Ron's attempt at posting a blog

Okay folks here comes my first attempt at posting a blog. You have to understand that there is a lot of pressure riding on this as I am writing in the shadow of a published author. And there is no guarantee that I will actually risk the embarrassment of posting it in the end. But as the saying goes nothing ventured nothing gained!

I must admit that right now I am feeling like Goldilocks, except for being about 5 and a half decades older and a different sex, but I might be able to pass for a blond with my hair being almost white and if your eyesight isn't quite what it used to be, which would go for a fair number of you out there including myself. The point I'm trying to get at is that I think we may have found the perfect place. Not too hot and not too cold, not too small but not too big, not too quiet and not too noisy and on and on. It is just about perfect!!!
I'm old enough and hopefully wise enough to realize (but the vote may be out on that one and I'm not referring to the age part when it comes to the vote) that it may be contributed to the whole experience of  "Loves first Bloom" when everything seems absolutely wonderful and we overlook all the little foibles and blemishes but I must confess that it is quite wonderful here in beautiful Cuenca.

Even the hassle of trying to get our residency is amusing, especially the multitude of colour copies that they seem to require for every document you submit, the notary loosing our documents in the office complex as hoards of people mill about in what seems to be utter chaos but is surprisingly efficient in Ecuadorian terms.
The term ("manana") a lot of us are used to for the lifestyle in Mexico is very much alive and well here in Ecuador and we are quite okay with it, this past weekend was their 193rd year celebration of independence with mucho festivities etc. The parade to launch the entire weekends events was supposed to start at 9:00 am but it actually got going closer to 11:45am, if you have an appointment for someone to show up at 9:00am it's probably going to be closer to 10:30 or so before they show up so you learn to roll with it and carry on. The festival was truly amazing with artists exhibiting from places such as Chile, Argentina, Peru, Uruguay  etc. as well as an abundance of the aboriginal people selling their wares along the boulevards.  There was some incredible art on display for sale and it was very difficult to restrain ourselves and not buy anything, as we are truly trying to simplify our lives which means having less possessions.

The markets are an amazing experience with everything you could imagine for sale including livestock and all incredibly inexpensive. They do like dealing with round figures when it comes to the cost of things in the markets and everything seems to be $1.00, you want a bunch of bananas(about a dozen) $1.00, about the same quantity of tomatoes $1.00, a large bucket of  potatoes $1.00, a pineapple $1.00 and it goes on and on from there. They are also some of the most patient and kind people you could ever want to meet and when it comes to me trying to communicate with my terrible Spanish, their patience is greatly appreciated.

And of course we have mentioned the almurezos which are fast becoming our favourite meal out. Soup, bread, juice, main course and desert for $4.00 each (and that was an expensive almuerezo)!

I hope you enjoyed the attached photos to showing you some of Cuenca's beauty. So that is it for my first and probably last blog as I shall now turn it back over to the true writer of the family.