Blog Archives - WANDERING WITH WILLIAM

Cuenca Culture

10/29/2016

Cuenca is a city of arts and really shows it during the festival season which kicked off on October 22nd, builds to a crescendo on November 3rd (Cuenca's Independence Day) and continues through November 5th.

The city symphony, youth chorus and several professional singing groups are providing free concerts Thursday and Friday evenings, but advance tickets are required. The tickets go very fast and we think we have missed out. But, Evelyn learns that a concert has been added at 10 am Friday. The daughter of Evelyn's Spanish teacher is in the youth chorus. As with many things in Ecuador, word-of-mouth is the best information vehicle.

We walk to the theater early and score some good center seats. It turns out that this is a more informal concert, but the same content as the evening performance. The music is rich and high quality. The performance lasts almost two hours.

Friday evening we attend Miguel Illescas' Art Gallery. Miguel has one of his sculptures predominantly displayed on the outside of his gallery and was recently featured in a local magazine. In addition to his creations, five other artists display their paintings, weavings and sculptures. We meander through the gallery for about an hour enjoying the pieces and chatting with others in attendance.

On our way back to the apartment we encounter a parade, no doubt a part of the Viva Cuenca festivities. There's community groups, floats with people demonstrating hat weaving and pottery, dancing groups and bands. One band and "dance group" features two men holding wooden models of cows. As they approach the grandstand they light bottle rockets and fire crackers which are affixed to the cows and continue to dance just a few feet from the crowd. Crazy! The people watching the parade are diverse and just as interesting.

A Foodie Day

10/29/2016

We missed having a waffle on Sunday due to the crowds, so on the next day Waffles de Belgica is open, we must make the trek back. It's once again a beautiful day, but a little too warm for William in the sun.

We sit down at the small Waffles de Belgica stand and there are only two other customers (for the moment). The owner Jan waits on us and comments that we have been there before. Yes, but it has been almost two years! And then again, William is kind of a memorable guy. Not too many people are walking around Cuenca in a beach-appropriate shirt wearing an Australian-style hat.

Jan's waffles are as delicious as we remember them. Light and fluffy with our choice of fruit, ice cream and sauce (dulce de leche for me and mora for William).

We chat with Jan for a while in-between his waiting on other customers, then take a stroll along the Rio Tomebamba. On our way back to the apartment we stop at a riverside restaurant for a cold beer and crisp white wine.

For dinner I decide to try the Seco de Pollo recipe we learned from Chef Patricio. We bought fresh tomatoes at the Mercado yesterday (un dollar) and chicken leg quarters from the Supermaxi. I skin the tomatoes then throw them into the blender (making the tomatoes riñón rojo). The chicken is first "browned" in achiote. I add some garlic then the tomatoes riñón rojo and a dehydrated spice mixture I bought at LaYunta. Covering the pan with aluminum foil (we do not have a covers for the frying pans), I turn the chicken periodically and in 50 minutes we're ready to eat. I prepare plain quinoa so we can use the tomato sauce from the chicken and broccoli as sides. For dessert I fry up sweet plantain chips. William says the meal is very good, and I agree.

We walked ~ four miles today. Somehow I don't think the exercise offset the calories, but we had a lot of fun!

Sunday in the Park

10/27/2016

It's a beautiful Sunday, sunny with blue skies. We stroll down to Parque San Blas just in time for the last mass to be letting out. People stream out of the church, some stopping at the vendors who have setup temporary stands in the plaza. Others mill around talking. The roads around the plaza quickly become congested with cars and families trying to get home.

Our ultimate destination is Museo Pumapungo and Arqueological Park, about a kilometer away. We walk along the quiet streets on this early Sunday afternoon hearing the noise of people preparing their family meals. We arrive at the Museo, planning to see whatever the latest temporary exhibit may be, but learn that it is under construction. That's ok, we head out to the park.

From the top of the ruins we peer down on the bird refugee and the Belgian Waffles stand beyond. We're hoping for a bite to eat after walking through the park, but alas, it is too busy when we arrive.

Instead we walk along the Rio Tomebomba to the Broken Bridge. In it's shadows is a new restaurant for us, Nuna. We sit in the shade on the patio and enjoy a light meal of chicken and beef skewers and salad. The food is quite good. The tables around us are filled with families and groups of friends. All are enjoying the pleasant weather. It's a great Sunday afternoon.

Fresh Seafood - At 8,200 feet

10/27/2016

On a clear Saturday evening we meet Burt and Evelyn at Capitán & Co. restaurant. This is a small restaurant in El Centro opened by Chef Orly and his wife Julia. Chef Orly also runs a seafood distribution company, supplying some of the best restaurants in Quito and Cuenca. It helps that although Cuenca is 8,200 feet in elevation, it is less than three hours from the coast.

Chef Orly and Julia appear to do all the work this evening, but with only five or six tables in the whole restaurant it is manageable. We start with an appetizer of deep fried shrimp and squid (calamari). The seafood is lightly battered and very fresh. Wonderful. For entrees Evelyn decides to repeat the appetizer, Burt has langoustino, William selects shrimp and rice and I choose the corvina in garlic. I may be biased, but I think the corvina is the best. All our plates are cleaned.

It's a great evening with good friends, good food and good wine.

La Yunta Cooking Class

10/26/2016

A few weeks ago we signed up for a cooking class at La Yunta.

On Friday morning we walk down the stairs out of El Centro to the New Town and after 25 minutes arrive at Villa San Carlos, the pick-up point.  We join seven expats from the US and load up into the mini-bus for the 30 minute ride south of the city to La Yunta, a restaurant, furniture, and gifts store along the highway to Loja.  Four more expats join us at the restaurant.

La Yunta partners with chef Patricio Coronel, the owner of Restaurant Corvel in Paute to put on the cooking class/demonstration.  Chef Patricio speaks Spanish, so Solidad from La Yunta has arranged for an interpreter for the predominately English speaking class.

Chef Patricio begins by making the soup: Locro de Papas Paueñto.  This traditional Ecuadorian soup contains two types of potatoes, achiote, garlic.  We learn how to cure a new Ecuadorian cooking pot with the interior skin of a plantain.  The ingredients of the soup quickly come together then lightly boil.  Chef Patricio's special blend of dehydrated spices is added at serving time.

He then turns to the main course, Seco de Pollo (chicken in fresh tomato sauce) and Arroz de Quinoa (quinoa with vegetables). Both appear easy to make and are delicious. They are served with a salad.

For dessert Chef Patricio prepares Miel con Queso, basically a sweet sauce made with panella (sugar cane), lemon peel, a little water and spices which is heated then poured over a slice of mozzarella cheese. It is tasty and a good balance of savory and sweet.

After the class we have an opportunity to browse through the furniture and gift shop. The products are high quality. We also chat more with our classmates, learning what has attracted them to Ecuador and gaining tips from them for our stay. The mini-bus arrives delivers us back to Villa San Carlos by 1 pm as promised. It has been a very enjoyable morning.

Sports Fix

10/25/2016

It's Thursday and the Packers and the Bears are playing. In the afternoon I check out our online sources for NFL games and realize are not going to be able to watch the game that way. No issue, we'll just go to Inca Bar which is owned by a Green Bay Packers fan.

When we arrive we receive a bonus: the Cubs-Dodgers game is on the big screen and the Packer-Bears game is on the side. Later we realize that the Bears-Packers game is being broadcast on Fox Sport 2, so we opt to catch the 4th Quarter back at the apartment.

It's a quiet night which gives us an opportunity to talk with Mike (the owner) about the changes he has seen in Cuenca over the past 6 years. He believes the majority of the changes have been for the better. The variety of restaurant cuisines has skyrocketed. There's now Thai, Italian, German, Argentine, Vegetarian, Cuban, Mexican, Greek, French and others. In addition the long-term traditional Ecuadorian restaurants are still doing well. Crime is generally down, especially in the area of Inca Bar. Parks, public squares and areas along the rivers have been beautified with more improvements planned. The Transvia (light rail) will bring improved transportation when it is completed and the eventual replacement of diesel busses with electric or propane will cut down on exhaust and noise, especially in El Centro. All-in-all, a positive outlook.

The first few days

10/25/2016

We spend the first few days in Cuenca getting settled and seeing friends. Tuesday we have breakfast at Goda restaurant then set about stocking our kitchen.  First stop is Mercado 10 de Agosto.  The fresh vegetables and fruits are neatly stacked for display in the stalls.  We walk up and down the aisles, eyeing the displays and choosing what looks the best to us.  We have never felt comfortable buying the unrefrigerated meats in the back of the Mercado, so we skip that section.

50¢ for a huge cauliflower followed by 50¢ for a big head of broccoli.  $1 for about a pound and one-half of green beans.  Over 2 lbs of freshly pulled carrots for $1.  20¢ a cucumber.  The extra-large sweet, white pineapple is $2. Fresh strawberries for $1. Etc., etc.  We are prepared with a stack of dollar bills and dollar coins, as providing change for even a $5 bill, much less a $10 bill often requires the vendor to collaborate with her neighbors.  $20 bills are an impossibility.  Our last stop is for fresh eggs.  36 jumbo eggs cost $3.80.  We are loaded down with fresh provisions and have spent about $12.

A block from our apartment is a Tia market.  It's a smaller grocery store, but good enough for starters.  Wednesday we go to Supermaxi for the items not available at Tia. We walk the three-quarter of a mile to Supermaxi El Vergel. The prices here on some items align closer to US prices and may even be more. When we check out the bag boy loads our groceries in a cart then walks us to the taxi stand and loads up the trunk.  The taxi meter reads $1.70 when we arrive in traffic at Gran Columbia Suites.  We give the driver $2.25 and he is delighted.

Tuesday evening our good friends Burt and Evelyn invite us to their home for dinner.  Burt prepares a delicious meal and we have time to catch-up.  We also get a chance to see some of the paintings Evelyn has displayed in her shows and some which are in-progress.  Her paintings have truly evolved over the past four years and she is now well known among the Cuenca art community.  Burt is also well known, he is going to be included in an article in the Ecuadorian magazine Vistazo, which will include some of his photographs and a quote.  What fun!

Hola Ecuador!

10/25/2016

Our Monday wake-up call feels way too early, and it is.  We're up at 3:30 am and in a taxi leaving the hotel by 4 am for our 6:45 am flight to Panama connecting on to Guayaquil, Ecuador.  We arrive in Guayaquil about an hour late, but our driver Angel still has a smile on his face.  He grabs some of our bags and escorts us to his car.  By 4 pm we are leaving the international airport (elevation 13.2 feet) to start the 2 1/2 to 3 hour drive to Cuenca.

The speed of the car varies as Angel follow various vehicles along Highway 25 - large busses buzzing along, motorcycles weaving between traffic, and ancient pick-up trucks loaded with crops that a bicyclist easily passes are just a few.  The scenery is farm fields of rice, banana and cocoa.  Angel makes a left and picks up Highway 582 heading east and inland to the higher elevations.  Highway 582 hugs the mountain sides, twisting and turning as it takes us up to an elevation of 13,000+ feet in Cajas National Park, then brings us back to 8,200 feet as we leave it on the outskirts of Cuenca.  The sun is setting, leaving golden hues on the western sides of the mountains and long shadows in the valleys during the later part of the drive.

At times I feel light-headed, a combination of the elevation and the curves.  We chat with Angel along the way, but mostly let him concentrate on the road.  This is not a trip I would want to drive, as crazy Ecuadorian drivers will attempt to pass on blind turns or even when they can clearly see a vehicle approaching.

We are appreciative when Angel safely delivers us to our home for the next four weeks in Ecuador, Gran Columbia Suites.

Sunday is Fun Day

10/24/2016

As if we didn't have enough fun already, it's Sunday and after a huge breakfast it is time to go to the Superdome! The New Orleans Saints are playing the North Carolina Panthers in National Football League Week 6. Dan has arranged for 16 of us to attend the game.

The pageantry before the start of the game is interesting, and clearly designed to fire up the home town crowd as well as the team. The people in the crowd are also fun. My favorite is the couple a row ahead, him in a Saints jersey and her in a Panthers jersey. While she and some other Panther fans in the area cheer, he just shakes his head jokingly back and forth.

The Saints come out strong, and are leading after the first quarter 14-0. The second quarter they still dominate and the half ends 24-10. Both teams score a touchdown in the third quarter. But then the Panthers pick up steam, and the game is very interesting. Panthers score three touchdowns to the Saints one, and the game is tied. 38-38. With much back-and-forth on the field the Saints have a drive going. They move downfield far enough to attempt a 51-yard field goal with seconds left the game. They score and the crowd goes wild! Saints win 41-38.

The Wedding

10/24/2016

Rachel and Patrick have chosen Hotel Mazarin in the French Quarter for their wedding.  The ceremony is held in the central courtyard with it's fountain and trees as a backdrop.  Three musicians play stringed instruments.  Patrick escorts the officiant, Rachel's cousin, up the aisle.  The three grandparents (all in their 80's) are escorted in.  Then Patrick's parents come down the aisle.   With a change in the music, Rachel is escorted by her parents all three with beaming smiles.

The bride is beautiful and the groom even more handsome than yesterday as they recite the vows they have written.  We honor their wishes and do not use cameras or our cell phones to take photos.

After some drinks and snacks in the courtyard we make our way into the reception.  The heavy appetizer buffet is a delight with people gently arguing about what is the best.  I can't decide between the tenderloin with Bearnaise sauce or the gumbo.  The music is "all vinyl" and people quickly fill the dance floor.  I didn't think I would ever be to a wedding again where Proud Mary is played, but here it is (along with other classics), calling us to dance.

Months and months and months of planning come to a quick close and it is all so beautiful.  The memories will remain not just with the bride and groom, but for all of us lucky enough to be with them today.