This Is Not California!

Just a note, yes yesterday there was an earthquake here is Ecuador. Having lived through the Sylmar earthquake in 1970 my memory of earthquakes has not dimmed. The shaking started a little before 7 am and knowing the beautiful building we are in was built about 1900 I was concerned but there was just a shake, and then a other little shake, the chandelier swung, this is the ceiling in our room and then it was over. Unfortunately, Jack has bruises where I grabbed him just in case it got worse! As you have probably read the quake was centered in a remote area north and east of Cuenca and very deep in the earth so all is well. Just a reminder of who is in charge!

Visited with several rental agents yesterday to see what is available and since today (Friday) is a national holiday in honor of Ecuador's independence, which was actually the 10th, but to give a 3 day weekend for Ecuadorians they moved it to Friday. We are staying in today so Jack can try to kick this cold. If there was sound connect to this you could hear him snore!

No set plan for tomorrow, we will see how Jack feels and what the weather is like. . . probably some sight seeing if all is in order! More later! Chao!

Out and About!

Hola from Cuenca!

We had a very busy day Tuesday. Fabian picked us up 9 and we started off to see several small towns outside of Cuenca. We headed out of town to the northeast. The roads in this area are not what we are used to at home. The traffic control sign like STOP or PARE are interpreted to mean slow down and look and go faster if someone is coming! Drivers are very aggressive and do not let others merge. There is no concept of right of way as we would understand it. Jack has decided that if we were to move here we will hire a driver!

Our first stop was a small town, Gualaceo, where we visited a weaver. Here is a picture of the loom she uses. Her family weaves beautiful shawls and scarves. The process is very interesting and she kept telling us it required a lot of patience. She was not happy with the thread on the project she was working on. The process is vaccinating and combines weaving with dying to produce beautiful patterns


From there we went to a large orchid green house Ecuagenera. We had a tour and they explained how they propagate the orchids. The have over 3000 species of orchids in there greenhouses!


From here continued to Chordeleg, known for the shops with silver jewelry around the town square. Yes, I am really on this trip and here is me at the town square!

Shopping was fun and prices seemed very good by US standards. We also stopped at the Market. Yes, that is a whole pig in the picture. They are cooked and you buy it right off the hog!


The country side is not what I expected. It was interesting to see eucalyptus trees, not native to Ecuador, but growing everywhere. You can see if you enlarge this picture the farms and houses on the hillsides. It is beautiful country. Oh yes, and no guard rails.


We ventured on to SigSig which is known for the weaving of Monte Cristi (Panama hats). Fabian took us to a Co-operative where the hats are made. The worlds largest Panama hat is there. You can see Jack in the picture for scale. That's one big hat!
The ladies weave the hat and then basic hats are then bleached and set out to dry. Next they are trimmed and then the hats are pressed by hand using irons that are heated with charcoal!

This machine presses the crease in the top of the hat. The ladies are all so short that I feel tall here around the indigenous ladies. This gal has to stand on a block to work the press.

We did a little shopping, got Jack a hat which you will see later however there were no ladies hats my size. If it had not been lunch time I was told they could fix one for me but we had an invitation to a gathering back in Cuenca we headed home. We did stop for lunch along the way however there is no picture however, lunch was soup, rice and a stew. Lunch for the three of us was $5.70!

We had a wonderful time at Chuck and Brenda's. Chuck decided to share the cheese we brought from Oregon and it turned into quite an event . . .sorry no pictures. We got to meet many other expats and some we had met several times this week at other restaurants and expat gatherings.

Jack was pretty tired and the bad cold had him worn out. We returned home and rested. I ended going out to dinner with three other folks staying at the hotel. Walking home was a beautiful sight. All the old churches are lit at night and a site to behold.

Wednesday we slept in a little then after breakfast took a taxi to talk to an attorney about the immigration process, had lunch at Tutto Freddo. We walked home and Jack took a nap. I walked back to the flower market to get flowers as we were invited to Chuck and Nancy's for dinner. We had a fabulous dinner and met another couple from Washington who moved to Cuenca 6 weeks ago!

Turning in now. More to come. What an adventure!

Next Three Days!

Wow, I am falling behind in my posting but with only one computer and wonderful days and evenings I guess I have better use this quite Sunday afternoon to catch you all up!

Let me see, Friday: Again a lazy day. Spent the morning sitting at the hotel chatting with new friends from New Mexico where were leaving that day. They plan to return to start a church. ASAP. Other folks are here shopping for furniture as they have purchased a condo. Another couple from Texas were here looking for a permanent residence.

We took a short walk for lunch to another pizza place - good veggi pizza. They seem to really like oregano as a spice here. We arranged to meet some folks who's blog we have been following Rich and Nancy who are former Grants Pass people at Zoe's for the Friday night expat gathering. A little loud so after a couple of hours of visiting went to California Kitchen for dinner. Got home really late for us.

Saturday: Got up late and had to take a cab to the Park to meet another couple from the NW Nancy and Chuck. Had a wonderful breakfast with them and shared what our plans are and they shared their experience of moving here over a year ago. It was great!

Next stop the flower market! On the way passed the beautiful doors of the new cathedral. I made Jack promise that if we moved here he would have to buy me flowers once a week as a small bouquet of 5 roses with baby's breath was only $1! He promised!

Lunch was at Raymipampa for some traditional Ecuadorian food. We weren't too hungry so soup was ordered. Jack is holding my roses. Jack had tomato and I had onion. ($5.70).

We did a little people watching in the park, bought some hand lotion and deodorant for Jack as it seems I did not pack it and then back to the hotel for more conversations and rest. Found we were not very hungry so down to the corner tienda for some salami, apple, banana, and soda to go with our Ritz cracker (says Ritz but taste different- not as sweet) and cream cheese. Jack worked on the computer and I read.

Sunday: Took a cab to the Kookuburra and meet lots of folks we met Friday night in addition to a wonderful Canadian couple who were checking out Ecuador as a retirement place.

Sunday is a very quite day. Few buses, few people, most shops closed. Walked along Calle Larga for a while enjoying the first sunny day, the beautiful old buildings, and the people. Note the street sweeper in blue jump suit with the interesting broom! The door is on one of the many churches beautiful carving!






Calle Larga runs parallel to Rio Tomebamba, one of Cuenca as four rivers as seen in this picture.



Then out to lunch at a nice restaurant, Jack had traditional potato soup and Chinese chicken,


And I had a traditional Cuenca Steak, surprise it is served with an egg

Walked back to hotel to do email, this blog and nap. Dinner will probably be snacks after that lunch! I know it seems like all we do is walk and eat and visit . . . not a bad life! More later! Chao!

Thursday Aug 5, 2010 Photos

The center of Parque Caldoron


Papa in the park


Flowers in the park


Building around park


The New Cathedral


The"New" cathedral





Typical Street

As promised more photos! Having trouble getting these in the proper order, but then I am the only one who will know they are out of order so enjoy! Most are of the central park and the street around it. This is where we walked and had lunch at great Italian place.

Step One - Get to Ecuador

Well I am sitting in Cuenca, fighting with Jack's computer trying to start this post . . . this is the second time I have typed it . . the last time just deleted. So to repeat myself...Our adventure got off to a great start. We drove to Portland on Monday and got to visit with our son and his wife in Salem and friends in Tualatin who kept our car and drove us to the motel for a brief rest before leaving for the airport at 4 AM on Tuesday. The journey south of the equator took us from Portland, Oregon, through Dallas, Texas, then Miami, Florida and finally to Guayaquil, Ecuador. The two hour delay in Miami got us through customs without a question and to our hotel about 12:30 AM Wednesday. It was a lovely hotel where we were greeted with a wonderful juice of watermelon, oranges, mango, and papaya. Juice or jugo is very popular in Ecuador. The beautiful arrangement below is in the hotel lobby.

After a sumptuous buffet breakfast, we took a short trip back to the airport for the 25 minute flight to Cuenca. Fortunately we had requested a wheelchair for Jack as the plane landed on the tarmac and it was a good hike into the terminal. All luggage arrive and a $4 taxi ride to the hotel. We learned quickly that the horn is the most important equipment on all cars in Cuenca.

Our host Alberto and his staff are wonderful people, friendly and very helpful. As you enter the hotel a covered courtyard serves as a gathering place to chat and a breakfast room each morning. Our room is beautiful with the most glorious painted ceiling about 15 feet above our heads.

We have met many gringos who are checking out Cuenca or just returned to condo hunt having made the decision to make this their home. We delivered Tillamook cheese to to a former Oregonian who was kind enough to loan us a local cell phone, name withheld to protect his cheese!

Today, Thursday, included a walk to the pharmacy to price Jack's medications, taxi ride to Kookaburra for a snack, a nap as the altitude was bothering me a little, followed by a walk to Tutto Freddo for lunch of pizza and a fruit crape (total for lunch $9.20), stroll in Parque Caldaron, the central park, back to the hotel, visiting with other guests, and then out to dinner with two couples staying at the hotel who are also in the process of making Cuenca home.

Ready to tuck in for the night after I finish this . . . still having trouble formatting the post. More to come with lots of pictures!

Just Getting Started

This blog is pretty blank for now, sorry. This whole blog thing is new and I have much to learn! I am busy cleaning out the storage locker in anticipation of a possible move to Cuenca, Ecuador. We plan to use this blog to keep in touch with family and friends while we head to Cuenca in August to "kick the tires" and see if the Lord would have us move so far from family and friends. More to come!!!