I'm going to do something unforgivable in a travel blog and skip over day four of our road trip south. We saw wonderful things-- notably the ruins of Ingapirca; pics below-- but 1) I want to get theses entries up to date before I keel over from old age, and 2) I want to focus on a place we've come to love, which would be Cuenca, Ecuador.
It's not like the place had no buzz; it's been on numerous expat boards for the last decade as a great landing area. It's just that we've been several high-buzz places (San Miguel de Allende, Santa Fe, NM) and they were lovely, but basically adult Disneyland, which is not our thing. We also have a checklist for potential buy markets with twenty criteria on it, ranging from Democratic government to excellent air quality. To give you an indication how picky the list is, Baltimore, which we adore, only checked thirteen boxes and we lived quite happily there for two decades anyway.
Cuenca checked them all-- the only place (so far) which has done so.
We drove in off the PAH during a rain shower. The architecture, I noted, was generally low, with red tiled roofs and stuccoed walls, interspersed with more modern buildings. Flowers were blooming everywhere. We crossed a low bridge going over a narrow whitewater river, then another; then climbed the hill into the historic Centro district, where we were let off at our thoroughly modern hotel (the El Dorado; right off the Tranvia, Cuenca's light rail line.)
Checklist boxes: Sustainable water, Gardening, Cool architecture, Public Transportation.
We got up the next morning, ate a nice breakfast at the hotel restaurant, and set out to explore the town, since AirBnB check-in wasn't until one. Centro architecture was, unsurprisingly, much like Quito's, with old Colonial churches and administrative building and later (but still 19th century) city homes above businesses. The morning was sunny and cool, so we people-watched in one of the many Spanish-style formal parks before walking up and down the streets of Centro; checking out the mercado and the flower market and the fruit sellers. Tourists mingled with the locals, but unlike SMA, did not overwhelm them. Lunch, a typical almuerzo, was $10 for two-- we had our pick of a dozen places in a few blocks, with multiple styles and service levels. At one we walked over to our AirBnB, which was a 1BR in a primo location with high-speed internet and potable water (Cuenca has the best water in Ecuador and possibly South America. So nice to be able to get a glass from the sink again.) There was a shared washer and dryer. The monthly rental was $650 and we paid *way* too much.
Checklist boxes: Potable water, inexpensive, not too many gringos, lots of restaurants, fast reliable internet.
That afternoon we took the steps at the back of our little complex, walked down to the Rio Tomebamba, and walked along its lush green banks for a few hours while listening to the rushing water. The Cuencanos clearly took care of the river-- it wasn't pristine by any means, but erosion issues had been addressed and the banks were covered in grass and flowers and trees. The greenway stretched for miles on both sides, and even though it was a Monday, families were out playing and picnicking (this was a Cuenca thing; apparently people would wake up, go 'it's nice out' and go into work late, or leave early) and people were washing clothes in the rapids.
Checklist boxes: Green spaces, nice climate (neither too hot nor too cold), slower pace of life.
A week in, we knew we loved the place. We were also cognizant that it was not without its issues, though-- the food, while cheap and plentiful, was nowhere near as good as in Mexico, partly because Ecuadorians tend to go very light on spices. Our usual carry-out staples from Baltimore (Indian, Chinese) were now premium brands, and we could get them, but we'd pay. There is no mail delivery. None. It is difficult to get package delivery. The Presidential election was contested (and is now in the process of being re-run.) There are earthquakes and rockslides and mudslides on a regular basis.
A week after we got there, Raine started feeling bad-- she'd walk uphill for any distance at all and her heart rate would increase until her pulse felt like a hummingbird under my fingers. Panicked, she immediately filled out an online contact form for a local PCP to get checked out, figuring it would take weeks-- like back in the States-- before she might even get an appointment set.
Nope, heard back the next day. Appointment set for the day after.
We went in and the PCP did a check-up and had some questions and sent her down for bloodwork. $20 for the appointment and$115 for an enormous panel of lab tests. We blinked. She then referred Raine to a Cardiac specialist for an EKG. We got mildly panicked at that, because seeing a specialist in the states, as most of you know, can take months (which we didn't have.) And while we have emergency funds, tests are *expensive.*
Nope, two days. $40 for the specialist appointment-- including the EKG.
He did, however, want Raine to take a cardiac stress test. Again, two days. Unlike a stress test in the US, no treadmill was involved. They trick the heart with drugs delivered via IV into thinking its running. $180. Then a Cardiac CT was scheduled. This one was a lot more-- $400-- and the staff kept apologizing. They tried to run it once, but the techs couldn't take Raine's heart rate down enough to run it safely. She came back three days later after having taken meds, and got it done, though. No charge for the do-over. And there was a cardiologist in the room for the test both times. I would like to note that Ecuador has a two-tier health system. The one we used, as we did not have our cedulas, was the private (for pay) system. There is also a public health system for citizens and long-term residents, and that's free (although expats have noted the quality varies and you can wait quite a while for an appointment.) Nonetheless, we could navigate even the private healthcare system on a cash-only basis for non-emergency care, and-- just as in Mexico-- my previous glaucoma and asthma meds are available over the counter (nobody carried Simbrinza, though; I had to stock up in the EU.)
Long story short: Raine's PCP spent a literal hour going over her bloodwork and test results, noted she looked good aside from a critical Vitamin D deficiency, told her to eat blueberries and take vitamin D supplements-- and it worked. We'll see what happens when we return to 2500 meters, but so far so good.
Checklist boxes: Proximity to emergency healthcare, affordable healthcare & prescriptions.
Next, in Cuenca: Part 2: Bill and Raine Buy a Condo
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