Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Sunday Entertainment

During our walk, we noticed rose petals in the street along Calle Larga.
Petals in the streets usually mean there is or was a parade.  Since we could hear the music, we followed the petals toward the Coffee Tree at La Merced plaza.







We found a celebration!  It was lively, colorful, noisy and fun!









Paper mache farm animals and a cowboy being carried around, a few folks in cowboy hats, kids in animal costumes...music and dancing...


 
A real hide, with grass...
 
Rockets and sparklers...You can also see the gentleman with the rope in one of the pics below.  He was doing a great job lasso'ing the cow and the chickens.
 

 


 

Another fun Sunday!  You never know what you'll see...
 
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We've gotten some rain here and also in the Cajas, so our river is UP today!
What a difference a couple days make.  All's right with our river.
 

Monday, August 27, 2012

Our river is WAY Down

No good rain for a few days...  Our river is suffering. 
We need a good rain in the Cajas to make the river rush!

Take a look at our river...more rock than water. 



 
The 2 Nancy's checking it all out.

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Ecuador's Constitution

http://bobnrox.squarespace.com/journal/2012/8/22/ecuadors-new-constitution-in-englishplease-sample-it-to-get.html

Our family on the Coast, Bob and Roxanne, has posted  Ecuador's entire Constitution on their blog, in English.  We are adding the link above so you can read it.

We've read every word...makes us proud to be here.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

By Magdalena -- Paute Ascension

We are delighted to share another snapshot of life by our friend, Magdalena.
This time she's in Paute. 

In case you missed them, you can do a search on this blog for more of her writings and her bio.

Enjoy!


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PAUTE ASCENSION

On hardwood pews, slit slatted
My sacrum suffered
Numerous lifetimes
While listening to Offenbach’s
Orpheus in the Underworld

A camera recorded it all
From the altar where Jesus hung
from the cross, insufferably
stretched to eternity.
Near his feet a bright white light
Lit across musicians’ heads
Curved over instruments
In their desperate attempts
To bring a loved one back to the world of the living
In the Iglesia Matriz de la Vicaria San Jose de Paute
 
I watched a young boy child
Pretending to play his baton
In time to the earthly descent
He dipped his baton down to the ground
genuflecting towards the music
Until his father stopped him with a touch
Of his well worn hand
The child blanched into silence
away from the primordial sound in his head
As if shamed.

A handsome dark haired young cantor boomed
Mi Pueblito Mio, Pasacalle
In bajo barritone around the Iglesia,
like a swarm of bees in a beehive
stirring up lost souls
Diego Javier Zomora Mendieta
grasped for air with delicate hands
while we sang the chorus,
our voices spilling into the Paute plaza
And the soft evening air.
My sacroiliac stung from the slit slats
Of the hardwood pews
I knew I would pay for this.

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A snapshot of the lovely Magdalena.









Here are more snapshots of Paute and the surrounding valley. 

Church at the Square.










Amazing clouds over the surrounding mountains.


An air plant on the overhead wires.























Corn and flowers grow really well in Paute's warmer weather.


Paute is about 1000 ft lower than Cuenca, so warmer temps.




Street construction in Paute, too.
















Garden work at the Square.

























Bottlebrush trees grow really well here. 



2 more favorite trees.



















Happy Doggie!











We have more pics of Paute valley area...we'll share later.












Thursday, August 9, 2012

Round-About Progress and 10 August

We are absolutely delighted with all the progress on our underpass/round-about street construction! 




The workers are doing a tremendous job and it's lookin' real good.  Almost done!






Nice artwork along the walls of the underpass.














Officials have pegged the completion date for Nov 2012, but at the rate they are going, they might just complete early...some say it's now September, 2 months early!

Officials say it's about 90% done.




The round-about curbs are in.  We hope the statue goes back in the circle.





LOTS of concrete in this massive project.





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We've been enjoying the lovely weather lately.  Still chilly at night in the 40's, but the days are glorious.  A couple of pics from the porch early yesterday morning.

We're still walking Cuenca...  always something fun to see.  Here's a fun wig in a shop window, a party waiting to happen!
The cutest little kids.


Our 'floating man' has a new outfit.!

And not-so-fun graffiti on Cuenca's famous New Cathedral...  We're hoping someone cleans it up soon, it's really ugly.







Fresh bread for sale.  Smelled and looked fabulous!
Interesting news...  there have been several forest fires in the area.  We haven't seen smoke (it's been windy here), but some of the outlying towns are in a state of emergency.  An offical said that some folks believe setting fires will bring the rain.  The rivers are way down, too.

Also, if you're here in Cuenca, you will know that on Friday 10 August, which celebrates the First Cry of Freedom, is a National Holiday.  Limited services (like a Sunday).
Many families will be enjoying the 3 day weekend.