Studio K Loja – Let the light and the music be

English version

Lighting – Design – Automation – Sound – Ambience – Remote Control – Home Theater – Intelligent Home

Don’t we all love our home to be nice, to be a place where we feel good and can relax?

Of course the criteria vary enormously from one person to another with respect to what exactly makes one feel good at home. Having said that, to a certain extend I believe that we all agree that lighting is an important part of it, being the latest hi-tech-state-of-the-art-remote-controlled-LED-system all the way down to oil or Himalaya salt lamps and candles. It is all about lighting and the common denominator is to create the ambience that we love.

As you probably guess from the headline photo, Studio K in Loja does not sell candles and oil lamps. They do offer an astonishing range of modern lighting options for most tastes and budgets. Their lighting systems can be automated and remote controlled from any smartphone.

Audio

Once the light is good, it is no less important to think about the sound. Studio K is I believe the only company in Loja offering hifi audio solutions and mid to up-market home theaters, not the most expensive systems in the world but very good ones. “The best quality/price ratio on the market”.

“The brands that we have in audio are Monitor Audio (speakers from the UK, Marantz (Amplifiers USA), Denon (now fused with Marantz) and also SpeakerCraft (in-wall in-ceiling speaker systems, USA)”.

Design

Getting the best results is not a matter of throwing lights and speakers all over the place, the more the merrier. Design is the name of the game. Studio K does the design free of charge, meaning that they go to your house, take photos, draw some sketches, get back to you with ideas, listen to your feedback, change the drawings … until getting to a final agreed design with a price that suits the family budget.

This is it in a nutshell but there is more to it. Time to to meet Israel Reyes, the owner of Studio K Loja, and listen to what he has to say. Israel is a young and clever engineer. Listening to him it becomes immediately obvious that he loves what he does and that he knows what he is talking about. I did no tell him that I am an engineer too. I played “middle of the road reasonably educated customer” and did not hear anything incorrect or exaggerated in what Israel told me. You won’t find a lot of that in tech shops around Loja.

Studio K Loja - Israel Reyes gerente/manager — Studio K Loja – Israel Reyes manager – a young dedicated and smart engineer

Studio K in Loja is only one year old. It is a franchise of Studio K in Quito, created by a German. The company in Quito has been operating for 33 years. There is another Studio K in Manta.

Lighting

This is their first and main area of expertise. I won’t attempt to describe all that is available. It is all modern, either white or black, some but few colors, no flowery designs, no strong reds, no plastic, nothing pop.

“That is what people want around here”, Israel explains, that is what the architects and the designers, their main customers, seek. Straight lines, some smooth curves. Nothing cheap but nothing horrendously expensive either. For example, the lamp that we see on the photo above costs $200. It is very nice and comes with a warm LED light bulb and of course it can be dimmed. There are cheaper and more expensive options.

“There are two things that are exclusive to us, the design and the automation. We provide the design free of charge and our lighting systems can be remote controlled”.

Installation

“A cozy home has light elements in the ceiling, in the floor and inside the walls. With this combination of elements providing light from different angles, we can create really cozy and stylish ambiences.”

Then, it is a matter of combining lighting with sound. This can be a home theater, a stereo system or a multi-stereo system, one that is distributed throughout the entire house.

With the various possibilities of automation (in wall dimmers, remote control by phone) of both lights and sound, it is easy to understand that things can become rather complex indeed. This is why Studio K has a specialized installation team.

Studio K – Electricians specialized in installation of remote controlled lighting and audio systems

Combining with classic or rustic designs

Saying that what I have seen is all modern does not mean that it cannot be combined with more rustic or even antique “Louis 15” designs. This is important to mention for foreigners living in Cuenca or in Vilcabamba who seem to like more the type of natural rustic earthy and woody architecture.

Typical design at San Joaquin Vilcabamba

A few years ago, Joe Simoneta showed me his San Joaquin development in Vilcabamba. He is an architect and uses a lot of timber in his designs.

I revisited some old photos that I have and looked at the lighting.

It struck me that the type of house that is common there could readily benefit from the inclusion of some of what I saw in Studio K showroom.

Adobe blocks, rammed earth, guadua bamboo and other earthy type homes would not be hurt either. It is all a matter of creativity.

LEDs and energy saving light bulbs

First, a brief mention of the so called “energy saving light bulb” that is so widespread in Ecuador. It is a fluorescent tube, it contains mercury vapor, the light that it produces is cold, unpleasant and harmful to your health. It does save energy compared to the incandescent light but because of the mercury that inevitably always ends up in the environment it should not really be called a green solution. I hope it disappears soon from residential properties. Their use can still be justified in offices and factories.

LED (Light Emitting Diode) is another thing altogether. It is not really new but the world of LEDs has changed a lot over the past few years. They are no longer prohibitively expensive and no longer white, cold and weak. Israel showed me some rather good looking and small spots that consume 5 Watts of energy and give a strong yellow warm light just light the old Thomas Edison light bulb.

Studio K even sells a range of LED lights that can be dimmed (dimmable LED light bulbs) which is not the case for those that can be found in the hardware shops. They last forever and pay for themselves on the reduced power bills.

Why not enjoy a nice romantic diner by the candle LED?

The show room

Time for a tour of the showroom upstairs which also happens to be the Reyes family home, lucky them! A huge modern and bright room, all open, with a kitchen, an office, a dining room and a small cinema.

Here, Israel explains that they can demonstrate both the remote controlled lighting and the audio/home theater together. People can even try it out on their own phone. Israel rapidly installs the Lutron app and configures it. It gives people a real thrill and sense of ownership to drive all the lights and the sound from their own phone.

Studio K Loja showroom — Remote controlled lights

“The Audio is usually the masculine part and the man is the one who decides whereas the lighting appeals more to the female side and it is the woman who decides… For budget reason he may have to drop one sub woofer in order for her to get that foot lamp that she so much desires!”. It is all about negotiation !

Of course I could not help asking for a demo. Israel launched YouTube that popped up on his larger than life monitor and selected one of my own songs. We sat in the couches and it took half a second for the dog to jump on my knees and settle there. It was day time. I would love to go back once at night time. It must be even better.

Life can be good 🙂

Conclusion

There is so much more to say. This is by no mean an exhaustive review of what Studio K has on offer. More like a teaser. Better to see and hear for yourself. Israel is a very approachable person and will be delighted to show you all his wonderful gadgets. If you look for quality lighting, quality audio, need someone knowledgeable who can design and deliver something cool, trendy, modern, original, energy efficient … for your home, Studio K in Loja is definitely a place to consider.

Contacts

STUDIO K – Loja
Juan Jose Peña 13-52 y Leopoldo Palacios

Tel: (+593 7) 2 580 816
Email: info@studiok.com.ec

web: http://www.studiok.com.ec/

Studio K Loja – Let the light and the music be

#HechoConAmor #TodoLoja

Reina del Cisne – Pharmacy with a heart in Vilcabamba Ecuador

English version

Español AQUI

Do pharmacies have a heart? Or are they just pill pushers? Most modern pharmacies appear to be in the business of selling as many drugs as they can per unit of time.

Not so at Reina del Cisne in Vilcabamba. This is family business since 4 generations and its current owner, Guicela Riofrio, is definitely a lady with a heart who runs her business with a gentle hand.

Where indeed, more than in a pharmacy, does one need good friendly and discrete attention? You go there with your boo-boos, your ailments, your intimate problems. Are you expected to spit it all out to some hurried employee dressed in white overall in the middle of a crowd?

At the pharmacy Reina del Cisne you will be attended by the owner herself. She has plenty of experience, plenty of patience and will do her best to make you feel that you are in good hands. As per my usual way of collecting information for a write-up, I gave her a live interview with the camera and invited her to tell me about her story and her day to day professional life.

Guicela Riofrio

Guicela is Nelly Toledo’s daughter, the person we see on the right side of the photo below. Mrs. Toledo has dedicated her life to pharmacy as well and so had her own mother. Today, Nelly’s daughter has taken that role with the help of her own eldest daughter who we see on the left. Her youngest, also on the photo, albeit still too young to participate is no doubt watching, listening and learning.

Farmacia Reina del Cisne, Vilcabamba — Three generations working together to provide the best service

I spent a few hours in the pharmacy watching people coming in and out. It was entertaining I must say. I was amused to watch one of two young guys who were sitting drinking beer on the pavement opposite to the pharmacy stand up, walk to the pharmacy and ask for “two pills for the liver”. One lady popped out of a car to buy two “pills for the flu” (whatever that might be)… There is a pill for everything. Then an old lady, “Luchita” was her name, needed new rubber gloves for her kitchen but had trouble remembering her size. So Guicela spent about 15 minutes assessing whether a number 7 or a number 8 was best putting the lady’s hand on top of the shrink wrapped gloves.

Paciencia y cortesia — Trying out the rubber gloves

Privacy is important, she told me. “Many times, people only want to talk to me. We move a little to a corner so that no one can hear. Some times they want to show me a pimp, a lesion, some rash and that is not something people want to do in public of course”.

Watching these people I mentioned above buying “liver pills” or “flu pills” didn’t sound too good to my natural medicine oriented ears and made me want to ask Guicela about the status of health in general around Vilcabamba. She told me that it was not very good. Constipation, fatty liver, parasites in children, psychological problems as well, there is a whole range of ailments in this small paradise of Vilcabamba.

Natural medicine and pharmaceuticals, are they compatible ?

I asked here whether in her opinion there was a contradiction between natural medicine and the use of pharmaceuticals. She said no, they go hand in hand.

“Normally, people here go for natural remedies first and when it does not work they go to see the doctor”.

“In the case of fatty liver for example, if they don’t eat less fatty food and fried stuff they won’t get better fast. They can take silimarin and B complex tablets and it will help but it is a slow process…”

I wish to make a small parenthesis here. I am not Ecuadorian, I am from Belgium and I liaise with expats in Vilcabamba and Loja, some of whom are knowledgeable in the field of natural health. These people would absolutely not agree that natural medicine and pharmaceuticals go hand in hand. On one hand, strictly speaking and in an absolute world I don’t agree either. We know that tablets interfere with the body and make natural medicine less effective.

On the other hand we don’t live in an absolute world. Now that I have observed Guicela’s world, I understand it better. It is a relative world made of real people and made out of compromises. She knows that it would be better to tell people to stop smoking, stop drinking, eat less bad fatty acids and fried stuff, eat less white rice and white bread, turn the cellphone off, go for a walk, just to give a few examples. Less pills would be necessary. She knows that and certainly does advise people about these things day in day out. It is hard though to change people’s habits. In this context of relativity, what she says about natural medicine and drugs being complementary makes sense.

“Many people come to me because they know that I try to give them other options, not just drugs”.

Medicina natural en la farmacia Reina del Cisne — A few natural products available at the pharmacy Reina del Cisne

To me this pragmatic, realistic attitude that takes into account people’s bad habits, while at the same time advising them of the other options they might have, is really what is needed in a place like Vilcabamba. That is the attitude that I witnessed. Sometime you have to give people the pill that they’re asking.

What? Anxiety and depression in Vilcabamba?

“There are many people with depression here… Family problems … Economical problems … the husband drinks … no help is available … children don’t do well at school …. “.

“Normally I try to give people something natural like valerian passionflower and chamomile… Mind altering drugs no! I almost don’t work with these.”

She surprised me when she said:

“… it is not so much the locals but more the foreigners that seem to suffer of anxiety and depression … It saddens me to watch some people getting worse over the years… There is a problem with alcohol as well”.

I asked her about her English. She laughed and told that she does understand most of what people say and can speak enough to explain a posology for example: “one tablet in the morning with breakfast and one at night”.

Enemas – Colon cleanse kit

A product that the pharmacy has sold a lot albeit almost exclusively to foreigners is the enema kit.

Kit de limpieza colonica — Colon cleanse or Enema Kit

With this kit, one can do a coffee enema. This is an ancient therapy that can be dated as far back as the Egyptian Pharaohs. Enemas are not a new fad or something that’s only performed by those obsessed with their health. It wasn’t that long ago that enemas were routinely prescribed by doctors as part of a normal cure for illness.

The enema can safely be done at home. It bears no risk whatsoever and in many cases can be very effective almost immediately. Suzy Cohen, also known as “America’s Pharmacist,” declares that coffee enemas are safe when performed by holistic physicians and even at home in her Ask The Pharmacist column. Cohen goes on to say that coffee enemas can be used as therapeutic treatment for a number of conditions, like constipation, fatigue, liver detoxification, and even cancer. Research has confirmed the effectiveness of administering therapeutic agents through the colon instead of the mouth.

If you haven’t tried before and are interested to give it a try, please contact us or contact Guicela who will contact us.

Conclusion

At pharmacy Reina del Cisne, you will find something special that has become rare in our modern world: quality service and professionalism delivered by a real human being with a heart who can listen to you and give you sensible advice.

Atendiendo a "Mama Silivia" — “Mama Silivia” at Reina del Cisne Pharmacy

Contacts

Guicela Riofrio
Cell: 09 80700666

Calle Bolivar Vilcabamba (near the police)

Síganos en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/todoloja

#HechoConAmor #TodoLoja

Tu farmacia en Vilcabamba – Tres generaciones de la mejor atención

Versión Español

English HERE

No dejo de decirlo y repetirlo. Lo que siempre me seduce en este país es el factor humano, la belleza de la gente del Ecuador, amable, servicial, cortes y, particularmente en el contexto de este articulo, solidaria.

¿Donde mas que en una farmacia se necesita un buen trato? Llegas con tus problemitas de salud, tus miserias, tus cosas intimas que naturalmente te causan vergüenza. ¿Y tu tienes que contarle todo a un empleado serio, distante, “eficiente”, apurado, vestido de blanco y rodeado de gente? No puede ser!

En la farmacia Reina del Cisne en Vilcabamba, estarás atendido por la propietaria misma, Guicela Riofrio, una mujer amigable, profesional y dedicada que me impresionó por su calidez y su dulzura. Como es mi costumbre, la entreviste “en vivo” con la cámara y le pedí que me cuente un poco de su historia y de su vida profesional.

Guicela es hija de Nelly Toledo que se ve a la derecha de la foto a continuación. La señora Toledo ha dedicado su vida entera a la farmacia y su madre también, segun me contó. Ahora Guicela esta a cargo del negocio y su hija mayor que vemos a la izquierda de la foto también le ayuda, mientras su hija menor, aunque pequeña, sin duda se esta preparando.

Pase algunas horas en la farmacia, observando el flujo de la gente. Existe de todo, es divertido, desde los dos jóvenes andando con cervezas en la mano (estábamos un sábado en la tarde) y que compraron “pastillas para el hígado”, hasta una señora adulta mayor, “Luchita”, que quería un par de guantes para lavar pero no conocía su talla, también una mujer que quería “una pastilla para la gripe” (sea lo que sea) u otra mujer que miraba los tintes de pelo …

Cada vez Guicela les atendió con paciencia y sonrisa.

La privacidad es importante. A veces, me cuenta la señora Riofrio, la gente quiere hablar en privado. Entonces nos alejamos un poco en un lugar mas discreto para que me cuenten o me enseñen algo…

Hablamos de la salud en general en Vilcabamba. No es tan buena me explicó Guicela. Problemas de estreñimiento, hígado graso, muchos parásitos en los niños, bastante problemas psicológicos también.

¿Medicina natural y químicos van de la mano?

Le pregunte si no piensa que hay una contradicción entre medicina natural y medicina farmacéutica. Me dijo que los dos van de la mano.

“Normalmente la gente aquí acude con cosas naturales pero cuando ya no les funciona van al medico.’

“Por ejemplo en caso de hígado graso, si no dejan de comer grasas o fritos no van a curarse rápido. Se van a tomar un silimarina complejo B que les va a ayudar pero es un proceso lento…”

Una pequeña paréntesis. Yo soy extranjero de Bélgica y conozco a muchos extranjeros en Loja y Vilcabamba, algunos con calificaciones medicas. Ellos no estarían de acuerdo en absoluto con decir que los dos mundos van de la mano. Por un lado y de forma estricta yo tampoco estoy de acuerdo. Se sabe muy bien que las pastillas interfieren con el cuerpo y con la medicina natural, que realmente no se deberían combinar.

Por el otro lado, ya que lo observe mejor, entiendo el mundo de Guicela. Es un mundo de tolerancia, de transigencia en el cual se hace lo que se puede. Es cierto que seria mejor dejar de fumar, no tomar bebidas alcoholicas, comer menos fritos, menos arroz blanco y pan blanco, despegarse de su celular, irse a caminar mas a menudo para dar algunos ejemplos. No se necesitarían tantas pastillas. Pero es difícil cambiar a la gente. Por eso, en este contexto, decir que la medicina natural y los químicos van de la mano tiene sentido perfecto.

Guicela aconseja mucho a la gente, me dice.

“Tengo muchos clientes que acuden mas que todo porque se les da otras opciones no solo la medicina”.

A mi me parece que una actitud pragmática y realista, tomando en cuenta las costumbres de la gente, es realmente lo que se necesita en un lugar como Vilcabamba y es la actitud que vi en la farmacia Reina del Cisne. No se puede cambiar las dietas y las costumbres de la gente tan fácilmente. Aconsejar si es bueno y Guicela pasa horas y horas haciéndolo. Al mismo tiempo hay que aliviar tanto como sea posible, tener compasión y paciencia y dar la “pastillita” que le piden.

¿Que? Ansiedad y depresión en Vilcabamba?

Le pregunte de los aspectos psicológicos.

“Hay muchísima gente con depresión.. Hay problemas familiares … problemas que no tienen como solventar… problemas materiales … del dinero … los esposos se emborrachan … no hay quien les ayude … los estudio de los niños … eso les viene a deprimir”.

“Normalmente les quiero dar lo que es natural, como pastillas de valeriana, pasiflora y manzanilla….”

Me sorprendió cuando me dijo:

“… sin embargo parece que son extranjeros los que vienen con mas problemas de ansiedad. … Da pena de ver como se van deteriorando poco a poco…”.

Le pregunte como esta su inglés. Se rio y me dijo que si puede entender a la gente, no habla mucho pero suficiente par explicar una posología: “one tablet in the morning with breakfast and one at night”.

Enemas – Kit de lavado colonico

Un producto que la farmacia ha vendido mucho aunque casi exclusivamente a extranjeros es el kit de limpieza colonica.

Con este sistema se puede hacer enemas de café, una terapia ancestral muy buena para eliminar toxinas. Se puede hacer en casa. No tiene ninguna contra-indicación ni riesgo y proporciona un alivio casi instantáneo en casos de estreñimiento, mal estar, cansancio, dolores de cabeza, migraña, cualquier condición que pueda ser causado por acumulación de toxinas en el cuerpo. Favor contáctenos para saber mas y probar. Pueden también hablar con Guicela quien nos contactará.

Conclusión

En la farmacia Reina del Cisne en Vilcabamba encontrarás algo muy especial que ya no se encuentra mucho en otros lugares: un servicio de alta calidad profesional brindado por un ser humano con corazón grande quien te escuchará con paciencia y te dará los mejores consejos.

Contactos

Guicela Riofrio
Celular: 09 80700666

Calle Bolivar Vilcabamba (cerca de la policia)

Síganos en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/todoloja

#HechoConAmor #TodoLoja

2016 – Ola de crímenes violentos en Vilcabamba Ecuador

Versión Español

English HERE

El texto a continuación es una copia de un post de Jim Braman y Beatriz Benavides-Hilgert en el grupo Facebook “Boletin de Vilcabamba”.

Pues han hecho un tremendo trabajo y pues este post es tan completo y contiene tanta información que pueda ser útil en el futuro (espero que no !), decidí de re-publicarlo aquí en las paginas de seekvilcabamba.com, un lugar mejor, mas permanente y mas cómodo para buscar que Facebook.

Pierre Volter

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Saludos a todos,

Antes de repasar lo que sucedió en la reciente reunión permítanme comenzar mediante la revisión de lo que ha ocurrido hasta este punto. Sólo una advertencia: esto no es un breve correo electrónico!

HISTORIA CONDENSADA

La reciente ola de crímenes violentos comenzó hace casi dos años con dos espalda con espalda delitos de secuestro, extorsión. Esto fue una verdadera llamada de atención para todos nosotros. Hemos tenido oleadas de crímenes antes, pero éste ha generado preocupación a nivel nacional, y ha sido la fuente de un esfuerzo más profundo, más amplio hacia una mayor seguridad en Vilcabamba. Cuando se trata de seguridad en general, hay muchos caminos y / o capas que componen el conjunto. No es la prevención, la intervención y la justicia, algunos de éstos se superponen, pero los tres son importantes.

En cuanto a la justicia, el reciente impulso para mejorar nuestras conexiones con los funcionarios del gobierno llegó a un crescendo que culminó en la reunión con el gobernador de la provincia, y luego la visita de Correa. Ahora, varias personas del grupo principal responsable de la creación de las nuevas conexiones gubernamentales están tomando un tiempo libre, y al mismo tiempo que han pedido Beatriz Benavides-Hilgert y para continuar con el impulso que hemos creado como un grupo, y comienza a recibir más organizado en los otros aspectos de la seguridad. Invitamos a otros para ayudarnos a expandir el “núcleo”, porque en realidad, cada uno de nosotros es “núcleo”. Cada uno de nosotros tiene el poder de aumentar o disminuir la seguridad en la comunidad.

Un montón de trabajo ha ido a conseguir donde estamos, pero tenemos un largo camino por recorrer. Dicho esto, ya estamos viendo algunos de los cambios que suceden prometidos. Enjuiciamiento de los crímenes violentos está a cargo de los fiscales más graves que antes, y el Tribunal Supremo recientemente confirmó una sentencia de primera instancia que fue apelada por los autores que secuestraron y extorsionaron dos residentes de Vilcabamba; se van a quedar en la cárcel por muchos años por venir.

Mientras que las reuniones con los funcionarios del gobierno se han preocupado sobre todo con la justicia, y el procesamiento, también hay algunos nuevos esfuerzos gubernamentales hacia la prevención e intervención. Uno de los programas pasa por una unidad de operaciones especiales de la Policía Nacional asignados de forma indefinida a Malacatos y Vilcabamba. Su atención se centra en los elementos organizados de crímenes violentos. Son una unidad secreta y, como tal, no están al tanto de la información más específica, salvo para decir que ellos no están aquí para interrogar y acosar a los extranjeros y restaurantes.

Además, Vilcabamba se le ha asignado un policía local especial para ser un enlace con la comunidad. D. Manuel Chamba es nuestra nueva policía comunitaria, ya pesar de que actualmente la mayoría de habla española, invita a los extranjeros para ayudarle a aprender Inglés. Su trabajo es construir la seguridad de la comunidad a través de una mejor comunicación. Esto significa una mejor comunicación entre la policía y el público, pero más que eso, dentro de cada barrio también. Él es muy entusiasta, y pasa mucho tiempo yendo de barrio a barrio para presentarse y para participar en las actividades del barrio. Él fue enviado aquí porque no ha tenido éxito con lo que otras comunidades.

Él cree, y yo estoy de acuerdo, después de que la colocación de cualquier barras que desee en sus ventanas y cerraduras de las puertas, el principio fundamental de la buena seguridad es una buena relación con los vecinos. Descubre cómo asegurar sus vecinos ecuatorianos se sienten, y piden de una manera abierta, “no-agenda”, lo que su consejo es que los extranjeros en materia de seguridad. Un poco de humildad y escucha va un largo camino.

REVISIÓN REUNIÓN DE LA COMUNIDAD

Como algunos ya saben, nuestra última reunión de la comunidad tenía varios invitados sorpresa, incluyendo la Oficina del Gobernador, el Departamento del Interior, Departamento de Turismo, y el capitán de la policía de Vilcabamba. Los nombres y los datos de contacto de estos funcionarios se enumeran al final del correo electrónico. Cada uno fue la tarea de presentar la información de seguridad, así como solicitar preguntas. Su información era en su mayor general; cómo quieren trabajar con nosotros para mejorar las cosas, y nos dieron su información de contacto y nos animaron a llamar o enviar mensajes con preguntas y preocupaciones. Esto fue seguido por más de diálogo acerca de los sistemas de respuesta de emergencia, y explicando la nueva marcación rápida, servicio de la casa es de emergencia “Tia-poli”. Ha habido problemas significativos con las falsas alarmas. La mayoría de estos han sido ‘bolsillo’ llamadas (llamadas realizadas accidentalmente por la presión de la sesión). El sistema tiene problemas inherentes a las comunidades rurales …. con muchas casas fuera de la red, y no tener las direcciones necesarias para el GPS para guiar efectivamente la policía para una ubicación exacta. El fondo es que ‘Tia-Poli’ tiene un buen potencial, pero es necesario ajustar mucho. No obstante, cada uno de nosotros debería tenerlo instalado como un número de marcación rápida en nuestros teléfonos. Esto se hace por un oficial de la policía local, ya sea en la estación o en su casa. Además, se ha señalado que si habla español, usted todavía tiene ‘911’ para emergencias fuera de la casa, y también para el cuerpo de bomberos.

En una reunión anterior en Charlito de con funcionarios del consulado de Guayaquil, basado en varias historias de fracasos Tia-poli presentados por el público, se determinó que nuestro sistema Tia-Poli es probable que no funciona como debería … sin tener en cuenta el problema de la direcciones rurales. Enrique prometió que iba a mirar en esto, y tengo la intención de seguimiento con él.

Así que la reciente reunión cubrió mucho acerca de los sistemas de respuesta de emergencia, y que era bueno para la gente que sean capaces de compartir hay frustraciones personales y diálogo con los funcionarios a través de la traducción de Beatriz, pero todavía tenemos que tener nuestra propia reunión (s) para discutir y compartir información en los otros aspectos de la seguridad.

SISTEMAS DE RESPUESTA DE EMERGENCIA ALTERNATIVA

Así que mientras esperamos mejoras en la norma TIA-Poli, necesitamos a otros tipos de sistemas de respuesta de emergencia EMPRESA … tales como el sistema de taxis de emergencia que estamos tratando de crear. Muchos taxisistas comparten nuestra preocupación por una mejor seguridad, y varios de nosotros están trabajando en colaboración con ellos. Mientras que está avanzando penosamente a un ritmo más lento que este Americano prefiere, otros estarán organizando lo mismo sobre una base más regional con los extranjeros en barrios específicos que son dueños de camionetas 4×4 y vehículos utilitarios deportivos, utilizando las nuevas radios. Hay tres ideas con el potencial de unirse: los respondedores locales barrio 4×4 de emergencia, el programa de radio / walkie-talkie, y el club deportivo / auto-defensa, sin embargo, sólo una de ellas es muy bien fuera de la tierra, y que es el programa de radio de Edwin.

Más de 50 ALTA CALIDAD de radio / walkie-talkies se han vendido a un costo de alrededor de $ 50 cada uno, y los pedidos adicionales están pendientes. Formación gratuita también ha comenzado, y todo esto a través de un solo hombre: Edwin Roux. Busque sus anuncios thru varias listas de correo electrónico y Facebook. Gracias, hermano Edwin …. usted es increíble!

Equipo de seguridad para casas. SEGURIDAD PERSONAL.

Esta es un área que tenemos que discutir más a fondo. Personalmente, me gustaría ver a los equipos de seguridad realizada como acción regular aquí en una de las tiendas existentes en Vilcabamba. Espero que alguien será el anfitrión de una mini-reunión sobre esto. Hay un par bilingüe en Catamayo que se ha ofrecido a venir presente información. El hombre es también un dentista, y tiene una clínica-oficina portátil, así que tal vez puede venir a ayudar a asegurar algunos dientes, así como nuestras casas!

PRÓXIMA FORMACIÓN DE SEGURIDAD PERSONAL CON CORONEL JARAMILLO Jueves, 7 º abril, con … más anuncios venir

Por último, pero no menos importante el jefe de Policía de la Provincia de Loja está a la espera de reunirse con nosotros. Esta reunión, a pesar de su interés en la autodefensa, es importante para todos. Coronel Jaramillo ha estado pidiendo a venir a Vilcabamba para hablar con nosotros por algún tiempo. No sólo va a hacer el entrenamiento de personal, sino también responder a sus preguntas y preocupaciones individuales.

CONCLUSIÓN

En el futuro, nos veo alejándose de un solo concepto “núcleo”, y hacia sectores autónomas que comparten con, y la superposición de ciertas preocupaciones … que tiene un deseo común de trabajar juntos por el bien de la totalidad. Por ejemplo, en lugar de tener grandes reuniones de la comunidad todos los meses, los grupos pueden optar por mostrar lo que están haciendo en los momentos oportunos de éxito. Pueden optar por coordinar con otros o no. Edwin Roux ha sido bastante independiente hasta este punto con su programa de radio de dos vías, pero ahora puede ser el momento para fusionarse con otros programas.

El crimen viene en olas, pero cuando no hay violencia durante varios meses en funcionamiento, las personas pierden la motivación para hacer las cosas que se necesitan para cambiar la próxima ola de delincuencia en una onda atentados del crimen !! Es difícil mantener la ira como una motivación duradera para hacer cambios positivos, pero la ira adecuadamente canalizado es la fuente de todo tipo de maravillosos programas de transformación de todo el mundo. Por favor, con el fin de evitar que la gente quemarse a cabo, estamos pidiendo a todos a hacer algo para que Vilcabamba un lugar más feliz y más seguro …. no sólo para usted, sino para sus vecinos también. No todo el mundo está interesado en la construcción de relaciones con los funcionarios del gobierno, y no todo el mundo quiere tomar artes marciales o poseer un arma, pero todo el mundo puede hacer algo.

La paz y la prosperidad a todos ….

Jim Braman y Beatriz Benavides-Hilgert

los datos de contacto de los funcionarios en la reciente reunión:

Asistente del gobernador – – Mauro Toledo 099-958-3349
Claudio Renato Galarza – Ministro de Turismo – 099-566-1453
Marco González – Ministerio del Interior – 099-131-7972
Jefe de la Policía de Vilcabamba – Otto Jaramillo – 07-878-7231
Enlace de la Policía Comunitaria – Manuel Chamba – 098-086-9403

https://bbxmusic.com/ecudor/es/prensa?p=44109

El post original de FB esta aquí

https://www.facebook.com/groups/284441554963879/permalink/1016186681789359/

2016 – Wave of violent crime in Vilcabamba Ecuador

English version

Español AQUI

The text below is a copy of Jim Braman’s and Beatriz Benavides-Hilgert’s post in the Vilcabamba Bulletin Facebook Group.

Because they have done such tremendous work and because this post is so comprehensive and contains phone numbers, names and other pieces of information that might be useful in the future (I hope not !), we re-publish it here in seekvilcabamba.com, a more permanent and better searchable place than Facebook

Pierre Volter

======

Greetings all,

Before reviewing what happened at the recent meeting let me start by reviewing what has been happening up to this point. Just a warning: this is NOT a short email!

CONDENSED HISTORY

The recent wave of violent crime began almost two years ago with two back to back kidnapping-extortion crimes. This was a real wake up call for all of us. We have had crime waves before, but this one has spawned national concern, and it has been the source of a deeper, broader effort toward greater security in Vilcabamba. When it comes to overall security, there are many avenues and/or layers that make up the whole. There is prevention, intervention, and justice, some of these overlap, but all three are important.

Concerning justice, the recent push for improving our connections with government officials came to a crescendo that culminated in our meeting with the governor of the province, and then Correa’s visit. Now, several people from the core group responsible for creating the new governmental connections are taking some time off, and in the meantime they have asked Beatriz Benavides-Hilgert and I to continue the momentum we have created as a group, and start getting more organized in the other aspects of security. We invite others to help us expand the ‘core group’, because in reality, everyone of us is ‘core’. Everyone one of us has the power to increase or decrease security in the community.

A lot of work has gone into getting us where we are, but we have a long way to go. That said, we are already seeing some of the promised changes happening. Prosecution of violent crimes is being handled by more serious prosecutors than before, and the supreme court recently upheld a lower court decision that was appealed by the perpetrators who kidnapped and extorted two Vilcabamba residents; they will stay in prison for many years to come.

While the meetings with gov’t officials have been mostly concerned with justice, and prosecution, there are also some new governmental efforts toward prevention and intervention. One of the programs involves a special operations unit of the national police assigned indefinitely to Malacatos and Vilcabamba. Their focus is on organized elements of violent crime. They are an undercover unit and as such, we are not privy to more specific information, except to say that they are NOT here to interrogate and harass foreigners and restaurants.

Additionally, Vilcabamba has been assigned a special local policeman to be a community liaison. Mr. Manuel Chamba is our new community policeman, and although he currently speaks mostly Spanish, he invites foreigners to help him learn English. His job is to build community security through better communication. That means better communication between law enforcement and the public, but more than that, within each barrio as well. He is very enthusiastic, and spends a lot of time going from barrio to barrio introducing himself and participating in barrio activities. He was sent here because he has had success bringing other communities together.

He believes, and I agree, that the after putting up whatever bars you want on your windows, and locks on your doors, the core principle of good security is good relationships with neighbors. Find out how secure your Ecuadorian neighbors feel, and ask in an open, ‘non-agenda’ way, what their advice is to foreigners regarding security. A little humility and listening goes a long way.

COMMUNITY MEETING REVIEW

As some may already know, our last community meeting had several surprise guests including the Governor’s Office, the Department of Interior, Dept. of Tourism, and Vilcabamba’s police captain. Names and contact data for these officials are listed at end of the email. They were each tasked with presenting security information as well as soliciting questions. Their information was mostly general; how they want to work with us to improve things, and they gave us their contact info and encouraged us to call or message them with questions and concerns. This was followed by much dialog about emergency response systems, and explaining the new speed dial, house-emergency service “Tia-poli”. There have been significant problems with false alarms. Most of these have been ‘pocket-calls’ (calls made accidentally by the pressure of sitting on one’s phone). The system has problems inherent to rural communities ….with many houses off the grid, and not having the addresses needed for GPS to effectively guide police to an exact location. Bottom line is that ‘Tia-poli’ has good potential, but it needs much tweaking. Not withstanding, each of us should have it installed as a speed dial number into our phones. This is done by an officer from the local police either at the station or at your home. Additionally, it was pointed out that if you speak Spanish, you still have ‘911’ for off-site emergencies, and also for the fire department.

At a previous meeting at Charlito’s with American Consulate officials from Guayaquil, based on several stories of Tia-poli failures presented by the audience, it was determined that our Tia-poli system is likely not working as it should …regardless the problem of rural addresses. Enrique promised that he would look into this, and I intend to follow-up with him.

So the recent meeting covered a lot about emergency response systems, and it was good for folks to be able share there personal frustrations and dialogue with officials via Beatriz’s translation, but we still need to have our own meeting(s) to discuss and share info on the other aspects of security.

ALTERNATIVE EMERGENCY RESPONSE SYSTEMS

So while we wait for improvements in Tia-poli, we need others types of emergency response systems NOW …such as the emergency taxi system we are trying to create. Many taxisistas share our concern for better security, and several of us are working on collaborating with them. While that is plodding along at a pace slower than this Americano would prefer, others will be organizing the same thing on a more regional basis with foreigners in specific barrios who own 4×4 trucks and SUVs, using the new radios. There are three ideas with the potential to come together: the local barrio 4×4 emergency responders, the radio/walkie-talkie program, and the sporting/self-defense club, however, only one of these is really well off the ground, and that is Edwin’s radio program.

Over 50 HIGH QUALITY walkie-talkie radios have been sold at a cost of about $50 each, and additional orders are pending. Free training has also begun, and all of this through one man: Edwin Roux. Look for his announcements thru various email lists and Facebook. Thank you, brother Edwin ….you are amazing!

HOME SECURITY EQUIPMENT AND PERSONAL SAFETY IDEAS

This is an area we need to discuss further. Personally, I would love to see security equipment carried as regular stock right here in one of the existing stores in Vilcabamba. I hope someone will host a mini-meeting about this. There is a bilingual couple in Catamayo who has offered to come present info. The man is also a dentist, and has a portable clinic-office, so maybe he can come help us secure some teeth as well as our houses!

UPCOMING PERSONAL SECURITY TRAINING WITH CORONEL JARAMILLO Thursday, April 7th …more announcements coming

Last but not least the chief of Loja Provincial Police is looking forward to meeting with us. This meeting, regardless of your interest in self-defense, is important for everyone. Coronel Jaramillo has been asking to come to Vilcabamba to speak with us for some time. He will not only do personal training, but also address your individual questions and concerns.

CONCLUSION

In the future, I see us moving away from a single ‘core group’ concept, and toward autonomous sectors that share with, and overlap certain concerns …having a common desire to work together for the good of the whole. For example, instead of having large community meetings every months, groups may choose to showcase what they are doing at timely moments of success. They may choose to coordinate with others or not. Edwin Roux has been quite independent up to this point with his two-way radio program, but now it may be time to coalesce with other programs.

Crime comes in waves, but when there is no violence for several months running, people lose motivation to do the things needed to change the next wave of crime into an ATTEMPTED wave of crime !! It is difficult to sustain anger as a lasting motivation to make positive changes, but anger properly channeled is the source of all kinds of wonderful transformative programs around the world. Please, in order to keep people from getting burned out, we are asking everyone to do SOMETHING to make Vilcabamba a happier and safer place ….not just for yourself, but for your neighbors as well. Not everyone is interested in building relationships with government officials, and not everyone wants to take martial arts or own a weapon, but everyone can do something.

Peace and prosperity to all….

Jim Braman & Beatriz Benavides-Hilgert

Contact data for the officials at the recent meeting:

Mauro Toledo – Governor’s Assistant – 099-958-3349
Claudio Renato Galarza – Minister of Tourism – 099-566-1453
Marco Gonzalez – Ministry of Interior – 099-131-7972
Chief of Vilcabamba Police – Otto Jaramillo – 07-878-7231
Community Police Liaison – Manuel Chamba – 098-086-940

Original post here

https://www.facebook.com/groups/284441554963879/permalink/1016186681789359/

AGAVEBLU – Comida Mexicana Autentica Orgánica en Vilcabamba

Versión Español

English HERE

D.e.l.i.c.i.o.s.o

Fresco

S a l u d a b l e

Colorido

O r g a n i c o

Sabroso

“Hemos sido bendecidos por los dioses de los alimentos … Todo el mundo está tomando conciencia de las infinitas posibilidades que ofrece la cocina Mexicana” Greg.

La comida mexicana toca todos los sentidos, y sin duda tocó todos los míos cuando tuve la oportunidad de probar una selección de algunos de los mejores platos del restaurante AgaveBlu. La presentación fue tan impresionante que me quedé observando por un momento la variedad de colores y de texturas de los diferentes platos.

Sirvieron una mesa para 3 y me senté allí solo por un corto tiempo, esperando a Isamar y Greg los propietarios del restaurante AgaveBlu, un poco abrumado debo admitir, mirando a toda esa deliciosa comida frente a mí.

Me di cuenta de que no les tomó mucho tiempo para preparar toda esta comida. Esto es genial. Menos tiempo de espera es más tiempo para disfrutar de la comida.

Esto seguramente refleja la eficiencia del personal que trabaja en la cocina. Margarita es la encargada de que todo este en perfectas condiciones. Ella trabaja con mucha eficiencia y con una sonrisa.

AgaveBlu kitchen - Margarita — Margarita asando los medallones de pollo

La cocina mexicana va mucho más allá de los nachos, tortillas, tacos, burritos y guacamole. De hecho no existe una sola “comida mexicana” sino una gran variedad, explicó Isamar Vélez, la propietaria de nacionalidad mexicana que ha vivido en Vilcabamba desde hace 8 años. México es un lugar muy grande y cada región tiene sus propias tradiciones y utiliza diferentes ingredientes.

” El Mole “, por ejemplo es el curry de México, una pasta elaborada de 10 diferentes variedades de chiles (pimientos picantes). Hay mole verde, mole amarillo, mole rojo y dependiendo de lo que crece en una región en particular, la preparación será diferente. AgaveBlu sirve el “mole negro”, también llamada “mole de chocolate”, ya que también contiene una pequeña cantidad de chocolate negro.

Una pasión por la comida

Isamar Vélez García es una apasionada por la comida, le encanta cocinar y ha traído a nuestro pequeño pueblo ecuatoriano el conocimiento que ha heredado de sus padres y abuelos en la ciudad de México, donde solía vivir. Yo la escucho con mucho placer y atención …

Isamar Velez - Agaveblu Vilcabamba — Isamar Velez – Agaveblu Vilcabamba

“En mi familia todos somos amantes de la cocina. Empecé a cocinar cuando tenía 6 años de edad. Yo pasaba mi tiempo en la cocina con mi madre, y también en la cocina con mi abuela mirando, haciendo preguntas y aprendiendo sus truquitos. La tradición de los domingos en nuestra familia era de preparar una sola comida al día que empezaba en la mañana y terminaba en la noche. Aun recuerdo el olor del aceite de oliva y ajo que me hace recordar a mi abuela”.

“Tomamos la calidad de los ingredientes muy en serio. Tenemos clientes que son alérgicas a ciertas cosas. Utilizamos aceite de oliva y la verdadera mantequilla de vaca para cocinar. También preparamos alimentos crudos para las personas que son partidarios de los alimentos crudos, pero sólo bajo pedido debido a que se necesita más tiempo para preparar ya que la cocina mexicana llena mi día “.

Muchos ingredientes, me explica, no se pueden encontrar aca en Ecuador. La mayor parte de los ajíes son importados en forma seca de México (Chile ancho, Chile guajillo …). Algunos crecen en su propio huerto en Vilcabamba tales como el chile serrano o el chile jalapeño.

Y eso nos lleva a un aspecto esencial de la cocina AgaveBlu: casi todo es orgánico y casi exclusivamente cultivado localmente, en gran parte por los propietarios mismos.

Agaveblu - del huerto a tu plato — AgaveBlu – De nuestro huerto a tu paladar

Agaveblu - Locally grown and organic — AgaveBlu – Locally grown and organic

Directo del huerto a tu paladar. No puede ser más fresco que eso. Les pedí que me enseñen su huerto y un viaje de 5 minutos en un taxi nos llevó hasta las colinas de Mollepamba.

El huerto

A pesar de estar tan cerca del centro del pueblo, en este lugar uno se siente como si estuviera a millas de distancia. Este sitio sigue siendo tierra rural poco desarrollada y es ahí donde AgaveBlu siembra sus verduras. Comenzaron a desarrollar el huerto hace 8 años, esto supuso mucho trabajo, dice Isamar, y ha requerido un montón de compost. El compost se hace en parte de lo que se recicla desde el restaurante. Reciclan todo.

Me di cuenta de la presencia de una gran cantidad de esta variedad de col risada que los extranjeros llaman “Kale”, una verdura milagrosa que tiene muchos beneficios para la salud, lastimosamente aún poco conocida en esta parte del mundo.

Isamar me enseñó las 3 variedades de ajíes que siembran allí, y luego el perejil y el culantro que son ingredientes importantes de la cocina mexicana. También tienen un huerto de hierbas aromáticas tales como el orégano, el romero y otras. Su huerto contiene un gran variedad de plantas.

Una de las plantas que ha traído de México y que se ha adaptado con éxito acá es el tomatillo verde que se utiliza para preparar la salsa verde que se sirve con las enchiladas y los huevos rancheros.

“Es acido y muy sabroso, pero tienes que probarlo tú mismo …”

A continuación vemos Isamar y Greg con Jorge, su muy amable jardinero ecuatoriano, que me ayuda a encontrar el primer tomatillo verde de mi vida.

Jorge me contó que le encanta su trabajo. Parece que se ha convertido en un fan del cultivo orgánico.

Si te gusta el pescado, un punto importante que debes saber es que proviene de la pesca artesanal y consciente. Es traído directamente del Puerto Bolívar de Machala. Nuestro pescador hace todo lo posible para ofrecer siempre una variedad de pescado fresco de temporada.

La carne y el pollo también son orgánicos.

AgaveBlu Tilapia/Trucha al Mojo

“A parte de algunos ingredientes tales como ciertas variedades de ajíes que sólo se encuentran en México, todos los demás productos provienen de la zona misma de Vilcabamba o de Loja o son cultivados por nosotros mismos.”

“Full belly, happy heart“

“Pansa llena, corazón contento“

El menú

AgaveBlu ofrece una selección extensa “a la carta”, con todo lo que uno desee de un restaurantes de comida mexicana (nachos, enchiladas, burritos, tortillas, guacamole…) y más. Por ejemplo también ofrece pizzas al estilo italiano con masa fina y crocante.

Probamos 4 platos que están entre los más populares:

Nachos (por lo general se sirve como aperitivo)
Medallon de pollo con mole negro, que es la salsa con 10 ajíes y chocolate
Tacos de cochinita – una especialidad de la casa – tortillas rellenas con carne de cerdo – servido con guacamole
pizza sambuca

Tacos de Conchinita — Tacos de Cochinita

Me gustó mucho todo, pero tengo que decir que los tacos de cochinita fueron mis favoritos, así como el pollo con salsa mole.

Las bebidas

Además de las marcas habituales de cervezas nacionales, AgaveBlu sirve la cerveza artesanal Zarza, fabricada en la ciudad de Loja, que la contienen en barriles.

Ofrecen una selección de jugos verdes y tropicales. Su café es cultivado y tostado por una familia de Vilcabamba. Sirven café filtrado, expresos y capuchinos.

Los postres

Después de toda esta bonanza sabrosa, nada mejor que un buen postre. Muchos restaurantes te desilusionan en el campo de los postres. No es así en AgaveBlu. En pocos minutos la mesa volvió a llenarse, esta vez con un surtido de 3 postres diferentes, capuchinos y un café expreso para mí.

Mientras disfrutábamos de los postres que eran absolutamente deliciosos los tres, conversamos un poco más sobre la vida en México, la vida en general y lo que significa para ellos ser los gerentes de este restaurante.

Quiero dejar la última palabra a Greg que lo resumió todo de esta manera:

“Hemos sido bendecidos por los dioses de los alimentos y estamos muy orgullosos de poder traer la comida mexicana, el patrimonio de México, a esta parte del mundo. Porque la comida es deliciosa, y es fresca, es saludable y colorida y sabrosa. Todo el mundo se está despertando a las infinitas posibilidades que existen en la cocina Mexicana. Estoy muy bendecido de ser parte de esta presentación “.

Comentarios de los clientes

Alan Kales vive en Vilcabamba desde hace nueve meses. Él es un cliente regular de AgaveBlu.

“La comida aquí es siempre excelente. Nunca he tenido una mala experiencia.”

Otro de sus clientes regulares es Joseph Connelly, mas conocido como “Joe”, de Nueva Zelanda y residente en Vilcabamba desde hace muchos años. El estaba pasando por allí. Él me comentó que visita el restaurante por lo menos 3 veces por semana, no necesariamente para comer, pero también a veces para tomar una bebida, conversar con la gente, mirar a las chicas (eso dijo el)…. Le pedí su opinión sobre el lugar.

“La comida es sumamente excelente … Tiene sabor y textura y el servicio es excelente”.

Joe - the food is supremely excellent — Joe – the food is supremely excellent

Un agradecimiento especial para el buen sentido del humor de Greg que vemos en la foto de arriba dando un billete de $5 dólares a Joe por sus buenos comentarios. ”

“Esto te costará mucho más que eso! ” dice Joe.

Esta es la actitud ! Este es el espíritu 🙂

Conclusión

Si te gusta la comida sabrosa, sana, orgánica, si te gusta la comida un poco picante, si te gusta la comida mexicana, si te gustan las buenas pizzas o si sólo quieres pasar un buen rato mirando la variedad de gente pasar mientras disfrutas de un café expreso o de una rica cerveza artesanal y de un servicio de calidad, este lugar quizá es exactamente lo que has estado buscando.

Deseo agradecer a Isamar y Greg por el tiempo maravilloso que pasamos juntos. No sólo la comida fue excelente, sino también sus personalidades, su carisma y pasión por lo que hacen, a mi me hicieron sentir de maravilla y sin duda hacen lo mismo con todos sus clientes.

AGAVEBLU – Comida Mexicana Autentica Orgánica en Vilcabamba

Contactos

Dirección: Calle Bolívar (parque central) – Vilcabamba
Tel: +593 (0)980881035 +593 (0)959057384
Redes sociales:
https://www.facebook.com/agavebluvilcabamba
https://www.facebook.com/agave.azul.vilca

Horario

Síganos en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/todoloja

#HechoConAmor #TodoLoja

AGAVEBLU – Exquisite Organic Mexican Food in Vilcabamba

English version

Español AQUI

D.e.l.i.c.i.o.u.s

Fresh

Healthy

Colorful

O r g a n i c

Tasty

“We are blessed by the food gods … The whole world is waking up to the infinite possibilities that are inhered in the cuisine of Mexico” Greg.

Mexican food touches all your senses and it certainly touched all of mine when I was given the opportunity to sample a selection of some of AgaveBlu best dishes. The presentation was impeccable, it was as much something that I wanted to look at as something that I wanted to taste and eat.

We set the table for 3 and I sat there alone for a short while, a bit overwhelmed I must admit looking at all that colorful food in front of me while waiting for Isamar and Greg, the AgaveBlu owners to join me.

I noticed that it took them virtually no time to prepare the meals. This is great. Less time waiting is more time enjoying the food.

An efficient well run kitchen is part of what makes a good restaurant. Margarita is the person in charge, she is fast, loves what she does and does it with a smile.

Mexican cuisine goes way beyond nachos, tortillas, tacos and burritos. Actually there is no such thing really as “Mexican food” explained Isamar Velez, the Mexican owner who has lived in Vilcabamba for 8 years. Mexico is a big place and each region has its own traditions and uses different ingredients.

“Mole” for example (pronounce “moley”) is the Mexican curry, a paste made out of as many as 10 different varieties of chiles (chili peppers). There is green mole, yellow mole, red mole and depending on what grows in a particular region, the mole will be different. AgaveBlu serves the “dark mole” also called “chocolate mole” because it also contains a small quantity of dark chocolate.

A passion for food

Isamar Velez Garcia is passionate for food, loves cooking and has brought to our small Ecuadorian village the knowledge that she inherited from her parents and grand parents in Mexico city where she used to live. I listen to her with pleasure and attention…

“We are all foodies in the family. I started cooking when I was 6 years old. I was in the kitchen with my mum, I was in the kitchen with my grandmother. On Sundays we had a day with just one meal that started in the morning and lasted the whole day. I do recall the smell of olive oil and garlic that brings me back to my grandmother all the time“.

“We take the quality of our ingredients most seriously. We have clients who are allergic to certain things. We use olive oil and real farm butter to cook. I also prepare raw food for people who are raw foodists but only on order because it takes more time to prepare and just the Mexican cooking fills my day”.

Many ingredients she explained cannot be found here in Ecuador. Most of the chiles are sourced in their dry form from Mexico (chile ancho, chile guajillo…). Some she grows in her own veggie garden in Vilcabamba (chile serrano, chile jalapeño).

And that brings us to an essential aspect of the AgaveBlu cuisine: it is almost all organic and almost exclusively locally grown, much of it by the owners themselves.

It does not get fresher than that. I asked to take a look at the garden and we went for a 5 minute drive in a taxi up the hills to Mollepamba.

The garden

Despite being so close to the center of the village, it feels like being miles away. This is still largely undeveloped rural land and that is where AgaveBlu grows its vegetables. They started the garden 8 years ago, it has been a lot of work, Isamar says, and has required a lot of compost. The compost is partly made from what is recycled from the restaurant. We recycle everything.

I noticed a lot of this hardy cabbage variety called “Kale”, a miraculous green that has so many health benefits, still poorly known in this part of the world.

Isamar showed me the 3 varieties of chiles that she grows there, then the parsley and cilantro which are important ingredients of Mexican cuisine, then the herb garden with oregano, rosemary and others, and much much more. Her garden is well developed.

One species that she brought from Mexico and has successfully adapted here is the green tomatillo which is used to make green sauce (salsa verde) that is served with enchiladas and eggs.

“Tart and very savory, but you have to try it for yourself…”

Here they are, Isamar and Greg, with Jorge, their friendly Ecuadorian gardener, showing me what a tomatillo looks like.

Jorge told me that he likes his job very much there and has become a big fan of organic gardening.

If you like fish, you won’t be disappointed either.

All seafood is wild caught and comes from a fisherman in Puerto Bolivar (port of Machala). They strive to offer a variety of fresh fish depending on the season.

Meet and chicken are also organic.

“Apart from the hot peppers and some items that can only be sourced from Mexico, all our ingredients are sourced locally from Vilcabamba or Loja or grown by ourselves.”

“Full belly, happy heart“

“Pansa llena, corazón contento“

The menu

AgaveBlu has an extensive “a la carte” menu with everything one expects from a Mexican restaurants and more. For example they have a large selection of Italian style crispy thin based pizzas.

The 4 dishes that we tried were among the most popular ones:

Nachos (usually served as entree)
Medallon de pollo con mole – chicken medallions in mole sauce – that is the sauce with 10 chiles and chocolate
Tacos de cochinita – a specialty of the house – tortillas filled with pork – served with guacamole
Pizza Sambuca

I really enjoyed everything but I must say that the tacos were my favorites as well as the chicken with the mole sauce.

Drinks

In addition to the usual Ecuadorian brands, AgaveBlu serves the Zarza craft beer from Loja which they have on tap.

They have a good selection of juices, tropical and green. Their coffee is grown and toasted by a local Vilcabamba family. They serve filter coffee, espressos and cappuccinos.

The deserts

After all this savory bonanza, nothing better than a perfect desert. Many restaurants let you down in the desert department. Not so at AgaveBlu. In no less than a few minutes the table was full again, this time with an assortment of 3 different deserts, cappuccinos and a black espresso for me.

While enjoying the deserts which were all three absolutely delicious, we conversed a little more about life in Mexico, life in general and what it meant to them to run this restaurant.

I wish to leave the last word to Greg who summed it all this way:

“We have been blessed by the food gods and we are very proud to be able to bring Mexican food, the patrimony of Mexico, to this part of the world. Because the food is delicious, and it’s fresh, and it’s healthy, and it’s colorful and tasty. The whole world is waking up to the infinite possibilities that are inhered in the cuisine of Mexico. I am just really fortunate to be part of this presentation.”

Customer Feedback

Alan Kales has been in Vilcabamba for nine months. He is an AgaveBlu regular.

“The food here is always superb. I have never had a bad meal.”

Another one of their regulars, Joseph Connelly, aka “Joe”, from New Zealand and long time resident of Vilcabamba, walks by. He says to me that he comes at least 3 times a week to the restaurant, not necessarily to eat but sometimes just to have a drink, chat with people, watch life goes by. I ask him his opinion about the place.

“The food is supremely excellent… It has taste, texture and flavor and the service is excellent”.

A special thanks for Greg’s wonderful sense of humor who we see on the photo above handing a $5 dollar note to Joe for his good comments.

“This will cost you much more than that !” says Joe.

That’s the spirit 🙂

Conclusion

If you like tasty, healthy, organic food, if you like it a little spicy, if you like Mexican food, if you like pizzas or if you want to just spend some time watching life goes by while sipping a good espresso coffee, a good craft beer, this place maybe exactly what you have been looking for.

I wish to thank Isamar and Greg for the wonderful time that we spent together. Not only was the food excellent but their personalities, their charisma and passion for what they do, made me and no doubt makes their customers feel great.

AGAVEBLU - Exquisite Organic Mexican Food in Vilcabamba — AGAVEBLU – Exquisite Organic Mexican Food in Vilcabamba

Contacts

Address: Calle Bolivar (parque central) – Vilcabamba
Tel: +593 (0)980881035 +593 (0)959057384
Social networks:
https://www.facebook.com/agavebluvilcabamba
https://www.facebook.com/agave.azul.vilca

Opening Hours

#HechoConAmor #TodoLoja

EcuadorVIDA – Your friendly legal expert in Loja Ecuador

Español AQUI

(traducción es generada por google translate, no nos responsabilizamos por los errores encontrados)

Immigration and Visas,
Container of Personal Items
Import / Export
Companies
Real Estate

If you are looking for a friendly, relaxed, low key, highly experienced lawyer in Loja Ecuador to take care of your legal affairs, whether personal or business, look no further than EcuadorVIDA.

You will be attended by Dr. Ramiro Carrión, a professional lawyer with over 20 years of experience with the Ecuadorian legal system. As a person who has filled several positions in public institutions including the High Court, Ramiro knows the system inside out and has a wide network of contacts. It is my observation as an immigrant who has lived a number of years in this country that here in Ecuador a good network of relationships is as important as knowledge and experience.

Dr. Ramiro Carrión - EcuadorVIDA - Loja Ecuador — Dr. Ramiro Carrión – EcuadorVIDA – Loja Ecuador

The man is busy, answering calls, attending people, running to and from hearings and still manages to keep a relaxed attitude and a smile. I interviewed him in his office of Calle Sucre in the heart of the city of Loja. I need to mention straight away that Ramiro frequently travels to Vilcabamba where he can attend his clients too.

Ramiro works in one of these beautiful historic homes in Loja made out of natural materials like rammed earth and tropical woods. This house has some history as it belongs to his grandfather Clodoveo Jaramillo Alvarado, a great historian whose brother was none less than Pio Jaramillo Alvarado, a symbolic icon in this country.

In this beautiful home, you will find an atmosphere of tranquility, suitable to discuss the issues that bring you there.

And I have to admit that I enjoyed for once to be looking at a painting of a woman reading a book rather than the usual blindfolded woman holding the scale.

Immigration and Visas

“My main focus is everything that relates to immigration: obtaining visas and residency, shipping your belongings from overseas, buying, selling and developing property and sorting out any type of real estate issue … “

“I have many many friends in Loja and in Vilcabamba, many foreigners too, from all countries, and I have helped many who found their new home in Ecuador sorting out the problems they had with regard to the immigration legal process. I am providing a legal advice that is just and intelligent to make their new life in Ecuador as easy and trouble free as possible”.

English, French, German and now more recently Chinese and Japanese are the most common languages that Ramiro deals with. The man himself is not a polyglot but thanks to his extended network of collaborators and friends, communication has never been an issue irrespective of the spoken language.

When it comes to do a proper legal translation of some document from or to English, Isamar Velez, a commercial engineer from Mexico, who has lived in Vilcabamba for over 10 years, takes care of it. She has a lot of experience and is very professional.

“Migration is not complicated but is has to be done step by step and done right and that requires an experienced lawyer…”

“What we aim for is to give our clients peace of mind, the reassurance that things are under control and well managed.”

“Some transactions must be done with the client because they might require a photo for example but in most cases we handle the process independently and will deliver the visa to the client when ready. Our service is all comprehensive including the very final step of the residency process which is to obtain the identity card, the cedula as it is called here, which requires a trip to Cuenca.”

Personal belongings

“We take care of making sure that your belongings get delivered to your door in the minimum amount of time.”

Another important step in the immigration process is the shipment of one’s personal belongings to Ecuador, something that can be done totally tax free within the 6 months following issuance of the residency visa. EcuadorVIDA has in depth knowledge and experience in this area.

Real Estate

“In general my clients are people from Loja who want to sell a piece of property in Loja, Vilcabamba, Malacatos, Yangana, Quinara and nearby places We put them in touch with prospective purchasers.”

As an expat in Ecuador, especially if you barely speak any Spanish, the process of acquiring a piece of property, which could be the very first thing you have to do in order to obtain your visa in the case of an investment type visa, is tricky and can lead to unpleasant surprises. This is why it is of uttermost importance to work with a law firm that knows the ropes and will carry out all due diligence on your behalf.

Ramiro insists that he is not a real estate agency but rather acts as a facilitator between the seller and the buyer. He uses Facebook and mouth to mouth to bring people in contact. For example, you as a potential buyer let him know your criteria and he will tap into his extensive network of contacts to find the right property for you.

“We are lawyers of many people and companies here in Loja and that puts us in a good position to know about what is available. We have a portfolio of about sixty properties from Malacatos to Yangana, in Taxiche, on the Malacatos high grounds, occidental and oriental : El Carmen, El Sauce, San Francisco, La Granja, El Prado and then going to Vilcabamba, in San Pedro, Sacapo, Quinara, Yangana Cucanama…”

At this point of the interview I notice that Ramiro gets quite enthusiastic. It is obviously something that he enjoys very much doing.

“After we help the purchaser to identify the right property, we then give him/her the legal advice and assistance to go through the entire process, we deal with the city council, the property register, we issue the documents … basically to avoid the buyer any possible pitfall during the process.”

Conclusion

Ramiro Carrión is a dedicated person, intelligent and well articulated. He puts a strong emphasis on friendships and collaborations. He mentioned in the course of the interview that many of his clients have become friends and in turn contribute to the services he provide. This is something important in a cosmopolitan place like Vilcabamba when one suddenly has a requirement for a translation of a German, French or Japanese document.

We invite you to contact him for an assessment of your legal requirements and we welcome any feedback.

EcuadorVIDA - Your friendly legal expert in Loja Ecuador — EcuadorVIDA – Your friendly legal expert in Loja Ecuador

Contact

Address: Sucre 06-79 between José Antonio Eguiguren y Colon, Loja Ecuador
Tel: +593 (0)997967639
Email: ramirocj@yahoo.com
Social networks: https://www.facebook.com/ramirocj

EcuadorVIDA - Calle Sucre Loja — EcuadorVIDA – Calle Sucre Loja

#HechoConAmor #TodoLoja

UNRELATEDisimo – A collection of unrelated writings for the truth seekers

Let’s face it.

Most of what we are given to read on the internet is of little value. Let’s not even mention the mainstream media which is nothing more than distraction.

But even the so-called alternative media falls prey to sensationalism and superficial content.

From time to time there is some really good stuff though that makes you think “wow !”.

I am not interested in short term things and the latest of the latest. This web site is not a news web site.

I am usually not interested in politics especially not American politics.

I am interested in whatever point of view on whatever topic that makes you think outside of the square and stays with you for a long time.

I want to keep this material handy. The question is how and where? Do I just post it on FB like many others do. Sure I will get 2 or 3 likes, maybe one share, a couple of single line comments? Then what? It will soon be covered by some ad for cellular phones or some more tai-chi or yoga classes and disappear in the giant FB black hole…

One should never forget that FB does not belong to any of us. It belongs to the 1% or has it become the 0.1% ? So, one day, any day, without warning, this or that nice FB group with so many followers or even FB itself might just disappear. This or that youtube channel, same. I am amazed how people have come to trust and rely on these tools.

Ecuador is a country where most lawyers use a gmail account (gmail is Google remember?) to liaise with their clients !! They don’t even need the NSA spying on them. They spontaneously give their confidential client’s data away to Google. When I tell them, they have this look on their face, somewhere between a total lack of understanding of what I am talking about and a “so what?” . This baffles me.

Unlike FB, the internet won’t go away and it does not belong (yet?) to the 1% although they are trying hard to change that. So having your own domain and your own web site allows you to own your data. I am slowly and painfully creating a repository of information on bbxmusic.com and seekvilcabamba.com. There are videos too. These videos are on youtube for now. However unlike people who just put theirs on youtube an create a nice channel, mine can be moved at the speed of light to any other provider without affecting in any way the references that are in the search engines. For example a link like this one which points to a video of Chuquiribamba in Loja Ecuador https://bbxmusic.com/ecuador/en/tv/gas/chuq2 will not change and belongs to the owner of the bbxmusic.com domain whereas a link like https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLcgBJE2Q9WBLp2gWG3yLZ5U77hbmXuiMD&v=2kLsvbOWXvI which points to exactly the same video belongs to Google and may disappear or stop being valid any time without notice.

Anyway, this long ramble to say that I have decided to store this unrelated material that I am reading and that I want to keep and share with the world in my own web space and this is what you will find here.

Because in theory anyway it is totally unrelated with the rest of the web site, and because we live in Ecuador where people speak Spanish, I called this section :

UNRELATEDisimo

or Finding the gem among the sh..t, hence the nice picture at the top of this article, all due credits given to its owner who is not me.

Happy reading !

Pierre Volter
bbxmusic.com

La Ramada de Noé – Jambeli Machala – Paraíso en Ecuador

Versión Español

English HERE

Mira nuestro video (7 minutes)

Ubicada en la Provincia del Oro, Machala es la ciudad costera más cercana a Loja. Se tarda alrededor de 6 horas en autobús desde Loja para llegar hasta allí con la cooperativa Loja Internacional. Luego un corto paseo en taxi ($ 3) al puerto (Puerto Bolívar) y la verdadera diversión empieza.

Una lancha pequeña pero cómoda le llevará desde el puerto hasta la isla. Solamente se tarda unos 20 minutos, pero querría que tome más tiempo porque el paisaje es realmente impresionante.

La Ramada de Noé - Jambelí Machala - Paradise in Ecuador — La Ramada de Noé – Jambelí Machala – Paraíso en Ecuador

Después de 5 minutos desde el puerto de Machala el barco entra en el manglar de Jambelí y de ahí en adelante usted está en un lugar mágico, tranquilo y protegido, donde se puede observar un poco de la vida silvestre (especialmente aves) desde el barco.

A su llegada a la isla, sólo tendrá que dar un muy corto paseo por una bonita calle pavimentada para encontrar hoteles y restaurantes…

… y luego para tocar arena!

La Ramada de Noé

Para aquellos que están con un presupuesto un poco apretado y no son demasiado exigentes en términos de confort y lujo, recomendamos “La Ramada de Noé”. Es un hostal básico pero al mismo tiempo cómodo y limpio. Además serán atendidos con mucha amabilidad y cortesía por sus dueños y tan sólo cobran una modesta suma de $ 10 por persona. Se encuentra en la calle principal a pocos pasos del muelle a la izquierda.

Los propietarios, Luis Eras y su esposa Norma, nos recibieron con un delicioso y 100% natural “granizado de coco”, su especialidad. También hemos probado sus empanadas de queso que son ricas.

Charlamos con ellos y también con algunos turistas de México, Bélgica y Finlandia. Todos estaban muy contentos con el ambiente tranquilo de la isla. Al contrario de Montañita por ejemplo, Jambelí es visitado principalmente por los ecuatorianos de Machala, Guayaquil, Cuenca, Loja… Los turistas internacionales están presentes pero siguen siendo una minoría, lo que es una ventaja para aquellos que buscan la autenticidad.

Este hombre negociante de México se alojaba en la Ramada de Noé por algunas noches y su mayor deseo era hacer nada, solamente tener un buen descanso y descubrir los deliciosos sabores de los mariscos frescos. El estaba encantado de haber encontrado este lugar y la cálida bienvenida que había recibido de los propietarios.

Por $ 10 por persona se obtiene habitaciones sencillas y limpias. Tienen televisión por cable y también Internet wi-fi. Algunas habitaciones cuentan con aire acondicionado.

Las camas son muy cómodas y los baños limpios.

Conclusión

Por el módico precio de tan sólo $ 10 por persona, La Ramada de Noé es un ganador. Les deseamos a Luis y Norma todo lo mejor y será un placer para nosotros volver a visitarlos.

La Ramada de Noé - Jambeli Machala - Paraíso en Ecuador — La Ramada de Noé – Jambeli Machala – Paraíso en Ecuador

Contactos

Para llegar: Machala -> Puerto Bolivar (bus numero 13 o taxi) -> Jambeli (lancha)

Para más información comuníquese con ellos a los números mencionados en el flyer o también el 0999 507 667

Encuentrelos en Facebook

Audio

Design

Lighting

Installation

Combining with classic or rustic designs

LEDs and energy saving light bulbs

The show room

Conclusion

Contacts

Natural medicine and pharmaceuticals, are they compatible ?

What? Anxiety and depression in Vilcabamba?

Enemas – Colon cleanse kit

Conclusion

Contacts

¿Medicina natural y químicos van de la mano?

¿Que? Ansiedad y depresión en Vilcabamba?

Enemas – Kit de lavado colonico

Conclusión

Contactos

HISTORIA CONDENSADA

REVISIÓN REUNIÓN DE LA COMUNIDAD

SISTEMAS DE RESPUESTA DE EMERGENCIA ALTERNATIVA

Equipo de seguridad para casas. SEGURIDAD PERSONAL.

CONCLUSIÓN

CONDENSED HISTORY

COMMUNITY MEETING REVIEW

ALTERNATIVE EMERGENCY RESPONSE SYSTEMS

HOME SECURITY EQUIPMENT AND PERSONAL SAFETY IDEAS

CONCLUSION

Una pasión por la comida

El huerto

El menú

Las bebidas

Los postres

Comentarios de los clientes

Conclusión

Contactos

Horario

A passion for food

The garden

The menu

Drinks

The deserts

Customer Feedback

Conclusion

Contacts

Opening Hours

Immigration and Visas, Container of Personal Items Import / Export Companies Real Estate

Immigration and Visas

Personal belongings

Real Estate

Conclusion

Contact

Let’s face it.

La Ramada de Noé

Conclusión

Contactos

Immigration and Visas,
Container of Personal Items
Import / Export
Companies
Real Estate