So Smooth

Apparently Cuenca’s walking surfaces call for a certain grace and balance that I don’t have.  I have had three major wipeouts so far, in addition to several other close calls.  

1. On a trip home from the store, I stepped down from the curb into a hole and fell into the road sending my six liters of water and other groceries rolling all over the place.  I managed to walk away mostly undamaged and with all groceries consumable.

2. On a trek across campus to work one day, I was passing through a construction site.  Instead of taping sites off like at home, they are often left open so that people can still use major paths.  I tripped on uneven ground, sent my shoe flying about five feet in front of me, and finished up with a few barefoot steps in the mud to catch myself.

3.  Now I have often wondered on my walks in and out of town, up and down the several flights of stairs into the historic center, and around the old streets of Cuenca, who thought large tiles would make a good surface for sidewalks?  The slightest amount of dust and city-grime makes even the best shoes slide a bit on this smooth surface.  Now add rain.  Today I headed home in a drizzle, baby-stepping my way for blocks.  I started down the stairs and about twelve steps from the practical, concrete sidewalk at the bottom, I slid down about four of them!   I consider myself lucky that all I need is some laundry time to recover from this one.