THREADS THAT BIND

As I'd mentioned in the last blog, I see our new home, the city of Cuenca, Ecuador, as having three distinct personalities woven into one rich tapestry. 


Cuenca originates primarily from two of Ecuador’s important indigenous populations - the Cañari and the Inca. The Cañari had originally inhabited the region, but lost their territory to the Inca just 500 years before the Spanish arrived in the 1550's. Apparently the Spaniards had come in search of “El Dorado” - the fabled “City of Gold” they'd heard the Inca had built here. Mysteriously, though, the Inca had actually abandoned the famed area before they came, and by design by the Inca or not, the Spaniards found no such thing. Ultimately, however, the result is Cuenca’s unique blended personality of very distinct heritages, religions, languages and customs.

What I find most amazing is how the indigenous peoples here have managed to preserve their history and traditions amidst the incongruous backdrop of city life. It’s unique enough to see women wearing their traditional native dress of royally colored velveteen skirts with hand-embroidered hems, their long braided hair peeking out from Panama hats (which, by the way, actually originated in Ecuador!) as they go about their daily lives. But to see them juxtaposed beside modern women in professional dress (or tight jeans) and stiletto heels walking the same cobblestone streets is even more incredible. What a wonderful world!

Typically I find indigenous people to be private; not terribly eager to engage with others outside their community. That’s not to say they are rude, just reserved, or shy ~ or maybe even humble.  Many, if not most, speak spanish as well as their native Quechua (pronounced Keechwa), or a mixture of the two. As with the vast majority of Ecuadorians, family and religion are of utmost importance. Catholicism is predominant, yet many seem to blend into it their reverence for Mother Earth (Pacha Mama), or co-existing in harmony with nature. 

Agriculture is still very much at the heart of the indigenous here. Meandering through the open markets is simply wonderful - and overwhelming. Everywhere you turn, gorgeous vegetables, fruits, grains (many I can’t yet identify), woven baskets, etc. all call out to you. And yes, there are some pretty scary-looking un-refrigerated meats and fish, too, which of course we avoid. Our favorite place, though, is a little flower market right by the cathedral. For $10 we get a huge bouquet of flowers - enough to fill several big vases. Our amiga Teresa gets a kick out of stuffing Jeff’s backpack, and then watching him drive away on his bicycle with the flowers spurting up out from behind his head. Now that’s a Gringo who gets attention and smiles all the way home!

When I look at the dignified, often weathered, faces of the indigenous people here, it stirs a nothing but wonder and respect. I watch them bathe or wash the family’s clothes in the roaring river. I marvel at both women and men carrying great loads on their backs, dependent on selling at least a few of their wares to subsist. I spy children taking care of children, pitching in to help their mothers. Strength is required of them always. Yet they laugh, and sing, and work side by side - bound together into a community richer than many of us will ever know. Community and togetherness is their key to happiness and life well-lived. Wow. What a concept...

CAPTIVATING CUENCA

Yikes! The buzzing in my ears hasn’t stopped. “Enough already!” you’re shouting. “Stop all this philosophical stuff and tell us about Cuenca!”

All right, all right. Con mucho gusto. Keep in mind, though, that we’ve only been here a few months, so experts we’re not. We’ve still got a lot more exploring to do and “flavors” to be tasted, which I promise to keep you up on. But the next few blogs will give a peek into what we’ve found so far.

CUENCA'S CHARM

Cuenca is an awesome city. Big enough to offer lots to do, yet quaint enough to get to know easily. I see it as having three distinct personalities - Spanish colonial, indigenous, and modern - all woven into one fabulous tapestry. This could take me awhile to describe, so I’ll just start with one aspect today.

OLD-WORLD SPANISH COLONIAL

One of the first things we did (and we’ve done twice more because it’s so cool), is to take a double decker bus through the city. The tour begins in “El centro” ~ the heartbeat of Cuenca ~ where you step back into spanish colonial times. You pass down cobblestone streets, past gorgeous classic buildings, museums, tree-lined river walks, stone bridges, church steeples keeping watch from every direction, and up to the hill of Turi for a fabulous overlook of the city. It’s a perfect birds-eye orientation of charming Cuenca.

The tour (and everything else) begins and ends at Parque Calderon (Calderon Park),  the quintessential hub around which everything else spins. People are everywhere ~ hustling, bustling, shopping, touring, or just spending a lazy afternoon on a park bench, enjoying the show. It’s definitely the place to see and be seen (especially Gringos - we tend to stick out, even to each other!)

Looming large over the park is the spectacular New Cathedral. Like a magnet, there’s no way to resist being drawn into its massive arched doors. Once in, despite all its grandiosity, an incredible sense of peace washes over you. Back outside, peer up at its dramatic blue domes. Wherever you go in the city, those famous icons will always 

point you in the right direction.

El Centro is definitely the area to head to to “feel” Cuenca’s vibrance ~ from its indigenous roots, spanish colonial history, to the moving and shaking spirit of today. Tomorrow I’ll take you to see more. So many “flavors” and so little time!

PURE ALCHEMY

Have you ever felt the Universe fighting you every step of the way? You know those times - when nothing ever seems to “fit”  and everything seems to be an uphill road. Or when you get stuck in what Dr. Seuss called the “Waiting Place”*. That’s the most miserable for me. I can deal with pretty much any major crisis in my life, knowing that it won’t last forever, mercifully. But the typically long-term prison of the Waiting Place is the toughest. Nothing ever budges, no matter what you do or how hard you try.

And then it happens. Little subtle and serendipitous messages start coming at you here and there.That’s when you need to pay attention. They come from outside in the world and within. They’re in new people you meet, something someone says, a magazine article you read, a sense or feeling ~ everywhere you look, it like a river of the same message shouting at you. It says, “This is the next right thing for you.”

That’s the time let go of the blockage and start to turning those messages into action. Suddenly doors will fly open and nothing will dare get in your way. Everything around you will naturally and seamlessly fall into place ~ trying isn’t even required. It’s as if the Universe has created in you this powerful new desire, and since you've recognized it, it’s willing to work together with you to make it happen. 

I would venture to say that’s how Jeff and I have ended up in Cuenca...and in Costa Rica before that...and even meeting each other before that. At each of these junctures, once the messages were received and the desire fomented, the road seemed to be paved smooth as silk. I remember both of us feeling an urgent need to leave Costa Rica, no longer believing it right for us. We knew we wanted to move on, and lo and behold, when we started looking, Cuenca kept coming into view from every direction (and we’re so glad it did!)

The whole concept of how the Universe works with us (or against, it seems) is captured beautifully in Paolo Coelho’s book The Alchemist. I happened to be reading it on the plane towards our last 'new life' in Costa Rica. It’s easy to read the parable and see this amazing force at work in our lives. Call it God, call it the Universe, call it Destiny, call it Grace. Call it anything you like, but enjoy it when it comes your way!

Have you ever recognized this force in your life? Tell us all about it!

(*Check out or revisit his wise and wonderful children’s book, “Oh, The Places You’ll Go!” It’s awesome at any age!

THE GREAT ICE CREAM SHOPPE OF LIFE

So many flavors, so little time. We spend most of our lives growing families, homes, and careers. There we go, forging ahead, and hopefully, savoring the ride along the way. Then when the day finally comes when it’s all over and you get to retire from it all, many of us ask, “NOW WHAT?

What a great opportunity. To play. Explore. Discover. Create and re~create yourself. Taste all those flavors of life you’ve yearned to. Maybe try Bon Bon, Bubble Gum, or even Grapenut. Okay, so not every taste will suit you. But at least the choices are finally yours, pressure-free.

BUT, you say. Why would I need to try anything other than my favorite chocolate chip? It tastes great and is oh, so comforting. Well, yes, you can do that, too.

Personally, the concept of chocolate-chip-forever has never suited me. "Mixing it up" every few years gives me a totally fresh take on things. And, better late than never, I met a man who is as passionate about living life as I am. So when we we took stock of who we wanted to be together, we realized that our current lifestyles simply no longer worked for us. We were living to work, paying for all the stuff that was supposed to fulfill us and never did. So that's when we stepped into the ice cream shoppe together. It was time to chuck the same-old, same-old for some brand-new and exciting flavor.

And that's when we decided to retire. Sold everything, married, and headed to Costa Rica two days later. Why not? Okay, so some of the world's flavors along the way haven't quite suited us. But at the very least they've still been interesting.

Did you ever in your life do that ~or even wanted to? Just trade in those favorite flavors of yours for something new? We'd love you to take a moment to tell us about it. Let's get this FANCY-FREE RETIREES conversation going!