Nomadic Texan

Oil Company Memorabilia

As we drove through the countryside and headed home we stopped an a small town about 45 miles outside of Cuenca. I really can’t remember the name of the town, but I was blown away when I walked into the gas station/convenience store. The store was new and had a fast food center with hot dogs, etc just like in the US.

Door #2

It also had a collection, behind locked glass doors of old cans of oil, advertisement pieces and many items from the oil industry. Some of these items were over 50 years old and it was obvious that this owner had a passion for Oil Industry Memorabilia. I usually don’t publish more than one photo, but given the quantity of items I am adding several photos for this day. The last photo is especially funny. It’s a Brunswick Ball Cleaner from who knows when. Enjoy!

Door #3

Door #4

Door #5

Brunswick Bowling Ball Cleaner

Hot Chocolate at the Cacao Plantation

I visited the Casa Ostrica Cacao Plantation this past Wednesday in Santa Rosa Ecuador.and learned all about chocolate and the process by which the chocolate is extracted from the beans. After grinding the beans I was extremely hot and perspiring. They served me a cup of hot chocolate and I immediately cooled off. It was so good I asked for a second cup.

It is a wonderful end result and I will never forget the fabulous taste of the fruit that surrounds the beans in the seed pod that I was fortunate enough to sample. If you ever have an opportunity to explore a Cacao Plantation do it!

Cacao Seed Pod — I Love Chocolate

After the tour of the Banana Plantation we drove thirty minutes to Santa Rosa, Ecuador in the El Oro province. This is where Casa Ostrica is located and where the Cacao Plantation is. I was so thrilled to get involved with Cacao and see what the real story is, as so many people are making a big deal about it these days. Cacao Plantations are springing up again in Columbia, Ecuador and the Ivory Coast of Africa.

In South America the Cacao operations went away at the advent of bananas popularity in the US. Now the Cacao operations are on their way back and are holding a prime place in agriculture in South America. I was honored to participate in this tour and will relay more information with an impending blog.

Minas-San Francisco Dam

The road between Cuenca and Santa Rosa, where we were heading to visit the Cacao Plantation, held many diverse geographical sights and landscapes. After you leave the general Cuenca area you hit a very dry and arid portion of the lower Andes. One of the most dramatic sight was the Hydro-Electric  Minas-San Francisco Dam construction.

It is a massive undertaking and the link will explain more in detail of the project. It is a very awesome undertaking and will generate a maximum capacity of 275 MW. We stopped and took several photos, as this will help the electric costs for all Ecuadorians.

Traditional Indigenous Dress

One still experiences the Indigenous groups from the Andes while touring Cuenca. Both men and women wear this dress and each area is identified by different colors and hat styles.

It is an explosion of variations that is unique to each of their cultures. I am fascinated by each group’s scheme and can sit and watch the wonderful parade of people walk by all day in Cuenca.

Hamburguesa Deluxe

Okay I admit it. I like to have a hamburger every once in a while. I just can’t help myself. The burgers they serve in Ecuador have a little bit different spin that we are used to in the US. If you look closely you can see there is a slice of ham on this burger, and a scrambled egg. Some restaurants offer the egg over easy.

I was slightly intimidated the first time I saw this on a menu, but it turned out to be a fantastic preparation and very tasty, You can try it at home! I just don’t think you could find this in the US for the $3.20 with tax (soft drink, fries, and deluxe burger). Saludos!!!

Artisan Ceramic Work at the Mayors Gallery

I read earlier in the day yesterday that I could go around the corner and see a few examples of Artisan work, at the Mayors Gallery on the corner of Presidente Borrero and Simon Bolivar here in Cuenca. I am always enthusiastic about seeing local artists at work, where ever in the world I travel. This turned into more of a treat than I expected.

A multitude of artists had their work displayed at the Gallery and I was very surprised at the quality and imagination of the local artists’ Thankfully I remembered my camera and took copious photos. I think I have enough for a follow up blog. Look for it in the very near future. Saludos!

Lady at the Mercado That I Buy My Fruits and Veggies From

This is the lady that I have bought all my fruits and veggies from. The bananas I bought 5 days ago are still good. She has the biggest avocados in the Mercado and looks for a green one and a ripe one for me each time I go. Her tomatoes are so tasty my mouth waters.

She goes out of her way to be nice to me and charges me a fair price, not the “Gringo” price that most of the vendors want to charge me. Best of all she is always wearing a smile even though she works seven days a week and about 14 hours a day! She is my hero!!!

A Typical Restored Door in Cuenca

I am not totally sure why I am so drawn to old doors, but I may be obsessed  when it comes to capturing the multitude of door images that abound in the world. Primarily my “Collection” is from Cuenca Ecuador and the El Centro or Old Town part of the city.

There are examples all over the world of fantastic carpentry and artwork. At least that is my interpretation. You can go to my Facebook page and see a multitude of examples from past trips. I hope that you enjoy the various photos and think they represent a segment of art as I do. Saludos!

Parque Calderon Near the New Cathedral in Cuenca

I love the old part of Cuenca. It has been around for hundreds of years and the Parque Calderon pictured above is at the center of this section of town. It is bordered on one side by the New Cathedral and on the other by the Old Cathedral built in 1557.

Both are tremendous works of art and have various artifacts from the history of Cuenca. In addition, several restaurants and ice cream shops are on the other sides. It is a landmark one does not want to miss. This photo was taken directly after a heavy rainstorm and the clouds were still hanging above the New Cathedral at the rear of the photo.

The Hats on The Airplane

As I boarded my flight in DFW heading for Miami and eventually Ecuador, I found my self sitting beside two sisters that were lovely, intelligent and worldly traveled. They both were fair skinned and blond headed, but spoke perfect Spanish. I was puzzled to say the least. We started a conversation as I inquired about the hats one of them was holding. You know how I love hats! This was after hearing them converse in excellent Spanish. I asked them where they were headed and where they lived, etc.

One was 23 and working on her Master’s thesis in London and was studying Neurology and Photography. She was mature and we discussed her eventual plans to lecture. The other happened to go to high school in Austin and now was attending The University of Texas studying Fine Arts. I was amazed and asked them how they came to be such excellent Spanish conversationalists. They replied they were raised in Argentina, Switzerland, a few other stops and had moved on.

One particular story from Sofia and Victoria was very charming and I must relay it. It seems that one of them went to school in Austin on their first day and when the teacher came to class (a male) she kissed him on both cheeks, as is custom in Argentina. The teacher immediately drew back and stated that they would have to discuss this after class. She was shocked and did not know what she had done.

The teacher after discovering her heritage, instructed her on appropriate customs in the US and relayed to her that this was inappropriate in the US. She was very upset and made sure she didn’t perform this custom again. They also told me in Switzerland that it is customary to kiss three times on the cheeks. I thought that was a little extreme. I thoroughly enjoyed an intelligent conversation with these two young ladies for two hours and was grateful I ran into them.  They proved that all is not broken in the world!

Cuenca Street Art

I absolutely love street art and actively search it out, no matter where I go in the world. Cuenca has some of the most appealing street art I have encountered. This photo was taken on a stairway from the Rio Tomebamba up to Calle Larga. The steps have wonderful art on both sides and it is mesmerizing to see. One can’t help but stop and admire the quality of the work and catch a breath or two.

A large portion of this area’s art resembles work done for the Yellow Submarine album from the Beatles in my opinion. Regardless, it is very appealing and when you visit Cuenca Ecuador make sure you search for all its valuable street art! Saludos mi amigos!

Feria Libre Mercado

I will never be able to get over the quantity and array of fresh fruits and vegetables available, in the Mercados in Cuenca. The assortments are mind boggling and I would say that I have never seen about 40% of the offerings.

As I will be there for an entire month plus a few days this time, I will certainly try to catalog and voice my opinions of the various items I digest and experiment with. I can’t wait to taste the unadulterated food products. There are no GMO’s or additives for preservation and all of the foods in Cuenca are organic. I will be in heaven!

The New Cathedral in Cuenca

The first time I visited Cuenca, I wondered off from the Casa Ordonez  boutique hotel I was staying at, to the center of old town called Parque Calderon. I noticed on one side of the park there was an elaborate cathedral and had to investigate it. This is the photo of the altar from the rear of the cathedral and shows the marble columns, floor and the gold in the altar. It was a dramatic picture in my mind and the church took many decades to construct and complete. I loved it and was felt an overwhelming peace standing in the church.

Bridge View on Spadina

I thought I might start sharing photos daily, to add to my stream and give my subscribers another avenue to share my travels. I am a very fortunate individual and sometimes run into photo opportunities that are amazing, even if only in my on eyes! Ha! As I was walking home from the Metro Convention Centre on Spadina, the last day of the TBEX  conference in Toronto recently, I looked to my right as I crossed a bridge and lo and behold there was this photo just waiting to be taken. I love the train tracks, the baseball stadium and the CNN tower. All of which play a critical role in the success of Toronto. Please let me know if this is a feature I should continue. Thank you kindly!