The unofficial web page of the greater Cuenca expat community

Zenspike and I were talking about our need for rugs for our floors.

I had mentioned to him that I had received a recommendation for a place to buy rug some months ago, although I never actually went there to buy.

Here was the sequence of emails I received:

My husband and I have been in Cuenca for 6 months….and looking for descent rugs for 5 months.
The rugs we were able to find in Cuenca were all from China, poorly made, synthetic….uck….and fairly expensive.

This weekend we are traveling to Guano, outside Riobamba, to purchase handmade, wool rugs.
Our friends who've been (and purchased 5 rugs) say the prices are very good and the quality is excellent.
I also like the idea that we'll be supporting the local economy…not China's.

Good luck in your search. You may want to keep Guano in mind.

I've attached a picture of our new, wool, handmade rug from Guano. It was worth making the two day trip with our Ecuadorian friend and professional guide/driver, Miguel Arais. We needed Miguel to translate for us too.

The owner of the shop took us to his home/workshop to show us how the rugs were made. There we met his wife, working on a large rug. These larger rugs take 160 hours of work...four people working 40 hours a week.

I've attached a picture of our new, wool, handmade rug from Guano. It was worth making the two day trip with our Ecuadorian friend and professional guide/driver, Miguel Arais. We needed Miguel to translate for us too.

The owner of the shop took us to his home/workshop to show us how the rugs were made. There we met his wife, working on a large rug. These larger rugs take 160 hours of work...four people working 40 hours a we

Here is the photo:



Here is the Wikipedia pagae for Guano:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guano,_Ecuador

Dude,
I just LOOK at that rug.... and it got dirty! < noted they also have white sofa's >
Beautiful craftsmanship though.

ZenSPIKE wrote:

Dude,
I just LOOK at that rug.... and it got dirty! < noted they also have white sofa's >
Beautiful craftsmanship though.

Stuff for people who like to show off their homemaking skills or want to put their maid to the test.

That's not white--it's cream!  Beautiful!  I would take off my shoes-----!!.  Why do men never know the difference between white and cream??
Cathie

Well Young Lady,
I can make the distinction, and you are correct, it is a cream color. But.... from my standpoint, when it is walked on, a light  cream is no different than white. < grin >
My socks would get that thing soiled.
And yeah, it is a beautiful job on the décor, but ask Nards, I'm utilitarian.
Stay Well,
Neil

My carpet always matches my dog;)
Cathie

Deterrent to express kidnapping?



They are rolling out security cameras in all the taxis in Cuenca, with the recorder underneath the driver side seat.

I noticed them in a few taxis last week. They were just duct taped in exactly the location in your pic. Wasn't really sure what the heck it was.

On Remigio Crespo near Solano.



Coffee Table rugs:

$280 for this one:



130 for this one and others with same pattern but different colors



They also do wall to wall carpeting with prices ranging from $15 to $24 a square meter.

david and I are in Cuenca for a few days for business and have taken the bus out to Paute and even further up the river to Tuncay. Gorgeous just doesn't do justice to this area.
today we took the "Turi" bus up to the vista point. We saw all of Cuenca and then walked down to the town of Turi. We stopped in at a school so the kids could practice their "Hellos" and English and snapped a few sweet pictures of them in their snazzy uniforms.
Walking down the hill into the town proper, we started noticing all the beautiful furniture being crafted in this little hamlet and know now that this is where we will come for our furniture when the time comes.
At a little bus stop, we met a local woman and an old man.  He spoke really fine English. Come to find out, he is Canadian but could pass for an Ecuadorian any day.
After a short wait, a taxi came and he hopped in. we asked if we could share the taxi back to Cuenca and he agreed. turns out he was headed to the Bus Terminal which washout of our way, so we hopped outs along the way and offered the driver some cash for,the ride.
our little man forbade us to pay, because the driver was charging too much AND trying to get a double fare. we slipped a couple of dollars to the little Canadian man and off he went.
Does our adventure end here? Nope. We walked along the streets looking at all the guinea pigs and chickens for sale. we checked out prices on appliances and then came upon the Crones who do the purification at some outdoor market. have you seen them? Mothers with their young babes, a young man...
gosh we're  they giving him a beating! they smack you with bunches of sweet smelling herbs, put charcoal on your belly button and forehead, rub an egg (shell on) all over you, and then the final cherry on top is they lift up the front of your shirt and spit a mouthful of water on you. of course they do the back of you as we'll. All the while they murmur some Words over and over like: Meechu, meechu, meechu. How do I know all of this and the price of 2.25????  because I had it done. it was
Invigorating and the herbs smelled wonderful. what a day in paradise.

aterosin wrote:

we started noticing all the beautiful furniture being crafted in this little hamlet and know now that this is where we will come for our furniture when the time comes.

Darnit. I missed that hamlet.  Too late.

P.S.

Hope you found some fertile land to your liking.

Just waiting for the water test to come back...

aterosin wrote:

Just waiting for the water test to come back...

You couldn't have picked up worst time weather wise to be here. The rain has been bad enough, but now it is cold here today too.

This is Oregon weather...we feel right at home...quack, quack!

Ad from GringoPost below:

Anyone know who Sofy is, or is the fact we don't know who she is the point?

Sofy is at Don Colon Restaurant

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights, Sofy is behind the bar whipping up her famous cocktails at the new Don Colon restaurant on Parque Calderon (Sucre and Benigno Malo). Saturday night is gringo night starting at 5:00 p.m. Check out the $3.00 drinks and dance to 70's music. And happy hour lasts all night long.

My throng of readers will be glad to know I now have internet in my ghetto rowhouse, and will be resuming minutiae-laden posts again.

P.S. I met Sofy at Don Colons Saturday. She is a student at U. of Cuenca in the gastronomia program. She has a big expat boyfriend who could work as a bouncer according to Don Colon. I drank two margaritas and had chips with guacamole.  I got nailed with tax and service charge on the bill. I didn't stay around for the dancing since I didn't want to wait around for another couple hours for it to start. Hopefully Zenspike had a good time.

I indeed did meet Sofy last Friday. She is a pleasant, attractive local young gal that was mixing drinks behind the bar. Unfortunately, I only drink beer, but I did get an opportunity to chat with her. Very nice young lady. Might be worth the trip just to meet her.
Ps. Oops, I missed your previous post. We got there around 7:30 I'm guessing. Been off for a few days.

According to a sign in front of the McDonalds being constructed across from the Parque de la Madre, that is the number of days till opening.

While I am not especially hankering for either a Big Mac, Quarter Pounder, or french fry, I am definitely hankering for an Egg McMuffin and a hand-held, compressed hash brown.

The breakfast sandwich connoisseur is defintely an underserved market here in Cuenca.  The only place that I know has a breakfast sandwich is the Local 5, deep in the bowels of Gringolandia, and that is too far for me to go most days.


P.S. There is no sign of McDonalds in the Mall del Rio despite the fact the local newspaper claimed they were planning on opening one.  I am not crying about it, but simply pointing it out.  The Whopper suits me just fine when I crave a burger.

The transit police got some new toys:

I hope they just stick to the pathways. They wouldn't last long in traffic on a Segway in Cuenca.
I have rented them in Minneapolis and did the Mississippi run. Really a blast.
What ever happened to the prediction before they came out that they were going to " revolutionize " the way we travel in the US?

ZenSPIKE wrote:

I hope they just stick to the pathways. They wouldn't last long in traffic on a Segway in Cuenca.
I have rented them in Minneapolis and did the Mississippi run. Really a blast.
What ever happened to the prediction before they came out that they were going to " revolutionize " the way we travel in the US?

Yeah, I was thinking bicycles are more practical and economical, but maybe standing upright has its advantages.

Just got my order from Old Navy for a pair of size 32 jeans which cost me $15 in shipping with Club Correos, not to mention the $7 Old Navy charged me to ship them to my box in Miami..  I am pleased that they fit and that I won´t need to wear a belt to keep them up.

Now, I decided to buy this specific model of jeans from Old Navy due to the fact they have 24% polyester which makes them lighter and allows them to dry faster on the clothesline.

I was back at the furniture store moblime today.  Although I was under the impression that the new place I have been buying furniture from was a reseller of Moblime, they in fact buy the metal frames from Moblime and then construct or add wood material to it.  I got a couple of estimates on things from Milton that seemed high, so I went back to Moblime and ordered a simple round table for $51, which is about half of what Milton was quoting me.

I also asked Moblime to give me a quote on building the following bench built to my specifications.  Once I get the quote, I will go back to Milton and see if he can beat that price.

Segways HAVE revolutionized the ways that individuals with some disabilities can get around in the US--all for the good.  Also law enforcement and some employees of some really large (geographically) businesses.  For the rest of us peons they remain a novelty reserved for afternoon city tours (sigh)...
I see ads for a bagel and English muffin bakery that sound really good. Is it not easily accessible?   I will be moving mid 2014.  Do I need to bring supplies to make my own?
Also jeans.  Hard to find?  Need to stock up before I move?
Thanks

CB48 wrote:

I see ads for a bagel and English muffin bakery that sound really good. Is it not easily accessible?   I will be moving mid 2014.  Do I need to bring supplies to make my own?
Also jeans.  Hard to find?  Need to stock up before I move?
Thanks

There is a guy who makes bagels at home and then resells around town. Not sure about English Muffins.  Zenspike says the bagel guy may be opening a cafe, which means he will probably slap egg and cheese on one of them, although I am partial to English Muffin and Biscuits, unless I am spreading cream cheese on it.

Jeans are everywhere, although at what cost I have no idea. I just rather not go into stores unless I absolutely have to.

This one of the more interesting articles I have read on language learning, especially if you contrast it with some of the comments made in the comment section.

While I agree that "comprehensible input" is important, I just don´t think expats in general are going to be exposed to the language enough to ever learn it well. 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ans … _blog.html

thanks, wise one, you have freed up valuable luggage space. You are lucky to get mail order jeans that fit.  I can't imagine having to return anything!!!!
Cathue

There has been a lot of buzz about the fact there will be two new transfer stations for buses which I think is going to reduce a lot of bus traffic in El Centro.  They have been also promoting the fact that new and improved electronic cards will be available. They have a website dedicated to this fact. 

One thing I noticed on that website was a link that took me to a page that has a map for each of the city bus routes. They appear to be the same maps that were included in a little guide book that they used to hand out out the tourist office.  A lot of people were disappointed when they stopped publishing that book. I suspect some of these routes will be out of date soon with the new transfer station.

For the decor of my rowhouse, I ultimately decided on a year-round Halloween motif which means a lot of orange and brown/black everywhere.  It seemed appropriate for the sector I live in and the security challenges I have in front of me.

Milton the furniture guy delivered the couch for the tv watching and hopefully groping area.  He put the armrest on the wrong side which cost him $20, but overall I am satisfied with it.  The final cost was $280. I probably should have left the armrest off completely/ Milton says he can build a couch for $100 a person. In other words for a 3 person couch $300, for a a two person $200, etc.

Here is the couch.



Here is the guest reception area with the couches I bought from Moblime.  I paid too much for them. F%#k!! I went with synthetic leather which was probably a bad idea since they can be cold to sit on. F%#k!!

It has been raining like hell in the afternoons, so I am lucky if I can accomplish one thing during the course of the day. The fact I am not a morning person doesn't help the matter.

My big accomplishment today was going to the store SuperStock on the Avenida of the Americas, across from Coral Centro for the first time EVER.





I must say it was a rather pleasant shopping experience. It wasn't crowded, the stuff was nicely displayed, and reasonably well organized. The employees were greeting me with the usual "Buenos Dias". I definitely think this is my new favorite store for household items. Too bad I didn't go inside months ago. S%$$#@!!!!

My primary reason for going was to buy a plastic filter for making coffee. I retired the French coffee press because I was tired of the grains in my coffee and the residue at the bottom of the cup.

Doh,
I thought you knew of Super Stock. Def my favorite store for household items. I even found a much sought after " feather duster " there. <  not real feathers, but it suffices >
DID YOU KNOW???
They have a discount program? No card... you just fill out the form, and put an identifier on it, like your cedula number, and let them know before check out.
I even found beef & chicken bullion cubes there. Pretty good grocery selection also.
Stay Well

ZenSPIKE wrote:

Doh,
I thought you knew of Super Stock. Def my favorite store for household items. I even found a much sought after " feather duster " there. <  not real feathers, but it suffices >
DID YOU KNOW???
They have a discount program? No card... you just fill out the form, and put an identifier on it, like your cedula number, and let them know before check out.
I even found beef & chicken bullion cubes there. Pretty good grocery selection also.
Stay Well

Yeah, when I was checking out she asked for my discount card so I asked for the application and she gave the form.

I was really surprised at the selection of goods, and some of the prices were quite reasonable--for instance the mirror section.

I learned my lesson today.  Don't make kissing sounds at dogs laying on the sidewalk you happen to walk by, or they may try and bite you.  This particular dog did bite me, although it was more of a nip and it didn't break my skin. I never felt any fear towards this dog, although I did feel a slight sense of rejection.

Nards Barley wrote:

I learned my lesson today.  Don't make kissing sounds at dogs laying on the sidewalk you happen to walk by, or they may try and bite you.  This particular dog did bite me, although it was more of a nip and it didn't break my skin. I never felt any fear towards this dog, although I did feel a slight sense of rejection.

Such dogs wind up on the dinner table in the Philippines.  Does anyone in Ecuador eat dogs or cats?  How is this practice viewed there?

mugtech wrote:

Does anyone in Ecuador eat dogs or cats?  How is this practice viewed there?

I have no idea, although in the Amazons they probably eat everything, including human flesh.

ZenSpike, did you buy some art this weekend? They had a nice exhibit at the "Broken Bridge".  I also noticed from the bus that across from the Plaza Otorongo there was a nice exhibit.  What was happening in the Plaza Otorongo?

mugtech wrote:

Such dogs wind up on the dinner table in the Philippines.

This practice may be dying out, at least in the cities, and certainly among educated people.

Thirty-some years ago, when I first visited Manila, I recall a party being held in my honor (which meant I got the honor of paying for it) and dog was prominent on the menu.

In my most recent stay, when I once mentioned eating dog, my nieces dismissed the idea with laughter and jokes. These young ladies hold degrees from the country's best universities, so they're not at all typical, but I thought it was indicative of changing attitudes.

I also noticed that many dogs roamed the streets of Manila and Cebu, even in squatter communities, which I don't think would be the case if they were being eaten. In fact, it raises the question of whether the decline of dogs-as-food might create a health problem, since I doubt very much if the cities have the means or the will to carry out any sort of animal vaccination programs.

BobH wrote:

mugtech wrote:

Such dogs wind up on the dinner table in the Philippines.

This practice may be dying out, at least in the cities, and certainly among educated people.

Thirty-some years ago, when I first visited Manila, I recall a party being held in my honor (which meant I got the honor of paying for it) and dog was prominent on the menu.

In my most recent stay, when I once mentioned eating dog, my nieces dismissed the idea with laughter and jokes. These young ladies hold degrees from the country's best universities, so they're not at all typical, but I thought it was indicative of changing attitudes.

I also noticed that many dogs roamed the streets of Manila and Cebu, even in squatter communities, which I don't think would be the case if they were being eaten. In fact, it raises the question of whether the decline of dogs-as-food might create a health problem, since I doubt very much if the cities have the means or the will to carry out any sort of animal vaccination programs.

Five years ago a local dog killed one of the family goats, and in a gesture of peace the dog owners killed the dog and the two families had a goat and dog feast to get beyond the unfortunate incident.  This was in a province barrio, not a city.  I was just wondering where people who eat guinea pigs draw the line.

This article presents Nicaragua as more affordable than Ecuador (it doesn't actually mention Ecuador). If only I had known...............

Spanish version

English version

More, importantly this comment takes me over 26,000 views and leaves the Cost of living in Peru thread in the dust. I can tell you wjwoodward is not too happy right now in the Brazil forum cuz baby boomers just don't want to move to Brazil!!!!!

Nards Barley wrote:

This article presents Nicaragua as more affordable than Ecuador (it doesn't actually mention Ecuador). If only I had known...............

How can you say it's more affordable, when the writers say they are on an $1800/month budget? We all know (from the Best Source of All) that we can live well in Ecuador for about a grand less than that.

I looked into Nicaragua at one point, but the heat convinced me to cross it off my list (I just looked it up on Weather Underground and it seems Granada is hotter than Guayaquil).

Great, now The Wall Street Journal is doing hatchet pieces. Remember when that used to be a respectable paper.

Don't get me wrong, remember my border hopping days to Nicaragua. Was always a good time, and not like Nicaragua is a terrible place by any means, but let's not reinvent the wheel. It's an average to below average place at best IMHO.