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...