2nd week in Cuenca

Wow! How time is flying! It's hard to believe that we have been here in Cuenca for two whole weeks already. We have settled in and have had a really busy week. We started our language classes at the Simon Bolivar Escuela Espanol--2 hours each day (2-4 pm) this week-a total of 10 hours each of private lessons. It has been grueling yet fun. Bob's teacher is a petite little gal named Maricela and mine is a very patient gal named Maria Elena. Yesterday, Friday, was a national holiday commemorating the Battle of Pichincha and everything public was closed. So, las profesoras came to our apartment for the lessons. Afterwards, we had cookies and tea/coffee and carried on a Spanglish conversation which was fun. We were amazed that they were willing to go the extra mile, literally, and come to us for the lessons. It was all good!

At the school on Tuesday, I met Tony, a gringo from S. California who was also taking lessons. He was in his third week. He shared with me that there would be a gringo gathering at a restaurant/bar (DeBacco) that night and that we should come. Well, we did and it was a lot of fun. [Politcal Correctness sidebar: Although the word Gringo may have racial overtones in N. America, its use in Ecuador is strictly descriptive and seems to carry no tinge of prejudice] We met Tony's delightful wife, Pam and a young DC couple, Elizabeth and Cameron. The opportunity to share experiences and learn more about Cuenca was priceless. We had a wonderful dinner: Eggplant parmesan and linguini. Elizabeth had an Ecuador I.D. called a Censo that was a laminated card with all the pertinent info on it (passport #, etc.). She told us where they got them and the process. Bob and I decided we should get one also.

On Wednesday, after school, we had plans to go out to dinner with Mark (N.C. gringo) and Alecia and Mark (an East Coast couple both born in Poland). They have bought condos in a colonial building and are getting ready to head back to the states next week. We walked to a local restaurant, Guayabamba. We had a wonderful time sharing experiences and enjoying the local fare. We drank hot Zhumir, an Ecuardorian drink (Zhumir liquor, cinnamon & sugar)--very sweet. We did NOT partake of cuy, a delicacy in Ecuador--guinea pig!!! We enjoyed the evening and hope to see them again when they return in December/January.

On Thursday morning, we went to the Immigration Dept. to get our cards. After giving our taxi driver all the info Elizabeth could load into our heads, we rode to the wrong building, but after a walk of several blocks, we finally located the right one and then had to get copies of our documents and buy a manila envelope. After about three trips back and forth to this office, we finally were satisfied that we were ready for the process of acquiring our Censos. We waited in line and finally it was our turn. BTW, none of the policia officers spoke English in this building. We went to "the man" and presented our paperwork and he asked where our Registration Stamp was in our passport. ???What??? We had no idea what he was talking about. He opened another processed envelope and showed us a copy of the stamp. He said that we had to get said stamp in Quito and that we had 30 days from entrance into the country to attain such. YIKES! Once we got the Registration Seal, we could then apply for the censo. We were taken aback and upset--of all the information that we had read, we had no idea that we had to register our visa with the government. Had we known, we would have done it first thing upon arriving in Quito. So, the bottom line here is that we now have to travel back to Quito. Since we entered the country on May 10, the clock is ticking. There is another national holiday coming up that spans 5 days starting June 4 (and everything will be closed), so we hustled to make flight reservations and will leave this coming Monday (May 30) for Quito and will return to Cuenca on Friday. We hope that a week will be sufficient to obtain the registration. :-( That afternoon, we headed back to our favorito Greek cafe for a burger and torte. We met a gringo couple there, Cheryl and Ray, from Virginia. Cheryl had come to Cuenca last July, seven months prior to Ray....stayed here all by herself and learned the lay of the land. She was quite informed and most willing to share. It was great to meet them and we will get together after our trip to Quito.

On Friday, Bob was taking a shower and we ran out of gas. Needless to say, that sped up his shower! The hot water unit and the stove are fueled by propane. We have two tanks in the apartment and inasmuch as the stove would not light, it was apparent that the first one had run out. We did not know how to disconnect and reconnect the line and were reluctant to be that Gringo couple that had cost the lives of eight Ecuadorian families while trying to switch out the gas tanks. So, we emailed the landlord. Being a holiday, the reply did not come until evening. Flor said that it was an easy process to connect the line and that the tanks of propane (which are quite large - about three times the size of the tank which powers a household bar-b-q) are only $2.00. We knocked on our neighbor's door and asked for help. Franc came over with son, Frank, and he showed us how easy it was. We are back in business again. We set a date with F & F for Saturday to have pizza together for dinner. :-)

After our home schooling, we joined Tony and Pam at the California Kitchen. It is a gringo restaurant that was hosting a 50's night with music and dancing. We had a great time and met another couple from Miami, Monica and Ted. They have bought a condo here in Cuenca and know - or least gotten tangled in - many of the ropes. I thoroughly enjoyed talking with Monica who shared their saga with me--most helpful.

So, as you can see, we are not lacking for social interaction. It was a busy week and we are enjoying a relaxing rainy Saturday. We will head soon for the local super market to refresh our food supplies and pick up some pizza toppings for tonight's get-together with the neighbors. We love being here and learn more everyday about our surroundings. The rooster and nuns with fireworks are becoming more and more like famly!