“Let’s get moving!” – Otavalo – Child in Bucket!
With great pleasure, I embrace the start of this week feeling much better! I’m not ready for the hurdles or pole-vaulting competitions, but as Johnny Nash’s lyrics state, ‘I think I can make it now, the pain is gone.’
Enjoy Jimmy Cliff’s version of the song while cyber-strolling through Playamart’s Ecuador files.
Pour a cup of coffee or tea – hot or chilled and take a magic trip to the middle of the world. My neighbor Nelly will lead the parade!
Nelly at La Division
Smiling Nelly gets silly!
Jama Parade
Oh, to be tall! (No Chikungunya in those joints!)
“I can see all obstacles in my way!”
Jama Mermaid
San Vicente Cabalgata
Near Montechristi
It’s a bird.. it’s a plane.. it’s — SuperBarb!
Photo by Henry Groff
Marie Groff, Smiling with new friends in Cuenca!
Silly moments in Jama
End of Day – Tired but Smiling… (Jama)
The rain is gone!
It’s going to be a bright, bright sun shining day!
Barb in Ecuador
Barb y Laura help prepare for the exposition.
Guess Who?!
Detail= Acrylic
Hank and Marie – Guayaquil
Hank and Marie – Mitad del Mundo – Ecuador
Canoa Beach Hotel, Canoa Ecuador
Center of Hot Tub
Canoa Beach Hotel – Quite a hot-tub!
Manta Ecuador Playa Tarqui -Hank and Marie Groff
Guaranda Ecuador – The out-of-control top landed in the gutter! (Photo by Marie Groff)
Sometimes no language is needed…(Photo by Marie Groff) Guaranda Ecuador
Cuenca Ecuador
Rethinking the way we view our world… Near Cayambe – Mitad del Mundo
GYe – Sidewalk Museum, and what a grand surprise… Come meet the artist!
Maestro Manuel’s surprise art museum -Guayaquil
Museo Cancebi, Manta – Yes, We are Happy!
HAPPY SHOES!
Signing Bookmarks
Bob Ramsak – Based in Quito for several months
Iguana Park – Guayaquil
Michelle in Manta
She did well!
Cafe with friends – Thanks, Silvana!
Always cheerful service at Jama’s sidewalk cafe
Hacienda Guachala – Cafe Con Leche, Anyone?
The people’s favorite: Coffee Cat!
The lovely bride at a fairy-tale wedding and reception. (cayambe- Hacienda Guachala)
Lovely Ashleigh at the wedding…
The bride and groom…
Mr. Precious – Hacienda Guachala – Hall Wedding
Miss Nasturtium, my sunshine companion!
Guachala Wedding
Ready, Set, Catch!
Worthy of a place in Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude, Ecuador’s answer to a fireworks’ display; a Castillo!
Monkey see, monkey do, I see a monkey just like YOU!
King Kong Sighted in Jama Ecuador!
El Presidente visits Jama!
Everyone needs a pair of happy shoes!
How great of a gift was that?!!! True happy shoes!
Museo Cancebi/Manta, Ecuador – Time out for painting HAPPY SHOES!
El Matal Ecuiador – having fun with color!
Luchy y family…Cafe Palo Sant
Miguel – Otavalo Artist
A painter and sculptor…
Candid Moments…
Otavalo
And he smiled a genuine heart-warming smile!
What a serene smile! Do you think she looks forward to going to work?
Shrimp, anyone? Punta Prieta – near Jama
Hank piloting the fantasy boat — Punta Prieta near Jama, Ecuador
What’s cooking at the street cafe?!
Playa Tarqui – Manta Ecuador – Grilled Tuna For Breakfast!
Quito – Great friend Marta, great light and strong shadows
Lovely Blanca – Quito
No hurdles for me this week, but I am happy to wean away from chikungunya’s creaky joints. The ‘dengue fatigue’ is also better – yahoo!
Will be working and writing from Museo Bahia de Caraquez this next week.
Peruvian Boobies – San Vicente, Ecudor with Bahia de Caraquez skyline.
A Happy Tour! Boat taxi/San Vicente to Bahia de Caraquez
Dancing off the boat taxi!
Who’s next?
Precious Princess! Otavalo
Have a good week, everyone! Z
Zeebra Designs & Destinations 
Way to go Team Z!!!! You must be feeling better as the pictures express your curiosity and wonderful eye. I have too many favorites in this collage. I saw where the Pope is in your neck of the woods. Do you think you will be able to see him? Glad you are better.
No, Quito is a 7-hour bus ride from here, but my friend Sarah and her husband hope to get a tad closer than via television!
Thanks; just came from the clinic, and all is looking better. Next stop- Bahia de Caraquez!
Thank you for letting me start my day with these wonderful photos! So glad to hear you are feeling better. I will be singing “I Can See Clearly Now” the rest of the day. Great tune! Hope you have an amazing week in Bahia!
Am heading for Coactur to San Vicente then taxi to museum. I’ll be singing with you this morning. Thanks!
So glad to hear that you are finally feeling more like yourself Z!
Thanks! It feels great to be back..
Oh, my gosh, what a wonderful collection of photos and so fascinating! I love your neighbor’s infectious smile…makes me smile, too. Also, the photo the children looking up at you was so cute! Take care, dear, Z 🙂
beautiful pictures of beautiful people. Enjoyed the ride to your world (again)!
Great pics – vibrating with life! Glad to hear you are on the mend, Lisa!
I’m so glad to see you’re feeling better. It was fun to look through the pics and recognize a few people. It’s a great collection, and a sure sign you’re feeling better!
Wow! Definitely a bight, bright, sun shiny day, Lisa. Wonderful capture of happy moments worth reliving, because you have just reinterred the land of the living. So glad you are doing well and traveling. 😀
So great to see these wonderful images Z! There is a feeling of great joy and contentment, do love seeing you smiling as well. Travel safe ~
“I can see clearly now” Lisa that you are happy, happy, happy… The photos are a joy and a tribute to the lovely people in your part of the world. Good to have you back. Stay well my friend and safe travelling…
Reblogged this on jacksjottings and commented:
I had to reblog this post it is so bubbling over with happiness.
I have never seen a post so full of genuine joy. Thank you Lisa.
LIesa You are a survivor, a winner you are just beautiful.
The Bright bright sonny day what a mighty song and the video rendition was my kind of “get you going music.” who could not feel wonderful listening to this?
Then those smiling positive people wow I love them all.
But wait there is more smiles every one a gem.
You have got me all hyped up.
I am going to find a pair of shoes and paint them up to match my happy pants.
When asked where did you get them? I will say the idea came from Zeebras post.
They may ask “Is Zeebras post like a trading post or a craft shop?
I will tell them it is a place where you go to find inspiration and give them the address.
I have already reblogged it. There is going to be an epidemic with all those infectious smiles. _/\_
dear dear Jack; you almost made me cry, but then this is about smiling and being full of joy! i loved your other comment about painting white shoes like you were on loco weed… although i thought i’d post this week about my time at the museum, i think i might post about how white shoes can serve as a springboard for smiles.
thank you so much, and it’s nice when kindred spirits cross paths – Life grants us those gifts that there are more of us out there!
When I visit your blog I always come away feeling uplifted in spirit. I wanted my cyber- space friends to feel the way I did so reblogged one of your best.
thanks! i feared that some would think, ‘oh no.. another long queue of photos..’ i’m so glad that they gave you joy.
They have already given Sue Dreamwalker happiness, she commented on my blog.
I am sure there will be plenty more that respond from my reblog.
I watched it again this morning I love it the music and those adorable photos.
Thanks, Jack, you are so kind. Yes, Sue dropped by, and she also discovered that she no longer ‘followed,’ which is something that happens to me as well….
Such smiling, happy faces in such a bright, colorful world. Must be Paradise!
Every culture/country presents difficult moments, but there’s something about living close to the land that keeps people human. we do indeed need those trees and connection to our planet in order to be happy – or to extract the most for our greatest happiness…
Woopie! I couldn’t stop smiling at your happy photos. They really demonstrate how much better you are feeling. Hugs!
thanks, and yes, i am feeling better. mornings are still difficult for crawling out from the spell of sleep/fatigue, but as the sun gets higher in the sky, the energy increases.
am writing from my perch in the museum this morning… lucky me!
hope you and ron are feeling stronger with no new problems. how many days has it been since you were first sick?
It’s been 14 days since we got Chikungunya. Our symptoms were milder than others. This morning, I thought I was almost recovered, when my fingers started cramping, my elbow is stiff, and the soles of my feet are painful again. I can live with it, but Geez!!!
keep being careful amiga, and i know that you are.. chikungunya has a sadistic sense of humor…. i remember thinking, ‘this isn’t so bad,’ and then i felt great – even considered going for a run.. and then round two hit…
when i singed the book at the museum yesterday, my grip on the pen was so awkward.. thank goodness it disappears.. i painted from 3 until 7 last night at the museum and all went well. the fatigue lingers.. slept from 9 until 7 and could have slept more… i think that’s probably dengue related.
anyway, am about to go enjoy a serving encebollado across the street and resume painting at the musuem. so gla d that you know bahia de caraquez!
What an amazing Post… I smiled throughout and the music was perfect to listen to as I browsed these amazing treasures of happiness.. Thank you so much for sharing..
Wishing you Love and a blessed new Week ..
Hugs Sue xxx
Thanks! I’m glad the images made you smile, and for sure you saw the beauty of each soul!
I did.. I was just leaving Jack a message, saying that the who appear to enjoy life the most are the ones who share the little they have.. 🙂 And your post brought so much joy today as I saw the light of each soul.. 🙂 behind each smile.
Thank you.
I also see Somehow I have become unfollowed on your post so will rectify .. I have been having this problem on a few blogs I follow..
Love and Blessings.. Sue
thanks, sue, and the same happens with me.. i realize i’m not getting notices, etc, and then loook and see that i’ve missed a lot. thanks, dear kind spirit!
Lovely to see so many happy smiley faces, Lisa, and to know that the sun is back in your own sky too. 🙂
thanks, and i always love seeing the skies over your head thru your great pictorial journeys. today as i was leaving a restaurant, i noted the shuffling walk of one of the owners.. ‘chikungunya,’ i stated as i gently touched his shoulder from behind… he broke out into intense laughter, and we compared stories.. he is just now entering that extreme stage of pain and ws glad to see someone emerging from that same pain!
yes, it feels good to be in the sunshine again.
Oh, bless him! Does this thing need more research, Lisa? What doesn’t but it does seem a heck of a lot of suffering to ‘get there’. So glad you made it 🙂
i think that there are many people agressively trying to find vaccines or ways to short circuit this virus. i drew the chart and tried to describe that around day 20 there are delayed responses and that part of the body suddenly says, ‘alarma alarma!’ and sends out a new force to fight the invader…. it does help to know what to expect.
debbie in ometepe/nicaragua reports that she’s much better and hopes it’s the end.. but she hasn’t hit that dreaded week three yet.. i hope that she’s able to dodge the bullet…
thank you so much for your genuine concern… i am at the museum now and am enjoying a week of intense study in the comfort of an amazing (and very quiet) museum. my room is upstairs, so i don’t tire myself out going between home and the museum….
it’s been a good week, and i continue to feel better. thanks so much!
z
You have magic eyes ! Thank for such beautiful faces and smiled.
So happy to see that you recovering well.
Warm thoughts from France
thanks, helene… sending my love in your direction!
Thank you for this photo journey! I was feeling a little cranky since I’d awakened at 2:30 in the morning and couldn’t get back to sleep, but these happy photos have left me smiling, for sure.
Ah, how I’d love to get down your way! Can’t seem to get beyond northern Mexico, though, these days.
How great that these photos helped wean you into a better day! i was a bit restless during the night as well; not the norm for me at all. may the day bring big smiles your way. thanks!
You have magic eyes ! Thanks for such beautiful faces and smiled.
So happy to see that you recovering well.
Warm thoughts from France
Thanks, dear helene! Your smile and Lise’s equal any in this post!
These made me smile on a late night in the office! And I finally registered for WordPress!) -M
So glad that these gave you a grand smile! I painted late at the museum, and your comment gave me a smile as well! Z
great photos, love all the smiles. So glad you’re feeling better. In the US now, so getting behind in emails and such. Hugs and love
Loved your happy, colourful, smiling photos, Lisa. I’m so happy that you’re geeling much better That virus must now just disappear for ever. Love your neighbour’s ‘silly’ smile, and I agree about the happy shoes. 🙂 Wishing you a bright sunshiny weekend. xx
Such lovely photos! They are all happy photos! One side note my friend…there is not copyright on your boobie photo. I am glad that you are feeling better and look forward to the art that you will feature of what you saw in the museums. Be well and hugs… ^..^