Dog Man

We met this man while out walking.  We have a special route planned out so that we can miss a the majority of the traffic.  It includes hills and steps.  It is quite a work out at 9500 ft.
This guy worked in Canada and the US for close to 40 years.  His English isn't that great but he likes to practice.
He returned to Ecuador and found these stray dogs that he adopted!
Almost every morning we meet him out walking his dogs.  (He even seems to be pretty good about picking up the dog messes.  UGH!!
The problem is most dog owners don't clean up after their dogs so we have to be really careful where we put our feet.
It's not a real fun walk because we have to dodge cars and dog droppings.

His family consists of 6 adopted stray dogs!! He includes himself as the 7th.

Sweet Hotel in BABAHOYO

OUR SWEET HOTEL ROOM

IN BABAHOYO

Beautiful view of the city from our hotel window.  We were on the second floor but I guess they still needed bars on the windows.

Shot of our air conditioner.  We don't know if it worked.  We never tried to turn it on.

We were the lucky ones!!  We had a cushioned seat.  Notice the beautiful blue contrasted with the green toilet.
The other couple had an old hard seat but the neonatalogist from California didn't even have a seat.  (She only paid $15 per night.)  We had to pay $15 per person.  It was so worth it though because the room came with breakfast.  (A scrambled egg and stale piece of bread.  We opted not to eat breakfast at the hotel the second day.)  This was a minus 5 star hotel!

This is our shower!  It's pretty slick.  If you turn the water on to a dribble it's hot.  Full force and it's cold.  Notice the circuit breaker switch in the background.  We felt lucky because the neonatalogist with us didn't have any water.

No toilet paper in the toilet!!  Oops!  It's a hard habit to break!!

Sweet bed!!  No bed bugs, fleas or other critters.  (that we know of.)   We did worry a little about vampire bats coming through our open window.  We did see a lot of bats flying around on our trip back to Guayaquil but we don't know what kind they were.

Another lovely view from our room.  This was the best hotel in the city!!!

This cat was one of the customers that kept us awake at night.  First the patrons in the  hotel were loud and obnoxious until about 2:00 AM.  Then a couple of cats started fighting and making all sorts of noise.  Then it was the turn for the roosters.  About then it was time to get up but not before the turkeys just outside our window started gobbling.

Little carts are pushed or pedaled throughout the city.  This is where a few entreprenuers stored their equipment.  Just below our window.

Be Careful!  You have to read the signs.  This one says to put the toilet paper in the toilet.  This is a sign in the airport.  I couldn't resist taking the picture on the back of the door in each stall.  We have to be reminded where to throw our tp in each place.  Be grateful for our blessings!!!!  Little things mean a LOT!

SOCIEDAD PROTECTORA DE LA INFANCIA

Hospital Leon Becerra.  

This organization rescues abused children and provides homes for them.  They also provide medical care and schooling to the homeless and other needy children.

This is a picture of old medical equipment that will be refurbished and used in their hospital.

The mission was replacing used smoke detectors in the missionaries apartments.  We rescued the devices and donated them to the Society.

The director with our friend Isabel who is the director of foreign relations for La Junta.

Reception area.

A donated ambulance

They always are so proud of what they have accomplished and want us to take lots of pictures.

One of the childrens rooms at the hospital.  20-25 children in each room.  These children have respitory diseases.  There is no air conditioning in the rooms

The youth of one of the stakes in Guayaquil has an ongoing service project here.

Cute little girl!!

NIGHT ON THE TOWN (GUAYAQUIL)More

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ART BUILDING

CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS (The lights hadn't been turned on.)

Left Neonatalogist, Middle Missionary Mom, Right Pediatrician's wife

More Christmas Decor

Another view of the art institute

More Christmas exhibits

NIGHT ON THE TOWN (Babahoyo)

These men had a stack of old shoes that looked like they were on their way to the dump.  They sewed together and replaced worn out parts and the shoes took on new life.

The whole street was loaded with shoe cobblers.  This one is melting the glue to put a new sole on a shoe he was fixing.

Pretty soon the whole street knew we were taking pictures and everyone wanted their pictures taken.

This vendor was selling coconuts!!

Puncturing the coconut so that he could drain the juice into a plastic bag.

He quickly cut open the coconut and scooped out the insides!

Allie, our neonatalogist is drinking the coconut juice!  I was chicken to try it.  Didn't want the heebeejeebees!

I wanted  to try these grapes.  They looked really good but again I thought better of it.

Small animals for sell!  The chicks were $1.

I'm sure the guinea pigs weren't being sold as pets!

I'm afraid the rabbits weren't being sold as pets either!

Anyone for chicken dinner?

I wanted to try and pedal the bike but I'm sure it must have been exhausting.

Another vendor!!  Sometimes they have 2-3 people they are transporting.  

These are $1 per batch!  I counted 8 in one batch.  They are tied together with a string.