Catholics and Other Cositas

Being out of the center of town, I did not want Ron to venture off to church alone. I went along, but waited for him in the park across the street. I had great hopes of making this a relaxing, do nothing at all Sunday. It did not turn out that exactly the way I hoped.

We have seen one church from afar, but never up close. It was San Blas church, so we headed in that

direction. The neighborhood changed from city center prosperous to lower middle class on a downward slope. Before reaching the church, we were pleased to see a well-maintained park covering one city block. San Blas sits on one corner across the street from the park. Of course, by the time we arrived, the doors were locked.

Strangely, on the opposite corner and cross the park sits El Pastor, another Catholic church. Before it came into full view, I thought it was a castle themed hotel. When we were able to get a closer look, it still had some castle qualities, but it is a church.

On the way back, we stopped at a restaurant called Cositas (Little things). What drew our attention were wine bottles and sheets of newspaper plastered on the walls. Moving into the next room, covering one section of one wall were photos of Miss Ecuador dating from 1957. Another wall held Mr. Universe photos. The room where we dined had a wide assortment of little things filling every wall.

Before returning home, we sat in the park to people watch

while sampling what is supposed to be

the best ice cream in Cuenca. Who should we run into but Howard and Mike. What a fun small world!

Pin It Now!

Say Cheese and Then Go to the Dogs

In one of the Gringo newsletters, we heard there was a man

who sells cheese and sausage on Saturdays from 9am to 1pm. If you do not catch him during this time, your are out of luck. Varieties of cheese in the supermarkets here, lack a certain enticement; it is the same with the cheeses in Hungary. You have to search for something better than pedestrian.

Getting off the bus by the University of Cuenca, we took a short stroll around the campus after a large ceramic piece

caught our eyes.  What a beautiful university this is. Each of the buildings are different in architectural style, walking the stunningly maintained grounds was a pleasure, and at this time, there are few students around. It must be between semesters or summer break. Part of me thought about sending in a C.V. and the other part of me said, “No, you have left teaching.” Only time will see which side wins out. That is not to say that they have an opening even if I did apply.

Back on track, we found our Gringo, who actually is from Sorrento, Italy. He was chatting with two other Italians.

Business was not hopping. We tasted three of his cheeses and bought small portions of two of them. They were expensive, but they are quality products. My mouth was watering for sausage, but the sausage was more like salami. Dried, not fresh Italian sausage, we left it. We said we would be around until the end of the month, so we may be back for refills. He shyly posed for a picture. Say, “I sell CHEESE!”

Close to his location, according to the tourism map, is a museum of archeology. We looked for it, but a number of the roads in this area are under construction. We walked about 10 blocks in various directions, obviously being in residential areas, not commercial. We asked a multitude of people where the museum was located. Not a single person had a clue even when shown the map. We found the cross streets where it is supposed to be according to the map, but there was nothing there. We hunted and

searched. We found a number of adorable dogs, but no museum.

Finally, we found ourselves back at the University of Cuenca, but at a different entrance than before. Ron asked the guard if he knew where the museum was located. By this point, we had hunted for an hour with no luck. Still, the guard was clueless as was the second guard who joined him. Just as we were about to call it quits, a few students passed by leaving the campus. Ron asked if anyone of them spoke English. Three young men shoved a young woman forward. Again, Ron asked, “Do you know where the Museo Arquelógico Universitario is located?” Suddenly, the three men found their voice. They said in unison it is over there as they turned to the left and pointed in the distance. It was a large white building at the back of the campus. With much gratitude expressed, we headed in that direction.

The guard felt obligated for some reason to escort us part of the way. Perhaps he felt responsible for strangers on the campus. We followed trails, walked through a construction

section, and finally arrived at the building. Cerrado! Closed! There were no signs stating the hours. Only one sheet was near the door dating back to 2002. The gate nearby was on the exact street that we walked by on more than once. However, all signage is on the side of the building. The street side is a blank slate of white. There would not have been any identifier as we passed. Even if there were, we would still have had to walk blocks and blocks to get close to the building. It would not have been evident from the street that the museum was closed.

Still, we were able to see more of the campus. The swimming pool and gym are open to the public. The campus is even more stunning when you really walk through it. There are three cafeterias spread around, so snacks or meals are never too far away.

Leaving the riverside to get back to the Mercado, one has to climb stairs. This particular staircase has 99 stairs.

Thankfully, there are breaks, so I stopped presumably to take photos, when in fact, I was getting my breath.

After a stop at the Mercado for chicken and some fruits, we were on the bus for home once again. We were a little shocked at the price of chicken breasts. Two healthy sized breasts came to $8. This is cheaper than the SuperMaxi, but still rather high. Ground beef has been relatively a bargain.

This little guy is in the window of the local florist.  I really

want to take him home.

Pin It Now!

Poco a Poco Vamos

Trying to take more time with things that need to be done, we

Primal Scream!

left the apartment late again on Friday. The trials and tribulations of the Florida apartment as well as the Budapest rental are still driving me crazy. There has not been any resolution after dozens of e-mails. 

We did want to see the photo exhibit by Michael J. Hamilton that we did not have time to squeeze in before meeting the gang on Thursday.

We took the bus one stop too far, we thought, but it was fortunate. As we walked back to where we thought the exhibit was, it was closer than we expected. Rarely do they offer specific addresses, but more like vague suggestions. Finding it was a boon; we had thought it was much farther back on Calle Larga than it was. His photographs cover a number of countries and are exquisite works of art. If we had wall space, several pieces would have tempted us. He has quite a list of exhibitions and awards. Chatting with him, we found out he is from Colorado, but has lived here in Cuenca for the last three years. Click on his name above to see his website. 

Both of us were famished. We had passed by a restaurant called Patacón Green & Beans innumerable times, but had not tried it. We were not quite sure what patacón was, but we had a feeling it had to do something with plantains, so we decided to try it. Ron ordered a sandwich of chicken curry and I had a pork sandwich. The young man running the place was quick to inform us, there was no bread involved in the sandwiches. Replacing the bread was smashed plantains. 

Chicken curry sandwich with plantains replacing bread

We could not mentally visualize this, but when they arrived, it was an “aha” moment. They were delicious, though Ron’s was moister with the curry sauce. I really enjoyed the pork with tomato, lettuce and avocado, but it needed a little more moisture. This is a return to place for sure.

There were three small museums we have wanted to visit. One was a monastery museum, but we have yet to find it open after walking by it more than three dozen times. A second modern art museum seems to be just as elusive. When we made a concentrated effort to find it, we realized we had walked by it on many occasions as well, but it has never been open. Finally, the third, the directions were so poor we just gave up looking for it. 

This is the way things are in many countries. They do not keep their hours posted and often there are no websites to check. When they do have websites, they are often neglected shortly after they are created; they never get updated information. I found this to be the case in Hungary, quite frequently. 

The plan for the evening was to return to the city center for a piano recital. Again, the directions said one thing in the online post, but another in a different advertisement. Ron asked at the tourism office. It turns out it was cancelled. Thursday night was the only performance. We lost out. 

Pin It Now!

Slow Down!

For the last few days, we have been trying to do less outside the apartment. Instead, we took a walk around the river by crossing it at the bridge a quarter of a block from us. We then followed it down until the path ended. 

We are impressed with the locals who wash their clothes in the river on the rocks. We are horrified at the tiny children that are running freely far from their parents. Not only could someone grab them, but the risk of drowning or otherwise causing harm is a red alert. 

At the end of the river path, we found some small shops where locals shop. Then we came across the over-sized Feria Libre Del Arenal Mercado. However, with warnings about going there with only enough money to buy what we needed, we stayed on the outskirts, not daring to venture in too far. We found the avocados 

Sharpening his knives?

cheaper here than the Mercados in the city center getting five for $1 as opposed to three. Mangoes and tomatoes were also less. Ron likes the pepino dulce, so we bought five for $1 of those too. 

This child could not be older than 4 years old.

With our bags full, we continued down to Sweet Affinity, a vegetarian restaurant. Having been there before, we knew the $2.75 lunch special included four choices of hot vegetable dishes, a bowl of soup and a drink. We needed the walk home to work off the food. 

On Thursday, Howard and Mike invited us to go out to dinner with them. Barbara and Bill Wolfe, our former exchange hosts wanted to join us to meet us for the first time. Ron and I had gone to the city center early to catch an art exhibit that had just opened. It is the work of Francisco Delgado Suarez, a Cuenca raised and university educated artist, on exhibition at the Galeria de la Alcaldia de Cuenca. We thought we would have time to take in a photography exhibit that opened yesterday too, but it would have been too much of a rush. 

Our building from across the river

We stopped at the flower market to get some posies for Bx2 from Rx2. When we got to the apartment, Howard buzzed us in, but we ran up to B & B’s for the flower delivery. All of us went down to Mike and Howard’s for a glass of wine before heading out to dinner. B & B are just delightful. We started talking as if we had known each other for years. There was an instant comfort level with them. 

Dinner was superb. We returned to Caesar’s where we had dinner with the 22 gay guys. The place was rather empty, so we did our part to keep Caesar going. 

I specifically brought my camera to take pictures of Howard and Mike, since I rarely do photos of people who are not strangers. It was not until we arrived at the municipal building for the art show that I realized the camera memory card was still in the laptop. Darn it!

Leaving dinner, we decided on a taxi home rather than the bus due to the hour. After we were in the taxi and on our way, we realized he was not using a meter. It came to $3, but it was worth it getting back faster.

Pin It Now!

Flipping the Bird

Caution:
This is what could happen when you flip the bird at someone. Not a pretty sight, is it? Use that finger with care.

Pin It Now!

Fundación Museo de las Conceptas and Then There Are the Rest of Us

Frantically trying to maximize our time, we welcomed an invitation from our new friends Howard and Mike. They had been away for a long weekend visiting the Ecuadorian shore, so we had missed their company. When we left the building we all shared, they had not yet returned. We arranged to meet for dinner at Chifa La Gran Muralla, a Chinese restaurant if you were not able to guess.

Having dinner plans, we had decisions to make. Do we want to take the bus into the city center, do something and come home first or go directly to the restaurant? Such trials and tribulations we have. 

We decided we needed to learn the bus system better, so out our door up the street and a block away, we caught the number 3 bus. The route is perfect. It passes the Saturday bacon sellers café
and on to the center of the city. We did get off near a school only because the wall art was so incredible we had to do a real inspection. 

One wall almost a block long was covered in art depicting

I want some bacon!

older people each with a melting Dali type clock somewhere within the scene. Another wall was entirely dedicated to children. The last wall featured Amazon jungle animals. We cannot seem to get over the amount of art all around the city. 

With two goals in mind, we had to watch the clock; we left later in the day after trying to get caught up on e-mail errands. First agenda item was our need to upload money on our bus card. We started with $3, but with both of us using it, it goes fast. That is 50¢ a ride for the two of us. We tried nine different shops where we thought they would be able to add money; finally, we found one that really could.

Our next agenda item was to revisit the Fundación Museo de

las Conceptas. This was once a home owned by a wealthy woman from Cuenca. At the time, around 1850, this was the largest home in the city. This woman in question donated this home to The Order of the Immaculate Conception nuns; at the same time, she donated her three daughters. The Order of the Immaculate Conception or Conceptionists as they are also known was once contemplative nuns. What they are now is a mystery. There was nothing to say where these nuns are now or if they still exist in Cuenca or not. 

Regardless, the building is typical of the architecture here. Two stories high, the structure is split in the center, where a structure that looks like an oversized elevator shaft holds a huge statue of Michael the Archangel on 1 floor and a chapel on the second. All rooms are open to a garden on either side of this structure. Each room contains either religious art or artifacts that girls or women brought to the convent as part of their dowry. Girls were allowed to enter the convent from the age of 12 years, so on display were some of the toys they brought with them. 

From here, we bussed home again to get some more annoying e-mails out to accountants, property managers and the like. We knew the evening would get better and it did. 

At 6:30, we met Mike and Howard at Chifa La Gran Muralla for dinner. They are always such great company.  One of

these days, I will have to remember to photograph them. For some reason, other that Ron who has me trained to document his life, I rarely photograph people I know. It was great seeing you guys!

Pin It Now!

The Headaches Are Chasing Me

Having three months here, I thought I would have all the time in the world to pursue some projects that I had started long ago, but have been left hanging for quite a bit time. Thus far, it has not happened. There seem to be multiple things that need caring for where we still have ties: Hungary and Florida. These are impeding on my time.

It is with utmost respect that I share that our tax accountant has just this week passed away. Being an expert in ex-pat taxes, we depended on his expertise. Aside from being a tax accountant, having a doctorate in business, he also taught university in Florida. Not only did his death put me in a tailspin, but also having to find a new accountant who is well verses in ex-pat taxes is another ordeal. 

Before he died, our accountant suggested a colleague who was one of his former students. This accountant is in NY. When I wrote him, he was too busy to deal with us so suggested his partner work with us. Well, it was more than a part-time job getting the partner to set a day and time for a Skype call. After my fifth attempt at setting a day and time, that was mutually agreeable, I gave up trying. I sent him an e-mail stating that his lack of professionalism was not something I could abide by. 

He would suggest dates and times for a call and within hours of his e-mail, I responded with my choices. It was only after the entire list of options had passed, he responded with excuses. “I didn’t see your e-mail in time” or “You sent it so late and I don’t work weekends” or “I have been so busy, it turned out none of the dates and times would have worked for me after all.” I did catch him in one excuse. For weeks my computer refused to change over to this time zone, so all my mail showed Hungary time, not Ecuador time. The accountant and I are in the same time zone. 

Nevertheless, it has been a chore writing to various accountants who presumably are expert in expat taxes, and then waiting for a response after asking if they will work with same sex couples. 

Then, there were problems with the condominium in Florida. The tenant’s lease was up, but they wanted new carpeting before renewing the lease. After telling the property manager we would not make any decisions until we get pictures of the current carpeting, we never heard another thing. In the meantime, I thought we would just replace it with tile or pseudo-hardwood. It turns out our condominium association does not allow for anything but carpeting in any apartment above the ground floor due to noise. 

After writing multiple e-mails to various people at the property manager, I never did get pictures of the carpeting, so I decided to wait them out. The lease was over in November. December and January’s rent has appeared in our bank account, so even if I have yet to get a copy of the new lease, they must have renewed.

Today, I received an e-mail from our Budapest tenant. The poor guy just returned from The Netherlands and his heater is not working again. We have had Budapest Repair out there three times for this furnace. The first time we had them come out; they brought a specialist with them who had to replace the starter. About eight months later, we had to call them again. This time the gas lines needed cleaning out. On the third visit, it was something else. We did not go over for the third time, because our tenant said he could be home. I do not remember their excuse for the third time. Each visit was a minimum of $100 and still the thing is not working properly. 

AND I am still the thesis advisor for one last BA student in my previous Journalism program. She sent me two sections of her thesis. I read one, wrote innumerable comments and sent it back. Then I forgot the second part until today.  That took another couple of hours to read and comment on. It is so difficult advising without being able to do a face to face.

I mentioned to Ron, we should sell all the properties and buy something down here instead. Then we would only have one headache rather than three. 

In between all of this, I am trying to fit in culling my photos to be uploaded and we are still managing to get to museums, go shopping at the markets, and have dinner out with friends. More happier news soon.

Related articles

• The teacher who was elected Professor of the Year in the Netherlands
• White storks wintering in the Netherlands

Pin It Now!

We Pause Our Regular Broadcast for Breaking News

Congratulations to the Liszt Ferenc Airport for winning the Best Airport in Eastern Europe award at the World Airport Awards. Sorry, there are no pictures from the awards red carpet runway and no gossip about those there or what designer gowns were being shown off. I am wondering who won for the best airport in Central Europe!

Vueling Airline is returning to Budapest with direct flights to Rome reestablishing their Barcelona flights; both routes will be four times a week. Ryanair is adding Athens to its Budapest route system making this the 15th route it flies from Budapest.

WizzAir is not going to be outdone. This budget service started new services to Lisbon in March and will follow with Maastricht on May 15; Hurghada, Egypt May16, and Alghero, Sardinia, Italy June 16. 

More good news for Spain lovers is that Iberia Express, the budget branch of Iberia will have seven flights a week to Madrid. 

The airport transferred 9.15 million passengers, increasing last year’s numbers by 7.5% from last year. New or returning airlines are Vueling (Spanish), Air Serbia, Pegasus Airlines (Turkish), Emirates and Transavia (French).

Finally, North America is back in the picture, but it is not with one of the major US airlines. Air Transat will fly to Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport and then continuing to Toronto’s Pearson International Airport. For now, this is only a weekly service. Get ready for the June 16th kick-off. Air Transat is a Montréal based airline. 

Happy Travels!

Pin It Now!

World View From Our Cuenca Windows

This is the view from our Cuenca apartment. The view spans the living room as well as one bathroom, and all three bedroom.

Pin It Now!

MOVE!!

Today was moving day. A peaceful Sunday in the city was less so in our borrowed apartment. On the top floor terrace, there is a shared American washer and dryer. Generally, on Sunday mornings I have heard the washing machine going as early as 8am. By 7:30, I had the first load in. There is nothing worse than coming home from an extended vacation and having to deal with unpacking suitcases and having piles of laundry to deal with. 

After washing our bed linens and light towels, the second load included some red pillowcases, dark towels and bath mats. I have forgotten how huge an American washer can be. European ones are much smaller and dryers in homes are a rarity. 

Since I was in the washing spirit and Ron was off to church, I did a third load of our clothes as well. There is a washer and dryer in our new apartment; why bother packing up dirty clothes when we do not have to. 

Beds were made, bathrooms wiped clean, sofa cushions straightened, runner put back on the dining room table, double-checked all windows were locked and off we went. More bags leaving then coming, we were carrying groceries we had bought and of course, the garbage had to go out to.

Great fortune was with us. We found a taxi immediately. This was our first female taxi driver in Ecuador. Unfortunately, she had no clue where the address was. Ron showed her on a map; she asked for directions a couple of times. Funny, the meter started at $1.47 and never moved. When we arrived, it was a $3 fare, which I know is about $1 too much. 

We are here in our new digs. There are three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a well-equipped kitchen and a very spacious living room/dining room. With the window open, we can hear the river rushing by. It drowns out any traffic noise, but this corner apartment has less traffic going by than the last apartment.  What there is, is somewhat

drowned out by the sounds of the river. Soothing and relaxing, it is. 

Ron needed a Superbowl fix. I found a restaurant called Common Grounds where they were catering to expats. We went there around 6:30, but it was already packed to the gills. We had passed an Ecuadorian restaurant where the displays outside showed they catered to sports events. When we went in, sure enough they had the game on multiple large screen TVs around the restaurant. There were only three people at the bar watching and one family in another room. We stayed until half time, but the show was a major disappointment. 

Back here, we watched a movie while listening to the river out our window. I am anticipating a great night of sleep.

Pin It Now!

Mak'in Bacon But Not Selling Much

Bacon is a magical word that perks up my ears in a heartbeat. Sure, there are those naysayers who will say bacon will cause irregular heartbeats, but life is short. Reading the Gringo Tree newsletter on Saturday morning, I spotted a post that did get my heart to beat faster. A Bacon Festival! This is like my version of manna from heaven.

Unfortunately, the address was not precise; Avenida de 3 Noviembre is a long street. One would need to be familiar with Galeria Otorongo specifically in order to be able to find it. Thinking we could depend on the tourism office for directions, when we arrived the lights were on but no one was there. Asking dozens of people including military personal we passed on the street and police officers, we were offered multiple incorrect directions. Finally, a young street performer asked if we needed assistance and he directed us correctly; this was his route as well.  

Situated on a lovely expansive square, Galeria Otorongo was apparent as soon as it was in sight. There were dozens of people milling around, some staffing a BBQ, while others were handing out samples, trying to sell their products, and others sampling the goods. As soon as we were closing in, an older woman approached us with sample of their specialty smoked bacon and homemade sausage. To me there is no such thing as bad bacon. Although the bacon was tasty, it was not exceptional, especially for $19 a pound. Spices were the key to the sausage, it was delectable, but this too priced in the double digits per pound was out of the question. 

The bargain of the day and the most popular item was the snack-pak they offered. It consisted of a mini-BLT, a sausage ‘lollipop’, and a piece of chocolate covered bacon for $1.50. Okay, we shelled out the $3 for two thinking we would save it for later in the day. Not to be so, presented to us in a Styrofoam bowl without a cover, it was not portable. Sacrificing, we ate it on the spot, but my bread went into the trash much to the chagrin of all local pigeons. 

Being on the lower side of the river meant a trek of 95 steps. If this does not work off the bacon, I am not sure what will.

Interestingly, here as in the other long climbs along the river, decoration adorns the sidewalls along the way. It allows one to stop, pause to enjoy the artwork, and catch your breath before moving on up. Here, however, there is a difference. Rather than painted art, mosaics cover the walls. When you reach the top, the reward is a painted whale, which is entertaining. Yet, on the other side, is a magnificent Galapagos turtle that is truly extraordinary. 

From here we walked to a couple of museums that are on our list to visit, but found that they close early on Saturdays and are not open at all on Sunday. Pumapungo Arqueological Park was open, but again there was a real chance of rain; it makes it difficult traipsing among the ruins in wet grass, dirt, and slippery hills.

We wandered through the park again where the Museum of

Modern Art is located. There flowering trees in bloom; Ron wanted to take photos. A little old lady appeared from one of the businesses across from the park and started feeding the pigeons. There must have been hundreds of birds arriving from parts unknown to enjoy the food fest she offered. When she was done, they took off en masse. All I could think of was Tippi Hedren and Birds by Alfred Hitchcock. 

Later, we went to our favorite coffee roaster and café, Nucallacta, for a cup of java.

By the time we walked home again taking our time and looking over some shops, it was already late afternoon. How the day flies by.

I have to show you one of our potatoes. When we were in the

Mercado, we asked if they had sweet potatoes. The vendor showed us these red ones and we bought a few. The inside was a bit surprising. They were delicious, but nothing like yams or sweet potatoes as we know them.

Related articles

• Happy Birthday Tippi Hedren
• Hitchcock Movies The Birds
• Top Ten 2014 Bacon Recipes

Pin It Now!

Sit, Beg, Protest, and Then Get High on Art

There are so many sayings that include dogs: going to the dogs, dog day afternoon, my dogs are

killing me, and so on. However, when we went out today, we found that Cuenca was having a people and dog revolt. There was a rather hearty protest in progress when we reached the park. There were about 75 people and dogs in front of the municipal building on one side of the street, effectively blocking the sidewalk for pedestrian access. 
On the other side of the street, the park side, there were another 50 or more people and about two dozen canines holding signs, banner, and chanting. They would all stop to pose for anyone with a camera, hoping someone in the crowd was a journalist. 

The demands include stronger animal rights. There are too many abandoned dogs in the city and surrounding. We have not noticed this problem, but we will take their word for it.

They want cheaper neutering clinics with mandated surgeries. Part of the protesters demanded stronger financial support for the care of homeless dogs until they are adopted.

Severely deprived from dog loving, we were able to get a healthy dose here. Not only were the people holding the leashes friendly, but they welcomed their babies getting loving attention from strangers. We, pardon the expression, lapped up the canine kindness. 

The original goal when leaving the apartment was to go to the CIDAP Museum - Centro Interamericano de Artesanias y Artes Populares, which sits on the riverfront. We had no idea of what we would find here. OH MY STARS, as my paternal grandmother would say. We were in for a surprise.

CIDAP is an organization with a mission to breed knowledge and skills of artists. The organization worldwide offers 50 different courses that have thus far enriched 1,294 artists from 26 American countries. Within Ecuador alone, there have been 193 courses with over 2,500 artist participants. There are 11 craft festivals sponsored making it the largest in the country and very significant within America. Please note the use of “America”. This is used in their official publications, which goes to prove that America is not solely the United States. 

Our jackpot reward was visiting at a time when they were hosting award winners of the UNESCO Recognition of Excellence in Handicrafts awards. The varieties and designs in wood, clay, and textiles were simply magnificent. Other rooms had permanent works on display that were as fantastic as well.  The entry fee for this museum is your signature on the guest list. 

We soaked in the hard work, the talent, the education and the sacrifices that each piece represented. Silently, we cheered for the UNESCO winners and mentally sent well wishes to the others who have displayed. They too are winners. 

Leaving this museum, we were really flying high. It is incredible how great works of art, regardless of the media, can lift your spirits. Now energized, we crossed the river to visit the Museo de la Medicina. Appropriately, it is part of the Hospital of St. Vincent de Paul. Admission here was $1 each. We were the only visitors during our entire time checking out the various rooms. Much larger than I expected, as with several museums here, you enter a courtyard and all of the rooms open to the center garden. 

This was no different. Each room seemed to be dedicated to different specialties. Dentistry was the first room that we entered; there were dozens of different antique dentist chairs and all the equipment of similar ages. Other rooms had displays for gynecology, cardiology, gastroenterology, neurology, and so forth. Each specialty had pictures of doctors who had made inroads into their specific field. 


Surprisingly, we spent a good hour and a half or more here. When we left the museum, we wandered a bit around the hospital itself. There was a sign on one of the office doors that read Talento Humano, which I interpret as Human Resources. I loved the way they phrased it. 

Next was the hard part. After crossing the river, 97 steps need to be climbed to get to the upper streets to navigate home.

Some smart person created this stairway by breaking it into groups of 12 steps, with the exception of the upper most, which has 13 steps. At each of the 8 groupings, there is a landing to ponder your thoughts, watch your life pass before your eyes, wish for a respirator, or whatever is needed, before progressing to the next landing.

However, some very wise person,

probably someone with asthma, decided to decorate the walls along the way. Not only does this decorate what would otherwise be boring concrete, but it gives those of us in need, the justification to stop occasionally to look over the artwork, when in reality, we are trying to suck in as much air as possible. 

I made the mistake of mentioning to Ron that there was a piano concert in the evening. Of course, he wanted to go. The venue was the former house, now museum of the Ecuadorian writer/politician Remigio Crespo Toral. Though we could not imagine where the concert room was, we did go to investigate it. 

Filling the house with mobs of people, the majority English speaking ex-pats, there were no chairs for the concert. Placed in one room of the museum, a piano appeared for the evening. Our artist du noche was Peter Dudar, who I heard the organizer say he was Italian. However, if he is, he is Italian/American for certain. 

You can see one of his piano tunes here. He played Offenbach, Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Rachmaninoff, the

Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and one of his own songs. With the rooms overflowing with people and not being able to sit down, it was difficult to hear. Numerous little conversations started among others not within hearing range, thus making it more difficult still. We lasted for the first four selections then we scooted out of there. 

One thing that Cuenca has going for it is the vast assortment of cultural events, the majority of which are dominated by the ex-pat community since there is no language barrier. 

Pin It Now!

What Does a Saint With Wings, Guayacan Blooms and a Guanábana Have in Common?

Thursday was a strange day. We had little to no ambition to do anything, but felt a need to get out and explore something. Finally, we remembered we wanted to see the art exhibition that opened the same night we went to the concert. It was less than a mile away, making it an easy walk.

Wooden flooring

Of course, we are easily distracted so when we passed by Iglesia de Santo Domingo or St. Dominic’s Church and noticed the doors were open, we had to go in. It is funny, curious, not ha! ha! that the The Catholic Directory only lists two Catholic churches in Cuenca when there are 52. That aside, once more, I was blown away by the hand painted beauty of the inside décor.

Painted and plastered walls and ceiling

Since when do saints get wings?

We did make it to the art gallery, which thankfully was open. When we met the artist the night of the show opening, she had told us this building once housed people and their horses. It was like a bed & breakfast & stable (B&BS). In recent times, the city converted it into a municipal art gallery where temporary exhibitions can be presented to the public. Lesser known artists can get their work noticed. There were about 12 artists participating, but when we showed up, it was the security guard and us.

What was unclear to us was that there was one central theme to the show. Every piece of art represented the flower of the guayacan tree; in Loja, Ecuador, there are 100,000 acres of these trees. They bloom shortly after the first rain of the year, but the blooms disappear days later, not resurfacing for 12 more months.

The Gringo Tree newsletter states, “The flowers can grow to be 4 inches wide, and area favorites of honey bees and hummingbirds. The unique flowers are also quite useful in

treating a number of health problems. Teas made from the petals have been used to treat kidney disease, urinary tract infections, and even tuberculosis in various parts of Latin America.” Whether or not we were surprised at over 60 variations of one type of flower or tree, it was a fun thing to do.

Now, we decided to test the bus system. We knew little about the routes, but we did have an idea the 100 route ran close to our place. First, we took it all the way to the end, where we were asked to depart from the bus. All he did was pull into an alley to turn around and come back on the other side. We hopped on again, spending another 50¢ for the two of us. If Ron were a resident, it would only have been 12¢ for him.  We rode for quite some time, before realizing this bus was not going anywhere we wanted to be. At the next stop we got off, which was fortunate. There happened to be a SuperMaxi grocery store within two blocks.

Short on cash and not wanting to use a generic ATM, we asked at SuperMaxi if they took credit cards. They do, so we were set or so we thought. After milling up and down the aisles, we had enough groceries; we knew it would be a taxi going home. I was going to buy a soursop, what they call guanábana. I am all about trying different fruits and vegetables here, but I am not going to try the national dish: guinea pig.

We get to the register; Ron is obviously holding his Visa card in his hand. The young cashier tells us it is $40.29. Ron hands over the card. She asks Ron for his passport. Everyone, ex-pat and locals alike warn you not to carry your passport with you. Ron gives her his Hungarian ID card. This totally flummoxes her. She has to call for backup. All of a sudden that generic ATM is looking better, but I stubbornly wait it out. Hungarian IDs don’t cut it. Ron offers a colored photocopy of his passport. A chorus of sighs of relief was heard all around. This will work and we are out of there.

Taxis are waiting outside the store like great white sharks near fishing boats. Riding home, I am watching the meter cha-ching, cha-ching. We get to our corner saying this is good enough. The fare was $1.75.

During our tea and dessert time, we cut the guanábana. It has a dual texture. The center most part of the fruit has a similar consistency to a banana, while the fruit closed to the skin is closer to an orange. Flavor-wise it is a mixture of banana,

citrus, and I tasted some peach flavor. Ron didn’t care for it as much, but I thought it was a lovely change.

Pin It Now!