Cuenca Realities: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

It is not our intention to portray ourselves as experts on the subject of Cuenca or any other part of Ecuador.There are already too many people in cyber space who are doing just that. Some have visited and some have lived here for a few days or weeks and have learned all there is to know about the area, the laws, the people, who should be hired and where to buy property. We aren’t going that way we are just telling what has happened to us and what we’ve seen with our own two eyes. 

                                                                       

                                                                        The Good

Fruits and Vegetables are fresh, delicious and affordable. The 4 peaches, 3 tomatoes, 2 eggplant, 2 mangos, 1 cucumber and 1 pepper in the picture above cost only $4. 86.

Restaurants are inexpensive and there are a lot to choose from, Italian, Chilean, Argentinean, American and lots of Ecuadorian restaurants that will serve a lunch meal with juice, soup, potato, meat and vegetable for as little as $1.50, although, $2.00 or $2.50 is more common.

The People have been terrific here. We have been impressed with the Cuencanos since we first arrived and checked into the Hotel Cuenca. They have gone out of their way to help us and to make us feel at home. They will listen to our ridiculous attempts at Spanish and will let us pantomime and point without laughing at us and walking away.

The Scenery is totally different from anything we ever experienced in Connecticut or North Carolina (the Blue Ridge mountains just don’t compare). We are surrounded by higher mountains and Cuenca is in a sort of bowl and we lose track of the fact that we are over 8000 feet above sea level. A trip outside of Cuenca and we are amazed at the views once again.

The Architecture is really interesting. I’m sure the difference from what we are used to seeing is part of the appeal but we are enjoying it all the same.

The Weather is one of the good things about Cuenca for sure. We are not as warm as the coast but we do not have to suffer the humidity or the excessive heat in the warmer months. We don’t need heating or air conditioning but some days will be in the upper 80’s F. and some nights will get down to about 40 F. So, it isn’t paradise weather but it sure isn’t Miami or Buffalo, either. The lack of bugs is a real plus, too.

The Cost of Utilitiesis also one of the good things. Phone bills are low, there is no need for heating a whole house so electric isn’t very much, propane for hot water and cooking is very inexpensive.

Gasoline is subsidized by the gov’t and regular gas is only $1.48 per gal

                                                                         The Bad

Traffic is on our list as a bad thing. Cuencais not pedestrian friendly and the same people who are kind, considerate and helpful are demons behind the wheel of a car, bus or truck. The pedestrian has the right of way but when claiming that right one had better be hurrying across the street to keep from being run over.

The Car Alarms and the sounds of the city are one of the biggest things to get adjusted to. We have lived on Cul de Sacs for the last 35 years and are more familiar with the sounds of a small town than we are with the noises of a city of 500,000. So to us the car alarm is a real nuisance.

Walking on the sidewalk is usually a game of chicken. There seems to be a different mind set when it comes to passing other pedestrians who are walking toward you. It is stand your ground, claim your space and don’t move over until you absolutely have to. It means there will be a lot of bumping on a busy street.

Gringo pricing or as some call it the "gringo tax". Gringos are seen as having a lot of money. So, very often (maybe always) a gringo shopper is an opportunity to make a bigger profit. Sometimes you know what is happening and other times you figure it is but you don’t know by how much you are being taken.

Spanish is the language spoken here and it is very frustrating to feel helpless in a grocery store, the market or the bank. I don’t think the whole world should learn English just for me but it would be nice if they would.

                                                                            The Ugly

When we first visited Cuenca in February we met Lee and Carol Dubs, the owners of the Carolina Bookstore. They told us that one of their fears is that Gringos would come here to Cuenca and do what Gringos have done in other countries which would not be a good thing. Sociologists have pointed out that in other countries a “Gringo invasion” has always turned out badly. We want to be part of the community but we have no intention of trying to change Cuenca or take charge of anything. We see ourselves as guests here and we want to act accordingly. This brings me to the ugly.

Fakes and Phonies. Some how it seems it is not enough for some people to be honest about who and what they are or have been in the past. One man introduced himself to a friend as a doctor and 2 weeks later, forgetting what he had said, introduced himself as a lawyer.

Con men and women are not only in the U.S.they are here, and what is really worse some of them are gringos taking advantage of other gringos.

It seems as though some people come here and lose all sense of caution and will trust someone just because they speak English or because they are from the same country. We have heard of people buying cars only to find out they paid a lot more than they should have. Real estate is being sold at prices higher than the actual cost so the agent can keep an outrageous commission on the sale.

Bogus Charities Many of us have come to Ecuador and found people who are not as well off as we are. The need to help kicks in and we reach for our wallets because, after all, we now have a much lower cost of living and are able to help. The bad thing is the money or goods donated do not always go where we think it will go and the ones who need the help are helped very little or not at all. To me this is behavior of the lowest kind and we should all be sure we don’t let others take advantage of us at expense of the weak and helpless.
Until Next time,
Dale and Joan


By the way Joan and our friend Kathy have started "Cuenca Weavers" and are taking orders for handmade custom products such as Shawls, Ponchos, baby blankets, scarves and more. Their blog can be seen at cuencaweavers@blogspot.com Please take a look, Thanks

                                                     

                                                                       

                                                       

                                                                      

                                                                

                                                                      

cuencaweavers@gmail.com