We've been in Cuenca exactly six days, and one of our favorite things is the plethora of quaint little shops that entice you with helado (ice cream), or dark Ecuadorian chocolate, or specialty coffees and desserts. You feel like you're back in Europe. Our friend Ken knows most of them and insists we accompany him while he gets his daily fix. Our favorite, is the one located in el centro, at Parque Calderon, next to the cathedral. It is the most beautiful park in Cuenca, full of activity, and not far from the outdoor carts that sell gorgeous flowers at ridiculously low prices. Fresh flowers will be a mainstay in our apartment!
Tomorrow is going to be a busy, but exciting day! Our apartment is going to be cleaned from top to bottom, the rugs in the bedrooms cleaned, the beautiful hard wood floors polished, additional recessed lighting installed, and a consult with a painter to have the place painted the colors we selected. Our landlord graciously offered to paint the place prior to our arrival. Paint chips were sent, but unfortunately, the colors don't remotely resemble the colors we selected.
Yesterday we met in person, ex-pats we had been communicating with on line. What a fun time! We had lunch together at a Columbian restaurant, and enjoyed a lentil burger. Yummy! It turns out there are a number of vegetarian restaurants in Cuenca, and it will be fun to explore them all. Lunch cost us $2.90 a piece! The ex-pats are a close knit group, and go out of their way to help each other by sharing info on the best places to shop for essentials, bus routes, restaurants and the like.
Thanks to a wonderful on-line blog called "Gringo Tree", Ken and I found a family selling their household goods. We now have two beds (one for our guests to be!), TV set-up with speakers, refrigerator, dining tables and chair, teapot, mirror, plant stand, and more. We'll be picking those items up, with help from a new friend, Friday morning. We fully expect to be moved into our place by the week-end. Praise the Lord!
Today we spent a good part of the day shopping for household goods. We went to a beautiful, modern, mall called Rio. We spent hours in a fabulous store called Coral (pronounced Corral). Talk about a super store! It has everything you can imagine for your home, spread over two floors, and includes an upscale, full service grocery store. The prices were wonderful, and the staff all wear very attractive uniforms. Electrical appliances are tested prior to purchasing, to make certain they work. Our purchases were bagged, placed in a special cart, and ushered outside by a friendly employee who not only flagged down a cab for us, but also helped load our purchases into the taxi. The expected tip? Twenty-five cents.
Heading back to our friend's apartment with our goodies, Ken and I agreed we can get used to this! We love not having to worry about finding a parking place or how to get around the city by car. The taxis are inexpensive, and the drivers friendly, especially when I practice my Spanish on them! We now have the bus schedule and are learning the routes. The buses run every 6 minutes, they go absolutely everywhere, and you can't beat the $.25 fair! Even better, walking this beautiful city is a wonderful treat! Ken and I have been walking daily an average of 3 to 5 miles per day. The average gringo looses about ten pounds their first month here! I've always loved sidewalks since growing up in New York City, and boy are we loving them here. Are we easy to please or what?!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Sunday, May 29, 2011
We Have Finally Arrived!
On Tuesday, May 24th, 10:55am in Atlanta, Georgia, we boarded the plane, ultimate destination.......Cuenca! With 6 suitcases in tow, and two carry-ons, we felt more like over packed vacationers instead of new retirees about to start an expat adventure. The reality that we were headed to a new life seemed surreal. After 5 days in Cuenca, we're beginning to realize we really are home.
Our three bedroom, two bath apartment, located in a beautiful building overlooking the river, sits unfurnished. With nowhere to stay, one of the ex-pats we've been corresponding with on line for the past nine months kindly invited us to stay at his apartment until our place is move in ready. Ken Merena has been in Cuenca for nine months and loves it. Fluent in Spanish, he has been a tremendous help and has become a good friend. His apartment boasts gorgeous views of the Andes mountains and this beautiful, historic city.
When the plane landed at the airport, Ken and I both felt Cuenca was even more beautiful than we remembered! The sun was shining, and there was a gentle breeze with temperatures in the low 70's. We praised the Lord for a safe trip and all six pieces of luggage in our possession. How we were able to fit our clothes, sheets, towels, kitchen items, toiletries, and more, in six suitcases is a miracle within itself. Talk about simplifying your life!
Friday, we bought the first items for our apartment! On our ex-pat blogs, we heard about a place called Su Casa, where many ex-pats shop. Our friend Ken brought us there and much to our delight, there was a great sale. Being the frugal folks we are, we purchased a set of dishes and place mats. What a thrill!
We also shopped along side Ken in the supermarket called Supermaxi. It was clean, large, and very well organized. The produce was beautiful, and the prices extremely reasonable for most items. Imported items were high priced. The major difference between this market and those in the US, was the limited choices for each item. We couldn't help but notice how very friendly and helpful the staff were. You're not allowed to bag your own items. All of your parcels are placed in a special cart and wheeled out by one of the staff to the curb where they help you flag down a taxi and load your groceries. The $.50 tip is very much appreciated and produces a broad smile.
Can't wait to share one of my most favorite things about Cuenca! Come on back now, you hear!
Our three bedroom, two bath apartment, located in a beautiful building overlooking the river, sits unfurnished. With nowhere to stay, one of the ex-pats we've been corresponding with on line for the past nine months kindly invited us to stay at his apartment until our place is move in ready. Ken Merena has been in Cuenca for nine months and loves it. Fluent in Spanish, he has been a tremendous help and has become a good friend. His apartment boasts gorgeous views of the Andes mountains and this beautiful, historic city.
When the plane landed at the airport, Ken and I both felt Cuenca was even more beautiful than we remembered! The sun was shining, and there was a gentle breeze with temperatures in the low 70's. We praised the Lord for a safe trip and all six pieces of luggage in our possession. How we were able to fit our clothes, sheets, towels, kitchen items, toiletries, and more, in six suitcases is a miracle within itself. Talk about simplifying your life!
Friday, we bought the first items for our apartment! On our ex-pat blogs, we heard about a place called Su Casa, where many ex-pats shop. Our friend Ken brought us there and much to our delight, there was a great sale. Being the frugal folks we are, we purchased a set of dishes and place mats. What a thrill!
We also shopped along side Ken in the supermarket called Supermaxi. It was clean, large, and very well organized. The produce was beautiful, and the prices extremely reasonable for most items. Imported items were high priced. The major difference between this market and those in the US, was the limited choices for each item. We couldn't help but notice how very friendly and helpful the staff were. You're not allowed to bag your own items. All of your parcels are placed in a special cart and wheeled out by one of the staff to the curb where they help you flag down a taxi and load your groceries. The $.50 tip is very much appreciated and produces a broad smile.
Can't wait to share one of my most favorite things about Cuenca! Come on back now, you hear!
Welcome Family & Friends
Follow us as we begin our retirement adventure in beautiful Cuenca Ecuador. We've fallen in love with this beautiful country and it's people. We always pray for God's leading and guiding, and he led us here.
Have we lost our minds?
November 2010, we thought we were headed to Cuenca. Thanks to some glitches with processing Ken's retirement paperwork, our first arrival date was changed first to January, and then later to May, 2011. Spending the holidays with family and friends was wonderful, especially with the grandchildren!
Some folks wonder, what would make apparently sane, rather conservative individuals decide to leave everything they know behind to head to a foreign country during their golden years? One word sums it up..........adventure! That's right. God saw fit to join together two individuals who love to travel, explore new cultures, meet new people and experience life to it's fullest. Our greatest joy are our children and grandchildren, and as life would have it, they are spread all over the US. We want to be an important part of their lives, but never an intrusion. Our fantasy is to experience all that Ecuador has to offer, return back to the States invigorated and full of interesting stories to share, and our kids and grand kids, clamoring for us to come visit for an extended period! Truthfully, if modern technology didn't exist, allowing us to stay connected, this grandma would not have been able to take the leap. Only time will tell for sure.
Another major consideration is the state of the economy in the US. Sadly, for many Americans, the retirement years are stressful with financial problems ever looming. This reality spurred us to look at other options years ago when we recognized our resources would be limited. Our children will confirm, we do not want to be a burden to any of them.
Why Ecuador? The beauty of the country, the warmth of the people, the charm of "Queen" Cuenca, the temperate weather, excellent, affordable medical care, and the low cost of living all played a part in our decision. It also is relatively easy to fly back to the US when we want. We also see excellent opportunities to share the gospel message. We're excited and nervous at the same time!
Our lovely apartment literally fell into our lap without us even looking. We prayed for open doors, closed doors before we left for Ecuador. Then swish..............here we are renting a lovely place, in a beautiful location on the river, between two parks, in the heart of the Andes mountains, within walking distance of the historic district, shopping, and restaurants. Did I say walking? Yep, no more car!! Walking, the $.25 bus ride or an inexpensive taxi ride in this gorgeous, cultural city, will be the order of the day! I see fitter figures in our future. Try and say that fast three times!
Have we lost our minds? Want to help us find them? Come visit us in Cuenca!
Some folks wonder, what would make apparently sane, rather conservative individuals decide to leave everything they know behind to head to a foreign country during their golden years? One word sums it up..........adventure! That's right. God saw fit to join together two individuals who love to travel, explore new cultures, meet new people and experience life to it's fullest. Our greatest joy are our children and grandchildren, and as life would have it, they are spread all over the US. We want to be an important part of their lives, but never an intrusion. Our fantasy is to experience all that Ecuador has to offer, return back to the States invigorated and full of interesting stories to share, and our kids and grand kids, clamoring for us to come visit for an extended period! Truthfully, if modern technology didn't exist, allowing us to stay connected, this grandma would not have been able to take the leap. Only time will tell for sure.
Another major consideration is the state of the economy in the US. Sadly, for many Americans, the retirement years are stressful with financial problems ever looming. This reality spurred us to look at other options years ago when we recognized our resources would be limited. Our children will confirm, we do not want to be a burden to any of them.
Our lovely apartment literally fell into our lap without us even looking. We prayed for open doors, closed doors before we left for Ecuador. Then swish..............here we are renting a lovely place, in a beautiful location on the river, between two parks, in the heart of the Andes mountains, within walking distance of the historic district, shopping, and restaurants. Did I say walking? Yep, no more car!! Walking, the $.25 bus ride or an inexpensive taxi ride in this gorgeous, cultural city, will be the order of the day! I see fitter figures in our future. Try and say that fast three times!
Have we lost our minds? Want to help us find them? Come visit us in Cuenca!
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