Yesterday morning we got to meet with Randy and Karen, retired 'gringos' who live in Cuenca. They moved here just about a month and a half ago and are figuring out life in Ecuador. I loved hearing about their adventures as they figured out bus routes, taxis, shopping, etc. The best part, they lived in Ellensburg for 17 years and then moved to the Tri-cities for another significant amount of time! It was wonderful to get to talk to Washingtonians and to get to know more gringos in the city of Cuenca! Karen and Randy are really wonderful people and we will definitely be seeing them again. Oh, and they also have a blog, so if you'd like to follow them on their adventures in Ecuador you can do so.
The treated us to breakfast at the California Kitchen (which appears to also be owned by gringos) and we appreciated having bottomless coffee (unheard of here in Ecuador) and wonderful U.S. customer service! They have a basic website that doesn't have much detail about their menu selection, but it does have their address and contact information. Just in case though, they are located inside of a colonial era building on the corner of Gaspar Sangurima and Borrero. Their prices were good, but definitely gringo prices as opposed to local prices. You can usually eat breakfast in Cuenca at a local place for $1.50 and you get bread, eggs, cheese, and coffee (or a humita and coffee yum!). At California Kitchen I ordered granola which ran about $2.10 and then coffee which was $1.00. So, as I said, not bad, but more expensive than eating at a very local joint. The food was great and I would definitely recommend them!
Karen and Randy also introduced us to Jen Bluefields, an Australian expat who also lives in Cuenca. She and her husband Christopher (who I did not meet, but know his name from their website) own the Kookaburra Cafe in Cuenca. Karen introduced us because there is a gringo working at the Kookaburra whose wife is also pregnant... or was it the pregnant lady works at the Kookaburra... I can't remember (prego brain), but us pregnant ladies have to stick together. Jen was a delightful individual and I'm sure Arturo and I will be heading to the Kookaburra Cafe soon to have coffee and/or breakfast (perhaps we'll even take Karen and Randy since they took us out for breakfast last time).
I can't wait to meet more expats and start building up a bit of home away from home.
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