We had to get up early this morning to be at the bookshop by 8.30 to go on a little trip out of Cuenca. Sonya, who is one of the spanish teachers at the place we go to, arranged a day trip to a few of the surrounding towns that lie about 45 minutes away from Cuenca to the south east. There were about 15 of us on a little bus and then three more in a car driven by Sonyas husband who is Croatian but sounds like he just stepped out of the US of A. Everyone was on time which by all accounts is a miracle; maybe its because everyone was a gringo. Cuencans are notorious for being late and as it happened Sonya was the last one to arrive.
There was a shorter road to take along the highway, but so that we could see some of the outlying areas we took the scenic route which took a little longer. The drive was lovely and Sonya explained about the different regions and how the people live there as we went along. Our first stop was at San Bartolome and before we got down into the town itself we stopped at an overlook for some splendid views. I kinda wish we had just bypassed the actual town itself as while we were there we visited the cuy lady; thankfully they were all still alive but I know what fate was waiting for them. We stopped at the house of a lady who raises guinea pigs that she then kills and cooks to sell; she keeps a bunch of them in an outhouse in her garden. When we got there another lady was washing out a bunch of butchered chickens in an outside sink while a bunch of live chickens wandered around. We checked out the guinea pigs which were almost all white and were making quite a bit of noise, then we had a look around her garden; I think the log fire is where she roasts the cuy, yuck. Afterwards she made all of us some lovely herb tea, made from flowers, mint and camomile, and served it to us with nice homemade biscuits; we spent a while sitting in a room in her house chatting.












We all piled back into the bus for a short ride to the community of San Bartolome (different to the town of San Bartolome from where we had just left. The only difference I could figure out though was that the roads were no longer paved. We pulled up along side a hut with a little Ecuadorian man sat outside at a workbench. He might have been working on the side of the road but what he was producing was fantastic. His name was Senor Uyaguari and he is a master guitar maker who is known throughout Ecuador and the world. He is known mostly for the decorative detail that goes onto his guitars. He makes all his own 'wood details' and each piece is laid on by hand. The finished instruments are one of a kind and can take months to finish. The prices vary depending on the wood used and the time involved to complete it. A guy in our group bought one that was already made, it was made from an Ecuadorian wood that grows nowhere else, the detail work was fantastic, and it cost him $250. The weird thing about the guy is that he learned the craft of guitar making from his father and neither one of them could or can play the guitar. His son can play the guitar and apparently once the guitars are finished making his son plays them and tells him what needs to be done to make it sound better; the son is also learning how to make guitars.






The next stop along our route was at Gualaceo which is a lovely clean well kept town that is know for producing beautiful gold and silver filigree jewellery. We spent a while here wandering around the square and in and out of the stores, although we didn't buy any jewellery, there was just too much to choose from. I think we'll have to go back sometime when we are not on a timeframe and spend a day wandering around by ourselves.





After doing some shopping everyone was hungry so we went to a park alongside the San Francisco river just outside of Gualaceo and had a picnic lunch while we watched the kids playing in the river and the women washing their clothes. While we were there I saw my first giant beetle that was actually alive. Apparently they live in the trees and it's lucky if they fall out and land on you. If one of those bloody things landed on me I'd have a heart attack, lucky or not.




After lunch we travelled a short distance to the next city of Chordeleg where I got to see the guinea pigs after their visit to the slaughter house. We first walked around the fruit and veg market. It was very similar to the one in Cuenca but having Sonya with us meant she could tell us the names of the exotic fruits and veg and explain how to eat and cook them. then we visited the indoor market where they have all the prepared foods, and just outside on sticks over an open fire were the cuy, poor little buggers! They are supposed to be very good, and according to Sonyas husband the head is the best part (probably why they leave it attached), and it's an honour to get to eat the brains - what a weird country. I passed on the cuy but I did try for the first time xxxxxx which is a kind of corn pancakes/tortilla cross; it wasn't bad, kind of sweet and savoury all in one.







After walking the street of shoes we headed out of the city and to an orchid farm. The place was very cool, they grow orchids from seeds to full flower and ship them all over the world. They have thousands of varieties of orchid and we learned the process they go through to get them from seeds or cuttings to market. They had some beautiful species, and they have won all kinds of awards for the plants and also for the creation of hybrid species. We didn't buy a plant at the store since neither Mike nor I have a very good track record with growing things.





The last stop on our tour was at another place on the side of the road where they created some amazing products using the Ikat weaving technique. We got an explanation from the owners son about how the process works, from how they separate the wool to how it is dyed. They use all kinds of fruits, vegetables and such to dye the wool, as well as crushed up worms; then to stop it running the wool is soaked in water and ash to set the dye. the woman dye the wool and create the patterns on it, and then as it is very labour intensive the men usually do the actual weaving. We got a demonstration and it's easy to see why the men do it, there's a lot of pulling and tugging to be done to get to the finished product which were all beautiful and so colourful.




We headed back to Cuenca after all this and got back around 5ish, then we walked home.

Mike: I wish I played the guitar, it would have given me a reason to buy one. They were magnificient! Also, I'm still glad I'm a vegetarian!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We went into town this morning to visit Sandy at the travel agency. We actually went there yesterday but we got there during siesta time and the office was closed for 2 hours till 2.30 and we didn't want to wait. Lee had given us her name and she was super nice and really helpful. She had loads of information for us about tours and activities around Cuenca and also further afield. We had decided that we weren't going to be able to make it to the Galapagos as it was just too expensive but after talking to Sandy it looks like we'll get to go after all. She also has some really cool looking trips into the Amazon, and she can also book everything for us to go to Peru to vosot Machu Pichu. All we have to do is decide where and when we want to go and find the money to pay for it all. I am very excited that we'll actually get to go to the Galapagos, I want to see the giant tortoise and the boobies. Sandy is going to email us the info we need and then we just have to go back next week and book whatever we want.
After spending over an hour with Sandy we went to the California Kitchen to have lunch and also because the last time we were there the owner had told us that Friday was cheesecake day. We had a nice lunch but unfortunately they hadn't made the cheesecake, I guess we'll have to go back next week.
We found a really lush chocolate shop while we were wandering about; they make all the chocolates at the store and they were lovely. If you are all very good I'll bring some home when we come; I can't guarantee what they'll be as I don't know what the lady was saying was in them, but they were good, especially the Baileys (I understood that) and the Gengibre flavours. We also found a florist that we haven't come across before and Mike bought me a bouquet of flowers. Don't panic he's not getting soft in his old age, they only cost $1.50. It's weird that the more we walk around the more things we discover that we've missed on previous walks. It's because when everything is closed up it all looks the same, metal shutters or heavy wooden doors with no signs to indicate what's behind them.
We stopped off at the market to get some veggies on the way home and got a whole bagful for $4.00. I can't get over how cheap fruit and veg are here, I bought 14 bananas for $1, 3 huge avocados for $1, and a bagful of strawberries for $0.50. We don't haggle at the market (I mean Mike doesn't) even though we have been told we are supposed to, but when they are asking $0.60 for a giant head of lettuce how do you tell them you want it for less?
We have decided to not buy anymore baked goods. There are little stores all over the place that sell everything from bread to cookies to empanadas and they all look lovely and smell even better, but they never taste as good as they look. All the baked goods here are super dry, especially the bread rolls, and the cheese empanadas that we have bought from several different places hardly have any queso in them. The only thing that we have found that is tasty are some little butter cookies but only when they are bought from this one particular location. All the others we've tried are either burnt, dry or have coconut in them (not Mike's favourite). No doubt we'll keep looking for the perfect baked good though in spite of me saying we are done buying them, the smell is irresistible.

Mike:They can keep their little cookies!

Well it's been Carnaval here in Cuenca for the past four days but not much of anything happened other than the chances of getting wet greatly increased. Apparently Cuenca is not the place to be for Carnaval as all the Cuencans leave the city and head to the outlying villages or the coast, and everything in Cuenca shuts down for four whole days. It wasn't really that big of a deal for us anyway since both Mike and I have been sick since right before the weekend. We are both feeling a little better tonight but we still don't feel right.
Saturday we didn't do much of anything besides walking to the Supermaxi; and we had to get a taxi home from there as we were too weak to carry the groceries home, awww. The most exciting thing that happened this past weekend was that we saw a pig riding in a truck. I mean it wasn't like he was driving or anything, he was standing in the bed of the truck, but it was a fairly weird sight as we were walking down the road to have a pig staring at us. I'm sure he was on his way to be some folks dinner, he was all brown and crispy. I did cook our first real meal in the apartment when we got home from the supermarket, pasta, yummm.
We did walk into the old town on Monday and wandered around. There were some people around most of whom were throwing water or spraying foam. We got foamed a fair bit, Mike in particular got it right on the face from a passing car - he was not impressed. The kids in particular were very crafty about spraying you, they looked all innocent till you walked past them and then they got you from behind the little buggers. We actually managed to stay fairly for most of the day even though people were lobbing water baloons from their balconies and from the beds of passing trucks, that is until we were walking down Calle Larga to get to home. Some little 'rascal' had a huge bucket of water and was scooping the water out with a pan. He chased us down the street and I got drenched from head to toe; I think he had a little help from his upstairs neighbour who was also pouring water off the balcony. Thankfully it was a nice day with lots of sunshine, although I'm sure the icy water did nothing to help my cold.
Only because we had another Spanish lesson did we head back into town on Tuesday. The lesson went fine, it's actually starting to make some kind of sense. We stayed in town to have lunch at the California Kitchen and then headed home. We were probably about 5 minutes out from the apartment when a truck went past us and threw a water balloon at me, I got drenched again; this time I wasn't happy.
We got home then just in time since as we walked through the door the heavens opened. It was definitely the strongest storm we've had since we've been in Ecuador, it looked like snow when the hailstones hit the rooves as it was hitting with such force. It only hailed/rained for about 20 minnutes but the Tomebamba river outside our window rose by about 3 feet; I hope we don't get a prolonged storm or I'll be able to wash our clothes in the river from our kitchen window.

Mike: The little shits, we should have been better prepared with our own water balloons!

Well since my laundry was still not even close to dry when we got up this morning mike thought it might be a good idea to go to the ferreteria and get some rope to make an indoor washing line. When he went in he told the store owner that he wanted a certian length of the rope but the guy started rabbling something in spanish. When Mike finally figured out what he was trying to tell us he realised that down here they sell rope by weight not by length; we had no idea how much 10 metres of rope would be. Anyway the guy weighted it all our for us and it turns out that buying by the weight is not a bad idea, 10 metres of rope cost $.60; Mike came out of the store and told me to run since he figured the guy would be coming for more money once he realised his mistake - he never did. I know have a beautiful 'washing line' that hangs from inside the wardrobe around the window frame and back, lovely; I even have cute coloured pegs to hang things on my line with - what more could a washer woman want?
Mike also needed an extension cord, he has been looking for a few days for one. So today he visited an electrical ferreteria while I waited outside - he was in there forever. He eventually came out and the reason he had taken so long was that the guy in the store had actually made him a 15 foot extension cord with a double socket on one end. That's not something you see happening in the states very often that I know about. This wasn't quite as cheap as my line but it only cost about $3.50, a bargain I think, and Mike was very happy.

Mike: Bargains galore! Every time we turn around.

We had our first Spanish lesson this morning so we got up a little earlier than necessary and headed to Kookaburra Cafe for a nice hearty breakfast of eggs on toast and potatoes; Mike even had a veggie juice to get the old brain cells going. Our lesson started at 11 and lasted for an hour and it wasn't so bad. We started at the very beginning with the basics and lots of vocabulary but i think it went ok; Lee told us that we did pretty good. A lot of what Mike learned a lot of years ago when he was in school came back to him and I think having studied french in school helps a little. My pronounciation wasn't too awful although it is hard to get over the habit of saying words that look like english words the english way, and Mike gets a ittle tongue tied sometimes, but we'll get there. I learned lots of new words and I can now say 'bitch' so if the need arises were i need to insult someone I can!
We did a little shopping afterwards before heading home. I spent alot of the afternoon doing laundry; I actually handwashed everything that was dirty so now there is wet washing hanging all over the bathroom, dripping everywhere. It's hardwork washing every piece of clothing and I think I already have calluses coming on my hands from wringing out the wet clothes. I'm just thankful that Mike didn't try and send me down to the river to do it, i can't really see myself scrubbing clothes on the river bank and then beating them against a boulder to get the dirt out.

Mike: Little do you know I've signed you up for a "river washing class" with the
Indian ladies.

We have spent the last day and a half settling into the apartment and shopping for things we need to make our stay comfortable. Of course the first order of business was to get a coffee pot and grinder; Mike wouldn't last too long without either. the only problem is we haven't been able to find any coffee creamer here or even fresh milk. The only milk we can buy is the high temp stuff that's on a box that doesn't even need to be refrigerated. We were advised that there is a place here where we can go queue every morning and get it fresh from the cow but Mike's not too keen on that idea.
Today we walked along our easy route into old town, right along the bank of the river and saw a lady in the river doing her laundry with all the clean clothes spread over the banks to dry; I hope I don't have to do this anytime soon. The walk is much easier than having to scale the steps, all we have to do now is avoid the traffic. There always seems to be tons of people heading into the old town and I think it's actaully quicker to walk than to take a taxi or the bus. We bought a bunch of bits and pieces in town and then lugged it all back to the apartment, including piggie salt and pepper shakers that Mike bargained down from $4 to $3.50, and a cushion for the sofa that has had no effect on the comfortableness of the thing. We also bought some speakers for the computer today so we can have music in the apartment. When Mike asked how much they were he was told $11.00 but when he paid for them the price was $9.00. This is not the first time we've been given a price to pay and then when it's actually time to pay the price is less. I suppose it's better thant he price going up but it's weird. We asked Lee about it and apparently the price is cheaper if you pay cash down here even if you don't haggle, weird.
While we were at the bookstore this afternoon we made a time to have our first spanish lesson, it's tomorrow at 11 a.m., wish me luck, I'm going to need it.

Mike: I'm going to buy Becc a scrub brush so she can join the ladies at the river!

I packed most of our stuff last night; it's nice being able to pack and not have to worry about the weight for the airline. We went for breakfast at a different restaurant than usual, today we ate eggs, toast and juice at a sushi restaurant that is right next door to the hotel. It turns out that yesterday was the last time we have to climb the 89 steps since from our apartment we can walk up the road that the traffic uses to get into the old town.
After breakfast we checked out of the hotel, paid our bill and waited for our taxi. The apartment is about a 15 minute walk from the hotel going west along the Tomebamba river but since we had a bunch of luggagae a taxi was necessary this morning. The horrible little man ripped us off, he charged us $3.00 for a ride that should have been only $1.50; at least he had a smile on his face when he took our money.
When we got to the apartments there was no one around to let us in; most people here are not really early risers which suits me down to the ground. Sarah came hurrying up to us after a few minutes and Mike paid our rent and got our key. The apartment is nice, pretty basic, but clean. It has a kitchen (I doubt I'll be doing too much cooking on our little stove) and living area with the most uncomfortable sofa I have ever sat on; then it has a bedroom and bathroom. We have cable tv with about 5 channels in english, and hi speed internet. We are paying $475.00 a month for the place which incluldes all utilities the cable and wifi. We even have a little lady who comes in everyday to clean (she's really sweet but I can't quite catch her name) and they change our towls and sheets for us as well. Our apartment is on the upstairs level and we look out over the Tomebamba river; the view is beautiful, and the sound of the river more than drowns out any traffic noise we might have had otherwise. Can't ask for much more really.
We spent the rest of the morning unpacking and putting stuff away; we have lots of storgae space which is a bonus. Then this afternoon we took a walk around the area and into town. The apartment is in a perfect location, it only took us about 10 minutes to get into the old town, there were no steps to climb, and we only have to cross one road to get there. After we got back from town we headed to the supermaxi to get some food staples; we got a taxi back from there as Mike stocked up on cerveza and it was way too heavy to carry all the way back. I think we have a little of everything to be going on with now, at least we won't starve.

Mike: We have at least 10 stations in English and her name is Angilica! Pronounced (an-hil-ica).