#3162: January 23, 2024: Back in Cuenca

Post 3162

- 13 years and 23 days since I started this blog -

January 22, 2024

Journal

(written January 23, 2024)

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 13 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 food shots when I've eaten something interesting or pretty. And that's where we find ourselves now.

My last night in Chiang Mai was a lot of fun - I held forth at Organ Bar (stop - Organ is the name of the Thai woman who runs it)  a long-time favorite I had been neglecting. I got to play, and quite a few of my friends came out to say good-bye.

The next morning, I checked out, got to the airport efficiently, breezed through customs, ate a THC-loaded chocolate chip cookie, and next thing I knew I was in Taipei. Another cookie didn't quite get me all the way to LAX, but was extremely helpful on what was actually a pretty comfortable flight.

A quick visit with Number One Son, followed by millions, Alex, and a bad decision not to get more edibles later, and I'm waiting on line at the counter of Avianca Airlines, who do not issue electronic boarding passes. And I'm on line for an hour. Ugh. 

The long part of the trip to Cuenca should be over, but to to some cancellations and rebooking, what was once a three-flight, two-layover trip is no four flights and three layovers. I am already twenty-nine hours into my trip, and twenty more to go.

By the time I get to Cuenca I've been traveling for forty-nine hours, with maybe six hours sleep. And I've crossed twelve time zones.

I'm kind of a wreck. Exhausted is not too strong a word to use.

Plus, Cuenca is in a valley high in the Andes - 8400 feet above sea-level. It takes a few days to adjust to that altitude - I'm lucky, I usually adapt in around four days, but I have friends who are still getting winded a week after arrival. And, of course, some people can't adapt and have to move to lower altitudes. That's just part of Cuenca's charm, which makes it worth it.

My dear friend Claudia, leader of the Blues Enigma Band that I will be playing with while I'm here, had let me know the band was going to be at Wunderbar, an old favorite haunt of mine, What's amazing is that my AirBnB apartment is twenty-five yards away from Wunderbar.

The ride to my apartment from the airport is quick. I'm ripped off by the cab driver, but I'm too tired to argue - and as soon as I get my suitcase and bass out of the cab I'm greeted at the door by my host, Andres. 

Check-in is quick and easy, my place is very nice. I think about just laying down and passing out, but as my host closes the door on my new digs, a wave of excitement -at my arrival, at being here, here! - washes over me.

I check to make sure I have my keys and wallet with me, and five minutes later I walk into Wunderbar, right behind Claudia, in the middle of a song. Claudia can't see me, but the rest of the band knows I'm there, and it's a lot of fun when the song ends and Claudia turns around to see what the guys are looking at, and sees me.

I stay long enough to down a black Russian (they don't have Jameson's), catch a couple of songs, and I'm out.

Ten minutes later, after a minimum of unpacking, I'm in bed.

I fall asleep quickly, but the jet lag hits me full force, and, though I'm exhausted, I don't sleep long. My body thinks it's ten in the morning. On a typical day for me, that's almost time to get out of bed.

Wake-up call from Claudia (who took this pic) on my first morning in Cuenca. My apartment had a window onto the courtyard/lobby/common area of Casa Cuencana, my digs. I actually traded up the next day to an apartment with a balcony, so I could smoke without leaving my apartment.

There were a lot of concerns about the terrible narco-war going on in Ecuador, the country does have real problems, but I was assured by Claudia and others, after the first night of the curfew, when a bunch of fearmongerinfg on social media did panic some of the Cuencanos (I was still in Thailand), there was no sign of any of the violence in Cuenca, and the next day, at least before curfew, things returned to something like business as usual here.

In the few days I've been here, I've noticed a few more police and a few less people around, otherwise, absolutely no change from last year.. I had predicted that the curfew would be lifted in a short time, and other people that I've talked to have heard that there's a good chance for that. I'm visualizing its end. Then, I think, this becomes ordinary times here. 

Of course, I've been meeting up with old friends every single day. I'm as recognizable here as I am in Chiang Mai, and I've spent an equal amount of time in both places.

As I write this, I am almost fully recovered from my jet-lag and pretty fully acclimated to the altitude - this is my fifth day here.

And, as I write this (real time), they just lifted the curfew! I told you so.

Smoke weed, play bass, avoid pointless drama. That's my recipe for a simple life. In my travels, smoking weed, playing bass, and finding good and interesting food to eat dominate my time. When I don't travel, it's the same, except I don't look for new and interesting places to eat as much. I like to cook for myself at home.

In Ecuador,  smoking weed,is not a problem, but it is not, generally, acceptable to do it in public. There is no criminal penalty for smoking, or, in my understanding, for possession, but it is not legal to buy or sell. Still, it is easy to find, and I have never had a problem with my smoking.

So far, I haven't had a chance to play bass here. That changes tomorrow, when I'll rehearse with Blues Enigma. This is due to cancellation of a few events (like open mics), due to the initial panic over the national curfew, now defunct.

But I have already collected a number of happy restaurant dining experiences. . 

So, how am I finding Cuenca this time out? Very familiar. Due to the national curfew, some musical events I would have enjoyed were canceled, and for the same reason, there are fewer people around. Otherwise, though, there are no changes.

I had a real disappointment, though, when I went to Cafè Ñucallacta for my number one favorite oatmeal (out). What I was served was terrible - especially in the presentation. No resemblance to the last dozen bowls I had last year. Off the list. 

I've been doing a fair amount of walking. Mostly, it's been cloudy, but nothing stays the same all day here, and I've manged to collect a few pictures and Claudia takes pics of me - she's like my personal selfie stick. Fun.

Here're some photos:

Claudia and I at Bistro Yaku, Cuenca, day 1.

Claudia is fascinated by all things indigenous, and we happened into a store being visited by these beautiful people from Cañar and Saguaro. I couldn't communicae, but Claudia is fluent in Spanish, and although not their first language, they managed to be laughing and joking in no time, and me, not catching a word, still felt drawn in by the warm vibe. No special effects, I'm that much taller... 

After we ate breakfast today (see below), Pepo, of Bistro Yaku, walked past our table and displayed the catch of the day, róbalo (aka, snook). I see this, I start making plans. The top picture is Pepo and the snook. The bottom is a piece of snook nicely cooked up with a bright red sauce over a quinoa pilaf with a salad. Really exquisite dining. Bistro Yaku hitting it out of the park today.

Some walking around shots on a beautiful day:

And a final photo of me, walking around (by Claudia).

Food Comment

I couldn't wait to be better acclimated to visit Cafè San Sebas, and enjoy their salmon scramble with their equally wonderful multigrain bread one of my favorite breakfasts in Cuenca.

Lunch at Hotel San Juan, roasted herbed chicken on mote with a floral salad. Everything was perfect and, more than that, each dish seemed to complement the other two very well. 

You're looking at something very special: Bistro Yaku's not-on-the-menu Rob's Special, which consists of a colorful mixed salad, a vegetable omelet with goat cheese and avocado, and beef tips. Everything was perfect, and this goes on my list of the best breakfasts in the world.

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