We were walking through Parque Calderon on Saturday and we happened to see Papa Noel sitting in the park. There was a small crowd of people standing in line hoping to get a picture with this jolly old man. Most were children, but there were a fair number of adults also looking for a photo opportunity with him.
As we headed toward the flower market, we noticed many children entering one of the churches dressed in costumes. We assumed it was a dress rehearsal for a Christmas pageant.
The two kids above were posing for pictures, so I took advantage of the opportunity. I especially love the little boy with the long brown wig and mustache.
Later in the day, Lance was out exploring the city when he stumbled upon a Papa Noel 5K run...
and this huge Nativity Scene, which is located in one of the plaza's in El Centro.
In addition many tents have been set up around El Centro selling items for Christmas. One of the more popular items for sale are fancy outfits for the Baby Jesus. I imagine they are used for floats in the parade or perhaps for their own nativity scene at home.
The grocery stores are loaded with baskets of holiday fare and candy...lots and lots of candy!
It must also be popular to give food as gifts, because you can find huge displays of containers with non perishable food items in plastic containers or boxes.
This week, a variety of free concerts are being held around the city. Today we are going to see some of the local school choirs perform in El Centro. The symphony is also performing for free this week and next week in several locations. In addition, our favorite venue, The Jazz Society, will be giving a holiday performance. We plan to attend with our friends, Roz and Ken.
In other news, we visited the art exhibit at the Mansion Alcazar with new friends Totsie and Winn. While we were there we had a chance to see our dear friend, Enzo, working hard. It was a great turnout. Below are just a few photos of this great hotel. The first picture is an outdoor conservatory located in the hotel gardens that we ate in last Christmas when we came for our exploratory trip to Cuenca. This hotel is beautiful and well worth a visit.
We went to La Parola last week Wednesday to see a blues act by Bob Cat Jack. He had a good voice and was a very talented guitar player. In fact, he mentioned that he would be touring with Van Morrison in the new year. However, near the end of his performance he got nasty with the poor sound man, and publicly berated him. That was not cool...and I think it made many of us uncomfortable. I think if he had a beef with the guy, he should have addressed it privately instead of making a scene in front of everyone. It ruined what could have been a good performance.
On the way home, we saw the usual hard workers power washing the sidewalks of our fair city. It's too bad they can't control the graffiti that is often found on the buildings.
I also saw these performers in Parque Calderon. I was walking home from Spanish class last week when I heard a Beatle song coming from the Parque. This man was singing "Let It Be" and several dancers were taking turns performing to his music. They were surprisingly good.
It's Cherry Season in Cuenca...and let me assure you, they are as good as they look. Everywhere you go in El Centro you will see wheel-barrels full of cherries. They started at $3.00 for a bag, but the price has now dropped to $2.00. YUM! I can't get enough of this tasty treat.
Lance and I also enjoyed Mexican night at Joe's Secret Garden on Saturday with friends David and Claudia, and some of their neighbors. It was an enjoyable evening, with nice conversation and delicious food.
Finally, I thought I would add this photo that David sent me from the Hearts of Gold charity dinner that Lance and I attended. The couple we are talking to are neighbors of David and Claudia. They were also with us the night we went to Joe's Secret Garden. They are lovely people and have led a very interesting life. Before coming to Ecuador, they spent time in India working with the poor.
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