#2420: Special Valentine's Day in Cuenca Supplement

Post 2420

- 9 years and 46 days since I started this blog -

  

Journal
(written about Feb 13-Feb 15, 2020)

Read this once (it won't change for the rest of the trip(s): I'll be linking this post to Facebook. If that's how you got here, here's some background: About 9 years ago I started this blog as a food journal. I had a medical situation and needed to lose weight. Initially, that's all I did here: Journal my food intake and my weight. It contributed to helping me lose 20+% of my body weight in 6 months, and continuing has kept me on track since then. I started adding commentary after a while, but lately it has become infrequent. 

While I'm traveling, I let go of the weight-tracking and food journaling, except for the occasional food shot when I've eaten something interesting. And that's where we find ourselves now.

This is a special supplemental, earlier-than-anticipated posting.

The day after I posted the previous blog, I had the am-I-getting-old realization that I had left out an important point, for no good reason, and I wanted to make that point.

I also had a couple of experiences since that I wanted to say something about and/or show you pictures of.

So, to the point: I haven't yet 'cracked' the music scene in Cuenca, although I've made about as much progress I had at at this point of my first trip to Chiang Mai, and that turned out well.

But I have played. And I've met musicians - so far, only a few. But the quality of the music that I've heard has been, for the most part, very good. Not in every case, but a good majority of the time, the musicians have been good. All the ones I've jammed with have been. 

And I've been to some nice clubs, nice places to play. At the Wednesday night jam, which I went to last Wednesday for the second time, I saw some real talent, talent that would have been welcome at any open mic I've played at, anywhere.

And, like in Chiang Mai, it isn't only expats - although for me, expats are the gatekeepers: That's how I'm going to get into the scene, because, to be honest, I can't guarantee that I'll ever be fluent in Spanish, although I regard being able to speak Spanish as a necessity.

A lot of English is spoken here in Cuenca, but a lot of the Cuencanos I see speak Spanish, and many also speak an indigenous language, but not English. But some of the long-term expat musicians are friends with some of the Ecuadorian musicians, and that's how you get to meet them.

I have played also at a one-off open mic that, if it can solve its sound problems may become weekly, but that may not happen this visit. Even with its problems, there were some very interesting players, and I got to do a bit on bass, as well as some of my singing-gutarist stuff.

My impression of the music scene here is already favorable, if only based on the street music I've encountered. There seem to also be a lot of Ecuadorian singing guitarists, who make the rounds of the restaurants both at lunch and dinner.

And there are buskers, although nothing I've heard (outside of thinking I was listening to a nice folk song only to realize it was a poor version of a pop song) has stopped me in my tracks like what happens in New Orleans, which, to me, is the best place in the world for street music. But the fact that it's here is encouraging.


I went to my first show at the Jazz Society Café, and it was a good one. It featured the 'International Jazz Band' which I think is actually the name the piano-playing leader Jim Gala gives to any group where he expands his trio. Jim is excellent on the keys, and his rhythm section was great. The added flute and singer were, in my opinion, not quite in that league, although there was nothing wrong with either of them.

The Jazz Society Café is upstairs from an Italian restaurant, and that's where the food comes from, and it was pretty good. I had a salad with tuna and eggplant parmesan, both of which were well done.

At the break, I spoke with Jim, who is from Rochester, NY. He's been in Cuenca for seven years, and is yet another enthusiast of the city. He actually used the word, 'perfect'.

So far, the music scene here is on the positive side of neutral for me, and I'm just starting. Something else I like about Cuenca.

Segue.

Valentine's Day was yesterday, and in the afternoon and early evening, it seemed like almost everybody - both women and men - were walking around town with flowers in their hands.

I had another good lunch at A Pedir de Boca, and the chef came out and gave me a guide to a walking tour of Cuenca' s ceramics, which he said were the best in the world. He also offered free Spanish lessons next week. He also introduced the waiter as his girlfriend, but my Spanish isn't good. Maybe his lessons will help.

As I left, walking up the block towards my hotel, I ran into Sofía, the owner of Sofy Glocal Cuisine, who I had met when I ate there a few days ago. She remembered me and gave me a big 'Hello'. I told her I had planned to eat there that night. She said it would be good for Valentine's Day. I told her I had no Valentine, so it would have to be her. She laughed and squeezed my arm, and we went on our ways, in opposite directions.

The restaurant was packed, but I didn't have to wait long. While I was waiting, Sofía brought me a glass of champagne with a black orchid in it, and wished me a "Happy San Valentin".

While I ate, I was serenaded by a series of Ecuadorian singing guitarists. The food was good. The night was lovely. Dinner over, I went to Common Grounds, one of the two best known gringo bars in Cuenca.

They do Karaoke on Friday nights. In general, I don't like karaoke, but there have been specific ones that I've enjoyed. Common Grounds' one was a lot of fun last week, when I went there for the first time. Why? Because while not everybody who sang had a great voice - some really did - the song selection was great. Less same-songs-all-the-time stuff, and more deep tracks.

And, as has been the case everywhere I've been here so far, it's a very friendly place.

Tonight there's a big crowd, and I only do two songs ('Wicked Games' and 'Is She Really Going Out With HIm').

Saturday is low-key. I have an early breakfast at the Sunshine Café, the first place I ate in Cuenca, rejoining Richard, who was so immediately helpful that first day, and Vince, who I bonded with then over the group Poco, who he worked with in their early days. I met two couples, both of whom have just moved to Cuenca. One couple is house-hunting, the other has a place and is waiting for a container that has all the stuff they're bringing. 

Stories are told, breakfast is given a proper appreciation, and the time goes by quickly. Suddenly it's after noon, we say our goodbyes to each other, other diners, and the staff (it's how you do in Cuenca).

I make the ten-minute walk to sit on a park bench at Parque Calderón. I'm there just to people-watch, think my random thoughts, and appreciate the day and the place. Before I know it, I've been there a couple of hours.

It's so nice I decide to go back after dinner. 

But for now, I think it is time to actually go inside and check out the symbol of Cuenca, the three-blue-domed 'New Cathedral', which is actually an old cathedral, Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepción, that took two hundred years of on-again, off-again construction to complete. Parts of it go back to the late 18th Century, but it was finally completed near the end of the 20th! 

The scale of the New Cathedral is breathtaking. Having been in some 'destination' churches and Cathedrals in Europe, and some enormous and gorgeous Buddhist temples in Thailand, as well as some famous big ones in the US, I can say this is easily the biggest house of worship I've ever been in.

It is not just impressive in size - it is quite beautiful within. There are actually six side-altars (three on each side) which are large enough on their own to be the focus of any church. The main altar is comparatively and suitably magnificent. There are pics in the album linked below. Or, if you can't wait, here they are in their own album.

Sunset is around 6:30pm every day (and I mean every day of the year - we're only 200 miles south of the equator, total daylight variation throughout the year is less than plus or minus eight minutes). 

It is 9:30, well after dark, when I go to buy some really good ice cream, two scoops (coffee and coconut), at the old-fashioned ice cream parlor across the street from the park.

I take my cup of joy into the park to enjoy it, and reflect that this is something I could do here year-round; but it dawns on me that there is something special about me being here, in the center of town, on a mild night, sitting in a park eating ice cream. Right here, right now. It feels good, safe, easy. Carefree, I am filled with gratitude for this moment.

Here's the photo album that accompanies this blog. To view it, click here.

Food Comment

At Sofy Glocal Cuisine: Shrimp Encava, with coconut vegetable sauce and quinoa.

Valentine's Day dessert at Sofy Glocal Cuisine: Red velvet cake with raspberry glacé.

From the wonderful Sunrise Café, where they cater to gringos, and everybody speaks English, a Boulder Omelet (lots of veggies and cheddar and asiago cheese) with vegetable hash and a biscuit. This was really, really good.

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