I SAW WHALES

The other day Chuck, Nancy, Jim and 6 other people from Cuenca took a whale watching tour. We left Cuenca at 7AM and after several stops, including a nice lunch stop along the Pacific Ocean,

Arroz Marinero

arrived at Puerto Lopez 7 hours later. 

Puerto Lopez

The next day we set out on our adventure.  Our trip included a visit to Isla de la Plata, known as the poor man's Galapagos.  We were a mixed group, folks from the US, Britain, Jamaica, Germany, Ecuador and Moldavia. 

 What we didn't know is that it was an hour and 40 minutes of pounding boat ride to get there.  About half way across we were rewarded with our first whale sightings.

These are humpbacks on their annual migration.  The warmer waters off Ecuador are ideal for raising their calves.

We were all pretty excited about seeing these magnificent creatures but we did have to move on and continue to Isla de la Plata, or Silver Island.  There are differing explanations for the name - one is that Sir Francis Drake hid a treasure here and another is that there is so much guano the island glows with a silvery light.  In any case, as we approached we saw hundreds of Splendid Frigate Birds circling in the air and Green Sea Turtles circling in the water.

My main objective on the island was to see the Blue Footed Boobies.  I didn't realize it would be quite a hike up, and include over 100 uneven stairs.

Did I mention that it was 90+ degrees? 

We did get visits from the Longtailed Mockingbird along the way.

And, having toiled up the hill we were rewarded with Blue Footed Bobbies EVERYWHERE.  This is their nesting area and we walked right past countless nests, some with eggs,

some with two-day old chicks,

some with juniors,

and some just hanging around doing their foot-stomping mating dance.

After this 2+ hour hike in spectacular scenery, we were all pretty hot and tired, and ready for lunch.

Back on the boat we had a swarming of Angel Fish, thanks to our guides throwing bits of their lunch in the water.

And, finally, on the way back to Puerto Lopez we were treated to a most joyous display of whale breeching!  The picture I didn't get was two breeching at once.  Such a magnificent sight!

We all felt these whales were putting on a show just for us and the long, bone-jarring boat ride was worth it.

Audrey

ART IS EVERYWHERE

One of the things I really enjoy in Cuenca is that art seems to be everywhere.  I will be walking along and a door which was closed yesterday is open today, and voila, there is an art exhibit.

 The other day Jim and I happened upon a really fun exhibit of artwork by Eduardo Segovia.  This is in a great space near the cathedral and is called Casa de la Cultura, Salon del Pueblo.  The gallery is free.  Whenever I see the doors to this gallery open, I always go in because the space itself is lovely and invariably there is a good exhibit.

We had never heard of this artist but really enjoyed his unique homage to Picasso and Miro.

Danza del Lobo

La fiesta de la caperucita

Besides many wonderful black on white paintings he also had some ceramics on display.

Gemelos precolombinos

When we got home we Googled him and learned that he is known as one of Ecuador's top ceramicists and that he is entirely self taught.  He has exhibited worldwide and is especially well known in the Netherlands.

Yesterday our Sunday walk took us to the square where the modern art museum (Museo de Arte Moderno) is located.  It's another really old, fabulous space with interior courtyards.

I noticed that the door was open so I went in while the rest of our party went down to the square.  This museum is also free.

The majority of the works seemed to be nature related, that is, items were constructed of chicken bones, chicken feathers, butterfly wings, things found while beachcombing, etc.  This was my favorite work, made entirely of fish vertebrae.

This museum also has plenty of places for outdoor sculpture.  I especially like this large hummingbird.

Not all works were by local artists.  This one, utilizing an old dictionary and insects, was constructed by US artist Tim Weaver.

Naciendo en los Bosques

I really liked his construction which used the old photos as a back drop for the entomology collection.

Outside once again and the artwork continued with this random scene on the side of a building.

Art seems to be part of everyday life here and I like that.

Audrey

WHY I LOVE THE PEOPLE IN CUENCA

Jim and I headed downtown on a trip to buy coffee, and perhaps, find him a new Panama hat.  He purposely brought his "wounded" optima to Ecuador knowing he would buy a new one.  There are several new Homero Ortega hat shops along Hermano Miguel but alas they had mostly fedora style Panamas.  We decided that hat shopping will be reserved for another day when we will venture to the big Ortega hat store.

We continued our walk toward Parque Calderón and came across a familiar name.  I have been shopping at Galapagos Artesanias since 2007 when we first  came to Cuenca.  The store I always shopped at was in a different location near Parque Calderón.   Of course we had to go in, up 2 flights of very creaky stairs.  Once we got to the top and turned the corner into the shop we were greeted by the most warm and friendly shop keeper ever.  Laura immediately took us under her wing and explained about the earrings I was looking at - some were made from cow horn, some from cow bones and some were hand painted by artisans from a region near Quito called Quilotoa.  We had not heard about this area.

Hand painted cat earrings from Quilotoa

 She had a wall full of masks that these artisans had carved out of wood and painted in their style.   We particularly like this hummingbird mask.

Colibri

Laura explained that the masks are created for the festival of Corpus Christi.   She also showed us little paintings on sheepskin done by these same artisans.  All of this enthusiastic delivery of information was done  in simple Spanish for our benefit, along with a few words in English.  I kept browsing and in the meantime Laura had noticed Jim's broken hat.  She offered to repair it for him so while continuing to talk with us she got out needle and thread and sewed up the ripped brim and then applied glue to the repair.  While doing this her sister came to visit and brought cut up pinneapple so of course Laura offered us some.

Laura fixing Jim's hat

Then we got interested in all her tagua nut  (vegetable ivory) figurines so Laura proceeded to educate us in how the nuts grow and the process which makes them into a state ready to be carved.  We did not know that, like coconuts, tagua nuts have a green stage where they can be drunk as milk, then a stage where the bark gets yellow and the nut is like jelly.  After 4 months or so they harden and are ready to carve.  Here are are the two we couldn't resist.

When we explained that the elephant was for our sister-in-law Laura wanted to know her name.  When we said her name was  Luisa (Louise) she told us all about a naming convention unique to Ecuador.  An endearment for Luisa is Luchita, and for Luis it is Luchito.

Now Laura was finished putting the glue on Jim's hat and I was paying for our purchases.  Laura was making out the invoice and said the date out loud.  I told her that it was my mother's  birthday and had she still been alive she would have been 103.  Laura wanted to know my mother's name, which she wrote down, and stated that she would add her to her prayers.

We spent roughly an hour at Laura's shop and had a thoroughly delightful time with this charming and engaging woman.  I felt like we had a new best friend.  This is the kind of  connection with people that is not that uncommon in Cuenca and is so rare at home.

Laura Marcatoma and Jim 

I know we will return to this shop again and again,  yes, for the arts and crafts but mostly for the great company of Laura, our new Cuencana friend.

Next, we stumble upon a preeminent Ecuadorian artist.

Audrey

BACK IN ECUADOR

Jim and I decided to get out of the Arizona desert heat and hang out  in Cuenca, Ecuador where it is winter.  A typical winter day here is like today was - overnight low was about 50 and this morning it looked cloudy and cold, yet once we walked outside the sun was brilliant and a hot 66 (the sun is much more intense here near the equator).  When I walked into the shade without my coat it was chilly.  Not bad for winter!

Park along the Tomebamba River

We decided to walk to the large farmer's market about 1/2 mile from where we are staying.  Saturday is a huge market day at Feria Libre and I had forgotten about the sheer crush of humanity there.

You can buy pretty much anything you might need at this market

Giant squash

Tree Tomatoes and Bananas

Chicks, anyone?

And if you didn't want to bother squeezing your own OJ, there was this vendor as well

We didn'the even cover a fraction of the market - you can buy clothing, hardware, whole fish, fresh goat milk straight from the teat, plants, furniture....you get the idea.

Many of the merchants carry their goods in this manner

although some use wheelbarrows.

We inadvertently wound up in the wholesale potato market.

But after back tracking picked our way through the hoards of vegetable stalls

Giant squash

until we finally arrived at our destination - the flower vendors.

Here's what $2 bought

So heavily laden (whole pineapple, big bag of mangoes, 8 apricots, big bag of tree tomatoes, bag of ground cinnamon, night light bulb and two big bunches of flowers for a grand total of $7.50) but happy, we ventured back across the river where the locals were doing laundry.

It was a perfect time first market day.

Audrey