NATURE ABOUNDS in small doses!!

What else do I love about living in Cuenca?   

 

Well, when I'm feeling a little out of sorts I can always step out into my little garden and see the smiling faces of the pansies,  or wonder at the 2 color beauty of the fuchsias,  or see what rose is blooming or ready to bloom.... and so on.....ALL YEAR ROUND!

 

 

 

 

Both of these Fuchsias are doing well - my favorite is the purple/red with a huge flower,  but the pink & white going up the pillar is happy and blooms lots!!!

I supposedly have more colors of glads,  but so far I'm only seeing white with very pale pink shades......it's hard when you're buying bulbs to know exactly what you're getting......

 

 

This newly planted trellis and bougainvilleas will grow to give an interesting block of the trucks-- on each side are white Calla Lillies and the white and pinks contrast well......

                        Pansies like the climate here in    Cuenca....Since it never gets hot,  they bloom all year  round....

Isn't the miniature rose darling?

Yolanda brought this pretty tall pink flower from her house - neither of us knows what it's called,  but we really like it and it's doing very well under this very tall Capulin  berry fruit tree.....

 

There are several large pots planted with everything from Geraniums to peppers to roses and I am always looking for interesting pots and different kinds of flowers.....right now I am excitedly waiting for a Gardenia  bush to bloom...it's planted as close to the front door as I can get so hopefully the lovely fragrance will waft into the house.......

 

 

 

Yolanda likes to pick and arrange flowers so that we always have a few blooms in the house...

so... even when I don't have time to go to the Mercado de Flores I have something in bloom to surround myself with natures' bounty........

 

                             

MY HERO....Tony Bishop.....

For those of us who are not very computer literate,  finding a good computer repair man is a Godsend....  Tony was recommended by several friends so we asked him to come take a look. My computer had gotten so  s-l-o-w ....... and Ricardo's has several problems.....Well,  Tony had my computer for several days --- he got rid of some very bad viruses --- and now it's like new!!! 

And he even gave me a dumb old blond discount :)......   He's a super nice guy!!!

Gracias Tony!!!

 

Tony's number in Cuenca   0980265238     email:    info@derNachtwind.net    Katie his wife is his assistant.....He is looking for parts for Rick's old computer.....soon it will be working great again I'm sure!!

You really can find everything you need here in Cuenca -- takes a little time and patience,  but if can be found...  BUT  Ecuador  (like all Latin American countries) is not a place for the impatient!!! 
  
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SUNDAY.....Mass at the Cathedral  ... took photos of our dear little old ladies .......

 This is Teresa who has palsy & shakes a lot....                      This lady is deaf
                                                                                                             and mute....

Can you imagine their stories ?  Being so poor you have to beg when you are old and sick,,,,,,




 

These ladies were carrying "Our Lady of Cisne"......

 

Mass was beautiful as ususal....

 

AND after Mass.......................

 

We sat outside for lunch at Don Colon, the weather was so lovely....And the music of the andes band from across the street made it perfect......we had just finished our soup and along came Flavio Cabrera,  wife Eugenia & 2 of their children,  Melissa and Alex....our neighbors....

 

 

They decided to eat inside -- outside was too cold for most  Cuencanos.   ....and afterwards we went across Parque Calderon to Fruitalados for ice cream---- terrific!!

 

This is a lovely family.....Eugenia and the kids speak English  but Flavio doesn't ,  he is very charming and quiet --- a gentleman through and through.  I always enjoy talking to him - he's a good businessman..

 

 

 

 

Maria Eugenia in the courtyard of Fruitalados...

...this is in the heart of the Historic Center where the buildings date from the mid 1500's....restored to their former glory and all so interesting and charming.......   Eugenia is a very dear person and fun to be around....lots of laughs!!!

 

 

They brought us home -- a perfectly lovely Sunday!!

 

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Do want to mention another place that has become a favorite,  and it's right in our neighborhood within about 1 1/2 blocks..... in fact I sent Yolanda over there tonight to bring back hamburgers and fries........it's BERTUCHI'S ITALIAN RESTAURANT.....  It's quiet and cozy and so nice to have a bite and enjoy a glass of wine.....

 

 

 The enormous wood burning oven dominates the open kitchen and keeps everything warm..........
 

Quiet and romantic!!

 

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Had lunch at FABIANO'S yesterday........

 

In the Historic Center is a darling Italian place run by the most special family,  and the food is wonderful.....The husband and wife are Cuencanos who went to the states and learned all about Italian Food,  so now with their beautiful daughter  Joslyn they have a favorite hangout of Gringos......but the Cuencnos love it too!!!!

 

                                                         Father FABIANO and daughter

Spaghetti Carbonara y Meat Ball Grinder  (YUM!!!!!)

 

Their menu is quite varied - great salads,  chicken dishes,  strombolli,  more including super good desserts....

 

THEIR PIZZA is GREAT!!!   AND they deliver!!!

 

Fabiano's

Presidente Cordova 4-84 y Mariano Cueva

282-4517

 

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Also managed a trip to the Mercado this week.....A lady there had HUGE cabbages but I couldn't get the photo to download!!!  Just LOVE going to the Mercado!!

 

 

 

 

To BRING or not To BRING........

            
          A new friend who is moving to Cuenca next summer asked me to write about the pros and cons of shipping your "stuff" to Ecuador.....okay,  here goes...

First of all I think it depends a lot on what kind of person you are,  how comfortable you want to be, and how adventurous you are.....For me,  there was no question -- I wanted my things and didn't consider moving without everything I could stuff into a 40ft. container.....I am a collector,  antiques dealer,  and there is no way I wanted to try to replace everything we need in a foreign country....

There IS NO advantage price wise to not shipping unless you live in a very small house and own very little......replacing all your household goods is not cheap,  in any country.....more likely you will spend more than the $10,000.00 average cost of bringing a container,  and the quality of goods here is not the same......appliances cost about the same as the US .... furniture is not as comfortable,  and colors in general are limited  (they love orange and brown in Ecuador) as are finishes...

Is it work?   Yes,  and takes planning.....but for us it was well worth it.......Here are some of the things we brought.......
 

This is a sample......there's more,  lots more.....



Here's how we did it.......we came to Cuenca on the 1st of June and moved into a 2 bedroom furnished apartment.....saw our lawyer and turned in the required paperwork to start the residency process....

We spent the months waiting for our residency exploring the city and looking for a permanent  house......Finally I placed an ad in El Mercurio listing my dream house, everything  I wanted,   and waited for the phone to ring.....

We ended up with the perfect house for us......5 bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths,  large white kitchen,  sunken dining room & living room,  TV room with fireplace,  bar, and 2 offices/dens ....plus a maids room with bath......we have a lovely yard on 3 sides of the house, bar b que area,   and we are part of a family compound with a park in the middle.......and the rent?
$624 per month.....

In late October we returned to Omaha to pack the container and ship it to Cuenca.....it arrived about the first week of December,  and by Christmas we were settled and had the Xmas tree up waiting for our daughter Deborah and granddaughter Cristina to come spend our first Christmas with us.....

As you can see I had a LOT of breakables plus a piano,  glass topped table,  and enough furniture to fill the house,  and we had VERY LITTLE breakage or damage -- no theft.....We used Catalina Bermudez of Ecuador Shipping and she did a great job....

      www.ecuadorshipping.com

Of course there are annoying little delays and rules that make no sense,  but I would do it over again without any hesitation,  and I wouldn't consider anyone other than Caty to help us.....

Linens (especially towels) are not the quality we have in the states,  box springs are not used,  only mattresses,  and upholstered furniture usually has  no  springs....a slab of wood with cushions on top - not very comfortable,  and the size and scale is very masculine.  Small appliances are about double the price here,  if not more,  so bring your toaster,  blender,  iron,  toaster oven,  microwave, coffee maker,  and VACUUM cleaner!

I have read the blogs about leaving everything behind and starting over fresh being so liberating.....that's not me....I don't want to spend months on end looking for furniture and having things made so it takes a year or more to be comfortable in your home.....but if that's what you want you can certainly do that here......My feeling is to bring your stuff and sell or give away what you don't want or need here.....that way  you'll  have no regrets about leaving some treasure......I think it's hard enough to relocate to a new country where life is so new and different -- being surrounded by your old things is comforting and helps with the adjustment.

My husband and I are fluent in Spanish and we had one foreign living experience under our belts.....many  years ago when our daughters were in grade school, we moved to Mexico City for 4 years,  so we knew what to expect.....We loved Mexico,  and we love Cuenca,  but it's NOT THE USA....if you don't like change you may not be happy here....we know how much better off we are here,  we like change,  and feel very lucky that the Lord showed us Cuenca....

....THE DENTIST....

I hate to say it,  but dentists are NOT my favorite people.....just an irrational fear I guess,  --- I don't like having my teeth worked on.....but the time has come for both of us for dental work....

Since Dr. Grace Ordonez has such a fantastic reputation  (and I had seen the offices of a couple of other dentists  )  we decided to go see her....Rick has several crowns that have to be reworked or replaced,  we both want our teeth whitened,  and I want my front tooth repaired...fell on the ice in Omaha several years ago and chipped it,  so....

When we went in I liked what I saw....  a sweet receptionist  ( American )  and then the "work" area.....pretty yellow  and white room  with the dental chairs facing the windows and the wonderful view.....all so clean ....both Dr. Grace and her assistant in surgical clothes ....most impressive....

When she examined Rick the  first thing she said was that he grinds his teeth and is ruining them,  so he has to see a dentist she works with who specializes in TMZ and get treated for that ....$500 for all the treatments and the apparatus he'll have to have made and wear.....she won't even start treatment until Ricardo sees this dentist next week,  but first he has to take in his blood work... she appears to be very careful and extremely professional.....She studied in the states and practiced there for about 10 years,  so she appeals to Americans.....

I have a molar with an old "silver" filling that needs to be replaced,  and then she'll do my front teeth after the whitening.....

Ricardo needs a tooth pulled  (there's not enough left to save it and it's infected --- $45 --- that's high for Cuenca)   and he needs 3 crowns plus the TMZ treatments.....a lot of money for us,  but SO much less than the states....When we are finished I'll let you know the final bill,  but I am feeling so much better after meeting her and seeing how immaculate her place is.....and she seems very gentle....and particular......As we were filling out paperwork a Gringo came out....we chatted,  and the first thing he said was that she is a perfectionist!

Hopefully by the time Linda and family come down I'll have a new smile -- as for Rick it depends upon the teeth grinding treatments.....

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By now it was time for lunch and Fabiano's sounded good.....FABIANO'S is on Presidente Cordova 4-84 y Mariano Cueva ..... excellent Italian food and the nicest family cooking and serving.....

 Jackie (owner) & Rick

 

We tried a couple of new menu items....TACO PIZZA   and   CLAM CHOWDER......EXCELENTE!!

 

 

Then off to Mixx for dessert.....Mixx Helados  in San Blas....Today we met the owner,  from Canada,  and he makes all the ice cream.....incredible flavors & all soooo good!!

 

 

A lot of the flavors have liquor  (Tequila,  Whiskey,  Bailey's,  etc.)

 

I had a scoop of Lemon Pie and another of Almond Joy --- REAL FLAVOR!!!

 

When we came home the house smelled of Beef Vegetable Soup.....had put soup bones and veggies in the Crock Pot before we left and it was cooking up great.....

 

Now I'm going to listen to Michael Savage and Mark Levin as I catch up on emails..... I listen on my computer at       www.wlsam.com        Rush in the mornings and these guys at night so I know all about the happenings in the US,  unfortunately......So glad we're in Cuenca!!

 

San Blas Park

...... a BEAUTIFUL SUNDAY AFTERNOON........

     Sunday in Cuenca is such a lovely day for us.....we start the day  (or afternoon) with Mass in the Cathedral  .... 

A beautiful church filled with devout, humble people praising God reverently.....You hardly ever even hear a baby cry....yes, occasionally a dog will wander in and out,  but nice dogs, ..... :)

 

But first we stop outside the church to give something to our favorite poor women.....there's Teresa a very sweet extremely thin lady who shakes with palsy,  and there's the mute,  and old hunched over Mercedes with her cane/ staff.....today I took 2 packages  of Raman noodles,  some Oreos,  and a small carton of chocolate milk  for 2 of them ... Rick always gives Mercedes $5  and I give my ladies a couple of dollars and some  "golosinas"  -- that means some treats.....Today Teresa was trying to tell me something and I couldn't understand -- something about buttons???  She wanted to talk & she speaks so softly I couldn't get it  ..  well, maybe next week I'll figure it out.....   Got to get a warm jacket for Teresa - she looks so cold.....but how their faces light up with smiles when I give them some goodies!!

 

After Mass we went over to Don Colon restaurant for his almuerzo,  $4,  soup, juice, main dish   (choice of 4 different plates) and dessert.....we both had the ribs,  and were they good!!

 

We met a lovely couple there.....Roger and Maggie.....hope to get together at our house later this week......He's originally from Des Moines, Iowa,  and she many places including Dallas, Texas....but she also lived in Mexico City,  so we have a lot in common.

 

After our expensive gourmet meal  (well,  it's very good,  especially for only $4 )  we walked to the Mercado de Flores...

 

The wonderful fragrance hits you as you approach,  and then the feast for your eyes...

 

 Lovely arrangements like this sweet heart.......

 

                                             

 

The WORLD'S BEST Flower Market,

 Cuenca, Ecuador

And all kinds of fresh cut flowers to take home and arrange yourself....

And Plants,   ORCHIDS, ROSES, LILLIES, etc......

 

 

Today I just looked -- most of the vendors were gone by the time we got there so I decided to wait until next week to buy some plants to put in a planter Susana gave me for my birthday... .but I couldn't pass up

 the empanada lady....

 

On the rim of the market she sits rolling neat little pastry circles - then she pinches a bit of cheese mixture to fill the empanadas,  slips them into a big pot to fry, , and then puts them in sugar......hot they go into a small paper bag,  and quickly into your mouth they melt....DELICIOUS!!!  and for only  $ .20 ea.!!

These are rather shy people,  but friendly and laughing.....how hard and long she works to take home a few dollars!!

 

Made a roasted vegetable pasta dish for dinner -- got the recipe from our  daughter Linda who lives in Minneapolis...she's a fine cook,  and it was the perfect recipe because I happen to have a frig full of fresh veggies.....

 

Tomorrow we must take my receipts to the SRI to file to get the 12% tax rebate.......

 

Hasta luego!!!

 

 

 

 

A LOVELY TRADITION.....

       

 Monday, September 8, is the celebration of the birth of the Virgin Mary,  the Blessed Mother's Birthday......and everyone named Mary or Maria celebrates her birthday too....So Susana,  Bertha,  and  Ximena took Maria Eugenia and me  (Susan Marie) out for coffee...we all went to a rather new place called Dulce & Cremosa.....
                                                                  (Sweet & Creamy)

A very nice coffee house  with delicious sandwiches and pastries so we had a delightful treat...I had Irish Coffee with a Pecan Tart & it was really good!!

       (left to right....Ximena,  Bertha,  Susana,  Maria Eugenia)   My darling neighbors....
and my darling friends, sisters,  daughters........

 

As a life long Catholic who thought she was pretty well schooled in the traditions of the Church,  I don't ever remember celebrating Mary's birthday.....It's another little joy of living in Cuenca where they keep lovely old traditions alive and find a reason to celebrate friendships.....
 

There are reasons that people are kind and thoughtful,  and it always turns out to be their faith....When people believe in a supreme being who rewards and punishes they tend to be more considerate of one another......Still,  after 2 years,  I am amazed at the kind way we are treated,  and the way they treat each other,  their families,  and strangers!!  It's almost like they don't know how to be mean!!

But the people here thank God for the smallest things, even when a normal reaction would be anger,  they find some reason to thank God...... I think Heaven must be full of a lot of Cuencanos!!
 

I tried a new recipe for Apple Bread on Monday, so after we came home we had to taste  the hot bread.....it was good,  but not worth all the effort - could easily buy something similar and not mess up the kitchen and waste a couple of hours.....I'm just not a baker......

 

Wednesday we decided to go downtown for almuerzo.....a set lunch that usually costs between $2 - $3......soup, juice, main dish.......

We found "Mexico Lindo y Querido" open so we ate there.... no almuerzo,  but a delicious lunch of tacos, flautas, beans,  guacamole & drinks  was less than $10 for both of us!

 

This is one of those small little restaurants with good food that is not going to make it--- they simply don't have the capital to survive....it's a shame,  but if you are too poor you can't buy the supplies you need.....they're trying to sell the place so they can go to Mexico and be with her family......

While there we met a young man who looked German but is from England....he's been hired to teach English here  --- feel sorry for the kids because his accent is very heavy....

We are meeting more people from Europe here ....  A young French doctor came to the house & worked on Ricardo a couple of weeks ago....a natural healing type who really seems to be helping people....Rick says his ankles and knees do feel better...since he only charges $20 per treatment  ( which seems to be mainly laying his hands on certain troubled parts of the body, to increase circulation) we will continue.......The point I want to make is that there is so much opportunity here for so many different kinds of businesses --- Ecuador is drawing people from all over...........Funny thing is the doctor speaks French, Spanish, German, Italian.... about everything except English!!

Yesterday, Thursday afternoon,  Susana and I went to the Mercado.... we ended up in a "new" part of the mercado,  the wholesale part where they sell by the crate mostly....

 

 

--Mi Querida Susana Cabrera --

 

Mercado Vendor (notice the huge pumpkin?)

 

 

We loaded our carts and headed home.....I only took $15 with me and had  $2.50 left and I had so much good food......even got "real" sweet potatoes,  the orange/yellow ones....found out they come from Peru,  so kind of have to hunt for someone who is importating ..... this lady even had Peruvian beer!......

 

Earlier in the day I had put a chicken with red wine  in the oven to roast with yucca.    Decided to make a side dish of carrots cooked in butter and brown sugar to serve with the chicken.....it turned out very good....

 

Fanny and Yolanda Cordero came over about 6:15 to "give me a birthday hug"....they were both down with the flu so we had not had a chance to get together......Love these gals.....They are descended from one of the oldest families in Cuenca....one of the earliest Presidents of Ecuador,  Luis Cordero,  so they are great sources of history and valuable information.....and they are angels.....

 

They brought pork sandwiches -- I had planned on baking a cake but knew Fanny would be hungry as she was coming from work, so I decided to make something more substantial,  and baking one of our Yolanda's chickens always makes a hit...."our" Yolanda Pulla.....

And we had guacamole and chips.....  A big success  -- we devoured that chicken!!
 

 

FRIDAY......Pick up jacket day......

Abuelita  Susan

 

Cristina Elizabeth McDermott Correa 

 

Cristina (age 7) our granddaughter from Omaha, Nebraska who spent 7 weeks with us this summer,  was the inspiration  ...she looks so adorable in the  "tablecloth" suit that I had made for her so I  wanted a jacket made for me!!!

Think the jacket is a little big ...guess I talked too much about not wanting my clothes too tight.... will take it back and have it taken in around the waist.....

Then it was time for dinner and we went to Tacanijo.....owned by Paulo Villeda of Mexico and his wife Marcela Mora from Cuenca -- just a lovely couple....Paulo is typical Mexicano,  full of jokes and hugs, and always a big smile....Marcela is sweet and lovely....they have 2 darling sons...with another baby on the way......

This is like stepping into a small cafe in Mexico -- so colorful and cute filled with touches of authentic Mexico,  and Mexican music softly playing in the background.   You are always greeted at the door and shown to your table,  unless you arrive too late and have to wait in the courtyard.....

The food is EXCELLENT....my favorite is the Tortilla Soup!!!

The family has just returned from their month long vacation in Mexico,  and Marcela brought me these darling coffee mugs.....not only are they adorable,  they keep the coffee HOT, which I really appreciate!

 

 We had a great meal ... we both had Guacamole,  the Tortilla Soup and split an order of Moroches which are tiny little tacos filled with chicken and cheese --- Yum!!!
Met some friends there - usually a mix of Gringos and Cuencanos.....Tacanijo is proving to Cuencanos that spicy food is GOOD!!  And of course we gringos are so delighted to go have really tasty Mexican food in a delightful atmosphere with such enchanting hosts!!

If you want to go,  Tacanijo is north,   Huacas 1-54 y Las Americas....only open Wednesday - Saturday from 6pm - 10pm......go early or wait!

We are  truly living the good life in Cuenca, Ecuador!!!