Pepper

Pepper: March 2001 – November 2014

One of the sweetest, kindest, gentlest, dogs ever.

He is already and will always be greatly missed.

Pepper: March 2001 – November 2014

One of the sweetest, kindest, gentlest, dogs ever.

He is/will be greatly missed.

STRUMS AND DRUMS

SAN BARTOLOME

About a week ago, Patricio took Steve and me to a small town East of Cuenca called San Bartolome.  Almost everyone in the town makes guitars, but there is one family that has been building them for centuries. I first heard of this town when I read about it in Cuenca High Life, an expat newsletter:

http://www.cuencahighlife.com/post/2012/10/27/The-guitar-makers-of-San-Bartolome-building-a-musical-tradition-in-the-high-Andes.aspx

Another short article - same place:

http://www.enchantedexpeditions.com/uncategorized/guitar-makers-of-san-bartolome/

The guitars, mandolins, and various other stringed instruments they build are beautiful.  I was hoping to talk Steve into buying one as he had sold both of his before we came down here.   He didn’t, but I think we will go back in a few weeks, and get one, as not only are they beautiful, and sound great, they would double in value as soon as we leave the valley, plus I would like to re-learn what I used to know about playing a guitar.  These guitars are world renown and have been special ordered by the likes of Freddy Fender.   Since I once again forgot the camera, a couple of YouTube links that show the exact shop we went to:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZTB1Bg7QGk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyoaxqquC8M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=la0dctp8x2k

The match boxes hold different inlay pattern pieces

And speaking of music (well, more like noise), Steve and I have found ourselves not one, but two drumming groups here in Cuenca.   It started with an announcement in Gringo Tree (related to Cuenca High Life) looking for people to join a drum circle.  I contacted them, and we joined them the following Sunday.  That fairly small group gets together for drumming for the relaxation and healing drumming is known for.  They always have some extra drums along, so we used borrowed drums and had a great time.  Then they told us of another circle that meets directly after theirs a few blocks away – so off we went to drum some more.   The second group is at a park and anyone and everyone is encouraged to stop and drum or rattle or clang or dance or whatever they feel like.  It gets huge.  By the end of the day, our fingers were numb and stiff and we felt jazzed and refreshed.  We have gone twice now, and are actively looking for drums which are hard to find in Cuenca.  Sure miss the ones we left behind.   We did find out there is a fellow who makes drums out of agave roots.   I played with one Sunday and it sounded pretty good.  

We are getting musical again, and we have met some really wonderful people.

INGAPIRCA & BIBLIAN

Last week we took a little trip to see the Inca Ruins at Ingapirca (Wall of the Inca) about 2 hours north of Cuenca, and I remembered the camera!   It was a gorgeous day and the trip was wonderful.  At 10,367 ft. it can be very windy and cold, but we lucked out with only a very light breeze and sun.  Patricio is a licensed guide for the whole country, so we got our own private tour.  The wheelchair made things interesting at times, and I couldn’t get all the way up to the Temple (lots and lots of steps), but Steve took great pictures of it and I got to see plenty. 

We are planning a trip next week to a town that specializes in guitar making.  Steve sold  both of his guitars before we made the move down here as he was concerned they would get trashed – probably rightly so.  I would like to get him playing again.  

Pictures of Ingapirca:

If you look close, you can see the temple just in front of the trees.  The area in between the temple and us is the 'Great Field" where the faithful gathered.

The round structures were storage for Andean cereals when there was surplus.  The walls behind were probably  rooms used for military purposes

Some of the many blocks which had fallen.  Note the holes.

Patricio pushing my wheelchair

Steve was trying to figure out how they got that headstone up there.

Chamber of the "house of virgins".

Top of the temple

Drainage?

 

After the visit to the ancients, we stopped at a beautiful old cathredral built high on - or actually in the mountain.  

The wall in back is the mountain!

The town of Biblian below

Again, the rock wall.  I found a great link to another blog (also using Culture Shock in the name) about this cathedral: http://cuencacultureshock.com/biblian-ecuadors-school-of-wizardry/.