NEVER BORED IN CUENCA....

THERE ARE RUMORS OF PEOPLE BEING BORED HERE, AND FOR THAT REASON THEY LEAVE.....THESE ARE VERY STRANGE PEOPLE AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED...

ECUADOR IS THE LAND OF OPPORTUNITIES, AND THEREFORE THERE IS SO MUCH TO "DO" HERE.....WE DON'T DO ANYTHING TERRIBLY SPECIAL, BUT OUR DAYS ARE FULL AND HAPPY....
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SINCE I LAST POSTED WE TRIED OUT  PEDREGAL  AZTECA  MEXICAN RESTAURANT....     We started out to eat at San Sebas Cafe but they were closed for vacation  (everybody goes on vacation in August) so we started walking....A couple of blocks away I spotted a Mexican flag...........

 PEDREGAL AZTECA IS NEW LOOKING, CLEAN, WITH MEXICAN DECOR TOUCHES LIKE THE LITTLE SKULL PLANTERS....

 I ORDERED THE TACO LUNCH,  RICK OF COURSE HAD TO HAVE A TASTE....

 WE WERE THERE LATE ENOUGH TO SEE THE TABLES SET FOR DINNER.....TABLECLOTHS AND A BOTTLE OF WINE.....

ALL IN ALL AN ATTRACTIVE PLACE WITH DECENT FOOD,  BUT PRICEY!

THIS SATURDAY WAS SUSANA'S BIRTHDAY.... WE AGREED WE WOULD CELEBRATE BOTH OUR BIRTHDAYS AFTER ALL HER GUESTS LEAVE, SO FIRST WEEK IN SEPTEMBER.....ANYWAY,  I WANTED TO GET HER AN ARRANGEMENT SO WE WENT TO THE MERCADO DE FLORES.....

ONE OF MY FAVORITE PLACES ON EARTH -- SMELLS HEAVENLY FROM THE GORGEOUS FLOWERS,  AND IT'S SO FULL OF LIFE, ENERGY  AND BEAUTY......IT IS RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE BACK END OF THE CATHEDRAL IN THE FRONT SQUARE OF A VERY OLD CHURCH....SANTUARIO MARIANO......

THERE ARE FOOD VENDORS, AND STROLLING VENDORS OF ALL SORTS....AND PEOPLE BUYING RELIGIOUS CANDLES AND POTIONS   FROM THE CONVENT "STORES" .....  

I FOUND A FANTASTIC ARRANGEMENT FOR SUSANA, AND THEN I SPOTTED THESE INCREDIBLE ROSES.....I JUST HAD TO TAKE THEM HOME....I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY DYE THEM SO MANY COLORS......

ON SUNDAY WE WENT TO MASS AS USUAL AT THE CATHEDRAL,  BUT DECIDED AFTERWARDS TO GO SOMEWHERE DIFFERENT FOR LUNCH...

AND SO WE WENT TO ROUX.....

 THE MANAGER IS A VERY NICE YOUNG MAN WHO WAS VERY ATTENTIVE...WE BOTH ORDERED THE SAUSAGE AND BISCUITS WITH EGGS.....IT WASN'T VERY EXCITING LOOKING SO I TOLD HIM THAT IT NEEDED SOME GARNISHES, SOME COLOR.....AND I ORDERED A MOJITO......HE CAME BACK LATER AND SAID THE OWNER WAS APPRECIATIVE OF MY COMMENTS AND WANTED ME TO HAVE ANOTHER MOJITA ON THE HOUSE....I NEVER TURN DOWN A GIFT!!

 IT WAS A PERFECT DAY FOR DINING OUTSIDE IN THEIR LOVELY GARDEN,  AND WITH LIVE MUSIC IT WAS GREAT!!

THE LEMON PIE IS TO DIE FOR!!!  WE SPLIT A PIECE AND THEN ORDERED 2 MORE PIECES TO TAKE HOME!!!

ROUX IS A GOOD RESTAURANT -- WE WILL RETURN!

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MONDAY WE DECIDED TO CHECK OUT THE NEW SUPER MAXI GROCERY STORE AND GET SOME HAMBURGER MEAT....RICARDO WANTED MEAT LOAF.....

WE GOT TO THE THE STORE AND SPOTTED A CHANCO PLACE ACROSS THE STREET....IN FACT THERE WERE 2 WITH THE PIGS ON A SPIT OUTSIDE....SO WE DECIDED TO HAVE LUNCH FIRST....

HUGE PLATES OF CHANCHO, POTATOES AND  MOTE-- WE ATE TILL WE WERE STUFFED AND STILL BROUGHT HOME A BIG PLATE OF FOOD......

THE NEW SUPER MAXI IS SOOOO NICE.......IT WILL BE OUR GROCERY SHOPPING STORE FROM NOW OWN --- GOOD THING IT IS CLOSER TO US THAN THE ONE WE HAD BEEN USING......

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TODAY WE HAD LUNCH WITH DEAR FRIENDS  JOHN & JOYULA H. AND JEAN L. AT THE TERRACE BAR AND GRILL.....TYPICAL AMERICAN STYLE SPORTS BAR,  BUT A LITTLE DEAR FOR CUENCA.....$12-$13 FOR A HAMBURGER HERE IS HIGH......

HAD A GREAT TIME -- LOADS OF LAUGHS,  AND THEN WE HAD DESSERT IN JEAN'S BEAUTIFUL APARTMENT....SHE HAD A "TO DIE FOR CAKE" AND ICE CREAM AND COFFEE.....WE VISITED FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS BEFORE HEADING HOME.....

ONE OF THE TOPICS OF CONVERSATION WAS HOW MUCH WE ALL LOVE CUENCA AND THE PEOPLE HERE...  HOW WELL OLDER PEOPLE ARE TREATED,  HOW GOOD THE MEDICAL CARE IS,  AND HOW WE CAN AFFORD TO EAT OUT OFTEN AND HAVE LUXURIES LIKE MAIDS AND FLOWERS, ETC.....

AS FOR OPPORTUNITIES....WELL,  THERE IS A DIRE NEED FOR MARKETING ADVICE.....NO ONE KNOWS HOW TO ADVERTISE AND PROMOTE....MOST IS DONE BY WORD OF MOUTH....

I'D LOVE TO SEE A RADIO STATION DEVOTED TO BUSINESSES HERE IN CUENCA WITH ADS AND INTERVIEWS WITH DIFFERENT BUSINESS OWNERS.....

AND TV....

MORE AFTER SCHOOL AND VACATION ACTIVITIES FOR THE CHILDREN.....

PIANO & OTHER MUSIC LESSONS,  GYMNASTICS, DANCING, ETC.

SIMPLE CARPENTRY CLASSES, ART INSTRUCTIONS....

NUTRITION CLASSES, ETC

YOU SPEND A LITTLE TIME HERE AND YOU SEE HOW MUCH OPPORTUNITY THERE IS,  AND HOW SUCCESSFUL AMERICAN TYPE BUSINESSES ARE.....

WELL, LET'S JUST SAY IT THIS WAY.....

RICARDO AND I ARE NEVER BORED HERE!!!