Neighborhood

We went for a walk as a family today, over past the University of Cuenca, and then around by the chapel where we will attend church tomorrow, and probably the whole time we are in Cuenca, and then back to the apartment. I didn't take any pictures on that trip, but Samuel and I went out this evening and I did take a few.

First, it is interesting how they handle garbage in Cuenca. They have garbage pickup three times per week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. People take their garbage and put the sacks against trees or power poles along the sidewalk, and in the evening trucks come along with laborers who pick it up and haul it away. Here is a pile of sacks in the foreground, with the street leading past our apartment in the background.
Here is another picture looking back down our street, with our apartment in view. We are on the top floor of the building in the foreground, with the entrance gate just to the right of the car. It looks like they built our apartment with the intention of extending it to the south, but then never got around to it. It looks a lot nicer inside than outside, which seems to be a common feature of houses in this area. We do not have an elevator in our building, and I counted the steps from the front gate to our apartment: 60 of them, and I climb them 5-6 times per day most days. When we were getting moved in our landlord asked if we wanted directions to a nearby gymnasium or health club, and I said, "No. We have stairs to keep us in shape." He laughed, but so far they seem to be doing a good job.
As Samuel and I walked around this evening, we also saw lots of people out partying and drinking along the streets. Hundreds of them, but always in small groups and not especially rowdy, but trying to have a good time. The noise will probably last until close to midnight, and seems to be there every night. It has not kept us awake yet.

We hear buses, sirens, honking horns [lots of these], and occasional explosions, which I think are rockets launched by the exuberant. Such are certainly available here, and don't seem to be regulated. Of course, there are LOTS of things here that are not regulated the way we are accustomed to in the US, but on the whole I like it that way.