Consulates, Cabanas and Cows

Trying to get everything on the schedule, (dirty word for us soon) while remodeling the bathroom and the kitchen, we need to make appointment to get our Visa application started. At one point I emailed the Ecuadorean Consulate in Atlanta with questions, and they got right back to me. But this last email has gone unanswered for over a week...so I tried to call today. Opening message on the other end said they were an "appointment only" office, and to make an appointment, email...hmmm. Ok, remember , be flexible, email again, ask old questions, with new questions AND request an appointment. Now, we wait. Maybe it's mañana.

I recently read on an expat forum, that Consulates are for people, and Embassy's are for countries...if you ever wanted clarification. There is something called an Apostile, similar to being Notarized, but on an international level. Something to do with The Hague ( older blog readers will know, younger ones- google it) anyway, sometimes the forums say you need things like Birth Certificates, and marriage licenses apostilled in the state they were issued! Well it got me thinking, we just happen to be going to the state in which we were both born, AND married...so an email to the Consulate asks, no begs, for clarification, just hope we get an answer before we fly out there next week. It's got to be a very well timed dance, these hoops we must jump through. ( mixed metaphors, but you get the idea)

And now the aforementioned cows, I found a new blog this morning, and this picture struck me. If you know me, you know I've liked cows for a long time. When the blogs and forums caution people from renting cars and driving in Ecuador it's because there are roaming cows and other livestock along the roads. Well here's the answer to why the cow crossed the road, looks like a nice resting spot to me. 

This next picture is during the high season, these cabanas are filled with food vendors, coconut and ice cream vendors and of course hand made crafts for tourists. Different parts of the coast host various festivals throughout the year, so there is almost always something going on somewhere, if you're looking for a crowd. But equally, if one place is having a festival, better bet the beach down the road is empty, and quiet. Looking forward to it all, stay tuned, the adventure continues!