PHOTOGRAPHING LIFE IN CUENCA ECUADOR - PHOTOJOURNAL SATURDAY ON THE STREETS OF EL CENTRO!!

I know when I was researching information about Ecuador and Cuenca, I appreciated seeing some of the photography some bloggers captured because I am a visual person.  The success of this blog is in delivering to our readers what it truly is like living in the heart of this unique and active city, and to portray a true flavor of the Ecuadorians, their lifestyle, and how they earn their living or live and shop on the streets of Cuenca.

I wanted to photograph the vendors and the people on a typical Saturday in El Centro.  Because I am sensitive to the people I am photographing, I decided to use my 70-200mm telephoto lens.  This way, I hoped to capture some unique city and people-shots without being intrusive or invading anyone's space.  It was a busy day on the streets of this city, and there was much to see and capture.

I received many stares today as I photographed the city because Canon telephoto L lenses are big and white, and they attract a lot of attention.  Also, few people here walk around with such expensive and eye-catching camera gear.  I don't have it to flaunt but to capture life wherever I go.  I'm a photography junkie, so being a foreigner in a new land is heaven for me in the photographic arena.  It is my passion and my joy!!!  I'm thankful I have my bodyguard to protect me when I'm swept away into another world behind the lens.  Only a true photographer will know exactly what I mean - it's as if no one else is around - only me, my lens, and my subject.  If not for Bo, I wouldn't be able to relax and shoot.  I'd be too concerned for my equipment and my safety.

ENJOY!!!!

A mother and her three children shopping on a Saturday in the city!  Ecuadorian mothers carry their babies on their backs tied to a shawl.  One rarely sees a stroller or baby backpack.

Many of the younger and older women dress traditionally and scurry along carrying their wares to their street locations or to the mercados.

It's interesting to observe their traditional attire and how it differs from person to person.

In front of the churches are vendors selling religious paraphernalia.  Is this vendor praying or sleeping?

 

Vendors who do not have a rented space in the mercados set up their produce or wares along the sidewalks.  Many of them sit in a kneeling or squatted position waiting for a sale.  We're finding that their produce sells for considerably less. 

 

Some street vendors have many different produce selections, while others sell only one particular kind.  This vendor has her entire brood of young ones along side as she markets her bags of grains.  Notice the mother's attire - some is traditional dress (hat, skirt) and then the common Aéropostale brand shirt that most Ecuadorian youths sport as their daily attire.

This beautiful old Cuencano woman was shopping and came out of one of the "tienditas" with her purchase strapped to her back.  The aged here are active and still shopping the streets of the city.

Some street vendors sell only toothpaste, toothbrushes, and toilet paper.  I buy 4 rolls for $1, and the next time I need toothpaste, I'll purchase it from a street vendor.

This young vendor was selling potatoes.  Many of the vendors protect themselves from the equator sun by holding umbrellas all day long......

Other outdoor vendors will wear a folded shawl over their heads to block the sun.  This vendor is selling small bags of grains and also crocheted apparel.  She's busy working away on another project.

Along the city streets, we come across people whom we have no clue what movie they're making?  What's his story?  What's in his big box?  Where is he going?

This begger was eating a bowl of soup.  After he finished, he got right to work, extending his hand for some coins.

On my photography excursion, I caught a shot of Sr. Diaz heading down the busy streets.  I wonder where he was heading?  Last night, we got three chocolate cones, and stood with Sr. Diaz in the cool evening licking our cones and catching up.  He continues to be someone we visit daily and spend time with.

Young school girls dressed alike head down the streets of the city.

Ice cream is a big thing here in Cuenca.  Every day city dwellers walk by with ice cream cones, popsicles, or some sort of "helado."  This vendor seemed to be doing well at his "San Francisco Flower Market" location this warm sunny Saturday afternoon.  (No, that's not ketchup he's putting on the ice cream cone - it's some sort of sweet dollop of syrup.)

A picture of street vendors selling to some passerby shoppers.

While some are selling, others are waiting.  This street vendor had beans (which she shells and bags) and corn.

While a flower vendor sorts through her bundles, a city dweller sits nearby.  Notice the contrast in the vendors attire and the woman in black?

Daily, the bus stop on Calle Larga by the mercado is crowded with people waiting for their ride.

There are lots of vendors with carts selling sugary treats.  This vendor sells candy coated apples.  He also has his son with him all day long.  This is the norm for many of the vendors - to have their children right by their side as they wait for the day's sales and provision.

These children were waiting for a cotton candy vendor to hand them their big pink sugary treat.  Sugary treats, cola, candy, cookies, ice cream, cotton candy, etc. are a daily common vendor sight on the streets of this city.

Vendors pushing wheelbarrows and crying "Cerezas" (cherries) is common on the city streets.  This young vendor is hoping to bag some cherries and make her next sale soon!

Many of the street vendors are older women - yet they continue to work and sell!

The "Panaderias" have many varieties of Ecuadorian breads which are soft and airy.  I long for Great Harvest bread!!!!

Along the city streets are many "Tiendas" selling their variety of wares and foods.  Nothing makes sense in what is being offered, and it takes time and a curiosity to explore and know these shops.

Always, my favorite place is the mercado!  the abundance of produce and the colorful mounds of fruits and vegetables still make me happy when I walk through the aisles.

We're beginning to explore the street vendors more, and we continue to learn the prices charged to the locals as we watch and listen.  These already-bagged assortments of produce usually sell for $1 a bag.  Avocados are five for $1.

 I hope you enjoyed this photojournal posting of the city people, and a Saturday vendor's world in Cuenca.  The people are beautiful, the city is happening, and the vendors are one of the true joys of being here for us.

Hopefully, it has been informative and a good visual of what to expect if you visit or move here.

LIVING IN CUENCA ECUADOR - LOVE IT or LEAVE IT!

I love how these precious street vendors take such loving care to arrange and display their beautiful produce for the pedestrians who pass by daily.  Look at how she carefully stacks her apples, and the beautiful color combination of her basket overflowing with fresh fruit (Avocados, Tree Tomatoes, and Apples).

WHAT I LOVE:
1 - I LOVE Cuenca.  It's an interesting and beautiful city!  I have never been a city girl.  When my husband was a traveling corporate guy, I would join him on many business trips to cities like Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Chicago, and even New York.  I'm from New York and never liked going into the city as a young girl.  San Francisco is one of the most beautiful and happening cities you could visit.  Portland, Oregon is another dynamic and amazing city.  Yet, never did I want to live in any of these cities nor be a city dweller.  I love Cuenca.  It's a large  city with a small city feel and a historic charm and beauty which one must experience for themselves.  Yes, I'm loving being a city girl!!!
2 - I love the mercados in Cuenca.  There are several that we can visit and shop at daily,  but my favorite is 10 de Augusto because we have had heart connections with several of the vendors and love visiting them.  They are always so helpful to us, and most of them know exactly what we want now and seem to enjoy helping us.  We also enjoy visiting the 9 de October mercado because it is very clean and organized.  However, we haven't shopped there enough on a regular basis to get to know the vendors personally.  For us, it's about the people we meet and can frequent and support financially when we're shopping.
3 - I love living in the heart of El Centro!  We enjoy exploring this historic city daily.  If we want to take a break, home is a few blocks away.  We can walk everywhere and get lots of healthy exercise that way.  It's fun entering the unique and amazing shops and finally discovering one that has just what we need.  We can also shop FRESH for our daily food and only blocks away at the abundant mercados!
4 - I love the Ecuadorian people.  Most are humble, loving, and very friendly when we begin to engage them and they realize I can speak Spanish.  They light up when they hear Bo attempting to speak to them in their language.   One little Tiendita's workers smile when we walk in because they attempt to speak English to us and we can laugh together and have "our lesson and word for the day" together.  We've only been here 6 weeks, yet our daily walks through the city have made us familiar faces to many of the places we frequent, especially in the mercados.
5.  I love having the opportunity to speak a second language and improve my Spanish. It is my personal desire to perfect my Spanish and be able to speak it fluently and accurately.  I've had no opportunities back home, except when visiting my mom, to speak this beautiful language, and every day I purpose to struggle through and trip over my tongue until one day it will flow!
6 - I love the weather in Cuenca!  In the short time we've been here, for us the weather is PERFECT!  Coming from the RAINY Willamette Valley of beautiful green lush Oregon, we have desired to move for a long time and to live somewhere mountainous, green, lush, SUNNY and beautiful, but not too cold and not too hot!  We do not like humidity, mosquitoes (they seek me out and I swell up), continual rain, ice, snow, extreme cold or months of lack of sunshine.  After living in rainy Oregon for 39 years, it is refreshing to see blue skies and sunshine every day since we've been here.  Yes it rains, but not like the Willamette Valley.  Yes it is overcast, but the sun shines every day.  Yes, daily the weather is unpredictable, but we love not sweating and being able to layer and wear sweatshirts and long pants.
7 - I love the taxi and bus system here and not having the expense of a car!  Come on - really!!  Buses that run every 10 minutes and cost 25 cents and Taxis that are everywhere and cost $1.50 to $2 a ride around the entire city (unless you're getting Gringo'd - which we're not!!!!).  There are buses that will take you outside the city to far away outlying areas for a few dollars.  When we went to Yunguilla, it cost $1.50, and that was a 2 hours trip in a comfortable Greyhound-type bus.  We don't have to pay for gas (which, by the way is only $1.48 for regular) or car insurance or car maintenance.  Yes, it takes getting used to not having the independence of having our own transportation, especially for Bo, but for now it works and it's fine.  That could change (and probably will if we continue to live here), however, walking, taxi rides, and buses are a good thing!
8 - I love walking everywhere and losing weight!  Not that I was that much overweight, but aging tends to contribute to extra pounds and rolls, and since living here it's noticeable that my pants are falling off me!  Bo too - and he does need to shed some unhealthy baggage - which he already has in 6 weeks.  It's a fact that walking is healthy!  Eating lots of fruits and vegetable which are abundant and so inexpensive here is also contributing to this daily weight loss.
9 - I love making new friends!  We've met some wonderful ex-pat and we've met some precious Ecuadorians in our short time here.  It's been fun getting together with new and interesting friends and learning from them, having meals together, and getting to know each other.  Speaking English with our ex-pat friends is nice too, since the majority of our day is spent listening to Spanish all around us, including Spanish music and the constant chatter of vendors and residents on the streets of Cuenca.  We've especially enjoyed our new Ecuadorian friends who are embracing us and helping us learn about their culture and the wonderful delicious foods they eat.  Cooking and eating are two of our favorite pastimes.  We now cook a lot of the Ecuadorian vegetables, soups, and meals.
10 - I LOVE THE COST OF LIVING HERE!  I've listed this at the bottom of the list because it's not the driving reason Bo and I came to Ecuador.  Yes, it's the main reason so many people are choosing to ex-pat and leave the USA and their families behind - because they cannot afford to live on their pensions nor afford the exhorbitant medical care.  Bo and I are still able to work, and we are blessed with good health.  However, to be able to live in a country that allows us to daily live so inexpensively is pretty fabulous.  We like renting and living month to month here, we love shopping and coming home with so much for so little, and we enjoy living with less STUFF and feeling so unencumbered materially.  We've learned how to live in a small place after traveling the US on two different adventures in a 40' motor coach.  So, having repacked our bags to come to Cuenca does include being able to live on so much less, and it certainly is a big part of what we're loving here!
11 - MEDICAL CARE - I cannot comment on the cost nor quality of the medical care here, because we've been fortunate not to have to use it.  We do, however, love having an outpatient medical insurance that costs us $4.65 monthly for the two of us through the Coopera Credit Union, and this is an 80-90% reimbursement coverage for any outpatient expenses for up to $400 a year!  Since the cost of excellent medical care here is phenomenally less than the US and we are both in good health to date, this insurance can cover us for any outpatient care needs that come up in the near future.
12 - I love the pharmacies here and the cost of certain US prescription medications which we can get here over the counter for sooooooooooooooooooooooooo (not exaggerating!!!) much less!!!!  One prescription Bo takes that costs over $150 monthly in the US will cost him about $15 here.  Go figure!!!!   I mostly love the natural and holistic approach of the pharmacists when I've needed something particular in the way of medication.  I'm all about holistic, so this has been refreshing after living in the US and having doctors and pharmacists peddling their expensive and harmful drugs!

WHAT I CAN LEAVE:
1 - I don't like the uncomfortable furniture while renting!  After living in a beautiful and ohhh soooo comfortable home back in Oregon, it's been difficult not having a home with comfortable furniture.  Ecuadorian rentals have tiny little hard and uncomfortable living room sets.  It would almost qualify as patio furniture for us, and even our patio furniture back home was more comfortable than what we've had here!  We aren't buying furniture here until we know a longer-term plan (we're still living day by day here and checking it out), so what we rent is what we get!  This really has taken some getting used to.  We miss our ohhhhh sooooo comfortable Tempurpedic King Bed!  If you've never slept on a Tempurpedic, you haven't slept!  Yes, we found out they sell them here, but again, until we KNOW we'll be here a LONG time, the not-so-comfortable hard beds will have to do.  The apartment we are currently renting is such a step up from what we had before, so we're thankful for this.  Our Ecuadorian landlady seems to like quality compared to others, and we're not complaining - just spoiled and missing a few things.
2 - I don't like the cost of electronics here!  Pretty spendy stuff!  Because our luggage was over 50 pounds at the Eugene airport, I had to quickly pull some things to get the free check-in rate.  One of the things I regret leaving are my Bose speakers.  I'm an audiophile, and I love my music and it has to sound good!  Since being here, I've looked and looked and have yet to find some quality sounding speakers that I'm willing to pay for.  I'm roughing it playing my iTunes collection from the speakers on my Mac.  it will have to do for now, and at least I have my music library to play!  Wah Wah Wah!!!!!
3 - I absolutely do not like the Visa Process!  Because it is our intention to stay and live here and not just be on a 90-day visa, we are applying for our investment visa.  We do not qualify for a pensioner visa yet, so the process has been a bit more complicated - trying to open a bank account has been an experience for another blog posting (NOT FUN!!!)  You'd think they 'd be happy to have our money come in.  There are so many rules, requirements, and glitches that happen, and it's been very frustrating to date.  We're hanging in there and hoping for the best outcome though, and through it all we will have learned MORE PATIENCE AND GRACE!
4 - I don't like the wine selection here!  I'm a Cabernet dry wine girl!  My favorite wine back home is not available here.  We haven't been here that long, but the wines have not compared to a $10-12 bottle of wine back home.  I guess I'll have to keep exploring and trying some pretty yucky stuff before I come across my favorite.  So far, Gato Negro is it and not to spendy for that occasional glass I love to sip.
5 - I absolutely do not like the uneven and unpredictable sidewalks and streets here.  Even going into a store - like today.  We were in an amazing antique shop and I about fell three different times because of the uneven stones and unexpected rises and falls in the walkways.  The beauty of the cobbled sidewalks and streets are wonderful, but I feel quite unsteady at times - only because I'm a seer, and I love looking around and also taking photos.  Bo is constantly catching me and has kept me from falling several times.  He tells me to quit looking around and to pay attention, but I'm not heeding his warnings very well.  So much to see and photograph!!!!
6 - I don't like the Ecuadorians' habit to just not show up!  We've been stood up several times while here.  No phone call, no follow-up!  They just do not show up or are unreasonably LATE.  Then, when we do hear from the Ecuadorian (friend, painter, landlady, internet guy, etc.)  or they do finally show up hours or days (yes days) later, they never acknowledge it - and if it's mentioned, a giggle or a look of shock is the response.  My favorite was when I was told that the internet guy would be at our place at 8 am one day.  Bo and I were here.  Three days later, my landlady said, "You weren't there!"  No sense even going there with, "I was!"  I just smiled……..
7 - I don't like the graffiti throughout the city walls.  So much of the graffiti is an eye-sore - it's not artwork (although some is artsy and interesting on some of the city walls) and detracts from some of the beauty of the historic buildings and city.  
8 - I absolutely do not like seeing the older Ecuadorian generation here all hovened over, still carrying heavy bags and wares on their backs, almost unable to walk the streets.  It breaks my heart.  I know it's their culture.  I know they are a hard-working people.  I know that this is how they live.  But, it still absolutely brings me to tears to see the poverty, the broken worn bodies, and the tiny hunched-over people on the streets of this city.
9 - I absolutely absolutely do not like nor want to tolerate "Ex-Pat Know-It-Alls!!!!" - Yes, they are here, and Yes, we've had the pleasure of these uncomfortable encounters.  My least favorite encounter, so far, was a loud, in-your-face ex-pat telling us how we should handle Ecuadorians and that they were this and that (I won't even go into this one!).  I don't do well with people who bloviate or pontificate, and already we've experienced some uncomfortable situations with people who speak the same language as us - if you know what I mean!!!!

This is my own VERY PERSONAL list of my "Love it or Leave it"!  Please, if you are reading this, know that life here is a very personal experience, encounter, and opinion.  What some may love, hate, tolerate, or not be able to handle after time will be different from others.  What some may perceive as whining or complaining may be understood completely by others.  What some may misunderstand in my honesty may be completely understood by others who are experiencing or may have experienced the same things.  So, I write this to share in all honesty what, in the past 6 weeks, have been my personal likes and dislikes.  These can change, and probably will - maybe for the better, maybe for the worst.  This is why I write and share - so that I can give my family, friends, and readers an honest picture of what's happening for ME!!!!  My blog is not intended to hurt anyone, nor is it intended to paint a "Tip Toe Through The Tulips Experience" of life in Cuenca.  I've read so many blogs and since I've been here, I've heard several people personally share , "I knew the first week here it was where I wanted to spend the rest of my life!"  Wow!  I was telling Bo today, "Sometimes, I feel there is something wrong with me!"  How in the world does one know something so definite like that?  I've never even been able to work at a job more than 3 years before becoming so bored and so done with the mundane and the predictable.  So, all this to say, I'm bearing my soul, certainly not to be chastised.  This is what's been real for me and my honest personal perspective in six short weeks.  I'm willing to share more, but only after experiencing it from the very core of my being.  I appreciate your comments and even your own personal perspective on the "Love It or Leave It" experiences that you've had since being in Cuenca.  So, thanks for listening.  I feel so much better now!!!!

Hey, now you know, "What's not to love in Cuenca?" from my own personal experience!!!!!

Precious Ecuadorian women carrying their heavy wares through the streets of Cuenca.  This is what breaks my heart!!!!!!!

Living in Ecuador - You Can't Always Believe What You're Told in Ecuador!!!

Bo writes about:
Huevos de Ganzo!!!!
On our way back from El Mercado today, we passed a woman selling eggs.  Inside her basket were three “huevos” that were conspicuously larger than the rest.  Linda asked her why these three eggs were bigger than the others. The egg hawker replied, “Porque es un huevo de Ganzo”.  I thought this meant it was an egg from a pig which of course would explain the reason for such an outsized specimen, but alas as pigs neither fly nor do they lay eggs in Ecuador or any place else, my interpretation as usual was 180 degrees off the mark.

It turns out a Ganzo is a some kind of fowl and is larger than a turkey. This, too, would explain the existence of such a Bunyanesque cackleberry; however, even with this piece of information we were no richer in our comprehension of the exact type of bird a Ganzo was.  Linda explained to our newly discovered Oologist that the fact we know a Ganzo is larger than a turkey was helpful, but we would still like to know more specifically as to which phyla of bird the mysterious Ganzo belongs. The only information that our Spanish-speaking egg specialist was willing to part with was that it was some sort of an egg-layer that was larger than a turkey, thus narrowing it down to about 47 potential avian suspects.

With the slow realization dawning upon us that our zoology lesson was drawing to a close, we asked how much for an egg. Her quick sales response was, “Ocho dolares” which is loosely translated as, “Hand over your wallet."   EIGHT DOLLARS for one of these outsized orbs that originated from a still undetermined mysterious feathered creature!  At the speaking of these words, I excitedly thought that based on the price of this oviparous treasure, we were either looking at the spore of the goose that laid the golden egg (for which $8 would be a bargain) or that the Ganzo was Spanish for “Phoenix."

My hopes rose as I indulged myself in the contemplation of the fame that would accompany me in my finding the holy grail of oospore. They were quickly squelched as we were informed that the exorbitant premium for this ovum that was set before us was due to the fact the Ganzo (whatever the hell kind of a bird it was) only lays 2 to 3 eggs a year. You would think at $8 an egg the Ganzo could make an effort to squeeze out a few more per year.  Seeing that this egg would not bestow any magical powers upon us, make us wealthy and famous, nor guarantee us eternal life, we decided to forego the purchase of the “Huevo de Ganzo."  Feeling that $8 was a bit too pricey for her over-sized offering, we thanked our egg expert for her time and trundled on, still none the wiser as to what a Ganzo is.

Addendum:  I looked up Ganzo, found out it is a GOOSE, and researched that they lay eggs every two to three days.  You can't always believe what you're told in Ecuador!!!!!  Linda

MAIL DELIVERY IN ECUADOR - How Do We Get Mail in Cuenca?

I love juicing!  Every morning I turn on our Omega 8006 masticating juicer, and minutes later we're sipping nutritious fresh greens, vegetables and fruits which we buy daily at El Mercado.  We hand-carried our juicer and Vitamix all the way from Oregon, because we had no idea what was available here and what wasn't.  Well, lo and behold, I somehow failed to assemble it correctly the other morning, and in the midst of juicing I heard a loud CRACK.  Sure enough a main part busted.  I was not happy!  Now what?  How in the world does one order and receive mail here?  Being one-month new to Cuenca, it wasn't something we had investigated and tackled yet, nor did we need to - until now!

I e-mailed a friend who's lived here over 6 months, thinking she had surely been receiving mail by now, and she gave me a couple websites saying she, too, was going to be setting up a mailbox service soon.  I randomly chose the mail-forwarding service through Ecuador Movers thinking it couldn't be that complicated.  Well, since the entire mail service website is in Spanish, it was not going to be as easy as I thought - and I can read, speak, and write more Spanish than most ex-pats moving or living here!  I signed onto the all-in-Spanish website for UsaCasillero  (a casillero is a locker) and carefully read through and registered our mailing information.  I chose a Miami mailbox address, and I felt pretty proud I had figured it out thinking that was all there was to it. 

I then went to the Omega Juicer website and found and ordered the part, giving them the Miami address information I was assigned by UsaCasillero.  I knew that by the time I paid Omega for their cost and then paid the mail-forwarding service their cost, this little replacement part was going to be a pretty spendy item.  Oh well, I HAD TO HAVE IT!!!!

This morning I received an e-mail from the Miami mailbox telling me my package was there and I needed to identify it and myself for them to forward it to Cuenca.  I had no idea what they were talking about.  I thought I had identified myself when I registered.  So, I began to read the UsaCasillero website's fine print and wade through the different links, using my Google Translate to help me along.  I still could not figure this out.  Finally, I e-mailed Eucador Movers and asked them to help me understand what I needed to do.  Fairly quickly, I received a reply from Caty telling me I needed to e-mail UsaCasillero in Miami a copy of a utility bill from where we are currently renting showing the exact address I used when I registered with them, as well as a copy of my passport.  This would be a one-time qualification, and from then on whenever I ordered anything from the states, they would have this on record and could forward my packages or mail.

This service is not for sending packages or mail, it is only for receiving.  Oh, and the package cannot be more than a $400 value nor can it weigh more than eight pounds!  Picky, picky!!!   Also, every time I order something in the future, I have to immediately go into the UsaCasillero site and send an "alertes" (alert), letting them know what I've ordered, from where, the value/cost, etc. I hadn't done this either when I originally ordered the part, and that was also delaying the mail forward.  How do I know all of this?  I ended up going to the physical location of Ecuador Movers on Simon Bolivar after realizing it was only two blocks from where I live.  Caty was very helpful, and she patiently explained everything to me and showed me how to maneuver through the website.  Because I only had a rent receipt with the address on it, she is also going to talk to someone at the Miami location Monday and help to get my documents to them so they can then forward my juicer part. 

Caty also explained to me that it usually takes two week from the time Miami sends my order to Cuenca, but there can also be another delay (up to two weeks) if Customs decided to hold my package.  She said this happens "often."  I could be looking at another month before that little $24 part arrives - which will end up costing another $20 or more by the time UsaCasillero charges their fee to forward it.  Oh well!  Once the package arrives and is free to be released, I will receive a phone call and/or an e-mail letting me know I can pick up the package at  Hermano Miguel 10-32 Gran Columbia.

For now, I'm just trying to figure out a way to get my juicer part as quickly as possible.  There may be a better mail service, and if any of our readers have any feedback about this, we would really appreciate your comments.

This is all a part of the journey - learning new things and figuring out how to live in a new country and still have access to things we can't find in Cuenca.  Someday we'll be able to look back at all the things we had to figure out and say, "We did it!  We figured it out and now we are paying it forward!!!"

LIVING IN ECUADOR - CUENCA HALLOWEEN IN JANUARY!!!

If you read Bo's recent post, he wrote, "Today’s oblation is called the Dia De Los Innocentes parade. City officials expect about 1,000 to participate in the parade with another 25,000 watching along the route.  Like many of Cuenca’s festivals, the Day of the Innocents was originally a religious celebration that, over the years, took on the trappings of carnival. The event is intended as a remembrance of King Herod’s death sentence ordered for all Israeli new-born boys after the birth of Christ. The event is celebrated throughout Latin American. Cuenca's version is reportedly the largest in Ecuador and includes a competition for the best costumes and skits, many with satirical, political and social commentary themes. The event is notable for the army of boys and young men parading in women’s clothes although it also includes women dressed as men and a wide variety of devils, clowns and historic and fictional characters.  You won’t want to miss this one!  I'll see if I can get Linda to take some pictures and send them along in our next blog post.  Til then, be happy!!  Life is short and so are Ecuadorians!!"

Well, as Bo sort of promised, I'm posting photos of this most bizarre parade (fiesta)!  First of all, when we left our apartment and walked towards the route of this supposedly "religious theme" parade - we suddenly were walking alongside another religious parade.  I'm not sure what the theme of this parade was, but it was small and somber in music and costume compared to the one we would soon approach.  The smell of "Catholic" incense and the adorned floats and costumed people seemed to express some sort of Catholic religious theme for their reason to march down the streets of Cuenca.

We followed along the narrow sidewalks as latin music blared for the walking paraders, religious floats, adorned children mounted on horsed, and colorfully costumed dancers.  The smell of this Ecuadorian women's "Catholic" incense permeated throughout the streets.

Colorfully clad dancers capture the viewers' attention!

Beautifully adorned children on horseback enjoy their time to shine in this small religious fiesta.

Many parents march in the fiestas with their young ones adorned and in arm.

"El Gigante Gringo" marches on the cobbled streets alongside the paraders.  (Yes, he's standing on the sidewalk, but he's still a giant compared to these diminutive Cuencanos.)

We walked alongside this parade for awhile and soon found ourselves on the main street of spectators waiting for the 4 pm "Dia De Los Innocentes" event to begin.  Well, it never did, for a long long time!  I had more fun photographing the passersby who seemed to be walking towards the parade then I did the actual event.  Why?  The event never began until about two hours later and it was nothing like other parades we've experienced here.   People were pushing themselves into the streets where the parade was to pass, police were trying to cordon off the street-lined spectators so the parade could procession through an open area, and it was absolute chaos and disorganization.  It also began to rain at one point.  When the parade finally advanced to where we were, I had already had my fill of photography.  Yet, I continued to photograph in spite of the low light of the evening.  We finally had enough of this halloweenish event (it reflected nothing of what Bo wrote about, which is what the original theme of this bibilical parade (fiesta) was supposed to be), and we finally pushed our way through the thick and intense (and somewhat drunken) crowd and walked home to the quiet of our city sanctuary (quiet compared to the revelry of this insane and bizarre event).  This is one parade I didn't really feel happy about when I walked away!  I did, however, happen to capture some fun photography, though the pictures reflect nothing about the biblical theme and event that took place in the day of Christ Jesus.  Go figure!!!!!  Here are some of the photos I captured to give you an idea of what this "Dia De Los Innocentes (Day of the Innocents) has become to the people of Cuenca…..

Girlfriends pose for a moment to shine in their costumes!

Wall watchers had the best view.

Costumes reflected everything but a biblical theme of Herod and the slaughter of the innocent.

Even pets were adorned for this event!

There were many police patrolling the streets, and at one point the crowds were cordoned off to make room for the paraders.

it was absolute chaos and disorganization!  Thousands showed up for this bizarre "Halloweenish" event!

Many parade viewers sat along the curb and seemed to be having a wonderful time watching the costumed strollers as they indulged in their vendor foods.  (Many of the beautiful Ecuadorian women dress up to the hilt and wear amazingly pointed spiked heels.  How in the world can they walk on these death-trap cobbled sidewalks and streets is beyond me when I can barely keep my balance in my running shoes!!!)

Finally, after a sprinkle of rain and evening dusk falling upon the city, the "fiesta" was on it's way through the crowded sardine-lined streets.....

There were colorful clowns.....

Wild partying drinking men in in drag.......

Freakish funny-looking who-knows-what.........

Sponge-faced characters......

.....and hundreds of Halloweenishly attired individuals and couples!

I could go on and on posting the trilliion crazy photos I captured, but I'm sure you get the gist of this wild and weird event.  It was more like a Halloween Street Party and we saw nothing that resembled the true meaning of the Biblical title, "Dia De Los Innocentes."

I'm sure there will be another parade this weekend, or soon enough.  I wonder what the next one will be?  Stay tuned................

LIVING IN CUENCA ECUADOR - Ecuadorian Family - EYES OPENED & HEARTS TOUCHED, ONCE AGAIN!!

Each day in Cuenca brings something unplanned and unexpected - whether it's a new and interesting place we discover as we walk along the cobbled sidewalks of our city, or perhaps another precious Ecuadorian person or family that crosses our path.  It's the best part about being in another country for us - not a boring moment because we're ready to up and go and discover, and we're ready to open our hearts and door to the next person or family we're supposed to meet and KNOW!

Our landlady sent a painter to our "departamento" (apartment) yesterday - and throughout the day, Giovanni began to ask me questions about how long we were visiting Ecuador for, if we liked his country, and what it was like in the United States.  He respectfully asked how much my apple computer cost, what Bo and I did for work, if we had children, and on and on.  I never viewed this young Ecuadorian's questions to us as an intrusion or invasion of our privacy.  I enjoyed being completely honest with this gentle and humble young man of 22 years old, wanting to give him a complete picture of who we are, why we are here, and what his people and country mean to us. 

Because I can speak his language fairly well, Giovanni and I were able to communicate back and forth as he worked throughout the day, and by early evening, at the end of his work shift, he was sitting at our dining room table having a cup of Bo's cafe fuerte con leche y panela.  Around 6 pm, he politely thanked us and rose up to leave, only to return at 8 pm with his wife, one-year old daughter, and 14 year old sister.  He had humbly asked me in the course of our conversation if he could return with his family so they could meet us.

How did this transpire?  Why would a 22-year old young Ecuadorian man want to come back to our apartment with his family so late in the evening to sit with us again after already talking to us and having so many of his questions answered.  We are Gringos, estranjeros (foreigners), and from different worlds, much older and certainly not people most young Americans today would want to hang with.  Why would his wife, after working all day as a fruit vendor with a baby strapped to her back want to take a taxi late at night to meet two Gringos who live nothing like she does?

During the hour Giovanni sat with us sipping Gringo coffee, it was obvious he was genuinely interested in us.  He wanted to know so much, and his questions (which he asked respectfully) continued, and my honest answers followed.  He wanted to see pictures of our home in Oregon, the inside and outside.  He asked how much we rented it for, and he asked how much we paid rent at our current place.  His eyes popped when I told him our "departamento" here was $500 a month (so inexpensive compared to what one pays in the US).  He began to share with me that he and his wife paid $80 a month for their one-room home.  He quietly shared, "We're poor."

Giovanni had now opened the door for me to enter in, and now I  began gently questioning him and inquiring about his life.  I was just as curious about him as he was about us.  I asked him about his wife and daughter, which caused him to light up as he humbly yet proudly shared his love for his family and how his daughter was the joy of his life.  He shared with me how diligently he and his wife were both working so they could better their life for their daughter.  His family is very close, and he has 7 brothers and sisters, and his wife has 9 siblings.   I continued to inquire and learn all about his parents, his home life and on and on.

As he shared, I began to see and express to him how rich he was.  He looked at me visibly surprised and stunned to hear this.  I began to tell him how being rich has nothing to do with money, and that there are many rich people in the world, especially the United States, who are miserable and unfulfilled in spite of their wealth.  I told him that truly he was richer than Bo and me because he had a beautiful daughter which was God's gift to him.  I pointed out to him that though he did not make much money he had work, that though he only had one room he had a home, and that though he did not see the monetary aspect in his life, he had the day's provision for his family - food, shelter, and love.  He smiled and quietly thanked me.  He told me that sometimes he lost sight of what really was important because their life was a such struggle but that my words meant so much to him. He told me that he was an Evangelical Christian and believed the Word of God.  He asked me about my faith.  He said that my words had truly blessed him. 

It was at this point in our conversation that he said he would like to have Bo and me come to his home.  I told him we would be honored.  Then Giovanni asked if he could come back tonight with his family so we could meet his wife and baby girl.  At 8 pm, they returned, and he also brought his 14-year old sister.  It was like watching a family going to Disneyland for the first time.  They were in awe of our apartment.  Now mind you, Bo and I are living in a very small and humble place, USA standards, but to these young Ecuadorians, it was like sitting in a mansion.  I'm not exaggerating!  Giovanni told me that his family had never been inside a Gringo's home  before.  He has because he is a painter and works in this complex.

He wanted me to show his little sister and wife pictures of our Oregon home and land.  He wanted me to tell them about our life.  His wife, Maria, began to ask me specific questions about our life, not intrusively, but with a genuine curiosity and a careful respect - yet I knew she felt safe with us and able to be real and transparent also.  By the time our two hours of visiting had passed, this sweet family had shared with us even more about their lives.  Giovanni's little sister, Michael (Mee-Shy-El), who kept looking around at our place as she quietly munched on the sweet granola before her, shared with us how she works from early morning until 6 pm with her mother selling produce at the large mercado, then goes to colegio (school) from 6 pm until 10 pm.  This is her typical day, Monday through Friday.  She was at our home this particular evening only because it was a school holiday.

As Maria fed her baby (Ecuadorian women breast feed their little ones openly and publicly) and sipped her coffee, she shared with us how she rises every day at 6:30 am and goes to the market where she buys her produce to then turn around and resell at another location for her profit.  She works from early morning until around 6 pm.  Giovanni also rises early and works until around 6 pm.  He said if he doesn't have a full day's work, he has to hang around in order to be paid.  His wages are minimal and only enough to feed his family and pay his rent.  They were enjoying sipping coffee and munching on healthy granola with us, looking at some of our photos, and laughing with us as we (Bo especially) struggled through our Spanish and said words that made Michael giggle.  She was so shy that she would pull her brother towards her and whisper to him if she wanted to ask about or know something.

At 10 pm, we finally embraced each other goodbye, then we walked the family downstairs to open the iron gate and let them outside.  We handed them cab fare, and they gratefully accepted. As Bo and I held hands and walked back up to our modest apartment, we were overcome with gratitude - not only for what we already have back in the US, above and beyond where we now live - but for time spent with this young precious family.  Once again our eyes have been opened, our hearts overwhelmingly touched, and our lives forever changed.

For us, being here is truly about the wonderful people we are continually blessed to meet!

LIVING IN CUENCA ECUADOR - BO'S PERAMBULATIONS THROUGH CUENCA!

Some things that I have learned my first month in Cuenca:

1. All traffic signs are only suggestions to be obeyed at the whim of the driver.
2. Right-of-way belongs to either the bravest or the least attentive. Either way, the gene pool is constantly being upgraded.
3. Potholes are more prevalent on the sidewalks than on the roads.
4. Every Gringo in Cuenca is either an artist or is writing a book.
5. Much like avoiding ex-lax and sleeping pills on the same night, introducing a juice diet while under the stress of moving to a new country should be eschewed.
6. In a land in which my five-foot wife is considered tall, I look as though I suffer from a pituitary disease. I now know how Gulliver felt and as such, I keep a keen eye out to make sure a group of Ecuadorians are not following me with ropes and stakes. Ironically, in a land populated by homunculi the only things larger than me in Cuenca are the store mannequins.
7. Adjectives like large and small are relative. When you are 4’10” and 98 pounds (don’t ask me how many kilograms that is), large means something quite different than when you are 6’2" and 255 pounds. By Ecuadorian standards I am actually the size of a small car.
8. In the U.S. bed sheets are categorized by their thread counts.  In Ecuador they are categorized by grit size.  I believe our last apartment's sheets were between 150 and 220.
9. “Curb your dog” has an entirely new meaning in Cuenca.  At first I thought that an epidemic of foot drop syndrome was sweeping Ecuador.  Now I know differently.
10. Car alarms are as ubiquitous as they are useless.  At any given time a half  dozen or more can be heard belching out their cacophonous refrain while no one, including the police, gives them even the slightest consideration. Conclusion: the safest place in Cuenca for a fugitive is inside a stolen car with its alarm is blaring.

So other than the above list you ask, "What is Cuenca really like?" Actually, so far, not bad! It is a great place; simple, sweet and enchanting. The city is wonderful, filled with life and activity, but it is not without its drawbacks. Not being able to talk with people is a real drawback for one as loquacious as me. Linda, having grown up in a bilingual family, is having a much better time here and is constantly being complimented about how well she speaks Spanish. I, on the other hand, continue to play the part of Knucklehead Smith to Linda’s Edgar Bergen and when I speak on my own accord make a fool of myself.

In the Panama City airport I asked a couple of policeman where I might find "una sopa de café” which I thought meant a cup of coffee. What I ended up asking them was where I could get some coffee soup. They chuckled amongst themselves and, with a dismissive look and wave of their hand indicating a general location somewhere far away from them, they were off. 

In Cuenca I had a similar disquieting moment when I asked a young lady “Como se llama tu chica” which is “What is your girl's name.” Her answer was “Varon” (pronounced "Baron").  I complimented the mother on having named her daughter such a cute name.  So I started to call the little girl Baron, thinking that was her name. Unfortunately, varon means boy in Spanish. It was not until after we disengaged and walked away that Linda informed me that what she had been trying to tell this Gringo was that her child was not a little girl, but a little boy. So unless this baby is going to star in the next Tarzan movie as Jane and Tarzan’s child, I got the name wrong. I can't imagine being here by myself and trying to get along with my limited Spanish. 



Not having my own transportation is a bit of a drag as well. The good news is that the buses run everywhere for only 25 cents, and a cab ride any place in the city is maximum three dollars. We've been doing quite a bit of walking, so the first few days were tough on my body due to the fact I am carrying enough excess weight to make it appear as though I have a small Ecuadorian family living inside my shirt.  It doesn’t help that all this sauntering is done at 8,300 feet above sea level. The rarefied air of the Andes has presented me with a bit of a challenge to engage in even the most commonplace of activities - like breathing!  A short walk to the local mercado leaves me panting like a Saint Bernard on a hot day.  Once I catch my breath I will write more.

I had to get away from my routine to fully appreciate my life when compared to life here for many of the Cuencanos. I am blessed from a material standpoint, yet I come up wanting in so many other areas.

At the risk of sounding paternalistic, I have observed a contentment in the lives of so many of the people we have met who have nothing from my value system, that is sorely lacking in my own. When I say nothing I mean just that: nothing! They are up at daybreak toting heavy bags of fruit and vegetables or bundles of clothing to their vendor stands, and they do not close sometimes until well after dark.  I see women selling trinkets as they stroll around the city with a child on one arm and one or two children trailing behind them. They have never had a thought of how well their 401k is doing or what their retirement will look like. I'm sure their thoughts are centered on how they will feed their family today.

Since we've been here, I have had the pleasure to meet Senor Luis Diaz.  He is a 94 year old man who has been shining shoes in the same spot for 62 years, eating a bowl of soup in front of a 4 foot by 4 foot box, where he lives. When I first shook his rough-hewn hand, I felt every one of the 62 years that his shoe shine business had inflicted upon it - a rough, hard, dirty productive hand that had never once in all those years been stretched forth seeking charity from others, but rather only extended to invite others to allow him to ply his trade.

His wife, who used to sit next to him as he shined shoes for every one of those 62 years, took a bad fall and is in some sort of home for the indigent where he visits her every day. He told us that he now has nothing.  My world has been turned upside down as daily I see all these hardworking people trying to eke out a living. 

In our haste to leave the temporary confines of the first apartment we rented as our landing spot, we jumped from the proverbial pot into the fire. The place we were renting was a newly refurbished condo with all the modern accouterments one would find in the USA.  Not really what we were looking for though!  We had something with more of a touch of the old Cuenca in mind.

What we found in the second apartment certainly had a touch of “old Cuenca”, but the emphasis was on old and not so much on Cuenca. There were no windows, the faucets leaked, the showers didn't drain, the upstairs neighbors either moved furniture every night or had their own personal bowling alley, the neighbors downstairs fornicated like rabbits and the lavanderia (Laundromat) below us belched salsa music all day.  So you ask, "other than that Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play?”

We are now happily ensconced in our third, but not final, apartment in 3 1/2 weeks. At the end of February, we will move into our new digs that overlook the busiest street in all of Cuenca.  Virtually all of the roughly 365 parades they have here proceed past our balcony, so we will have the equivalent of sky-box seats for every one of these ostentatious cavalcades the city has to offer.

Today’s oblation is called the Dia De Los Innocentes parade. City officials expect about 1,000 to participate in the parade with another 25,000 watching along the route.  Like many of Cuenca’s festivals, the Day of the Innocents was originally a religious celebration that, over the years, took on the trappings of carnival. The event is intended as a remembrance of King Herod’s death sentence ordered for all Israeli new-born boys after the birth of Christ. The event is celebrated throughout Latin American. Cuenca's version is reportedly the largest in Ecuador and includes a competition for the best costumes and skits, many with satirical, political and social commentary themes. The event is notable for the army of boys and young men parading in women’s clothes although it also includes women dressed as men and a wide variety of devils, clowns and historic and fictional characters.  You won’t want to miss this one!

I'll see if I can get Linda to take some pictures and send them along in our next blog post.  Til then, be happy!!  Life is short and so are Ecuadorians!!!

Bo

RENTALS IN CUENCA ECUADOR - Our One Month Anniversary and WE'VE MOVED - AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!

I keep telling myself, "It's all a part of the process and adventure!"  Today is our one month anniversary in Cuenca.  We arrived on December 5th, and it seems we've been here a lot longer with all we've done and accomplished - like recently moving AGAIN for the third time, and knowing we will be moving AGAIN end of January.  Just know that sometimes it takes time to find the right HOME.  Since we've purposed not to buy or rent long-term (signing a lease) until we know what we're doing and where we're going, renting month to month gives us more options - like up and moving if things aren't working out, for whatever reason.

The first place was definitely a temporary situation because the USA owner was going to be arriving mid-January.  So, we had to find another place by then.  It was brand new (she hadn't even lived in it yet), so there were some glitches that had to be worked out while we were there.  All in all, it was very nice and beautiful, but we were paying more than what we wanted to pay longer term.  So we began looking right away because we wanted to find our "HOME."

The second place was so not it!  When we went to look at it, we missed so many things that would have told us to walk away.  I still don't know how this happened, but it certainly has turned out to be a good thing, because we have such an appreciation of so many things in our "third" apartment which we probably would have normally taken for granted - like real china and glassware, nice pots and pans, fluffy Egyptian towels, quality sheets,  AND WINDOWS (the other apartment had no windows - how in the world did we not see that???).

Now, we don't have to listen to our fornicating neighbors at night, or our screaming landlords yelling for their son every morning, nor their yapping sad dog every time they go out, and no more leaking (not just leaking, but pouring) kitchen faucet and no sound of continual moving of furniture above us (what could they possibly be moving every night????), the internet continually crashing, uncomfortable tiny Ecuadorian furniture (we moved one of the beds into the living room to make it more comfortable) and it goes on and on.  Mind you, our landlord was very kind to us, and so was everyone else we encountered there.  Not their fault, but ours for not really seeing and really checking things out.  So, for those of you coming to live here, CHECK IT OUT!!!!

Though it didn't work out for us and we weren't there long (three weeks to be exact), we now know more wonderful Ecuadorian and Ex-Pat people because we were planted there, so our short season in place #2 wasn't for naught! (We never want to miss what God is showing and teaching us.)  The apartment just wasn't it!  Again, not their fault, but ours for not really looking things over and being willing to walk away.  The place had some character and potential, and because of my decorating mind - "Oh, I can make this place fabulous!" - I missed all the things that I could never change.

We like our new city life, but apartment living in the city has to meet our needs or it isn't going to work out.  Friends told us about the apartment complex we are in now, and we went to meet the landlady two days after being in place #2.  We  put down a deposit on an apartment that would be available end of January thinking we could endure in place #2 until then.  After only two weeks (and what seemed more like two long years), I contacted our new landlord's son via e-mail (I can be persistent when I'm miserable) and I asked him if another apartment came up before the end of January to please let me know.  He immediately wrote back and told me that he had a place opening up that we could move to on January 2nd, and then we could move into our already reserved apartment end of January.  YES!  HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL!!!!

We were both so ready!  The day after we returned from our New Year celebration with Pedro, we went over to see our now "3rd temporary" place, loved it and immediately paid for the month of January, and we moved out of place #2 that same night.  What a sight - us rolling our suitcases through the dark streets of Cuenca.  Good thing it is only four blocks away!  We've been here three days and WE ARE SO MUCH HAPPIER!!!  We're still in the heart of El Centro, now only four blocks from the mercado, in a much nicer area, and our landlady is very loving and accommodating.  She came over tonight to bring us bedding for the guest room, and I asked her if I can have the apartment we are moving to end of January painted colors I like.  She said yes, and she is going to have me talk to her painters who will paint it before we move in.

Bo and I are enjoying cooking again! It's a better equipped and much nicer kitchen space.  We went down to the Rotary Market and bought some unfinished tables - one to make more counter space ($12) and one to use as a kitchen Island ($20) - and we bought four cans of different paint colors and brushes ($11) - and we're creatively painting our furniture (pictures to follow in another Blog post).  We also bought some beautiful baskets, and then we stopped at the flower market and bought a bouquet of Stargazers (my favorites) and Sunflowers for $3.  Just a few touches and we're feeling like we're HOME.

We are continually learning every day how to be true apartment city dwellers (after living in the country for 39 years) - such as living on the third floor and locking doors and iron security gates every time we enter or exit, picking up a phone to find out who just buzzed to make sure we're not opening our iron gate to a robber, hearing the constant sound of traffic, honking horns, car alarms, and city night life, and hearing the sound of tenant neighbors' voices and footsteps coming and going up and down the steps on their way in and out.

Yes, it's not the country with peace, quiet, and tranquility - but we like the simplicity of a smaller place and the energy, activity, and daily discoveries when we walk out our door and onto the city streets.  We walk everywhere - near and far (and have both lost weight!!!) - and we conveniently can come home a lot during the day, whether to unload our daily groceries, to eat a meal, or just to take a break.  Last night I was settled in for the evening, when Bo said, "Come on, it's Friday night.  Let's go out!"  So, we grabbed our jackets (Yes, it's pleasantly cool at night here) and headed out at 8 pm.  The city was alive!  We walked a block to Parque Calderon where a band was playing, people were sitting or strolling in the park, and restaurants were packed with Friday night diners.  There were food vendors parked or strolling along the streets.  The city and park  were brightly lit and alive, and we cozied up on one of the benches and watched the world of El Centro Cuenca before us.

What's not to love about being here????  Well, that's another blog posting.  After one month - what IS not to love????  More to come........