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yoga

This week I saw a posting on FB of people practicing a form of yoga in a studio. Beautiful red-colored fabrics  were keeping them afloat as they glided from one position to another. It was mesmerizing to watch.

And so now when I pass the scene below with beautiful colored fabrics draped over the edge of this bridge, I finally know that yoga is being practiced across from the river with the great outdoors as the studio. 

Two different backgrounds – indoors or in nature, the energy speaks loudly both ways.

You never know what will be happening in the area of the bridge. Sometimes it’s about music, other days artists set up their paintings and sculptures, and then there are times when it’s all about crafts.


The Rio Tomebamba also has its own way of mesmerizing and, I’m thinking that it lends its energy to those practicing yoga a few steps away, and also to those people who come to enjoy its simple pleasures.



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puro café

There is a place in Cuenca where a delicious cup of coffee and home-made baked goods can be enjoyed in a relaxing outdoor setting with an expansive view. It’s at Puro Café located in back of Todos Santos on Calle Larga. And it’s obvious that Sandra, the owner (she comes from Belgium and her pastries are mighty tasty) loves what she does. 

Last week I asked Sandra how she came upon the space, thinking it must have taken a while to find. “No,” she said, “it was the second place I looked at.”  And I thought, “Good for her; it all flows.”

  

Most people I know order a cup of coffee having milk or cream, cinnamon and chocolate, etc. with a lovely chocolate and cinnamon design added on the top. Lactose intolerant me, orders plain ole Café Americano. Thankfully, Sandra put a stop to that – she prepares Café Americano with chocolate melted in. She said the chocolate won’t melt if it’s more than 55%. And so, the quality of the coffee, the way it’s prepared, along with Ecuador’s well-known chocolate, has nicely elevated Café Americano. 

The next time you’re in Cuenca, Ecuador have a look and a taste.

 The view from Puro Café.


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bamboo juice . . . *uh-oh, mistake!

How is it that I’ve never heard of, let alone tasted, bamboo juice before visiting Otovalo? It was by pure accident that I discovered a young woman hacking away at part of a bamboo tree as I passed her shop. I’ve always appreciated all that the bamboo tree gives us. So when I saw them outside adorning the entrance to a shop, I had to double back. A hearty-looking bamboo juicer was directly in front of the shop, and in the back was a counter made of . . . bamboo.

 

I had no idea what bamboo juice would taste like. So I prepared myself, and, surprise . . . it was DELICIOUS.

The young woman was so friendly. She laughed alot, tried hard to inderstand a gringo, and let me take as many photos as I wanted. As long as I’m in Otavalo, I’m a steady customer.

*uh-oh mistake . . . I’ve been told this is sugar cane and not bamboo. : (

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a quiet presence

This sweet, sweet babe was carefully bundled, and tied to the mother’s body. They were walking in front of me, and I wanted to take a picture of the beauty of this tiny face sleeping so tranquilly.IMG_1907.JPGSo I gently tapped the mother’s shoulder. I was careful when I did this because I can tell it’s sometimes a bit disconcerting to turn around and be face to face with a gringo. I smiled and asked to take a picture of them. The mother was shy, she hesitated, then shook her head yes, and motioned to the baby; she turned her face away from the camera as I took the picture. Muchas gracias, I quickly said, as the mother walked away. I wanted to capture their quiet presence.

That’s all I have to say about those lovely few minutes.

Enjoy a day that’s extraordinary.

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“Eating leisurely is especially important where children are concerned. They are not only assimilating their oatmeal; they are absorbing everything they see and hear. It is a great disservice to try to hurry them through a meal. We need to give them time to ask questions that cannot be answered, to tell stories punctuated by long pauses while they search for a particular word, even to upset a glass of milk, and still get off to school on time; all this is part of a loving breakfast.” – Eknath Easwaran from the Summer 2009 issue of the Blue Mountain Journal, “Learning to Love

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88 steps

IMG_1871-1.JPG These 88 steps lead up to Hermano Miguel and Calle Larga to the beautiful old historic El Centro, and down to the Rio Tomebamba and over to Parque de la Madre where you’ll find the new part of Cuenca.

When walking up or down the steps you’ll often see young people proudly selling the nicely-displayed jewelry they’ve made. And at times there are musicians playing, and when they play certain music, they’ll have you feeling the beat as you walk up or down those 88 steps.

These steps have seen a lot of history – they’re worn; they have lots of character; and somehow they impart good energy. There are other stairs leading from the old to the new Cuenca; these though seem somehow different.

Also, tucked away at the half way point is Wunderbar Café. It’s easy to miss, but you don’t want to by-pass it because there you’ll find a charming garden and an equally charming waitstaff, along with good coffee and chocolate cake.

Okay, I’m heading for those stairs now . . . away I go.

Are you having a good day?

 

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good idea?

Let’s let any stress we’re feeling today melt away . . . and have a Saturday of pure enjoyment. Good idea?

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Simply be who you are, do what you do best, be where you are called by joy, and let life work its magic on your behalf.
~ Alan Cohen

If anyone tries to complicate your life, turn and walk away from them.
– Caroline Myss

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dr. seuss

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@TheRealPsychics: “Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!

I really like the above quote. Oh how the memories return of how much fun it was to read his books to my children.
www.seussville.com

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quiet by susan cain

I found a book at Carolina Bookstore in Cuenca; it’s called Quiet The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking. It’s written by Susan Cain. I don’t think this book could have been written any better. To read it is to have a clear understanding of what it means to be an introvert. And, if you’re an extrovert, you’ll discover things about yourself that will enhance your life; things you never stopped to think about before because you were always so busy. I’m an introvert and, for most of my life, have been surrounded by a lot of extroverts. And, so I say, If you’re an introvert Quiet will rescue you from thinking you’re a bit anti-social. And if you’re an extrovert, Quiet will enhance your life by giving you a chance to take a breather from your daily strivings. So . . . introvert and extrovert, this well-researched, wonderfully interesting, completely absorbing book just might give you both a new lease on life.

Could Quiet possibly be one of the best books extroverts and introverts can give each other – on this special day? Quite possibly, yes.

Happy Valentine’s Day and ¡Feliz Día de la Amistad! (Day of Friendship in Latin America) to all you introverts and extroverts!

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