Thursday, June 30, 2011

Parasites, Our Rentals, Blogs and Birds

We're covering a few topics today...  Not really related, but we've gotten some questions and comments lately about a few of these subjects and want to answer and comment here, also.  We're figuring other readers could be interested as well.

About parasites...
It's been 6 months since we did the initial parasite treatment, and we're in the middle of doing it again.  Here, it's common for folks to do the tests and meds every 6 months.  Parasites are almost endemic here and you can get them from food, water and just breathing.  We have had vague symptoms, but we think it's a good idea to do the regular treatment anyways.  Those buggies can be very harmful if they get going...

Several of our friends have done the treatments, too.  You can do a search on this blog (for our last experience) and other blogs/forums and read the stories.

In a nutshell, the process is easy (a little disgusting, but easy!) You go to the pharmacy, get your sample kit.  Do the collections (the lab usually wants 3 consecutive poop samples), take them back to the lab for testing.  Some buggies die if they are outside your body for awhile, so you need to get those samples to the lab quickly.  You can pick up your test results later the same day. Your doctor or the phamacist will recommend the best meds for your results.

Some of the drugs are powerful. Usually no drinking alcohol during the treatment (and sometimes a few days before and afterwards.)  This time, we're taking a drug called 'Colufase' for 3 days.  Side effects, for us, are mild, so far.  A little headache (but that could be due to something else, too).  We've just begun the pills.  It's a broad spectrum drug, and will kill all kinds of parasites.  We think it's worth it. We chose to go the conventional medicine way for the big hit,  but there are more natural/folk medicine remedies available, also (or you can blend them in, as we do, to try to maintain our health....vitamins, herbs, teas, diet, etc.)


About our rentals...
We own 4 properties here in Cuenca. We live in 1, and rent out the other 3.  We are not rental agents, meaning we don't handle other properties, just our own.  To see pictures and for more info, see the links on the sidebar to the right of this screen.  Send us a note if you want to check the availability.


About our blog...
Thanks to those readers who have sent us positive notes about our blog!  We are still stunned that we have so many regular readers from around the globe.  Initially, we began our blog to stay in touch with our small circle of friends and family, as we began this journey back in 2007.  We still mostly write and share pictures for friends/family back in the US, but we are delighted that others also find the information useful and fun.

We have recently changed the blog's colors and layout...  We liked the old template with the birds, but decided to give the blog a new look.  The new colors, black/gray, white and red, are the colors of our favorite Fragata...a magnificent frigate bird here in Ecuador.  It's also the name of the apt building where we offer 2 of our rentals, coincidentally.  You can learn more and see pictures of this Galapagos bird by doing a search on this blog or on the Internet.  Fascinating birds!

We encourage everyone to read other blogs and do a search of ours for more information, stories and pictures of our wonderful Ecuador.  There is a wealth of info out there!  On the sidebar, we have included links to just a fraction of blogs that you can begin with...Be sure to check out Mary's award-winning 'blog of blogs' for even more.  (Mary's blog is called South Of Zero on the sidebar.) 

Bloggers have covered topics, such as shipping (or not), medical, housing, weather, budgets, visas/residency, llamas!, food, bringing pets, buying cars, learning Spanish, adjusting to the culture, airlines and  in-country transportation, attorneys, real estate, safety/security, and so much more.  We wish we'd had this treasure of information when we first started planning our move here!  The blogs will give you a good idea of life here, but we also think it's a good idea to visit and see everything first-hand, to see if Ecuador is your cup of tea.  Ecuador isn't a good fit for everyone.  Only you can decide.

Happy to report, we're still loving it here, as we head into our 3rd year as legal, permanent residents.


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A side note: Our San Francisco friends/family will enjoy our friend Nancy's recent blog about the parrots coming to visit here in Cuenca! We all know there are wild parrots in SF, too. We remember those magical moments when the flocks would come to visit our terrace on Telegraph Hill. Amazingly, Nancy's parrots look exactly like our visitors did in SF!
Just one-more-thing that compares San Francisco to Cuenca....


http://watsontravels.blogspot.com/2011/06/parrots-in-cuenca.html

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