Saying Goodbye to Cuenca & my friends there

Monday, Monday, August 27, was my last full day in Cuenca.  After taking my usual hour long walk, I decided since everything is so much cheaper here in Ecuador than the U. S., that I should get a pedicure as a gift to myself.  It's too cold in Cuenca to wear sandals, but I expect that it will still be warm enough in the Berkshires & I won't want to deal with unpolished toenails when I return, so why not do it here?   Once that was done, I met a friend, Emanuela, with whom I did the Passover seder, for lunch to say goodbye.  She is one of my Gringo friends with whom I anticipate keeping in touch.  It was a nice farewell.

After that, Hugo & I got together.  What a send off he gave me!  We went to Turi, where I had been before, but it was great to go back.  It is a spot way up high where you can look down on the city.  I said goodbye to the city from there.

We also drove around some parts of the city that I hadn't seen before, including a street where they cook and sell traditional food outside.

 We then went to a lovely cafe, where we had coffee & humitas.  It was great.  Being with Hugo, sort of off the beaten path, I found myself where there were no other Gringos, always my preference.  We visited a display of hummingbirds that I had seen before, but again it was another goodbye for me.

From there Hugo surprised me & drove to the house of my friend, Meredith, to say goodbye again.  We had already said goodbye via email, but now had the chance to do it in person.

It was hard to say goodbye to Hugo, but I do hope that we will keep in touch via email/Skype.

The next day, August 28, was my very last day in Cuenca.  I took my usual walk, but there were a number of stray, barking, snarling dogs along the route, which I do not like.  Having already been bitten by a dog in April (which I never put in this blog because I did not want to alarm my family) I let the dogs win & took several detours.  From my walk I went to the restaurant where Esperanza's friends, Lia & family, work, to say goodbye to everyone there.  Lia cried.  Then I had to say goodbye to Esperanza.  She was a wonderful person for me to live with.  Too bad I only started living with her in February, but 6 months was better than none.  Rocio and her daughter, Camila, drove me to the airport. I had already said to goodbye to Rodrigo, Rocio's husband, on Sunday.  Both Rocio & I teared up at the airport.  I will miss all of my friends.........