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!

Independence Day

This morning I woke up to another gorgeous day in Cuenca. The sun is shining and the red roofs on the white houses doting the hills are sparkling. My visibility of the surrounding mountains is excellent. There's something very unusual about today's blue sky. There isn't a single fluffy white cloud in sight! The gorgeous, daily cloud formations add to the majesty of the Andes mountains. The temperature right now is about 60 degrees devoid of any humidity. We've come to really enjoy the coolness of the eternal spring weather.

Today is the day we finally move into our new apartment, exactly two weeks after arriving in Cuenca. Our host, Ken has been a delightful and extremely interesting host. A doctor of renal physiology, his command of the English language is astounding. He is fluent in Spanish and has helped us tremendously. Originally from Long Island, his NY accent, even though having lived in Hawaii and Utah for many years, is still right on. He and my Ken have enjoyed watching sporting events on TV at times, and the hooting and hollering occasionally, reached epic proportions. I guess boys will be boys!

Yesterday we met with Ken's friend Denise. A lovely, sweet young lady who does interior design and makes curtains. We spent two hours in the fabric store making selections for each room in our apartment. The most colorful curtain will be in the guest bedroom. Those of you planning a visit have been forewarned!

Our new neighbors and friends, Robin and Joe from Texas, have just been a joy and delight. We still do not have a washer and dryer, and Robin insisted we bring our used blankets and sheets to her apartment. When we arrived, she demanded we leave them for her to wash and pushed us out of the apartment and insisted we get out and take care of business. When we returned yesterday, with a box of Ecuadorian chocolates in hand, I asked her if she would trade the blankets and sheets for the box of chocolates. She readily accepted!

Joe and Robin are extremely outgoing with a great sense of humor. We have thoroughly enjoyed their company and feel truly blessed to have them as neighbors. Yesterday, Robin decided she wanted to learn more about her new adventist friends, and did a search on line. Last night we had an impromptu two hour discussion about the Bible and our beliefs. It turns out Joe has been studying world religions for years and Robin was delighted by what she read. Both are interested in learning more. God is so good! They also introduced us to their Cuencan friend and mentor Juan Perez. Juan speaks excellent English, has a heart of gold, and helps ex-pats new to Ecuador, navigate their way through the legal, cultural, shopping and everything you need to know about Cuenca system. Today he is going to help us move into our apartment, and get our cable and Direct TV set up. Not being fluent in Spanish is a handicap, but one that we are on a fast pace to overcome!

The highlight of our day will be our visit to the "Coopera". This is the huge organic food coop we plan to become members of. We'll be able to purchase the already low priced produce, at an even lower cost. As coop members, we'll be able to visit their farming operation, something we've never seen before. They also offer discounts on travel within Ecuador, a very appealing perk.

It's time to start packing..........again!

"Down by the River Side"

Today has been an absolutely beautiful day!  The sun was shining brightly and the temperature perfect with a gentle breeze and no humidity.  As a matter of fact, humidity is almost non-existent in the Andes.  A light jacket was not needed until the sun went down.  At the equator (hence the name Ecuador), the sun rises every morning at about 6:15am and sets at about 6:15pm.  It's amazing how your body adjusts.  We find ourselves getting up earlier and going to bed earlier, a much healthier style of living.

Today was Sabbath, and we had the opportunity to study the Bible for several hours with our friend Ken.  Quite a rousing and stimulating discussion! 

We then decided to take a long walk along the river near our apartment.  Cuenca is the city of four rivers.  We live on the Tomebamba.  Beautiful, wide, sidewalks, approximately seventeen feet in width, stretch for miles, bordered by beautiful, unique trees and colorful flowers along the waterfront.  The river more closely resembles a wide stream of rapidly moving water cascading over rocks.  The sound of rushing water adds to the enjoyment of the walk.  On the other side of the river we delighted in looking  at the beautiful old homes dotting the hill side.  We also discovered three cafes with seating right on the waterfront!  We're going to enjoy checking them out at a later date.


Something else we're looking forward to doing is taking the red double decker bus tour of historic Cuenca.  We had no idea this existed until recently.  We learned they do the English tour at 11:00am, and the cost is only $5.00!


We weren't able to take up residence in our apartment yet.  Our painter, Manuel, is a wonderful man, but very slow.  He won't be done painting until Monday.  He's doing a nice job, and having it painted the way we want is certainly worth the wait.  


We also learned that having curtains made is the way to go.  Two of our friends recommended women who did great work for them at a wonderful price.  One young lady is meeting us at our apartment tomorrow morning and bringing samples.  We have a number of large, odd sized windows.  Our attempt to find ready made curtains was futile, so this should be fun!


For some reason today that old spiritual that goes, "I'm going to lay down my burdens, down by the riverside....", keeps running through my head!

Home Sweet Home

Have you heard the word, "manana?  Students of Spanish will tell you it means tomorrow.  We were told in Ecuador it can mean two days from now, two weeks from now, or longer, particularly if you're trying to hire someone to do work for you.  We also were warned "Ecuador time" is not the same as gringo time.  Punctuality is not their strong suit.  Imagine our surprise yesterday when the team of house cleaners showed up ten minutes early, the electrician arrived five minutes early, and the painter arrived ten minutes late, and apologized because of rush hour traffic!  Life is good!

The apartment is shaping up beautifully.  The grout between the kitchen tiles is clean, all the windows are so clean they have virtually disappeared, and the beautiful wood floors are gleaming. The colors have been selected, and the painter is scheduled to begin tomorrow morning at 7:30am.  I can't wait to see how it looks!

We're picking up our furniture purchases in the morning, and if all goes well, we'll be able to finally stay in our apartment.  How sweet it is! Who cares if we don't have living room furniture or anything on the walls?!


While we're working on our place, the building management is redoing the lobby.  It looks great.  We've also learned some neat thing about where we chose to live.  Three days a week, someone goes around during the night and picks up our garbage outside our door. We were also handed a remote for the front gate, and since we don't have a car, we'll use it in inclement weather so the taxi can take us to the underground garage where we can get out, unload our groceries, and stay dry.


One of our favorite things about living in this building is our security guard, Jorge.  Terrific guy.  We're helping him speak English, and he is helping us with our Spanish.  He always has a smile on his face, and is more than happy to call a cab for us.  Amazingly, they tell him how many minutes it will be before they arrive, and darn if they aren't always right on time!  Our driver yesterday told Ken he believes I'll be fluent in Spanish in two months.  What an optimist!  The Spanish spoken in Cuenca is beautiful, and my comprehension level has risen significantly in one week.  Even my conversation has improved.  This is the way to learn a language................ you have no choice because no one speaks English!


Our current roommate, Ken has a terrific maid that comes once a week.  My wonderful husband went ahead and hired her for our place, one day a week.  What a guy!  Alba will begin next Friday morning, and will continue every Friday thereafter.  Total cost?  Ten dollars per week.  I'm loving Cuenca more and more!


We also met a lovely gringo couple yesterday in our lobby.  Robin and Joe have been living here six months, and love it!  They're originally from the Austin, Texas area, and extremely friendly.  We spent about an hour with them in their penthouse place, and they were delighted to know there was another "gringo" family in the building.  The majority of our neighbors are locals, and we're looking forward to getting to know them better. 


Gotta go, another Spanish lesson calls!

It Just Keeps Getting Better and Better!

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?!

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!

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!

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Welcome Family and Friends

This is a new chapter in our life and we want to share it with the ones we care about so very much. If you're considering a move to Ecuador, I hope our shared experiences will be of help to you.