cafe, tinto, por favor. Gracias.

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Nescafe is usually served in many restaurants in Cuenca. I can’t help but wonder how that ever happened. Thankfully, there are two places a few busy blocks from where I live, the El Centro area, that have coffee from Loja, the southern part of Ecuador. And that is something to get really excited about.

20130827-164846.jpg walking down the block the smell of coffee attacks. I like that.

20130827-165230.jpg It was necessary to substitute my wonderful French Press for what is seen in the pitcher in the photo. That’s when I discovered that as long as quality coffee is put into that little white (well, it used to be white) bag, along with the right coffee to water measurement, the end result is as good as making it in a French Press – a little more work, but worth it.

20130827-165844.jpg My Spanish is non-existent at the moment, which means I go along the streets and enter shops unable to ask the simplest of questions.

20130827-170911.jpgThe young person in the photo next to the coffee grinder works at the cafe where people happily purchase a cup, or a pound. She’s very good at pantomiming, and for now that is our form of communication.

I’m still waiting for the sun to stay long enough to warm an apartment made of stone and cement. It’s chilly in Cuenca, Ecuador. Should you decide to vacation here, bring a few warm clothes, oh, yes, and an umbrella.

Let’s wish each other the loveliest of evenings.

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“Not all who wander are lost.” J.R.R. Tolkien

“Ever since happiness heard your name, it has been running through the streets trying to find you.” – Hafiz

“Emancipate yourself from mental slavery; none but ourselves can free our minds.” – Bob Marley

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