Nothing Like Your First Day

So my first day in Cuenca was interesting. I’m still a white boy running around with a touch phone, touch iPod, and a bulging wallet full of little cash but a deck’s worth cards that I don’t use that are only even relevant in a country I don’t live in at the moment. Not that any Cuencano would know that until long after he had mugged me. Sucker.

My first morning, I woke up early. I am trying to break some old habits from working in a bar. Getting up just in time for sunset is one of them. I told them 8:30. I think I emerged at 9:30. Whoops! But hey, I am new that this! If Matt and Di minded, they were good at hiding it.

We hopped on the bus, which costs a quarter per voyage. It’s easy to put money on a card so you can just swipe and grab a seat. You do have to grab something because the bus drivers must be good friends with the cab drivers because they drive like maniacs too. You can try to play the game where you stand and don’t hold on to anything, proving to yourself how good your balance is, but the bus drivers’ record is better than ’96 Bulls'.

This is my first time in El Centro. El Centro (you guessed it) is in the center of the city and is a UNESCO World Heritage Trust site. There are many buildings from the fifteen and sixteen hundreds. The New Cathedral was built in 1880. It was settled by the Spanish to give you a clue about the architecture. The cobblestone streets are narrow and busy with cars and walkers. The population of Cuenca is over 400,000 but it feels smaller – almost the whole city is walkable.

Matt, Di and I walk to the main plaza of the city, which is between the Old Cathedral (1557) and the new one. We stop for breakfast in a restaurant next to the New Cathedral. For $3 dollars I got some kind of pineapple juice, bread with butter and jam, two eggs, coffee and it was all very good. I could buy the better part of a gallon of gas for that. We picked up a map and bus route booklet on the way to breakfast and I studied where we were and where the schools I should look into are.

I wasn’t sure I was completely ready but it was time for me to go exploring on my own. I hadn’t figured out how small Cuenca really was yet and my four words of Spanish I had spoken previously today were pretty pathetic. But now I was a gringo on the loose with little dots on the map I had to get to. The first one was only three blocks away. Done. I walked through the park and took a left. “OK, this is my block. Simon Bolivar? Simon Bolivar? Simon Bolivar? Simon Boli-where-the-hell-are-you? The Cuencano tourist-helper-lady put your dot right here!” I was already lost. I think I had shaken Matt’s hand 30 seconds earlier. The Eagles couldn’t even get through the intro to Hotel California before I got lost. Good thing to rely on: the clerks at hostels usually speak English. Luckily there was a hostel right on the damn dot.

I was only a block away. I had walked right by it, actually. Signs in Ecuador aren’t like those in the U.S. They don’t light up, sing, or stick out and with the narrow roads you can only see a sign or two in front of you. You have to know where you are going or be content wandering. I was neither. I walked to Simon Bolivar and spoke with a lady who was in charge of something. She spoke English and was very nice. Unfortunately this school only had 2 hours open during the week (all private lessons). Swung and missed but it was good to talk to someone. I had a clue of what I was looking for now.

On to Cedei – another school recommended by Matt and Di and dotted by the unimpressive dot lady. Four blocks south and two to the East y estoy alli. “Cedei? Cedei? Cedei? Seriously?” I looked at the dots when she put them there. They didn’t move. The dot lady’s job was to help people find where they wanted to go and she just tells people the wrong place. Could you imagine if the Customer Service person at the mall just told people the wrong directions for the bathroom or for the Gap all the time? Do you think restaurant owners are mad because none of the gringos that want to spend money and tip can get proper directions?

I see a sign that says "Abogados." These are lawyers and some of the few people sporting suits in Cuenca so I imagine amongst all their education they had taken a few English classes. I was wrong. Fortunately, the man uses his hands and a good circular, around-the-corner, gesture is all I need.

I arrive at Cedei to be directed from a woman who speaks English to one who doesn’t. Curiously dumb move for someone working at a school. By now I am starting to hear the Spanish a little better. Between her tone, use of negative words, and el octavo de agosto (something like that), it is obvious they do not have any spots for over a month. Thank you. Next.

Amauta. Kind of an annoying name but I am not looking to go back to ask dumb dot lady for more directions so I am hoping this works out. Three blocks west and two blocks north. This one was actually the funniest because the block that she had put the dot on wasn’t just not where the school was, but it was the side of a museum that takes up the entire block and doesn’t even have a door on it, much less a school. However, this was her closest guess. After a quick chuckle, I decided to find the place and needed only to turn around. It was on the other side of the street.

Many of the doors to schools or nicer places around town require you to be buzzed in. I called and our conversation went like this:

The speaker:“Hola! Puedo ayudarte?”

The gringo: “Uhhhh….”

BUZZ!

It’s a school for LEARNING Spanish, I’m not supposed to know it yet, right? I could not have been the first. After our insightful conversation at the door, I could tell she was excited to meet me. She spoke English and I told her I was looking to study Spanish and the school was highly recommended. She gave me the tour and said I could study between 10 and 20 hours a week at $8/hour. There are extra actividades that are free (I am going to learn to salsa and bake cookies). I signed up for 15 hours per week. Lilly and I parted ways. After walking around town in search of those dots, I had a feel for the town and made my way back home. I start school on Monday. Hopefully I’ll have something better to say when they buzz me in.