also aware that we have the Land of the Sun foundation to primarily help the indigenous in Ecuador, Jorge had no hesitation to ask us to be one of the sponsors of his event. We had no hesitation agreeing to do so!

I find Jorge to be a humble man without any airs or graces, unassuming with conservative style and tastes and with a social conscience – he wants to give back to his own indigenous community.

It was no easy task to arrange the Olympics because sometimes there’s a rivalry between the different indigenous communities and also the children are, for the most part, not used to taking part in athletics events such as relay and long jump. They can all run but don’t know how to start a sprint or pace themselves in the longer distance events.

Here’s some supporters from the Morales Chupa community

Jorge hired a physical education trainer to visit all the 14 communities that were to participate; the trainer spent one day in one community and then moved on to the next community. All in all he spent 2 months training the 180 children who were due to compete.

This child runs wearing the traditional indigenous sandals hand made using fiber from the agavi plant.

The event took place in Cotacachi’s very own sports stadium which is basically a soccer pitch surrounded by a 400 meter track. The stadium started to fill early and the children were all kitted out in their sports kits with the name of the community stitched on to each shirt.

Mostly indigenous spectators look on but middle left you can spot two of our delegates looking on

It was an event for all the family

At the time we were all involved in a Super Spanish course here in Cotacachi so this made a perfect event to visit and try out new phrases we had just learned in class.

Here’s a delegate making some new friends

And I couldn’t escape the photo requests either!

Then the action started and it was time for us spectators to sit back and snap photos, watch others hard at play and marvel at the participation of everyone involved. It was taken seriously with gold-plated, silver and bronze medals and even official time-keeping so that in future years new records can be made and broken.

I don’t know why, but watching the Olympics on tv, especially the drama on the athletics track sometimes makes my eyes water as I empathize with the emotions athletes feel, dreams realized and dreams shattered. Years of effort paying off or disappearing down the proverbial drain.

I looked around our group and lo and behold saw that I’m not the only one who gets emotionally wound up looking at athletics events! Several delegates were wiping tears from their eyes as they watched the drama unfold right in front of their eyes.

So to the action. Jorge’s trainer had done his job well and we saw few false starts

Both boys and girls competed and the joy expressed as they competed, won and lost in good spirits was a pure pleasure to watch.

Finally it was time to award the medals. Cotacachi’s indigenous mayor was on hand as a kind of grand community father-figure to hand over the medals; that’s him in the white pants below ..

… and the pride with which the medals were received and worn was all the evidence I needed to know that Jorge’s efforts to give back to his own indigenous community had proven very successful on the day.

Children walk away with a medal around their necks and smiles on their faces.

Tuesday, as we walk around Jorge’s projects and admire his construction expertise and good taste, I’ll remember this day we spent realizing childrens and parents dreams courtesy of Jorge’s efforts.

The greatest asset of all is the ability to labor at what you love wherever you live. This brings everlasting wealth.

This is why we are providing a special three for one offer with our  course Tangled Web… How to Have an Internet Business. This can help you create your own internet business.

Our emailed course “Tangled Webs We Weave – How to Have Your Own Web Based Business” is a continuing educational program.  You receive the first 28 lessons when you enroll and a new lesson every week or two.

This course teaches how to create a web based business and is developed from the ongoing experiences that we have from our successful and profitable internet business.

This course is well worth the enrollment fee of $299… but currently you also receive two additional courses FREE.

The other two courses are #1: International Business Made EZ, and #2: Self Fulfilled – How to be a Self Publisher.

These two courses have sold for $398 and thousands have paid this price. We add them to your course, at no added cost, as I believe they will help you develop a better business in these crucial times.

Even Better Get All three Courses Free

To make this offer even more compelling,  I am giving everyone who enrolls in our North Carolina or Ecuador International Business & Investing seminar in October or November all three courses, “Tangled Web… How to Have an Internet Business Course,”  “Self Fulfilled- How to be a Self Publisher” and “International Business Made EZ” free.

See views like this on your way to West Jefferson form the October seminar.

Join us with Jyske Bank and my webmaster David Cross in West Jefferson North Carolina. Learn more about global investing, how to have an international business at the seminar.

Oct. 9-11 IBEZ North Carolina with our webmaster  David Cross & Thomas Fischer of JGAM

We always conduct our autumn North Carolina course on the first weekend of October… the best time to enjoy  the leaf change.

Or head south to Ecuador!  You can visit the Guayllabamba Ecuador Property on your way to or from Cotacachi.

Cotacachi’s main plaza.

October 16-18 Ecuador Southern coastal tour

Oct. 21-24 Ecuador Import Export Tour

Oct. 25-26 Imbabura Real Estate Tour

In Cotacachi and surrounds the weather is always spring like.

Join us with Peter Laub of Jyske Global Asset Management in Ecuador. Learn more about global investing, how to have an international business at the seminar.

Nov. 6-8 IBEZ Ecuador Seminar

Let our friendly staff at Meson de las Flores serve you.

Nov. 9-10 Imbabura Real Estate Tour

Nov. 11-14 Ecuador Coastal Real Estate Tour

Winter is shorts weather on Ecuador’s coast.

Join us in the mountains and at the sea. Attend more than one seminar and tour and save even more plus get the three emails courses free.

 From the last but one edition of the ‘Rough Guide to Ecuador’ :- ” …. a grandiose flag-lined boulevard welcomes you in to Cotacachi, a little self-importantly perhaps, but it’s a reflection of locals’ opinion that they live in an up market town”.
This description always got under my skin a little and for the life [...]

One great thing about Cotacachi is that “there’s something going on here all the time”, as Lee Carper a new expat resident said to me recently, and I added, “…if it’s not here it’s going on in nearby Otavalo. Or Ibarra. Or Atuntaqui.” Lee should know about the latest event – [...]

If I haven’t posted as regularly as usual it’s because I seem to be very busy on vacation in England. In Cotacachi I’m looked after like a king by the wonderful staff at Meson de las Flores. They cook for me, wash my clothes, clean my room and generally try to take care of any and every need they can envisage I might need.

Here is Rosita Elena looking after my son – she just does it because she likes to!

I would consider myself very special; except I know they treat every guest like this, and if there is the very occasional slip-up, as there is in any hotel, it’s not for want of effort nor desire on their part.

Humble and helpful – and much missed and appreciated from afar!

Here in England, even if there were such wonderfully caring and service orientated people to help with daytime chores, it really is only the Royalty who could afford to employ them anyway.

So consequently it’s come as a shock to the system to cook for three, wash, clean, and tidy the house on vacation. I love to see my family but next time I’m going on vacation in Ecuador!

Joking aside, I have been fascinated to observe the differences in people and society between my home country and my adopted country. I’m an inveterate people watcher and sitting in a street café in Europe with an expresso and croissant as you watch the world walk by is a much under-rated pleasure. If you can do it in good company and discuss what is happening in front of you so much the better.

I shall be doing just that in the Netherlands this coming week as I visit two old friends, both English, who live and work there. Historically speaking, the English of course have tried to dis-associate themselves from our European cousins, so street cafes have only recently started to be seen in the squares and on the corners of provincial towns and cities.

But I can still observe much as I walk in malls, or shopping centres, as they are called here. Because there IS a public transport system here, even in the smallest towns, I choose to get around by walking or on buses. Taxis are out of the question here at $10 for one and a half miles. I feel great walking knowing I’m getting fitter and saving a bundle of money at the same time.

England is looking gloomy this summer. Apart from the continuous grey skies, 10 sunny warm days so far this year according to my brother-in-law, all the talk is of the downturn in the economy. Nobody can bring themselves to mention “recession” but what is affecting everyone is having less disposable income. Meals out are once again becoming a treat. Foreign holidays to the Mediterranean are being ditched because of high costs and shops are suffering as people spend on only the essentials.

This was how the weather was last summer in Ecuador. While you can find similar scenery in Scotland you won’t often find similar weather!

Every day the British are being buffeted by bad news. Headlines such as “Armed Forces face training cuts as fuel bill rockets”, “Millions face $200 a month fuel bills” “We’ll have to work until we’re 70 – just as it was in Lloyd George’s day”, and “Private schools fall victim to credit crunch” leave no doubt that if the economy is not in recession it’s not very far away.

Walking around the mall in my hometown of Fareham, a prosperous town compared to many, I can’t really see much evidence of the down-turn, although I do see that retired people are not dressed as well as younger folks. I’m impressed by the ever increasing range of stores and products for sale. The choice is phenomenal.

But then I also notice something less tangible. I ask myself why if there is more choice here, more wealth than in Ecuador, why do so many people look miserable and down-beat in England. I think I notice it more in those who are over 40. But I’m not sure.

In the mall there are several cafes in the aisles and I notice several older folks sat by themselves drinking cups of tea. As I walk down to another café to get internet access I notice an older man hunched over on a bench, his cane resting over his legs. Ninety minutes later I return the same way and there he is – hardly moved.

An older gentleman, still looking dapper, enjoying time with friends in the sun in Cotacachi’s main square

Perhaps it’s this. In the Times of London a recent article about the National pension quoted the 73 year old Rita Young who is struggling to live off $1,200 a month. ‘… She is angry that elderly people in one of the world’s richest countries are not treated better.

“Things are better than a hundred years ago, when only the righteous were entitled to their shilling a week. But it is a disgrace that we have got to go and beg for the pension credit to bring us up to a level still below the poverty line. Our pension does not even bring us up to the level of the lowest paid in the economy.” Mrs Young, asked what she considers to be a luxury replied “a bar of chocolate”.

With the rising cost of living – and of energy bills in particular, her social life has borne the brunt of her cost-cutting. Eating out or going to the cinema is no longer a viable option. While she still attends meetings of the University of the Third Age, she cannot attend any events that it hosts. Her studies had to be curtailed when she could not afford the fee to access the national archives’. In fact Rita Young is apparently not alone – a further 2.5 million English pensioners struggle to pay their bills and keep their homes warm.

My thoughts inevitably turn to my adopted country, Ecuador, when I read these depressing accounts. Ecuador certainly has more poverty than any so called developed country. It also certainly has it’s fair share of misery. But the thing is – it’s not that evident in the faces of the people.

I see happy faces and a readiness to engage in upbeat and optimistic talk far more often than would seemingly be warranted. Make no mistake, the poorest elderly in Ecuador are very poor indeed and would not even be considering studying at a University of the Third Age.

And yet, somehow, they are seemingly more joyous and happier in general than many living in developed countries. There is some kind of dichotomy at work here.

When an ice-cream still brings a smile

Perhaps you can help me here with suggestions as to why this may be so. One thing that springs to mind and perhaps seems obvious is that wealth, or lack of it , plays a lesser role in determining people’s happiness levels in Ecuador than perhaps in our own countries.

Perhaps that nefarious comparison factor is at work in our countries. One recent poll in the U.S found that people would ‘prefer to earn more than others but be poor’ than ‘earn less than others and have everything they want’. There’s no logic to that choice but apparently that is how we think by and large.

I suspect another huge advantage of Ecuadorian life (and of course other similar countries) is that family and friendship is something cherished at every level of society and even more importantly is available to the majority because peoplestay in their home-towns.

Inevitably, in the big cities this is changing, but even if children work or study in Quito at the weekend they are heading back to their home-towns come Friday evening. I know this because travelling on inter city buses at this time is a ‘squash’ at best.

This sense of family and friendship is very evident in a village like Cotacachi. Elderly people, who are often active into their eighties and nineties, sit in the park in the sun not alone but with dear friends.

Family re-unions often see dozens present at wedding, baptisms or “quincenas” (the Ecuadorian equivalent of sweet 16 parties). And with so many people living and working in the same towns and villages, community life is vibrant. Fiestas and festivals are enthusiastically supported and attended. This is a time to participate and forget about the ‘hard life’.

Participating…

… and watching

Of course, I know that for Rita Young a move to Ecuador is probably not on the cards. That’s a pity as although she wouldn’t have some of the facilities I’m sure she holds dear in England, I’m almost convinced that her quality of life would improve enormously. But I suspect she wouldn’t have the necessary mind-set.

Moving from a developed country to an emerging country like Ecuador is not for everyone. If you don’t deal well with change, if you want or need everything in your life to be ordered and just so … then you had probably best just stay where you are.

But if you can embrace change, are willing to try something new, like small challenges and enjoy new experiences then you may want to consider just how your life may improve by moving to Ecuador or another emerging country.

As increasing costs of living and falling incomes in our countries chip away at our lifestyles consider just how you might enjoy the change by living in Ecuador at least part of the year.

For $1,200, paying rent or in your own home, you can live like royalty, or at least very comfortably. Your fuel bills are likely to be no more than $20 a month (electricity and gas). Taxis cost a dollar or a few cents more to ride around town. Broadband internet access may be one of your most expensive out-goings at $50-80 per month. For a further $120 a month you could hire a part-time local domestic to wash, iron, clean and cook your lunch.

sense of community among the new arrivals too

At the week-end you could head off to Quito to go shopping, wine and dine, visit museums or the theatre of catch a concert.

Once a month you could set off travelling going to the beach for a week, or visiting a spa town such as Baños. Or even take a motorized canoe down an Amazon tributary.

Country trails abound around Cotacachi and in most rural communities in Ecuador so the chances for hiking, cycling or horse-riding are extensive.

When you learn Spanish, as you will if you spend any length of time here and make a little effort, the local community will open up to you. Invites to homes, parties and festivals can and do come your way and especially if you are prepared to offer your time and expertise helping in the local community. Until that time, there is a growing expatriate community here.

The weather is of course superb compared to most other places on the planet if you like sunny temperate weather. Most Englishmen would love to have Cotacachi weather instead during their summers instead of the grey cloudy skies that so often cover their land.

Fresh organic food is available at the local markets and the only complaint I have ever heard is that you can all too easily buy more than you can possible carry home.

So now, as I consider my allegiances and feelings about my two countries I’m forced to conclude that for me Ecuador is a great place to live and England is a great place to visit. I didn’t know that would be the case when I came here 6 years ago. At that time I said “I’d give it a ‘try’ for a year”. After a year the jury was still out but things were looking and feeling good so I decided on another year and by the end of my second year I was converted.

It hasn’t always been easy but the whole experience has been exhilarating, refreshing and I certainly feel that I’m living life and living in a country where nearly all the people still know how to live life. That certainly makes for an interesting comparison with how the English see themselves and how many of them are experiencing life at this time.

Two weeks to go until I return to home in Ecuador. I’m looking forward to life in the slow lane again and now understand and empathize better when I receive emails from our guests saying “I’m missing Ecuador so much, I can’t wait to return”. Steve.

September 17-20 Ecuador Coastal Real Estate Tour; Quito Real Estate Tour
http://www.garyascott.com/catalog/ecuador-coastal-real-estate-tour

Sept 23-27 Ecuador Spanish Course
http://www.garyascott.com/catalog/ecuador-spanish-course

Sept 28-29 Imbabura Real Estate Tour
http://www.garyascott.com/catalog/ecuador-real-estate

See discounts for attending more than one Sept. course
http://www.garyascott.com/catalog/ecuador-tours-savings

Oct 14-18 Ecuador Import Export Course
http://www.garyascott.com/catalog/ecuador-import-and-export-tour

Nov 7-9 International Investing and Business Made EZ Ecuador
http://www.garyascott.com/catalog/international-business-made-ez-ecuador

Nov 10-11 Imbabura Real Estate tour
http://www.garyascott.com/catalog/ecuador-real-estate

November 12-15, 2008 Ecuador Coastal Real Estate Tour; Quito Real Estate Tour
http://www.garyascott.com/catalog/ecuador-coastal-real-estate-tour

Don’t get me wrong there are no parades and fireworks just yet but enough of us got together yesterday (and yes we Brits bear no grudges especially when the American hospitality is so good) that we certainly felt a sense of community here in Cotacachi.

Corinne Forsner hosted a barbeque spread at her house that had us all licking our chops as soon as we walked in the front door of her delightful house in the San Miguel community. We drank red wine from Chile and feasted on barbequed chicken breasts, home made tacos with numerous dips, all kinds of salads and of course no one, especially including my son Luke, could resist trying the chocolate cookies and brownies.

San Miguel is a gated community on the edge of Cotacachi and at latest count there are 4 lots available out of the original 30+ lots. Bob Lofgren, one of the first homeowners in San Miguel is fielding enquiries regards San Miguel and myself, Gary or Merri would be happy to pass them on to Bob.

This area and the fact that there are Americans and other nationalities (Australians, Canadians, Brits ) settling in Cotacachi is having an impact locally and is even catching the attention of the movers and shakers in Ecuadorian society. Bob tells me that Señor Dillard, the owner of the SuperMaxi chain of supermarkets (Ecuador’s equivalent of Walmart) stopped by Cotacachi and spoke with him for half an hour about San Miguel and the international community here.

The development is not restricted to just San Miguel. Right opposite the entrance to San Miguel local lady Diana Carrasco, she of the carved and gold-leaf-painted faberge egg renown, is developing 18 rustic Spanish style villas; the two already built have been sold to the two latest members of this growing international community.

We’ll be showing these two developments and many other types of property on our Imbabura Real Estate Tours in September and November of this year.

September 17-20 Ecuador Coastal Real Estate Tour; Quito Real Estate Tour
http://www.garyascott.com/catalog/ecuador-coastal-real-estate-tour

Sept 23-27 Ecuador Spanish Course
http://www.garyascott.com/catalog/ecuador-spanish-course

Sept 28-29 Imbabura Real Estate Tour
http://www.garyascott.com/catalog/ecuador-real-estate

See discounts for attending more than one Sept. course
http://www.garyascott.com/catalog/ecuador-tours-savings

Oct 14-18 Ecuador Import Export Course
http://www.garyascott.com/catalog/ecuador-import-and-export-tour

Nov 7-9 International Investing and Business Made EZ Ecuador
http://www.garyascott.com/catalog/international-business-made-ez-ecuador

Nov 10-11 Imbabura Real Estate tour
http://www.garyascott.com/catalog/ecuador-real-estate

November 12-15, 2008 Ecuador Coastal Real Estate Tour; Quito Real Estate Tour
http://www.garyascott.com/catalog/ecuador-coastal-real-estate-tour

  Wow! What a couple of weeks it’s been since I last posted. When we run 4 tours together as we just did this month then you WILL see diversity in Ecuador.
 And “diversity” is the word I would use if you were to allow me just one word to describe Ecuador. So these last two weeks we have [...]

This is just round the corner from Meson de las Flores and captures the attention as you walk down Bolivar Street. Now it looks like this below.

But before on the July 5th, 2000 it looked like this …

A picture on the wall of the new building shows the old building gutted in a fire on that date. It had been the tallest Cotacachi property just ten years ago and was built in an architectural style called Republican neo-classical.

It had been abandoned some 8 years before the fire when the elderly owners passed away. Then somebody had secretly entered it to make it a home with a view. The fire started on the top floor most probably from a candle that tipped over.

For being such a small village Cotacachi is surprisingly well placed on the international map. In the year 2000 the Dubai government awarded Cotacachi for best practices in municipal government …

Auki Tituaña, the Cotacachi mayor received the prize in Dubai.

… and two years later UNESCO awarded Cotacachi the ‘City of Peace’ award for promoting much improved relations between the different races here in this county.

The UNESCO award ceremony in Marrakesh, Morocco.

This Cotacachi property, the Casa de Cultura was built based on the goodwill generated by the efforts to improve relations between the indigenous people and the mestizos – there had often been mis-understandings of different cultures before and mostly it was to the disadvantage of the indigenous people.

The fire had gutted much of the building but it was decided by the architect employed by the municipality to build with the remains and integrate old with new. The walls on the outside of the building are 33 feet tall and built using brick and rammed earth – just how many indigenous houses get built. For added strength they are 4 and a half feet wide!

Here you can see where rammed earth is used in the areas of the wall that bear less load.

In Ecuador a communal work effort is known as a minga. The Casa de Cultura was resurrected using the efforts of all the local indigenous communities. There are dozens of communities in the countryside around Cotacachi and each community took turns to send as many as 40 workers for a few days. They were given food but worked for free. The idea was for the indigenous community to associate with the building as a center for them and not just the ‘rich’ townsfolk.

The idea of this Cotacachi property is that it provides a space for interraction of the community and support of the community. It’s purpose is to help different factions of society and yet pull them all together too.

Ecuador’s greatest painter is Guayasamin and he was famous for his paintings showing the struggle of the indigenous peoples of Ecuador in the first half of the last century and aeons before. The Guayasamin family have donated this original below

and in general the large open space on the ground floor is used for exhibitions and seminars.

But this is also and education center as well as a social arts center and even a tourist center.
Here you can find out much about tourism in the county of Cotacachi as well as even receive free help should anything go awry with your tourist visit ( unlikely in my opinion – but useful to know ).

When I visited yesterday these students below were studying an online classroom at the Ibero-American Virtual College based in Quito some 2 hours distance away.

Below them as they climb the stairs to their virtual classroom each day they pass a reminder to the culture of their ancestors …

Urns from the Panzaleo and Puruha pre-Colombian cultures .. from central Ecuador.

Next to the students the municipal musical director uses a mini digital music studio to transcribe music to song sheets that the Cotacachi band or Cotacachi Choir will later learn to play and sing.

On the upper floor a volunteer is giving English classes to a group of indigenous folks. It was at a basic level but attention was rapt,

Besides this classroom is the Casa de Cultura library. Modest but well organized and laid out to help students study. They lack room so some of the books are in store-rooms below.

But perhaps the most remarkable achievement of the folks who run this Cotacachi property was to virtually eliminate illiteracy in the county of Cotacachi. Many indigenous couldn’t see never mind try to read. The mayor used his influence and contacts within Ecuador and outside to arrive at an agreement with Venezuela – free eye operations for all that needed them to remove cataracts and the like.

Pictures in one room tell the proud story of how within 18 months illiteracy was reduced from 23% down to 3.9% of the population.

and how intense effort was needed on the part of the adults who needed and wanted to learn too ….

There is always a way to get involved in society in Cotacachi or elsewhere in Ecuador. The needs are so great. Land of the Sun, Gary and Merri’s foundation, has been set up to help the indigenous people and also to help others such as you in your efforts to help too. We offer employment, learning opportunities, social help such as feeding the frail and elderly, give to other Ecuadorian foundations, and have sponsored a number of cultural events too.

Needs are great but it’s gratifying to see the Casa de Cultura, a Cotacachi property built with the sweat of the indigenous volunteers in mingas, able to help those same indigenous people learn how to read and write.

Ecuador has a rich culture past and present – it’s our pleasure to be able to show you it.

June 6-9 Ecuador Coastal Real Estate Tour; Quito Real Estate Tour
http://www.garyascott.com/catalog/ecuador-coastal-real-estate-tour

See discounts for attending more than one Nov. course
http://www.garyascott.com/catalog/ecuador-tours-savings

Take two of Gary’s readers Lee and Peg Carper. They actually came down here at the end of last year because two of their friends had visited Ecuador and Cotacachi and then raved about it on their return.

Lee and Peg are dog lovers and infact have now brought their own two dogs down to Ecuador twice. Many other have brought their canine children down too in the last two years.

Such is Lee and Peg’s love for dogs that they couldn’t help notice that some of our dogs around Cotacachi are not in the best of shape. Too put it mildly there’s probably more than a few strays wondering the streets.

I can’t say that I’ve noticed so many but a real dog lover like Lee got to thinking what he could do to solve this issue.

It so happens that our friend and neighbor Jose Sativa, an animal vet who has an animal feed store opposite Meson de las Flores, and also a wonderful mini-ranch with horses just on the edge of town has a soft spot for dogs too. He has two very well trained and groomed dobermans. A third friend is Doctor Alban, the vet who treats and certifies Ma, Gary and Merri’s hound dog.

A dream was born. A foundation will be set up to open an animal clinic where stray dogs will be first fed regularly, then treated and finally spayed or neutered. The aim is to then have the clinic open at least one day a week for free treatment of the pets of the local townsfolk too.

One reason why there is an abundance of strays is that folks start off with good intentions when they buy or take on dogs but then find it a struggle to provide for them.

Here is Lee’s first story about living in Ecuador – a community sense of belonging develops as he helps a new found friend he christened “Hairless”.

“A few weeks or so ago while I was staying at Meson de las Flores an almost wild looking dog was walking up the sidewalk and looked very boney and had very little spirit in his eyes.

I quickly got some dog food and tried to get him to come to me, but he kept a distance of about ten or twelve feet. Realizing he was not going to come close enough to pet him, I dropped a good portion of dog food for him to eat and stepped back far enough that he ate the food quickly and was wanting more.

After giving him a second helping he ran off and I did not see him for a couple of days.

Anyways, after a week or so of feeding him off and on, he let me pet him and that is when I saw that 65% to 70% of his hair was missing!

I had told my wife about him and as she was in the US she said she was hoping he would be there when she returned to see and help him. Shortly after her return he showed up and she was taken back by his appearance, but by this time he and I were good friends and she saw how affectionate he was and wanted to help him.

As chance would have it, a local vet across the street had come over and said he needed an innoculation to get rid of certain parasites that were depleating him of nutrition and hair! After finding out it would only cost $2.50 for the injection we went to his office and I held him while the vet gave him the shot.

The next day he showed up and I bent down to pet him, but after a while I stood up and he grabbed at my hand to play! He was getting better in just 24 hours!

Today we saw him and fed him as we talked to him and petted him and he has hair filling back in already! He is such an affectionate dog for having gone through the hardships he has and will or would make a great pet for someone…….it may even be us! It is amazing what a little food and a little medication can do to help the less fortunate animals running the streets.”

This is a project which will hopefully take off because Lee and Peg are so passionate and enthusiastic about helping the dogs that it’s contagious so two recent visitors left donations to help pay for the shots.

When Lee and Peg got back recently from the States they had a heart-tug moment when several people said “welcome back home!”. Those 3 words meant a lot and living in ecuador and feeling a part of the community means a lot to Lee and Peg too.

Lee is slowly learning more Spanish every day continuing on from what he learnt on one of our Super Thinking – Super Spanish courses. Little by little he’s making friends with the very friendly locals. So much so that he has found a very cheap house to rent. Getting to know the community means Lee and Peg really feel that they are ‘living in ecuador’ now.

Find out more about Cotacachi rentals in coming days.

June 6-9 Ecuador Coastal Real Estate Tour; Quito Real Estate Tour
http://www.garyascott.com/catalog/ecuador-coastal-real-estate-tour

See discounts for attending more than one Nov. course
http://www.garyascott.com/catalog/ecuador-tours-savings