#3512: Wednesday, February 18, 2026: Penultimate week in Cuenca

Post 3512

- 15 years and 49 days since I started this blog -

Claudia like this AI stuff, made this from a photo she took.

Travel Journal

(written February 18, 2026)

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: Over 15 years ago I started this blog as a food journal. I had a Type-2 Diabetes diagnosis, and needed to lose weight. Initially, that's all I did here: Journal my food intake and my weight. It contributed to a loss of 20+% of my body weight in 6 months, and continuing has kept me on track since. I started adding commentary after a while, but recently it has been a food journal only. Except when I travel (every Winter).

While I'm traveling, I let go of the weight-tracking and food journaling (except for food photos when I've eaten something interesting or pretty). I write about my experiences, and use it as a photo dump. And that's where we find ourselves now.

- - - - - - - 

It's been slow, here in Ecuador. It's the height of winter and the rainy season. 

That means it is cool and it rains in the afternoon. I know my friends back home are dealing with snow and frigid, single-digit temperatures. Here cool means a high in the low 60s and a low ten or so degrees below that.

I have no complaints about the weather. I know it rains every day, usually in the late afternoon. But the weather is usually bright and beautiful in the late morning. I'm living the truth that you get four seasons of weather every day here.

The music scene is slowed down. I've played a few open mic nights, but my only gig here is coming up this Friday night. I have never played less than during these last four weeks here. Last year in my first four weeks I played three gigs and a couple of open mics every week.

I'm always okay with 'down time'. I'm lazy. I can do nothing as well as or better than anyone. I've lost all the type-A compulsion to be productive - to whatever degree I ever had it. I'm pretty much a take it as it comes guy these days.

With all that, I still stay on top of things that interest me (like friendships, family - certainly not current events). I have no agenda. I do no business beyond acquiring food and weed. Nothing to sell, nothing to buy (except aforementioned consumables).

Since my last post, I have endured Carnaval. Until I was 'victmized' by Carnaval celebrants in my early visits here, I looked forward to the parades and concerts. But getting soaked and covered with foam whlie trying to join the celebration (that's part of it, and when there aren't parades or concerts, that's all of it), as well as having to be on guard against pick-pockets has turned me off to that, and in recent years, Mardi Gras and the three days leading up to it have been a time to hunker down for me.

I have made a couple of new friends here. I have seen most of my old friends, those still in Cuenca. I have a good attitude. I'm enjoying myself, even doing nothing.The gap left by my light playing schedule is filled by the other three parts of my life-style: eating well, smoking weed and avoiding drama. What I do wherever I am.

I'm happy. I'm the luckiest guy I know.

'Nuff said.

On to the photos:

People Pics

There's a good bagel shop in Cuenca. Of course, since the bagels are good, the owner is from Brooklyn. My new friend Adrian at Matthew Bagels. Nice mural, hun?

Claudia really gets into the beautiful a doors of the Unesco World Heritage architecture of Cuenca. In this case, this non-functional door had been 'redecorated' grandly. 

More AI artistry from Claudia. This one commemorating our trip to Sigsig (see Wandering, below). L-R: Me, Oswaldo (guide and new friend), Claudia and Adrian. Not pictured: Diego, friend, taxista, all-around great guy.

Wandering

I was having brunch at new restaurant find Lumanka Concepto y Sabor when this happened. Ahh, Cuenca.

The prettiest buildings in Gualaceo, where we stopped for breakfast on our way to Sigsig.

Sigsig

We first stopped at the big mercado in Sigsig to meet a friend of Claudia's, Oswaldo, who is a guide to the historic site just outside of town.

Claudia in the Black Cave, home of cave-dwelling humans 10,000+ years BCE.

Diego, Claudia, me, Adrian in the Black Cave.

The ruins at Sigsig include the Black Cave, inhabited in pre-History by the earliest settlers, thousands of years before Europeans, Incas, Cañari civilizations. The Cañari set the stones of a fortress that gave them a view of the entranceways to the valley. The Incas built on top of the Cañari fortress. Our group of four was joined by a wonderful guide named Oswaldo, a friend of Claudia's, whose narration made the trip much more enjoyable.

Food

Three dishes, a day's worth, from my dear Bistro Yaku. Up top, one of my favorite breakfasts there, huevos rancheros. In the middle, Beef tenderloin, frites, and salad. Ending with the first pumpkin pie I've ever eaten without the usual American spice (pumpkin spice) flavoring. Very interesting. I now love both.

The Cacao Spirit

I was introduced by chef-restauranteur-great friend Felipe to chocolatier Marcos, who, at Felipe's request, had made me some chocolate bars with chili (which he knows is my favorite, from my constant complaints that I can't find that flavor Paccari chocolate bars (the best Ecuadorian commercial chocolate bar). And, as Felipe foretold, Marcos' chocolate-chili bars were better! 

A big feature of the visit was my introduction to the white cacao bean, shown above with the 'normal' brown cacao bean. Both beans are from growers in the Amazon region. The way Marcos processes it results in a blonde chocolate bar that tastes like... chocolate. It was very good. I admit I still prefer the chocolate bars of dark chocolate, but it was very impressive on its own, comparisons aside.

A close-up of the bar I was smelling above. The strawberries are 'fresh', the white part is the chocolate made from white cacao beans, and the dark chocolate is single-source 70% cacao. Delicious.

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#3511: Wednesday, February 4, 2026: Cuenca Birthday #5

Post 3511

- 15 years and 35 days since I started this blog -

Travel Journal

(written January 25, 2026)

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: Over 15 years ago I started this blog as a food journal. I had a Type-2 Diabetes diagnosis, and needed to lose weight. Initially, that's all I did here: Journal my food intake and my weight. It contributed to a loss of 20+% of my body weight in 6 months, and continuing has kept me on track since. I started adding commentary after a while, but recently it has been a food journal only. Except when I travel (every Winter).

While I'm traveling, I let go of the weight-tracking and food journaling (except for food photos when I've eaten something interesting or pretty). I write about my experiences, and use it as a photo dump. And that's where we find ourselves now.

- - - - - - - 

I have to admit, I find myself with little to say. 

We've had a bit of 'wintery' weather - nothing like in the States, and it isn't winter here just below the Equator. It is the rainy season, and the weather has been a bit on the cool side, and there's more rain than usual.

Both things have dampened my activities a bit. And a lot of what I've been doing - visiting, meeting up with friends - hasn't been much to talk about.

The one event that I will remark on was my fifth dinner celebration at Capitán & Co. This is one of my favorite restaurants in the world, with fabulously prepared fresh seafood from the chef's family on the coast.

I have been going there from the second night of my first visit to Cuenca, nine years ago. The chef and the hostess are the warmest, most welcoming couple in town. We keep in touch in between my visits..

This year was no exception, except this year, they didn't make me wear a funny hat. Hah-hah.

The other thing different about this year is I decided to turn off my phone. No pictures. Pictures of other people in my party were all of me, so a couple of those are all you get.

The night before, I got to jam at a rehearsal of a subset of the Blues Enigma band, and that was a good time. I've also gotten together with a couple of other of my friends for a little playing sans audience. Opportunities for performance are unusually limited this year.

On to the photos:

People Pics

Anthony and I at a new breakfast place I like very much, Lumanka Concepto y Sabor. Pretty setting overlooking the Rio Tomebamba.

Claudia loves the doors of Cuenca - to be sure, there are some beautiful and ornate and monumental ones. This was just a really colorful one.

Claudia took this pic at the rehearsal I mentioned up above.

Birthday

Above, the 'candle' that accompanied my birthday cake. Below, the tradition of serenading the hosts at the end of the evening. Something that started at the end of my first meal at Capitán, when I was the last person in the restaurant. That memory always makes me smile.

Wandering

On a partiularly warm evening, the light struck me as I approached the 'Old Cathedral' (top). I especially liked the way it warmed up the stone of the Judicial Center (right, middle). The interior of the Judicial Center is below.

Looking North on Rio Tomebamba from the Lost Women's Bridge. .

Claudia at one of the beautiful Spanish Colonial churches, now used as a missionary center, on another pretty afternoon.

Food

Mote pata soup, a Cuencano specialty, at my Warmikuna, my favorite Ecuadorian restaurant. It's also a traditional cooking school. Incredibly good meal, with all kinds of good things in it: beans, mote, potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin seeds, and lots of other good stuff.

Breakfast croissant from Ooh La La, another new restaurant to me. Very, very good.

The birthday dinner of sea bass in coconut sauce and scallops in vegetable garlic sauce from Capitán & Co. Of course

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#3510: Sunday, January 25: First week in Cuenca

Post 3510

- 15 years and 25 days since I started this blog -

Travel Journal

(written January 25, 2026)

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: Over 15 years ago I started this blog as a food journal. I had a Type-2 Diabetes diagnosis, and needed to lose weight. Initially, that's all I did here: Journal my food intake and my weight. It contributed to a loss of 20+% of my body weight in 6 months, and continuing has kept me on track since. I started adding commentary after a while, but recently it has been a food journal only. Except when I travel (every Winter).

While I'm traveling, I let go of the weight-tracking and food journaling (except for food photos when I've eaten something interesting or pretty). I write about my experiences, and use it as a photo dump. And that's where we find ourselves now.

- - - - - - - 

We have some catching up to do. 

After I left Chiang Mai, I went back to Syracuse. In Syracuse, I had only five days before I came down with pneumonia, and the rest of the time at home was all recuperation. I finally felt back to health only five days before I left to contine my winter travels.

I flew to Los Angeles and spent five days with my son's family, specifically paying attention to Number One Grandson Leo, two-and-a-half months old. I can't describe how happy I was during the visit. 

Then the rather absurd three-flight trip to Cuenca.

I landed in Cuenca at 7am. Even with Customs and baggage claim, I was at my 'residence,' Hostal Yakumama, at 7:30am. I sent some "arrived alive" messages, and by (estimate) 8am I was asleep. Got a solid eight hours, too.

The bad side of that is it took several days after that to get a good night's sleep... at night. I kept on taking naps - something I almost never do - and screwing up my normal sleep time. This is largely due to the period of acclimitization necessary when you spend ten months a year near sea-level and then do everything at 8400 feet above sea-level. It usually takes me three or four days. This trip, for whatever reason, it took me six days. Today, I was fine.

I've met up with most of my friends here. A few have moved out of Cuenca (to Europe) and a few non-residents aren't around yet.

For the second year in a row, I'm staying at my favorite place in Cuenca, the place I spent most of my time at for the last six years, thanks to the restaurant/music venue Bistro Yaku. In that time, it is the place I've played at the most, the place I've eaten more meals at (I have an off-menu Ken's Special breakfast here), and the place I have my now-traditional last send-off party at.

My room is on the courtyard in front of the Bistro. Thirty feet away from the front door. I've known the owner/manager and his family (brother/partner, wife, daughter) almost since they opened six years ago. I've watched them grow.

They know me, too. It's all very easy.

I've only gotten to play one night - others were scheduled, canceled. There will not be as many playing opportunities this trip. The Blues Enigma Band, who I play bass with when I'm in town, has only one scheduled gig in the five-and-a-half weeks I'm here. In the seven weeks I was here last year, we played six! 

One of the open mic host restaurants has closed. One new open mic has a very bad reputation and is at my least favorite place in Cuenca. The only other one I know of takes place at the same time as my favorite (and, at this point, last man standing) at Bistro Yaku.

In my experience, things will open up for me.

In my time here so far, I have been returning to those of my favorite places still around, so less wandering and fewer photos. The altitude acclimatization has also deterred some of my normally long walks. But I'm back now, so more photos in future blogs. Lots of food pics, though.

On to the photos:

People Pics

Claudia in Calle Santa Ana, a little alley between the 'New' Cathedral and the former monastery/school/nunnery, now housing restaurants (see below). This is a favorite place for portraits and wedding party pictures, as is the courtyard on the other side of the alley.

This 'living statue' started to move the minute he saw Claudia. They're old friends. Cuencanos are usually friendlier - just kidding, he thought these would make funny photos.

Duo-selfie with Claudia.

Laura and Randy joining me for breakfast at Bistro Yaku. You may remember them from last year, when I visited them in their countryside farm/estate for a wonderful party. Laura's birthday is the day after mine. Looking forward to celebrating.

With my friend Anthony, from Connecticut. I met him when he was staying in the same hotel on my first visit to Cuenca. He, like me - and for a few years longer than me - comes to Cuenca every winter. Over the last eight years, we've become good friends. This year, he got here a day before me.

Wandering

Technically, this isn't wandering. Here I am at 'Ken's Smoking Table' (what everybody calls it) outside my room in the courtyard of Hostal Yakumama. 

Thinking about how few photos I was taking as I passed by this very familar, famous sign and most-photographed view in Cuenca in Parque San Francisco. The day was so beautiful, and the scene so amazingly uncrowded, I took this shot even though I have dozens of similar ones. But come on, this is just beautiful. I couldn't not.

Walking toward the Goza Cafe, one of the prime places for people watching and great 'coffee and'

in Cuenca. Above, an old church now housing a missionary center gives way to Plaza Merced, with Goza on the other corner. Cuenca is just so beautiful, but in a different way at night. 

One of the three enormous doors in the front of the New Cathedral.

The courtyard of the adjacent church offices and residences. A major tourist attraction, I really like the Peruvian restaurant, El Confesionario, on the second floor with this amazing view of the three domes of the New Cathedral.

Calle Santa Anna at night. On the left is the Cathedral de la Madre Immaculata, aka the New Cathedral. It's called the New Cathedral because it took over a hundred years to complete, finally finished in the 1960s, even though it was started in the 1840s. The door on the left is the entrance to the bell tower. On the left is the former residence, monastery, nunnery, offices, now housing restaurants (mostly).

Food

This trip's first meal: Peruvian tenderloin and rice, from El Confesionario, the restaurant with THE view.

Next morning, at my 'home,' Bistro Yaku, Ken's Special: Fruits with yogurt and granola, and scrambled eggs.

Pistachio cheesecake from Goza Cafe.

I wish I had something to show the scale. This is an enormous bacon and vegetables omelet. It was more than I could finish. And it was delicious. From a newly-opened restaurant, Lumanka Concepto y Sabor.

Also from Bistro Yaku, the shrimp burger and homemade chips is just amazing.

I realize in this picture you can't tell that this is Tom Kha, Thai coconut curry soup. But this was a great surprise, very good. The last time I ate at Thai Connection was six years ago. I was unimpressed then. I'm very impressed now. My favorite (by far) Thai restaurant in Cuenca is a cab ride away. Thai Connection is around the corner and a block away. I'll definitely be back.

The amazing, rustic lasagna a la bolognese from El Mediterraneo. Food's good, and the staff make certain it's a great example of Cuenca's special brand of hospitality.

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