Our First Time Shopping in Cuenca Observations

Stores here are a bit different.  A shoe store does not sell new laces.  That’s a different store.  After all if your buying new shoes you get laces with them.  So goes the train of thought.

A store that sells cloth for sewing might not have thread.  It's just a different approach to shopping.

On our first trip to a market there were so many items we needed so we loaded up the tiny by US standards shopping cart.  While our friend Nancy guided Heather and I though the aisles explaining why one soap was better than another, I noticed a lot of stares.  And not just because I was in shorts. Or heavily tattooed, either.  Nope.  It was the gringos loading up a cart.  We were alone in doing so. Everyone else had plastic baskets on wheels that are the same size as the hand baskets back in the states.

Oh yeah.  Our hotel was only two or three blocks from the Mercado and Tienda we went to.  But after that shopping cart was emptied into bags I became a pack mule.  Stephen, Nancy's husband explained to me as we walked back that this was a common past time for most gringo men when the ladies hit the stores.  Thank God Stephen helped out and lugged the veggie Mercardo bag for me.

On that note, the stories about the sidewalks are all true.  Very tricky.  Good shoes are a must! Floridians, don't even bother to wear flip flops out.  You will regret it just as Heather did.  Her toe will heal but its did bleed a bit.  Cuenca drew first blood!  Lol

Holes, grades, metal curb “stones” to protect from cars driving on the sidewalks… Ramps built into the sidewalks and yes the terra cotta tiles that are the side walk are all a danger if you fail to use care and caution.  Walking in the rain is even more of an adventure.

Crosswalks are open season.  You have to hustle.  Cars here have right of way and some drivers make a sport of speeding up when a gringo crosses.  You have to use good judgment and hustle.

I would not consider coming to Cuenca if you are wheel chair bound.  Access is very limited.  You can get around with a cane but a walker would not work in my opinion.  If your that handicapped or mobility restricted you won't find much that’s accessible.  Stop and ask yourself if you can afford the effort its going to take to navigate the sidewalks.  Be aware and agile.

There are a lot of stores to explore here.  I can't wait to start doing so.  We have been unpacking and repacking stuff to find everything we wanted to have out in the hotel.  Now that we are not packed for a weight limit we can sort and organize better.

On another note, I had read a lot about how different the salt in Ecuador is.  That the fluoride made it taste nasty.  I can say it does not bother either Heather or myself.  It does have a different taste but it's not bad or anything.

Food here is very bland.  I think a part of that is the altitude.  Also, the Ecuadorian cheese and butter is mild in flavor.  Meats do not taste at all like they do in the states.  The majority of my food is supposed to be protein so that's something I will need to explore pretty soon.

I bought some coffee that is some of the best I have ever had.  And I expect to write a post about some of the things that we found in stores.  I like the packaging here it's less plastic and geared for smaller sizes.  No mega cans or bottles here.  That means less waste and cost. Buy as you need it, is the way to go.  That's not to say we won't have some form of rations for emergencies, it just means we will make 2-3 market trips a week and buy smaller amounts more frequently.  Less waste and that translates into less costs as well.

There is some prepared food on store shelves but it looks like either people cook or go out to eat.  Not a lot of box and can stuff.  More prepped fresh veggie mixes for soups and such.  It's a much more healthy way to live.