Walking in Cuenca

I know we've mentioned how careful you have to be when walking anywhere here in Cuenca. The sidewalks leave much to be desired, as you can see by the photos below.

Expats wear good walking shoes - sneakers, hiking shoes or sturdy sandals with straps (flip-flops are really dangerous here). But the local women seem to have no problem tottering around in stiletto heels. We've yet to figure out how they manage and never seem to lose their balance.

But even then, imagine our surprise when we saw these in a store window today. I can't seriously believe anyone would wear these - maybe a new kind of art?

Here are some photos I've taken over time showing the state of Cuenca's sidewalks - and some are worse than this!

Many of our friends have joined the "Cuenca Clutz Club", you can see why!

Ciao for now!

Cuenca, Ecuador: Perceptions, Misconceptions and a Third Look

During our exploratory visit to Cuenca, we wrote a post about "Preconceptions, Misconceptions and New Viewpoints". In January 2014 we updated our thoughts in this post, "Perceptions, Misconceptions and Living Here". I thought it was time for another review so here is "Perceptions, Misconceptions and a Third Look".

1. Noise, pollution and traffic
   We notice the noise less and less all the time, I guess we have adapted to city life. The sporadic building alarm behind our new apartment bothers us the most (well, it bothers Stu).
   
   The traffic hasn't changed much, we still walk a lot as well as take the bus.
   
   Pollution is worse due to the construction for the Tranvia and our new location close to it. We expect 2015 to be the worst since construction will expand into El Centro.
    
2. Conservative dress
   I now feel quite comfortable in jeans and a t-shirt when going out but I have also added more solid color shirts (not blouses) and a couple pairs of Duluth Trading pants. Stu has done the same. We still wear athletic shoes most of the time although I love my Ariat slip-ons for days when I'm not walking a lot.
   
   We are seeing more and more casual dress in the teens, even shorts, so I anticipate the continuing trend towards this as those teens grow up.
    
3. Bad Coffee
   Very rarely do we get served bad coffee here. We love the coffee in the restaurants and love the dark roast beans we get at a local shop, Nucallacta.
    
4. Weather
   We still love the weather here and in our new apartment with almost wall-to-wall windows, even an overcast day doesn't seem gloomy. But we know the weather isn't for everyone. It can be a bit cool at times and of course the temperature FEELS warmer or cooler at times due to the altitude.
    
5. Stray Dogs
   Not much has changed here although there are several more rescue groups for dogs. Cats aren't seen as much...mostly with expats. We have seen more locals treating dogs as pets rather than an alarm system. We sometimes wonder if these are part of the influx of Ecuadorians returning from the US and Spain.
    
6. Finding our way around
   We're doing much better, the addresses make sense to us now and we can finally pronounce most of the street names. Of course, we still never remember the address of places we see...thank goodness we have friends that do!
    
7. Language Barrier
   This will be a continual learning process. Our two weeks of Spanish class helped and we both plan to keep working from our notes and workbooks (as well as using the online resources). I get compliments on my pronounciation, even when I'm not sure what I'm saying. So I guess that's a good thing.
    
8. Safety/Security
   We really don't worry about this, as we've stated before, we use common sense when we are out and about. Since we are now in an 8 floor building, we have security at the entrance 24/7. We still don't go out a lot in the evenings, but then we didn't do that in the US either.
    
9. Graffiti vs Street Murals
   We continue to see new murals around town and enjoy snapping photos of them. They are constantly changing. The tagging type graffiti continues but it also moves. Some of it has an artisitic quality, others, not so much. Part of city life...sigh.
    
10. Street/Road Condition & Pedestrians (Walking)
    Nothing has changed here, it's still dangerous to be a pedestrian and you have to continually watch where you walk as well as watch the traffic. But we have had several folks motion us to cross in front of their cars and we even had a bus driver do so. We thank them gratefully!

What we love about Ecuador...this list hasn't changed from our first post other than the addition of #10. Oh, and the list is in no particular order, that would be hard to do. There is something for everyone here in Ecuador whether you plan to vacation or retire. Give it a try!

1. The People 
2. The Greenery
3. The Climate 
4. The Fresh Fruits & Vegetables 
5. The Lack of Stress 
6. The Little Shops  & Markets
7. The Artisans 
8. The Family 
9. The Country 
10. The Diversity

Needless to say, we still love living here. This year we plan to take a mini-trip every month, out to a surrounding town or tourist attraction. We will continue to expand our Spanish vocabulary (grammar and tense are at the bottom of our list). We see something new and interesting daily, whether from our apartment window or traveling around town. Life is good! C'mon on down for a visit...

Crime in Ecuador

A hot topic is crime in Latin America, for us in Ecuador and specifically, Cuenca. We've all seen the grisly headlines about drug cartels and homicides. We've read about date rape drugs and other used in robberies.

But what is the reality of living here in Cuenca? We have met over 100 expats and are online friends with many more. Have any of them experienced crime personally? The truth and sad fact is, yes, some of them have.

Most of these have been crimes of opportunity - pockets picked, cell phones left sitting on the edge of a table, backpacks not secured on a packed bus. There are a few stories of face-to-face robberies, many of them at night with the victim a bit inebriated or unaware of their surroundings.

Cuenca is not a small town even though it may feel that way at times. We have learned to not carry a lot of cash, use the ATMs inside the banks or the bigger malls, keep our wallets where we can feel them, never carry original copies of our passports (not needed now that we have our cedulas of which we carry laminated copies), NEVER flash a lot of money or wear expensive watches or jewelry. It's all pretty much common sense. Expensive cameras, laptops, tablets and cell phones are primary targets but we have heard of women having their earrings snatched.

Are we targeted as gringos? At times, partially because we are known to have more money than the locals. But we have also talked to many locals who have been victims as well. Home invasions to happen, especially to those not adequately prepared. One victim's wife opened the gate to someone who was looking for his chicken he claimed had flown over their fence. She opened the gate and she was rushed by three men. They have since installed a video camera, this would have prevented the crime. Another was robbed at gunpoint and wrote about it here. He accepts some of the blame but it did destroy their feeling of security for some time.

Homes are built in enclaves of one or more, behind locked gates with the tops wired with electricity or walls with broken bottles embedded. No enclave, then you will see barred windows and heavily padlocked doors. Dogs are guards and alarms here, not so much pets.

Here in Cuenca we don't have a problem with "gypsy" cabs or cab kidnappings as Guayaquil and Quito do (in those cities always have the hotel call a cab for you and learn the markings of a licensed, registered cab). In Cuenca the majority of the cabs have webcams AND had a little red button that calls ECU-911. Yes, there is a 911 service here, in fact the husband of the gal that runs my favorite beauty salon, works for ECU-911. We have never felt unsafe in a Cuenca taxi or on the bus but we are very aware of our belongings when on the bus.

Do we worry incessantly about this? Absolutely not! But we are aware. If we go out at night, we use a taxi. We avoid the buses when they are very crowded. If we plan to attend an event with a lot of people, we carry as little as possible with us and even have an old cell phone we can use as a throwaway. We try to keep extra money hidden, just have a couple of ones and maybe a ten or twenty to hand over. We avoid unpopulated areas when walking, especially at dawn or dusk. We have never felt threatened but we also are constantly aware of our surroundings.

July 14, 2014 ARTICLE: Former criminologist discusses crime in Cuenca

 Poverty is the mother of crime.

Marcus Aurelius

June 15: Sunday Sundry Photo

If it SITS, it FITS
Taxis move a lot of different things here.

Six Month Anniversary

Wow! Where did the time go - we arrived in Ecuador six months ago on December 12th. A lot has happened since then but it's still amazing that it's been that long. We stay busy, in fact this was scheduled to post on our anniversary date but I was so busy it got delayed.

We still love it here but do have BIG news...we're moving! We found a wonderful apartment that offers us the two things we are missing in our current spot. An amazing view and a rooftop terrace to enjoy the outdoors. It means a bump in our budget but still close to our initial estimate. For us it's a quality of life issue and we look forward to our new digs.

It's in an 8 floor building that is only two years old. Elevator, 24 hour armed security, secure parking (not that we need that right now), only two apartments per floor, very large and well appointed. We are excited - not sure how our furniture will fit but that will all work itself out.

Back to living here...I have already written two posts about our Preconceptions, Misconceptions and Viewpoints and not much has changed since the last update. The traffic is about the same, we have a new mayor who is putting safety and transportation at the top of his list, the taxis are now metered (although how that is working out is debatable, at least for the taxi drivers), I am seeing a bit of influx on the graffiti side but I also see a lot more official murals around town, we have found that strawberries wane a bit in late May-early June but they seem to be making a comeback, restaurants continue to come and go, we find new businesses all the time and for me, my Spanish is growing slowly. I have had several compliments on my pronunciation, even though I can't roll my R's.

We continue to watch our food choices, not eating out a lot and walking more. With the bicycle in the house, Stu will be using that to continue getting/staying healthy. He is bringing me back a knee brace to help my walking. Since my fall last February, it has continued to bother me at times.

We love the weather even though many days bring a little rain. Often it's just a shower but a month ago we had long downpours. It is getting a little cooler as we move into winter here but I have still been quite warm walking around El Centro midday with bright sunlight.

We will post photos of the new place once we are moved in...needless to say, the next two weeks will be BUSY!!!!

Cuenca Klutz Club and Volcanic Ash

I have a lot to blog about, been taking some photos to share but got sidetracked with a face plant while shopping in my favorite little place, Casa de la Mujer. I took a step forward and missed a step down....that was all it took.

End result? Sore nose, big lump on my forehead that spread into a black eye, a left sprained ankle, a right swollen and bruised knee and general aches and pains in my shoulders. It could have been worse. Stu got me home, made ice slushies for my knee and ankle and used two bandanas for a compression wrap on my ankle.

Now into day three, I think, and doing much better but still keeping the legs elevated. The swelling is almost gone on the knee and ankle but still staying off my feet and keeping them elevated. Hoping by Friday I can get out for some fresh air.

The other news has been the volcanic dust in our area from Saturdays eruption of Tungurahua. We are 210 km (130 miles) away but the winds were just right to send the ash our way. Here is a map that shows Cuenca and the relationship to the volcanoes.

We kept our windows closed yesterday and stayed indoors. This is copied from one of the local newsletters we receive.

Cuenca Gets Volcanic Ashfall

  

For only the second time in memory, Cuenca has been dusted with volcanic ash. It came early Sunday morning from the eruption of the Tungurahua volcano, 210 kilometers to the north. The previous ashfall came during an erpution of the Sangay volcano almost 60 years ago. According to meteorologists, the ash from Tungurahua reached Cuenca due to a variation in the normal pattern of high-altitude winds.

  

The overnight ashfall was enough to force temporary closure of the Cuenca airport and bring out battalions of city street sweepers; the city opted for brooms, concerned that washing away the ash with water could clog city sewers. Cuenca got off easy: In towns and cities near the volcano, such as Ambato and Baños, ash deposits were up to four inches deep.

  

Saturday's explosions at Tungurahua sent an ash plume almost six miles into the atmosphere and aviation authorities said the cloud could shut down air travel for the entire country if it persists, and if winds shift to the west.

  

Although health officials said the Cuenca ashfall did not pose serious health threats, they advised people with respiratory problems to remain indoors and wear masks when they go outside.

Anti-theft Purses for traveling

I love purses...all kinds, shapes, materials, colors and sizes. I've had many over the years, very large when the kids were young, smaller and leather for professional use, colorful and funky more recently. But with our move here to Ecuador I knew I needed to make a slight change.

Crime here isn't rampant, in fact we feel safer than we do in any large US city. But crime of opportunity is more common than we'd like. We've read all the warnings, we take all the precautions: carry a cheap phone or a throw-away phone, no more then $20 (if more, then split it up into several pockets), use Velcro or difficult to zip pockets, etc.

Stu has to be vigilant about pick-pockets, I have to worry about my purse strap being slashed and stolen. We both know to never leave them where we don't have a hold on them. He keeps his money and ID in secure pockets and I now carry an anti-theft purse.

I was recently browsing Amazon and saw an ad for a purse similar to mine, from the same company. The prices have dropped and if you ever considered getting one, I'd jump before they go back up again. Slash proof with RFID pockets in many, these are wonderful no matter where you live!

Here are some examples:

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