Cuenca Updates: Friday Jan 6, 2012

Friday Jan 6/12 update

It is now after 8pm and I am having trouble staying awake. I was up at 3am and was out of the house early, before Bella went to her bridge game. I walked towards El Centro and slowed up at Huyana Capac where they said they had the Innocente parade last year with the little kids. Nothing was happening so I continued up to San Blas Square but nothing was happening there either. I saw a fellow in orange pants and shirt with a white vest and hat taking photos so I figured him for a gringo for sure. It turned out he was Spanish but spoke some good English. He said they had the parade at 3pm yesterday, the 5^th, go figure…. He mentioned there would be some sort of teenage parade in this area today.

I wandered through Parque Calderon where there were a few kids all in costume for whatever reason. Maybe they though the parade was today too?? I wandered into the main cathedral which is called Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepción and not Santa Ana as I had been calling it (I have no idea where I got that from although they have a statue to Santa Ana there). One side of the cathedral has many shrines and a side altar while the other side is mostly undergoing renovations. The cathedral is surmounted by three giant domes covered by sky-blue glazed tile from Czechoslovakia which can be seen from most parts of the city.

Beside the flower market to the rear left of the cathedral I found a mass being celebrated in the Santuario Maurino and it was packed, standing room only.

I cruised the San Francisco Mercado until the rain started so I headed back the way I came. In Park Calderon there was this huge Saint Bernard they were using as a prop to sell tourist photos. This little girl with the photographers kept trying to put this colorful wig on the dog. The dog was so gentle and laid back while the little girl would melt anyone’s heart. It was just the cutest sight and it made my day, in spite of the rain and disappointment at missing the parade.

There was still nothing else happening anywhere that I could see so I headed home, cat-napped for a ½ hour then headed to the new house by bicycle by 2pm.

I dropped off a few items that will stay at the new house and went up to our lavanderia to hang our clotheslines. By the time 3pm rolled around Jorge showed up and we waited for Michael to arrive to translate. To make a long story short, we all went over the changes we needed to our renovation schedule and asked if they could begin as soon as possible. I am to meet Michael and Jorge and one or two of his contractors to help them visualize what will be needed. We will also install a long gas line to connect the stove to the gas, install alight fixture so I can see how they do it in the paper thin ceilings. I am also to pick up a security padlock, the light fixture, and two faucets. Since we are going to amend the door in the gate to open outwards I am to try to find a new security lock for that direction. I am not sure I can do that one…

By 5pm was slowly biking home because it is mostly a slight incline and I am dead tired by now. I needed to change clothes and catch a bus to meet Bella for supper at the California Kitchen. Bella had the special, chicken parmagiana, loved it and brought enough home for another meal. I have had my belly full of chicken for a while so I had my American style hamburger fix with a very large beer and it was an absolute delight.

We arrived home to find an email from our lawyer with copies of our residency stamps in our passports, YIPPEE, along with copies of the applications for review for the Censo and Cedula documents that we require for travel and residency. Finally!!! It is nice to see some progress on that front. This means we may have to make a quick trip to Quito soon to finalize all those documents.

I spent an hour upgrading some of the 50 or so photos but crashed and burned by 9:30. I was up at 4:30am again and spent another 2 hours on the balance. I hope you like the ones I have selected.

That was today’s excitement. Hugs to all.