What will this cost?
Manta Ecuador – August 2013
A Miracle! An ‘amazing and wonderful occurrence’ sprinkled happy dust over me this week!
Was magic dust in the air this past week?
I am typing from a faster-thinking mini laptop, and am happy that my future photo images should not be tainted by cataracts!
The technology gods watched over me in Manta this past week! The two repair shops were within shouting distance, and I easily walked from one to the other in less than one minute! The smiling folks at Radeca summoned the ER doctor, who did several tests and suggested an external keyboard, which he quickly retrieved. He said that it would only cost – brace for the price – eighteen dollars.
(What?!!! Eighteen dollars?! Was I dreaming?!)
Monica at Radeca
We discussed giving the tired little burrito a good physical, a virus check, etc; Doc’s estimate was 40 dollars. Wanting to clarify, I asked, “Forty dollars for the checkup plus the keyboard?”
“No. Forty dollars for everything.”
We agreed that I would return the following day in the early afternoon. Great! One down, one to go!
This would be my second visit to the digital camera repair shop in the past year, though this trip involved more serious work. The last visit cost 20 dollars, so I predicted this one might cost around 40. Compared to an official Panasonic shop in Guayaquil that requested an 80-dollar non-refundable deposit, I was confident that I would dodge another expensive bullet! He eyed the camera and said that it would be ready at 2 the following day.
I promise, I’ll be good if you take me home with you!
I pondered the computer estimate and wondered if I had misunderstood the Spanish. Like a good parent, I checked back the net morning just to be sure all was going well.
Burrito laptop was getting a total re-installation of windows. Gulp.
Oh, Littlebit! Would you have a lobotomy and return to me with little memory of the good burrito you’d been before?! Three or four hours more would soon reveal the answer!
Latin America often delivers spooky last-minute surprises when a bill is presented, so I braced for the discharge paperwork. I also pondered the cost for the digital camera repair.
The Panasonic Lummix – The lens appeared free of cataracts! Yes! Total cost? Twenty dollars! Like last time, I tipped a dollar extra for a cervesa at the end of his work day!
Stepping across the street, I walked to the ER room. Doctor requested a little more time – 14 minutes or so… In search of non-yellowing varnish for pisos/floors, I visited three hardware stores. Returning half an hour later, I was allowed into the operating room. Little Burrito greeted me with warm smiles as doctor and nurse proudly observed! Ahhhh, that wasn’t so bad, was it?!
The new external keyboard is needed for the c and x keys. (I’m copying and pasting right now, as the keyboard is still in the box, and I am still in transit!) I worried about what a total re-installation of windows would cost. The last person who re-installed windows (in costa Rica) lost all of my music. “Music?” he had asked, “What music?” and then he added, “Oh those files were corrupt.”
This week I was sure that Doc had re-installed my files, and I also had backup at the riverhouse, so I was not too concerned.
Total price for computer work? Bottom line: (Drum roll:…………………………..)
Forty dollars! Period.
Forty dollars!!!!
This fun comment awaited moderation when I logged onto the internet last night: “Hi, Lisa. I’m Eisser. I was his doctor in Manta, in RADECA. If you need anything else, just tell me. And if you want I travel to your home. Bye.”
Some people come to Ecuador for the climate. Some because their money stretches a long way. Some for medical tourism. Some love the culture. Perhaps now some will come for camera and computer repair! Eisser even makes house calls!
:)) Z
A miracle for sure. House calls?!?!?! What are those?!?!?! So glad you’re back in business. No more tech proooooooobbbbllllemmmmssssss…
And if you do, you know who to call. And I’m not talkin’ Ghost Busters!
thank you, amiga! yes, i was so pleased to meet new friends as well as competent ‘doctors.’
Wow, you did great. My last PC repair, which I no longer have since I’ve totally switched to Apple products, was $80 just to bring it in. You did really good
yes, i am lucky to have had such reasonable repair and so fast as well! thanks!
here in th USA they would probably tell you to get a new one the prices are so high to repair anything glad it cost so low, I want the burrito!
that happened once in belize.. they said, ‘it’s junk.. get a new one…’ ja, easy for them to say!
Reblogged this on The ObamaCrat.Com™.
Loved the way you told and illustrated the story!!
thank you so much, and thanks for being loyal and reading the posts!!!! z
I believe you are living in Ecuador for all the right reasons and this is just one of them. A computer story with a good ending.This makes me smile for little burrito. What is the camera’s name?
thanks amiga, and i’m glad that you know this lovely country. hmmm, i’ll have to ponder the camera’s name.. any suggestions? it’s small and fits in my hand well! it has a stubborn streak as well… hmmm.
This doesn’t match your description,but all I can think of is “gecko”. 🙂
wow 40, that’s amazing! around here, you get charged 50 just for them looking at it to give you an estimate… glad all is working ok now
yes, i am very lucky that the repairs left enough money for me to buy food as well!!!!!
You got the whole enchilada for such a good deal! Now you can do a happy dance!
happy dance! now that’s a great suggestion!!! thanks!
Don’t you just love it, Z? We had an issue with Lucy our Maltese soon after we arrived in Cuenca. It involved an exam, an ultrasound, and medication. The vet came to our house, took Lucy for the scan and brought her back. Total: $35 . What would that have cost in the US?
Hugs from Cuenca,
Kathy
hey amiga
i’m so glad to know that you’re happy in lovely cuenca! the flowers, the colors, the architecture, the light/shadow, nice people, variety of food — i can go on and on and on! glad you had a good experience with the vet house call! wow, that was a great price! z
I believe some magic dust has definitely been sprinkled over you recently Lisa…wonderful news! 🙂
there are days when i truly feel the effects of the dust! and then i wonder, ‘is this a side-effect from right-brain feel-good endorphins?’ whatever, i’m lucky to have such a great supply of happy dust!
😀
this is the world giving you back a little bite of the magic that You always sprinkle to others 🙂
thank you! and the world is giving you lots back as well! welcome to the club!
It sounds like you’ve landed in paradise!
yes, magic carpet and all!!!
Congrats on the miraculous repairs, z! And I really like the magic dust sailboats in the harbor picture.
thank you, ruth! i’m not surprised that you enjoyed seeing the sailboats! we were eating at a great restaurant with that serene view!
Love your story, and it sounds as though a visit to the Ecuadorian nerds is in order, my programs are playing silly buggers at the moment. How lucky you are! Tony
thanks! they took good care of burrito and the camera! z
truly a day full of blessings 🙂
thank you! if only the visa would be so easy|!
You do live a blessed life! Great post.
thank you! hey, tennis is a serious sport here in ecuador! at some point, i’d love to hear some of your tennis/coaching stories! z
That.IS.incredible! Gotta love Latin America. Congratulations. I feel the same way. We just returned from Managua for our super duper physical exams at Vivian Pellas hospital. $500 for BOTH of us, included EKGs, ultrasounds, all the blood tests, Mammogram and Pap for me, stress tests for our hearts, x-rays, AND same day results with a free lunch thrown in the works. Yep! Gotta love Latin America. Plus, we are in great shape for two old people! 🙂
ha! we hide the mirrors and we don’t know that we’re ‘old.’ congratulations on clearing those hurdles, and at such a great price! z
Wonderful miracles 🙂
thank you amiga! now hopefully they’ll stay well for a long time! z
YES
Yeah, you are back and all your tools that brings the world to your and our doors! It’s hard not to respect the spirit of generosity and goodwill, the connection for you can not be denied.
thank you amiga! now it’s time to play ‘catchup’ on slow internet!
Very cool. I also like what you said about miracle being traced back to making you smile. I guess that is the greatest miracle – being able to smile.
thanks.. we’re capable of turning the worst experiences into positive ones, but it takes creative practice!
Jaja! Qué graciosa eres Lisa! 🙂 Estoy muy contenta de que tanto laptop como cámara estén ya en plena forma 🙂
grrrrrrracias amiga! it’s good to be home with the zoo of electronic creatures!
😉
That top picture looks like my table at work.
hmmm. i answered this the other day, but when the connection is sluggish, sometimes it gets lost!
you probably know how to put all of those pieces back together, but i’d have to make sculpture from them! z
Thats a great way to recycle and reuse 🙂
Selfishly, I’m glad it was so easy to get your equipment fixed. My bigger mind is happy too, for you and for the hundreds of folks out there who enjoy your posts.
you don’t have a selfish cell in your body! thank you, oh beautiful one! z
i haven’t been able to comment on your posts due to slow internet.. they keep backfiring, and the ‘like’ button won’t load.. lo siento. i am fighting a bit of a cold so am not staying up late enough for fast internet… i could, however, see the images, and they are lovely as always!
Uf! you´re incredible Lisa what things happen to you, I think you always walk with an angel. Te envio un abrazo enorme!!!!!
amiga! one of these days my trip to manta won’t be so hurried! tramites tramites tramites! un abrazo igualmente!
If ever there was a reason to migrate to Ecuador, this is it 😀
Only you can turn a mundane repair job into a wonderful, fun post Lisa!!!
hey amiga! if (when) you visit ecuador, i want to be sure that my calendar is free!!! z
Hey, no kidding about coming for the computer repair. If I snagged a good airfare, I could almost buy a round trip ticket with the money I’d save over buying a new computer or repairing an old one! (You see how my mind works when it comes to making excuses for doing something fun.) Yippee, glad you have your burrito back!
i pondered that as well.. it certainly makes one think twice about what some charge for simple repairs, but then the wage per hour here is very low.. but food is low and fuel is low, so the cost of living is not out of control!
That is simply unheard of Lisa! Glad you are up and running again. I am very fortunate that my PC-Dr lives with me, so I don’t have to pay for anything. It is his hobby! 😉
you are SO LUCKY!!! I’m about to be traveling, and the computer still sends random commands to the keyboard, like uppercase at random moments, but basically i can use it when i’m on the road!
z
Hey Sis, I am having practically the same exact thing done to my Aflac computer and it is costing me about $200 for that work to be done! I didn’t fair so well did I?
Lucky burro. 🙂
Be greeted.
If you could see the pattern in the randomness of the parts in your picture, your chin would hit the floor for 3 months, and you would still question it after that amount of time.
Then you would share the view of reality I have.
Try this. Take a piece of clear plastic film about 20 to 30 cm square.
Draw some random lines and curves on it…about 5 or 6. Make them about 10cm long each but curves and so on. Random.
Go out to some grass and hold the plastic down on the grass. Line up a line or two with a blade of grass underneath that looks about the same shape and ask yourself what you see. Change your point of view a bit to see if there is something you are missing. And really LOOK.
I would be interested in any responses.
That’s an incredible story by UK prices and sits well with the title of the post.
ha! those prices would probably shock me!