Sherbert Manor

Paint scheme of our new apartment? Only in Ecuador.

Not too much has happened in the past few weeks since I’ve blogged last. So instead of wowing my small but growing audience with all the latest adventures, I’ll now bore them to death with all the minute details of our life.



We have had about a month and a half of solid rain. When I say never-ending rain, I mean it’s raining when you wake up and raining as you fall asleep. And many nights we’re awoken out of deep sleep because the rain is so hard and relentless. Of course rain has meant knee-deep mud, clothes that never dry on the line and mold on our shoes and clothes. If we put anything away that’s the least bit damp (which is everything) it’s bound to have mold on it next time we get it out. Case in point: Joe had a talk the other night and his blue suit was covered in mold spots. I got out my black belt to wear with my black shorts. Moldy. My leather sandals, moldy. The mold settles over Tena like London fog and people walk and work outside continuously rain or shine. Or rain and harder rain. We have had a minor turn of events these past few days with some strong sun. Enough to dry my clothes on the line this week. But by late afternoon the rain returns to cool off the day’s remains and it rains until we awake the next morning. Going anywhere without bringing your umbrella is like going to a job interview without brushing your teeth; why would you do that to yourself?


Speaking of jobs, Joe got hired at Open English this week, the company I’ve been working at for six months now. Since we have next-to-no internet here where we live 25 minutes outside of Tena, we’ve been commuting into town and working at a friend’s place. The back and forth commute and busses and taxis and sharing one computer and making sure one of us is with Carlie has simply worn us out. We know that we could not continue at this pace if we are both to work online. How strange it is to have a job that is made for staying at home, yet we have to leave home to do it. So we made the HUGE decision this week to move….yet again. We will move back to the center of Tena on/by April 1st.


Our new home will in no way, shape or form compare to the awesome house we have here. We now live in a charming brick house in the country with pineapple and banana trees in our back yard and a river in our front yard. Our new home will be an apartment in a crowded family-oriented neighborhood with chicken coops in the backyard and mud puddles in my front yard. Our house now has a large welcoming porch with a bright yellow hammock. I lay in it daily and listen to the river rush by. Our new apartment has no place for my hammock and nothing but kids on bikes and cars whizz by. In my front yard now I’m growing different types of palms and hibiscus. In the new yard there is too many rocks and sticks to grow anything green. In our house now, I hear nothing much in the way of noise besides birds chirping in unison. In the new apartment I’m sure we’ll hear our landlord downstairs and her grown daughter listening to their radio or TV all day and night.


So it seems that this new apartment might not be such a good move if looking at all the external things. But inside it will have a strong internet and bright pink and peach walls that I will learn to love. The walls are so pink and so peach, Joe and I have decided to name our new home “Sherbert Manor”. It has three large bedrooms, two bathrooms, a large living/dining area and a small kitchen. It also has a mini terrace where the dogs can hang out and bark at the kids who ride by on bikes.

This will be our last and final move in Tena. Joe and I have decided that if we have to move again, it will be to some other city where we will 'get it right the first time'.