#3348: Monday, February 10, 2025:

Post 3348

- 14 years and 41 days since I started this blog -

Photo at Bistro Yaku, by my friend Anthony R - himself an annual Winter visitor to Cuenca whom I met on my first trip here.

Travel Journal

(written February 9, 2025)

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 14 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've been having a good time. What that means, in (slightly) less general terms is that I'm doing what I do: maiking music, smoking weed, eating well and avoiding pointless drama. That's what I attempt to do wherever I am, including back home in Liverpool, NY.

I'm good at it, and, since I have enough (of everything), I'm not buying or selling anything (that isn't for immediate use/consumption), it allows for a pretty laid-back hang - everywhere.. 

I've been enjoying the company of my friend Patrick. We're spending a lot of time together (speaking of easy hangs), so he is showing up in a lot of the pics I've been taking.

On to the photos:

People Pics

That's my friend Diego, the taxista, behind the terrible coffee I'm about to spill out.

Patrick oni my right, Anthony on my left, outside the Mercado in SigSig.

Patrick Section

Top: with me on the famous Cuenca tram; next: in a tree in Parque la Madre; then, on the street with me and next, with Claudia: The last two from Museo Pumapungo (and archeological site and aviary).

Wandering

Kind of a big deal for me: My first-ever custom-made shoes. I chose the style and gray suede.
Backstory: I packed a pair of newly-bought, treadmill-tested walking shoes that failed (only the right-foot one, which had a lace-hole that created then broke a blister behind my big toe) as soon as I took a long walk my first day in Chiang Mai. I thought I'd have to go the next 3-1/2 months with only one pair of shoes, but best friend Claudia knew a shoemaker who could make shoes in my size (forget about buying US size 13s in SouthEast Asia or Latin America). I went, he showed me the sole (good tread pattern), meticulously measured and outlined my feet, and two-and-a-half weeks later, voilá! Delivery! And, for only 2/3 the price of the shoes I threw away. I'm very happy with them.

In the Old Cathedral

The 'Old' Cathedral is across Parque Calderón from the much larger and more ornate 'New' cathedral. It was actually started a little after the New Cathedral, but completed about a hundred-fifty years earlier.. 

At Museo Pumopungo

Behind the Museo Pumapungo is an architectural park and aviary. That this exists in el Centro (downtown) is one of Cuenca's little bits of fabulousness. The indoor exhibits were great, but this day, Claudia, Patrick and I were all about the park out back.

In the tower of the New Cathedral

Since my first visit to Cuenca, I have wanted to climb the steps up to the bell tower of the New Cathedrall, but every time it was closed for some reason. This year, Patrick and I finally did it. There are three landings along the way. One-hundred sixty-six steps. And no bells - the towers were never finished! At the first landing, we looked out over Parque Calderón, where there was some kind of dance event going on. The middle landing provided a good view of the former monastery, but the view from the top - at the level of the iconic three blue domes - was the best.

Food

I was in a weird mood Superbowl Sunday, and decided to go out for pizza (no interest in the game). I almost never order pizza outside of New York City, where the pizza of my youth set the standard for good pizza.I ended up at a really good Italian restaurant right around the corner from me, Restaurante Pizzaria Mediterráneo. It turned out to be a fantastic find. The couple who own it are from Milan, Italy. I didn't end up ordering pizza, after all. I ordered pasta and a salad. The salad (I didn't photograph) was excellent, and this pasta a la carbonara was, too. Service and ambiance were great. I have a lot more menu items to try here.

Favorite breakfast spot, Cafe San Sebas, provided this brunch of too-good huevos rancheros.

I went back to Capitán & Co. for the octopus dish I'd tasted (Anthony ordered it). I know, it doesn't look like much, but this pulpo (Spanish for octopus), sauteed with olives and browned butter garlic sauce, was the best octopus dish I've ever eaten, anywhere, including visits to Portugal. And previous visits to Capitán!

 Please leave a comment when you visit my blog. 

Comments are anonymous, so leave your name, too!
Thank you!

#3347:Sunday, February 2, 2025: A friend Arrives

Post 3347

- 14 years and 33 days since I started this blog -

Travel Journal

(written January 26-27, 2025)

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 14 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 returned to a food journal only. 

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). I write about my experiences, and use it as a photo dump. And that's where we find ourselves now.

- - - - - - - 

I have delayed writing this blog at least three times, as I have been busy, or tired/recovering from being busy, .

A few days after I arrived in Cuenca, while I was still recovering from my overlong flight in and acclimating to the altitude, my dear long-time friend Patrick McMurray arrived to spend a month in Cuenca. He timed his visit to help me celebrate my birthday. We had coordinated this before I left and while I was in Chiang Mai. 

You'll be seeing a lot of Pat going forward.

I've recovered from my flight now and acclimated to the altitude (Cuenca's at 8400' above sea level, surrounded by Andean peaks 2-3,000 feet higher), The former took about five days, but the latter, which would usually have taken me about the same, took about twice as long.

I'm staying at Hostal Yakumama, home of Bistro Yaku, which I discovered on my very first trip here. Back then, I found it because it had an open mic. It ended up being one of my favorite places to stay, and I soon  discovered it also had a great kitchen, great food, and began coming more frequently for meals. As a music venue and restaurant it has been a favorite for years. But until a couple of years ago, thinking the Hostal was nothing more than a hostel, I hadn't checked it out as a place to stay. I found out it did have single rooms with en suite bathrooms. So I tried to book a room for last year's visit, but going on the web, was told there was no availability.

When I came, I talked to the manager (we'd become friends over the years) about that, he was shocked, and told me if I'd dealt directly with him, I could have been accommodated. This year I did that, and got a room I found a little lacking. I asked for an upgrade, and got one immediately.

These are the best accommodations I've had in all my travels. I have a room, simple and comfortable, on the courtyard. There's a small table outside my door that allows me to smoke my weed (not legal but decriminalized to smoke) (and I'm living among friends who know me well) whenever. One of my favorite restaurants, bars and performing spaces is practically en suite, and Yaku is very well-located for walking to all my usual haunts. 

That being said, the long, slow period of acclimatization has resulted in a somewhat lazy attitude when it comes to my more usual pattern of walking around, looking for things to do. So, a little less of that so far this year. 

On to the photos:

People Pics

A few pictures of Pat in places I already have pictures of myself. Top: at the lost women's bridge over Rio Tomebamba. Bottom, at Plaza de San Francisco.

Thanks to my great friend and Cuenca booster Claudia, I got to play with the Blues Enigma Band. Always fun!

Selfie Section

Sitting in my smoking chair at Hostal Yakumama. The door to my room is immediately to my left.

At Parque San Sebastien.

Plaza de San Francisco

With Pat

First meal together in Cuenca, at Bistro Yaku (of course).

At the Mercado 10 de Agosto.

After the cleansing herb rub, we both got scalp ash thumb prints on our heads.

Birthday Party

For the third year in a row, and the fifth time in seven years, my birthday party was at one of my favorite restaurants in the world, Capitán & Co. Julia (hostess) and Orly (chef), the owners, make a big fuss over me every year. This year, they closed the restaurant for my small party (their idea, not mine), and gave me a sash and crown. I won't bother with all the superlatives, but, of course, the food and wine were perfect. Around the table from the left: Anthony, Patrick, Felipe, David, ahem, and Claudia. Below: Orly comes out from the kitchen!.

It is now a long-standing tradition that, at the end of the meal, I 'serenade' Julia, Orly and the rest of the staff. It started the second night I was ever in Ecuador, when I arrived late to the velvet rope across Capitán's entrance, and even though every seat (of the dozen there were in those early days) seemed to be occupied, Julia somehow found me a comfortable place to eat. By the time I was finished with the astonishingly good dinner, there was noone in the restaurant by myself, Julia and, when he came out of the kitchen and I met him for the first time, Orly. I grabbed a guitar off the wall and sang for them, and we've been friends ever since. Anyway. LOL But it' established the tradition. 

Wandering

The top photo is a view of my room (the open door) from the courtyard of Hostal Yakumama. The bottom is a view of the courtyard from the smoking table outside my room. The wide door at the end of the courtyard is Bistro Yaku. Great food, great music. 

These three photos were all taken at Plaza de San Francisco, Cuenca's 'Times Square'. The top picture was only possible this year, when they removed a section of kiosks on half of one side.

Three shots of Parque San Sebastien taken on three diffferent days. The night shot is the church you can see on the left in the bottom two shots.

Cleansing Herb Rub

My dear friend, Felipe, told me that Tuesdays and Fridays were special days at the big Mercado (the Mercado 10 de Agosto). On those days, Cañari healers come to the mercado and gave traditional herbal cleansings. He suggested that we try it, while saying that you needed a series of 3 (Tuesday, Friday, Tuesday, in this case) to get the most out of it. Patrick and I were more than willing to check it out. The treatment lasts about fifteen minutes, during which the healer alternately sprays you with herbal tinctures, rubs you with an egg (for diagnostics), beats you all over with an herbal bouquet; all while chanting “ch-ch-ch” the entire time. I admit to being a little surprised that at the end, I felt more relaxed. And my scalp smelled great! Patrick, who did the whole thing right next to me, felt the same. The pics above are from the first visit, below from the second. We’re a couple of days away from the third.

"Oh! That's cold!"

Food

Fruit bowl with yogurt and some blackberry juice, from Bistro Yaku.

Massaman curry with shrimp from Thai Lotus.

Smoked salmon scramble with eggs, roasted potatoes and whole grain sead toast, from Café San Sebas.

 Please leave a comment when you visit my blog. 

Comments are anonymous, so leave your name, too!
Thank you!