Ecuador
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This is a NON SMOKING position
Our time frame is flexible but we prefer the position to be filled for 4 weeks minimum ,ideally 6 weeks
My husband and I are retired professionals whose world revolves around our mascotas
We live a quiet private life and have lived in the fishing village of Crucita for five years, in a modern architect designed home with a swimming pool ,directly on the Pacific ocean. not a gated community but very safe
The neighbors are expat Americans ,Canadians ,Italians. Germans and Swedes
We are renovating another property nearby ,very slowly
The canines are two deaf bull terrier girls,who communicate with an easy version of sign language We cook their meals and do not use any processed dog food
We have one large alpha male puppy mutt who believes he is the sheriff
All have been neutered and spayed, are not aggressive
The birds and dogs grew up together are friends
The ducks and chickens enjoy the large garden ,roam freely around the garden
The garden needs watering twice per day as we are located in an arid climate
Rainy season if at all, begins November /December Very much drought for the last few years
Our grass does not need mowed ,it is like moss
We water the grass before the sun goes down and first thing in the morning as well as the mango trees and coconut trees and an orange tree and palm trees
All of our chickens are girls and have names and know and respond to their names
Ginger ,Scarlett,Tatiana,Signe, We bought them when they were a day old for 25 cents each at the market They used to produce 200 eggs per month and we feed many of their eggs to the dogs
The ducks are ,Lola, phoebe and maymay ( hatched in May )... There is camaraderie among the animals and birds and occasionally some political differences
They all go into the screened coop by themselves at sunset
We have a large 8ft high cement wall around our property The birds are given large blocks of ice during the day when it is hot,which they love and are very easy to feed, mostly vegetables
they are fed early morning and noon and the evening They have certain preferences
Our dogs are fed brown rice ,twice a day that we cook in a rice cooker and it lasts a few days We add cooked meat or fish ,A spoonful of yogurt/ a probiotic, raw organic vegetables and fruits and eggs ,plus a daily multi vitamin We walk the dogs twice a day after their meals The canines go in to the house and out at will and are very clean but are not allowed upstairs They have a schedule and bed time is 7pm
Daphne ,who is deaf gets very grumpy and irritable if she is over tired. Harriet who is deaf too needs a consistent routine Both are OCD ( obsessive compulsive disorder) and Hadrian is on alert at 7pm to protect the place....... very much a guard dog
The dogs love each other. We have a ball issue They were losing a ball each day ($5-$10) which they dropped down on to the beach and the tide took out They require some daily ball play time and ball monitoring and a ball count
also,they need walks
We have a cleaning lady , Janelle,who comes in for 5 hours twice a week She needs a little direction
Sometimes mention to focus on Stainless steel or the doors or certain windows
...... there is a lot of work on the pretend finca
We do have an internet but the TV has no reception ,we watch our own movies,or series like Downton Abbey or Borgias etc or documentaries
It is dark at 7pm ,year round
it is a nice position for someone who wants to do a lot of reading or studying in a quiet comfortable setting
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Creating/ Cooking family meals
General Maintenance
Help around the house
Animal Care
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
This village offers a good opportunity to immerse yourself in the Spanish language because very few Ecuadoreans speak any English or any other language
Ecuadoreans are eager to learn English but have very little opportunity and the poverty here is immense ,so the majority can not afford books or computers
If you do not love sweet deaf bull terrier dogs,chickens and ducks meandering around a lovely garden taking in the , sound and the smell of the Pacific ocean and admiring the gorgeous sunsets ,this volunteer position might not appeal to you
Also a no no for us would be a smoker
Arabic: Fluent
German: Fluent
English: Fluent
Spanish: Fluent
French: Fluent
A pretend Finca directly on the Pacific ocean in Crucita Ecuador This is a NON SMOKING household
consisting of modern home with a pool all to yourself
My husband and I want to leave for a month TOGETHER ,go to Europe perhaps
For several years we have traveled separately ,one of us stays home with the critters while the other travels
We would like to be able to take a trip together
Crucita is called La bella,is a fishing village ,busy on weekends but otherwise it is very quiet,renowned for parapente, fish,straight out of the small fishing boat,unsurpassed sunsets over the Pacific ,empty beaches and Ecuadoreans who don't speak English and treat Expats ( there are 80 in the village) like rock stars
Local bus service is third worldish , loud music ,livestock occasionally and kind Ecuadoreans helping you get on and off ...costs $1.50 per hour throughout tiny Ecuador available from 6am to midnight ,every 20-30 minutes,several blocks from our home Crucita is a TOTALLY SAFE little village
Ejecutivos going to the large cities of Quito ,Guayaquil ,are comfortable, A/C /banos and a frisk down ,when boarding,checking your threat level
In Crucita there are 30-40 restaurants that all have the same menu .Food is bland and plentiful
The only crime in Crucita is the stray dog population
Manta and Portoviejo have modern malls ,an art museum Ecuador is a very artistic country
The large cities,(2-3 million population), to explore are only a few hours on the ejecutivo or ,in case of Quito ,1/2 hour by plane The largest market in South America is in Otavalo ,not far from Quito Many areas in Ecuador are a short bus ride away IE, Mindo for bird watching Banos and Papajacta for hot springs, Porto lopez for whale watching and Galapagos by plane from Guayaquil
In town there are other expats who would love to host a volunteer and some times do
Bahia has the best archealogical museum in Ecuador .is two hours away by bus
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
More than two
Maximum 5 hours a day,
