Last Three Days Before We Fly

The shippers came for the household goods on Wednesday.  Everything was packed up.  Although I am still finalizing the list of all the contents, so it can be translated into Spanish before the goods can clear customs in Eucador.  The goods will now wait in Long Beach until we have residency status in Ecuador.  Then we will notify the shipping company to load the container and ship it to us.  By that time we will of acquired a house, probably for rent, in Cuenca Ecuador.  We may have exceeded the space we had reserved, a 1000 cubic foot, shipping container.  We were feeling very proud of ourselves, because we had gotten rid of so much stuff.  But, maybe not enough.  SALE on the Long Beach Pier may occur!!!  More to follow when we know what is going to happen.  At this time we are camping out in our rather empty house, sleeping on an air mattress.  Will break camp on Tuesday and go to a hotel near the Tucson airport.  We are attempting to keep the cats as calm as possible.  They are already somewhat freaked out, since everything they know has departed, with the exception of us. Then all of us fly to Miami at noon on Wednesday for the first leg of the trip.  Thursday night we fly to Guayaquil, where we will clear customs.  Friday morning, January 29 we will reach Cuenca, Ecuador via van that is picking us up in Guayquil.  We have reserved a furnished apartment so we will be deposited there.  Probably very tired by that time.  More later. 

Cleaning the oriental rugs and Taking the cats to the Vet

The weather ha been  beautiful here, sorry to the family and friends in the midwest who are suffering under lots of snow and very cold weather.  We have taken advantage of the weather and shampooed the oriental rugs.  We always do this before a big move so they are clean when we unwrap them in their new home.

Yesterday we had an escapade that is all part of the great adventure.  We took the cats for their shots and the international health certificates.  The only time these two cats, Clive and Reginald, go out of the house is when they go to the Vet.  So needless to say it is not often and the DO NOT like it one iota.  But, that is done and we can move it to the next bureaucratic agency that needs to authorize it.  I am predicting that it will cost more to get the cats to Ecuador than it will to get me there.

The shippers come for the pick up of the household goods on January 20, it will be a truck that will take it to the warehouse in San Diego.  It will remain in storage until we have a permanent address in Cuenca and have received our resident visas.  Then we will notify the shipper to send the goods.  It is supposed to take about 45 days on the ship.  We will then have to meet the goods in Guyaquil, (this is the port city) so we are there when everything clears customs.  Then the shippers will load it on a truck and take it to our residence in Cuenca, it is a four hour drive from Guyaquil to Cuenca. 

I continue to pack on this end knowing that when I unpack it will be on another continent.  All for now.