Unplanned Rant

By The Way Hope You Like the New Look :)

Sabado (Saturday), 17 de Julio de 2010

First off…you should be aware of the fact that…I was not 

planning on writing today.

That said…Well I might as well start from the beginning…

even if it was a false start.

Now in order report this story accurately…I need to back 

up a few days…actually at the very last a couple-few 

weeks ago. At that time my then “new” neighbor” Patricia 

told me albeit after she found I was originally from 

New York…that a woman who was not back from her 

current out-of-town trip was also from New York.  

OK great…and with this handy information I went on with 

my daily exciting life. J

Well…after a few days I finally got to meet my fellow 

New Yorker who goes by the name of Karla. She’s just a 

bit older than me. Exactly how much…I’m shrugging my 

shoulders as I guess maybe one (1)…to a couple of years. 

Incidentally…more on the Karla’s’ story later on.

Anyway during a quick first visit…she told me about the 

local marketplace a few blocks from my current 

apartemento…we made up to meet early this morning. 

Now early is OK but...this was pushing it somewhat.

She wanted to “LEAVE” AT 6:45…Yes…as in A.M.!!

Now…with this in mind yours truly decided that since 

I’m going to get up early...I would go to sleep early. 

So… Barry J (that’s me) shut the TV at 10 pm and 

went "beddy-bye".

All well and good…right?    Wrong!

This unfortunately (and one would think I’d learn by now) 

as in the past and knowing I needed to wake-up early…

and with no alarm clock (didn’t think of the cell phone 

alarm) my inner-body alarm went off at three…yes…

as in 3 a.m.!!!

Now this has happened to me before…mainly because 

not getting up on time (perish the thought) decidedly 

plays on ones (especially mine) mind as it did once 

again today!

Anyway at 6:15 I started getting ready for my meet-up 

with Karla at 6:45a.m. You can guess at this point that 

good ‘ol Karla was a “No Show”. 

So…now it’s all of “6:55”F***ng A.M.” and although I 

tried I could not get back to slumber land L. 

Oh…what to do…what to do????

To get to the end of this disaster of a “no-go-anywhere” 

morning (can you tell I’m still a wee bit upset)… 

I made myself an early breakfast and went out into the 

cold air [45 F degrees] and did some pointless window 

shopping. This just to kill some time!

By the way…

I’m getting good at this window shopping stuff!

Now this is where I get to the actual reason for doing “any”

writing today!

After my roaming the early-hour Calles (streets) of Cuenca 

Centro and it’s store windows…I decided to people watch 

once again within the environs of El Parque Calderone. 

I have to say…even with the somewhat chilled air…

it was and still is a beautiful day.

OK…this is where I finally divulge the whole reason for 

starting my unplanned rant today.

I know…I know…you’re sitting on pins ‘n needles J

As I was sitting there on the park bench and minding my 

own business…I spied my unexpected quarry. Now to be 

fair I have no idea if the gentleman (hmmmm) in question 

is a U.S., Canadian, European or from the...

“land down-under” citizen. He was however...Caucasian 

and ”Extremely Noticeable”.

Now…please…keeping mind it’s f***kin’ 45F degrees…

OK…by now “m-a-y-b-e” 50F degrees. 

He’s tall (especially by Ecuadorian standards) ..maybe a 

little over 6 feet and he is apparently traveling solo. But… 

what caught my eye (remember the temperature) and

probably everyone else’s eye…was the fact that his 

“complete” outfit including “carried” objects consisted of 

the following:

“One” White T-shirt…

”One” pair of Cargo Shorts…

”One” pair of  (I swear to God)…“Flip-Flops”...

”One” guide book…

”One” bottle of water

“One” camera and a…

Partridge in a Pear Tree (Sorry but I couldn’t help myself)

AND YES…IT’S “”MAYBE”” 50 DEGRESS...YIKES!!!

This…is what gives people “pause” when they think of 

foreigners and also why we are looked at as...a “thing” 

of curiosity!

What’s sad is that in most likely-hood he is from the U.S. 

and that this (his obvious lack of normal attire) is what 

people will remember!

It should be noted at this point that…it is NOT 

recommended that tourists (or anyone or... for that matter) 

wear shorts in Ecuador! The Ecuadorians as a whole…

have a definite sense of decorum!!!

I don’t like to get political…but can anyone wonder as to 

“why” the reputation of the U.S. is faltering?

Me thinks’ the “gentleman’s” (and I use the term “very” 

loosely) lack of ANY sense or sensibility what-so-ever”…

just might...”might”…have something to do with it !!!!!!! 

Ye’ think?

Now I “refuse” to end this BLOG on such a rant. So…

I will continue my diatribe at another time in the 

very near future (after…if I’m lucky…I will try to catch a 

few winks and catch up on my beauty rest) J

Until then…

I will keep smiling and hope you do the same too J  J  

Hi again…

It’s now about 8 p.m. and I'm just back from (of all things) a

Mexican Dinner…which was prepared by the now "almost"

famous  California Kitchen (Cuenca). In keeping with my 

prior promise to you…the dinner proved…as expected…

very good…very filling (I’m still stuffed) and that’s all I’m 

going to say J

Now back to my previous rantings…

“Karla”…the Rest of the Story!

While talking with Karla about NYC etc. It came to light that 

this is indeed a “very small world”.

Not only are we both from New York…but we are both from

Brooklyn. To be more precise…we are both from Canarsie 

and...went to the same Public School [P.S. 115] and…

here’s the kicker…she lived literally two (2) blocks 

from me.

Now before any of you decide to jump to conclusions…

And I Quote!

An unequivocal NO!!  There is…nor will there be anything 

of note regarding any present or future relationship other 

than a possible plutonic one. 

End Quote!!!

And with that my friends…

(Y con eso me amigos y amigas…)

I shall once again…

leave you to your own daily trials and tribulations...

and until next time J  J  J

Ciao!

Weekend - plus...wrap-up

12 DE JULIO DE 2010

You know what…I’ve discovered it’s extremely easy 

to lose track of time in Cuenca.

The last time I scribed my thoughts into this Blog was 

on the 9^th which by the way…was Friday {Viernes}. 

Today is the 12^th   i.e. Monday {Lunes}.

In plain language and for those of you who may be 

mathematically challenged (LOL)…with the exception 

of going to meet my friend for lunch (mi amigo por 

Almuerzo)…well I’ll be damned if I can remember 

what else I did on Sabado (Saturday). 

[I’ll get back to the lunch en uno momento].

Yesterday (here we go again) ;) which was Domingo 

{Sunday}…well it was one of those days that 

El Weatherman said it was going to be…not just rainy…

but nasty. Yeah…uh-huh...tell me more!!!!!!

In all fairness I do have to say it did indeed rain [about... 

10 minutes worth] late in the afternoon. However…

yours truly “dumbly” listened to the idiot forecast. 

In plain language…I said to myself…”self” we 

(myself & I) are going to stay in…and stay dry. Well I 

did. The most exciting thing I did yesterday was watch 

a DVD and…you know what…what I did…was to 

experience once again my “Domingo Relaxation Day” J.

This by the way …is a good thing J

That said and done…time to continue with the lunch 

experienced this past Saturday.

Before I go on though I must say one thing 

(OK maybe a couple of things)…

First of all the name of el restaurante (I think) is El 

Cantina which… incidentally I could be wrong.

Secondly…they did not offer an Almuerzo…which 

needless to say was a disappointment. 

This…for a couple of reasons.

You see…Almuerzo besides being downright 

inexpensive (do I hear the word “cheap”?) also 

gives one a chance to get a feel and more importantly…

a taste of the restaurants fare not to mention the staff and 

overall ambience. 

The former by the way…usually is non-existent!

Anyway after perusing El Menu…guess what? 

Discounting the fact the entire menu was in Espanol 

(not making things easy)…I settled on Soupa de Patata 

(Potato soup) with thick slices of Guacamole and Cheese. 

Incidentally…the cheese was something I decided on 

foregoing and to be fair…

el soupa was very good and quite large.

Now getting back to El Menu.

Being that I had a hard time of making heads or tails of 

said menu…I settled for a hamburguersa (other-wise 

known to all as a hamburger). What can I say…

it was good…it was large...it had everything one could 

imagine on it.

This by the way…was too much “everything” for yours 

truly sooo…I had to do some “de-constructing”. 

Oh…it also came with French Fries (Patatas Fritas). 

OK enough of the foody stuff! 

To end this segment I want to say this. 

Overall…pretty good. Will I go back? The answer 

(I know your waiting with bated-breath here) is yes…

but with a but! I will re-visit el restaurante…but not 

for lunch. I will however return for the Desayuno 

(Breakfast) mainly do to the fact that I have heard 

it was good and…well…cheap!

OK…the “extremely busy” week-end J J is now 

history and…surprise…It is Lunes (Monday)! That said…

to be honest it is now 4:30 pm…so it’s "review" time.

Not a real exciting day…but…hey “everything” J J I do

can‘t be exciting. So today was (and in order) a day for 

visiting the ATM machine for some needed “moola”…

then a quickie stop at el farmacia for a re-supply of my 

BP meds. From there it was back to "mi apartemento to 

secure the ATM funds in a safe place.

While I was in my abode…my neighbor Pete knocked 

on my door (puerta) and helped me kill about a half hour 

visiting. As for Pete…he seems like a normal nice guy…

but too soon to say weather this will develop into a true 

friendship or maybe just another acquaintance. We shall 

see what the future holds. Speaking of holds…I long ago 

stopped “holding my breath” when it came to [new] 

possible friendships and or relationships. 

Time...will of course prove to be the judge!

Anyway…after Pete’s quickie visit I headed on down 

the ‘ol staircase (I’ve been quite good at avoiding the 

elevator) and ended up just perusing the immediate area. 

Of course after my window shopping/stroll and the time 

being past 1 pm…I ended up in Raymipampa Café y 

Restaurante…which to refresh your memory…is across 

from the eastern side of El Parque Calderone.

Without going into what I consumed and other than to 

say it was beyond expectations…I then relaxed and 

people watched on a park bench. Of course…one can 

only sit so long (at least me anyway) before getting 

bored.

So…off I meandered for a few blocks of taking-in 

some scenery etc. hence returning to and once again…

doing my “exercise climb up the five (5) flights of stairs” 

to mi apartemento J .

Note: While I have been sitting here and pouring my heart 

and soul onto this blog J…it has once again…yes it’s that 

word again…RAINED…but I was inside J J

With that mi amigos y amigas…

Hasta Luego J

8 & 9 de Julio de 2010

8 de Julio de 2010

Hoy (today)…turned out to be a milestone of sorts.

After a quick phone call from my Abogado (attorney) last 

night…I proceeded to grab a taxi to the Aeropuerto. 

The reason for my seemingly irrational trip to the 

"jet-ways" this morning…was not what one might think 

were the actions of a normal person.

Caught ye’ J 

You’ve gotta’ keep in mind that...

we’re “not in Kansas anymore” ;)

I...as most of you are aware…am now residing in 

Ecuador…where they do things just a little differently 

than first world countries. What I’m referring to…

is the way priority mail is handled. Yes…there is 

FeEx. etc. However…those “in the know” use a 

domestic airline (in this case TACA Airlines) for a very 

reliable…very inexpensive and very fast delivery service.

To give you an idea…the very ordinary envelope 

containing my passport and the attorneys check for her 

final fee cost all of $1.30. This envelope by the way…

would be delivered to Quito Aeropurto by 5 p.m. today. 

The envelope will then be picked up by my attorney’s 

office. 

Incidentally you may be wondering why I mailed my 

passport. Simple…it needs to be “officially stamped” 

showing that I am now a legal resident of Ecuador.

Once this is accomplished the passport will be returned 

(reverse process) to me via TACA Airlines. 

This hopefully will occur manana (tomorrow). 

My attorney has explained to me that if for some reason 

the process is delayed a bit (poco)…then the passport 

will be returned on Monday instead. This…

by the way is fine by me as long at it gets here!

I know this may sound sort of weird to anyone outside 

of Ecuador's' borders but apparently…this is the norm! 

In either case…you can be rest assured that I will 

“keep you in the loop” so to speak.

Other than the above and the fact…that I treated myself 

to a nice lunch at Kookabura Café and followed by some 

quality time enjoying El Parke Calderone denizens along 

with…la sol de los dias (the days sunshine).

Well that me amigos basically filled my day.

I will however continue this rant…in all likelihood 

manana.  So until then…I wish you all a good night 

(yo deseo todo el una noche de dios) J

Hola again :)

As promised it is now Friday (9 de Julio de 2010)…

It's late afternoon and...

No…I have not heard from mi abogado (my attorney)…

which by the way is not a big surprise. 

Remember…this is Ecuador! J

So my day was basically filled with mundane chores 

as in food shopping…taking clothes to the laundry and 

just basically chillin’ and playing around on the 

‘ol computer. I did however…have plans to go to 

Zoe’s Friday nights’ Expat’s get together but…

belive it or not…yes this IS hard to believe...

El Weatherman’s forcast actually came true…

not to mention also that it was on time…YIKES!!! 

As I’m sure you already guessed…

IT IS RAINING…AND RAINING HARD!!!!

Anyway it’s now almost 4:30pm…Zoe’s expats 

gathering starts getting up to speed about 5 pm 

(actually about 5:30).  So…as of this moment I 

have absolutely no idea if I’ll be getting out this evening. 

Yes…it’s nice seeing people and possibly "new" 

acquaintances. However…If this rain keeps up…

well I guess all will wait until next weeks gathering :(

Guess what…my phone just rang and it was my 

abogado (attorney). She did indeed get my passport :)  :)

but the “official” who needs to sign & stamp the 

“residencia” doo-hickeys on my passport is...

nowhere to be found.

Hmmmm…let’s see! 

It’s late Friday afternoon and the “oficial” isn’t around. 

I am shocked !!!!!! J

Anyway, she told me the passport etc. will be done 

and “flown” back to me on Monday 

(actually for Tuesday pick-up).

By the way…yes...it's still raining and the prospect of me 

going to Zoe’s …or anywhere for that matter…is looking 

very very dim indeed L

Soooo…as always there is a bright side. This being that I 

won’t be spending any more money today.

However…manana I am meeting a guy (who was in my 

Espanol class) for lunch at a nearby restaurant. 

However…this is one place I’ve never been too…

nor have I heard anything about it. All I can tell you is 

that it’s also across from El Parke Calderone 

(Cuenca Centro) and that I’ve spied people inside who 

looked very content.

Incidently…just realized…but the rain has gotten quite 

a bit lighter. I guess time…and how high my desire for 

companionship will be and along with the rain actually 

stopping will determine...

whether it’s a “go..no go” decision.

I know...I know...

this is “earth-shaking” news for you JJ

OK...I take it all back as the rain has increased…

again ARGHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway…to end this ridiculous diatribe…

I no doubt will be scribing more of my exciting 

happenings in the very near future.

Until then Senor’s…Senoras y Senoritas

I bid you sunshine…happiness and of course 

good health. J J

(La hice una oferta sol, los happines y por supuesto 

Buena salud) J J

Move Complete!

3 de Julio de 2010 (July)

Hola mi amigos y amigas

Yes it’s been a bit of time (like 2+ weeks) since I last put any words on these 

pages but… I’ve been busy with the move to my new apartemento. In fact…

today is day three of living in my new abode and I’m just about settled. 

My only problematic item was the Internet connection which was on and off 

for a while. I actually sort of expected the Internet situation to rear its ugly head. 

That said and with the help of a Cuencano…who happens to solve computer 

problems and who (thank goodness) is well acquainted with “Macs” got things 

up and running this morning. It turns out it wasn’t my computer but the fault of 

the landlady’s router. Anyway…thankfully (and hopefully) that is now in the past.

I cannot tell you what a pleasure it is…”not” to have to contend with “The Hill” 

anymore. I still however am getting my daily walking exercises around town and 

I do try to walk the six “split” staircases at least once a day (that’s up and down).

Note: on the fifth floor landing...there is a locked gate of which I have a key. 

The gate is usually unlocked so…no big deal. That said I just found out the hard 

way that the gate is “chain-locked” on week-ends. So…it’s elevator time. 

Believe me I wish the stairway was opened as I’m not a fan of elevators at all. 

I guess...I’ll just have to get used to the situation! L

Speaking of walking…I filled my quota “2 times” today. You see in my new 

apartemento...I do not have a washer and/or dryer. So [yes I know this is rough]…

but I need to take my laundry to  what Norte Americano’s would call a laundrymat. 

As far as I know there are two of these establishments in town. 

There are probably more...but I’m going by “the Gringo word of mouth” info-net. 

Anyway…the laundry place that I decided on using is directly across the street from 

where I used to take Espanol Lessons (more on the lesson situation later).

Why the two trips you may ask…well I was told that the wash process takes about 

an hour. My fault …cause I’m still thinking like a “New Gringo”. You see…

yours truly forgot that the Ecuadorian hour well… can be an hour (highly unlikely) or…

well you pick a segment of the day! LOL!!!

OK...getting back on track…I dropped off my dirty clothes package about 11 a.m. 

(this is Saturday) and was told to come back at 2 p.m….WHAT????

Here I planned on killing an hour at Carolinas Bookshop…then picking up said [now] 

clean clothes and heading back to my place. So…Reality Check...HELLLOOO!!!

Off I went and (this was actually nice) decided on chillin’ in Parke Calderone for 

a while…and then on to a leisurely exploration of parts never really explored 

before my move. This was made even more enjoyable do to the fact...

that I was experiencing the beautiful spring weather we’ve been having of late…

like in REALLY SUNNY and just a tad under 70F J

Incidentally...This is Winter in Ecuador :)

As always…time does move on and so did my afternoon. It was now time for trip

“numero dos” and back to get my laundry! Guess what!!! Not ready( big surprise) yet 

and...then told to come back in "veinty minutos" (20 minutes).

BTW you need to remember…at best…my conversing is done through "very broken" 

Spanish along with even more broken English (if that much) on the part of 

many Cuencanos!

Anyway and finally...after having a short but pleasant visit at Carolinas I “finally” 

retrieved my said (clean) laundry. HOORRAY J J

OK…now getting back to my now defunct Espanol Lessons!

Just a little over a week ago our class’ teacher (Nancy) informed us that...

do to a prior obligation she would need to suspend classes until she could restart 

the class this coming September. That said…she continued to explain that Lee 

(Carolinas’ owner)…was trying to find an alternate class for us. Unfortunately that 

doesn’t seemed to have materialized as Lee is leaving this week to the U.S. for 

about three weeks. Upon his return (if all goes according to plan) I will then 

be making a similar trip to the U.S.

So…my best “guess-timate” would be expecting to wait until the Septiembre re-start L

Hopefully this week-end or the start of next week…I plan on taking some pics of 

my new apartemento and will either publish some (or all) in my next "rant"…or…

I will send them via personalized e-mails...as this being quite a bit easier than 

posting "many" pics here!

And now me amigos y amigas I shall go and prepare myself for a real...

Norte Americano Dinner at "California Kitchen. I know I haven’t talked about food…

so here it goes LOL...

Tonights Menu...Meat Loaf, Mashed Potatoes, Veggies, Desert and Drink $9.99 

(I know...not cheap by Ecuadorian standards) but if past dinners be the judge…

well worth it in my book. 

Hey…it’s always nice to treat oneself…Si:? J

Hasta Luego me Senors y Senoras y Senoritas J J

P.S. Happy Independence Day to All

14 de JUNIO de 2010

Hi…it’s me again J

OK...if you recall…in my last entry I alluded to my “planned” dia toristo
(tourist day).

Notice I said “planned”…and that I had "every intention" of doing a little
exploration via the sight-seeing tour outside of the confines of old Cuenca.

So what happened you may ask…J

Well…I tried to go to sleep the night before but subconsciously…I guess my mind was working overtime and well…sleep was just not in the cards that night. Truthfully I did manage a few catnaps but…that proved to be 

insufficient as yours truly overslept and missed the proverbial boat. 

So…I guess the trip will be forth coming hopefully in the not to distant future.

I say “not too distant near future” because of a big change coming
to this theatre LOL...starting the beginning of next month.

What happened you ask…well remember in my last rant I mentioned that
I decided to eventually move out of my apartmento. Well this morning...
I made a call to an English speaking Cuencano whom I was recently introduced to.

He…who besides being a computer-tech repairman…also does apartment finding and real estate on the side.

To make a long story short…I will be moving to my new digs as of 1 Julio (July).

OK…where to begin!

The El Apartemento is right in Centro Cuenca…i.e. “heart of Cuenca” and
very close to El Parque Calderone (my new backyard)...
as in one block from my new digs J.

The building itself is tall for the area…as in 6 stories high...in of which
I will be on the 5^th Fl. and… with a really cool view. The apartemento is nowhere
as large as my current place and is sort of an efficiency...
which by the way is fine by me.

As for furnishing(s)…no complaints there! Rent “includes” all furniture and appliances…wifi…t.v…water..gas & electric plus phone (good throughout Ecuador only) and…the rent (all inclusive) is the same as what I’m paying now.

I’ve also been told that across the hall from me is a woman (from U.S.) in one apartemento…as is also a man (from U.S.) in another apartemento and two others that I didn’t catch from where they hail.

What I am losing…is my “hike” and “climbing” up (and down) the hill and of course the “walk into town”. This does not mean however that I won’t be getting any exercise as…I will still be walking in and around town. Also…since I’m not exactly
a person who likes elevators…
I’m already planning my exercise re: climbing the 5 flights of stairs. Time will tell and I shall see how that goes…but I feel that the stairs should not present a problem for me.

The owner by the way…is a woman who speaks very little English but apparently there is help via the other tenants in the building re: interpretation etc.
In addition...my Espanol lessons will help too...and might just possibly encourage my learning at a faster rate.J

And now if you’ll excuse me…I need to go and tell my present landlord the news of my upcoming move!

Hasta Luego J

My Rant's of the 9th & 12th of June

9 de Junio de 2010

I don’t recall if I mentioned this in one of my earlier rants but…

I had decided (mainly do to a non-belief in my own abilities but…also because of “laziness”) to forgo my Espaniol Lecciones (Spanish Lessons).

Well after a very inspiring and…might I say “putting me in my place” type of e-mail from 

my very close amiga “S”…I returned to mi Espanol Lecciones yesterday (Tuesday i.e. Martes). 

To tell you the truth…I’m glad I did!

Upon my return to class I found that it was actually easier than my personal apprehension led me to believe. In fact I was welcomed with opened arms (well almost) by my classmates…i.e. all 3 of them…and Nancy [my teacher]. FYI…I even went so far as to complete my much-dreaded homework on my return to my humble abode.

Now…you may have guessed what I planned on doing after my class. J

As it was…surprise…well past lunchtime I went on the prowl for a place to satisfy the “appetite beast” within me. Now I really was not planning this...REALLY J…

but ended up at Café Austria (once again).

It would help to understand something at this point!

In Ecuador...lunch or Almuerzo is “The Main Meal” of the day. That being said the restaurants…all present a “special” to the public. Café Austria is by no means an exception to this accepted and expected way of doing business.

If you’ll recall from my past writings regarding Café Austria…you might recall that they’re prices are somewhat higher than the expected cost of restaurant food in general. However this being Almuerzo…and in that and usually as a rule [lower] prices are a fixed event…this restaurant did not buck the trend.

I have to say however…that thier Almuerzo cost is higher than the normal very low pricing found in other restaurants. That being said…Café Austris’ price is offset by what they’re fixed meal consists of….which is quite a bit more than other establishments.

I won’t bore you with the menu as in keeping with my earlier promises…

but I will say that the restaurant did come through…once again!

To get away from the food etc…I now invite you to join me in today’s comings and goings…

This being mid-week Wednesday (Miercoles)...I really had nothing planned. That is with one “importante” exception.

This exception had to do with my pending Residencia Application. 

So…off I went with my previously obtained notarized passport copy. That along with a partial payment to my Abogado and after preparing the mailing…I finally was off...and out of my apartemento.

My objective was of course to mail the envelope. Now you need to understand…this is “not” a normal mailing situation.

Following my Abogado’s instructions I needed to get to El Aeropuerto (The Airport)… and then locate the TACA Airlines Cargo office. This should prove to be FUN!!!

Now remember I am still language impaired! Thankfully after a few hits and misses I found someone who spoke English and physically led me to the proper area.

Note: - Personally…in general I find Ecuadorian people will go "out of their" way to help!

            Especially a Gringo from Estados Unidos (United States).

After a short walk outside the main terminal…I actually located the proper area. 

On my own once again…I had know idea what to expect but like almost everyone 

I meet in Ecuador the Senior at TACA was extremely helpful and patient. Literally...

I was finished with this whole mailing process in a matter of minutes and…

at a cost of only "Un Dolar Treinta" ($1.30). 

Incidentally…the package will be in my Attorney’s office in Quito before 5 p.m. today J.

It is now almost 1 p.m. and being that I decided too maybe chill a bit today…

well who knows what if anything might get me to venture outdoors. 

So far…and as of now and most of the morning…clouds have been in strong evidence with rain in the forecast. However…sighting the weatherman’s past history (LOL) … we’ll have to see what actually transpires.

With that me amigo’s…I may continue with this exciting tale of my intriguing activities... or not…depending on what if any worthy events surface. If not then …well it’ll be another day or so.

Ciao for now…

12 DE JUNIO DE 2010

Nothing of any consequence happened during the last few days So…obviously nothing to really scribe…other than the normal happenings of every day living. However…that wasn’t the case today (Saturday). 

Now don’t get too excited because even though it is something to write about…

well it was sort of mundane. The upside of my day was that I actually got out of the apartment. 

By the way…I have an update of sorts for you concerning my apartemento…

but more on that in a little bit.

Back to my days report OK?

This being the start of the weekend…which usually keeps me away from “any mall”

(and I don’t care where in the world that mall may be) and as I needed a few odds

 and ends…well I broke my own rule on shopping on week-ends and off yours truly went! 

The place once again…yep!…”Mall Del Rio”. 

Now considering that this is the start of a weekend I had expected more of a congested atmosphere which…well it wasn’t. I don’t know...maybe it was the time (mid-morning) but whatever the reason…

I was just as glad that the crowds were not in evidence (I’m not exactly fond of crowded malls…

or for that matter shopping in general - can you tell?).

So anyway the “mall thing” is now a happy memory…and once again I’m back in my abode. 

Now "this" I might add...is where the “mental” stuff started...

You see …every week I get an e-mail from the California Kitchen (I mentioned them previously) 

which includes “mouth-watering” specials. Now you need to understand something about California Kitchen... and that something is this:

Eating in George, Carol, Jim & Susan’s restaurant is like eating at your Mom’s home. Yes...

it’s a family affair. Not only that but they make you feel as though you’re part of their family…

and yes “It Is Nice”! Better still...all the food is fresh and delicioso!

OK...getting on with my rant which allows me to segway into my being a Gemini...which in turn 

allows me the excuse of my mind tending to swing...from one end of the pendulum to the other. 

So please bare with me a bit...OK? 

I don’t know…maybe it’s the living alone situation and / or maybe it’s also the location of my apartemento. However...this (location) more than likely is "the" cause of my consternation. 

What I’m trying to explain to you in a jumbled sort of way...is the fact that even though I may be planning on doing something on a particular day…it is in fact…very very easy to just say…

"nahhhh...maybe another time". By the way...a lot of this "mind-sway" has to do with the fact that...

by looking outside from inside my front door well...nothing. I mean literally...nothing to look at or for that mater too interact with!

Well anyway getting a little back on track...today wasn’t much different from others…with the exception that I new that I needed to “get the hell out of the apaartemento”! Also add in the fact that the planned menu at California Kitchen sounded Soooo Soooo Gooood ;)

Well to make this story somewhat shorter…I did in fact “get out”…and made it to El Restaurante.

Now their hours for dinner…are from 6pm – 10pm. 

Of course “you know who” got there at 5:45pm. No Problemo...except I was the sole diner. 

This really didn’t bother me much…but it would have been just a wee bit nicer if there were 

other patrons there. Actually this did change about half way through my meal. 

Speaking of which (the meal)…I opted (actually planned on ordering this) for was the “Special” 

which consisted of Asian Style fried shrimp (can you say “very large”)...rice…a teriyaki based salad and a very different (I’m guessing here) pineapple chutney. Too say that it was delicious would be a gross understatement. BTW…it also came with a drink (I had a pot of tea) and desert. 

ehhemm…Barry had (you know I had to be bad) mixed-berry cobbler…and yes…

with home-made ice cream. Incidentally…

this whole little meal (and the restaurant is not cheap) cost me 11 bucks…including tax and tip!

And that my friends…was my day.

Oh…almost forgot. The “promised” update on my apartemento. (and this ties in with my earlier ranting)

Well…not really a true update…more of a decision. You see…and I may have hinted at this in prior rants…but I’ve been dealing with some highly mixed emotions…not about my apartment…

not about the owners of the apartment…but of...yes...the location.

If you were to look at a map of Cuenca you would see four boundaries…

which BTW are natural rivers. The “Old Town” is just north of the northern-most river named     

“Rio Tomebomba”. I…and my aprtemento are located in “El Nether-netherlands”…

which just happens to be situated still further [way] north and way across “old-town”. 

In other words…somewhat removed from…well everything!

Anyway…over the last few days I’ve made a decision! [drum roll please] 

Believe me this was not easy…as I really like my apartmento and the owners. 

What I do not like is the location (bet you couldn’t guess that…right?) and also the fact that 

I have no place to well…sit in the sun in front of...or near my front door. 

I know that sounds a bit silly…but I happen to like the idea of being able to get a little sun...

once in awhile.

In either case I have let the word out to various Cuencano apartemento finders…

that I am ready to move if the right place (and cost) match what I am looking for. Incidentally…

there is no lease on my current apartemento! J

So that me amigos is about it for now.

Manana I am finally (planning anyway) getting “outta dodge” and will be doing the tourist bit for the whole day. So…my next rant will “finally” have some different and hopefully uplifting comments about my day-trip…maybe even some pics J

Hasta Luego Senor’s...Senora’s y Senorita’s :) 

6 de Junio 2010

Yes…yes…I know it’s been a week since I wrote anything. 

Well there’s a good reason. 

And when I think of it…rest assured you’ll be the first to know J

Seriously though…there wasn’t much to elaborate about. 

That’s not to say that I haven’t been doing anything…

just not too much of anything worthwhile. Hey…I’m allowed J

Just to backup a wee bit…

Yesterday I originally planned on being “out-of-town” 

and being part of a tour group doing some exploring of 

neighboring “hamlets” (for lack of a better word). 

This tour was to encompass the whole day. 

However what I didn’t want...was to be the “sole” tourist. 

Unfortunately…this is exactly what the outcome was promising to be.

So with this in mind I scrubbed the tour plans and went ahead 

with accepting an invitation to meet a group of Expats at the 

Inca Lounge & Restaurant for a mid-afternoon Comedy Show. 

OK…now I’m all set!

Surprise…as luck would have it I received an e-mail from the tour 

company stating they now had three other people for the tour. 

However…by this time I had made up my mind to opt for the comedy 

and camaraderie of other Expats. Anyway... I told the tour people to 

keep me in mind for next week-end…we’ll see!

That said and done…we now magically skip to today…

Domingo (Sunday). 

As I had the morning to kill…I did the “head of the house” chore thing

of re-supplying the food-stock(s)...i.e. shopping.  

With the shopping chore completed and supplies stored...

it was now time to get ready for my afternoon out…re: comedy time. 

So...yours truly…got ready and out I went to grab the first cab I could find.

Remember It’s S-U-N-D-A-Y!

Too prove this point the taxi’s that are usually in high evidence…

well weren’t! In fact the (finally) first cab indicated that he didn’t know...

where I wanted to go...hmmmm L

Luckily I didn’t need to wait too long for the next beauty of a cab driver. 

When I told him where I wanted to go 

(I made sure to print translated directions)...he had the audacity 

to tell me Tres Dolars (Three Dollars). Now normally 

this is a $1.50 cab ride. So…my comeback to him was Dos Dolars. 

Bottom line…it was getting late and no other cabs in sight…

we settled on Two and a half bucks.

Now...that wouldn’t have been bad if “he new” where I wanted to go 

(remember he had instructions in Spanish). Long story short…

he dropped me off…for the equivalent of about 3 long blocks 

from where I needed to be. Actually more...as I had to hike up the hill 

to the main street and then down and back to the river …

as that is where the Inca Bar is located. By the way…by this time it was 

past showtime [3pm] and I was not a happy camper to say the least!

Anyway…once down the very long and deep staircase…I turned right and…

OMG…there right in front of me was the Inca Bar. Even more amazing...

there were Norte Americanos eating at outdoor tables. But...

there was a reason for them being outside…the reason…

I was all too soon to find out was that the Comedy Show was canceled 

do to a misunderstanding between management and...who-knows-who-else!

With this information and along with not actually knowing anyone…

and being the only “single” there… I decided to "exit stage right" back 

(actually hike “up” the stairs) into town and treat myself to a...
very early dinner at the Austria Inn. 
Now I could have eaten at the Inca (haven't tried it yet)…

as I've heard they serve an amazing burger etc. However… 

I am very comfortable at Cafe Austria and also had previously planned...

on "one day" having the restaurant's Weinerschnitzle. 

Incidentally…the reviews for this dish well…are “RAVES”.

Anyway after surviving the climb  “up the long flight of many many steps”…

and trudging through town again…I arrived at Café Austria J

Well the “raves” were "well deserved". 

Not only was the Weinerschnitzel done too perfection…

but the portion was ...HUGE!

Of course…I don’t know if any of you have ever tried Weinerschnitzle but...

usually it is “butterfly’d before it is deep-fried. 

My dish...not butterfly'd and was presented on a large plate which
consisted of three huge pieces of Weinerschnitzel. This was accompanied by
French Fries and fresh sliced tomatoes…along with a side of a few pieces of
Garlic Bread...Salsa and of course Un Beer…heaven J

Yes…I know…not a healthy dish…but just at that time I needed “comfort food “.

Oh...incidently all of the above...Diez Dolars (Ten Bucks including Tip!)

So my friends…that was my day (week-end?).

Hopefully tomorrow I will hear from my Abugado (attorney)...that she has
indeed received my papers from the Ecuadorian Embassy in D.C. 

At that point my “residencia” process can actually start. Also in that vein…

I need to get a notorece (notarized) copy of my passport...
which then has to be mailed (overnight) to my Abugado in Quito
for the real processing!

Fun..fun fun and more fun. 

Anyway…I know this news is keeping you on the edge of your seat J. 

I will no doubt keep you in the loop about all this exciting stuff.

Till then…I wish you well (Le deseo lo major)