Saturday, March 13, 2010

Juxtapositon of the Mall and Feria Libre Mercado

While we have been absent on the blog for awhile, we have still been busy.  Today we are going to share with you a tour of the "Mall",  Del Rio Mall.      The Mall is as sterile and uninteresting architecturally as any mall you have ever visited in the US.  We were there to specifically try to find a battery for Bill's new digital camera.  We had no luck.  All I picked up was food poisoning at the Food Court.  So not such a fun excursion.  But, Bill is posting some pics for you to see.  


 
  
















Bill had a burger and fries from BK.  I opted for Chinese stir fry.  It was a mistake.



 On Tuesday this week I was invited to join two friends for a "ladies lunch".  This was fun for me, since before,   I have never had time to do ladies lunches.  When I lunched, in the past, it was a business meeting and we talked business, usually in an executive dining room.  So this was fun because I got to dress casually, walk to the restaurant and the food was outstanding.  This was all overseen by a very handsome chef who I am told in Colombian.  Much too tall to be an Ecuadorian. We ordered a specialty dish for the three of us, using the counsel of the two women I was with.  I do not have photos since the photographer was not on the junket. 

The Feria Libre Mercado is a huge public market that is somewhat overwhelming when experienced the first time.  Bill and I had been there once before, however it was not on my list to revisit, until our new friends and neighbors Will and Valerie, from Wisconsin told us that going early in the morning was a better experience and we could get big shrimp for $3.00/pound.  The flowers and the fish are fresh on Wednesday and Fridays.  So Friday a.m. about 9 we began a trek to the market with Will and Val.  They have been here somewhat longer than us and know their way around.  So they were going to show us where the best shrimps were, the freshest flowers and the vitamin store.  In addition, I connected with another basket to us in my kitchen.  Photos are below.  I got a great bouquet of tuber roses, baby breath with interesting leaves.  Our whole apartment smells wonderful due to the tuber roses. I don't know how many of you are familiar with these.  They are used in the States in bridal bouquets.  Very rarely in arrangements.  My first job in the world was in a florist and that is why I know about them.  They are very expensive in America.  Here I paid $2.00 for a bouquet that filled my vase.  So check out the pics of the market below:
            

         



      


Isn't this pic a work of art.  Bill has a "eye"!








His mother was looking on adoringly.  She ran a stall at the Mercado.


The first time I bought one of these hens I was afraid it was old and touch because it is so big.  But they are corn fed and it was delicious.  I roasted it and made all kinds of things with it.  Tender, good flavor and not dry. 


I still have a little trouble buying meat at the open market.  I get most of our at the coop or Supermaxi.


This is the vitamin store.  I did not find natural Vit D.  But I will keep looking.


  



These cutey pies started poising for Bill after they saw their picture instantly.


These are the shrimps I bought.  I bought a kilo, 2.2 lbs.  Six dollars worth.  I am about to have some now.

  This little guy sold my friend Valarie a bag of fresh peas, she bargained down to .50, but I think he did it because he wanted to get his photo taken.  He hung around we we habla' ed with him as best we could.



L-R:  Dean, Misty, Valerie, Will, Rocky at the Mercado


The basket to hold the fruitas and vegs on the kitchen counter.  She asked $2.00 I do not have the heart to bargain when something is $2.00.







Last night we were invited out to eat with some old friends who wanted us to meet some new friends.  We went to a Mediterranean
restaurant run by a man who immigrated here from Milan several years ago.  We had real Italian pizza done in a brick oven.  It was great.  Then we walked to a favorite dessert house for a treat.  Life is rough, but someone had got to give it a go.  A great evening with friends both old and new.  

On Monday, this coming week we will get the key to the new condo.  We will be camping out for awhile since the household goods have not yet left Long Beach.  Also on Monday we will meet with our lawyers to sign some papers and ship our packet of documents to Quito, so our permanent residence visa will be forthcoming in the next few weeks.  WE HOPE!!!  All for now,  
Dean and Bill

3 comments:

  1. Hi ! Please do us a favor and post the name of good restaurants that you visit so that we have some great restaurant recommendations when we get there. Thanks ! Jo Ana

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  2. So fun to catch up with you guys and see all the fun you're having! I went to Alta Vista Friday. The photos are wonderful!

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  3. WE LOVED FOLLOWING YOU AROUND. IT WAS FASCINATING!
    WE'RE CONSIDERING MOVING TO CUENCA, SO IT WAS DOUBLY INTERESTING! THE PICS OF THE CHURCH WERE AMAZING. WE ARE DONATING SOME MONEY. AS CATHOLICS, WE LOVE THE FACT THAT THERE ARE SO MANY CHURCHES!
    WE HAVE SO MANY UNANSWERED QUESTIONS...ABOUT MEDICAL CARE, HOW MUCH TO SHIP OUR LARGE COLLECTION OF BOOKS DOWN...WHERE COULD WE FIND ANSWERS? THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! ANA AND CIRRUS

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