This week we return to Cribbage and the Symphony, William does Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) for the first time and we watch the Carnival parade and check out the Azuay Community Theater.
Tuesday afternoon we return to the Coffee Shop Cribbage group for a couple of hours of fun. The pairings of players are mixed up from our first visit two weeks ago, and we are able to learn more about the lives of the different players. The conversations often turn to why people first came to Cuenca, where they’ve lived in Cuenca, and where else has been “home”. The majority of the group rents their apartments/condo’s here, and I find it interesting to learn how often they switch to new places and what drives their decisions to move. There’s a story or two of acquaintances who made significant improvements in their rental (in one case $18,000) only to have the owner dramatically increase the rent or refuse to renew the lease. The consensus around the cribbage tables is to try to get the owner to do the improvements before starting a lease or only make small improvements yourself. Seems like common sense to us.
Tuesday afternoon we return to the Coffee Shop Cribbage group for a couple of hours of fun. The pairings of players are mixed up from our first visit two weeks ago, and we are able to learn more about the lives of the different players. The conversations often turn to why people first came to Cuenca, where they’ve lived in Cuenca, and where else has been “home”. The majority of the group rents their apartments/condo’s here, and I find it interesting to learn how often they switch to new places and what drives their decisions to move. There’s a story or two of acquaintances who made significant improvements in their rental (in one case $18,000) only to have the owner dramatically increase the rent or refuse to renew the lease. The consensus around the cribbage tables is to try to get the owner to do the improvements before starting a lease or only make small improvements yourself. Seems like common sense to us.
A new experience is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT). William has been reading about the benefits of HBOT for many years. Although he’s talked about pursuing it in the US, when we saw a local physician in Cuenca offering the service he had to investigate, especially after his Covid experience. I went with him to the consultation appointment on Wednesday morning. That afternoon he decided to make an appointment and try it out.
We arrived 5 minutes early on Thursday morning. The physician and his assistant were ready - a positive sign given typical Ecuadorian timing of being 20-30 minutes late. Dr. Flores explains the process again and he assists William into the unit. The oxygen begins flowing and Dr. Flores slowly increases the pressure to 50 psi. After 45 minutes at 50 psi the pressure is slowly released and William emerges. He feels great. He said he wanted to wait a day or two before making any subsequent appointments. An HBOT session in the US costs $250 to $600. William pays the doctor here $50 for the session. By Friday afternoon he still feels good and has decided to make an appointment for next week.
We arrived 5 minutes early on Thursday morning. The physician and his assistant were ready - a positive sign given typical Ecuadorian timing of being 20-30 minutes late. Dr. Flores explains the process again and he assists William into the unit. The oxygen begins flowing and Dr. Flores slowly increases the pressure to 50 psi. After 45 minutes at 50 psi the pressure is slowly released and William emerges. He feels great. He said he wanted to wait a day or two before making any subsequent appointments. An HBOT session in the US costs $250 to $600. William pays the doctor here $50 for the session. By Friday afternoon he still feels good and has decided to make an appointment for next week.
Thursday evening, we attend the Cuenca Symphony. It is the kickoff of Carnival in San Francisco Square, so the Symphony is lightly attended. But the guest conductor is energetic and the music is beautiful. We’re delighted.
Saturday the Carnival festivities are in full swing. Carnival is the celebration leading up to Ash Wednesday - in New Orleans it is Mardi Gras. Here there are no beads being worn or thrown, it is much more a family event - especially during the day, though there is much foam at all hours. The parade begins at 10 am in Parque San Blas. We take up a viewing spot 6 blocks away, across from Parque Calderon. The vendors are out hawking their snacks and cans of spray foam. Around 10:15 the parade arrives in our area and the foam really is flying through the air. Foam hits people in the parade as well as along the street. Foam is so much better than the tradition from an earlier visit where buckets of water and water balloons were thrown! There are concerts around town beginning at 11 am and continuing through the afternoon. After grabbing lunch William and I make it home with only being foamed in the back. Success!
Sunday, we attend the Azuay Community Theater, which is an expat group. The venue allows for 36 - 42 seats and all are taken. Prior to the virtual curtain rising we meet Dale and Judy from Saskatchewan, Canada for the first time. They are snow birds who spend approximately two months in Mexico prior to coming to Cuenca for four months. They have been doing this for a number of years. We also meet Jane and Nancy from the Cribbage group. The program includes four short plays. Three are enjoyable while one is painful - not from the performance perspective, but rather from the subject matter. Overall, we rate it a “ok” experience, but not something we would be disappointed to miss.
Sunday, we attend the Azuay Community Theater, which is an expat group. The venue allows for 36 - 42 seats and all are taken. Prior to the virtual curtain rising we meet Dale and Judy from Saskatchewan, Canada for the first time. They are snow birds who spend approximately two months in Mexico prior to coming to Cuenca for four months. They have been doing this for a number of years. We also meet Jane and Nancy from the Cribbage group. The program includes four short plays. Three are enjoyable while one is painful - not from the performance perspective, but rather from the subject matter. Overall, we rate it a “ok” experience, but not something we would be disappointed to miss.
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