Can openers

     There is an ongoing issue with can openers in our trip that I must share. Back, long ago, when we arrived at the beach we got a mess of groceries including canned goods and commenced to unpacking.

     A day or two later two things happened. Our fridge died and we realized that our can opener was rusted shut. Our nice new neighbor Tony offered his fridge. I have always depended on the kindness of strangers. It was hot there and we needed to cool many things. We had to wait three days for the fridge, I don't know why they can't deliver on Christmas. We looked at the small grocery and around town and there were no can openers to be found. There was even a traveling kitchen store (they set up shop in the town square) where we bought a kettle and a nice frying pan, no can opener. The grocery stores in town sold canned goods and some of them were pull top but not all. Fortunately we could wait for our canned goods, they were not going to go bad. Tony offered to pick up a can opener when he was off in the big town (an hour away). He did not find a can opener in town so he offered his second can opener. He was such a nice guy. His second can opener was also rusted beyond use. 

     Finally a week later we made the trip to the big town and looked for a can opener at their equivalent of Target. How do you say can opener in Spanish? After asking and wandering the isles we finally found the last can opener on the west coast of Ecuador and it was electric. We got it anyway. I'm sure it will rust out in a season. The story is not over. 

     Weeks later we have moved from Olon to Cuenca, an actual city with multiple places to shop including a big grocery store. After settling in and doing a great shopping trip to a close grocery store, we discovered that the apartments can opener's gears were stripped. I settled on using it by popping a bit then opening it and moving a bit then popping a bit more all the way around the can slow but it worked. You would think it would be easy to find a can opener in a big city like Cuenca. You would be wrong. First we tried the big grocery store. Steph got berated for not knowing Spanish and they did not have can openers. We looked at a couple of other places including a nice kitchen shop with brands we knew. No can opener. One place suggested Su Casa. Was that a store or were we invited to her house every time we needed a can opened? Finally in the middle of the old town we found a small department store with two kinds of can openers. Of course the kids wanted blue but Steph and I picked orange because it matches the apartment decór. I suggested we get the whole stock, move to the coast and retire on the profits. Is this story over?

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