new pad!

Sorry for the delay.  It has been an eventful week for us.  Prior to our arrival in Cuenca, we secured lodging for the first month at an extended-stay hotel of sorts on the advice of others who have traveled this road before us.  It was wonderful to have a roof over our heads and the staff there was enormously helpful in getting us on our feet (and helping us find the bus, and the grocery store, and get a taxi, and the list goes on and on…)  However, it was a 1-bedroom place with stark white walls and only 1 pretty horrifically uncomfortable couch.  And we were all sharing 1 bedroom.  And the windows rattled every time a bus or motorcycle passed by (approximately every 10 seconds).  And did I mention that we all shared 1 bedroom?  I don't like to complain, but we are just not a co-sleeping-kind-of-family.  So, if Week 1 could be summarized as "Keep our Heads Above Water", Week 2 was "Find a Permanent Place to Live."

I'm still amazed that we've only been here 2 weeks.  It feels like months.  And not in a bad way.  Every minute of every day just seems to slow down when even leaving the front door feels like an enormous task (do I remember what street I live on so that I can find my way back?  do I have enough money and the right kind of change for the bus?  do I need to look up any words in the Spanish/English dictionary prior to leaving so I can accomplish the task at hand?)  Every detail about where we've been seems enhanced.  So when we started looking for a permanent place to live, we quickly discovered the areas that we wanted to focus on.  We saw 4 places in the span of 3 days, each with very different pros and cons (all furnished).  There was the large, beautiful 2-bedroom, 2-floor penthouse in a safe neighborhood, but it was not within walking distance of any of the things we enjoyed and was on the 4th floor of a building without an elevator (I know that sounds like a lame "con", but our reality includes a 2 year-old.)  There was the brand-new, 2-bedroom condo in a great location with a gym and 24-hour doorman, but it was more expensive, didn't include internet, electricity, or water (a staple among most rentals in Cuenca) and your view was the neighbors' living room and the building under construction next door.  Also, the internal hallway to your front door felt like you were in a W Hotel… not sure if that is a pro or a con.  The third choice was never really a contender.

We finally settled on the 2-bedroom condo, in a great location (we are within 3 blocks of a market, the kids' favorite park, the Cuenca soccer stadium, and a 15-minute walk to the center of the city.)  It is on the 3rd floor and has no elevator, but this is the view:

And here are a few comparisons:

old living room

new living room

new living room

old bedroom

girls' new bedroom

our new bedroom

The major "con" so far is that the internet has only been available intermittently.  But it should be taken care of this week. In the meantime, we will begin Week 3…. 

"Find the Girls a School"

Good night!

--  Ileana