Ordinary Day in Cuenca

Aloha Everyone,

Today was the first day J.J. and I had no particular activities planned. The living room and bedroom floors of our apartment are made of wood. The kitchen, bathroom and the outdoor patio where washer and dryer are located plus our breakfast area are tiled. Therefore using Swifters, it was quick and easy to clean, while the washing machine and dryer were working.

For lunch, we went back to Akelerre, the Spanish Tapa Restaurant. J.J. and I ordered two tapa dishes and a pasta dish to share.

We stopped by at Mercado 10 de Agosto (a large building where fresh produce are sold) to purchase fruits for this week.

At our favorite general store we purchased a large plastic bottle of 6 liters drinking water for $1.50.

We also purchased a package of 4 rolls of toilet paper from a Quechua woman. Quechua people have their own culture and language. Although she is always happy to see us, she does not converse in Spanish expect to tell us "Un Dolar" (1 dollar).

Somethings are best to be enjoyed visually then actually tasting. Fried banana vendors are seen all over El Centro. This evening we decided to give it a try. For $1, we bought a bag of beautiful yellow fried bananas. Trust me when I say it tasted like plastic.

Aloha -- Cathi

Excursion to Giron and El Chorro

Aloha Everyone,

Giron is located Southwest of Cuenca  about 45 minutes by private van. At 8:30 am, J.J. and I met Sandra, the student coordinator in front of our school. There were a total of 8 of us including Jim, Ruth and their son Logan.

The road to Giron is mostly well maintained. The scenic beauty of verdant mountain hamlets reminded us of Switzerland.

Our first stop was at the site of the 1829 Battle of Tarqui. We climbed up the slippery stone steps braving chilly rain which pelted us mercilessly.

The town of Giron with a population of about 12,000, was very nice. This statue depicts a typical dress of indigenous people of Giron.

We stopped at the site where the treaty following the 1829 Battle of Tarqui was signed between the Ecuadorians and the Peruvians. The house is now a museum.

Aida, museum curator with Sandra in front of the photo exhibition

Byron in red, Omar in blue are college students studying tourism

Passionate and proud, a young officer in uniform explained to us the 1829 Battle of Tarqui and lamented the great loss Ecuador had endured.

It was a memorable experience as Aida gave me the Ecuadorian uniform to wear and sit at the desk where the treaty of 1829 Battle of Tarqui was signed.

Our lunch was a typical Cuenca meal.

The climb to El Chorro, a powerful and majestic waterfall cascading down into pools below, was divided into three stages. We went up only to the first waterfall which took us just 20 minutes. We were told that to hike up to the 2nd level would take 4 hours each way and 8 hours each way to the upper waterfall.

J.J. and I thoroughly enjoyed our excursion to Giron and El Chorto.

Aloha -- Cathi

Final School Day &, Meeting New People

Aloha Everyone,

Juana truly was a blessing for us. She helped us gain confidence in conversing in Spanish. Over the last 2 weeks, the three of us covered a very wide range of topics including local and international politics, educational systems, geo-political relationship between the United States and the Latin American countries, health care, social security programs and taxes. We also talked about our personal interests in music, art, and YES travels and food.

Juana gave us a copy of her illustration portfolio which she produced as a part of her university graduation requirements in Fine Arts. With her permission, here are some of Juana's work:

Teemu is from Hämeenlinnan, Finland. His first international travel was a year ago to Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand. This year he'd begun his travel in Spain and came to South America. His 2015 travel will be for 9 - 10 months. After he returns to Finland, Teemu will find work, save enough money for his next travel. J.J. and I saw ourselves in Teemu when we were his age.

We stumbled into a small bistro called "Black Olive." Rebecca stepped in front of us announcing, "Just for tonight, every diner receives a "fantastic" free dessert",  it was an offer difficult to pass.

Black Olive is owned by a friend of Rebecca, a chef from Canada. Our quiche dishes were exceptional.

For dessert, J.J. had a slice of Lemon Pie and I had bread-budding. They were sumptuous. Our total bill came out to $16 including taxes, service plus additional tip.

Seated at the next table were Mia and Max. Both are jubilados (retired) in Cuenca. With a kind smile, Mia gave me her email to contact her if we have any questions about Cuenca.

Aloha -- Cathi

San Juan Hotel

Aloha Everyone,

San Juan Hotel is an elegant boutique hotel in El Centro very close to our school and our apartment. The historic three-story house was built as a convent in the 17th century. It is tastefully restored with antiques and mahogany wood. This Colonial-Republican style 3 story building has 25 rooms and suites, cloistered courtyard patio, restaurant and bar.

J.J. and I were offered a choice of eating in the patio or in the front restaurant/reception area.

Manuel, our waiter was an attentive man with old-world manners. His every move spoke of excellent training.  

This was one of our "splurge" lunch in Cuenca. But our total bill was $28. J.J. and I plan to return to San Juan Hotel before we depart from here.

Aloha -- Cathi

Spanish Club in Cuenca

Aloha Everyone,

Señor Gonzales of Zona Refrescante restaurant had invited us to come to the weekly luncheon at his restaurant. The event is open to everybody. You come, order your meal then share a table with other attendees. The venue provides Americans and Canadians to meet their countrymen. There is no requirement, but Señor Gonzales encourages you to converse only in Spanish.

Holly is from California and is a retiree in Cuenca. She seemed to be a serious student of Spanish language as she was carrying a thick book,  "501 Verbs in Spanish."

Laura is from Las Vegas, NV. She was carrying an English-Spanish dictionary. Laura mentioned that she is trying to keep a blog about living in Cuenca. Before all of us were asked to change our tables  Laura and I exchanged our blog addresses.

Steve is from California. Like so many fellow travelers and retirees J.J. and I are meeting in Cuenca, Steve has an interesting world travel experience. I could write an entire blog about him but most impressive thing about Steve is that he.can read and write Sanskrit (the classical language of India).

Jerry is from South Carolina and now resides in Cuenca.

Diane is from North Carolina.

Jim is from North Carolina. He is a retired Pediatrician specializing in Neonatology (newborn babies usually premature). He did not stay long as he was on his way to a local hospital where he is a volunteer.

It was an enjoyable luncheon. J.J. and I think that is an excellent way to meet and associate with fellow extranjero (foreigners) in Cuenca.

We had our dinner at a small restaurant called El Cantsro located next to Parque de Corderon. J.J.'s choice of Camarines con ajo y arroz and my Cuenca style Grilled Cheese Sabdwich was good. The view of the New Cathedral from the restaurant was impressive.

Aloha -- Cathi