Reverend Ken's Travel Blog
Post 2784
- 12 years and 38 days since I started this blog -
Winter Travel Journal
(written February 7, 2022)
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 12 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, originally 7 days a week, then 5, but lately it has become occasional.
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.
There is a restaurant in Cuenca, La Guarida, that I went to a few times on my first visit here, a couple of years ago. The restaurant does a lot of things besides food. One of the chief things they do is show first-run and classic international movies some nights.
When they do, it's hard to get in. They also have occasional live music, and when they do, it's hard to get in.
But when they're not doing these evening events, they're one of the best breakfast and lunch places around. Another example of Cuenca's surprising food scene.
I went to breakfast there, and for about twenty minutes - long enough to get my order in, greet the owner, establish myself as a previous customer, and have my customized omelet delivered - I was the only customer in the restaurant. Then a woman walked in, and sat at a table near me. Now there were two single people in the whole restaurant. It took only a couple of minutes before we struck up a conversation, and I moved to her table for easier dialog
A good start to my day, I continued to organize my day-to-day around meals, as there were no musical events presenting themselves.
Saturday morning, I got a call from Paul, a Cuencano I was introduced to at the open mic at Bistro Yaku a week-and-a-half ago. In fact, I played with his guitarist son (Paul, too - or Paul II) that night. I was introduced by the house band's bass player/sometimes guitarist who I knew from a different open mic two years before, at a venue that didn't survive the pandemic.
That night, I met a lot of people, and quite a few seemed to be related to this trio.
Paul called to invite me to his place outside of Cuenca, for lunch and some playing. I had no inclination to refuse.
Not having any expectations, I took my first ride out of Cuenca proper, into the mountains surrounding the city. It was about a half-hour drive to the southeast.
It's good that I approach these things with no expectations, because what I found on arrival would have dashed any I could have dreamed up. My destination (I showed the cab driver a map sent to me by Paul, with only the coordinates). It turned out to be a rather large general store off the highway, about halfway up a mountain. The store sold pots and pans, clothing, architectural pieces, bric-a-brac, snacks, artwork, and contained a café and bakery!
I was taken around back, where under a canopy that stretched the length of the building, there were about a dozen people sitting around a long picnic table, eating, drinking, talking, watching some children playing at the edge of a pasteur leading up the mountain, where sheep and goats were playing, chickens and roosters were running free, and a small 'barn,' with a marquee calling it the 'Bunny Club' - complete with Playboy logo - housed a bunch of rabbits.
We talked, we played guitars and sang. I had a delicious Ecuadorian-style steak-and-eggs lunch, and some good local beers. Just hanging around with the assembled family and friends was a beautiful experience. Also, this was my first glimpse of a real, not citified Ecuadorian home situation. Their hospitality was superb. I never felt it appropriate to take pictures - it's going to be one of those happy memories. Maybe when I go back - and I will.
After a coffee and breads snack, I was driven back to the hotel. I felt invigorated and happy to have had this opportunity for a pure Ecuadorian family experience.
That night, I met up with Susan aat the new Jazz Society Café. The Jazz Society was started by Jim Gala, a jazz keyboard player. He settled in Cuenca to be with his daughter, now nine years old. He's originally from Rochester - a physicist for Kodak, at one point.
On my visit here two years ago, a friend I met who was also a guest of the Hotel Balcón del Artes introduced me to Jim. He is the driving force of the society and the club. He plays in virtually every band that is there. He also teaches and mentors young locals interested in jazz and performance.
This night, he was leading the band, which included a bass player and drummer who were new to me. The singer, calling herself Mariangel, was someone who I had seen last time. There was another new thing: the Café had moved to a new location, with a new kitchen staff, who turned out to be one of Cuenca's most popular caterers.
The food and the music were both great. I was especially taken by the young bassist. He was really good. He blushed (literally) when I complimented him after the first set. I don't think he understood much of what I told him, but there was enough of my pitiful Spanish in the mix that from my smile and tone of voice, he got the idea.
The food and the music were both great. I was especially taken by the young bassist. He was really good. He blushed (literally) when I complimented him after the first set. I don't think he understood much of what I told him, but there was enough of my pitiful Spanish in the mix that from my smile and tone of voice, he got the idea.
The conversation with Susan was once again fun and interesting.
I had a nice reunion with Jim, who recognized and remembered me immediately. We caught up. I found out that, although vaxxed, he had had a breakthrough Covid infection, and it was much more difficult and long-lasting than mine.
I'm going to leave off now, with a couple of things. Today, I found out the interview I did on my birthday was out. Here it is:
And, finally, here's a night shot from the smoking terrace:
One more thing: Yesterday, I got a haircut. Short. No more 'long hair tied back'. Sorry, Chuck. I like it, though. I wasn't sure I would.
I couldn't be more grateful.
Food Comment
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| This, admittedly, doesn't look like much, but... that's because you can't see what's under the omelet's folds. I heavily modified one of the standard menu omelets, and the great chef at La Guarida served up a brilliant breakfast. Also, that's a big plate - I couldn't finish all the home fries, as perfect as they were. |
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