2/5 we got up and hurried to open market just near our house. I wish I had taken pictures but too many people have warned us of thieves We have not yet been robbed. I should have just taken pictures. Anyway it was a market building but on Thursdays the mountain ladies come in and bring lots of beautiful produce. They also had cheese, meat and the Andean delicacy of Guinea pig. We got some yummy smoked queso fresco. I'm munching on some right now. Then we went into town for the bus tour. We saw many of the places we have already seen while walking and the tour was mostly in Spanish, so I/we did not learn much. However it was a beautiful day and we did get up to the top of the hill near our apartment for a spectacular view of the city - Mirador de Turi. You must go see those photos. Afterwards we had lunch right next to the new cathedral at Raymipampa and ate Ecuadorian, which is really economical. You ask for the Menu del Dia and they bring you a bowl of soup, an entree, juice and a dessert. Stephanie had it and it was a pork/potato soup, a chicken and pepper with rice entree, pineapple juice and a guava sauce with a biscuit. Very yummy. We walked around the cathedral to the flower market and Steph got some loverly salmon gladiolas and white tuberose. Cael and I got hair cuts from a gay Columbia who knew everyone that walked by his shop. I was a little worried that he would lop off an ear while looking out the window to see who was walking by. Freshly shorn and with two ears we walked back home stopping by a wine shop. The sales guy gave us a number of local recommendations so we would be sure to enjoy his city.
We put our flowers in water and went to the little park just down the street. Cael played basketball with us then with a local kid named Ben, Stephanie talked with his mom Margot. Lumia played with a girl who lived right next to the park and they chased around a little boy. It was nice to meet people. The men from the neighborhood who had just finished work for the electric company nearby got out the volleyball net and played. It in a popular sport here with the guys. They were playing in Olon too. However there are a few things that make it very different. For instance they are all short and they put the net way up high. There is no spiking. They also almost hold the ball while passing it. Either way they are having fun and being macho.
We put our flowers in water and went to the little park just down the street. Cael played basketball with us then with a local kid named Ben, Stephanie talked with his mom Margot. Lumia played with a girl who lived right next to the park and they chased around a little boy. It was nice to meet people. The men from the neighborhood who had just finished work for the electric company nearby got out the volleyball net and played. It in a popular sport here with the guys. They were playing in Olon too. However there are a few things that make it very different. For instance they are all short and they put the net way up high. There is no spiking. They also almost hold the ball while passing it. Either way they are having fun and being macho.
2/6 we walked back into town. First we walked around our neighborhood a bit and found a square where the school was showing off for their version of field day. The kids were doing dances for their families. There was lots of kids in uniform and costumes and loud distorted music. Everyone was having a great time. We then walked thought the University of Cuenca. It is a small pretty campus. We walked up a great set of steps that were decorated with murals. There are lots of murals all over town from trippy psychedelia to historic figures to folk art. At the top of the hill was a good restaurant we had heard of for lunch.
We looked at the Museo Municipal de Arte Moderno but decided to do the museum later during the hottest part of the day. We then had lunch at great spot on the Plaza de San Sebastián called San Sebas. The owners are from Austin, Texas, and called it Cuenca's Diner. They had started it as a coffee shop and now it's a great little cafe that seems to focus more on gringo style food, including big breakfasts and salads. (They also had a banana peanut butter chocolate chip cake...that we didn't order. However, I'm still thinking about it this many days later...maybe we'll have to go back before we leave!)
After lunch we walked up the street to Casa de la Posadas, one of the oldest buildings in Cuenca. It is a great example of simple colonial style that has been spotlessly renovated. Now it is an art gallery with two courtyards of natural art. The art is paintings of a type of Ecuadorian tree, Guayacanes, that blooms bright yellow around this time of year. The guard showed us around.
Next we went to the mostly empty Museum of Modern Art. There was one really good Ecuadoran artist that we liked, Luis Crespo Ordóñez. His early stuff was pretty representative but his later stuff was like Matisse.
After lunch we walked up the street to Casa de la Posadas, one of the oldest buildings in Cuenca. It is a great example of simple colonial style that has been spotlessly renovated. Now it is an art gallery with two courtyards of natural art. The art is paintings of a type of Ecuadorian tree, Guayacanes, that blooms bright yellow around this time of year. The guard showed us around.
Next we went to the mostly empty Museum of Modern Art. There was one really good Ecuadoran artist that we liked, Luis Crespo Ordóñez. His early stuff was pretty representative but his later stuff was like Matisse.
This whole day's activities were around the wonderful Plaza de San Sebastián. We kept coming back to it. Blue skies with fluffy white clouds against the plaza's big trees, a beautiful old church, light traffic, and other old buildings make for my favorite square. We ended the afternoon with a Belgian beer and jugo (mora is a favorite but this one also tasted a bit of garlic) while watching the locals come and go. Four kids started a water fight and Cael and Lumia chased pigeons.
Water and flour fights are a common occurrence at Mardi Gras in Ecuador. We have been squirted from moving cars and I have seen water balloons being thrown.
2/7 This day we really did two things: the zoo and pizza. The zoo was quite an experience. In the guides, it said it was not for the infirm. That is an understatement. It is a hike up the side of a steep hill with dirt paths and log stairs. We were often out of breath. This is however a nice zoo. Family favorites were the Andean Condor which landed right in front of us. It is a huge ugly bird but in flight it is amazing. The lions (not from Ecuador) were fed horse pieces (probably from Ecuador) right in front of us. There was lots of growling and fighting for choice pieces then lots of bone crunching. There were also alpacas, crocodiles, caymins, macaws, dart frogs, eagles, and a lone Galapagos tortoise.
Then we went home and did some homework. Did I mention before that the kids are keeping up with school work? We want to get as much done here in Cuenca because out next four stops are very touristy and we will have little down time.
Pizza was back in town at a frequently suggested Argentinian pizza place called Marea. It was thin crust pizza. The kids got the usual but Steph and I got the fig, blue cheese and honey. Oh man was that good. It was gone before I got a picture. We will make it for you soon.
2/8 HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEPHANIE! The weather looked ominous. The kids made birthday cards and Steph had fruit, granola and yogurt in bed. We got dressed up and went out for a wonderful English Roast. The cook used to work at St Paul's in London and the host was properly British. We had house-cured lox on potato pancakes, roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, roasted potatoes and carrots, and creme brulee. Cael, Lumia and I snuck a candle to the hostess and Stephanie was pleasantly surprised when we all sang her happy birthday and she got to blow out a candle. Lumia had barely been able to contain herself with that secret but we pulled it off.
Then we took a long walk to a park that we heard had gringos and their kids playing. There were plenty of people in this huge multipurpose park and we got some playing in but then it started to rain. home again with some more homework then a birthday dinner of Salad Niçoise.
Water and flour fights are a common occurrence at Mardi Gras in Ecuador. We have been squirted from moving cars and I have seen water balloons being thrown.
2/7 This day we really did two things: the zoo and pizza. The zoo was quite an experience. In the guides, it said it was not for the infirm. That is an understatement. It is a hike up the side of a steep hill with dirt paths and log stairs. We were often out of breath. This is however a nice zoo. Family favorites were the Andean Condor which landed right in front of us. It is a huge ugly bird but in flight it is amazing. The lions (not from Ecuador) were fed horse pieces (probably from Ecuador) right in front of us. There was lots of growling and fighting for choice pieces then lots of bone crunching. There were also alpacas, crocodiles, caymins, macaws, dart frogs, eagles, and a lone Galapagos tortoise.
Then we went home and did some homework. Did I mention before that the kids are keeping up with school work? We want to get as much done here in Cuenca because out next four stops are very touristy and we will have little down time.
Pizza was back in town at a frequently suggested Argentinian pizza place called Marea. It was thin crust pizza. The kids got the usual but Steph and I got the fig, blue cheese and honey. Oh man was that good. It was gone before I got a picture. We will make it for you soon.
2/8 HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEPHANIE! The weather looked ominous. The kids made birthday cards and Steph had fruit, granola and yogurt in bed. We got dressed up and went out for a wonderful English Roast. The cook used to work at St Paul's in London and the host was properly British. We had house-cured lox on potato pancakes, roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, roasted potatoes and carrots, and creme brulee. Cael, Lumia and I snuck a candle to the hostess and Stephanie was pleasantly surprised when we all sang her happy birthday and she got to blow out a candle. Lumia had barely been able to contain herself with that secret but we pulled it off.
Then we took a long walk to a park that we heard had gringos and their kids playing. There were plenty of people in this huge multipurpose park and we got some playing in but then it started to rain. home again with some more homework then a birthday dinner of Salad Niçoise.
Glad to see this entry, as I missed your almost daily blogs! What a lovely adventure. Belated birthday greeting to the beautiful Stephanie. Watch out for water fights!
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