Stepping Out In San Francisco

Even though I often agree with Mark Twain's mis-attributed assertion that "The coldest winter I ever spent was that summer in San Francisco," there is no doubt that I enjoy being in the city. For starters, almost everywhere you look there's the water and one of the city's fabulous bridge.

The Distant Bridge Here Is The Bay Bridge

There's also the generally fun vibe of the town, and the fact that almost everywhere you go in the downtown area there is something to see, someone to stare at (yes, I'm talking about you, crazy man arguing with a trash can), and a delicious restaurant.

My personal favorite is Burma Superstar, which is absolutely the best (Burmese) food in the world. We went there yesterday and had several delicious goodies, and I swear I am going to hunt down the recipe for the cardamon chicken and rice casserole. MMMmmmm.

Tonight was quieter. It's been raining, bringing in fog and making the city stay indoors. Thus, instead of going outside properly, I was introduced to the hot tub at my friend's building. Right, hot tubbing in San Francisco, looking up at the stars and out at the Bay Bridge. . . it's almost enough to make me move here.

Almost.

Nebraska bound in the morning, however. . . .wonder what I will find there for amusement without the bridges and the ocean?

First View Of America

I've now officially been back in the United States for a week. It's been a little crazy, to be sure. I'd definitely gotten used to the sleepy speed of Cuenca. Maybe I shouldn't have started with the East Coast!

My First Shot of the States - Princeton

On the other hand, while Cuenca seems suspended in its perpetual summer season, I can definitely tell that springtime is just beginning to dawn in the United States.

Princeton's campus was beautiful as a first impression of America again. After the bustle of the airport and the jostling of the train, it felt great to step out of the Dinky station and into the crisp spring air. I walked all over the campus on my way to the library, where I waited for my ride to get off work. While I waited, I had the chance to watch all the college kids (and they do seem like kids now!) jogging in clumps and marching in and out of the library hauling the weight of their mid-terms around on their shoulders.

My initial wonder at all of it has faded somewhat - I'm tired! While you are supposed to feel fabulous physically when you come down from extended time at high elevations, I don't think the effect lasts between multiple flights and both US coasts. I was only in New Jersey for a few days, and am now trying to catch my breath in San Francisco. Eventually I will be adjusted to my proper elevation, proper time zone, and proper temperature. . . .

. . . probably just in time to head to the airport again on Wednesday! ;-) More posts as I adjust to the new environment and American pace of life again!

A $20 Adventure At The Cuenca Dentist's Office

I can't stop running my tongue over my teeth and smiling in the mirror today.

I've been to the dentist, and I couldn't be more pleased.

Recommended by a friend who had his entire mouth redone, Paula Dominguez has a simple office located just off Solano on Daniel Cordova Toral. It's behind the Colegio de Benigno Malo for those of you that are landmark driven. The building is a part of a longer strip of clinics and consultants offices. I made by appointment by phone - she speaks some English, but her husband is fluent, and so they work it out that way (cell: 097 - 868908).

When I arrived, she greeted me and asked after my teeth. I didn't really have any problem to report, other than having not been to the dentist's office in about a year. I'd already been planning to come to Ecuador, and I knew dental services were cheaper done here, so I'd been putting it off. In Ecuador as well they don't really have dental technicians, so even basic work is done here by the doctor.

She put me in the chair and then DANG, did my teeth ever get cleaned. She did an amazing job, checking over each tooth and cleaning them all twice, I swear. She even took the tooth polisher and cleaned my tongue, which tickled like crazy but was kind of fun, too.

Then she brought me a mirror so I could check out my smile and WOW. It looked like I'd had a whitening treatment, as she'd somehow managed to remove all evidence of the bazillionty trillion cups of black tea that I drink on a regular basis.

Total cost for an hour of high touch dental cleaning? $20. Totally worth it, as I couldn't be more pleased with my mouth!

Cinnamon Roll Sadness

One of the things that I frequently forget about Cuenca is how high the city really is above sea level. At 8,200 feet, altitude is an important factor to remember.

Especially when you're cooking.

I recently attempted to make cinnamon rolls, craving a taste of home. Unfortunately, no one in the kitchen with me remembered that yeast reacts differently at high altitudes. If you are cooking with yeast, you are supposed to take out one teaspoon of sugar for each cup in the recipe, and shorten up the leavening time by 15 - 20 minutes.

Oops?

The recipe can also be used to make dinner rolls, if you let the dough rise twice. . . or let it rise the full time limit at 8,200 feet. Instead of cinnamon rolls, I ended up with sweet dinner rolls sitting in cinna-goo. Edible, but definitely not what I wanted!

Photo of Motorbiking In Cuenca

We were actually captured on film as we headed out to the streets on the Yamaha scooter by Court, the owner of Ecuador Freedom Bike Rental. Check out those smiles!

My First Motorcycle Ride In Ecuador

I just survived my first motorcycle ride in Ecuador.

Actually, I should say I just ENJOYED my first motorcycle ride in Ecuador. And the bike was, technically, a scooter.

The Yahama Zuma Scooter

The ride was one of those very happy Ecuadorian accidents that happen. My friend and I had just stopped by to say hello to our friends at Ecuador Freedom Bike Rental. It's a mountain bike, scooter, dirt bike, and motorcycle rental shop that they just opened up last week, so while we were in the neighborhood we thought we would stop by and see how they were doing.

When we got there, Court, one of the owners, was just closing up shop. His enthusiasm for bikes is contagious, and he loves to share what he knows with people. Which may explain how 10 minutes later I was perched on the back of the bike above, heading off into Cuencan traffic in rush hour.

Um. . . whee?

After the first five minutes, when I wondered if we were going to die since we launched right into one of the busiest roundabouts in town, I settled down into the sheer awesomeness of zipping through the streets. We stopped off at the Supermaxi for dinner supplies and then headed out to find home.

Remarkably, we didn't even get lost once! Cuenca is laid out in a general grid, especially around the Centro, which is the historic downtown. We went through the Centro, across Avenida de las Americas (one of the biggest streets in Cuenca) and up and down the hills to my friend's house without incident. We only really got crowded by a driver once, in the turn lane on Avenida de las Americas, and other than that the drivers were really pretty polite and good about sharing the roads even on the roundabouts.

All in all, it was a super fun ride. The scooter was an automatic, so it was really easy to steer once Court showed us what to do, and even as night fell we could see perfectly well. Definitely going to have to try that again!

Lime Juice For Bug Bites?

Remember a couple of weeks ago when I mentioned that there weren't many bugs in Cuenca? Apparently I spoke too soon!

Rainy season has kicked off. This means that we have glorious sunny mornings, and then it will rain in the evenings or maybe for an hour or two in the afternoon. It breaks up the day and has added a nice touch of moisture to a climate that had been getting a little dry.

It also brought the bugs.

By bugs, I mean "las moscas," a loose term which covers mosquitoes, gnats, and flies. Pretty much anything that flies around and bites you in the night. . . which is why I've been waking up to some impressively swollen bug bites. It's night to have the windows open, but they don't do screens here, and something has been eating me alive.

And the bites itch. Oh sweet Jesus, do they ever itch!

I've tried Benadryl. I've tried cortisone cream. Seeing me scratch like a flea-infested dog at the Kookaburra Cafe yesterday, the owner suggested I put lime juice on my bug bites to neutralize the reaction and take down the itching.

I've never heard of this as a cure before, but at this point I'll try anything. Thus, I currently smell like a margarita on the run. . . I'll let you know if this works. Also open to other quick cure suggestions!