Cuenca, our first month ...

A portion of the beautiful mosaic tile along the stairs to the river.

Welcome to Santa Ana de los Cuatro Rios de Cuenca, a city of approximately 400,000 inhabitants located 8000 feet above sea level in the Andes Mountains of northern Ecuador. It is a Spanish colonial city and its el centro (downtown) district has been declared a Unesco World Heritage Site. Cuenca (pronounced coo-ENK-ah) boasts beautiful buildings (especially churches), pristine parks, a myriad of great restaurants, a lively arts scene and four rivers (cuatro rios). The Ecuadorian government is a great supporter of the arts and therefore entrance to most of the museums and concerts is free.

Let me back up a few steps. We left Auckland, New Zealand at 11:45 p.m. on the 29th of March and, after airport layovers in Los Angles, Panama City, and Quito, we arrived in Cuenca some 40 hours later. Flying across the international date line allowed us to live Saturday, March 29th twice, making me feel somewhat like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day.

We rented a condo for April and May only a few blocks from Cuenca's el centro. Our landlords, Tom and Jaudon, picked us up at the airport and helped us get settled nicely into our temporary home, even treating us to a wonderful meal at Roux, one of the many fine restaurants in Cuenca. The city has seen a significant rise in the number of expats from both America and Canada because of the low cost of living, the year-round spring temperatures as well as Cuenca's reputation as being a safe and welcoming city. Not to suggest that there is no crime here (one of our friends had her earrings ripped right out of her ears on a busy street in the middle of the day just 15 minutes before we met her for the first time) but I don't suppose a crime-free city exists anywhere.

I mentioned that Cuenca is 8000 feet above sea level and altitude sickness was our first visitor here. Pounding headaches and gasping for air were the norm for the first several days before we became somewhat acclimatized. Even now, a month later, we are still not used to the thin air though.
Our only trip outside of Cuenca so far has been a trip to Guyaquil, the country's largest city at approximately 3 million people. We accompanied Tom and Jaudon on the drive through the Cajas mountain range and after twisting and turning for 3 hours through the mountain roads we arrived at Guayaquil where it was 8000 feet lower and 15 degrees Celsius hotter. I am sure that the city has many positive features but all we had heard before the trip was about how dangerous a city it was. Anyway, after lunch at a hotel we went into a nearby park which is famous for its iguanas (see pictures) and enjoyed the spectacle. 
As we did in Thailand, we have once again become involved in a local community theatre group here in Cuenca. This one is brand new and the first performance is next weekend, a series of one act plays. Sarah has a role in a play called Ambivalent in which she plays a woman trying to calm a group of people who fear that their plane may crash. I am using my technical skills in the area of stage managing and lighting. Que Dios now ayude! (God help us)

Cost of living and climate are two of the factors which are coaxing foreigners, especially retirees on a fixed income, to Cuenca. A single person could easily live a nice lifestyle on $1000 a month, including rent and health insurance. Apparently the minimum wage here is $83 per week so prices obviously have to be quite low for most to even survive. Take a cab anywhere in the city for $3 maximum. Buses cost 25 cents. Last night we went to a nice restaurant for a nightcap and spent $6 on two beers and a glass of wine. As for climate, because of its location in the mountains, every day in the year feels like a nice spring day. However, we did arrive in what's considered their rainy season so there are more clouds than we've become used to. But after the heat and humidity of Thailand, this climate feels like heaven. For those who like the superhot temperatures, your spot would be just a few hours away on Ecuador's west coast in a place such as Salinas.

Until next time ........... 

Our street, Simon Boulivar, is the main parade route.

Every weekend ...

... is a celebration!

Our first coffee shop - Magnolia.

The stairs with the mosaic tile.

Part of the path along the river ...

... that I jog along a few times a week.

Sans Sabastian Church, ...

... park and delicious eatery.

This building is kitty corner to us. Great Italian food!

Our building courtyard.

The courtyard from our condo/loft door.

The amazing cathedral.

Always something happening in ...

... Parque Calderon

All ages enjoy the park.

Looking up at the Cathedral

The Cathedral main entrance.

Selling candles for church goers.

The flower market near the Cathedral.

Beautiful displays.

Entertainment in one of the park cafes.

How to take your kid to work.

Can we take your photo? "NO"

Local artisans selling their wares.

Our view for lunch in Guayaquil.

A Guayaquil cathedral.

The main entrance.

Iguana park - pigeon for lunch?

Auckland

Auckland : Click here for all the Auckland photos

Our last city before we leave. 1.4 million people live here among the volcanos. It's a beautiful bustling city. I love that at the crosswalks, traffic stops in all directions so you can cross diagonal if you want! Pretty cool. 

We checked into our hotel , went for a stroll around and found a nice little pizza bar with some live music for dinner.

On Friday the 28th, we did the hop on hop off tour in the morning and in the afternoon we took the ferry across to a little town called Devonport and climbed Mt. Victoria for a great view of the Harbour. 

In the evening we met up with Wayne, a friend of Stephen's ( Mike's brother ) from Queens. Wayne has now lived in NZ for 25 years. He took us to his favourite Spanish restaurant where he made sure we got a taste of all things NZ. We ate shrimp, calamari, fish and lamb. I had to draw the line at mussels. I wasn't ready for that.

    Wayne, monster shrimp, Mike's lamb

On Saturday we got back on the ferry and this time went to the island of Rangitoto. A volcano that erupted only 600 years ago. You can still see piles and piles of lava. We climbed to the top and once again had lovely views of Auckland city and the surrounding islands. We also witnessed a marriage proposal at the top. An American couple on vacation with their family. That was pretty neat!

    Made it to the top, so much lava

 In the afternoon, Wayne took us to Muriwai Beach on the west coast of Auckland. What an amazing sight! The beach is so long and flat that it's an official highway with speed signs and everything. With a 4 wheel drive vehicle, you can drive on it .... For miles!!! The waves were almost dangerous looking, they were so big. There were a lot of people out there with dirt bikes, 4 wheelers and other toys. 

After the beach we returned to another Spanish restaurant for one last delicious meal in NZ. 

What a trip! 3 weeks is only long enough to get a little taste of this country but we are ready to move on. 

Next stop, Cuenca Ecuador!!

Whakatane, Rotorua and Tauranga

Whakatane : Click here for all the Whakatane photos

March 24 - This morning, after making me a delicious flat white with his fancy espresso machine, John took us on a tour of his favourite spots in Whakatane. Highlights were beautiful black sand beaches and volcanoes. ( One of them is active! )

Rotorua : Click here for the Rotorua photos

Back to Rotorua, we went to Whakarewarewa The Living Village where we saw a little bit of all the geothermal activity in the area including a geyser, boiling pools of mud and steaming colorful lakes. We also watched a Maori Cultural performance which included the famous Haka ( war dance ).

P.s. In Maori language, the letters "wh" together make an "f" sound. 

Tauranga: Click here for all the Tauranga photos

Checked in at the Roselands Motel on Brown St. Walked downtown to The Strand for dinner. Had a nice relaxing evening.

Mar 25 - Morning coffee at Starbucks! Strolled through the downtown area and window shopped. Went on a hike up Mt Maunganui ( an inactive volcano ) and a drive along the beautiful beach.

We met Maureen and Paul's friend Jan! She took us to a hot pool. It's pure hot mineral water from the ground. No chemicals used. They drain it every night. Makes your skin very soft. After a good soak, we went to Jan's place for tea and a biscuit. 

Mar 26th - Morning walk around the base of the mountain ( 3 kms ) and a little shopping and lunch.

In the evening we had Fish and Chips in the harbour with Jan, her daughter Erin, Erin's husband Malcolm and their 2 month old baby boy, Corbin. I nursed the baby while his parents ate. ( don't worry, "nursing" the baby just means "holding" the baby in kiwi talk ) After dinner Jan took us on a night time nature walk at McLarens Waterfall to see the glow worms. They light up like Christmas lights!

Today, we're off to Auckland .... The last leg of our journey before we leave for Ecuador. 

Until next time ...

Picton, Palmerston North, Taupo, Hamilton and Rotorua

Observations continued...

Picton: For all the Picton photos click here

I forgot to mention, as we drove along the coast towards Picton, we saw seals sunbathing on the rocky shore. Lots and lots of them.

We did go on a walking trail this morning. Love to get in some exercise to offset all the driving. 

Headed back to the North Island on the ferry. We were in the first batch of cars to load and the very last car to unload. There should have been some sort of prize for waiting the longest. 

Palmerston North - Click here for all the photos from Palmerston North

Paul & Maureen's home 30 years ago.

Staying at motel called The Fitzherbert Castle.

Went to Paul's home away from home, the Albert Street Sports Bar.

Took photos of both the bar and 146 Albert where Maureen and Paul used to live. We couldn't find a 41 Albert. There was a 39 and 43 but no 41. 

Went on our own little walking tour of downtown, the museum and the square. Found a Regent Theatre! ( we have one in Picton, ON )

Parked at the end of Albert Street and walked along a beautiful trail beside the river. 

Went to a Thai restaurant for supper. It was good but not sure any Thai food outside of Thailand is going to ever compare. The cost was $58. In Chiang Mai, we would have paid $14 which includes the cost of a glass of wine each. One thing that Thailand doesn't have is good wine. The wine in New Zealand has been fantastic! You can buy a good bottle for $12 but a glass in a restaurant will cost $9.

Taupo 

We stopped in Taupo, home of New Zealand's largest lake, for a picnic lunch and some coffee on our way to Hamilton. No time to stop at the waterfall today, we have friends to visit!

Hamilton : Click here for all the Hamilton photos

Met with Maureen & Paul's friends Tony & Dianne. They took us to a Mongolian restaurant for dinner where you create your own stir-fry and it was all you can eat. So good! Then we went on a bit of a nighttime tour of the city. 

On Saturday we met with a friend and former neighbour from Picton who now lives in New Zealand. Devon, her partner, Grant and their adorable daughter, Kennedy took us to the beach to see the black sand and then around to the Ocean to watch the surfers.

p.s. Flip flops are called jandals here. 

p.s.s. Eating fish and chips on the beach is a real "kiwi" thing to do. So we did it and it was delicious!!

Rotorua : Click here for all the Agrodome photos

There is so much to do here! 

We collected information and went out for lunch to discuss our plan. ( and use the internet ) 

We decided to go to the Agrodome today and come back again tomorrow. At the Agrodome we saw the Farm Show and learned about 19 different breeds of sheep. The Merino is the king. His wool is the softest, warmest and of course, the most expensive. 

Our next visit was with John in Whakatane.  He made us a wonderful barbecue steak supper, gave us some good "Paul" stories and has advised us on the best place to go back to in Rotorua. 

More to come ....

Franz Joseph, Christchurch, Kaikoura and Picton

Observations in no particular order

Franz Joseph: Click here for the link to all the Franz Joseph photos

1) glacier has melted quite a bit in the last 4 years (alarming perhaps?)

2) beautiful snow cap mountains 

3) helicopter only safe way to directly explore glaciers in this area ( at $300 per person, we skipped this option )

4) ice blue water river

5) grey glacial rushing water river

6) the trail we took to see the glacier had 3 waterfalls, a fantastic surprise

7) another great motel room with glacier view and free wifi!

8) perfect weather

9) pesky tiny biting sand flies 

10) hiking trails beautifully groomed and clearly marked

11) drive - long and winding roads through mountains ... Tricky especially from the right side of the car on the left side of the road. 

12) prices continue to be high. ex) Hamburger and fries $18.

13) the land of "one lane only" bridges

Christchurch : Click here for the link to the Christchurch photos

Arthur's pass was a challenging drive through mountains. I took a turn at the wheel and we didn't die!

Deans Bush Motel, Riccarton Ave, they gave us a two bedroom unit for the price of a studio!

Rain, Rain, Rain and wind all day thanks to cyclone Lucy. 

Went to the museum and then the Antarctic Centre where the mini blue penguins live and there is a blizzard. It felt just like Canada. We didn't stay very long. We already know what -20 feels like.

Next day, beautiful and sunny. Went on a 3 hour bus tour of the city. The earthquake from Feb 23, 2011 was devastating to the area. It will take 20 years to repair all the damage. 

Peninsula overlooking sea and city is a windy narrow road way up a mountain. Re:start mall built with shipping containers. Very smart idea!

Picnic Lunch at Amberley Beach on our way to Kaikoura. Our first real look at the South Pacific Ocean. 

St. Patricks Day Party tonight!! We found a bar with 2 bands playing Irish music. Happy St. Patty's Day!

(Music turned out to be NOT Irish. But it was nice to see so many people in a small town)

Kaikoura: Click here for all the Kaikoura photos

Very small ocean town made famous for it's tours to see whales, ocean birds and to swim with dolphins and seals. We only stayed here for the night.

Picton

Picton is a beautiful little town where the ferry terminal is. We are parking here for tonight. Exploring a few trails in the morning before heading back on the ferry for the North Island. 

P.s. All the photos will come later when I can get them off the camera. For now, iPhone photos will have to do. 

Wellington, New Zealand

Observations from Wellington: Click here for all the Wellington photos

1) this city is full of joggers!

2) extremely hilly landscape

3) very expensive

4) clean, beautiful city

5) love the fall-like temperature 

6) Botanical Gardens are amazing. Lots of walking paths and very well marked for visitors. The view of the city from the top of the cable car is spectacular!

7) Te Papa "our place" Museum is wonderful, free and interactive. 

8) Cuba Street and outdoor mall - amazing

9) it's not a "cooler", it's a "chilly bin"

10) Shepherds Arms Hotel, Restaurant and Bar is a great place to stay, drink & eat. 

11) a game called Netball ( mostly played by women ) seems to be very popular sport on TV

Farewell Thailand

Mike has put together a video to try and summarize our time here in Thailand. We've had such a great adventure and are sad to be leaving but at the same time excited for what's yet to come. 

FINAL POST VIDEO

Until next time ....