Tuesday, September 25, 2012

The Color Purple

Color Purple Event II 

Otober 11th at 7pm, Gary & Sue Gaither will host the second annual El Evento Color Purpura.  (See thecolorpurpleevent.blogspot.com)

It has grown considerably this year form a women's luncheon to a semi-formal dinner for all. Tickets are now $20, representing a first class dinner.

Among the speakers are the lovely Miss Cuenca and the Dr Avarado, Director of SOLCA, the children's cancer hospital.

The four sponsors are providing free promotion from Unsion Television (100 spots), La Famila Radio, El Tiempo newspaper and Arco Language Institute .

They hope to sell all 250 seats and also to obtain donations from friends in the US. Twenty dollars goes a long way here in Ecuador. Tickets are available at Villa San Carlos, Hotel Inca Real, and El Tiempo

All net proceeds go the SOLCA for the benefit of children and their families. Many are so poor that they cannot afford the bus fare to visit their children in the hospital!

Sue has written a special song for suffering children. She will play and sing it during the event. Gary will close with a short devotion.

Hope you all can make it to a wonderful evening celebrating life, and helping those families struggling with children living with cancer.

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Our New Apartment

We have just moved to our new apartment on September 1st.  It is larger than our former apartment and has a beautiful kitchen, and also a terrace that overlooks the Yanuncay River.  We are in the brand new Cuatro Rios building on Primero de Mayo y Av. Los Americas.

We highly recommend Destination Cuenca for all of your moving needs.  Vicente organized our move, he and his crew packed us and moved us in a very professional manner.  There was no damage to our property even though they couldn't use the elevators in the buildings (down 2 flights of stairs in our old building and up 5 flights of stairs in our new building).  They moved our refrigerator, washer, dryer, furniture and boxes within a four-hour time period.  (They also do international moves too.)

Here are pictures of our apartment after we unpacked and got everything arranged.  We still have some things to buy, but the apartment is very beautiful with the dark wood floors, special lighting, granite counter tops, etc.  We also have a large bodega (storage), and two parking spaces.  And there will eventually be stores in the front of the building (one will be an ice cream shop, which makes Mike very happy!).

Our condo can't be seen from the street, as it is set back high on the 5th floor
Entrance to the locked security door

Fountain area along the entrance-way

Path along the river across from our condo

Entrance to our condo from the inside sky-lit hallway

Looking into the kitchen window

Entering the front door

Kitchen (seen from living room)

Living room (seen from kitchen)

Living room and dining room

Dining room (with stone wall and accent lighting)

Looking inside from the terrace

View of the trees along the river from the terrace

Laundry room (cabinets need to be installed)

Social bath

Guest bedroom

Guest bath

Rainfall shower head

Master bedroom

Sitting area in master bedroom

Master bathroom

Office (we need to get a desk for me)

Large hallway from bedrooms to living room

Our terrace with built-in BBQ (needs to be finished)

Common patio



View from common patio (good for watching fireworks!)