Fair and Balanced

A shortcut home under the bridge, along the river.

An indigenous family enjoying a Sunday afternoon by the river.

Here we are at 8200 feet, and we're still surrounded by mountains!

Walking along the Tomebamba River with neighbors Joe & Robin

Sunset in the Andes mountains

Lunch at Columbian restaurant with Regina, Larry, Linda Rose & Martha

Gorgeous cloud formations in the Andes

Cathedral at Parque Calderon

It's been three weeks now, and we are happily adjusting to the ebb and flow of life in Cuenca.  Walking daily to go the store, the bank, meet friends, or just explore the terrain is fun until........the sky opens up and the rains come down.  Rarely heavy, they are often accompanied by breezes that drop the temperature suddenly.  Being a former girl scout, my backpack is stocked with two umbrellas and light jackets for Ken and I.  "Eternal spring" has suddenly become fall for a brief period of time.  Within 30 minutes or so, glorious spring returns and the umbrellas are closed and the jackets unbuttoned or placed back in the backpack.  Life is never dull during the rainy season!

For the past few days, the sun has peeked out in the morning, and then disappears behind a heavy cloud cover.  It's been raining on and off throughout the day.  Because we don't have heat, the temperature inside the apartment has been cooler than outside, requiring the need for a favorite bathrobe or sweater.  We plan on purchasing a small electric heater for just such days.  Our friends have told us this is as cold as it gets, with temperatures in the low to mid 50's at times.  Ken and I say, hooray, we can handle this!  

We visited the organic market (coopera), and what an experience.  We've never seen such a plethora of fruits and veggies!  About one fourth of the produce are things we've never seen before.  It's been fun sampling these new treasures!  The cost of the produce is unbelievably low and the quality extremely high. 

All of the produce we purchase must be pre-washed before eating.  That requires soaking in a natural disinfectant consisting mainly of grapefruit extract for 9 minutes and then rinsed.  Ironically, the water quality in Cuenca is the best in all of Latin America.  We drink it straight from the tap and it is delicious, especially after it has been in the refrig for a little while.

Sadly, our beautiful apartment doesn't have a dishwasher, not unusual for Cuenca.  Our large, deep sink is wonderful except we really need a second one to do the dishes more efficiently.  Water frequently splatters all over!  Boy are we out of practice!!!  We're not complaining though.  We love our granite counter tops, and the rich hard wood cabinets.  No pressed board or veneers anywhere.

Having both lived in apartments in the past, we cannot get over how quiet our first floor walk up is.  Nary a sound do we hear and we sometimes wonder if we are the only ones in the building!  Concrete walls has a lot to do with it.  Our building is only three stories high and yet we have an elevator encased in glass with a view of the river across the street.  

We visited an outdoor mercado Sunday that was a combination flea and farmer's market with a food court attached.  Very interesting.  Each vendor was extremely cordial and helpful answering questions.  No high pressure sales tactics here, just smiles and a friendly, "Ciao".   This is a prime example of the sweetness of the Ecuadorian people. We love passing them on the street, exchanging smiles, and a buenos dias or tarde, as the case may be.  This civility towards your fellow man really lifts your spirits and makes you feel at peace with the world.

Cuenca is lovely, but it isn't paradise.  Like anything in life, there are pros and cons.  Right now in our journey, the pros out weigh the cons.  If we could transport our wonderful family and friends here, it would be about as close to perfect as you can get!