Week at a Glance

We've had a good week. Eating is like entertainment here. There are so many restaurants to choose from. We came from a small town with only a few restaurants, so we've having fun trying out the restaurants in town.

After our banking was finished on Monday, we walked to the Kookaburra Cafe and had lunch with a friend. An Australian couple own the Kookaburra Cafe and the food is very good plus everyone speaks English.

Tuesday we went to see our new doctor and both had physicals. He was pleased with our condition, but said that I need to reduce the salt in my diet to lower my blood pressure, and Mike needs to reduce! (about 10 to 20 pounds) Hopefully, with our walking and healthy eating, that will happen. Even though we're going out to eat more than we used to, the food is fresh and the portion sizes are smaller than back home.

Also on Tuesday, we had a big bright full moon. Couldn't resist to get a picture from our kitchen window.
















On Wednesday, we went grocery shopping at Super Maxi and stopped first to get pizza for lunch at La Fornace right next door. It was also very good.

Thursday, we went to the Coopera which is a food co-op, like a Farmer's Market. Mike loves their fresh-squeezed orange juice. He says it's the best he's had since he was a kid back in Ohio, and he says that the tomatoes taste like tomatoes should taste. Here's pictures of the oranges being squeezed to make the best orange juice in the world, according to Mike. He's amazed that oranges that aren't that pleasant in appearance can make such good-tasting orange juice.




















































































Friday, we went to dinner at Zoe's where the ex-pats meet. We met quite a few people and actually met the couple that rented our apartment just before us. I have a new love. It is called "corvina", a mild white fish. It is delicioso. I had stuffed corvina for dinner with clams, all covered in a seafood sauce. It was divine.

Today, we walked to breakfast in town. It took about 25 minutes. We ate at the California Kitchen, a restaurant opened about four months ago by a family who moved here from Tucson, Arizona. We enjoyed meeting the owners and having an American breakfast. Here are pictures of our walk into town and the restaurant we ate at. By the way, there are about 2500 taxis in Cuenca, so you never have to wait long to catch one. We usually walk one way and then catch a taxi back home.

































































So that's it for now. Our Spanish is improving. I feel like I'm a 2 year old just learning to talk. Oh well, it's good for the brain.

Chao for now,
Patty

Errands and Observations

Today was a day to finish what was started a couple of weeks ago. We received the key to our Post Office Box, and we completed opening up a bank account. Things take a bit longer here than what we're used to back home. We had internet issues last Friday and Saturday and couldn't use the computer. But everything is OK now.

The weather turned cold for a few days, but has been nice again. Today, it was sunny and 70. Would like it to stay that way. We'll see!

We've been doing a lot more walking and sightseeing. I realized that I haven't seen anyone smoke the whole time that we've been here. No one on the street, no one in the stores or the restaurants. That seems odd but I sure do like it. Just when I was walking today and thinking that I haven't seen anyone smoking, an American walked by and he was smoking!

Also, another observation. There are no leash laws here so the dogs are free to roam. But you don't see stray dogs. What you do see are dogs staying close to their homes. They are standing, sitting, or sleeping. You walk past and they could care less. At first, I was worried about walking past a dog near their home since they are usually protective of their family and territorial. However, the dogs here are very quiet and peaceful. Mike was saying that when there is no fence and they aren't cooped up and they have their freedom, they don't feel like they need to run away. And I'm thinking that the families here are so kind to their own (including pets), that the dogs truly feel loved and don't need to wander off.

The parents carry their babies in their arms or in the case of the indigenious mothers, on their back in a bundle. The families are always together, helping each other. It is very refreshing to see how the children are treated and loved here. You don't see misbehaving children (although I'm sure there must be some). The parents spend so much time with the children that they know that they are loved.

Tomorrow we're going to see our new doctor and get established as new patients. Then we'll going to meet someone to look at an apartment in the Palermo building (aka Gringo Palace) for some new friends that are coming to Cuenca in October to look around.

I'm still studying my Spanish and listening, listening whenever we go out to see what words I can understand. It's a slow process. Hopefully, one day it will all come together.

Well, that's it for now.

Hasta Luego,
Patty

Hotel Oro Verde

Today was the third straight day in a row with beautiful sunshine and high 60s to low 70s temperature. Absolutely beautiful. You have to wear a hat to avoid getting sunburnt.

We decided to walk down toward the river to the Hotel Oro Verde for lunch. It is a five-star hotel and as you can see from the pictures, it is beautiful. The first picture is taken from our penthouse looking in the direction where the hotel is.





















































































































After lunch, we walked down to the river and noticed the people were doing their laundry. They wash their clothes in the river and put them on the rocks to dry.

A Beautiful Sunny Day!

Hurray! The sun came out today. Actually, the day started out foggy but Mike said that that was a good sign because that meant that the sun would eventually burn away the fog and we would have clear skies, which is what happened. It's good to be married to a pilot because he knows everything about what the weather conditions mean.

We knew we had to get outdoors today and we wanted to get our Vitamin D which we have missed since arriving in Cuenca. We looked on the map and plotted our path. Our goal was to go to the Kookaburra Cafe which we have heard a lot of good things about. It is owned by an Australian couple who opened it up about eight months ago. After lunch, we wanted to find the Carolina Bookstore which we did. Everything is fairly close to the center of town (Parque Calderon). The pictures below show the sights as we walk to lunch.































































































































After leaving the bookstore, we decide to walk down to the river. There are four rivers that run through Cuenca, and this is the Tomebamba River. It is beautiful as you can see from the pictures below.




















After strolling alongside the river, we head back uphill toward our apartment. It is a difficult walk, as you're watching where you walk so you don't trip; watching as you cross streets so you don't get hit; and watching your breathing so you don't pass out (just kidding!). These pictures show scenery as we walk back to our penthouse apartment. Notice the photos of our penthouse, with glass walls.









Penthouse on top of brick building

View from the Window

This is the view from our bedroom window. It is a busy hillside where people come and go, walking up and down the hill, to get to their desired destination. I have even seen a woman in her spike heels walk up this hill with her husband and little girl.

This is a man taking his cows "on a walk". I'm not sure why, but he walked his cows all the way down the hill and down to the end of the street, and then back up the hill again. I guess for exercise. (Notice the street sign for people crossing -- I guess they should show a sign for cow crossing also!)

This is a basketball game being played at the park below our apartment.

And this is an inpromptu soccer game being played on the street outside our kitchen window. Most of the players are adults (both men and woman). They played well into the night.

Living in Ecuador, you see people outside a lot. They don't sit indoors all day watching TV or playing video games, or using the computer. I think most familes have a TV but they don't spend that much time watching it. You see entire families outside walking here or there, playing a game, working on a chore. They tend to do things together to help each other out. It's refreshing to see such cohesiveness in the family structure, and to see such safety on the streets.

We have had fun using Skype on our computer. We can use Skype to place videocalls to others who use Skype, and it is free. Also we discovered that we can make unlimited calls to the U.S. (home phones) for only $6.99 a month. So a lot of you have been hearing/seeing us. It's a great way to keep in touch.

The First Ten Days

Time. It doesn't stand still. And it's time to reflect on our lives since arriving in Cuenca. We've been here for ten days now, but it seems longer because we've accomplished so much. Here's our reflections so far, which will probably change in time.

The Good

We are walking more than we did back home. Yesterday we walked to the Super Maxi plaza which has banking, groceries, and home furnishings and is about a mile away. We've done this walk five times so far so it is getting more familiar. We walk past small businesses and have to keep aware of the sidewalk because you could trip very easily. So it's not a fast walk but we probably couldn't do a fast walk yet until our lungs get used to the high altitude. We also have to be careful crossing the street since the drivers here are like in New York City. We take a taxi home with all of our groceries. The whole grocery shopping expendition takes twice as long here than back home, but we've got time!

We're eating better because there are no fast food restaurants (only in the mall) and no frozen dinners, so you have to either go out to eat (which we don't do very often), or you cook at home. Wow, what a concept! We are eating dinner together instead of in different rooms.

We're not watching TV!! Who would of thought you could get by without TV or having news 24 hours a day.

The internet here is great. Our laptop works fine. We can do everything we need to on our computer just like at home. And Skype is amazing. For those who have learned how to use Skype, we can talk to you and we can see each other at the same time. Makes it seem like we're not so far away from home. Also, Skype is FREE as long as it is a Skype to Skype call. If it is a Skype to landline or cell phone call, there is a cost. I called Cox Communications yesterday on Skype to check on something and used their 888 number, and it was free.

Parque Calderon is beautiful. It is the central park in Cuenca and reminds me of the gathering places in Italy. I haven't been to Spain, but it probably resembles Spain, especially the downtown area with the narrow streets, and small shops. The main focal point of Parque Calderon is the beautiful cathedral. There are actually two: the old one and the new one. Both are beautiful. (Next time I'm there, I'll take pictures!)

Back to the walking: We decided to explore one day. Any time we want to take a taxi, we need to walk to theSuper Maxi plaza where the taxis are gathered. So we caught a taxi and went down to the river to a restaurant to eat lunch. It was the Inca Lounge which serves American-style hamburgers and french fries. We had a great time socializing with the entreprenuer Mike, who is American but has lived in Latin America for about ten years. After lunch, we decided to walk to Parque Calderon to see it for ourselves. After about an hour walking around the park and the small shops, I asked Mike how far away was our apartment and if we could walk home, which we did. It took about 45 minutes and we took our time because some of it was uphill. It feels good to walk around town.

The Bad

The weather here has been less than desirable so far. It has been very cold (at least judging from where we came from which was 100 degrees everyday). We're glad we brought clothes for cold weather. I caught a cold because our apartment didn't have heat and the heaters didn't work (or so we thought). Mike eventually got the large gas heater to work, and we bought a small electric heater. Now our home is nice and toasty, and my cold is almost gone. Today, it is raining so I'm glad we did our grocery shopping yesterday. I think I'll make spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. This is the "winter" season so we're hoping that the weather improves in October when the "summer" season starts.

We had an earthquake on August 12th, which was a 7.1. It was centered very deep in the earth in an uninhabited area of the jungle and no damage has been reported. It could have been a lot worse, but I think the buildings in Cuenca are built very well. There are a lot of earthquakes here but growing up in Southern California, it's not too frightening.

Other Notes

We've met some great people who have helped us so much. There's Dixie Davey, who's been here with her husband John for two years from Australia. She assisted us in renting this apartment and is helping us find our next home which we'll need to move to the first of November. We'll probably look closer to the river. (By the way, there are four rivers that run through Cuenca from the Andes mountains. The river we'll live near to is the Tomebamba River.) Dixie introduced us to Juan Perez, who speaks English very well. He assisted us with our banking needs, getting a cell phone, and opening up a post office box. Dixie and Juan took us on a tour of Cuenca on August 11th and the pictures I posted are from that tour. We also have met Linda Gonzalez who also speaks excellent English. She assisted us with getting our visa documents photocopied, notarized, and overnighted to our attorney in Quito. So far, everything has been accomplished very smoothly.

What goes without saying is the downside of being so far away from family and friends. We plan on taking trips back to the states to visit family next year. And Mike will be able to fly half price with the retiree visa that he'll have!

Well, that's it for now.

Hasta Luego,

Patty

Ecuador Earthquake: Shake, Rattle and Boom!

View of Cuenca ... we're still on the map

At 6:54 AM, I was enjoying my first cup of morning coffee, while standing in the kitchen of our 7th floor apartment, when the swaying started and some of our utensils and plates joined the chorus of other strange noises. This lasted about one minute, at which time I was ready to celebrate our first Ecuadorian earthquake...and, I hadn't spilled any of my coffee. That elation was short-lived as the second phase of "dancing buildings" began. Another thirty seconds, or so of "musical furnishings" then ensued. Then it was over. Nothing damaged except one's sense of invulnerability. Oh well, what's another humbling experience in this life of many of them?

The news indicated that this quake was centered about 140 miles northeast of Cuenca...actually on the eastern side of the Andes and measured 6.9 on the Richter scale. But, what is amazing, this quake took place 115 miles deep! Imagine what it would have been like had it been closer to the earth's surface. Interestingly enough, it was near the vicinity of the volcano Tungurahura, that went off last month.

Well, Pat and I have opted for an adventure here in Ecuador...and every day we've seemed to have another addition to our experiences.

I have to tell you, as an aside and actual postive aspect of the earthquake. I had been trying to wake Pat from a sound sleep using the usual nice verbal wake up encouragement such as: "Hey, honey, it's time to wake up". Then, I had to pull out the big guns, the earthquake. Worked like a charm as the bedroom door immediately came open to expose a wide eyed blonde wondering what was going on? Then, our wonderful town priests added a cap to the excitement by firing off their 7AM cannon like "Booms". What a combination: Shake, Rattle and...Boom! How fun and nos vemos.

Errand Day

Today, we were able to accomplish everything we wanted to do. This happened because of the expert assistance of a bilingual driver who has started a business of assisting ex-pats with whatever they have need of.

We were picked up at our apartment at 9am by Juan Perez and he took us promptly to the main post office in Cuenca so we could open up a post office box. Juan is our translator and the whole process went smoothly.

The next stop was to the bank to open up an account. Again with Juan assisting us, everything went smoothly. The next stop was to the Mall to go to the cell phone store to purchase a cell phone. Juan knew exactly the kind of cell phone we needed and again the process went smoothly. We met a couple at the cell phone store who were also clients of Juan. They have been living in Ecuador for about 1 year. They moved to Ecuador from the U. S. (Maryland). They have a lot of information to share with us and we exchanged email addresses so we can keep in touch.

After the cell phone was purchased, we decided it was time for lunch. Juan knew of a good place to eat and off we went to the restaurant. Mike and Juan had the chicken lunch (with rice, potatoes, and salad). I had a similar lunch but with pork. Everything was very good and the bill for all three lunches came to only $13.

After lunch, we went to a food co-op where you can buy locally grown produce and which is less expensive than at the Super Maxi store. With Juan's help, we became members of the food co-op. All in all, it was a very good day and the weather was beautiful also. We also were able to get the large gas heater to work which warms up the living room just like a fireplace.

It feels like we're getting a little more settled now. We have plans on Wednesday to take a tour of Cuenca with Dixie and Juan. And then next week, Juan will assist us with more errands to be run. It's nice having so much help in getting the essentials taken care of.

I'm still studying my Spanish through my book which I love: "Madrigal's Magic Key to Spanish". I'm about half way through and can pick out certain words in conversation. Mike has been terrific in conducting business in Spanish. We went to the Super Maxi store to get a discount card. The customer service lady didn't speak English and Mike was able to converse well enough in Spanish that she could fill out the papework for us. I don't know if I'll ever be that conversant in Spanish, but that is my goal. Also what is helping me a lot is the Rosetta Stone course that my sister gave me as a bon voyage gift. I've just started it, but I'm learning a lot.

I'm also feeling better. My cold is almost gone and I'm sure having the apartment warm instead of cold is helping. We're going to see a doctor next week and get established as new patients, again with Juan's assistance.

Well, that's it for now.

Hasta luego,

Patty

Trip to the Mall

Today we decided to go to the mall here in Cuenca (Mall Del Rio) for lunch and browsing. It's been cold here in Cuenca, and in our apartment so it would be nice to go some place that is warm. (I think I'm catching a cold.) We did buy a space heater so that helps a lot.

We walked down to the taxi stand and took a taxi to the mall. It's good to be walking more than we would if we had our own car. The mall is two stories and has a lot of the familiar stores that are in the malls back home. We even ate at a Burger King. We do want to start eating Ecuadorian-style food, but once we get more proficient with our Spanish, we'll know what we're eating.

After walking the mall and window-shopping for about an hour, we decided to get a taxi and head back home. Tomorrow, we think we'll go to the central park in Cuenca, the Parque Calderon. Next week, we'll be running errands with the help of Juan (an English speaking taxi driver who helps ex-pats), who will take us to get a cell phone, open a bank account, and get a post office box. Also next week, we will meet with an attorney to start the visa process. So it should be a busy, productive week coming up.

Hasta Luego,

Patty

Hot Dogs and Bach

Well, we're in our apartment in Cuenca now. I'm typing this on my laptop just like I did in our home in Arizona. The main difference is the weather. Arizona was very hot, and Cuena is not! They're experiencing unusually cold weather right now. It should be getting warmer next month -- I'm glad I brought my clothes for cold weather with me. I also brought clothes for warm weather. Hence, all of the suitcases. We flew here from Los Angeles with 5 suitcases and 4 carry-on bags. That's it. We're not shipping anything. So everything we needed, we had to carry, push, pull, lift, etc. My sister helped us tremendously as she came to the airport with us to help us with the check in process, getting the luggage to the right location, etc. As you can see from this picture, we had our hands full.




















Our flights were great. On time, meals good, and all luggage arrived with us. We changed planes in San Jose, Costa Rica. At the airport, I heard some beautiful music playing. It sounded like a Kenny G CD. I though how odd but how lovely to have such beautiful music being played for the weary traveler. As it turns out, it was a solo musician playing in the airport (see picture below). Sure was a nice touch for this weary traveler.
















Today, we had our first adventure: Going out for groceries. We walked to the Super Maxi grocery store (about 15-20 minutes). So far, the high altitude isn't too much of a problem. The Super Maxi is like a Safeway back home. We were able to find everything that we needed. There are cabs waiting at the store (just like at the airport). So we got our groceries and ourselves into the cab and came back to the apartment.

Soon after we got back, we noticed that a neighbor was calling us on Skype. I hooked up the webcam and we were able to see and hear each other just fine. It's good to know that everything works like we had hoped it would.

We brought some favorite CDs with us so tonight we played Bach while eating our dinner of hot dogs and pork and beans (have to start out simple).

Until next time,

Patty