Metamorphosis: Changing to Retirement in Ecuador

Carnaval

2012-02-25T08:00:00.007-05:00

Carnaval in Cuenca is a great time; however, if you're not willing to be a participant, stay inside. The Cuencano tradition is to foam folks. In preparation, vendors are everywhere with tables filled with cans of "espuma de Carnaval". On Friday night, Garth and Orilla hosted a Carnaval get-together. We greeted Garth with the tradition.

However, he was prepared.....and retaliated.

On Saturday, we were in Giron in search of celebrations and encountered this procession from the church.

There was a huge turnout by the townspeople, including, this little guy.
One of the participants.

Mick considering a "flight to Egypt".

After Giron, we returned to Cuenca and continued foaming. The Cuencanos derive such pleasure from this. Everything is taken as fun and tradition; however, tourists can be a problem. We were all, including Nikolas, soaked with water and foam. The day was a real "hoot". For those of us who have lived here a while know that it is a harmless tradition and that it is all in fun. The tourists get extremely upset, scream, shout profanities, etc.

We were driving down Benigno Malo, armed with foam as I shot 2 non-Cuencanos. My bad, we were too close to the traffic light. We were sitting at the traffic light with my window down. A hand reached in the car and grabbed my can of foam, which I would not give up. The two guys were cursing us, calling us "@#$%^ing Americans". I managed to roll the window up, at which time, one of the fine tourists kicked the car door, putting a large dent in the door. At that point I was infuriated and got out of the car, big mistake. The older German then kicked me in the thigh. There were no police around. I was shocked. Mick got out of the car, not realizing what had happened. The "delightful German tourists" backed off, I threw my can of foam at them and they ran. Bummer!

Our fun day had been rained upon, not with rain, but with "sour krauts". If you can't accept the culture and traditions, don't come here; it's that simple.

Most things, including the malls, were closed for Carnaval; however, Costto was open. When you go there, you're prepared for shopping with the giant baskets. Here's Joannie with one.

Carnaval is over. Cuenca is back to normal. Life is good.

Until next time,

Mick and Kathy

"And Then Along Comes Mary"

2012-01-25T13:42:00.002-05:00

Once upon a time, there were blogs about Ecuador. If you were interested, you'd have to check each one for new posts, which, back in the day, wasn't too difficult, because there were not so many of us. "And then, along comes Mary" and our lives were simplified. She checked all the blogs, did a synopsis of each, of course adding her own humor to it; additionally, she saved us time.

Mary's dream of visiting Ecuador finally came true last week when she arrived in Guayaquil. She's the guest of Chuck and Nancy and is on cloud nine. Although we don't usually blog on dinners at our house, but since it was MARY, I thought I would. The Watson's and Mary came for dinner last night, along with Dale and Joan.
Friday, Mary is going to be at the California Kitchen from 1-5PM. She is looking forward to meeting as many people as possible. So if you're in town and available, come by and say "hello".

Mary, as a blogger, thank you for all that you do.

Dreams do come true.

Until next time,
Mick and Kathy

A Girls' Night Out

2012-01-20T19:07:00.003-05:00

Periodically the weavers get together for coffee. The most recent night out for the girls was last week at Gourmand Cafe. Sylvia did a great job accommodating all of us. There were 21 in attendance. Here are a few pictures; of course, the batteries were dying in the camera. So they're limited.

Last weekend, there were still lots of parades, in addition to the large festival at the stadium honoring El Presidente. It was quite a feat to get home. Here are some of the pictures taken at the Coffee Tree while waiting for one of the parades to begin.

Until next time,
Mick and Kathy

And They're Back!

2012-01-06T13:20:00.001-05:00

After a number of weeks back in Connecticut, Dale and Joan returned to Cuenca on Wednesday. We picked them up at the van service office.

We're very happy to have them back. Dale has recovered from the heart problem and is doing well.
They brought us a few goodies. One of the few things that I miss from the US is Lance cheese crackers.

Mick's list is a little more extensive and includes one of his favorites, Beefaroni. He indulged in it for lunch today.

Yesterday, we realized after over a year that Lina did not own a television. Mick remembered seeing one listed on Gringo Tree. We surprised her with it today. Here she is with a couple of boys from her building helping her unloaded it. I called this evening and she said that the boys were thrilled.
Yesterday, we had to run by Supermaxi at El Vergel. As we turned in, I noticed all the wires. This should be some sort of code violation. Oh, well.

All is well in Cuenca.

Until next time,

Mick and Kathy

Where's Bob?

2012-01-03T08:09:00.011-05:00

The Cerwins have been back in Cuenca for more than a month, having moved into their apartment just in time for Elaine's birthday. With this being Elaine's first celebration in Cuenca, Bob wanted to make it memorable. El Jardin was filled with their friends on Monday evening. The hat has made it full circle and is now back with its originators. Here's the Birthday Girl sporting the hat.

George and Carol

Hank and Sherry

Mary and Ron

Kat and Alex

Kathleen and Val

The Arias Family: Blanca (Madre), Fabian, Nico (Padre), Carlos and Bertha

Will, Gary, and Alberto

Reshma, Nick, and Rick

Mick

Miguel and Ruth Fabian and SoniaMilton and Ruthie
Luis and Robert brought the cake.
It was a great party! There was lot's of mingling and conversation. I was extremely intent on getting everyone's picture. When I downloaded the pictures and viewed them, "where's Bob?" I had pictures of everyone, EXCEPT BOB! The plan was to get a great picture of Bob and Elaine together; however, they were usually across the room from each other. To Bob, my sincere apologies. I hope someone else has a photo of the two of you together.

Anyway, to jog everyone's memory, here's a picture of Bob and he WAS at the party.

Many more happy birthdays to you Elaine!

Until next time,

Mick and Kathy

Feliz Año!

2012-01-01T20:17:00.008-05:00

For days there have been parades and fireworks. In attempting to go to el centro on New Year's Eve, multiple detours had to be made in order to get to San Sebastian, where there was another parade gearing up. Here's Mick, Linda, and the other Larry with ringside seats.

San Sebas is a new eatery in town located at San Sebastian.
The parades are usually led by an angel and the wise men.

The child had to be prepared for the Nativity.

There were musicians of all ages.

This float included the domes of the Cathedral.

Roman soldiers

This one must have been sponsored by NBC.

Nikolas has been tormented for days with the fireworks. The traditional fireworks,
los cohetes, which means "rockets", are most disturbing. The result is an extremely loud "BOOM". He's usually with us, but at this time of year, that's little consolation. As night approaches, the noise increases.

For New Year's Eve, we attended the Schunk's party. Greeting guests was Año Viejo.

The hostess, Karen

Deborah and Rhonda

Mick, Linda, Nikolas, and me

In that we're not late night people, we were home before midnight. We watched the spectactular fireworks display that lit up the city from our apartment. The booms finally subsided around 1AM, only to begin again at daybreak.

In addition to the New Year, January 1 is also our wedding anniversary. Today is number 29. Despite his brilliance, Mick has yet to figure out how to get rid of me. This is for the duration.

Happy 2012!

Until next time,

Mick and Kathy

Alive and Well in Cuenca

2011-12-30T18:02:00.009-05:00

It has been weeks since our last blog. We've had inquiries has to our well being. We've been fine, just busy with things that most would consider ordinary. However, it's time to catch up.

Our friends, Dale and Joan, had to return to Connecticut in order for Dale to have a medical procedure that was unavailable in Ecuador. He's fine and they will be returning next week. In Dale's absence, I've been accompanying Mick on his errands and mornings at the Coffee Tree.

A couple of months ago, we tried a new groomer for Mr. Nikolas. Caty comes to our apartment and does a great job keeping our little guy handsome. This is Caty and Mick.

She brings all her equipment and speaks great English. Her contact info is cjcarrasco@yahoo.com .

Last week, the awning at the Coffee Tree fell as a result of the torrential rain on Sunday evening.

It took 3 days for the repairs.

For the past year we've heard of Costco opening in Cuenca. We considered it highly unlikely; however, the rumors were still there. Last week the rumors were put to rest, the store opened...COSTTO...not quite the same, thank goodness. It's on the autopista.

Nikolas on Christmas Day with George.

There were parades. These are the students of the collegio near us.

This group of Santa's were a bit thin for the part.

Christmas stockings were made.

Christmas Eve at California Kitchen.

Christmas Day at the Wesson's.

We've had some new guys showing up at our feeder. The woodnymphs have been coming for months.
There's a new little fellow that is extremely tiny coming around; however, I've been unable to get a picture. I copied this one from a birdwatcher sight. It is a woodstar hummingbird.

Wednesday we were graced with this big guy's presence. It is an Inca brown and has fed everyday since.

On Thursday, there was of course rain, followed by rainbows.

The bottom rainbow was incredibly brilliant. It was so large you could see the intersection with the ground.

Yes, we're alive and well in Cuenca. What a great way to end the year with friends, hummingbirds, and rainbows.

Until next time,

Mick and Kathy

Catching Up with Fiestas and Yungilla

2011-10-16T19:28:00.008-04:00

It's amazing at the difference in the weather as the calendar flipped to October. We've had lots of warm temperatures and sunny skies. One day last week, there was a hale storm, followed by this beautiful rainbow.

One night, there was Mexican by Joannie, ole'.

Unless you live here, the only supermarket that you hear mentioned in the blogs is Supermaxi; however, there is actually another chain in Cuenca, Gran Aki. We paid a visit on Saturday; located on Gonzalez Suarez, for us, it is not worth the distance. Prices are about the same, but it is less organized and lacks the nice displays.

We then went just down the street to Monay Shopping for coffee at El Espanol.
At Monay, as with Mall del Rio, Christmas decorations are up.

Saturday night we were invited to a soiree at Mall del Rio, a show of events, primarily weddings. There were spas showing girdles.

Distribuidora Barrera assisted with the booth for Dulipops, for which they are the local distributor. Eduardo was assisting.

There were lots of balloons.

And gowns and costumes

Samples of whiskey and cake

Displays of flowers and table settings

It was a typical Saturday night at any mall.

Dale and Joan had never been to Yungilla, so we planned to drive down on Sunday morning. The vistas along the way are stunning. We had lunch at Hosteria Jardin del Valle, which was quite lovely.

Two of the residents, Paco and Lucy.

Access was not easy. The road in front was completely dug up.

There was a beautiful mimosa tree with orange blossoms in the parking lot.

Statues at the intersection

For us, Yungilla is one of those places that is a nice place to visit, but you wouldn't want to live there. It's always nice to return home.

Until next time,

Mick and Kathy

You Can't Find That in Cuenca...Really?

2011-10-05T16:18:00.004-04:00

Shopping at Supermaxi is a little different than shopping at Harris Teeter in Charlotte or Bourbon in Brasil. Somethings you'll probably never be able to get here. Mick misses okra, dried beef in a jar, Campbell's tomato soup, and John Boy and Billy's BBQ sauce.

However, there are many imported items. There's a variety of Kraft products such as, Kraft mac and cheese, BBQ sauce, and mayo. You can buy Del Monte products also. If you can't find what you're looking for, it may possibly be called something different.

If you're a Dream Whip fan, we have chantilly; just mix with cold milk and whip. I think Royal brand is the best.
Being from the South, I make cornbread about once a week. There is no Martha White and no self-rising. Use the harina de maiz crudo and add leavening.

I've read that you can't get applesauce. Supermaxi has Mott's.

Superstock and Coral have the Ecuadorian version, puree de manzana. It works just as well in baking.

German saurkraut is available at a pharmacy downtown.

Once again, we're Southerners, which means we've got to have our grits. Grits are called morocho fino and can be bought at Supermaxi.

We've heard repeatedly that you can't find chocolate chips in Cuenca....again, an untruth. Chocolate chips can definitely be found at the spice store, Cadalaes, and at other sites. Sometimes Supermaxi has them. They're excellent chocolate chips, remember, Ecuador is a huge producer of cacao and is known for its chocolate that is shipped throughout the world.

You also hear that you can't by baking soda. Bicarbonate of soda is not sold at Supermaxi, but can be found at Comisariato, some of the markets, pharmacies, and tiendas.

Until next time,
Mick and Kathy

Saturday at the Mall with an Eleven Year-Old

2011-10-03T14:25:00.005-04:00

Last week was pretty much business as usual. Cooking and entertaining always takes place the first part of the week. Thursday night is always seafood night at the California Kitchen; but last Thursday, the special was crabcakes. Carol's crabcakes are especially good and a group of us met to enjoy them. Here are Dale and Joannie.
This is John and Dorothy; they were visiting Cuenca for a couple of days before going on to the Galapagos.

Pat and Sue

Mick and Nikolas

Lena told us last week that her oldest son, Jonathon, needs to learn English for collegio. Mick had the idea that he should spend the day with us in order to hear English. We picked him up on Saturday morning and went to the Kitchen for breakfast. While out and about we passed this interesting door; I believe it was on Gran Colombia. Notice how low the handle is.

After breakfast and a visit to the Coffee Tree, Jonathon and I went to Mall Del Rio. We rode the train around the mall. You can ride all day with your $1 ticket.

There is a European Bungy there also. The cost of the ticket is based on your weight. There is a scale connected to the register and it prints your ticket out with your weight. The little stickers on the boys' shirts are tickets.

There are trampolines that you stand on and get belted into the gear and cables.

Jonathon is ready.

He was then hoisted up.

Each trampoline has an assistant, who then pulls you down by your foot and releases.

I went to the second floor to take pictures.

After all that, it was time for ice cream.

Hopefully, Jonathon had a great day with the old folks. It's been a very long time since we have dealt with children; they're tiring. Jonathon is a sweet boy and we're happy that we were able to have him for the day. With his family situation, we don't think he has a lot of time to just be a kid and Saturday was his day.

Until next time,

Mick and Kathy

New Friends and Saturdays

2011-09-26T13:50:00.006-04:00

As stated repeatedly, Mick and I have met some wonderful people as a result of our blog. Many of them have begun correspondence regarding pets, questions about transporting, food, etc. Once again, this is the case. Several months ago, I received an email from someone in Portland, about documentation of her dog, Zoe Mae. There have been a number since then. This person was Ketzel Levine, who we finally met on Friday.

If the name may sound vaguely familiar, Ketzel was a correspondent on NPR many years. Post NPR, she came to Cuenca last year to study Spanish. While in Cuenca, she became aquainted with an organization called ARCA, an organization for the protection of animals. Recently, she has returned to make a project that she conceived a reality.

Ketzel plans to act as a "foster mom" for dogs that she selects from ARCA. She will work with the dogs, give basic training, and adopt them to gringo families. This is such an admirable aspiration. Because they have no voice, these little guys need someone to speak for them. ARCA also needs volunteers to assist with doggy walks. I have added Ketzel and Zoe Mae's blog, "The Heart of Barkness" to our bloglist. If you're interested in Ketzel's cause, you can contact her through her blog http://www.ketzel.com/ or us. Here are Ketzel and her friend, Gary.

Dale, Joan, Mick, Ketzel, and Gary

Saturday morning, we were out and about downtown and had to stop for a parade. You never know when you're going to encounter one. This one was sponsored by the association for disabled persons.
We see this guy all over town with his little herd of goats. He sells the milk by the cup. How fresh is that? We then made a stop at the Coffee Tree. It's always interesting on Saturday morning. Across the street from the Tree is a garage with an apartment above. A taxi driver lives there. It is not uncommon to spot his wife, perusing the street below from her window.
There's always the congregation of the elderly waiting for their bread ticket at La Merced. They begin gathering early in the morning. The tickets are distributed at 11AM.

And you might run into an old friend as well.

Until next time,

Mick and Kathy

Cuenca Views

2011-09-22T18:18:00.010-04:00

We've been enjoying the company of our friends from Baltimore, Larry and Jeannie, for the past couple of weeks. Tuesday night, they hosted a farewell dinner at El JardinDale and Joan were there.
A group picture at the Coffee Tree We dropped them off on Tuesday at the airport. They hope to be back in 6 months.

This afternoon was better than most that we'ved had recently; so we spent some time on the terrace. Here's our mandarin orange tree.
This is the lemon tree that Hank and Sherry gave Mick for his birthday.
It's loaded with blooms.
Mick has a couple of tomato plants, US variety.
There are lots of small tomatoes.
This is our new triple stand with fresh plants. The fern was given to us last year by Shelly and Dorie; it's thriving.
The gardenias are blooming.

The basket stand has new plants.

Nikolas is sporting a new haircut.

It was laundry day at the Yanuncay.

One of the hummers came for a drink.

To the right of the terrace is Turi.

Our view of the Cathedral.

To the left and back of the terrace.

Although we have magnificent views, we decided to go up to the roof for a peek. This is our terrace from above.

More views from the roof.

Primero de Mayo

The riverwalk

The autopista with Edificio Vista Linda towering by it.

Mall del Rio

Until next time,
Mick and Kathy

Accommodations in Cuenca

2011-09-17T22:43:00.005-04:00

Quite frequently we’re contacted for recommendations on places to stay. Although there are no chain hotels, Cuenca is packed with places to stay; however, if you look at Orbitz or some of the other travel sites, you find only a handful. I decided that it would be a good thing to make a list of some of the places that we have heard of or had recommendations on. We’ve never stayed at any of these places; however, they’ve been recommended. Just remember that everyone has different tastes. I have included no hostals, in that dozens of the traditional hostals can be found on the Lonely Planet site.

SHORT TERM RENTALS
Some of the gringoes have apartments that they rent. Rich and Nancy have several properties and our friends were quite comfortable there. The links are: Rich's and Nancy's Rentals

• http://sites.google.com/site/adoberentalincuenca
• https://sites.google.com/site/cuencaecuadorpenthuseforrent
• https://sites.google.com/site/studiorentalincuenca

Chuck and Nancy also have a rental: http://www.cuencapenthouse.com/

Tom and Monica have a penthouse on Mariscal Lamar near Las Americas. For information, contact Monica at: monmac4@gmail.com ; she will direct you as to where you can see photos.

There are several others that will have rentals in the near future.

Cuenca has a multitude of hotels, in all price ranges. We’ve never stayed at any of these, but know folks that have. If you’re planning a trip here, perhaps this will assist you. I’ve included phone numbers and websites where available.

HISTORIC DISTRICT

Mansion Alcazar
Bolívar 12-55 y Tarqui, Tel: 593 7 2 823889
http://www.mansionalcazar.com/

Hotel Santa Lucia
Borrero 8-44 y Sucre
http://www.santaluciahotel.com/

Hotel Carvallo
Gran Colombia 9-52
http://www.hotelcarvallo.com.ec/

Hotel Victoria
Calle Larga y Borrero
http://www.hotelvictoriaecuador.com/

Hotel Crespo
Calle Larga y Borrero
http://www.hotelcrespo.com/

Hotel Cuenca
Borrero 10-69 y Lamar
http://www.hotelcuenca.ec.com/

Kookaburra Accommodations and Café
Calle Larga between Padre Aguirre y Benigno Malo
http://kookaburracafe.typepad.com/

Hotel El Dorado
Gran Colombia 7-87 y Luis Cordero
http://www.eldoradohotel.com.ec/

Casa Ordonez
8-59 Mariscal Lama
8-59 Mariscal Lamar
http://www.casaordonez.com/

Casa del Aguirre
Sucre 13-56 entre Juan Montalvo y Esteves de Toral
Phones: (593) 72836498 - (593) 72849580
http://www.hotelcasadelaguila.com/

Villa Nova Inn
Tres de Noviembre
http://www.villanovacuenca.com/

EL VERGEL
La Casona
Miguel Cordero 2-124 y Alfonso Cordero esquina
http://www.lacasona.com.ec/

La Villa del Rio
Av Paucarbamba 1-118 y José Peralta
Teléfono : 593-7-4103026

These are just a few of the places available in Cuenca. Hopefully, this will help in planning your trip to Cuenca. Enjoy your planning and your visit.

Until next time,
Mick and Kathy

Out and About

2011-09-15T22:00:00.007-04:00

It's been a busy week and it's still in progress. Some of us finished weaving projects.
The other afternoon, Joan called and said "let's try Papa John's tonight. We rarely ate Papa John's in Charlotte; therefore, we were not so anxious to try it here. Papa John's opened several months ago at Millenium Plaza.

It's a sit-restaurant, with additional outside seating (weather permitting), as well as take out and home delivery. We had the New York, New York and it was yummers, as were the breadsticks. This is definitely a keeper.

Yesterday, I skipped weaving. Mick ran in Supermaxi at El Vergel while Nikolas and I stayed in the car. The security guard, or as it's pronounced in the South "scyurty", was interesting as usual. Parking lots are controlled by security guards. At El Vergel, they don't even open the parking lot until Supermaxi is open. They tell you where to park and when to park. They are ready for business and anything else that happens as they are armed. In the case of El Vergel, they carry night sticks. Most of the security carry guns.

Thursday afternoon, we went to a matinee at Mall del Rio. The popcorn was as good, however, the tickets are a few cents more. Wednesday is 2 for 1. It cost $4.50 for the two of us to see the movie. Two giant sodas, a giant popcorn, and two hotdogs were $10.80. The movie we saw was "The Rise of the Planet of the Apes." It was just OK. But remember, the popcorn was great.

When we came out, this tiny truck was parked near us. Joan and I thought we'd try it out.

This morning, we were out and about and stopped at Gourmand for coffee. Silvia's coffee is always good.

It's almost the weekend.

Until next time,

Mick and Kathy

How Do You Celebrate Your Birthday in Cuenca?

2011-09-13T23:19:00.015-04:00

How do you celebrate your birthday in Cuenca? You celebrate with your friends. Mick had his 62nd birthday party at the California Kitchen with our friends. Carol and Susie prepared Mick's favorite meal, spaghetti bolognese, which was delicious. Below, Pat and Joan are chatting, with Sherry and Sue in the background.

Chris and Mick
Joan and Sue
Just the guys, Dale, Randy, Pat, and Larry

Segundo is always there to help.

Karen, Chuck, Linda, Jenny, Karen, and Larry

Jeannie, Larry, and Nancy

Gabriella, Carlos, and Mick

Andres and Veronica

Patricia and Andres

Eduardo

Hank and Sherry

Tom and Karen

Dale and Joan

Larry and Karen

Chris and Larry

Linda and Jenny

Sue, Larry, and Jeannie

Chuck and Nancy

Karen
George

Randy and Karen

Pat

The Birthday Boy

Mick, Larry, and Pat

The ice cream cake from Monte Bianca. Because I didn't order in time, there were actually four small cakes.

Carol working with the candles.

George assisting with the task.

Blowing out the candles.

Mick sporting the traditional hat.

The Barrera family gave Mick a Panama hat.

Mick in his new hat.

Mick had a wonderful birthday! The California Kitchen was the perfect place to spend an evening with our great friends! How fortunate we are! Thanks so much to all of you.

Until next time,

Mick and Kathy

Happy Birthday, Mick

2011-09-13T04:00:00.002-04:00

In the scheme of ages and birthdays, some are more important than others. Of course the multiples of ten stand out. But then, there are others, turning 18, 21. Thirty is a problem for some, as is 50. Today, September 13, is an important birthday for Mick. He is 62 and after working for so many years, he is now eligible for social security. I hope this is a wonderful day for you. May we celebrate many more birthdays together in Cuenca.

Happy birthday to the love of my life!
Kathy

Tidbits of the Weekend

2011-09-11T22:58:00.005-04:00

We had a bit of a windstorm on Friday, which downed a tree across the river, damaging the house and fence in the picture. The tree was removed quickly.

Afterwards, we had rainbows.

Friday night we went to Lucas y Truus for hotdogs. This is one of their dogs, complete with chili.

We invited Lena and her children to join us for the dogs. Here's Lena, Leandro, Juan, and Jose. Nancy, notice the shirt that Jose is wearing, look familiar?

Jonathon

Saturday was Nick's 3rd birthday!

We shipped two Stiffel lamps without the shades and have been shadeless for the past year. With Dale's help, Mick found 2 shades at Commercial Solis on Sanguirima.

We picked up pictures that had been framed at An-Pi on Remigio Crespo and Mick mounted them. The result was quite nice.

Sunday we made our way to the Kookaburra for breakfast. Here are Chris and Larry.
Parque Calderon was busy.
There was a new entertainer at the Cathedral.Weekends have always been fun, especially in Cuenca. It's a time to catch up on little things that you need to do. You never know what you'll find.

Until next time,

Mick and Kathy

Restaurants of Cuenca We Frequent

2011-09-10T17:27:00.007-04:00

Although we cook quite a bit at home, we also eat out quite a bit. Cuenca has many restaurants, some good, others much less desirable. If you're on a quick visit here, you really don't have the time to decide what might be good or bad. Mick and I sat down and thought of the places that we frequent so they're listed in the order of which we thought of them.

The California Kitchen
Owned and operated by the Evans family, the California Kitchen is located at the corner of Sanguarima and Borrerro. The Kitchen offers comfort food which includes steak sandwiches and the best burgers in Cuenca. Lunch is served Tuesday – Saturday. Seafood specials are offered on Thursday night with a different special on Friday night. Gringo Night is Friday at 5PM with Happy Hour specials and full bar service. Breakfast is served on Saturday mornings with a weekly breakfast special, country sausage, Virginia ham, biscuits, and gravy. If you’re missing home cooking from the States, come to the Kitchen. George and Carol are always happy to see you. If you’re new in town, it’s a good place to meet others. Each week, Carol and Susie send an email with their weekly specials if you'd like to receive the email, let them know. To contact them, it's carolinecuador@hotmail.com .

The Coffee Tree
Located at the corner of Calle Larga and Borrerro, the Coffee Tree offers outside seating and excellent coffee. It’s a good place to people watch. There is a complete food menu and bar menu. Open from 9AM – midnight.

La Esquina
La Esquina is so named because it is located on the corner of Calle Larga and Hermano Miguel. Fabian Spahr, owner/chef, prepares various dishes “al disco” in the Argentine style. The tiestos have delicious sauces. The setting is small and cozy and reservations are a good idea. Food is similar to Tiestos, only better. Fabian was the professor of Juan Carlos of Tiestos. It is evident who was the teacher. For reservations, cal 07-2845-344.

Good Affinity
Good Affinity is a vegetarian restaurant at the corner of Gran Colombia and Capulies. Yes, I said vegetarian, which we are not, but the food is so good with an Asian flair that we frequent it regularly. Open only for lunch, the lunch combo which includes juice, soup, and either fried rice or lo mein is $3.

Mangiare
Mangiares , located at the the corner of Estival Toral and Simon Bolivar, has good Italian food, service, and coffee. The risotto is great! It’s a beautiful restaurant.

La Parillada de Hector
Located on the autopista 300 meters south of Mall del Rio, the Argentine style restaurant sits up on a hill with a great view of the city. Service is good, the lomo fino tender.

Chicago Pizza
The pizza is the best you can get in Cuenca in MY opinion. Located on Gran Colombia near Santo Domingo, the pizzas are large, inexpensive with good quality ingredients and a tasty crust. I find this to be superior to Pizza Hut. Mick disagrees with this one.

La Herraduras, La Parillada, La Che Pibe
I clumped these three together because there is no distinguishing qualities among them. They are all parillas in essentially the same areas and the food is comparable in quality and price. El Che Pibe is at Remigio Crespo 2-19. La Parillada is at Remigio Tamariz 2-25 y Federico Proano. La Herradura is at Av. Remigio Romero 3-57 y Remigio Crespo.

El Rincon de Lucas y Truus
On Ordonez Lasso across from La Palerma, Lucas has the best hot dogs in town. They cost $1 and come with chili., If you're going for the dogs, bring your own chips. Papas are not served in any shape, form, or fashion. We also take sauerkraut for the dogs. He offers a nightly special and is only open in the evenings. It has the air of a neighborhood restaurant.

Fogo
Fogo is located on the way to Turi on top of the gym. It has a spectacular view, with balcony seating with heaters and good steak sandwiches and nachos.

KFC
KFC is basically the same as in the US. Other items are offered such as menestra and soft serve ice cream. If you order the bucket, you may or may not get white meat, if you ask specifically for white meat, it still means nothing. They use what they have cooked until they run out. If you want to be assured of white meat, order the pechugones, which are large chunks of breast, cooked as needed, or alitas, the wings. KFC can be found at Millenium Plaza, Mall del Rio, Miraflores Shopping.

Burger King
If you need a fast food burger fix, you can dine with the king. This is the same as the US. Millenium Plaza and Mall del Rio have BK.

Pizza Hut
Mick and I disagree on pizza in Cuenca. He prefers Pizza Hut. The menu is more extensive and better than the ones in the US. It is easily accessible on Remigio Crespo y Federico Proano, with plenty of parking.

El Jardin
El Jardin is on the bottom floor of Hotel Victoria on Calle Larga. It is owned by the Ventimilla family, is a beautiful restaurant with a marvelous view. The food is good and reasonably priced.

Kookaburra Café
Chris and Jenny are always welcoming at their café on Calle Larga between Padre Aguirre and Benigno Malo. Excellent coffee, they serve breakfast and lunch, Thursday – Sunday. This is a good place to meet other gringoes.

The Chinese Restaurants
Chifa Asia, Chifa Casa China, Chifa Fortuna, are all on Remigio Crespo, and Chifa Dong Fang on Unidad Nacional y Gran Colombia are all about the same. The wonton soup is good at all of them, but it pretty much ends there. They all seem to be light on the soy sauce and seasoning.

Nori Wok
Nori Wok has a limited Asian menu of stir fried dishes, but all are tasty. Reasonable, nice setting, and located on Luis Moreno Mora y Cornelio Merchan.

The Red Crab
The Red Crab is the best seafood place in the city. They offer a variety of innovative seafood dishes in a beautiful setting with excellent service. It is on Luis Moreno Mora across from Los Cebiches de la Ruminhui.

Mansion Alcazar
This is the place to celebrate that special occasion. The gardens are magnificent and the ambiance beyond reproach. The executive chef, Clayton Carnes is from Florida. They trip over themselves as they take care of your every need. The food is excellent, but a little pricey. It is located on Bolívar 12-55 y Tarqui.

Villa Rosa
This is another special occasion restaurant. It is also famous for its "fenestra" which is the soup eaten around Easter. Owned by the Vintimilla family, the food is quite good, ambiance is running out the door. Located at Gran Colombia 12-22, it is a great place to go for lunch also.

Raymipampa
Located on Luis Cordero across from the square, this is definitely a tourist place. Go in and have a bowl of locro criollo, the potato soup. It is excellent.

La Terrace
This is a nice restaurant with easy parking located at the stadium. The food is good and there is a terrace and smoking is allowed.

Zoca
Zoca, very contemporary in appearance, is on Miguel Cordero. The Ecuadorian restaurant has delicious entrees (Mick, Hank, and Sherry all had the special which was lomo fino in a mushroom sauce with langostinos that was yummers). Despite the great entrees, the coffee was undrinkable and the desserts were lacking. So if you're going to skip coffee and dessert, it's a good place to go.

Nikita Bistro
This restaurant is also at Millenium Plaza. It has patio seating and a varied menu. Everything we've had has been good.

Remember, this list is our opinion and you know what they say about opinions. If you find that some are missing, we've probably been there, given it a fair chance and no longer go there for some reason or other. Bon appetit!

Until next time,
Mick and Kathy

New Kids on the Block

2011-09-09T17:23:00.002-04:00

Over a year ago I was contacted via the blog by someone in Baltimore. During the months, this lady, Jeannie and I have stayed in touch and this week, her months of planning came to fruition. Jean and Larry arrived in Cuenca on Tuesday. Mick and I picked them up at the airport and have shown them around a bit. Here are Mick, Larry, and Jeannie at the Coffee Tree.
We've introduced them to some of our friends and shown them some of our favorite restaurants. Having had lunch at the Kitchen, here's Jeannie having dinner at Mangiare's.

Although the usuals are still weaving these, there are some new kids on the block. Joannie was busy with yarn while Sue dropped by to chat with everyone.

It was tea time and Maruhita was taking a break.

One of the new kids is Brennie. Here she is working on her scarf.

The other new kid is Karen; she just finished her beautiful shawl as Patricia is giving final instructions.

It's always so nice to finally meet someone that you've only been e-mailing. It's also great to see your friends finally doing something that they've wanted to do but never had the time. That's one of the great things about retirement.

Until next time,

Mick and Kathy

Of This and That

2011-09-03T22:07:00.009-04:00

Things have been busy, as usual, in Cuenca. The weather has been a bit chilly, but we've been using our heaters. Thursday night there was another earthquake that was a bit stronger than usual, 4.9, it even rattled the wine glasses in the rack and the shower doors. But life goes on, quickly.

Bob and Elaine were recently back for a visit to check on their new apartment. We always enjoy spending time with them and they hope to move in before the end of the year.
The building which houses the California Kitchen has recently been renovated for a new hotel, Los Balcones and there was a grand opening bash for it. Here are Mick and Larry.

The place was packed.

Mick and Linda

Pete and Jim

The Grimms and the Woods

We're at Plazoleta de La Merced quite a bit. There was a special mass for the nuns.

Waiting for the bread tickets at La Merced

A new street performer on Av. Espana. Robocop?

Susie, Fannie, and Diana

Mick and Fannie

Karen was celebrating her birthday at the Kitchen.

Last Sunday morning as we were finishing breakfast, there was a procession of a virgin on the street below.

This morning, we went down to the Coffee Tree and there was much activity at Plazoleta de La Merced. The military band was performing as a group of Cuencanos cleaned graffiti off the walls.

Even the lamp posts were being spruced up. The young lady doing the sprucing was a tad short and so Mick assisted.

Joan, Mick, and Dale

Juan

Even for the non-Catholic and non-religious, you have to admire the extensive artistry of the churches of Cuenca. This is one of the door panels of La Merced.

The interior panels

Tile work

The ceilings are made of wood with paintings.

As we were admiring the interior through the gates, we were asked to come inside by a worker who was preparing for a wedding.

This afternoon, we went to Multicines at Millenium Plaza to see "Hereafter". The snacks were yummers, the movie was slow. A portion of the movie is set in Paris; therefore, part of the dialogue was in French, with Spanish subtitles. Mick commented that it's the pits when they throw in a third language. We managed to make it through the movie; although Mick did have a short nap. Afterwards, we returned to the Coffee Tree for coffee. It was time for the wedding. These young ladies and gentleman were happy to pose for the camera.

The wedding car arrived with the bride.

The processional was already underway.

The wedding began at 5:30, guests were still arriving at 6:10. Some folks are just fashionably late. Practically every weekend there are weddings at the church and they're all beautiful.

Mick just informed me that the temperature is 50 degrees and still dropping. We're in our coldest time of the year. A winter here beats winter anywhere else. It's almost spring.

Until next time,

Mick and Kathy

No Time for Boredom

2011-08-11T14:29:00.002-04:00

When Mick began talking about retiring, he was always asked, "won't you be bored?" His reply was always, "I'll find something to do." In Cuenca, you find there is no time for boredom. You at last have the time to do the things for which there was never enough time. For me, that includes cooking, it was just quicker to grab a carry out in the old world. Cooking brings up one of Mick's favorite pastimes, which is socializing. He always says that if we go to the effort of cooking, others should be here to enjoy it.

Mick has always been a people person. He not only enjoys having our friends over, but his morning is not complete without a visit to the Coffee Tree, where he and his buds congregate. He equates it to the Old Farts Coffee Clubs at Hardees and also adds that he never thought he'd be participating; however, time does that to you.

The socializing continues past our home and the Coffee Tree and into the homes of our friends. You find that everyone who wants to be social can find their niche. Sunday we were invited to a great breakfast at Linn and Cardell's home. Here are Linn, Cardell, and Mick on their lovely patio.

Angie and Linn
Mick and Jim

We finally have a new additon to our family. After month's of changing feeders and having an occasional passerby, we finally have a hummer that has staked out our feeder. He visits continuously and also sits by it and guards it. We call him "Sugar" and he has a family.

We were contacted recently by some folks from California that were going to be visiting and they arrived last week. John and Robin Hand arrived last week, bearing dried lima beans and this beautiful table runner. Robin is a quilter and this is gorgeous.

Here is a closeup of the detail.

Here we all are at Good Affinity.

And then, John and Robin without the pole.

We've had lovely visits with them and they love Cuenca. Retirement will be here quicker than you think, guys!

Cuenca meets our needs. We have time to do what we enjoy and continue to meet great new friends along the way. There is no time for boredom.

Until next time,

Mick and Kathy

Just Pictures

2011-08-09T14:47:00.005-04:00

Dale, Joan, and Mick at a picanteria on Don Bosco. Yummers!

Angie learned to crochet a couple of weeks ago and is working on an afghan.

Roy and Marcia Hasseltine visited Cuenca for a month. While here, Marcia learned to weave, made beautiful things and took a loom back to Florida. Here is Marcia at her loom.

There was a kid's craft camp at Distribuidora Barrerra.

Patricia, the master weaver

Mick and Nikolas on a chilly day at Parque Calderon.

Lena modeling her new shawl

A pig cooking at La Parillada de Hector.

Our dinner

Roy and Marcia

Dale and Joan

Jim and Angie

Mick and Nikolas

Lena's sons, Juan, Jose, and Jonathon, enjoying salchipapas after shopping for school uniforms at Feria Libre.

Richard and Amy Griffin are visiting from Charlotte. We met them before moving.

We've met some lovely people through are blog, but I don't always get the pictures on in a timely fashion. It was time to do some sharing.

Until next time,

Mick and Kathy

Another Adventure with the Barnes

2011-08-08T13:09:00.006-04:00

When you go on an excursion, you assume that you will return, you're just not sure when or in what state. Jim loves to drive on the back roads, the bumpier the better. On a recent Sunday morning, we left with dual thermoses of hot coffee and munchies.

We left Primero de Mayo for the road to San Joaquin. For those who don't know, Cuenca has a golf club, which can be found turning left off the San Joaquin road. After passing the club, the road became bumpier. We also experienced "gridlock".

We continued on our way and Jim saw a tree being taken down by a group of hombres. His curiosity got the best of him. He stopped the car and went over to take a look. The alarm system in the Barnes' vehicle has always had a bit of a flaw. We first experienced it on a trip to Ingapirca when Dale and Joan were visiting. It seems that if you open a door while the engine is engaged, the alarm sounds and the engine shuts down. There we were in the middle of no where with the alarm blasting. It finally cycled down; however, when attempting to start the car, the alarm would start up again.

The people who were cutting the tree, came over and offered to call a mechanic. In the meantime, a Nutrileche truck came by and attempted to help. This is the Nutrileche guy.

The milk man finally gave up and went on his way. Time passed. It began to rain. Mick's window was down and it was raining in the car. The battery had been disconnected in order to stop the noise. Since we had been indulging in nice, hot coffee, Mother nature began to call. Mick was a real Ecuadorian trooper. Jim had gone fishing. Angie and I decided that it was our turn, but couldn't go just anywhere, in that the river and people were on one side, and a pasture on the other side of the car. We got out and walked up the road where we found an alcove in the side of the steep hill that was suitable for our needs. Just as Angie was taking care of business, a truck came our way, being the good friend that I am, I stood in front of her. We got back to the car, had more coffee, Mick had hung his raincoat over the window. What could we do, but laugh and wait.

The mechanic finally arrived (we had been sitting there a couple of hours. It took him about 5 minutes and we were on our way with a disconnected alarm. This is the mechanic.

We continued on to Soldados, which is a small puebla, up in the hills. This is the church in Soldados.

As we continued, we ran into another entrance to the park. We were charged $1 each for entry by the fellow below.

The entrance.

It was cloudy and rainy, but the views were still spectacular.

We encountered a family, whose story we don't know. They were wet, with no sign of transportation.

We had to drive across the stream.

After returning to the city and having a quick rest, it was time for dinner at La Esquina.

It's always an adventure living here.

Until next time,

Mick and Kathy

El Agave

2011-08-07T09:31:00.004-04:00

While living in the old country, our favorite restaurant was Azteca, in north Charlotte. We also frequented a couple other Mexican restaurants closer to our house, and additionally, Denis was a superb cook and would treat us with her homemade tortillas, tacos, and tamales. Then, we moved....

Since arriving in Ecuador, we've been on a quest for comida mexicana. We've tried El Pedrigal Azteca on Gran Columbia Pronto Taco at the stadium, and El Mordida on Luis Moreno Mora. Of the 3, Pronto Taco has decent flour tortillas; however, we've never returned. The other two were simply extremely bad.

Although Denis gave me Mexican cooking lessons prior to our departure, I haven't had the courage to attempt the task.

Last night, at the suggestion of our neighbors, Dek and Val, we made our way to El Agave. Take the Panamerican highway south as if you're going to Yungilla. About a mile past the traffic circle for Loja-Giron, the restaurant is on the left, a lovely brick building, marked by this sign at the entrance.

The restaurant is owned by a couple, Flavio, who is Cuencano, and his wife, Nelle, who is from Mexico City. Their children, Nitza and Jason, assist with service. They've lived in New York for a number of years, so all speak great English.

Nelle, Flavio, Jason, and Nitza
The food was incredible! The tacos met the bar! Enchiladas were served with salsa verde. Nachos were authentic. The tortillas were fresh and crispy.

The restaurant is rustic, reminiscent of a hunting lodge, with furnishings of split logs. There's a large fireplace with a mounted deer head and the walls are filled with fishing equipment. The restrooms were spotless.

The food was delicious and well worth the drive out (the bus to Giron passes buy, so if you're carless, this is an option). The family was warm and friendly and provided impeccable service. Flavio even invited the guys to go fishing with him.

Restaurant hours are: Monday 11AM-2PM
Tuesday-Thursday 11AM-6PM
Friday-Saturday
Sunday 10AM-6PM

Tom, Karen, Mick, Jim, and Angie, with our new friends

At last, Mexican food in Cuenca!

Until next time,
Mick and Kathy

A New Blog

2011-08-06T09:32:00.004-04:00

Our friends, Dale and Joan visited us back in February and were enamored with Cuenca. They went home, packed and sold, and made it back in record time. They have now joined the ranks of other expats and have a new blog, "Retirement: Plan B". It can be found at http://daleandjoan.blogspot.com/. It will tell of their adventures in beginning a new life here. Dale was a photographer in his previous life in the old world and has great pictures to share.

They are finding their place in Cuenca and loving it! Take a look at their blog. Here's Dale and Joan at the Coffee Tree.

Until next time,
Mick and Kathy

At the Movies

2011-08-01T17:44:00.002-04:00

Mick and I have always loved going to the movies; living in Cuenca has not changed that. Periodically, depending on what's playing, we go to the movies at Millenium Plaza. In addition to Millenium Plaza, there is a Multicines complex at Mall del Rio.

Going to the movies here can be done for a fraction of the cost of the US. The normal price of a ticket is $4.60. If you are 65 or older, the cost is $2.30. With the use of a Multicines card, which costs $7 ($3.50 if you pay for it with you Pichincha card) and lasts 2 years, the price is less. Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, the price is $2.99 each. On Wednesday, it's 2 for $2.99. The schedule changes for Friday and you can check the schedule on-line at www.multicines.com.ec. The site gives the schedule, synopsis, and if the movie is in Spanish or subtitled; if subtitled, the speaking is in English or another foreign language and subtitled in Spanish.

You can get refreshments without taking out a home loan. The big combo is 2 footlongs, grande popcorn, 2 medium sodas for $10. Leave off the dogs and it's $6. The popcorn is scrumptious!

We decided to treat Lena and her children to a movie. With school vacation in process, there are lots of kiddie flicks out. The kid's movies are always in Spanish. Transformers 3 has been playing, which seemed like the kind of movie little boys would enjoy.

The only showings on Saturday were at 11:15 AM and 8:20 PM. We told Lena that we would meet at 10AM, have something to eat and send them off to the movie. It was actually about 10:15, although early for lunch, the boys wanted KFC. I headed to BK for Lena's and mine, and Mick headed to KFC. This is Juan and Jonathon looking like kings, dining on KFC.

Jose
Lena and Leandro

Not exactly Mick's idea of breakfast, but he's flexible.

After a spectacular meal, we headed off to Multicines. However, there was a problem. It seems that in Ecuador, because Transformers is an action movie (too much violence) you must be 12 in order to see it. It makes no difference that the child is accompanied by a parent. Well, if you're 11 and 7, there's not much to see. You're too young for Harry Potter, as well. The only other option was a Jim Carey movie, rated R; go figure. So, we got tickets for Los Pinguinos de Poppi. We got them popcorn, drinks, candy, a small popcorn for us for the road and we were off. As we left everyone was smiling, waiting for the penquins.

Sometimes we take little things for granted, like going to the movies. It's always a treat for us, but for some, it's a REAL TREAT.

Until next time,

Mick and Kathy

Everything Works Out the Way It's Suppose To

2011-07-18T14:21:00.002-04:00

When we found our apartment a little over a year ago, we knew that it was the place for us. Although we had decided that we would rent, we wanted to buy, but the owner would not sell at that time. Everything always works out the way it's suppose to; I've seen this over and over, including now.

A couple of weeks ago, we were presented with the new rules and regulations of our building. Included in the new rules is one which prohibits pets. For those who currently have pets, they can stay; however, the pets must be registered with the administrator. Registration involved supplying multiple documents, including vet records and a photo. Additionally, you can not add another pet and in the event of the death of your pet, you can not replace him.

Everything does work out for the best and had we bought,we would be a bit stressed knowing that we could never have another puppy. Our building is in its second year of occupancy, and the new regulations were just legalized last month. For those who purchase, especially purchase hastily, you may not be getting what you think you're getting.

Everything works out for the best.

Until next time,
Mick and Kathy

El Hato

2011-07-16T09:27:00.006-04:00

Recently Mick, Pat, Sue, and I took a little road trip to Hosteria El Hato, located off the road to Loja at mile marker 35. The drive is lovely. The entrance is marked by a sign that marks the turn. After turning you wind down a narrow road for about a mile.

The views are spectacular.

There are many exotic birds, including ostriches.

This building houses the eventos area and pool.

The pool.

There are many exotic birds including a number of varieties of pheasants and chickens.

The grounds and gardens are quite lovely.

The fireplace in the sala.

The veranda overlooking the garden.

More of the garden area.

One of the suites, complete with jacuzzi, $35 per night.

An Andean orchid.

The proprietors, Veronica and Pablo, are residents of Cuenca and commute to the hosteria. They're very hospitable and accommodating. We were too early for lunch and were provided with coffee, homemade breads, cheese, and jams, all of which were delicious. It is well worth the drive.

Remember to dress warmly. We were dressed for Cuenca weather and about froze our buns off, so the roaring fire in the dining room fireplace was most inviting. If you feel the need to get out of the city for a few hours, head down to El Hato.

Until next time,

Mick and Kathy

Happy Birthday, Sue!

2011-07-10T12:13:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, Sue celebrated her 29th birthday! We helped celebrate last night at La Esquina...great company and a great dinner. Just as we were coming out of the restaurant, a fireworks display, complete with castillos and a band began. What an incredible ending for your birthday! Good job, Pat!
Happy birthday, Sue! We wish you many more happy birthdays in Cuenca.

Until next time,
Mick and Kathy

Legally Driving Again

2011-07-01T17:54:00.002-04:00

Just a note. After having attended driving school almost 2 months ago, I decided it was time to take the plunge and join the other drivers of Cuenca. This morning I went to the national transit police, took the exam, paid $38, and received my new Ecuadorian drivers license. *Since Mick got his in March, the transit office has moved and the test is now administered via computer.

Until next time,
Mick and Kathy

And Life Goes On

2011-06-24T18:01:00.006-04:00

It has been almost a month since the previous post. Although I don't won't to give the impression that life is mundane or repetitious, but we continue to do the things that we enjoy. Mick enjoys reading and is one of Amazon's best customers; also, his day is incomplete without a visit to the coffee tree. We continue to have people over for dinner, but find it unnecessary to comment on every meal that is prepared. Over the last few weeks, we have met some lovely folks visiting Cuenca, have seen several of our friends leave for vacation to various countries and others return to their new home. Life goes on, regardless of where you live. We are continuing our lives as retirees.

Last week, Mick and I went to Quito to apply for his social security benefits. Pat and Sue graciously agreed to stay at our apartment with Nikolas. He was well cared for and even more spoiled when we returned. A BIG thank you to both of them; we were completely at ease. Daniel Arroyo is the benefits liason for Ecuador and accepts phone calls between 8 and 10AM, Monday-Thursday. He has window hours on Tuesday and Wednesday from 1:30-3:30.

We took an early flight to Quito, checked in the Hilton and then checked out Mr. Bagel. Mick has missed bagels and delighted in going to the bagel shop located on Av. Portugal y 6 de Dicembre.

The embassy in Quito was a bit different than other embassies we've visited. Everyone we encountered was Ecuadorian. Instead of showing our US passports and entering, we had to stand in line with everyone else. It was first come, first served. Everything was taken care of quickly. Upon finishing, I reclaimed my cell phone and camera. Upon reaching the street to hail a taxi, I turned around and took a picture. I was then descended upon by three guards who seized my camera and erased the picture of the embassy, along with some that were already on the camera. What a great place! After we drove off, Mick stuck the camera out of the window and took these not so impressive shots, but I'm posting them, just because.

We had fun shopping and picking up some things that are unavailable in Cuenca. Jim and Angie had returned the day before from Canada. We met them at the airport. Welcome back, guys.

On Friday night, we attended the symphony, which is an excellent organization, although the musical selection, was less than appealing, contemporary Russian. There was a small following in attendance.
Nikolas became ill on Saturday. After calling our groomer's husband, who is a large animal vet, on Sunday, he began meds. On Monday, we were off to Clinica Mora. Dr. Mora deals only with cats and dogs, was educated at Ohio State and speaks perfect English. He was so gentle with our baby and spent about 45 minutes with us. It took a couple more days, but he is normal again, but still taking the meds; he had gastritis. Dr. Mora has called twice since his visit. We highly recommend him.

Tuesday was Angie's birthday. For her 39th birthday, the four of us celebrated at Fogo. In addition to the circulating hat, they supplied their version.

Fogo is a lovely restaurant on the way to Turi, overlooking the city. Food is excellent, service is impeccable.

On Wednesday, the weavers again celebrated Angie's birthday with a party.

The weavers.

Life goes on! We continue our daily routines, visiting friends, and enjoying our lives in Cuenca.

Until next time,
Mick and Kathy

May 29

2011-06-01T13:12:00.002-04:00

Sunday was May 29. As with each day, many births and events occur. May 29 is the day on which Ecuador became independent in 1922. Also, the first running of the Indy 500, the declaration from the US Supreme Court stating that baseball is a sport and not a business, and Michael Jackson's attempt to purchase the Elephant Man all occurred on May 29. A number of famous people were born on this date, including, President John F. Kennedy, Bob Hope, LaToya Jackson, and Melissa Etheridge. Many ordinary folks were hatched on this day, including myself.

After 55 years, I was surprised with a fiesta at the California Kitchen. Carol and Susie out-did themselves with a scrumptious meal of lasagna. (When you see it as a special, go!) Friends, food, Mick, and Nick, what more could I ask for on my birthday?

Mick had the camera and took a few pictures. There were even balloons.

The birthday girl, Sue, Pat, Hank, and George

Lyn and Cardell

Rod, Carlos, Susie, George, and Carol

Frances, Linda, Hank, Sherry, Pat, Sue, Larry, Brennie

Brenda and I are both wearing hats.

Mick, Nikolas, and the birthday girl

The party's over.

What a great way to spend a birthday! It was incredible, even more so in that it was a SURPRISE! I am so grateful to have Mick and such wonderful friends. Carol, Susie, George, and Jim took their day off to do this; I can't thank them enough! It was the best!

Until next time,

Mick and Kathy

Happenings

2011-05-23T14:35:00.008-04:00

Several weeks ago there was a blog regarding Nikolas' need for dog food from the States. People have been so kind in responding. One of the couples that visited with Iams in hand was Jo and Dan. We had a lovely time with them. They visited many places in Ecuador and left Cuenca for Banos.

Group picture minus Mick.

On Friday, we took a little trip to Ingapirca. This was our 4th time there and the weather was wonderful.
This plant is prevalent in the area. We were told that rohypnol (date rape drug) is made from this.

This area was once storage buildings.
Sue, Pat, Mick, and our guide, Carlos.

A replica of an Inca house.

This stone marks the summer solstice; the rays pass across the indention on top.

Ingapirca was originally a Canari settlement and then the Incas came in an attempt to conquer. So the ruins are of both civilizations. The stones used in the Canari structures are natural with mortar filling the gaps.

Current residents of Ingapirca.

The inner circle represents the moon, the outer, the sun. The Canaris worshipped the moon god, whereas, the Incas, the sun god.

Vistas from the temple.

Three interested tourists and one guide.

Llama poop.

Tools used for grinding corn.

A gutter system.

The Incan calendar consisted on 13 months with 28 days in each month. This is a monthly calendar. The rock contains 28 wells.

The stone was for the beheading of human sacrifices.

The Inca stones were more worked, with little or no mortar being used. This is the archway of a door.

Inside the same doorway. The stones are so perfect that no mortar is necessary.

The remains of the temple. It is speculated that the small alcoves, which would have been opposite the door, would have housed mirrors made of gold to illuminate the room with the reflected light from the doorway.

The larger alcoves were uniquely designed for acoustics. With an alcove on opposite sides, the priest and chieftan would stand in their respective alcoves and quietly discuss issues at hand. The design allows only the person in the other alcove to hear, therefore, preventing guards outside the open doorway and others from hearing the matters being discussed. Sue and Pat demonstrated the technique.

More views from the temple.

Pat, Sue, and Carlos.

The statue in the puebla of Ingapirca.

On Friday night, we were going to the Coffee Tree at Plazoleta La Merced and passed a wedding about to begin.

Jo, Sue, Pat, Mick, Nikolas, and Dan at the Coffee Tree.

On Sunday evening, we were graced with more Iams from visitors to Cuenca. We had a lovely evening at our home with some regulars plus those visiting. Below is Paul and Pam from Myrtle Beach.

David and Elke live in Germany, visited Texas, found the Iams, took it back to Germany, and then brought it here. We really appreciated the determination.

We have met some lovely people after having published Nick's blog and are so appreciative of everyone of them. Hopefully, all have had a great time visiting our little country of Ecuador.

Until next time,
Mick and Kathy

Retirement Is Tough

2011-05-19T14:34:00.005-04:00

For those who have blogs, you know how time consuming it can be. Being retired is an extremely busy life. With cooking, weaving, socializing, knitting, more cooking, more socializing, drinking coffee at the Coffee Tree with Mick, more cooking, more drinking coffee at the coffee shop with Mick, sometimes there's just not enough time for blogging. Retirement is tough. This week, I've made it a point to play catch up, again.

Recently, Bob and Elaine Cerwin were back in town to check on the progress of their apartment which is in the building being constructed beside us. Here's Bob and Mick on the terrace.

Hank and Bob about to chow down on burgers by Mick.
Elaine and Sherry with the new building in the background.

We helped celebrate Jim and Selene's 10th anniversary at La Vinoteca.

One morning at the Coffee Tree, Jim had forgotten his cap, so he simply did what some of the Cuencanas do.

Saturday there was a roadtrip to Gualaceo and Chordeleg with the Woods. Nikolas needed a potty break, so Pat and Mick checked out the river in Gualaceo.

Pat, Sue, and Mick

There was a parade in Gualaceo honoring the 50th anniversary of the Polytecnica high school. This is one of the marching bands. The parade route was probably 2 miles long, marching in high heels.

The military ensemble.

Someday, they will regret the heels.

The beginning of the float.

The float

Marching also were representatives of ALL the classes.

Freddy, a friend of Mick's from driving school, was in it. He's in the white shirt, jacket and sunglasses, no hair.

More alumni.

The final band was of the recorder variety.

You never know when you're going to see a parade.

Things have been busy for Mick and me; however, while everything is happening in Cuenca, our friends, Jim and Angie, are away in Canada. We're waiting for their return.

Jim and Angie having fun in Peachland.

Until next time,

Mick and Kathy

Driving Miss Kathy

2011-05-18T14:15:00.003-04:00

Often times in life it is imperative to do things that we really don't want to do. A couple of weeks ago, such a situation arose. In that my NC drivers license will be expiring shortly, Mick felt that I must acquire Ecuadorian license. Included in the various documents that are required, is a certificate from a driving school (escuela de conduccion).

Driving has never been my forte. Considering my past driving record and personality change when behind the wheel, I've been quite content being chauffered by the Mickster, who by the way is an excellent driver. I, on the other hand, have never quite mastered that ability.

I received my first driver's license at the age of 14. Just prior to obtaining that valuable piece of paper, I had my first accident. Of course, it was not my fault. Of course, I had no licensed driver in the car, only a friend. To my good fortune, the highway patrolman who worked the accident was a friend of Daddy's and failed to include some of those vital facts. I cried and carried on, wet my pants, got sympathy from Mother and Daddy, the car was repaired (a 1968 Ford Fairlane), and life went on. There were several more before meeting Mick.

Mick was not quite as sympathetic when it came to my accidents. He never believed that it was someone else's fault and with one of my vehicles, he simply stopped having it repaired.

It seems that I'm a somewhat aggresive driver, which has been a problem. I have been flipped off, followed and cursed out a number of times, and also had quite a few tickets. All of this resulted in expenditures and reprimands from my husband. Most of these incidents were caused by my extremely poor eye-hand coordination (Mick discovered many years ago to never toss anything to me) and the fact that I usually get really pissed off when I drive. Welcome to Ecuador. I figure that I'll blend right in; however, Mick thinks that I could very well injure myself. Tranquillo, tranquillo.

Considering that Mick and Jim were successful alumni of ANETA, it seemed logical to follow suit. My classes began on April 30. Day 1 was first aid and psychological videos...road rage...none of me. Mick took me over to ANETA on Ordonez Lazo to find that it was empty. There was a fellow that he knew who informed us that it had moved. Clarke and Brenda arrived at about the same time and joined us in the ride to the new facility on the road to San Joaquin. It seemed that everyone else knew about the move because there were many students there. Someone had failed to call the gringoes. Day 2 was mechanics. Car mechanical stuff is just as boring in Spanish as English and every car part was mentioned. The actual classes and practical were Monday through Friday, with the exams on Friday.

My driving time was 6AM until 9AM. When Mick took the class, he went to Azogues, Tarqui, etc. I went downtown. I drove in circles; it was brutal. Everyday, Mick would help with questions, checking my answers. The next day in class, we were not given the correct answers.

The fleet of cars prior to being checked out for the day in the parking lot of ANETA.

I was very leary of the driving test, in that it was a weakness. However, I passed with 18 out of 20 whatevers. The written test was different. I don't think grad school was as difficult and I was far less nervous with the PRAXIS. The setting was not conducive to test taking. The instructor, Ivan, was at the door laughing with a female employ and there was much talking and cheating occurring; however, I guess that was OK. The Spanish was OK also; however, there were questions I didn't have a clue as to the answer, English or Spanish. We had been told that there would be no questions on 2 of the chapters. LIE! I missed passing by 1 question.

I called Mick and told him that I had failed. "How could you have failed???? We went over every question!" I cried,"there were questions I'd never seen and I didn't have a clue!"

When I got home, "show me the questions!" I looked and looked in the test bank. My test had questions also from those 2 chapters that we didn't touch. The one that comes to mind is what you do when a tire blows out. Calling AAA was not an option. I had been told that I could retake the test the following Friday; they only test on Fridays.

Mick told me to get my butt back out there and complain; which I did. I was told that I could take the test on Monday morning.

So after ruining the family name and going through a weekend of embarrassment, I retested on Monday morning and achieved 19 out of 20, in Spanish, with no help. It was anticlimactic considering it was a do-over.

When the certificate arrives from Quito, I will then take the government test for the license. Anyway, it's done and I won't have to take it again. Those cab drivers don't know what they're in for.

Until next time,

Mick and Kathy

A Time for Celebrating!

2011-05-17T14:32:00.005-04:00

Saturday night was a special night for several of our dear friends; it was the one year anniversary of the opening of the California Kitchen. The Kitchen is owned and operated by the Evans family, with Carol and George leading the way. The restaurant has been important in the gringo community as a gathering place and a source of information. Congratulations on a successful first year!

The lovely meal was begun with an antipasta plate.

Guests had previously selected their entree. Mick and I both had Kung Pao Chicken, which is always delicious.

In addition to the anniversary of the restaurant, it was also Jim's 70th birthday. The hat was passed on.Part of our table.

The other side of the table with Carol at the end with Mick.

Jim was landing on 70.

Linda and Mick

Linda and Larry

Frances Jenny and Donna
Jason and Chris
Hank and Sherry

Shelly and Rod
Judith and Dori
Jim and Selene
Phillip and Judith
Phillip and Judith were visiting Cuenca on vacation and were gracious to bring dog food for Nikolas. We had a lovely time with them and are expecting them to return in the late fall.

Everyone had a great time. It was a genuine celebration with friends of the Evans family in attendance. The evening concluded with a salsa show. My apologies for having no pictures of the family and staff; however, when the opportunity presented itself for the picture, the camera died.

We are genuinely grateful for having George and Carol as friends. They are truly an integral part of life in Cuenca. If you're planning a visit to Cuenca, definitely make this a stopping point. They offer a smile, encouragement and a plate of comfort food that you may be missing.

Congratulations on your first year!

Until next time,

Mick and Kathy

Viernes Santo

2011-04-22T22:25:00.007-04:00

Viernes Santo, Good Friday, is a major holiday in Cuenca. Our plan was to go out for breakfast with Hank and then observe the processions. The restaurants that serve breakfast were closed so we ended up at Goda, the restaurant at Hotel El Dorado.

Goda serves a good and inexpensive breakfast buffet that is excellent. The buffet included breads, fruits, salsichas, bacon, eggs, and omelet bar. It is located on Gran Columbia.

While having breakfast, Mick was summoned to move the car and we heard music. The processional had begun depicting the stations of the Cross.Leading the procession were altar boys; some seemed a bit uninterested.

After the altar boys came the priest.

There was a large crowd.

There was also a soloist.

The religious statuary followed.

The final was the Crucifixion.

The processional was highly interesting. The morning was sunny for the event; however, the rain came in the afternoon as usual...perfect napping weather.

In the evening, we went to Jim and Silene's for a Venezuelan dinner, which was delicious. For dessert, Silene had prepared lemon flan, a favorite of Mick's.

Jim and Silene were gracious hosts and we had a lovely evening with them.

It was another great day in Cuenca!

Until next time,
Mick and Kathy

Rainbows and Celebrations

2011-04-21T22:11:00.007-04:00

One thing that has been consistent in the past week is rain. We have had massive downpours, but with all the rain comes the rainbow.

At weaving this week, Cumita showed off her finished shawl, quite elegant.
Maricita also tried it on.

Last week, a couple that had contacted us about food for Nikolas arrived in Cuenca on vacation from Fort Worth. On Saturday, we took Scott and Carolyn to Gualeceo and Chordeleg. We stopped by the recreation area on the river for Nikolas to take a potty break. The area is quite nice with sheltered picnic areas. Here is the statue guarding the area.

There is a stage with a beautiful mural that has been defaced by graffiti.

We had lunch at Barancuba in Gualeceo which has a very nice lunch. It is located on the main street. We've lunched there a number of times.

After lunch, we drove on to Chordeleg, which was having a celebration. There was a carnival with rides and food tents. Here are Scott and Carolyn.

There was a trolley for transportation.

Only locals, plus 4 gringoes were in attendance.

Carolyn tried huevitos Chileanos.

There were even barkers and games.

This little girl was hiding under the viewing stand of the parade.

These guys just wanted their picture taken.
The streets were adorned with balloon arches.
Scott and Carolyn departed on Thursday for the US. Prior to their departure, we had them for dinner, along with Hank and Sherry.
Scott and Carolyn, thanks so very much for adding a bag of crunchies in your luggage.
This has been a week of celebrations. Last week, there was the celebration of Cuenca and one also in Chordeleg, but we've also celebrated our daily accomplishments, new friends, and a bag of dog food. Celebrations, large and small, are the best in Cuenca.

Until next time,

Mick and Kathy

Many Thanks!

2011-04-13T15:38:00.002-04:00

A few days ago I wrote the story of Nikolas. We have had quite a response and are extremely grateful for the many kind people that will be visiting in the future and remembering Nick. For those who have contacted us, you're already on our calendar.

Again, many thanks!

Until next time,
Mick and Kathy

Catching Up with Pictures

2011-04-13T13:40:00.007-04:00

Usually the camera is handy, however, I'm a bit slack in posting some of the pictures. This is primarily some of the pictures of some of our encounters in our lives here. At just about any time you can expect a parade. This one was on Primero de Mayo, a recent Sunday morning.

We have new neighbors living below us. In addition to Hank and Sherry, there is Gixi, a pug, and Poobah, a neo mastif.

These were taken from our terrace.

In the ordeal of the legalities of driving, Mick met Alfredo, a Cuencano who has lived in Florida for many years. We had coffee one evening with his wife, Darcy, and another friend from the US, James. Darcy and Alfredo will eventually live in Cuenca.

Mick and Nick

Our grass gets cut once a month with weed eaters.

Lunch at Nori Wok.

The next few pictures of our cafecito at weaving.

Maricita had made a wonderful apple cake.

I made Lena, our housekeeper, a scarf. Here she is just after receiving it.

With all the rain we've had, there have also been rainbows. This was the view one afternoon from the terrace. Nick never wants to get up in the morning. Angie is showing off one of the treasures she made as a gift for family back in Canada. Jim and Angie left yesterday for Canada. Buen viaje! We're waiting for your return.

This afternoon we've had a Cuenca hail storm.

Life is good!

Until next time,

Mick and Kathy

The Story of Nikolas

2011-04-09T16:10:00.005-04:00

For those who know us, or simply follow our blog, you know that a most essential part of our lives is our tiny poodle, Nikolas. Nick is included in most things and if not, the scheduling revolves around him. This little guy came to us on March 19, 2009. It was one of thos incidents that was meant to be. Mick and I have always had dogs, always a major part of the family. In the 1984, our first poodle, Maggie came to us. Maggie was the poodle from hell, but we loved her. After more than 14 years of sharing our lives, Maggie passed April 17, 1999. The family was so sad, we knew that the only way to pull ourselves up was to get another poodle. We brought Jake home on July 5 (Mick got his last speeding ticket on the way home from Yadkinville, NC). Jake was a Daddy's boy. He was constantly with Mick. If Mick was out of town, Jake knew if a phone call was from Mick. While on a cruise, our puppy nanny fell on Jake, injuring his back. Jake never fully recovered, the damage to the back was always there, but our vet could usually get him over it by changing his meds. However, in February of 2009, his pain was excrutiating and we had to do the humane thing. Jake was put to sleep on February 25, 2009. I was holding him as I had done with Maggie.

Jake was a big boy, 16 pounds.

We were devastated after the loss of Jake and having gone through the loss of Maggie, we knew that we needed another puppy. We found a litter in Hickory and after seeing the sweet little guy below, we had a new focus. Nikolas came home with us and was an absolute delight. This was a picture that was sent to us before we bought him.

Nikolas was the perfect puppy. Only a few weeks after we brought him home, Mick called and said to come home immediately. On the way home he told me that Nikolas had hurt himself playing and was screaming. We rushed him to Stoney Creek and after examining him, Jill concluded that he had a congenital defect called Atlanto-Axial subluxation, which is a condition in which a neck ligament is missing, resulting in neck instability. An appointment was made with a neurologist for the following day. Because of his age, he would need to wear a neck brace for 2 months prior to surgery and then 4 months after surgery.

After a night of continuous screaming from our little one, we decided that it was unfair to put him through the pain and anguish. Nikolas was taken out of his pain on March 17, 2009. I held him also.

We had almost decided that it was not meant for us to have a puppy since we had put down two puppies in a month. Mick spent the day making phone calls to breeders and searching the internet. It seemed that there were no puppies available. We were heartbroken and had almost decided that it was not meant for us to be pet parents again. Mick made one more call. A breeder in Thomasville told him that she had one available. He was six months old, they had named him Emry and he was the runt, but she "had" to get rid of him. She sent a couple of photos. This is "Emry". "Emry" was very scruffy and scared to death of everything when we met him. He had spent his six months in a cage and had never been outside. Mick said that this was to be our new baby. I was not as accepting. On the way back to Charlotte, this little fellow trembled continuously. When we took him outside for the first time, he was uncertain of the grass and birds, everything frightened him. We knew that he was not an "Emry". We named him Nikolas II. He began daycare a month later after being neutered and has thrived. His doctor, Jill, at Stoney Creek commented that she knew that he would flourish with us and that he "sparkled".

The problem with Nikolas has been eating. Jill said that some dogs live to eat, which was Jake, and others eat to live, which is Nikolas. Nikolas has eating days and non-eating days. When he was in daycare, I would spend time in the floor every morning before work, coaxing him to eat. Small breeds can easily have low blood sugar and pass out. We would send him to daycare every morning with his lunch, that he may or may not eat. Many foods were tried, he simply didn't like any of it. He finally began eating one of the Science Diets OK. In preparing for our move, we already had a supply packed. While picking up Nick at daycare, I saw a sign that his food had been recalled. I had to unpack it and turn it in the next day.

We were concerned about what Nick was going to eat once again. After several days, the Iams rep said that Petsmart carried one of their foods that was quite similar to the Science Diet. We ran to Petsmart, got a bag and he LOVED it (on his eating days). Well, our supply is getting a little low. This is a request for anyone reading our blog that is planning a vacation soon to Cuenca. If you will stick a small bag of Iams Premium Protection in your suitcase, we will pay you for it, have you to our home for dinner, and also give you a city tour. Anyone that is willing to do this, please contact us at our email address. This is what the bag looks like and it weighs 5.5 pounds. This is Nikolas II now. With all the things that have happened to us in our lives, Mick and I both believe that everything happens for a reason, we may not know what it is at the time. Nick needed us as much as we needed him. He is a happy, sparkling Ecuadog. For those who are or have been pet parents, you fully understand our story. For those who are not animal lovers, my regrets. Until next time, Mick, Kathy, and Nikolas

A Saturday Adventure

2011-04-03T08:32:00.009-04:00

Saturday morning we set off with Jim and Angie in anticipation of a back road adventure. Our journey took us directly north of Cuenca, to the community of Chiquinta. The square has a church and also a statue of a cholla.

After passing through Chiquinta, we entered an area that is managed by the hidroelectric company. It is gated and requires a permit in order to enter. Upon entering, there are miles of large pipelines.

As you continue driving, you encounter a reservoir. It had begun to rain and had become a bit foggy, making the small dirt roads a bit treacherous.

Despite the inclimate weather, the views were incredible.

In addition to the miles of pipeline, there are miles and miles of concrete aquaducts for channeling the water to the reservoirs and on to Cuenca.

Some of the hillsides are sheer cliffs with little or no vegetation.

More pipelines.

The pipelines had a diameter of around 50 inches.

Our journey continued until we reached the end of the road, a dam, which seemed to have a height comparable to Hoover Dam.

Over the gorge was a foot bridge.

The water rushed through the valves of the dam.

The reservoir, Tanque de Tuni, was stunning.

Mick, Nikolas, Angie, and Jim.

There was some unusual vegetation.

We were a bit higher than Cuenca, the temperature was considerably cooler. Despite the altitude and temperature, it was time for a coffee break and some of Angie's mango scones.

The pipeline can be seen in the distance.

Some of the concrete work.

The valleys were beautiful.

There were many wildflowers.

This is the result of a large landslide.

Cuenca is in the distance.

This is Jose, the gatekeeper.

The vistas that we saw were some of the most beautiful that we've experienced here. The surrounding mountains have innumberable rivers that as a combined force, have a tremendous amount of power. The water in the reservoirs are used both as potable water and for the production of electricity for Cuenca. This was an unbelievable engineering feat and shows the resourcefulness of the Ecuadorian people. What a great adventure.

Until next time,

Mick and Kathy

Congratulations, Jim and Angie!!

2011-04-01T21:59:00.003-04:00

After much "red tape", waiting, worrying, and 2 trips to Quito, Jim and Angie are official. Their passports were stamped earlier in the week and today, the cedulas were processed. The cedulas should arrive next week, just in time for their departure for a visit to Canada. They brought their own celebratory dinner...Quarter Pounders from Mickey D's...yummers!

Mick definitely enjoyed the evening, as he compared to a US steak dinner.

Congratulations, Jim and Angie! You're now official! Make it a short visit to Canada!

Until next time,

Mick and Kathy

A Cuenca Hen Party

2011-03-31T22:11:00.004-04:00

For several months Angie and I have been weaving at Distribuidor Barrera on Luis Morena Mora. This morning we, along with the other weavers were invited to coffee at the home of a fellow weaver, Mariana. Her tablescape was lovely.

This is Patricia, our instructor.

An accomplished group of artisans!

Mariana, our hostess. Some of the ladies chatting.

Exchanging recipes and enjoying a laugh.

Monica, Marisita, and Angie.

A hen party is the same despite the country or language. There are hot flashes, exchanging recipes, laughing, and talking. Angie and I were extremely happy to be accepted into this extraordinary group of ladies. Thank you.

Until next time,

Mick and Kathy

Memories of Haircuts

2011-03-30T22:24:00.007-04:00

For years hair appointments had been a treat. It was more than just a haircut, but a time of relaxation and pampering. This was always the case, from the time that I had big hair when I met Mick until I had extremely short hair. Since moving here, the experience changed. After trying several salons, Mick insisted that I try his shop. He has been going to "Eloisa Estetica" on President Cordova y Borrero since moving here. Last month I went and he insisted that it was the best cut I've had in years. He loves really short hair. The salon is larger than most with a large staff. Elena cuts his hair and also does mine. This is Elena. Elena cuts your hair, washes and styles it for $4-5. It has the feel of a barber shop and while sitting in the chair, it brought back memories of my childhood. As a child, I always had short hair; my mother always insisted that I have short hair because "every time your hair gets long, you get sick." I've never understood that statement, but my mother was very country and had her beliefs. Every Saturday my dad would get a haircut. Occasionally, Mother would insist that he take me with him to get my bangs cut. I was too short for the barber chair, so the barber, Bill Clark, would put a stool in the chair for me to sit on. He would pop the apron to put over me. After trimming my bangs, he would use the brush covered in talcum powder to swish the hairs off my face, tickling my nose.

Mother had her hair done once a week and following the trend of the time, she always wore a perm. Of course, I wanted one, I was 7. As now, I loved the smell of the beauty shop; it was always a pleasant, relaxing smell. This was before my first perm. The smell of the perm was so foul, it made me nauseous and I barfed. This was done at Pearl's Beauty Shop, the first in Pageland, resulting in the name of the street on which I grew up. Fortunately, I outgrew that, afterall, I did have big hair.

All of these thoughts were flooding my mind as Elena cut my hair. I was brought back to the present by a sight that Mick had told me about. Every morning, the owner of "Eloisa" places on his counter rows of nickels. Elderly poor people come into the salon, "buenas dias," go to the counter and take a nickel, smiling as they leave. They come, one after another; they may come in pairs, but enter only one at a time. The owner believes that if he gives, he will receive in return. Imagine, receiving such happiness from only a nickel.

Haircuts are different now. A trip to the salon is not for the experience, but for the haircut. Elena does a good job. She cuts my hair short, which is easy to manage, and gets rid of my "conehead", which has been a problem for years. I will continue to be a client of Elena and enjoy watching the elderly come in for their nickels.

Until next time,
Mick and Kathy

Driving Legally

2011-03-28T15:11:00.002-04:00

The process of becoming a legal driver in Ecuador is a bit more involved than in the US. Mick's process began with supplying a volume of documents to a local driving school, ANETA. The price for the school, besides incidentals was $187. Upon successfully completing the school, along with a driving test and a written test, he awaited documents from Quito stating that he had completed the program. The waiting for documents encompassed several weeks. From the date of completion, you have 60 days to pass the government test. At one time, it was possible to simply pass money and be rewarded the license; however, those days are gone. Offices are under scrutiny. Mick finally decided that the only way that he would be able to get his license would be legitimately by taking the government test, in Spanish. You can buy the test bank; therefore, he purchased the questions and studied over the weekend. This morning he took the 20 question test, in Spanish, and passed! He paid $38, had his photo taken, and was graced with his Ecuadorian driver's license! What an accomplishment!

Here's my happy guy holding his new license which is good for 5 years.

Happy legal driving!

Until next time,

Mick and Kathy

Banos de Ambato

2011-03-26T23:20:00.005-04:00

After leaving Riobamba, Mick, Jim, Angie, Nikolas, and I proceeded to Banos de Ambato. About 1 1/2 hours from Riobamba, it is a bit warmer than Riobamba and Cuenca and is known for it's thermal water. We had reservations at Samari Resort and Spa. You are able to negotiate a bit on the price; however, whatever the price, it is worth it. The junior suite has a large bathroom with both jacuzzi and large shower.

There is a sitting area with a bay window and a flat screen TV. For those cool nights, which we did not experience, there is a fireplace. An extremely comfortable kingsize bed. (Hotel Zeus only had singles or doubles.) Our rooms were in a hacienda-style building with a courtyard and fountain.

In the town of Banos, most of the restaurants are ordinary, comida tipica; however, there was a coffee shop, Ali Cumba, that is not comida tipica. The food was different; but the proprietor was even more different. She should truly find another profession. Her English was great, but she was non-Ecuadorian. She had a very abrupt, rudeness about her. We noticed it on our first visit and brushed it off; however, the next day, we found her to be even more so. She obviously doesn't care for repeat business. We were also informed that it is a bother for someone to come in and purchase only coffee....well, it's a coffee shop. On our second visit, we ordered tuna sandwiches for lunch and each couple was going to divide. That did not suit either; she told Angie that we could get four and what we didn't eat, we could just wrap up and put in our bags. What a great idea to carry around leftover tuna sandwiches in your purse while on vacation.

Here's Angie chatting with a Canadian couple in front of Ali Cumba. Unless you want to be insulted, by-pass this spot.

The park in Banos

The church

With Banos being a tourist town, there are a number of adventure businesses. You can rent ATV's for going to the volcano or you can rent go carts for riding around town. Mick and Jim were waiting on our carts.

We're all packed in ready to go. There was a quick trip around the block and Mick decided that he was going to be unable to continue. Mick had slipped previously while getting out of the hot tub and bruised his lower back; one of the bars was positioned right across the sore spot.

Back at the resort, here are a few more pictures. In addition to our building, there are several guest houses.

A number of peacocks have the run of the grounds, as did Nikolas. In addition to the adults, there are four babies.

The gardens are splendid, so well manicured. The entire setting whispered "serenity".

The building in the foreground houses the pool and spa services. In the background is the building with the reception area, bar, and restaurant.

The lobby of the spa building.

Mick having coffee on the terrace.

Samari is definitely one of those places that we will visit again. It was relaxing and tranquil. Breakfast was included and was delicious. Although all inclusive packages are available, we did not have that. However, we did have our dinners in the restaurant and it was a wise choice. The food was superb and presentation outstanding. The wine list is a bit lacking. If you're going to be in Banos, this should be a point of interest. You need a minimum of three nights to just get a taste of Samari and compensate for the drive.

On our way back we stopped at the first Catholic church in Ecuador. Built in 1534, it is worth a stop just outside Colta. This is the interior of the church. The Virgen de Balbanera is housed here.

The Church.

The sign announcing the Virgin.

What a great trip! The scenery was spectacular. The event in Colta was indescribable. The Samari was beautiful and relaxing. Jim and Angie, as always, were great company. The driving was long. We had traveled to Banos a number of years ago, but this time we saw it through different eyes, perhaps because we're residents, perhaps because we're older. What a great trip!

Until next time,

Mick and Kathy

Trip to Riobamba

2011-03-24T14:59:00.013-04:00

With the festivities of Carnival coming to an end, it was time for a change of scenery. Mick, Jim, Angie, and I were invited to our weaving instructor's home for quimbolitos. These yummy treats are similar to tamales, only sweet and wrapped in cana lily leaves. Patricia instructed us on the assembly. It was a lovely evening with Patricia and her family.

Our holiday began in Riobamba, which is in the province of Chimborazo, and several hours north of Cuenca. The selection of hotels was limited. Hotel Zeus seemed to be the best choice. Having made reservations on-line, we were a bit disappointed upon arrival; however, there was nothing better in the town. The countryside was lovely and encompassed a number of side trips into surrounding pueblas. A large market can be found on Saturday near Parque de la Concepcion where you can find beautiful fruits and vegetables, as well as many of the locals catching up on the happenings of the week. We found primarily the indigenous people there.

Many hats were for sale and Jim was attempting to bargain for one.

In our travels about, we encountered the local cemetery.

One of the bridges was marked by these interesting creations.

One of the pueblas, whose name escapes me, although appearing fairly impoverished, housed two large churches.

This is the shrine outside of the Iglesia de Senior de la Agonia.Mick and Nikolas are peering at the church.

One of the locals could be seen walking her pigs.

The women always carry the load.

This lady had been working in the field, notice how it is prepared for irrigation.

Riobamba was a bit cooler than Cuenca as can be seen in the attire of Mick and Nikolas.

There was a soccer game on Sunday between Riobamba and Guayaquil, everyone was excited.

One of the sculptures in Riobamba.

We decided to find our way to Tugarauhau, as you're exiting, you pass this church.

We also saw this landslide. As you drive along, landslides are common.

The drive up had taken a bit longer than we had anticipated; therefore, we didn't make it to the volcano. We needed to return to the city to prepare for an outing to Colta. Colta is a town near Riobamba and was a major reason for the trip.

Jim and Angie are members of a church in British Columbia who have supported a ministry in this area for a number of years. A couple in the congregation were missionaries in Colta for 45 years and their son, Darrel and his wife, are missionaries in Quito. The couple, Henry and Pat Classen, were instrumental in establishing the church and also translating the Bible into Quichua. Jim and Angie were invited to a celebration honoring the past missionaries in Chimborazo. Henry is now deceased and Pat is in poor health, so Darrel was there on behalf of his parents. Although Mick and I are not religious, we found the event overwhelming. The people were very warm and welcoming.

When we arrived, it was pouring rain. The church is situated in a very poor area, just outside Colta. Because of the enormity of the event, a tent had been erected for the celebration. Because of our excursion and also the rain, the ceremony had just begun as we arrived. One of the women's choirs was singing and we were given front row seats. The old fellow in red was the first minister of the church.

Darrel presented a Quichua song book to one of the ministers to be placed in a museum.

Another choir sang.

All the missionaries were honored with gifts.

Darrel received a plaque regarding his father.

Even though we were not missionaries, we were feted with gifts, Maria presented me with a toboggan that she had knitted.

This young couple posed for me. She is in traditional attire.

Another choir.

The celebration was completed with a feast of cuy and all the accompaniments.

Hotel Zeus is a simple hotel. The rooms are small. The breakfast is meager. Other meals at the restaurant are better. The one appealing feature of the hotel is the view. If the weather permits, the views are incredible. From our room we had a view of Tungarahua.

From the other side of the hotel, Jim and Angie had a view of Chimborazo.

If conditions are just right, you can see another peak in the distance, I'm not sure, but possibly, El Altar.

One more view of Tungaraua.

Another look at Chimborazo.

A view of the avenue in front of the hotel.

Riobamba is quite different in many ways from our home in Cuenca. We found a lack of adequate restaurants. There was a nice little coffee shop a couple of blocks from Hotel Zeus, La Andaluza. La Andaluza had a lovely selection of cold cuts, cheeses, and sandwiches, with outside seating. We found it a very good place to people watch, with a lot of sidewalk activity.

Although still Andean, the landscape and vegetation of the area is different. The city itself is flat, surrounded by mountains and volcanoes. The celebration that we attended for the missionaries was a one-time experience for which we are extremely happy to have been participants. Riobamba is a nice town, it is worth the trip to see.

Upon leaving Riobamba, we traveled to Banos for a few days. The trip to Banos will be the subject of our next entry.

Until next time,

Mick and Kathy

Armed and Dangerous - The Gringo Marauders

2011-03-07T10:24:00.009-05:00

Our street has been exceedingly quiet for the last couple of days, reminiscent of other holidays; however, it is necessary to proceed with caution while on the streets. Although quiet, there is mischief in the air. When Mick and Jim picked Angie and me up on Friday at weaving, they were practically giddy, looking much like little boys up to some impish pranks. While on their morning excursion, they had purchased the item that is so prevalent now...espuma de Carnaval...foam. They had begun their antics, participating in the Carnaval festivities, spraying innocent bystanders, sometimes not quite fast enough with their draw.

It was decided that on Saturday, they would prowl again. We decided to go to some of the surrounding areas. Jim drove and Mick rode shotgun with Angie, Nick, and me in the back. We stopped in Gualaceo to look at pottery. Mick had seen the shoes on a previous visit to the shop and insisted they were big enough for Jim. The shop owner became irate at his trying them on, insisting that he was too heavy and would break them.

In Chordeleg, the festivities were being prepared. The cuyes were being skewered.

We did a bit of sampling. This booth had some of the traditional sweets and breads for the occasion.

We endulged in the roast pork which was very delicious. The plate consisted of pork, salad, yapingachas, and a chorizo made of rice and cabbage. The young boy by Mick, whose name was Brando, seemed a bit hungry, so, we had him join us.

The pig had been roasted perfectly.

The cuyes were still on the grill.

Some were dressed a bit more elaborately than others.

The cuyes were being basted with oil and achiote.

Mick had just reloaded.

The children were enjoying the pranks.

Foam is sold everywhere, even the jewelry shops in Chordeleg.

We left Chordeleg for Sigsig. In Sigsig, we visited the coop of the ladies who weave hats. The largest hat in the world is here.

There are hundreds of hats here, waiting to be finished and sold.

This is in the almacene. We bought sombreros and bolsos.

Here's Mick browsing and waiting. He doesn't see himself as a Panama hat kind of guy.

Of course, while on our journey, the boys were continuously in search of those with whom to share their Carnaval cheer. We were dowsed with water twice. The offenders had quite good aim and directly hit the open windows each time; everyone, including Nikolas were drenched.

We continued driving past Sigsig. The area was rather remote. There were many dwellings with only paths to the homes. As we drove on, the number of houses lessened. Without an altimeter, the altitude was unknown, but we were well above the clouds. At times, we were in jungle-like vegetation, very lush, with giant ferns and dense tree cover and undergrowth. We ran out of paved road and traveled on a rocky dirt road for about 15 km before turning around.

The valleys were green and beautiful.

We simply enjoyed the beautiful vistas.

Jim and Angie had already loaded back up.

After a day of Carnaval and also bouncing over back roads, everyone was tired, especially Nikolas.

Before heading home, we stopped at California Kitchen for dinner. On the drive home, Carnaval was still in full swing for the Marauders, shooting pedestrians with their cans of foam.

This morning, they're out again, raiding the streets of Cuenca, in search of the unsuspecting. Mick is driving and Jim is riding shotgun. Practically no one is safe. The boundary for them is women with babies; everyone else is fair game.

Feliz Carnaval!

Until next time,

Mick and Kathy

Apartments for Rent at Gringo Palace

2011-03-05T09:23:00.002-05:00

One of our fellow weavers at the workshop informed us yesterday that she has 2 apartments for rent at La Palerma. They are each 3 bedroom, great views, and rent for $500 each. The complex has a sauna, gym, and social areas. It is within walking distance to Coopera, and Supermaxi on Los Americas. Bus access is easy. Anyone interested can email me and I will put you in touch with Camita.

Until next time,
Mick and Kathy

Some of the Sights

2011-03-03T16:04:00.010-05:00

Things have been hectic lately, resulting in few posts. Friends from North Carolina, Joan and Dale, have been visiting for the past month. We showed them some of the sights, restaurants that we enjoy, and introduced them to our friends. One of the places we visited was Gualaceo. Calvary Chapel is always nice and was in a bit of disarray on our last visit.

While there, it is common to see someone walking down the street weaving a Panama hat.

There was a funeral procession on its way to the church. As we were leaving, the funeral was still in process. Someone was singing a beautiful song to the tune of "Blowing in the Wind". It was quite moving.

We met a young boy, Broleu, who was hungry and we took him to a restaurant for lunch. He was appreciative.

Dale and Joan looked around the shops.

Gardening is very strenuous here.

The park is extremely well manicured.

Dinner was at the Red Crab with Jim and Angie, who presented Mick with a new hat.

Joan had heard of the weaving class that Angie and I were taking and also wanted to learn. She was greatly impressed with the items on display at Distribuidora Barrera. Angie's shawl is below.

Items made by other group members.

A baby poncho.

Tatiana is instructing Joan on winding the shuttle.

Joan has begun her scarf.

Some of the ladies, Patricia, Camilita, and Susie, joined us at California Kitchen for lunch.

Last week we ventured to the coast. The trip through the Cajas was stunning, a very clear day. The llamas could be seen grazing by the roadside.

The vistas are always stunning.

Our first stop was Playas. The beaches in the area are not well maintained and accommodations are modest and limited. We stayed at Bella Vista. This was Nick's first beach trip.

Dale and Joan were relaxing on the beach.

Reception and the dining room of the Bella Vista.

At the Bella Vista

We left Playas for Salinas, which was a bit better. Accommodations at the Barcelo were superior. Here are Mick and Nikolas on the balcony.

This is the view from the balcony at the Barcelo.

A view of the street below.

Because of the distance involved, Jim and Mick agreed that the drive back would be made much easier by spending the last night in Guayaquil. The drive over the Cajas on Thursday was slightly less than appealing. We encountered much fog and ennumerable mudslides. Finally, we made it back to Cuenca.

On Saturday, Mick and I were down at the Coffee Tree on Calles Larga and Borrerro, there was a large gathering of elderly locals in front of the church at Plaza La Merced.

On Saturday evening, we tried a new restaurant, La Parilla de Hector, which was excellent. The restaurant is located off the Autopista, 300 meters south of Mall del Rio. The entrance is in front of Edificio Vista Linda. The restaurant sets up on the hill with a wonderful view of the city. Service was impeccable and the food was delicious; the beef was actually tender! After dinner we had coffee on the terrace, with a nice charcoal heater to warm our feet.

Sunday, we made our way to another favorite place, the ruins at Cojitambo. There are always wildflowers blooming.

The sky was remarkable.

Here you can see the varying shades of blue. The different layers of wind currents are always fascinating.

This is the puebla of Cojitambo as seen from the ruins.

The ruins

Angie made Andean cherry scones which everyone enjoyed.

A community that we came through was having their Sunday market. There was also a trolley ride.

After experiencing life in Ecuador for the past month, Dale and Joan left for North Carolina this afternoon. They hope to return soon to make Cuenca their new home.

The weather has been incredible, warm sunny days with crisp, cool nights. We're spending our time enjoying our hobbies, our friends, and each other. This afternoon Jim and Mick picked us up at weaving, very proud of the cans of foam they had purchased. We're about to experience our first Carnivale in Cuenca and the boys are pretty excited.

Until next time,

Mick and Kathy

To Be a Kid Again, Just for an Afternoon

2011-02-16T08:47:00.006-05:00

How often do you hear someone say, "oh, I wish I could be a kid again?" Some of us had that opportunity last Sunday. In celebration of Carol's birthday, we rented Brincolines, a kiddie eventos place in our neighborhood. The group gathered before the arrival of Carol and George. While waiting, some played on the playground.

Some just chatted while waiting, such as Dale, Joan, and Angie.

There were games and some showed us how to hula hoop, including the birthday girl.

Barbara is getting ready to demonstrate.

There was face painting.

Some were even "hot"!

Some were dainty.

Most were patient.

Some chose not to participate.

There were games, including an extremely competitive round of musical chairs.

Dish stacking.

We played dress up and danced.

The theme of the party was "Las Princesas" so the princess tossed the pinata.

Everyone scrambled for the goodies.

It was time for the cake to be served so the birthday girl made a brief speach.

There were presents, including a bow to wear with her birthday suit.

She also received a beautiful black wig.

On Monday night, the celebration continued at the Villa Rosa; however, Carol chose not to don any of her gifts, including the black wig. Carol's friends who had been at the previous party looked a little different also.

Carol's birthday ended without any broken bones or other injuries. Hopefully she felt very special and this will be long remembered. It gave us an opportunity to be kids again; which was a treat for all of us. Carol, thanks so much for all that you do for so many of us.

Until next time,

Mick and Kathy

Happy Birthday, Carol!

2011-02-13T11:21:00.003-05:00

If you live in Cuenca, you know her. If you've visited Cuenca, you've met her. If you read the blogs., you've heard of her. It's Carol Evans of California Kitchen. Carol is one of those rare people that immediately endears herself to you. She hustles around California Kitchen performing whatever duty is needed. Always wearing a smile, she is quick witted and a wealthy of information for those new to Cuenca.

Today is Carol's birthday; I'll refrain from the number of years. Carol, we hope that today is perfect and memorable. Happy birthday, dear friend! May you have many, many more!!!

Until next time,
Mick and Kathy

Touristy Things with Friends

2011-02-08T10:33:00.007-05:00

After months of anticipation on their part, and our working to get the guest room ready, our friends Dale and Joan arrived last Thursday from North Carolina. This is their first trip to Ecuador and they have become quite enamored with it.

Having originated in Connecticut, they're finding the weather quite nice.

Here they are at the airport in Cuenca after spending the night in Quito.

On Friday afternoon we were on our way downtown, via Solano. The pool in front of the Banco Pichincha was filled with children getting out of school.

Everyone seemed to be having fun.

Dinner was at California Kitchen for the grand opening of the new bar.

On Saturday morning, the four of us, along with Jim and Angie, left for Ingapirca. After turning off the road to Canar, we noticed that Jim and Angie weren't with us. There had been a problem with the alarm on Jim's car; it began alarming and the engine locked. After about 40 minutes and a number of phone calls, we were once again on our way.

Here we are twiddling our thumbs.

After we got on our way, we approached a small community where some of the locals had a chain stretched across the road. They were entrepreneurs, wanting to charge us $5 per vehicle to travel the road. Mick insisted that he would not pay it to travel a public road. Jim agreed. After sitting there aT few minutes, Jim took the lead, being in the taller vehicle and drove over the chain, breaking it, followed by our car. The people with the chain were furious, screaming and cursing us.

We finally made it to Ingapirca, which shortly after arriving, a rain storm came up, along with hail.

We had lunch at Hosteria Ingapirca. The food was mediocre, but the setting is lovely.

This lady aloud us to photograph her and her daughter.

At the shops, Jim enjoyed bargaining with one of the vendors.

They eventually exchanged hats.

Sunday was more "touristy" things. We began with breakfast at the Kookaburra and then to Parque Calderon. Before arriving in Cuenca, you always have the misconception of the size of the park. It is a small park; but on Sunday you never know what you'll find. After having been in a parade on Calle Larga, these horses were coming along Sucre.

This fellow is always interesting.

There is usually music. You can see really tight pants. Sometimes you can see someone sleeping off the previous night.

Nick was worn out after his tourist day.

Dale and Joan are quite pleased with Cuenca. We're so glad they're here. There's still so much for them to see and do.

Until next time,
Mick and Kathy