A HUGE thanks, Christine, for setting this up for me while we adjust to a whole new life here in Cuenca, EC. (For those of you who don`t know, Christine is my wonderful daughter who lives in Rockville MD.
Some general observations: Life at 8300 feet has not been as bad as I had expected. I was certain that after we landed in Quito (10,500 ft.) that, at the very least, my heart was going to blow out of the front of my chest. This despite being a class winner in a triathalon last year. Oh..i was the only entrant in my class. But I did win.
Cuenca is pretty amazing. Ecadorians are extraordinarily Gringo-freindly, and it sure helps to speak some Spanish. I was highly complemented today by a local panador (baker) ..he asked me if I was from Spain! Scary. We have been out every night. The furniture in our aprtment is such that, other than the beds, it should be totally avoided. There are wicker chairs that were not designed with anything close to my anatomy in mind. When i try to get up, they come with me. Serious abdominal work in either direction. Standing is literally preferable, so i spend quite a bit of time walking to and fro in the apartment. There are neigborhood dogs who, like clockwork, start barking at the rate of around 20-25 barks per minute at 7p.m.. They are able to keep this up until around 5 a.m. when the roosters occupy the role. This is not an exaggeration.The days are comfortable, low 70's, and the nights are in the low 60's. Just perfect for touring the back alleys on foot.. The entire country has been experiencing rolling blackouts for months, due to the lack of rain. Power here is largely hydroelectric. Our first night we sat at the very edge of the center of the distrito historico, Parque calderon, and never knew we were there until the following day, when we retraced our steps from the previous night and saw the largest cahedral in Ecuador looming over us! The park was crawling with probably a hundred people painting thousands of fineals on wrought iron fencing with gild. Planting flowers all over the place. All for Christmas, which is totally huge here. We have already seen at least 6 processions through the centro, replete with donkeys and virgins and wise men..all the trimmings! Today, blocks of the center were closed for a funeral procession which had emerged from the new cathedral. The casket was atop a horse drawn wagon. It was quite honestly the only time in a week i witnessed relative silence from car horns, which are used always, maniacally, in a staccato fashion, usually for no reason whatsoever. I have made a grand target for a number of drivers. Never, EVER, trust anything relating to the pedestrian right-of-way. Not stripes, not signs, not traffic signals. All are suggestions, at best. When the power is out, i allot mysef about 4 minutes to cross a busy street. The historic district has lots of amazingly preserved or restored colonial building. All of it has been designated a Unesco World heritage Site. Most of the cathedrals are built atop Incan Ruins. The Spaniards were not into political correctness, it seems. that is for another discussion board.
When Ecuador's Economy collapsed in 2000, lots of working-age men left the country and never returned. There are more Ecoadorians currently in the 5 Boroughs of NYC than in Cuenca, currently around 480,000. There sre some barrios slightly out of the center which have developed as micro-matriarchies. There are no men at all.
The only real complaint we both have is the busses. They spew black clouds of heavy-particulate diesel and it is common to have burning eyes, a sore throat and aching lungs at day´s end. The narrow streets hold it well, and as Cuenca is situated in a calm zone in the Andes, there is little if any wind. There are plans to create bus transfer stations and allow only CNG busses in el centro, but that is a year away at least. Busses are 25 cents a ride, and we have rechargable swipe cards.Really nice except the smell.
Well, i´m close to needing back surgery from the ergonomics at this particular cafe. I am so sorry i didn´t bring my laptop. This will indeed make for some shorter posts, in case anyone is actually reading them!Can i also receive a blanket dispensation for not spell-checking too thoroughly? Thanks in advance!