ECUDORIAN Dog Story

     In 2010 I spent six weeks in the mountanious region of  Ecuador.  This was unusual for me as I am not a traveler and I was 83 at the time.  The central part of Ecuador, from North to South, is very mountanious.  My main destination was the village of Bilcabamba in the southern part of that country.  My first stop down there was at a B&B named Hosteria Izhcayluma, a very outstanding facility up on the side of a mountain 2km from the village of Bilcabamba.  (It cost $1.00 to go from there into the village, so it was not far).  This facility was built and operated by two German brothers.  Best I recall now, it cost $25.00 per night for a unit in a 4 bedroom building (two up and two down)...there were several types of accomodations.  The dining room in the main building was open air on 3 sides.  Your cost also included a good free breakfast; other meals you paid for and were very GOOD and very reasonably priced.  So to get along with the story, one day I was having lunch and noticed the dog that lived over the dining room with the owners was sitting outside keeping watch of something below.  All of a sudden it came running through the dining room and went upstairs.  Then immediately it came running down the stairs with a young dog with it that looked exactly like it:  off-white with a lot of reddish brown spots.  So the big dog, named Kafu, resumed its position with the younger one beside it.  Shortly thereafter there appered this woman, who was the wife of one of the owners, appeared having walked up the hill from below.  They accompanied her through the dining area and went upstairs.  This act really touched me.  A day or so later, as I was having supper in the dining room, Kafu comes up to me, put its two front feet up on my thigh, and then all of a sudden it gives me a kiss on the right side of my face...it was a big slurp from bottom of cheek upwards.  I was surprised.  Not knowing what it might next do, I gently pushed it back and it left.  There were two girls sitting at a nearby table and I heard one say to the othere, "Did you see what that dog did to that man?"  (After telling this to a relative recently, she told me that her daughter had a dog that would put its paws up on your thighs when sitting and it wanted to be petted, then it would go to the next seated person to get more petting)  Did Kafu want to be petted, or did he want me to go play chess with him/her?  I never knew as I did not say anything to the owners about this.  For curosity sake, I should have found out.  (Later I want you to go to:  www.izhcayluma.de/ , click on Photos then double click on the pic showing Kafu playing chess.  Look at all the other pics also and you will see what an outstanding facility this is).........I regret that I did not see nor inquire about Kafu playing chess.   So, a day or so later, the day I was leaving, I was having brekfast in the dining room and saw some children placing flowers on a fresh grave on the sloping hillside in the yard.  I inquired as to what this was about and was told that Kafu was chasing a strange dog off the yard and was struck by a car and died instantly.  (There are no speed laws down there except during school hours, I was told).  I could have cried.   (From now on, my stories will be posted as I compose them and not scheduled for release at a specified time.  It may be a couple of weeks, or so, before anymore as I am entering a hospital in Birminghm this coming Thursday for two special "procedures", bye, Fred.)