Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Quick things here.......

This was taken in our bank - The Banko Pichnicha.
I just had to photograph it. This is a Catholic country, of course.


After the bank we went to our favorite Mercado to
replenish our veggies and fruits.

Carrots, onions, hot peppers, cauliflower, mangos, papayas,tomatoes bell peppers, avocados, cilantro and parsley - all for $12.  All organic.

Bob and I started volunteering at Cuenca University.  For 2 hours we talk to students in English so they have an opportunity to practice the language.
Each volunteer is paired with about 4 students from different majors - the idea is to ask them questions so they can practice.  Today was our first time and I can't wait to go back.
There are 2 sessions with a 15 min. break - students change
volunteers at each session.  The kids are all 4th level students - I think it means they are in their last year or so of school. I won't forget my camera next time.  We are scheduled every other Wednesday.

Monday, September 15, 2014

This and That

I wanted to use my 'new' camera so we went to el centro (downtown) today - we found an English bookstore. The only one in Cuenca!



Interesting signs..............


We walked several blocks and met some people we knew from our stay in Punta Canero - at our friends B&B.
Tony and his wife Michelle were riding their bikes and stopped to visit with us.  The traffic  was pretty bad so I didn't get a picture - they had to be on their way.
Street scene.

Stopped for frozen yogurt.

Bob trying to score us a taxi.

Picture taken on our balcony - cloudy day!

Sunday, September 14, 2014

New camera

I posted my camera loss in a Expat blog here in Cuenca.  No one returned the camera but a very nice woman responded that she had a camera she wished to sell because she didn't use it.  We agreed to meet at the deli across the street to see the camera.  Beautiful camera, very nice woman, I now have the tools to continue my blog.


Sunday, September 7, 2014

Cuenca and Baños

Our very first overnight-guests arrived Friday.  We hired our driver (Manny) on Saturday to go to the Panama Hat Museum, the Overlook of Cuenca and then to Baños.
Carlos and Milagros, from Guayaquil, came to visit for the weekend.  They were such good hosts to us when we first arrived in Ecuador.  
Carlos came to Cuenca, from Guayaquil, every summer when he was a child ( he is now 82 yrs. old).
He had not been here for many years so it was fun to hear how things were when he was young.

Our first stop was the Panama Hat Museum.  
Panama hats have been made in Ecuador since the 17th century.
After President Roosevelt was photographed at the Panama Canal, the hats were called Panama hats.
From Wikipedia:
In 1904, President Theodore Rooseveltof the United States visited the construction site of the Panama Canal, and was photographed wearing a Panama hat, which further increased the hats' popularity. The hats were later worn by many early-twentieth century film stars during films.[citation needed]





Hats in every color!

Even a wedding dress and flowers woven from the same palm-like plant.

Sewing room!

Display in museum store.

Carlos loves hats!


Then off to the look-out Mt. to view Cuenca.
Carlos, Milgros, me and Bob
Restaurant overlooking Cuenca

City of Cuenca (500k people)

Cuenca

Catholic church at top of the Mt. by the lookout.
Then off to Baños....



Road to Baños (about 15 min. ride from Cuenca) - in distance see 500 yr. old church

Baños is at the foot of a mountain where natural warm mineral water flows. There are 2 mineral pools that you can spend $10/day and soak in them.  They are said to have many health benefits for joint pain, arthritis and other physical aliments.
(Bob and I did a similar 'soak' in Iceland at the Blue Lagoon!  We still talk about how wonderful that was.)  We will try the springs in Baños some day soon.

Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe - Baños

Men readying church for Sunday Mass (Sept. 7th is an annual celebration to Our Lady of Guadalupe.)

Main alter

Side alter




Kids playing soccer outside church

Stopped for lunch


Manny, our taxi driver for the day
He actually lives in Baños, wife teaches school there.
Speaks some English but so friendly and hospitable.
 Stopped at the open air mercado and spent $8.00 plus
$10.00 for about 2 lbs of peeled shrimp.
Above: 4 plantains,7 tomatoes, 3 red bell peppers, 5 carrots, large bunch
of scallions,, bag of peeled garlic, 2 large papayas and 6 fruit for juice  (naranjillo).  Also, 2 large peeled onions.
Milagros is going to show me how to make the juice and prepare the plantains.

Home to prepare dinner.  Turned out none of us were hungry,
so we settled for tea and ham sandwiches.


It seems someone lost my camera - so no more posts until I can find another one.
Electronics are very expensive here so I may have to wait until someone is coming here to bring me a new one.

Friday, September 5, 2014

Tour completed



After returning to our hotel in Quito, we prepared to return home in the AM.
We opted for the buffet breakfast at the Hotel.
Among some really good food we had the choice of cheviche and Sushi.
So good - however, when new to a foreign country, don't eat raw foods.
I ended up in the hospital for 5 days with a parasite problem.  No more Sushi for me. (at least for awhile).



 Purchased this in Cotacachi
Lovely leather bag.
Bob bought 2 leather belts
VERY inexpensive.

Hand carved wooden set
(If Carole ever visits me I might part with this)
My new go-to morning coffee cup
2 scarves I purchased for 2/$5.00
Long beautiful scarves
Warm poncho
Ecuador is also know for it's supreme Chocolate.
Bob bought a lot of it - we've made hot chocolate,
dessert shavings and just munched on it.
So good!


So ended our trip to Quito.  Was so good to get home to a calmer environment!


Thursday, September 4, 2014

From Quito to Otavalo to Cotacachi





 We left Quito for a full day adventure.
The country side goes from brown to green to brown to green.  A slight higher altitude than
Cuenca (which is at 8050+ feet) or Quito (which is at 9000 ft.)





All along the way you can see small shrines to the Blessed Virgin - always with fresh flowers.
Every time I saw one we were past it before I could snap a picture.


 

 It seems strange to see cactus and green trees together.
 The middle of the equator 
I'm north of the equator and Bob is south of it.

 All throughout our ride we would see these white covered structures.
Turns out that's where they grow the roses that Ecuador is so famous for.  


Roses everywhere!
 A town along the way to Otavalo.
 No roadside rest stops
 More white structures for roses (in background).

Welcome to Imbabura
 directions to so many different places

 Did you know that Panama Hats are actually made in Ecuador?
This is the original place where they are made.

 They are so beautifully designed and skillfully hand made.
 Beautiful lake in the middle of nowhere.



 This place was the best - it is known for making Biscotti and cheese.
The biscotti is warm and the cheese soft and yummy.  Served wrapped in huge leaves.
This beautiful Indigenous girl bo arded our bus right before we got to Otavalo - she sang a song for us from her tribe and had scarves to sell.
 Her blouse is hand-embroidered.
Then unto the market at Otavalo - huge outdoor market with hand made everything.






After spending a couple of hours going through the market we boarded the bus to go to Cotacachi which is know for it's leather goods.

 Entertainment along the way - often times at stop lights, which are very long in Ecuador, performers will entertain.

 I was too busy buying leather goods to take many pictures of Cotacachi itself.

 Our tour included lunch (and musical entertainment) however, the electricity in the town was out so everything looks so dark.  Right above our heads, was an opening in the roof so we had light!
 Our travel companions - one couple was from Italy, another from AU, another person from Brazil.  Fun group of people.
More entertainment......


More on the next segment of our return to Quito

From Wikipedia about Otavalo and Cotacacahi
The indigenous Otavaleños are famous for weaving textiles, usually made of wool (that is sometimes as black as a raven), which are sold at the famous Saturday market. Although the largest market is on Saturday, there is a very wide range of wares available throughout the week in the Plaza de los Ponchos, and the many local shops. The shops sell textiles such as handmade blankets, tablecloths, and much more.
The Otavalo market consists of ninety mushroom-shaped concrete umbrellas with benches. The market was designed and built in 1970 by Dutch architect Tonny Zwollo.[2]
During the market's peak, almost one third of the town becomes full of stalls selling textiles, tagua nut jewelry, musical instruments, dream catchers, leather goods, fake shrunken heads, indigenous costumes, hand-painted platters and trays, purses, clothing, spices, raw foods and spools of wool.
Otavalo was an area made up principally of farming communities due to the rich volcanic soils in this area, but with the growth of tourism, the town has begun to focus more on the making of handicrafts which have made the Saturday market a popular stop with visitors to Ecuador. Tourism has become the town's main industry and as a result there are many more hotelshostels, and tour operators than other similarly sized Ecuadorian towns, such as nearby Cayambe. Further, Otavaleño (people from Otavalo) have had notable success selling their goods abroad.
As Otavalo is famous for its textiles, many of the nearby villages and towns are famous for their own particular crafts. Cotacachi, for example, is the center of Ecuador's leather industry. In San Antonio, where the local specialty is wood carving, the main street prominently displays carved statues, picture frames, and furniture.