First free weekend after getting settled

June 25, 2011,

This past Friday our friends (Jim and Rachel) invited us to meet at Banco Central to hear the Symphony (Orquesta Sinfonica De Cuenca) perform.  Banco Central has a nice auditorium in El Centro (downtown).  We arrived via taxi ($2) in time to get a good seat.  The orchestra consisted of approximately 50 musicians.  The musicians played several pieces before a guest pianist (Roger Lord, a Canadian) came onto the stage.  He was exceptionally good and very ‘into’ his music.   The event lasted for a little more than an hour.  Total cost: free.  Cuenca puts on several free concerts for the entertainment of its residents.      

After the symphony we headed for a Heladaria (ice cream parlor).  The owner makes the ice cream daily in dozens of flavors (including tequila, cerveza, banana split, almond, and of course chocolate…even chocolate jalapeño).  The cones are also made from scratch daily.  Karen and I split an enormous cone with two flavors of ice cream, sat in the park and enjoyed the evening.  Shortly thereafter it started to rain, so we headed home.  A relaxing evening for under $10 (taxis included).

Saturday was a busy day.  We wanted to show our appreciation to our landlords who have worked so diligently to make our transition as smooth as possible by taking them to lunch at a nice restaurant.  Our landlords, Charley Brown (yes, he is a character!!!) and his wife Susi are wonderful people.  Charley is a gringo originally from Ohio who spent 11 years in Athens, GA ….so he has been ‘Southernized’.  Charley has lived in Ecuador 15 years.  His wife Susi is originally from Quito, Ecuador and majored in English in college.  Susi has been called into service by us (they live below us) on several occasions like when we receive a phone call and the caller speaks less English than we speak Spanish. 

Charley and Susi Brown

For lunch, Charley, Susi, Karen and I all pack into Charley’s jeep and we head for El Centro (downtown) to my favorite restaurant in Cuenca - Tiestos.    Charley dropped Karen off at the door of the restaurant with Susi.  Karen is still going through physical therapy related to her Achilles tendon reconstructive surgery and can’t walk long or steep distances yet. 

Charley and I park the jeep down by the river and begin the walk to the restaurant.    Sounds simple enough, but the street by the river is much lower than the level of El Centro.  We must walk up the “100 steps”  to the historic district.  Easy enough for Charley because he is about 6’ tall and weights no more than 125 lbs and has been in this altitude for 15 years.  Although he is 65 years old, he is in great shape.  He skips up the steps two at a time!  I, being more than twice his weight and out of shape, am plodding up one step at a time.  Arriving at the top, my thighs are burning and I am puffing heavily.  Charley turns to me and cheerfully states that the restaurant is only two blocks up and two blocks over.  Being so close to the restaurant, I wasn’t about to stop…but I was questioning my sanity for pushing myself so hard.  (My mother told me that growing old wasn’t for wimps…so on I went).  A few minutes later we made it to Tiestos.  Karen and Susi had already gotten a table and were studying the menu. 

A tiesto, according to the owner, Juan Carlos Solano, means ceramic plate.  The main courses are cooked and served on these ceramic plates and they are extremely hot.  While Juan Carlos says that the food is traditionally Cuencan in nature, it is more spicy and flavorful than what I consider the ‘comida tipica’ (a typical meal…the Cuencans eat bland food with almost no spices).  Everything at Tiestos is made by hand and Juan Carlos visits each table to see if ‘all is well’. 

For lunch we decided to have the steak medallions (lomo) and the large shrimp (prones).  The meal came with two types of potatoes, rice, semolina, several different kinds of salsa, bread, and cucumber tomato salad.  We ordered juice made from the tree tomato (jugo de tomote de arbol).  We have had the tree tomato juice several times.  It is delicious and has many healthy qualities.  For more on the tree tomato, go to: http://www.pac.com.ve/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=61&Itemid=84&id=4304 (you may have to click on your ‘google translate’ button to read in English.  This is one of many super fruits that grow in this area.)

Jugo de Tomate de Arbol (juice of the tree tomato)

 The steak and the shrimp were cooked in rich sauces and served bubbling hot on the hand painted ceramic plates.  The steak melted in our mouths and the shrimp was scrumptious.  We had more than enough for 4 people, but I couldn’t stop gorging myself.    This is my favorite restaurant in Cuenca. For more information about Tiestos, go to http://www.captivatingcuenca.com/tiestos-cafe-restaurant-cuenca.html

Sizzling steak medallions

Several delicious salsas

Prones that disappeared quickly

Karen enjoying good meal and conversation

Karen with Chef Juan Carlos

Next, the four of us went home to change and then headed for Universidad Politecnica Salesinia (one of many universities in Cuenca…this university is an excellent Engineering School) to watch my first Rugby match.  Ben (my 20 year old son) had been invited to play on the Rugby team…..not because he knew anything about Rugby….but probably because of his size (6’3” and about 225 lbs…..he is the biggest player on the team).  Rugby is new to Ecuador and the universities who have Rugby teams don’t have enough students to complete a team.  Thus, non-students are allowed to play.  Ben has been practicing incredibly hard to learn how to play his assigned position.  This was his first game and we didn’t want to miss it.

Ben before the game

I know nothing about Rugby, but am learning fast.  I do know that it is an extraordinarily rough sport.  The players don’t wear pads, there is a lot of tackling, a lot of running, and occasionally a player may try to kick the ball through the uprights while approaching the goal.  One has to be in incredibly good physical condition to play.  A player must be quite willing to tackle or be tackled on many occasions.  Just because someone is tackled doesn’t mean that play stops.  There seems to be a lot of ‘piling on’, pushing, shoving, and kicking.  I didn’t see anyone biting anyone, but I wouldn’t be surprised.  In the game before ours, one of the players broke a leg and another dislocated his shoulder.

Ben tackling opponent and getting kicked in the process

We were the only gringos there.  The Ecuadorian fans didn’t seem to know any more about the sport than we did.  I think we provided much of the entertainment by clapping and screaming (the other fans seemed more reserved).  I may have heard the Ecuadorians sitting below me say ‘gringos locos’ a few times (lol).  Next time we may bring pom-poms!  We had fun and so did Ben.  He was in on a few goal line tackles.  The team is close to each other and Ben has found many friends while playing.  A couple of team mates are volunteering their time to teach him Spanish. Our team was victorious: 42 -24!!!  He travels to Quito with the team on July 9^th to play a team there.

The crazy gringo fans!!!

It was dark by the end of the game, but Charley wanted to get something to eat.  How such a slim man could be hungry after eating such a large lunch is beyond comprehension.  But, as is evident, I don’t turn down any meals.  We all piled back into the jeep and headed for Mall de Rio.  We wandered around the mall and I tried to take some pictures, but one of the guards came by and told me to stop (not sure why, but what the heck!).  We ended up at the food court.  We ordered a light meal and told many a ‘tall tale’ until the mall closed and we were escorted out of the building. 

For $4.50 at the Mall they load the entire tray with food.

Long day! I slept soundly that night.    

Saturday Afternoon Walk

Karen and I decided to take a walk.  We had no agenda.  We just wanted to casually stretch our legs and enjoy the beautiful weather.   We headed down our street Avenida Primera de Mayo to 'see what we could see'.

The city of Cuenca (which is Spanish for Basin) is located in a valley (a valley that is approximately 8,300 feet above sea level!) that has 4 rivers running through the city. Avenida Primera de Mayo runs beside the Yanuncay River.  We hadn't traveled very far before we saw:

 

This picture of a Native American family washing their clothes in the river and drying them on the bank of the river is not unusual.  Also in the background (very top right), one can see a cow grazing on the river bank. This allows the grass to be kept short and fertilized!

Cuenca is a 'walking city'.  We can get quite a bit of exercise while sightseeing on a Saturday afternoon.  We have to be careful when walking on many of the sidewalks though.  For instance:

 

This is a steel tie down right in the middle of the sidewalk!  This is one of many obstacles we encountered while walking along the streets.  I have encountered rebar, uprooted cobblestones, water meter handles, and a host of other items one does not anticipate.  Thus, we must be constantly scanning the path ahead to ensure stability in our travels.

Our neighborhood has several small restaurants and bakeries.  Just before we arrived at the intersection of Solano Avenue, Karen and I stopped at a strip center that has a fresh fish market, a meat market, and a bakery.  Below is a picture of the cakes in the bakery:

 

Yes, they celebrate Father's Day in Ecuador.  Note the sign on the cake says "Feliz Dia Papito" (Happy Father's Day).  Personally, I just wanted to sit in the bakery and eat cake, but Karen said that we must keep going (lol).

Turning left on Solano Avenue we walk to our nearest hospital.  Mounte Sinai Hospital is a clean and modern hospital.  Although I did take some pictures of the hospital, my Internet acquaintances, Dena and Bryan Haines of GringosAbroad.com, have a more extensive description of the hospital, complete with pictures.  Here is their link regarding the hospital: http://www.gringosabroad.com/cuenca-hospital-mount-sinai-hospital-in-cuenca/

Not far from the hospital is an Italian Deli that looks to be very new.  It is popular, usually crowded, and lively with much music.

 

By this time we had walked a couple of miles.  Karen, due to her recent Achilles tendon reconstructive surgery, should not have walked this far.  So, we hailed a cab and headed for one of our favorite restaurants, California Kitchen.  The restaurant was opened by a family who moved here from San Diego.  It is very popular with the gringos and with the locals.  Below is a picture of the owners of California Kitchen, George and Carol.

 

The above photos show the character of the restaurant with the dark wood and the skylight.  We got there a little early to beat the crowd.  The restaurant hosts a lot of events that deal with gringo interests.

After lunch, Karen and I looked through several of the stores downtown.  Like many other families, we have a daughter who we sometimes call 'Sissy'.  We couldn't resist taking a picture of the following sign:

A beauty supply store that Karen wanted to browse through had the following hair product:

The 13 year old boy in me couldn't resist the picture.  The name on the bottle translates to "gorilla snot" and they make hair gel in addition to shampoo.  They do have some funny names on some of the products.  Also we have noticed that almost all products have some sort of scent in them.  Finding anything non-scented (tissues or laundry detergent) is almost impossible.  I suppose being in a country where the average age is 25 years old, much of the marketing is geared toward that demographic.  This may explain why virtually every package has the adjective 'sexy' on it.  I wouldn't be surprised if the dog food bags have 'sexy' on them.

We were walking toward one of the other rivers and came across the following pub:

 Now you know where the Cheers Bar is.  We thought about going in, but we figured 'everyone would know our name'. 

We passed by the bar, stopped off at the Kookaburra Cafe (owned by Australians) for some cheesecake and coffee before taking a taxi home.

Adios

Why Ecuador???

The number one reaction to my last blog was:  Why did you move to Ecuador???  Several of my friends had no idea we had moved, much less moved to Ecuador.

The bottom line is basically the cost of healthcare.  This past year the cost (health insurance premiums, co-pays and deductibles for my family of 4) was close to $40,000.  Next year, the costs would have exceeded $45,000.  I have six years before being eligible for Medicare (assuming Medicare will still be around).  Due to family health issues, being without health insurance in the US is not an option.  So, the search for alternatives began.  During the process, I came across an article in which Cuenca, Ecuador had been rated the number 1 retirement haven in the world (see http://internationalliving.com/2010/04/cuenca-ecuador%e2%80%94il%e2%80%99s-no-1-retirement-haven/).  Much of the reason for the high rating was the low cost of living, the moderate weather, and the availability of good healthcare. 

I began researching the city, which included developing friendships with bloggers who had moved to Cuenca.  I also developed an Internet friendship with an Ecuadorian CPA (for those who don’t know, I am a CPA).  After about 8 months of questioning my Internet friends, Karen and I decided to take an exploratory trip.  In mid-November 2010, we left Florida for a 30 day visit.   

What we found was a city of approximately 450,000 people in the Andes Mountains at approximately 8,300 feet above sea level.  The Spanish speaking people were very friendly and helpful in making us feel welcome.  We investigated the cost of living and the medical community.  After researching these things, we estimated that we could live quite well on less than $24,000 per year (including healthcare and some exploratory trips around South America).  Some expats tell me they live on less, while others say they can live on more.  It is a matter of budgeting and lifestyle desires.  Even if we doubled the $24,000 estimate, it is still less than the annual healthcare costs we would have to pay in the US until we are old enough for Medicare (if it still exists when I am eligible).

We decided to make the move prior to the July 1 health insurance premium rate increase.  We listed our Jacksonville condo with a property manager to lease; we put our truck up for sale and packed some personal items in storage.  On May 30, 2011, we caught a plane out of Jacksonville, through Houston, and on to Quito to spend the night.  Next morning, we headed to Cuenca.

O.K., enough ‘factual data’…..the next blog will have pictures and stories of our activity down here.

The First Days

Many have asked that I send some pictures chronicling our move to Cuenca, Ecuador.  First, I must say that I am not a writer.  The writing gene that my father, sister and daughter have seems to have passed me by. Second, I do not promise to post to the blog on any particular schedule.  As the spirit moves me, I will post.  Nonetheless, I will do my best at giving you some idea of the move.

We left Jacksonville, FL on May 30, 2011 and headed for Quito, Ecuador.  We had to spend the night in Quito before flying to Cuenca the next day.  Below is a picture of Quito, the capital of Ecuador with approximately 2.5 million people.

After spending the night in Quito, we left for Cuenca.  Our landlord (Charlie Brown) met us at the airport and took us to our new apartment.  Here are some pictures of the apartment.

We are upstairs over the trucks.  Charlie Brown  and his wife Susi live below us.

Across the street, there is one of the four rivers that run through Cuenca.  This is the Yunancay River.  It is very peaceful to go across the street, listen to the flow of the river over the rocks, and rest.  Sometimes I sit and think....sometimes I just sit.

That is about it for this first attempt at blogging.  I hope you enjoyed the pictures.