We have now been in Cuenca one week! 

It seems much longer to both Mark and I.  It is hard to believe that we landed in Quito 9 days ago.  We have learned a lot about Ecuador, and especially Cuenca in this short time.   We moved in to our apartment yesterday and are very happy with our choice.  It over looks a small park and we have plenty of space to stretch out.  Next post we will get some photos up of the apartment.  We need to get a few more items put away, so that we can continue the illusion that Mark and I are “neat” people.

Cuenca is a beautiful city.

Looking for an apartment has given us an opportunity see almost every corner of the city.  We walked through parks and plazas, seen many, many churches and markets, coveted the bicycles ridden by a few brave souls who seem to be fearless in the same lanes as the cars.  The cobblestone streets and steps weave through neighborhoods that all have different flavors.  There are the upscale “Gringo Towers” on the western edge of town, the small poorly built single family homes on the east of town, and the older apartments above retail space in “El Centro”.  We selected a nice apartment in “El Centro” not far from San Blas and the Tomebamba River.  The river is edged with green space and parks on both sides and Mark has fallen in love with his early morning runs along a crushed gravel path up and down the river. 

Safety in Ecuador.

Many Gringos (as Europeans, Canadians and folks from the United States are called) feel unsafe in Ecuador.  Like most cities, one needs to be careful and watch bags, cameras, etc.  We have never felt unsafe and are comfortable walking around the city at all times of the day or evening. 

Ok, that’s not entirely true. 

I feel very unsafe as I approach moving cars, buses or trucks.  People do not have the right-of-way in this country.  If the light is green, you watch for traffic, if the light is red you move away from the street.  Only if the street is clear of traffic do you cross!  No day dreaming or reading books while walking in Ecuador!

The food is amazing!

Most days we eat our main meal out.  We have the “Almuerzo” which means lunch in Spanish.  Today we had soup made of broth, vegetables and a little chicken, rice, a nice chicken breast, a glass of juice and a small salad with delicious avocados all for $1.50.  Each little “Almuerzo” has different specialties.  One can go to a Colombian restaurant, an Argentinean place or Ecuadorian.  We have not had a bad meal yet. 





The people (Gringos and Ecuadorians alike) are a happy lot.

Often when I am conversing in my limited Spanish, the Ecuadorians are laughing and smiling.  I doubt that I am that humorous in Spanish, but perhaps I am.  They seem genuinely happy to help and speak with me, even though I often say “otra vez”  (again).   Today we were shopping for items for our new apartment. I was probably pretty funny describing items like a soap filled scrubber to wash dishes.  Or asking about a floor lamp or describing the type of small table Mark wanted for a desk.  We were mostly successful and are settling nicely. 

We have made some Gringo friends and are hoping to spend time with some Ecuadorians in the near future.   Next week we start taking Spanish lessons and Mark is already working at an orphanage.  No surprise, we are easily filling our days.

Photos of the apartment to come.

We have made it to Ecuador!

We have made it to Ecuador!

   After an arduous 18 hour travel day on Tuesday, we finally made it to Quito, the second highest capital in the world at 11pm.  After arriving at our Los Alpes hotel and getting a well-deserved sleep, we awoke to sunny skies and beautiful views of the Andes Mountains.  The sky was blue and temps in the low 70’s, perhaps a good omen for our first day in Ecuador.  On our taxi ride to “old town”, we decided to take a detour up a hill to La Cima de Libertad.  Since it was an unusually clear day we could see at least 3 snowcapped mountains off in the distances,   ranging in elevation between 17,000 to 18,000 feet.  Those Rocky Mountains don’t hold a candle to these.   (See photo from up top)  We then headed back down to “old town” and started our walking tour; past lots of plaza and squares where people linger, and narrow cobblestone streets with busy traffic.   And beautiful churches built as far back as 1600.  One church, La Compania de Jesus, was as ornate as any Cathedral I have seen in Europe. 

I knew I was not in Europe or the Midwest, as I became short of breath just walking and trying to read passages from our tour book to Linda…..a byproduct of being at 10,000 feet.  Towards the end of our walk, we started looking to buy a bottle of wine for dinner that night. .  We stopped at 4 or 5 different places and I asked “Donde compare un botela de vino?” in my best broken Spanish.   Later I learned I was pronouncing botela as “billeta” which means ticket… so no wonder I was getting these weird looks from natives…what is a ticket of wine?  Eventually I ended up at the Super Maxi (super market) and learned the wine prices are disappointingly comparable to the US prices due to the heavy Ecuadorian tariff.  

Our first day ended with a wonderful dinner at the apartment of our new friends Sean and Lynne, ex- pats from Connecticut who have been living in Ecuador for 7 years.  

 Our second day here has been more low-key as we visited 3 different museums. Fortunately we had English speaking tour guide at the Case de Cultura, a comprehensive history of Ecuador with many beautiful potteries and art pieces over 2000 years old.  There is a new Museum with a wonderful display of pre-Columbian art.  We had dinner tonight in the trendy part of town, the Mariscal….with lots of young people and music blaring form bars.  We will probably try to find a good hotel near there when our kids come to Quito in December, so they have some alternative to hanging out with their boring parents.  

What have I learned about Ecuador?

 What Have I learned about Ecuador in the 48 hours I have been here?  It is geographically gorgeous with mountains and valleys all over.  IT is cool, rarely gets to the 70’s, and falls to the 40’s at night.  With no heat in our room, Linda is wearing 3 layers to bed at night.  It is cheap, our meals, hotel rooms, taxi rides cost less than half what we pay for back home (except for wine) . There appears to a defined class system, which is a bit irritating. Especially as I see these very poor women on the streets selling their wares, and having a young child or two in tow.  This country is a lot like a throwback to the 50-60’s in the US, with buses and cars throwing our fumes, and under developed roads and infrastructure.  Women seem to take a second class role, and much emphasis on appearance.  We learned from Lynne and Sean that plastic surgery is very popular among women, especially getting a more “rounded butt”.  Linda says this is "not an Issue" for her….also lots of maids in homes …hmmm we shall see if Linda falls to the peer pressure and gets a new butt and comes home with an everyday maid! 

Onto Cuenca tomorrow where we are told it is at least 8 to 10 degrees warmer.  Bring it on! 

Bon Voyage Party--Big hit!

Last night we hosted our BonVoyage party.  Based on just the empty wine and beer bottles, the party was a success.  Based on how supported and loved you all made us feel, the party was a huge success.

I saving all the notes that were written in our "memory" book until I get to Ecuador.  I know they will bring a smile to my face and lighten my heart when I am missing all of you!

Now on to the final packing details.

Photos to come!

We leave one week from today!

I am almost packed and starting to get excited about leaving. It's tough to determine what to bring. So far, I have decided on variety of clothes to cover essentially all temperatures. We are taking our hiking boots (always tough to pack) hiking poles and water bottles as we plan to hike in Cajas National Park. It is just a 45 minute bus ride from Cuenca. Once you look at the photos you will see why we are so excited to be near this treasure!

I have also packed some art supplies and my sabbatical work. Mark and I hope to learn Spanish, take yoga classes and of course, I have my sabbatical projects.

We will have plenty to keep us busy. We will keep you posted!

Linda