I have never lived this close to the sky

Your soul will let you know when you have found your spot in the world to call home… Kat Graham

Until now, I have always lived at sea level. For the first 20+ years within walking distance to the beach. And when you live that close to the ocean you cannot help but become intimate with the sky. The vastness of the ocean is the perfect panorama for the sky to offer you a never-ending stream of entertainment. You cannot grow up in Hawaii without noticing the sky. It is incredibly demanding of your awareness and fascination. At any time during the day, if you paid attention, you could read the sky and know the weather for the remainder of the day – honest. A flat bottom under fluffy cumulonimbus clouds confirms the trade winds were in motion. If those fluffy white clouds come along with a straight line of pink clouds, you would know the sky is calm with another beautiful day in paradise ahead for you.

Today I live under a totally different sky. And I am mesmerized by how close I feel to the dance of movement that continually plays with the clouds. Shortly after we moved to Cuenca, Ecuador I was on our terrace one morning, and I noticed the distingue shift in the sun. We face directly west and the sun was noticeably beginning its march to the north. On that day I felt as if I could reach up and touch the billowing white clouds moving above me.

With the amazing sky above me and my feet firmly planted in the Andes mountains (from the Quichua word “Anti” which means – where the sun rises.) I am able to take in the rich vibrant vista that contributes to the beauty of Santa Ana de Los Cuatro Rios de Cuenca. Or, as we like to refer to it as Cuenca. Cuenca is the third-largest city in Ecuador and the capital of Azuay Province. One of our four rivers; the Tomebamba is named after the original Inca city that Cuenca was built over in the 16th century. The city of Tomebamba was home to the Inca King Huayna-Cápac and the second-largest city in the Inca Empire after Cuzco, Peru.

Cuenca sits in a beautiful valley with endless views of the surrounding Andes mountains. The near-perfect year-round weather is compliments of our proximity to the Equator, which among other contributions gives us equal twelve hours of light and darkness. The sun goes down around 6:00pm and pops up again at 6:00am. With such an active sky we can usually begin our day with abundant sunshine. The warmth of which you want to devour before the sun is kidnapped by a billowing cloud. Hopefully to be released in time for yet another glorious sunset.

Our relatively mild rainy season assures us of year-round green velvet-like vistas. And abundant acres of roses of such magnificence that they are exported around the world. Cuenca is the cultural center of the handicraft tradition that has existed in the valley for hundreds of years. This tradition of weaving, knitting, both gold and silver filigree jewelry, pottery, woodwork, basket-work, and other crafts has paved the way for the vibrant art community of Galleries, Museums, live theater, and music. There are outdoor art installations throughout the city, that continues to surprise. Street art flourishes with murals, both planned and unplanned. All of which brings together and highlights the artistic talent that resides here.

A friend once asked, “so, where do you want to live when you no longer have to work 12hr days?” I answered, Los Olivos, Santa Ynez Valley, CA. Santa Barbara | Central Coast wine country. When that didn’t work out we began looking internationally. And here we are. We are heading into year three. Some would say, “oh, you’re still in the honeymoon stage + love everything!” I love a good honeymoon and I am infatuated with our new life. Every day I am reminded how lucky we are. Even in these tense/unsure times, it is reassuring to be here. And, what you ask makes it so darn special down here? It’s a two word answer: The people.

You never lose sight of the fact that you are immersed in a different culture. This culture is by nature: kind, loving, multi-generational, attached to the earth, and hard working. The majority of the indigenous peoples dress in their traditional clothing. Which is a never-ending feast for the eyes. They respond when you smile and say hello. Three or four people will pop up to pay your bus fare if your card has run out of money. They have been known to walk you to a destination if you ask for directions. The accolades go on. Of course, there is the flip side, which all cities have, but crime is low here. Cuenca is considered one of the safest cities in South America. In the first half of 2019, there were 10 violent crimes in Cuenca.

I did a little ‘armchair’ survey among the ex-pat community. I asked for their 3 favorite things and their 3 not so favorite things. It was fun to hear and read the responses. There were a couple of ties!

• Number One: The people of Ecuador. For all of the reasons, I gave above.
• Number Two: The walkability of Cuenca. Everyone walks here. You can walk along the rivers to your destination. You can cut through any number of parks. You can hang out in Parque Calderon and watch the world go by. My husband and I no longer have to own a car. If we don’t want to walk, we can hail a taxi.
• Number Two-b: The weather. It’s pretty darn perfect. I’m personally happy with sunny, blue sky, white clouds kinda day…But, I have to say I love those dark clouds that roll in over the Cajas National Park, about 3:00pm. You always know it is going to rain – the wind starts whipping around, the temperature drops, and the thunder rolls in like an old noisy locomotive. Yes, you always carry a small umbrella…
• Number Three: Friendships. It is very easy to meet people here. You can be relaxing over lunch in an outdoor riverside restaurant. And before you know it you are in a lively conversation with the people next to you. It’s a very social city, or at least it was! Like the rest of the world, we have been in lockdown and are just slowly reemerging. For us, it means having one or two friends over to our apartment for lunch.
• Number Three-b: Affordability. You can live very nicely in Cuenca, for not a lot of money. The majority of rents are well below $1,000. per month. You can shop at a supermarket or one of the dozens of Mercado’s around the city. Fresh, healthy, locally grown fruits and vegetables are more than abundant and delicious. I have never had produce last as long as it does here. Most of what I buy was unearthed in less than 24hrs before the Mercado. It’s lovely to know the farmers and personally thank them for the bounty.

The not so favorite things: It’s a short list.

• Number One: No International flights direct from or to Cuenca. There are plans for a new larger, International Airport. But, for now, we have one small terminal with flights to and from Quito/the capitol and Guayaquil/the largest city. Both of them have very large International Airports. Guayaquil is on the cost and a 2+hr drive. Quito is an hour flight from Cuenca.
• Number Two: No Amazon delivery — no matter what — the duty is very high. We do have private companies that will transport goods for you. Not inexpensive, but less than duty.
• Number Three: No mail delivery…Gee, who do you know that would love that come November!!!

Well, my three favorites are…The Sky. The people. The friendships. I’ll keep the remaining zillion things I adore about living here, until the next blog post.

I’m curious; if you live in Cuenca or another foreign city — what are your top 3 + 3? Let me know.