Out With the Old!!

Ecuadorians are getting ready to say good-bye to 2014.  The tradition known as Ano Viejo involves buying a large papier-mache doll, filling it with firecrackers and notes of bad things from the past year, and lighting them afire on New Year's Eve.  These very ornate, colorful, and highly amusing figures are an impressive art form.

One street in Guayaquil sells most Ano Viejos

Superman, Ninja Turtles and Minnie Mouse!?

About 12 feet high!

Spidey Moves

Crowd scene

Captain America!
Why burn him?

Hulks worry Pink Panthers

"Hulk" Simpson?

Papier-mache artists plying their craft on the street 

Bob Marley

Papier Mariachis

Where's Little Red Riding Hood?

 

Look out behind you, Captain!

Christmas Cheer at the Orphanage

We work with some tremendous public servants!  Our U.S. Consulate employees raised several thousand dollars to provide gift cards to some of the families of folks who protect us everyday, and several thousand more to support a large orphanage in the neighborhood.  Last Saturday afternoon, we took several carloads of gifts, food, and clothing to the orphanage, and spent several hours with the kids.  It was a fun, uplifting afternoon of food, gifts, play and singing.  We were once again reminded how fortunate we are, not that we have material goods, but that we Americans have charitable and generous hearts.  It is once again a special honor and pleasure to serve this great country of ours with such extraordinary colleagues.  Happy holidays!!!

Shelly's new friends

All the kids are learniing music

Singing about Rudolph and reindeer games

Jingle bells too

Joy to the World

2014 has been a year of joy and wonder.  Daughter Heather married Chase Kimball in March, they enjoy their new life together in the nation's capital.  Shelly and David moved to Guayaquil, Ecuador in April where they work as diplomats for the United States and find wondrous sights traveling around South America.  Son Damon is a civil engineer in Miami, enjoying his profession, friends, and outdoor life there.  

In this holiday season, we wish joyful celebrations for you and yours, and for the world, 

Peace.

Latino Futbol Passion

Ecuadorians take their futbol very very seriously.  It's the one thing you can always talk about with anyone . . . in New Mexico the question is "red or green?", in NY "Yankees or Mets?" the question in Guayaquil is "Barcelona o Emelec?".  Fans are rabid about their teams.  As the season winds down to a championship, I jumped at the invitation of a friend to go to the stadium for a Barcelona game.  Wow! The fans in the entire south end of the stadium stand and sing and chant and cheer the whole game long, and when the home team scores, the place goes crazy!  Great fun.

One of South America's top ten largest stadiums

The home team won 3-0

Gringo Fanatico

My host and I in the suites

Goooooooooooooal!!

Craziness in the South End

The Panama Jungle Explorers

Heard but not seen:  these howler monkeys are LOUD!

We spent "Black Friday" in the Panama jungle, listening to howler monkeys, observing leaf cutter ants, and being enchanted by a variety of beautiful birds!  The trail through the jungle had babbling brooks, broken bridges, teeming humidity, and rich plant life at every turn.  Then we enjoyed a park featuring rescued jungle animals.   It was great fun, and much more enjoyable than being in that other jungle: the shopping mall!.

Howler!

Mother and daughter looking at ants

Tarzan and Jane

Mowgli and Baloo

Amazing sights

Hard working ants

Leaf cutter ants taking leaves home

Tapir and its prehensile snout

Harpie Eagle: Panama's
National Bird

Stately bird

You can Toucan

Ginger

One-day bloom

Dr. Livingstone, I presume?

Wild animals!

Panama's handicrafts reflect its wildlife

Coatimundi begs for food

Happy campers

Jungle explorers