Thursday-Friday March 28-29, 2013

Thursday-Friday March 28-29/13  update #406

I didn’t do enough on Thursday to write about at all.   I relaxed and caught my breath.

Friday however we were out the door early to try to catch the Good Friday processions in El Centro.  Bus service is extremely limited on holidays so I had quite a wait at both ends.  I was headed for Santo Domingo but saw a group gathering earlier at San Francisco church so I caught the beginning of this procession of the Way Of The Cross.

Then I made it to Santo Domingo in time for their 9:30 start and caught the many statues involved in this procession.   I love the brightly colored robes that the statue-bearers wear and love their ingenuity in designing the platforms to hold the statues.  The bars just slide through holes in the platform and, depending on the weight of the statue, usually 6-10 people carry it the whole way.  Then they have a person at each corner bringing a bracing bar to set under the corner bars during stoppages to give the bearers a rest.

The folks playing the Roman soldiers try to be convincing with their whips and when kicking the poor sod playing Jesus.   I took one video at the beginning of the San Francisco procession then a second one of the Santo Domingo procession as it passed Parque Calderon.  The second one is shot from the fourth floor of the building across from the gazebo.

http://youtu.be/bShWEnXyAvo

http://youtu.be/VGL54NVLQk4

I was in the fourth floor at the apartment of Vivian Slade and Todd Burr collecting 3 Gift Certificates for the Hearts Of Gold auction.  Boy!  Do they have a cat’s meow view of the central square!!!  Thank you to Todd, Vivian, Johanna and Sophie for your kindness.

The view from the fourth floor is spectacular, especially of Immaculate Conception and Parque Calderon.  Around the corner of the cathedral Carlos, the harp player, was performing right next to many booths selling some gorgeous arts and crafts.

I then hurried home to get a start on the many photos to process, some of which I spent hours on, (and that is why this blog didn’t get completed until Saturday).

We had company in the evening for Chinese food deliciously prepared by Bella, followed by yummy cinnamon buns while we played stick rummy.

That was today’s excitement.   Hugs to all.  Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Wednesday March 27, 2013

Wednesday March 27/13  update #405

Bella was off for her Wednesday bridge games.   I hope people are supporting all the work she is doing to promote bridge in Cuenca.  She is again offering bridge lessons for beginners next month.  

She has also crocheted the cutest giraffe doll presumably for the Charity work they are doing for kids at the Weaving Store.

I have spent most of the day on the computer, emails, uploading photos and blogs, then getting into all the work required for Hearts Of Gold on the admin side.  The donations are increasing and I want to thank everyone who is supporting us.   The work HoG does is worth your support.

I only slipped out for a few moments to try to find some strapping to hold my tripod to my camera bag.  After stopping at a couple of ferreterias and Coral I finally stopped at my seamstress who suggested a shoemaker…  Brilliant idea!!  I found a seamstress/shoemaker in the next block and they made them up as I waited.   They are so good with their hands here.

I walked back along the river and finally noticed that something had been missing for a long while.  All the car/bus wash outfits are gone from the riverbank and they have planted trees and updated the walkway.  I really haven’t walked that way in a quite a while but it is obvious they have been gone for a long time.

I am trying to get a better connection on our NetTalk.  It is possible that just unplugging it to get all the details off the device may have cured most of the ills.  Anybody on the other end was always complaining that our voices were always cutting out.

That was today’s excitement.   Hugs to all.  Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Tuesday March 26, 2013

Tuesday March 26/13  update #404

We had a very short but productive meeting at Hearts Of Gold today.  Our volunteers are terrific at bringing in new ideas and exciting new items for our auction.   Tarek has done a wonderful job on the new website and we are looking for as many folks as possible to Subscribe to the website to be kept abreast of updates   If you haven’t already, please Subscribe at heartsofgoldfoundation.org and see all the fine work they are involved in.

The fearless chairperson, Emilie, had a birthday yesterday, 27 I think, so we all enjoyed a little cake.

Melinda asked for a volunteer to go get Gift Certificate information at the Carolina Bookstore so I held up my hand since I was headed downtown anyway.  Carol was happy to give us two Gift Certificates which I will be making up shortly.

Then I headed to Parque Calderon to meet Jay because he is leaving Friday for Canada and we were taking him out for supper.   Bella met us downtown and she needed a watch battery so we stopped at a watch shop I suggested and Jay also got a new strap for his watch.

Then we headed to La Vina for pizza and I again talked the owner into two Gift certificates which I had pre-made, counting on her cooperation.  She also put up two posters for the event which will be just down the street at California Kitchen and which she promised to attend as well.

During supper Jay gave me his cel phone, ready to use, for putting in the auction as well.  There are going to be a lot going on at the auction so I hope we get a real good turnout.

Sorry I didn’t take out my camera today but do have a few more Pase Del Nino photos for you.

That was today’s excitement.   Hugs to all.  Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Monday March 25, 2013

Monday March 25/13  update #403

Bella took her third crack at her own residency permit this morning.  God help them if they had tried to find something else wrong with her paperwork again!  There was supposedly one minor error in a three-letter word that they decided to overlook and accept her documents.   Now there is the interminable wait for the final decision.

I had a horrible night but got up and did my Internet chores anyway them looked outside and grabbed the phone.  Paul had mentioned that he wanted to get some more Cuenca skyline shots and the day was shaping up nicely with blue skies so he agreed to jump on the #16 with me. 

We headed on the milk run to the northwest corner of the city, literally opposite where we live and it took about an hour.  We walked even further and were actually 3 doors from being on the Cajas mountainside, no more Cuenca.  We took a few general interest shots because there really wasn’t much of a city view from there then we walked back and caught a bus to just above the Catolica University.  We hopefully got a few decent skyline shots for you.   It is really hard to say you have a skyline shot if Immaculate Conception’s blue domes aren’t in evidence.   They are the center and the icons of this city.

The skies began to threaten so we caught the next #16 just as the thunderstorm began.   Most of the rain had subsided by the time I got home but the heavens opened again very shortly so it is possible that Paul got pretty soaked on his last little stretch home.

That was today’s excitement.   Hugs to all.  Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/

Sunday March 24, 2013

Sunday March 24/13  update #402

This was Bella’s first Sunday bridge group and they had a decent turnout with two tables.

I decided to crawl out of bed and head to El Centro for Palm Sunday celebrations.  Almost immediately I ran into a Good Friday style parade complete with Jesus, Barrabas, crucifixes, soldiers whipping and kicking, etc.  There were masses going on in Santuario Mariano and Immaculate Conception but the crowds seemed somewhat smaller than last year.   I was hoping to capture a procession of the Bishop between the two churches like last year but that didn’t happen.

All in all it is refreshing to see devout Catholics holding all manner of plants on this day and enjoying the beautiful weather as families with everyone dressed nicely, especially the priceless children.

I then made it back home to process the photos before heading out on the bus again, running into yet another parade with a recreation of the crucifixion. 

We headed to a new restaurant that is reputed to serve the best beef, pork and chicken in town called La Parrillada.  The ambience and the service were great but the overcooked meals were really disappointing for all four of us.  That was quite a letdown.    The length of the kitchen had not been exaggerated, we had never seen such a large open kitchen before.

There was also a large empty bungalow across the street that caught our eye.   The folks at the restaurant seemed certain that it was for sale, and not for rent.   How to find out who owns it??

That was today’s excitement.   Hugs to all.  Please see all new photos at http://souvenircuenca.blogspot.com/