Wednesday (Miercoles) we traveled to San Bortolome. Where?, what?, why? you ask. Good question!
As it happens, San Bortolome is home to a world renowned family of luthiers. These folks have been making guitars for several generations. There guitars have been played by many greats not the least of which was Andres Segovia (the god idol of classical guitar.) I have been chomping at the bit to play one of these instruments and possibly eventually own one.
So at 9:00 AM Jackie, our friends Renee and George, I, and our taxi driver Victor left Cuenca heading Northeast. We goofed around some on the way and finally with the assistance of girl waiting for a bus on very quiet mountain highway, we found our way into San Bortolome's el centro plaza. We all exited the cab to stretch and check out the town center. Victor went to speak with some locals congregated under a porch on a corner of the square. We goofed around about ten minutes when Victor returned to inform us that 'the guy in the tan shirt is a relative of the luthiers. He says that their store is across the plaza but it is closed right now. But the factory is two blocks (?) that way.' I say 'cool, we can walk up there.' Victor half smiles and says 'they say two blocks but you never know.'
So we pile in the cab and follow the given directions. Somewhere around three quarters of mile later, including a nice hunk of seventy degree hill, we arrive at the factory. The pictures are included and speak for themselves.
The 'factory' is absurdly small and is basically a covered porch. The luthier was busy at work on instruments called 'charango.' This is a ten stringed, belly backed lute-like instrument that is made with an armadillo shell for the back. Sadly, he had two in progress but none complete. So I was unable to play or hear the instrument. If he had one done, I probably would now own it.
He did have two guitars that I got play. One was a traditional twelve fret classical guitar. The craftsmanship was superb both in appearance and in sound quality. The instrument was incredibly responsive and delicate. Very nice instrument. It was $90.00. The other guitar was also a classical guitar but it had a cutaway to expand the fretboard. Again, this was a very nice instrument. The guitar had a two piece back with a top that jumped when the guitar was played. A truly amazing instrument ($150.00), but just not me. I ask 'do you have more?' He says 'yes, they are in the store in el centro.'
So we pile in the cab (sadly the luthier didn't fit, so he walked) and we head back. The shop had eight stacking chairs, a counter with some papers and shop stuff, and a glass case with two guitars. The case could probably hold eight guitars but didn't.
I need to back up a bit to describe my pre-conception of the factory and store. I have been in a few luthier workspaces and also in their retail shops. The workspaces (factories) were all large, well organized albeit messy environments. These were spaces where the wood was carefully aged, honed, pampered and eventually shaped.
The retail sights were designed to push guitars. They were clean, slick, comfortable spaces featuring several examples of each available model of instrument.
San Bortolome was none of the above. I was quite disappointed until I played the instruments. They were not only beautiful to see, but they were amazing instruments. The el centro store also had a twelve fret classical guitar and a cutaway guitar. I played both and fell in love with the cutaway model to a point that I didn't want to let go of it. Of course I bought it. The price was $250.00.  As we left the shop, the luthier told me that I needed to put good strings on it because the ones that came with the instrument were lousy strings with no quality to them.
Since I brought the guitar home and tuned it to pitch, I cannot believe what an amazing instrument this is. I plan to find strings tomorrow, but right now I believe that this is the finest instrument I have ever owned. And I have owned a lot of instruments. I will record something with it and post pics once I have new strings.
Lovin' Ecuador.

It had to happen eventually. Yep, you guessed it. We had our first Spanish lesson today.
It was quite educational. Speaking another language is so easy in slow motion. That is given enough time to think, remember and formulate sentences and other conversational chunks, I can be a real genius. Sadly interactions occur in real time. And then I don't make it above the developmentally delayed level.
The entire class was done in Spanish and thankfully I only said 'no entiendo' once in an hour and a half (una hora y media.)
Lessons are Tuesday and Thursday (Martes y Jueves.)
It is a spectacular day in Cuenca today. The nicest day since our return. Low 80s, mostly clear skies.
Wow.

 

Jackie really wants this house. So if each of you chip in $47,254.77, maybe we can rent it.

Wuddya say?

 

 

Doctor doctor Mr. MD.
Today we both went to see a local GP here in Cuenca. A friend had seen him recently and highly recommended him. So around 11:15 or so this morning, Jackie dials up his office. He answers the call. He being the doctor in person. Not an electronic maze of pre-recorded voices with multiple choice questions to which you respond by pressing some number only to be rewarded with another electronic question. No, this was the doctor on the line. And, he spoke perfect English, better than me, or I. Whatever.
So Jackie explains that I am supposed to be having my INR (blood viscosity) tested on a regular basis. And haven't. She further explains that she has run out of her prescription medication and has been unable to find the same concoction in Cuenca. 
'Can we make an appointment to come in, maybe next week?'
'Sure, or you could come in today.'
'What time is good?'
'I am here until 1:30 today. Or you can come after 10:00 tomorrow.'
'We will try to come today. Do you need our names?'
'No.'
So we hailed a taxi and set out for the doctor. His office is above a pharmacy (pharmacia). We walked up the stairs and found his office complete with scale, exam table, chairs and diplomas. The doc sat behind a desk but quickly jumped up in front of it when we entered the office
We introduced ourselves and we were invited to sit. Which we did. And we proceeded to explain our situations and respond to his questions. After about a half hour, we left the office. Jackie had the local name of the med she needs (available over the counter at the downstairs pharmacy, or most any other pharmacy.) She also had a box of sample pills to relieve the itch of some bug bites she got. I left with a blood draw referral for my INR testing, and was told that I could get the lab results myself in person or by email, or I could have them forwarded to the doc and he would interpret them and pass the results onto me. Since I need to be tested bi-weekly, I can just go to lab every two weeks. No need for a referral or office call to the doc.
The last item of business prior to departing was 'cuanto?' (how much do we owe you?'
'My fee is $20.00.' replies the doc.
'Is that for both of us or individually?'
'Both of you. I was actually thinking of charging you $10.00 because I really didn't do much for you.'
'That's okay thank you.'
As we leave the office, he is saying 'come back when you are sick, so I can do something.'
Cuenca. Go figure.
Here are some more pics of our neighborhood sidewalks.

Local color. Isn't that what we first notice when ensconced in a new locale? Aren't these the uniquitities that distinguish one destination from another? Local color manifests in; broad oaks, majestic mountains, quaint accents, unique cuisine, on and on and on.
The reality is that local color boils down to those sensory stimuli that strike a chord, form an impression and create a memory for us. No matter where we are or how many times we have been there.
Cuenca is crammed with unique color including; architecture, culture, art, music, cuisine, tradition, history, and physical environment. On that last item, it is interesting to note in Cuenca there are a lot of vehicles on the road. Contrary to your probable first impression, most roads are well maintained. Particularly compared to our hometown digs in the US. The notable exception in Cuenca are the streets of el centro. The downtown are roads are mostly cobble stone. Well maintained and clean beyond any reasonable expectation, but you definitely know where you are without looking when seated in the back of a cab with well used shock absorbers. It can rattle your fillings loose. Local charm. Most other areas of the city are smooth sailing even in older cabs.
Cuenca also has a high volume of pedestrian traffic. Hoooowever,,,the sidewalks do not realize the same level of attention as their concrete counterparts with the stripe down the middle. I suspect that sidewalk maintenance falls to the adjacent property owner rather than the city.
We read several warnings about 'watch where you walk' in the literature we amassed prior to traveling South. Several authors suggested good shoes and open eyes as essentials in exploring Cuenca on foot. We concur.
The sidewalks of el centro are generally perilously narrow and fraught with surprise's like carts, holes, stairs and oncoming pedestrians. They are still well worth traveling. Something we will do more of.
The newer(?) sidewalks outside of el centro are typically but not always, wider. But infinitely more hazardous. Like Disneyland, mountain climbing, Old Bushmill and 90%chocolate, you have to walk these paths to believe them. Another life challenge. Pure fun.
I took some photos all within the first two blocks of our new home. This is turf we travel daily, and new surprises surface almost that frequently. Here goes....

As they say, walk a mile in my shoes.... or your shoes.
Local color.

Yes. That's the answer to that particular question, you have all been waiting to have answered......'can you get American football (the National Football League) games in Ecuador?'
NFL games are quite a big deal amongst the majority of ex pats that I have met thus far. The primary vehicle for transmission of the games is 'The Sunday NFL Ticket.' I have Direct TV and this feature came with the plan that I have ($70.99 per month). The NFL ticket can also be purchased online and delivered over the internet. There are also no doubt, ways to acquire the games that have a much smaller pricetag and larger consequence if discovered. I am not privy to any of these devices.
What NFL Ticket boils down to is broadcasts of the NFL Network. No commercials, just some unbelievably boring music that loops through each commercial break. Tedious, but better than ads for Pizza Hut, The Finger Hut, Nut Hut, and Hut-two-three. Some folks are paying $200.00 for the full season of NFL ticket.
Now all of this is simply a preamble to the real story.
Last night my beloved, and sometimes disappointing, Seattle Seahawks were in Green Bay to tangle on the unfrozen tundra with the Packers. This was a Sunday night prime-time game. And of course it was not covered by the NFL network and thus not available on NFL Sunday Ticket. Woe is me. I finally found the game being broadcast in Spanish..
Now this is an experience for a clown like myself whose Spanish vocabulary includes; 'buenos dias', 'por favor', 'taco', and now 'lunes'. The announcers rattled on, just like a US broadcast and they probably spouted the same cliche , space-filling, silence-killing crap that accompanies all sports broadcasts. 'Oh gee Tank, did you know his mailman's cat was killed in a tragic and unexpected accident last week?' 'It just shows the level of his professional commitment that he is out giving his all to the game he loves, earning seven hundred fifty five thousand dollars, after such a tragedy.' I can't say.They may have been rattling off very relevant and insightful data. My Spanish sucks so I remain in the dark where I have spent a good portion of my life to date..
One thing that I can tell you definitively though, is this (es esta). Spanish television commercials for goods, services and upcoming productions are just as boring when repeated ad nausea, as their US counterparts. Even though I rarely had much of a clue as to what was being hocked.
Oh well.

We have now been in Cuenca slightly more than a month. We are settling into our new apartment, city, country and life. Our Spanish improves daily and the Cuencans are very understanding and helpful in our ongoing struggle to communicate. I had an interesting conversation with our building administrator on Friday. Her English is possibly worse than my Espaniol. So we actually communicated with maximum mutual effort and patience, and resolved the issue at hand to both our satisfaction. In parting, she was attempting to impart one final point. Her statement hinged on the word 'lunes.' I knew that this was a word that I had studied and encountered prior. As I wracked my brain to affix a translation to the word, she patiently rephrased her statement and continued to surround 'lunes' with other Spanish that meant nothing to me. Finally I said 'lunes' and stood to leave, at which point a large smile swept over her face (oh boy this dope finally go it) and she also stands, repeating 'lunes' as I leave her office. I rush back to our apartment and look up 'lunes' to find the translation 'Monday.' Duh, I knew that....no I didn't.....I knew it once.
One of the interesting challenges of trying to assimilate into a new culture. Makes life interesting and keeps me on my ballerina toes.
We are increasingly more comfortable traveling about the city as we learn more and more landmarks. The streets in Cuenca largely follow the flow of the rivers, so they are anything but straight, sqare and gridlike in their organization(?). The streets are also named for historical figures and events (Tres Novembres, Presidente Manuel Cordova )which further heightens gringo confusion. Keeps it interesting.
Don't try ex-patting if you are developing dementia.