Out and About in Cuenca

"God has a perfect plan for us.  He never does it all at once, just step by step because He wants to teach us to "WALK by FAITH", not by sight."  

 

It feels like week's are starting to fly by.  We are getting into our routine with work, Jared's school and days spent with Coco.  We have been taking in much of the sites around Cuenca and in the next few weeks we'll begin to venture out to the other cities in Ecuador.  Coco and I are going to start Spanish lessons two hours a day three days a week.  We found a lady who does it in her home and is "certified" to teach.  We are looking forward to learning more. 

We have been out an about in Cuenca and are realizing that its much different living abroad than visiting abroad.  In some ways better and in others not. 

We decided this week we better start to learn the bus system.  That has been a LONG lesson to learn, both in time and distance gone in the WRONG directions.  The bus system makes "no sense" and they will randomly shut down a particular line for a parade or some event and let no one know.  We decided to ride it one direction towards a market and then thought if we jumped back on the same line going in the opposite direction it would take us back home, well a couple hours later and a couple stops to the main bus terminals (confusing) we finally walked two miles home.  We've been talking to other Americans who have lived here forever and they said there is absolutely no rhyme or reason to the transit system.  Cuenca is slated to put in a 30 million dollar transit system through the city, its meeting much opposition due to the cost, but if it does go in it will make the congestion and chaos much less.  Through it all, little miss Coco loves the bus and asks to take it no matter the time or distance. 

The bus is much cheaper 25 cents per person and Coco is free. 

We learned real quick that the bus driver doesn't wait for you to be seated before they take off.  If your the last person to enter the bus as soon as your foot is placed on the step they start driving.. As Coco says "they are crazy drivers". 

We have been walking all over and decided to spend a day at the legendary museum called Pumapongo, whose claim to fame is the native shrunken heads.  They have 5 of them on display here's an image of one of them, yep CREEPY!! Coco kept saying she wanted to see the "shrunken heads", until she saw them and then she did NOT like this section of the museum...  I can't blame her...

Apparently some of the indigenous people of Ecuador were still shrinking heads till 1964 and that these types of head's were sought out by "head hunters" to sell all over the world.  I guess there are some people that really like to collect these.  Hmmmm? 

We then spent the day enjoying the property of the museum which is built upon the sacred grounds of one of the two imperial palaces of the Incan empire, the other historical site is in Cuzco, Peru. 

Site of the ruins

The lawn mowers are Llamas, Coco heard a girl tell me how they can spit 12 feet and have great aim, needless to say she was a little intimidated by the many Llamas. 

Getting braver, it helped there was a baby Llama

Grounds of the museum, the property is free to stroll through...

Views were beautiful.

Bummer Coco wasn't looking.

More ruins

Coco loved exploring the gardens and now we've been back several times as this is her favorite place.

Not to mention, how much I enjoyed the peace and tranquility.  Sans phone or email and surrounded by beauty...

She skips everywhere

Once you walk through the museum at the base of the hillside is a gorgeous aviary with stunning Macaw's, parakeets, and eagles, and tucked next to it is Waffles De Begica (amazing waffles) made by Yen, and yep he's from Belgium...

Not a bad place to sip coffee, hear beautiful birds and enjoy the weather.

Who loves their waffles?  These two!! :)

We came home that day and as Jared and I were doing work and homework we looked over on the couch and this is how we found Coco...

I love that she even grabbed my neck pillow, such a little princess... :)

We went to a store called Corral.  This is like the Walmart of Ecuador, we needed to find some cleaning supplies and wanted to get Coco a bath. As she is TIRED of showers.  So we bought a little green bucket. 

This is her this morning demonstrating her AWESOME bathtub.  She absolutely loves it... I love this age, because fancy doesn't matter and she just has fun.  

We got up the other morning and Jared wanted to surprise me by taking me to a beautiful hotel he had found, randomly, in the maze of the city streets..  It has the MOST beautiful gardens and cappuccinos.  We sat for awhile enjoying the beauty and watching the humming birds which I'm seriously obsessed with.  The humming bird is Ecuador's national bird as there are over 400 different species, which makes it the most of anywhere in the world.  My favorite is the "Sparkling Violatear". 

I didn't realize that humming birds expand so much energy that they can be within hours of dying if they don't find food.  They can put their bodies in a state of hibernation for periods of time, but they really live life on the edge. 

Hot hubby and hot cappuccinos!! Doesn't get much better...

Except time with this sweetie...

Beautiful hotel.

We have spent time trying to figure out the closest markets and have been walking to them and preparing homemade food.  We come home so tired.  Coco has become really aware of using the "potty" before we go out, because often we walk for hours and there is no restrooms.  If there are than they cost money and you have to bring your own toilet paper. I guess its taught us the value of the simple things like toilet paper and hand sanitizer.  :) 

While at one of the markets we bought Coco a little guitar... She was having fun serenading the passer byes.. 

The little older gentleman  came up and rubbed Coco's head..  She has been so good about it, I'm sure its been a bit confusing for her why everyone keeps touching her especially her hair, but I keep reminding her you bring joy to people when you let them...  The Cuencan's never approach Jared and I, but they light up and smile and start hugging her..  She is really learning cultural awareness.  

 

Beautiful Murals all over the City.

We are meeting more and more people and were invited to a birthday party yesterday.  Coco was so excited to go and it was fun meeting more and more people.  A new couple to our little group is from Portland Oregon, they have two young daughters 5 and 3.  The mom was a Physician's Assistant at OHSU and the dad was a financial planner.  They have decided to move here for 1.5 years and are like us and all the rest of the people we've met, wanting a "time-out".  The interesting thing we've noticed is that all the couple's we've met are all professionals, with Master's or Doctorates and are wanting to give it up for a simpler life. 

Then on the way home from the party we came across a woman and her father who have lived here for many years and she invited us to her home for dinner and wants to connect us with a Cuencan who is our age and had studied in Montana (MSU :)  ) and is now a successful businessman here and I guess coordinates college exchange programs between Ecuador and MSU.  We are looking forward to that...

We are doing good! Thanks for all your continued prayers.. Here are some random pictures from the week, I thought I'd share. 

A beautiful day!! Picture from our rooftop...

Our courtyard full of fig trees!

On a final note we went to the "new" planetarium yesterday.  We have now been there on two previous occasions and were excited as the guards had told us it would be open yesterday at 3:00 p.m.  Coco was so excited and unfortunately when we arrived we were once again told that we wouldn't be able to go as someone had called in that morning and had reserved it for a group.  Poor Coco began to cry and started to tell everyone around that we had been there three times and that they had promised us we could go today.  Needless to say they found enough seats for us three.  They couldn't pass up her tears (which are understood in every language).  :(

On a quick side note, during the movie which was in Spanish, highlighted NASA and had the soundtrack playing queen in English.  Coco kept asking if the "spaceship was going to return us, back to the same place, next to the theatre."  she literally thought we had been in space... :)  :) 

Have a beautiful week friends and family...

Puppets

So we are settling into life.  Honestly, we are finding ourselves feeling more and more comfortable and really beginning to know the city.

Cuenca has been so much fun exploring and of course Jared is always in the "know" on what's going on.  He subscribes to a "blog/newsletter" called Gringo Tree and its wonderful all the news we get... Just a quick tidbit of news that I read this week in Gringo Tree:  A "gringo" was found dead in the park near our casa... YIKES, right?  Well turns out he was sitting on a bench in the city center, at the cathedral (a very touristy place) and another gentlemen decided to sit next to him and started chattin him up... However, he became offended when the "gringo" didn't respond, and with glasses and a hat on, the local Cuencan man thought he was being rude and not communicating!  So he left and went shopping for a couple hours, when he returned he found the man in the same position.. Turns out he had died on the bench, he was 80 something!  Later we had heard he'd suffered a heart attack....  So natural causes... It was sad he died, but I was so relieved that it wasn't something violent... Also just an FYI, it was later posted that he had worked for JIF (peanut butter) in the states and was the sole reason, that extra crunchy peanut butter exists today!! No seriously, that is what his wife told the newsletter!! :)

Everyone continues to reassure us that Cuenca is VERY safe...

So, anyhoo lets get back to, Jared with his reading of the Gringo Tree each day, he saw an advertisement for a puppet show at a small theatre about 10 blocks from our flat.  We asked our "new" friends to join us, Rich, Jen, Jessica and their kiddos.  Coco absolutely LOVED it, even though it was in Spanish and she only understood a few words here and there.  She kept laughing so hard, hard enough that all the kids kept smiling at her and laughing with her...  I think the play had to do with water being taken for a dam and the effects it had on the animals... :)

Yep, guess who had no problem "scooting" towards the front and pulling the cats tail?

And then continued to play!! :)  This was at the end of the play during Q&A which none of us could understand, they were perfectly fine with "Isabel" and her precociousness.

After the puppet show we went to Jen and Rich's apartment for lunch.  There pad is so much more "up to date" than ours.. They actually have a microwave, oven, hot water in the kitchen, and washer..

Though I have to say we really are LOVING our VERY humble abode... :)  SIMPLICITY!! :)

We took the girls to the park and let them play, which meant they got all wet in the fountain... :)  Well at least Coco did... :)  Good thing the water in Cuenca is drinkable, because this kid gets into everything...

Coco and her friend Clara... 

We ended up walking 6 miles that day (I have my life fit watch) just walking too and from the theatre, their flat, and getting groceries.. We've been averaging about 5 miles a day of walking and are trying hard to not take taxis.  Surprisingly my joints have been feeling amazing!! :) Must have been the spa! I guess I need to go back sometime soon (good excuse)...

Yesterday, we went to an AWESOME church... Thousands of people attend it and the services are in Spanish, but they have headphones you can wear in which someone interprets for you... Coco was so brave and went into kids church... She wanted me to stay initially through the children's worship, I was so impressed with how courageous she was, especially since once again she was the only blonde, American in the room.  Furthermore, there was a 17 year old girl who was mentally handicapped who followed Coco around and kept touching her hair.  Coco didn't seem the least bit annoyed, fearful or imitated with the girl, who was at least three times her heigth and kept patting her head and mumbling... She has such good intuition and is so sweet to everyone... Except her momma, lol., she asked me confidently to leave her there... Of course Jared and I kept going back and checking on her the whole service.. She later told us she LOVED it, even though "I couldn't understand much".

Today we decided to walk to the river and laid on its banks, while Coco played on the shore, throwing rocks and getting her feet wet... People slow down here and really take in the moments, though how could you not when you live in the land of eternal mountain summer, with fresh breezes, butterflies, hummingbirds and 70 degree temperatures...

We then went to the market to buy a few things:  look at all of our finds for $10.00...

The white is Mozzarella 

I've been cooking so much and found an AMAZING website on Ecuadorean cooking, as its hard to find ingredients for many of the foods we're used to eating and we have loved all the foods here, thus far.. Plus, we don't have an oven or microwave only a gas stove and a very small refrigerator, so preparing meals as they do, is much simpler.

Out little kitchen :) 

Jared said last night, "THIS IS THE BEST MEAL I'VE EVER HAD!"... He is very honest so I know this was a real compliment.  I  made Ecuadorean chicken soup (fresh tomatoes, cilantro, onion, green onions, garlic, oregano, avocado, paprika, shredded chicken, corn chips and a hot red pepper)! Organic and very healthy...

Today I also made fresh hummus and salsa... :)

I found the most incredible mint, though it doesn't look like mint we get in the states.  Its interesting buying herbs since there are hundreds and hundreds of plants to chose from and again the names are not the same in English.  I find myself sniffing everything and then going home with a stuffed nose and sneezing..  Tonight we had an amazing mint tea...

Jared loves the coconuts and has been experimenting on the best way to "crack" them open... :)

"I am MAN!! I WILL crack open this coconut... :) "

Oh the satisfaction!! :) 

Also wanted to share a few pics of our terrace and the beautiful sky...

Andes Mountains in the background at Cajas National Park

Not to impressive, but cathedral spirals.. :)

Crazy sky today, but beautiful city in the background. 

Every night there is either a basketball or soccer game going on below our rooftop, which provides us with evening entertainment... :)

There's always so much life and energy! The elementary school turns into an open gym and college at night...

I also wanted to let everyone know we have officially released the "New Direction" for Project 81 (our Haiti work).  Please feel free to look up Project 81 Facebook, link below this paragraph, for more information on this coming year and the project.  Clay Nylund (co-founder of Project 81 and doctoral student at University of Florida) will be implementing a study on Haitian education, in order to gain baseline data for future interventions.  We are absolutely excited for the next couple of years! :)

https://www.facebook.com/notes/project-81-incorporated/the-baseline-project/10152176580298913

Finally, I wanted to leave everyone with a favorite quote from one of the authors I admire most Paulo Coelho!! :)  His great book "The Alchemist"  truly gave us the extra bit of courage to follow our dreams and go after our "personal legend", as he calls it in the book!! :)  He's also South American and I see his amazing pieces of literature in almost every book store, I pass here in Cuenca..  Its amazing where life can lead you, if you allow it!

Colorful!

It's been an interesting week since I last wrote.  We said goodbye to our old hostel.. Coco sat at the cafe "bar" and had a long sip of milk and chat with Louise her favorite server...

She seriously loved it there and they didn't charge us for our cappuccinos or meals the last day... They made us promise to come back and visit (I think they just want to see Coco)...

We have been settling into our new casa :)

The new landlords have kept their word on every detail associated with our new place, including installing high speed Internet.  They furnished it for us, VERY minimally, but yet its furnished.  It is an adorable little place.   The ceilings are full of skylights which help bring in the natural light.  We will take pictures soon and will upload when we have a few things we want, put into place... :)

Its a two bedroom and we decided to have all of us sleep in one room and make the second a relaxation, prayer, yoga room.  The room's ceiling is all windows and all day long you can see the sky and at night the moon... They had the cleaning lady come and clean it one last time after we had moved in and she kept saying, "wow, its bonita"... Beautiful... God really does answer prayers... :)

On the only truly annoying note was that I got my cell phone stolen.  :(  We were at a very nice grocery store called Super Maxi, which honestly is nicer than the majority of grocery stores in the states.  They make you check your stuff with security, when you enter for fear you may steal something from them, but instead they stole from me... I got home and found my pack to be empty... They have cameras recording everything so we are planning on going back tomorrow and having them check... Oh well, no texting for me... I guess it will bring even more simplicity for my life... :)

Jared and Coco got to spend sometime together on Wednesday as I was busy grading away... They love going to the river and Coco loves to "journal" (which really consists of scribbles and letters)...

Deep thoughts! 

Happy!

We have been taking Coco to the climbing gym here in Cuenca, it is stunning.  She can go all day for $5.00 and they have trainers there who work with her whenever she needs help.. She absolutely loves it and we can just see her confidence growing and growing.  The teachers speak to her in Spanish and she really is picking up a lot...

She always seems to have an audience

Then she started to watch the "big" girls who were older practicing on the ribbons... This brought out a whole other sense of adventure... She absolutely LOVES the ribbons... 

Her teacher!

Such a Happy girl!! :)

She's working on her gracefulness...

Yesterday was Jared's and my 11 year anniversary... I woke up to Jared having left and returning with fresh flowers and pastries (yep, I'm a lucky girl)...

Beautiful!! Flowers were $7.00, WOW!! They make our flat smell amazing...

Coco actually begged us to send her to the school her friends go to and so we decided to let her "try" it yesterday, so we could have a little date time... The school is Montessori and they only speak Spanish... It was a beautiful building and she absolutely loved it... However, she won't be going anytime soon since one of the "points" of this trip was for her to spend ubber amounts of time with her folks... :)  Poor Coco!.... oh wait she wants to be called "Isabel" now! lol...

Jared and I decided to go visit an Orchid farm as I absolutely LOVE orchids.  We were a bit disappointed as only 5 of the 400 were in bloom... Though "lonely planet" said now was the best time to go... Hmmmm?

We then grabbed lunch at our new favorite place, a Tapas restaurant and then walked the many miles to Isabel's school... I even tried grilled octopus, which I was pleasantly surprised to have liked...

We are constantly walking everywhere, which has been sooooo good for my joints... I'm feeling really good... Plus no more allergies (sorry Florida but you're rough on me)...

Another beautiful river along Jared's and my walk...

We then walked to the market and bought fresh fruits and vegetables for our anniversary dinner.  The markets are beautiful...

Beautiful! 

I'm still trying to figure out what many of the fruits are, they have different Spanish names..  I loved taking pictures and posting them into my on-line nutrition course... :)

We bought so much fruit and had to tote them all back to our flat, again another great workout...  We came home and prepared a wonderful salad and I made a great salad dressing of Ecuadorean honey (which is the best I've ever had), olive oil and garlic... Did I mention that the humming birds are the size of a robin in the states?  No wonder the honey is so amazing they can really get busy pollinating everything... 

It was truly a beautiful anniversary... :)

Ecuador is absolutely blossoming with color!! I am in awe of the flowers, parks, rivers, city, food and life in general... It has been a BEAUTIFUL week!! I am thanking God again for all of His blessings!!

Love you all!! :)