Amauta

Our Spanish group for the last two weeks -- a fascinating bunch of world travellers, an anesthetist and a pharmacist (both women), a dentist and some students from the business and education sectors.


If you have any thoughts about learning Spanish, Amauta is a great school that has one on one classes and excellent personal attention from the staff. My instructor is on the centre left. I'll miss her. Quito, Equador is a very inexpensive four hour flight from Miami Florida.




There are thousands of new houses under construction here. Location is everything though. These houses are a skip and a jump from a major road and just behind this rustic brake service place. You can see them in the background of the photo below.



There are 9 000 Americans, 2 000 Canadians and many Europeans living in Cuenca alone and thousands more in other parts of the country. Some have integrated into Spanish speaking communities.

The majority though live in regions unto themselves. A huge apartment building here in Cuenca is called 'Gringolandia' because all the residents are from North America or Europe. They stick to themselves and shop in areas where English is spoken. The lure is low cost housing, food and health care and a wonderful climate. Clothes and tech devices here are prohibitively expensive though.

A Parisian couple sitting behind us last night at the concert spend their time in a hacienda south of Cuenca near the Peruvian border, here in Cuenca and also in Paris. An active life that makes ours look static.

We get to sleep in tomorrow -- something to look forward to because we've been going full tilt for the last two weeks. Our plan for today, our last day here is to ride the local buses. See you in Riobamba tomorrow. I hope you'll save some snow for us. Be well.