Shoeshine and more

Before I start, I need to mention that I will probably not post here tomorrow night. Susan and I are planning to go on a ward temple trip to the Guayaquil Ecuador Temple, leaving Cuenca about 5:00 p.m. tomorrow, and returning on Saturday evening. Depending on what time we get home on Saturday, I will plan to post something, but if it is late, I may be brief.

Today we did a lot. First, we went by to see the woman who teaches piano, to ask about a piano tuner. She said that there is one, an American actually, and gave us his phone number. It turns out that he lives in Vilcabamba, several hours by bus south of here, but he comes to Cuenca several times per year to tune pianos, and his fee for tuning a piano is $25. He said that if he charged any more than that, most people just wouldn't have it done.

Then we bought our plane tickets to go back to Quito next Tuesday. We will fly from Cuenca to Quito on Tuesday afternoon, so that we are ready to fly out as scheduled from Quito on Wednesday morning.

We then came home, where I dropped off Susan, and then I got a haircut. The place I went just after getting to Cuenca was closed, so I walked a block to another barbershop I had seen, and the elderly barber there just about talked my ear off after he figured out that I could understand much of what he said. It sure was good practice for me, and he gave me a great haircut.

Then this afternoon, we took two bags of laundry over to the laundromat, and Susan and I headed on over to her needlework class. I left her there and went to get my shoes shined. I had seen a place nearby with several men set up to shine shoes, so I found one who was not busy, and agreed on a price of $1, which is the going price there, and he got to work. This is the best these shoes have EVER been shined! I kept thinking that he was about done, and he would start another process or layer. Here is a picture as he is getting started.He did such a good job that I asked him to shine my belt as well. I have been wearing it for several years, and it looked like it. But he put a shine on it that makes it look almost like new, except that you can still see where I have lost weight as several different holes show wear.After he was done, I asked if I could take his picture, and his buddy jumped in the picture as well. The shoeshine master is on the right. I paid him $2 for the whole job, and I don't know which of us was happier.I then walked around a while, waiting for Susan's class to end, and found this shot of a pair of streets that just barely diverge. The cobblestone streets are typical of the old part of town.