The unofficial web page of the greater Cuenca expat community

As usual, got my laugh for the day. thanks, Hope to see you when we get there. G

BobH wrote:

The patio looks really nice (depending on weather, of course). The tacos looked good to me, but why didn't you get to combo platter -- that looked like something I'd kill for these days.

Bob

In a related question, what are the local attitudes towards asking for a doggie bag to take uneaten food home with you?  Should you bring your own bag?  Would it create any hard feelings?  I ask this because most restaurants I eat at, including USA Mexican ones, provide too much food per course and it winds up being another meal at home.  Happened to me at On The Border yesterday, filled up on the refried beans, rice and queso plus chips, took home the stuffed green pepper and taco.  I believe it was a direct result of reading this thread.

I've not done it yet, asked for a doggie bag, but I've been at many restaurants in Cuenca where I saw patrons ask for and get a container to go. I really don't think you would have a problem, and it's not seen as unseemly, as food waste here is considered a sin. My thoughts are that anything that goes back to the kitchen, doesn't make it into the garbage bin. I put some cerveza bottles in the container in the garage where I'm staying, and they were gone the next day. Very common to see people going through the trash on the streets here.

HEY NEIL: Are you all unpacked? How's it going? Gerry

Well,
I'm semi unpacked Gerry. I was hoping to live out of my carry on, and not to have to unpack all my crap until I could get it over to the new condo. Bad news. Condo waaaay behind schedule, and they won't allow me to put anything in there until the inspectors have all signed off on the building. My rental only goes through the end of June, and then I'm out on the Cuenca streets! I'll be one of those guys on the street corner trying to sell you a tiny box of Chicklets, with forlorn look on my face. 
How are you and the husband doing?
Stay Well,
Neil

All good here. I've spent the day tying up loose ends, getting all the plants and garden watered, going over and over my packing list. You know the drill...Also, we've been invited to play with the Cuenca Symphony on Friday the 15th. They have a cello and Bass for us and I am brushing up on Brahms' 1st Sym and the Tchaikowsky Violin concerto. Oh, I also managed to squeeze in an episode of the Bachelorette with my daughter (don't judge me ) and Sam's 14th birthday dinner at Red Lobster tonight. We leave tomorrow and arrive in GYE 5:30 PM on the 11th. 12th we're in Cuencaville settling in to our hostel.Let's get together. Need anything stateside? Gerry

Gerry,
When you get in, give me a shout. I know you'll be busy when you first arrive, I'll pm my contact info.
Thank you for the very kind offer, but right now I'm over stocked. In a month, I'd kill for any chance at shipping something down.
Stay Well,
Neil

On May 31st, I received a GringoTree email with the following recommendation:

New Vegetarian Restaurant

A subscriber sent in a recommendation for a new vegetarian restaurant, La Quinua, located at Benigno Malo 12-75. She and her husband were "most impressed by the pleasant setting and the wonderfully healthy and delicious food. The thin crisp-crust pizza baked in the stone/brick oven and the beautiful salads are a perfect dinner. Prices are reasonable and service is excellent

Today I went. It is on Benigno Malo, just north of Gaspar Sangurima on the west side of the street.



This sounded good:



The interior was nice:







Apperently the oven they use to cook pizza and lasagna:



The opening course:



That brown patty is soy:



For dessert:



Cost was $2.50 and the food was good so,



P.S.
I am betting somebody will harvest the information from my post, visit the restaurant, and will publish it in their Cheap Eats free landing guide.

P.P.S.
Their hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.  Nothing I saw on the menu is over 4.99, and they have a lot of stuff worth trying.

Big news around town is the the closing of the savings and loan "Coopera", due to runs on the bank after executives were arrested on suspicion of money laundering.

Maybe the Captivating Cuenca blog should take down the following blog post recommending that you put your money there:

Coopera Credit Union Backed With Physical Assets, Not Promises -

or

If you're looking for an alternative to conventional banking in Ecuador, particularly a safer form of banking, then Coopera Credit Union is what you're looking for.

How are CuencaŽs bloggers so convinced that a financial institution is safe? Are they auditing their books, performing stress tests?

I read this quote on Cuenca Highlife

Another expat, Joan Rogers, who said she only found out about the problem when she read about it in GringoTree, said that local professionals who assist expats should be held partly accountable. "The Cuenca Chamber of Commerce recommends Coopera and I know of at least two relocation experts who tell their clients to put money there.

Is everyone covered by the Ecuadorian version of FDIC up to $25,000?  I would hope no depositors lost any money on the closing, perhaps just time and red tape.  Should be a warning to never put more than the FDIC limit in any financial institution.  I do wonder how people can say one bank is safer than another without inside info.

mugtech wrote:

Is everyone covered by the Ecuadorian version of FDIC up to $25,000?.

I donŽt think the deposits in Coopera are covered by the government.  However, it sounds like the money will be returned in full in July.

Many an expat influenced by a bloggerŽs advice put their money in Coopera, chasing that high yield.

Greedy gringos put money in non-insured institutions for a higher yield? You can only do that with money you don't mind losing.

mugtech wrote:

Greedy gringos put money in non-insured institutions for a higher yield? You can only do that with money you don't mind losing.

Your right. Presumably they can afford to lose that money.  They always have their social security checks to fall back on.

While walking through the Parque de la Madre yesterday I spotted the future home of McDonalds.  That street with the cars leads to the Supermaxi. All of the gringos will be stopping to get a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit on the way to do their shopping in the morning.

I was just going to open an account with them, but I wasn't going to put any real money in it. I just wanted to open an account to get in on the medical supplement they had. I know others that used it, and really liked it. I hope something like it will fill that void.
My understanding is that the investors money was never mishandled, just that some shady money laundering was being done by 3 officers. Hell... what's wrong with clean money?
And, this is the problem with ever giving a recommendation, for anything! I've heard very positive things about Coopera, even from native Ecuadorians.

It's like Emily Letilla  used to say on the old Saturday Night Live:

"It's always sumthin'"

Gilda Radner

mugtech wrote:

I do wonder how people can say one bank is safer than another without inside info.

It's unfortunate that a lot of people talk about things they know nothing about. I've done it once or twice myself.

When it comes to people's money, though, I'm usually careful. I don't think I've ever recommended a bank, beyond commenting on their customer service.

I could have gotten a residence visa here in the Philippines with a large enough deposit (I think it was $25k, but may have been only $10k) but I decided I didn't want to put the money at risk. I usually have $2k-$4k in the bank here for easy access, and keep the rest in the US.

Something to keep in mind is that even the biggest bank in Ecuador, Banco del Pichincha, has only $4.5b in assets -- a pygmy by world standards. Size doesn't equal stability, as we all know, but it's a factor to consider.

For those of you whose mouths are watering for a Big Mac Combo with an apple turnover for dessert, let me break some news:

According to this article, they just had a ceremony to commence the construction of the new McDonalds across from the Parque de la Madre.

But more importantly the article states the following:

También abrirán un restaurante en el Mall del Río.

That says that there will be new McDonalds in the Mall Del Rio as well.

An expat with a bit of self-reflection.

“I was caught at the intersection of greed and ignorance,” said John Curtis, who said he decided to take out a certifícate of desposit with Coopera after hearing a presentation at a local chamber of commerce meeting. “I'm embarrased that I took bad advice but I really have no one to blame but myself.”

Also there was this:

Another expat, Ashley Reed, says that expats have learned a good lesson. “I hope it's not an expensive one but sometimes those are the ones you remember.”

I would like to add another lesson, which I learned long ago:

Be skeptical of what you read on the Cuenca blogs!

Nards Barley wrote:

That says that there will be new McDonalds in the Mall Del Rio as well.

There were apparently a lot of people saying that a McDonalds opening in Cuenca was the Most Horriblest Thing Ever; and another faction disagreeing, saying that it was Much Worse Than That.

If that's one McDonalds, how awful are two?

Bob

BobH wrote:

.

If that's one McDonalds, how awful are two?

double the angst I suppose.

Nards Barley wrote:

BobH wrote:

.

If that's one McDonalds, how awful are two?

double the angst I suppose.

But a certain local expert SAID that the fuss is about nothing, since they have made great strides in making healthier food, plus you get to save money by using coupons.  Who could argue with that?

mugtech wrote:

But a certain local expert SAID that the fuss is about nothing, since they have made great strides in making healthier food, plus you get to save money by using coupons.  Who could argue with that?

Then how does SAID reconcile his conclusion with the assessment reached in this recent article that customers aren't interested in eating healthy food from McDonald's?

Not Said's fault that the customers prefer big macs, calling the "salads" a healthy alternative is a joke, almost as many calories, taste bad.  Word is the salads will be gone soon.

I just got my Gringo Tree email today and it struck me as very usual that instead of giving us an excerpt of todayŽs news post from CuencaHighlife and providing a link to them, they opted for this without a link:

Rivers Rising and Dangerous

  City officials are warning residents to stay about from local rivers, which are approaching flood levels in some areas. Due to more than four inches of rain in the past week, rivers are running at 10 times their normal flow rates (72 cubic meters of water per second, compared to the normal rate of 5 to 6). The weatherman says the "dry season" is coming, but maybe not for another week or two.

While I hate to read too much into it, my guess is they didnŽt want to further annoy those who have invested in Coopera. I canŽt say I blame them.

Replying to the news of McDonald's in Ecuador, Ecuador will be importing for its citizens the unhealthy diet Americans apparently cannot resist and that has led to so many illnesses and conditions from diabetes to poor knees and hips due to "fat-assiness."

While some Latino countries, such as Panama, have fallen victim to this unhealthy living (Panas cannot get enough KFC and McDonald's) some South American cultures (Bolivia) have sent McDonald's packing after over a decade of losses.
http://www.hispanicallyspeakingnews.com … via/12787/

Hopefully, Ecuadorians will choose to let the American expats eat the Big Macs and skip the junk food for themselves.

Our little town of ashland Oregon ran Pizza Hut and McDonald's out. No customers results in no money. I'd rather eat interesting fresh no gmo Ecuadorean food anyday over cardboard tasting fare.

aterosin wrote:

Our little town of ashland Oregon ran Pizza Hut and McDonald's out. No customers results in no money. I'd rather eat interesting fresh no gmo Ecuadorean food anyday over cardboard tasting fare.

Good going.  Fresh, locally grown/raised GMO free food or processed "meat and meat bi-products"?  Not even close.

We ate dinner there tonight.The waiter talked our ears off with a Spanish-New York accent ): We had paella and A combo plate of rice,beans, firied plantains and a soy meat thinly sliced. Tea was $2 and a pineapple juice $1.50. we also ordered veggie rolls for an appetizer $3.00. our meals were each $ 4.90. the food was plain and reminded us of the fare in Costa Rico. they also added $3 onto the bill.When I asked what it was for he replied that it was a tip!!! our bill was the highest so far on this trip at $18.00. Our best meal so far has been at the Feria Libre market. A wonderful comfort lunch of pollo, rice, beans, lettuce, juice all for $1.50. very tasty and filling.

The new media law passed today. I think it is safe to say we wonŽt be reading or hearing much criticism of the government any more.http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-201 … lenews_wsj

While many an expat is not worried about the direction Ecuador is heading--many of whom considered Coopera a rock-solid place to put your life savings--others are not so sure. I am in the camp of not so sure, but taking it all in stride.

The associated press seems to think Ecuador is following the Venezuelan road map:

The measures are similar to ones enacted in Venezuela under the late President Hugo Chavez, a Correa ally. Like Chavez and his heirs, Correa has used loyal institutions including the courts to try to squelch opposition voices.

Correa is also leading a campaign among allied leftist governments in the region to limit the jurisdiction of the special rapporteur at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, who has been highly critical of his government.

Highly popular for his generous social spending. He was re-elected to a third term in February.

The New York Times has an article on the new media law and states the following:

His government has been known to interrupt critical news coverage on television by forcing stations to broadcast rebuttals giving the government point of view.

I saw this happen the other night while I was watching the 8 p.m. Ecuavisa newscast. It was the weirdest thing I had seen in a long time. They went to commercial break and there was a disclosure on the screen saying that the following announcement was not necessarily the opinion of Ecuavista. Then there was a commercial produced by the government denouncing ecuavista for something it had reported on incorrectly.

Then once the commericial was over, the newsman comes back on and defends what they had reported on originally, shaking his head.

It was surreal.

It won't affect my intent to come there, but Ecuador does certainly appear to be going down a very scary path -- a free press is essential to liberty, in my opinion.

Best of luck to them.

Speaking of censorship, the Frugals suppressed my answer to their question "We didn't get the name of the river, but perhaps someone knows and can let us all know in the comment section below".

Here was my answer, using an anonymous login account:

Allow me to say unequivocally it is the Rio Paute

It took me 5 seconds to look up the answer using a map application on my tablet. I donŽt why the Frugals didnŽt look it up themselves, given their sagacity with maps.

For the sake of the peeps, and on behalf of the Ecuadorina newspaper "El Universo", I bring to you my translation of an editorial published today titled "Editorial: A nuestros lectores".

As a result of the passage of the new media law by the national assembly, the newspaper El Universo considers it necessary to address our readers.

The Ecuadorian constitution recognizes and guarantees “the right to opine and express oneŽs thoughts freely, in all its forms and manifestations”, identifying the liberty of expression as a fundamental right and not a mere public service. The same constitution guarantees that this right will be exercised under the protection of international instruments of human rights.

The text of the new media law that just passed contains norms, sanctions and procedures that clearly restrict the exercise of the right to express oneself and to opine freely and, consequently, that of the citizens to receive those expressions or opinions, athough they are incompatible with international legal standards.

This is not the first time, and probably not the last, that those in power try to restrict the work of independent journalists in Ecuador. In our case, during the course of our 92 years of existence, the newspaper El Universo, its directors, its journalists, and its columnists have suffered closures, threats, persecutions, and attacks by those who felt uncomfortable with our editorial position.

Today begins a new chapter in this relationship between those in power and the independent press. Therefore we wish to reiterate to our readers that our policy to inform responsibly about topics of public interest, and to facilitate the opinion from a diversity of opinion continues unscathed, in accordance with the basic principles of journalism that has guided us during all these years.

BRAVO

The place I bought my current supply of coffee grounds--Cafe De Nucallacta--had a coffee tasting event at the Chamber of Commerce (Coopera promoters).

Cuencas most vivacious expat couple--the LongGoods--were there to cover the event. I would have covered it myself, but I couldnŽt afford the $15 admission fee.

Apparently there is a new technique for tasting coffee, whereby you drink it through the nose:

So......
folks with a lot of nostril hair get filtered coffee?

ZenSPIKE wrote:

So......
folks with a lot of nostril hair get filtered coffee?

Makes sense to me.

P.S.
How goes the transition to your new life in Cuenca?