My husband and I bin searching for a along time to find a new exiting place to call home.. First we explored different states in Mexico, then two trips to Costa Rica but noting felt joyful in our heart. This time the new adventure is Cuenca Ecuador . The trip from Cancun to Guayaquil with layover for 45 minutes in Panama was very pleasant and quick. One $5.00 taxi ride around the corner, and off with the Bus to Cuenca, a 4 hour trip through the Andes Mountain region over the Cajas National Park at 2,450 meter above sea level. It was night so I decided to sleep, since there was nothing to see. After a short ride through the city of Cuenca, I arrived at my destination, at 10:30pm, a nice bed and breakfast "Save Haven" on the 6th floor in a partment building. Upon my arrival, the landlady, GayleMarie Bradshaw an American, who just moved to Cuenca 10 Months ago, welcomed me, offered a cup of tee and I was ready to call it a day. Two weeks in Cuenca Ecuador From this home you could see 360 degree around the valley, tall buildings in terra cotta color, single family homes with interesting roof structures. Nearby, the street is busy and next door grazing cows and one deer. New and old homes on the hills of the Andes majestically line the skylines. My new friend, Gayle, was eager to show me all the greatness of Cuenca and everything this charming city has to offer, so we started off on our first adventure. The first stop was one of many city markets with the most delicious fresh fruits and vegetables being sold by the indigenous ladies in their embroidered skirts. Every tribe has their own significant style of garment in beautiful colors. We bought papayas, bananas, berries, salads, tomatoes and much more. Of course, I was also compelled to bring home some of the beautiful roses. Ecuador is the number 1 rose exporter in the world with many of the shipments going to the USA and Europe. The tallest ones go to Russia. Even the rose petals vary depending on what country they are being shipped to. After we unloaded our great bargains (my bill was $10.00 US including the roses) we headed for the Centro, a 15 minute bus ride costing 25 cents. The first stop was the Hat Factory, where a young lady tour guide explained and demonstrated the process of making a hat from the material to the finished product. Although the world calls them Panama hats, their origin is actually Ecuador, where the still being produced today and shipet worldwide. While sipping on a cup of coffee in a gringo café the California Kitschen tat evening, listening to great reading represented by American writers. Five authors represented there work, great interesting stories. The next Day started with the bus directly to the center. The Flower market with its variety of beautiful roses and flowers fascinated me. After a stroll through many city blocks, we took a break by sitting in the park enjoying a delicious Ice cream cone for $1.00. Continuing our adventure we had Lunch in an Italian Restaurant Fabianos, for me a Calzone and guanabana water, the bill $5.00. Gayle had Lasagna, salad and a beer for $7.00. I was so amused with all the wonderful great architecture, many of them built hundreds of years ago, but still retaining their original beauty. The most fascinating structure, the Cathedral Metropolitan, so the story goes, took 100 years to complete. This massive structure with its enormous pillars, floor of Italian marble, and alter of pure gold, just makes you wonder how this structure was ever accomplished so many centuries ago. This church was so large that all the peoples of Cuenca could fit into it at the time of its completion in 1885. Built to replace the older church, "El Sagrario Cathedral Viejo" in 1567, it houses the most marvelous frescos which were uncovered from behind the old paint. This was a very common practice to paint over the frescos in he last 50 -70 years. We stayed in this beautiful place for a free Classical Concert with the Cuenca Orchestra that evening. The acoustics in that place, the harmony between the people and the music, it was easy to feel benevolent in the midst of love and grace. This City is surrounded by the most precious architecture in churches and buildings, everyone with its own charm and beauty. There are churches on every corner, Cenaculo, La Merced, San Alfonso, San Blas, San Sebastian, San Domingo and many more. Day three, started with a bit slower pace. I went to a beauty shop and had my hair cut for $8.00, including tip. I then went to investigate the neighborhood. Nice clean streets with modern infrastructure and circular intersections, decorated with flowers and the statue of Simon Bolivar, a hero from the past. Old houses next to modern high rises compliment each other and line the busy streets full of pedestrians, cars, yellow taxis and buses. I ended up in the local supermarket, found a couple things, and walked back to the apartments, cooked some lunch and ended with a small siesta. That evening we explored the newly remodeled and very beautiful, attractive bridge over the famous river called Tumbebamba, one of four rivers that surround Cuenca. Climbing up the long staircase to the center of town, you can see all the University buildings across the river and in the background up on the hill Turi, a church built in 1853. At night you see the many lighted stairs leading to the building. Today is Sunday and all four of us living in this apartment are having lunch in Cooperas in San Joaquin, a 10 minute ride by bus 25 cents. First we were amazed with their greenhouses, seeing the growth of this vegetation, of delicious fruits and veggies for sale in the market next door. The restaurant is made out of bamboo with palapa grass roofs, surrounded by manmade lakes. The menu a new acquire for our test buts, qui -ginny pig with lots of interesting side dishes. Rice, plantains, corn and yucca. We women had delicious Guanabana water while the 2 men drank beer. Leftovers were brought home for dinner and the total came up to $32.00 including tips. On the way back we see the planted fields around us, the livelihood of many indigenous here in Ecuador. One quarter of Ecuadorians are different tribes who live in separate valleys or mingle in the midst of the city with other cultures. The peoples of Ecuador are very family oriented, you can see that the children have the best care. The enjoying the parks, playing, eating together, the mothers with their babies strapped to their backs a natural way for them to carry the child. Everyone simes happy and having family time togerther. Earlier on Friday I went to the river for some needed quiet time to connect with nature. This river has something magical, it gives you a sense of peace and comfort. I admire the different indigenous families washing their clothes. The young mothers with their babies strapped to their backs, standing in the water and scraping the clothes on rocks. The whole family is busy getting the job done. Today is a perfect day to dry the clothes that are laid on the grass, while the children run and play, well protected by their parents. When the things are dry, they gather their belongings with many of these little ladies carrying the heavy loads on their back home. When I arrived at the house, dinner was served and I was invited to some delicious fish and salad by my landlady and her friends. Tonight we are heading to the Sucre theater on Sucre street, but first, let’s have some Ice cream on the corner Cafe. A stroll around the park, we sit on a bench watching peoples walk by, sitting and talking to each other, Young people meeting in groups, learning, some lovers holding hands and kissing, while the policeman walks around and keeps order. The one man show is an interesting modern concept of theater, in an ancient building that has so many of its own stories to tell. Tuesday, 8 o'clock in the morning, I walk across the street to the Immigration Office and stand in line with all the other expatriates who are interested in staying in this lovely city, Cuenca, Ecuador; having to fill all the necessary requirements of the government to receive a Visa for short or longer stay. A lovely young lady, Adriana, answers all my questions in a very professional manner, she patiently gives me all the time I need to understand the process. Joyfully I’m on my way and meet with my friend for breakfast in a small bakery, 1 sandwich, 2 breads and 2 small yogurts, all for $3.50. Tuesday night is Gringo nigh, the bar is packt with foreners meeting with friends to have dinner with them and reminissing about old times in this Restaurant meeting place for Americans. Wednesday we’re off to “baňos” Terminal Springs 20 minutes from the City. The entry is quite impressive with a stone walk with inlays of old tools. The Ecuadorians are very creative peoples, so everywhere you go, you can see interesting designs, arts and crafts, decorations in restaurants, or murals of ceramic on buildings. Every wall in the Place was stone on stone with the Terracotta red from the Volcanic earth. The restaurant and therapy rooms are first class, but the pools and spas are not very inviting. Of the three, the largest one was a closet, the other two, too small to swim, and the pools not very clean. However, the water was a nice temperature to soak in and even though the weather is a bit unstable today, it doesn’t rain so we spend a part of the day to trying to catch some sun. On our way home we lunch at the little sidewalk place for $ 4.50 per plate, before we take the bus back to the City. Friday, it is time to celebrate, this is the 456th birthday of Cuenca, but the fiesta started already on Thursday and goes until Sunday. Everyone is on the streets to celebrate, the city is active with music and shows tonight. So we decide we all go together to enjoy the spectacle of the night. The cafes and restaurants are busy serving up their treats with people lined up to catch a piece of the action. Richard with his Guitar was invited to play later in a bar since it is open microphone tonight and artists can try their gigs. In park Calderon, the famous Cuencanos sing their beautiful love songs of Cuenca. We stay till late, just feeling like a part of this great celebration. Latinos love to celebrate and create many fiestas to do so, bringing their families and enjoying the music and fireworks. The fiesta continues till Sunday. Friday evening, we two ladies went to town, met a young couple in the Wanderlust restaurant. The parent of the young man are Austrian, we played some pool with them and hade a trink of Kalua. The waiter tried to charge us $14 for them but with a bit of convincing we paid $ 7.00 for the two. Red Flag!!! Gringo prices and local prices??? It is a bit frustrating that many time where the foreigners go, the locales try to overcharge. Sad to say we created this situation because the gringos always see this people poor, and this attitude of helping drives the value up and then everyone pays the price. We see this in every aspect, in tipping to much all the way to the housing market. It is time that we adjust our thinking, so we to not ruin the market for every body. Not everyone can afford this inflated prices. We need to be consent as immigrates of any land to not mess with the balance of our new found paradise. I seen this same program in Mexico in Costa Rica and other places, and than we live because we do not want to settle anymore because it is to expensive. What about the locals, the are stock with this inflation and have to pay the price now. I hope we think and make wiser decisions, stop corrupting the countries you like to call home, because this habits and behavers is not helping nobody. It’s Saturday, let’s go to a store to compare prices, some things are reasonable and others like towels are outrageous. Coffee: 1 pound $4.60, cereal: $2-4.00 depending on the market. Clothes are comparable to the US but at the same time, household items variable. Towels are $20.00 till $25.00 it was the most outhrages price I compared. With the party still going on, we head for the center, the tables and canopy are up and loaded with goodies, from sweets to clothes. There are artists with their creations, a bracelet with your personal name engraved for $1 or a beautiful woven shawl, a sweater, or one of the famous hats they present with pride. I could not resist a precious poncho, the price were right $13.00. Wondering through the feria, we find several friends of Gayle made new ones, the two young Ecuadorian girls glad to pose with there beautiful costumes. Climbing the beautiful staircase again, just across from the university, which occupies a whole city block. At the top you can see the famous stairs that lead to Tury on top of the mountains.. I did not have time to visit but I needed to leave some adventures for the next time. At the main roads leading to park Calderon, we stop at a flower shop where people are busy at work putting arrangements into beautiful buckets. 12 long stem Roses cost $4, or this precious Lilly priceless. If you are thinking of moving to a country like Ecuador, in my opinion what is most valuable is the Ecuadorian people who are very friendly and helpful, a lot of fun and clean. Cuencanos are very interesting, lovely peoples who smile when you greet them, the like to communicate. Their workmanship is great, if you see them fixing the street or refurbishing a house façade, the work is excellent. The City of Cuenca is well cared for, the streets and parks are clean, and the amazing architecture, hundreds of years old, in mint condition. The workmanship of their facades and churches and Houses is outstanding. Little hotels, restaurants, shops and bars are elegantly and charmingly decorated. Wherever you go, you can get acquainted with foreigners from around the world. This city of Cuenca houses about 500.000 peoples with approximately 2,500 who are expats. This brings a lot of different cultures together, especial with regard to food, architecture, and all the treats the peoples bring with them. This is what makes the city truly interesting. Later we met the couple again when we stopped at the modern art museum where we toured his photographic work in the gallery. Jay traveled extensively through Mexico and South Americas demonstrating his art. After walking around all day , it was time for dinner, the Taj Mahal or La Hoya Thai that was the choice for the evening. Inside, the decors are both interesting and beautiful. We choose the Thai restaurant whose menu created by an American couple, providing a very delicious way to end the day. Every day provides a new impression of Cuenca and today, Sunday, we choose to stroll alongside the River Tumbebamba. The scenery is different now because we’ve decide to go upstream toward the mountains, where the river is much wider and wilder. I fell in love with this water the first time that I sat at his banks and enjoyed its stories. For hours we walk alongside, enjoying the Sunday afternoon sun and the scenery. I decide that the next time I come, I will bring my tracing board to capture its life force and beauty with pencil and paper, much better than with my camera. On the way home we stop for a cup of Caffe in the Hotel Oro Verde. That evening we relaxed at home with a cup of tea and some Quesadilla. It was time for Richard to say good bey going to Wilkabamba for some weeks. Monday is a birthday lunch with the ladies, lasagna and our famous fruit drinks $8. Up the street, we pass by the German bakery where the owner Maria and her Husband have lived for the past five years. Every day they bake their delicious bread and pastry at home and bring it to the bakery which offers a little garden in the back to enjoy cafe and pastry. For me, the German bread and bezel, please. My last day here, lunch at the San Sebas Café, and afterwards, a familiar stroll around the park. On the way back home, Galyle needs some ingredients for pies that she will create in the next couple of days for her designated restaurants , San Sebas, WindHorseCafe and others. For me, it is time to pack my suitcase and get ready for the next day. In the morning at 8 am, I am off to the bus station with Gayle in Fernando's Taxi. I leave them and Cuenca behind secure in the knowledge that I will be back very soon. A beautiful breathtaking four hour ride to the Cajas national park, rich green hills and towering mountains, down winding roads to the valleys where the thick fog is playing with the rays of sun and eventually the blue sky winn the day, on the way down hill near the ocean in Guayaquil. After a short taxi ride, I unload my bags a the airport and get in line for my plane back to Cancun, excited to go home to tell my husband Rafael that this is definitely a trip for both of us to enjoy. Never mind, soon it will be June and we will investigate together where our story will continue.... Enjoy Dra Christina Please respond Remembering Cancun Cancun I called Home for the last 16 Years From a small town of 500,000 habitants to a massive first class Vacation Paradise for travelers all around the world. If you include the Rivera Maya with Playa Carmen and down to the coastline to Tulum,the airlines bring every day 20.000 Tourists to Quintana Roo, for R&R and new adventures. Recollecting my memories back to 1996 the old Cancun, I still remember when we walked around town-town on Tulum Street with all the vender markets, the Government Palace, with his creative decoration especial around Christmas or September for Independents day, when people waited for the major to wave from the balcony and together we celebrated the Independence day. Some days we strolled down the street to the Palapa where we visited open air shows “Danzas Folklorico, Danzon original from Cuba but very integrated to Mexico, especially in Merida and Mexico City. Sometime the schools perform Plays, Ballet, Coros, Singers and many diverse Spectaculs we enjoy an a regular basis. Next door is the Catholic Church, the ministerio civil, where we got our marriage license in 1997. I do not want to forget the old Movie Theater by the park but this is long long gone , replaced by the giants plazas with 10-12 rooms with 3D and 4D Shows. Because of the increase of the Hotels in the area the population grew to 1,200,000 in Cancun and 450,000 in Playa del Carmen. Everything change with time, sadly for downtown Cancun it is not visited by the Vacationers these days, a few people come from the Hotel Zone and visit the Center,they mainly go to the Market 28 to buy some gifts and drop by next door to Walmart or Sam’s Club, which are the familiar shopping Places, that were non existing in the 90ths. Today we have all the amenities similar to great nations with the most elegant 5 and 6 star Hotels, located at the most breath-taking Caribbean Ocean, flanked by huge Shopping Plazas decorated with all the designer things your money can buy,or you can dream of. Of course you will find luxurious Restaurants, or your favorite fast-food places that exist in every street today. All hotels will offer you trips to various sites, from the famous Tulum or Chichen itza pyramid as a day trip,or even some inexpensive spiritual trip to Yucatan down the Ruta Puc, if you have 2-3 days. Jungle-tours in the Ruta de Cenotes with many tempting treats or visit Xcaret with his underground Rivers and natural pools topped with the beautiful and spectacular Mayan Shows at night. If you like a life changing experience, take a temazcal, a mayan ritual molded to your personal needs being the best gift for your self. Dra Christina |
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Travelogues
A Potpourri of Photos from the last
18 years of jet setting between Cancun Mexico and Indianapolis, IN USA.
The Academy of Reflexology and Health Therapy International in Indianapolis and some pictures from Cancun Mexico with Family and Friends.