Graduation Day

I mentioned a few blogs ago that I'd enrolled in a painting class, and showed pics at the beginning of my efforts. Yesterday was "Graduation Day," and our teacher Gary Myers hosted an informal reception at his home/studio for all of us students to invite friends to drop by and see what we accomplished.

That's Gary on the left with the glass of wine.

There were drawings and paintings displayed throughout the house.

And we had a really nice turnout for the event.

So here's a "quickie" I knocked out in a couple of hours the last day of class. It's a little guy, only about 8x16".

The main project I completed for the class is a whopper, 30x40". Here are the stages it went through from session to session.

Class #1

Class #2

Almost there

And--tah dah--the finished product.

I had an absolute blast taking this series of classes and learned a great deal under Gary's guidance. If you Cuenca residents have ever wanted to make art a part of your "reinvention" I highly recommend you sign up and see what you can do. You'll most likely be pleasantly surprised. I'm so looking forward to taking on sculpting in the near future.

You CAN Fool Mother Nature

You can tell it's autumn in Cuenca. There's a bit of a nip in the air during the days, and mainly because of almost constant overcast skies the nights have been downright chilly. I've had to don my stocking cap and sweatshirt a couple of evenings, but we're not to socks-on-the-hands weather yet, thank God.

However, walking through Parque Calderon yesterday I noticed that the whole square was ablaze with blooming plants and trees. No idea why our flora thinks it's spring, but I wandered around and took these photos to demonstrate Mama Nature's apparent confusion.

Safety First

Ecuador is described as a third world country, but Cuenca isn't exactly a third world city. Sure, we have lots of beautiful old structures,

but Cuenca also has modern buildings

and shopping malls.

And the "information superhighway" definitely has an exit ramp that says "Cuenca."

(Those aren't live wires hanging there, are they? Nah--impossible!)

So in many ways you could say our city is a blend of the old and the new,

(Two Direct TV dishes?? I've only got one :-()

but if there's one area where this place is firmly rooted in the 21st century, it's in the ever-present safety measures to protect our citizens from harm.

For instance, fireworks, while dangerous, are a big part of celebrations here. Precaution is always taken to make sure no one is standing too close.

Cuenca is a pedestrian city. The sidewalks are kept in pristine condition so no one trips

and curbing is meticulously uniform. Observe these two different corners of the same intersection:

Mirror images, am I right?

New condos and offices are coming out of the ground all over town.

(Um, what's crooked, that building or everything else in the photo?)

and no expense is spared to use the latest ultra-modern equipment.

People freely walk through these construction sites, so extreme care must be taken to prevent accidents.

(Notice the safety tape)

Open manholes are carefully covered

and walkways are built across open water.

When completed all standard safety features are included, like these handrails in the stairwell of our own apartment building.

This little pictorial is presented with tongue placed firmly in cheek. Sure, some things here aren't as "safe" as we were used to in our previous lives. But there's a concept in play in this culture that has been largely forgotten in the US called "personal responsibility." If you get hit with fireworks you must have been standing too close. If you step in an open manhole you weren't paying attention. There's no question more could be done in the area of safety, but given a choice between under-regulation and over-regulation, I'll take Door #1 every time.

Casa de los Frutales

My friend and TerraDiversa partner Juan Heredia is a modest, humble guy, so I want to take a minute to brag on him a little myself. Not only did he found our successful tour company over 10 years ago, he is also part of an innovative real estate development company here in Cuenca.

He and his partners purchase large old historic houses in poor condition and completely renovate the buildings into modern loft-style condos. Although this idea has been around for quite sometime in the US, it is a totally new concept for our city. It was with great difficulty and much time that the company finally persuaded City Council to approve their initial project.

All the units in the first building were quickly purchased, and their second effort, currently under construction, sold out almost as soon as it was announced.

Now the third building, Casa de los Frutales, has just come on the market. Located on the north end of Cuenca in a safe area right next to our Music Conservatory, the original structure is somewhat newer than the first two, and the final product will be spectacular.

The views from the property are outstanding.

Here are some renderings of the interiors.

I took this photo while touring the construction site.

Here's what the space will look like when completed (notice the arched window).

I'm really proud of my buddy's work and happy to share it with you. If you're moving to Cuenca and want to live in a beautiful, well-lit, modern home, contact Juan at juan@terradiversa.com.

And tell him Edd sent you so he'll give you special treatment (and prices!).

A Walk in the Park

Parque Paraiso (Paradise Park), even though it's not in the middle of the city, is Cuenca's Central Park. It's a short 10 minute walk from our home and we've been wanting to visit there for some time, but the persistently gloomy weather we've been experiencing kept interfering with our plans.

Yesterday was beautiful and sunny so off we went for a stroll. We figured there would probably be a lot of people there and we were correct.

On the edge of the park vendors had food items galore

(No, this isn't ice cream. It's some kind of creamy stuff, but I've never had the nerve to try it.)

and of course there's always the "food court."

Even though the park was jam packed with thousands of locals

it didn't seem so crowded because of the sheer vastness and beauty of the area.

Families were gathered everywhere,

kids were all over the playground equipment (solid metal--remember those days?),

riding ponies,

and maneuvering paddleboats.

Dogs of every size and variety enjoyed the outdoors,

and sweethearts were tucked into nooks and crannies.

Cuencanos love their three man volleyball

and of course their futbol.

Security is ever-present but hardly seems necessary.

At the end of Paradise Park, where the Tomebamba and Yununcay Rivers converge, is a deep forest you can wander through either on a path or an elevated walkway.

The spot where the rivers come together is one of my favorites in all of Cuenca.

It's so peaceful being among towering eucalyptus trees

and catching glimpses of the rushing river.

Being out in amazing nature and feeling the happy energy of so many people just enjoying life was quite uplifting. Our spirits were high as we began our walk home.