The Bowen Knot ⌘: Mama and Dan's Day Out! Shopping at the Rotary and at Feira Libre Mercado in Cuenca!

Friday, April 24, 2015

Mama and Dan's Day Out! Shopping at the Rotary and at Feira Libre Mercado in Cuenca!

Yesterday morning, Mama and Dan headed out to the Rotary to look for some new household furniture and two unfinished desks. Plus, Mama was on the hunt for some local chachkies and Dan was looking to have some fun bartering for the items found.

The shelf they got me for $15.00US

Inside the top section of my shelf :-)

1 of 2 of the Desk we got for $45.00US each including Delivery

Once they arrived home they showed me all their purchases and my new shelf which they were able to bring it home in the trunk of their Taxi. The two desks and Mama's new nightstand were delivered about 2 hours after they arrived home.

While we were organizing the apartment Dan walked about 7 blocks (14 blocks round trip) to the Feira Libre open-air mercado to pick up some fresh produce. All around the city of Cuenca you can find mercados. Each one has a name that goes along with a major event in either Cuenca or in Ecuadorian history. Here are the most common outdoor markets in the city:

3 de Noviembre (Independence date of Cuenca)
9 de Octobre (Independence date of of Guayaquil)
10 de Agosto (Independence of Ecuador from Spain)
12 de Abril (Foundation date of Cuenca)
27 de Febrero (Independence date of Quito)

However, the biggest open-air mercado by far is the Feria Libre "Free Fair." The name was given because many moons ago the stalls were available for free. That is no longer the case, but the name carried on. The Feria Libre is where most of the local mercado's and tia's purchase their products. These mercados are a wonderful place for us to buy fresh veggies and fresh fruits. Note: we have to really be careful to clean everything really well to rid the items of parasites that are prevalent in the produce. They also sell various meats, fish, prepared for sale meals, some home supplies, some clothing. It is a wonderful place to shop and people watch. It truly is the real Ecuador and it is filled with many kind and friendly indigenous people. We are lucky enough to live so close. This should help us stay within out monthly budget.

On Dan's way back home from Feria Libre he stopped in a little bakery and picked up a few yummy surprises for Mama and I. I Love That Man! He has a heart of gold and I'm so glad dreams do come true. I should have never let him go back when we were 19 and 20 years old. I just wish my step daughters Danielle and Emma could be sharing in some of our experiences. They should be able to share time with there dad. We see little girls often and think how they could be enjoying some amazing experiences of a lifetime. Hopefully, in the future things will change. Danielle and Emma, we love you and think and talk about you all the time.

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About Our Blog

Our blog is about a lot of things. Our daily lives, our move to Ecuador, and the vacations we plan to have. Please read and follow our travels through life. We welcome comments! Making friends along the way would also be great. People have described us as being colorful and animated. Our family looks at a glass and always considers it to be half full. We have an easy going attitude. We think things should get accomplished and that in the process you can still have fun. Feel free to come along on our families journey.

The Bowen Knot - Shamrock Rating System

One Shamrock: This indicates the worst service possible. If awarded, it means we would never EVER use the service again. If it was a food establishment the food was barely editable. This means a complete fail with little to no redeeming features. We will never go there ever again.

Two Shamrocks: This is a service that we might consider using again to give it a second chance. But, the experience that we had would normally cause us to award one shamrock if not for some key redeeming features. If it was a food establishment the food was okay, but still sub-par. We didn't like the food. Serious room for improvement exists.

Three Shamrocks: Normal middle of the road service. We might have had some bad or some good but they were offset somewhat. This is service we would use again but we will look for a better provider. If it was a food establishment the food was good. We like it and will return. There might be room for things to get better but it is still a decent meal.

Four Shamrocks: Great service. This is a definitive repeat for us. We like a lot about the service and recommend it. If it was a food establishment the food was excellent. We liked it a lot. We like the place enough to return frequently. There are very few detractors.

Five Shamrocks: Outstanding service. This is service that treats us above and beyond what we think we deserve. We consider this what we would want to find all the time and what we hope all service providers would want to obtain. If it was a food establishment the food was perfect. No issues whatsoever. We loved it and would eat there everyday.