Thursday, January 29, 2015

... THE NEW YEAR BEGINS....

   Right after Christmas the "mummies" appear...

...well, they look like mummies-- actually they are life sized paper mache dolls.....there are thousands of them for sale all over Cuenca....

 
not quite finished....



The tradition is to burn your effigy at midnight to rid yourself of all problems and worries to welcome in the New Year with a clean slate.....   The streets are full of burning dolls all around  Cuenca starting at midnight,  and of course lots of whooping and hollering, and some drinking,  and fireworks!   A fun time!!!

In the spirit of getting a fresh start to the New Year,  Valeria came over....

Susan's manicure...

At home pedicure -- LUXURY!!



Bertha Cabrera & daughter Titi





I think Titi's turned out best -- can't beat smiley faces  :)



Met Jean, Joyula and John at Popacuchos for lunch and DESSERT on the 7th  .....can't go there without dessert...




John & Joyula  are a lovely couple whose company we all enjoy very much....John loves to tell jokes  (he could have made it as a stand up comedian)  Joyula is a sweet loving doll.     And Jean is our darling, darling JEAN!!
  We decided we have to get together at least once a month and we will!


On January 8, we had a "despedida" for Mosquita's doctor son, Carlitos & darling wife Ely....
we all met at Tacanijo and had a great time eating our favorite
  Mexican food....

And then on Sunday we had a big bar-b-que at our house...Carlos loves to do ribs on the grill and we had a mountain of food....There were 11 of us and we had a great time....
Carlos & Ely
 are now in Chile where he will be continuing his medical studies to specialize more in orthopedics....They will be missed.....


Mel and Glenene Harris met us at Bertuchi's on the 13th for dinner.....
He was a doctor in Texas and she had her own travel agency....they are most enjoyable company...........a great couple and a great addition to Cuenca....


We love Bertuchi's - it's right around the corner from us about 1 1/2 blocks.....so nice to go for a glass of wine and dinner --- the huge wood burning oven warms us up on a chilly evening....

Met the 3 J's  (Jean, John & Joyula) at Fabiano's Italian Restaurant on Friday the 23rd.....Another lovely evening full of laughs with dear friends....


Sunday was our usual Mass at the Cathedral.....outside the Church are some vendors....
Espumilla en cono

Cristina's FAVORITE -- the cotton candy man!!


For a change we decided to try the Windhorse Cafe....

Windhorse interior






The owners are former Peace Corps workers and seem a little out of their element..




..nice enough,  but a little overwhelmed....when I asked for an easy over egg I was told their cook couldn't do that -- strange for a place that specializes in Breakfast.....Windhorse has  a lot of "old gringo" customers --
if they speak English the gringos will be there!!....

Across the street from  Windhorse was a woman selling fruit so I had a chat with her and got mango,  pineapple and cereza -- a fruit that must be from the plum family .... good sweet flavor but not a lot of fruit because of the large pit.


Sunday afternoon Susan Klopfer called....she came over and bought some clothes and a fabulous ring -- a 5.70 ct Sunfire Quartz with Mexican Fire Opals on the sides --set in sterling silver ----- suggested retail $490 .... I was able to sell it to her for only  $46 !!!!  I know it sounds to good to be true, but I have learned there is a tremendous mark up in the jewelry business...since I buy only SUPER GOOD DEALS and have no overhead I can sell gorgeous jewelry at incredible low  rock bottom prices.....And this is a hobby for me so I don't really have to make money - just cover my costs, and my friends benefit....

Susan is a writer -- you can find her books on Amazon.com   ---    and you should look her up.....We always have a drink and talk politics.....interesting & entertaining....


MONDAY....Susana,  Bertha and I went to the Mercado Rotary..... I wanted another clothes rack and they wanted to buy tortilla holders - yes, that's right -- TORTILLA HOLDERS to keep the tortillas warm at the table.....I love the way they have taken to Mexican food and now appreciate the versatility of tortillas....
Bertha 

Susana with my clothes rack...

Typical shop in the Rotary Mercado

The ROTARY is an outdoor market place dedicated to wood furniture,  clay pots,  iron & tin goods and some hand made baskets.....I love it ... the prices are great and there's always something new and interesting....

Wednesday was grocery shopping at SUPERMAXI ....  Susana, Bertha, Rick and I went..... spent almost $200 on groceries but that will last close to a month adding in fresh vegetables and fruit from the Mercado.....Whenever I don't feel like going to the market,  I send Yolanda -- she went Tuesday when it was raining....I gave her $20 - she got tons of veggies & fruits & gave me $5 change....

Came home from SuperMaxi and unloaded and then Susana and I went to buy plants & potting soil.....
I got a large bag of potting soil, a neat rock planter,  and 6 different  flowering plants for $25......not sure what they are all called but one is a pretty yellow mini rose, & a couple of geraniums ...Yolanda will be happy - she loves to mess with the plants.....

Came home and unloaded and then went for a cafecito -- it was coffee time, 4 pm .... so we went for coffee and tamales....near the historical center....


 fresh tamales wrapped in "banana leaves"

Susana & Ricardo


the huge pots are outside on  the sidewalk  -- great advertising

inside the cafe looking out the back

TAMALE STREET
As we headed home we went by Commercial Solis-- Susana asked if I wanted to stop...of course I said yes,  and since they have a covered parking area it was just perfect...
Ricardo stayed in the car and Susana and I shopped in this nice store with lots of imports and low prices.....got some large glasses to replace a couple we broke  (same glasses I bought at Walmart) and some colorful pots and pans.....
The green skillet and pink sauce pot
were added to the purple pans I already had.....makes the kitchen much more colorful,
and I love it!

Then last night I got a call from Silvia Ontaneda -- the Cousul General de Ecuador in Minneapolis ... a delightful surprise....Silvia is here in Cuenca and wanted to get together last night but we were just sitting down to dinner with Yolanda and Juan Gabriel.....
Silvia is the doll we met in Minneapolis when we were arranging our paperwork to come to Ecuador -- at our first meeting in her office she invited us to dinner in her home,  and Linda & Scott and Nicolas and Olivia!!.....incredible!! ....so we "adopted" her.....she says she's our Prodigal Daughter because she hasn't been in touch.....when she was here before we got together with Mosquita and had a ball!!      We love her dearly and would LOVE to see her but realize her time here is probably not her own....but it was wonderful to hear from her...

Those are the highlights of our month thus far.... of course there were  other get togethers for coffee and lunches.....we have the best neighbors in the world!! 
 And the darling Cordero sisters.....Mosquita, Fanny & Yolanda...we are so blessed with so many wonderful friends who call us family members.....

As we reflect on our lives here we realize how blessed we are......SO GLAD we chose Cuenca to be our retirement home because the people of Ecuador are WONDERFUL!!!



Friday, January 23, 2015

DECEMBER in CUENCA......

Tony Bishop came and finally got me back to my blog....had to get a different search engine so that my pictures post.....  I was glad to find out it was nothing I did....Blogspot changed....

So here's what happened in December....

Jean L.  came and we pickled & canned jalapenos....fun day with both of us remembering our mother's canning & how we learned so much from our mothers....  We both grew up on the farm....great memories....


December 7 is Rick's birthday so we went to Don Colon for lunch and met up with our neighbors,  Geovani & Bertha & family.....




It was Sunday.....dinner was at the Terrace Bar & Grill -- planned to eat at Salvia but we went at 5:30 and they weren't open yet so crossed the street to the Terrace....
Looks and feels like a restaurant Sports  Bar in the U.S. ....

Then we went over to Salvia for a wonderful dessert...


Salvia is owned by Karen and Chef Gavin Quinn...



 In a quaint house very similar to what you would see in England....



 Gavin is from Ireland and was a renowned chef in London....Sure glad to have him in Cuenca because he makes wonderful dishes....


www.salviacuenca.com         09395 13820
Roberto Crespo Toral 3-56 y Luis Morena Mora






Yolanda's Birthday is Dec 10,  3 days after Ricardo's so we celebrated with a beautiful cake....




















Christmas decorating by Yolanda and Juan Gabriel....


Mid December we had a GARAGE SALE here in our complex....the first one they had ever had and it was very successful,  but it was Cuencano style so it was like a family party too....



We had a "Christmas Lunch" with the Cordero sisters a few days before Christmas....met at Bertuchi's Italian Restaurant near our house and we all enjoyed delicious food....












This gorgeous 18kt. gold cross with Colombian emeralds was my Christmas gift from the Corderos.....I was blown away...it is so beautiful!!!









************************




All around Cuenca there are signs of Christmas,  the REAL Christmas.....


From the chocolate NATIVITY in a candy shop....













to the very large neon Nativity put up by the city ......


                        






and the fabulous  Nativity village erected in the home/garage of a Cuencano family for the enjoyment of the whole community.....



It takes 2 months to assemble,  and they do it every year...










 The detail is incredible... a working fountain and stream with water....








A lot of the greenery is real and has to be watered....the nephew does it......

THE CATHEDRAL NATIVITY IS LARGE

....ALMOST LIFE SIZE....




The Pase del Nino parades  begin on Christmas eve and continue every Sunday until Carnival......







And the beautiful processions in the Cathedral....







December 21, the Sunday before Christmas we had our celebration with Yolanda and Juan Gabriel....they met us at the Cathedral for Mass, and afterwards lunch at Don Colon....then to the house to open presents!

Juan Gabriel's FIRST CHRISTMAS STOCKING!!

 

 








While I know he loved his clothes,  the soft stuffed monkey made the biggest hit!!  The poor children of Ecuador rarely get toys....

 December 23rd is our Anniversary....we celebrated 53 years with dinner at NOE, a wonderful restaurant that specializes in Sushi which I love,.....Ricardo doesn't so he had a beef dish which he raved about.....My Sushi was GREAT!!
Ricardo bought me 50 gorgeous white roses with 3 red roses for our 53rd ......too many to fit in the largest vase I had!!!!

Christmas eve was spent with our wonderful neighbors.....
 Our hosts Susana and Ruben in their lovely home......

 Bertha and Titi  (Dominica Cristina).....and Ricardo with "the Chief"   ...  Rogelio Cabrera the Patriach of the family....



The two Susanas  .....  


Then  CHRISTMAS DAY!!!   Off we all went to distribute toys to the poor children who live in small villages high above Cuenca....

 









The generous family who makes this all possible...left to right,  POLETH  (oldest daughter)  SUSANA,  RUBEN,  PAULA,  and RUBEN Jr.


And so the highlights of our  DECEMBER  2014 in CUENCA......