Cuenca Updates: Wednesday June 6, 2012

Wednesday June 6/12 update

I was awake at 3:30, and up at 5 to upload some photos to my sale sites, then back to bed about 6:30 until 9, then I had to get up for a quick coffee before heading to Spanish class. I did not have time to get any sun-drenched video of Tom, maybe tomorrow.

Upon entering the Chamber of Commerce building I saw a white face and introduced myself. He turned out to be Andrew Cocker, Honorary Consul in Cuenca for the British Embassy. He was very nice and I was surprised at his fluent Spanish to the concierge. I then ran into him on the street later again.

The Madrigal Spanish class is very informative and, for the first time, I feel like it is helpful. I can actually string some simple sentences together and they might make sense enough to a listener….

Bella was off to play bridge with Joe and Joseph at Joe’s Secret Garden (they won’t play anywhere else). Joe has played for a while, but Joseph is just a beginner. She was fortunate to play with another Life Master named North (first name) and she found that refreshing. This might be the nucleus of a good club they would all like to start. Joe and Joseph made shrimp for lunch so they had to open all the windows and doors due to Bella’s fatal allergy.

Joe has also been asked by the American consul to round up 20 intelligent expats to come to a meeting tomorrow to make suggestions for their new 911 service so it can also benefit expats. I guess we are both going, I’ll just try to look intelligent….

After Spanish class I stopped to take a few shots of some of the local colour and was hoping to get the jet that usually passes overhead about 12:30 but they must be coming in northeast to southwest today, or I missed him, I’m not sure. On the north side of the Tomebamba they have ripped up the old road and are preparing to lay new cobblestone. You will see the work progressing in some of the photos. Two fellows in costume on the Parque De La Madre steps let me take their photos and one gave me his email to send them to him, which I will do shortly. His name is Jaime Silvestrez (pronounced Hi Me) from Otavalo and he spoke a few words of English.

I was just going to do a quick tour of the camera shops but I saw one of my classmates, Diane, (they are all from the US), laboring at the top of the escalinata. She is newly here and feeling poorly, probably still adjusting to the altitude. She lives somewhere nearby so I asked her if she had been to Sabor Latino yet? She said no so then I felt obligated to go for lunch. Another Gringo lady was studying the menu and I told her it was the best lunch in town so she joined us too. Her name was Carolyn but it was like having lunch with Sandra Bullock, but with the New York twang of Fran Dresschler, The Nanny. It was totally unnerving as she even laughed like Sandra Bullock in Miss Congeniality. Diane has only been here a few days but Carolyn has been for two years but done nothing to learn about the town! She hadn’t heard of GringoTree or Joe’s Secret Garden! Both of them got my card with my other Cuenca blog for expats. The food was excellent as usual.

I checked camera shops downtown and the nicer tripods are $48 - $56, so I would have to save up for a few weeks out of my meager allowance. I decided to stop at Coral on the off-chance of finding a bargain. They did have a decent one for $42 but I ended up buying a cheap plastic that looks like it has extendable legs, but doesn’t. The center pillar does extend upwards, and it was under $8 so I thought it would tide me over for a while. I also got a microwave splatter cover that we dearly needed.

Tom Thumb is coming to the window regularly and doesn’t hesitate as soon as I open it. I wish he could be friends with Peso & Pancho but that couldn’t happen.

Enjoy the pics. That was today’s excitement. Hugs to all.