I know you’re asking, where have you been?

“The life you have led does not need to be the only life you have.” Anna Qindlen.

I’ve been exploring for a few years – that’s where I’ve have been! And what an adventure.

In 2014, my husband, Arthur, and I took our first trip of exploration of South America as a possible phase four landing [retirement] destination. We thought Uruguay was going to be the country of our dreams. Lesson number one when exploring – you cannot believe everything you read. And we – really me – read a lot.

Uruguay is small and lovely, so we pretty much covered the entire country in three + weeks. We drove east from the enchanting town of Colonia del Sacramento in the far west to the border of Brazil in the far east.

In between, we explored the wine country, dropped into Montevideo for a few days of culture, and walks along the endless La Rambla.

We ate steak and sausage at Mercado del Puerto and drank deep, bold endless amounts of Uruguay’s Tannat wine. There are many, happy, ex-pats in Uruguay, but at the end of the trip, this charming country was not for us. We were looking for more diversity in the people and more visibility of the culture.

We crossed the Rio Plata and spent a number of days in Buenos Aires. This big, cosmopolitan capital of Argentina is magnificent. The tree-lined boulevards, the architecture, the food and least we forget – the music – the dance – the Tango!! We thought; could we live here? Perhaps for a few months, or a few Tango lessons, but not full time.

Over the next two years, we continued our exploration through South America. Medellin, Colombia, was high on the ‘maybe list.’ It is a totally modern city, housing over two million residents in multiple, stunning, high-rise apartment buildings running up one side and down the other of all 7 major hills in the city.

Medillin, even with all the construction, has maintained a beautiful hue of green. The vast amount of trees and gardens throughout the city was impressive. We loved the location with easy access to the US and Mexico, but again – not for us.

Quito, the capital of Ecuador was next on the exploration agenda. This dramatic, former Incan City, stands at 9350 feet above sea level in the foothills of the Andean mountains. Quito is rich with 16th and 17th century, well-preserved architecture throughout the city, and most prominent in the Unesco World Heritage Center. We met up with friends that had recently relocated from the US. Both former New York City dwellers that adore the city, Quito reminds them of the hustle and bustle of Manhattan. We, on the other hand, wanted a smaller city with a slower pace.

I think Willie Nelson was traveling with us, we were definitely ‘On the Road Again!’ Due south, about 500 miles from Quito is the charming city of Cuenca, one of the jewels of Ecuador. Like Quito, Cuenca is a World Heritage Center and on a quiet Sunday morning, you feel as if you are transported back in time.

Since we had arrived late on Saturday night, we did not explore until Sunday morning. Sunday is a quiet family day in most of Ecuador. The majority of stores and restaurants are closed, the streets are pretty much empty and most people are home with their families. The atmosphere is ‘muy tranquilo.’ In the middle of the historical center is Parque Calderon, the heart of Cuenca.

On the north side of the park is a large round pergola/bandstand, framed by blooming flowers and shrubs. On the surrounding benches a few older men and women, dressed in their hand made sombreros and velvet embroidered skirts listened as three musicians played guitars and sang a melodic Spanish bolero.

The entire scene stopped me. I was in awe of the towering pines over 150 years old, growing next to massive palm trees and lush rose bushes. The abundance of greenery and flowers, the spotless walkways. Along with the sound of the guitars wafting through the misty morning was magical. At that moment, I looked up and told my husband, Arthur, “this is it, this is where I want to live – here, in Cuenca!”

To be continued – Part 2 | The move from California to Cuenca.