A Good Cup O’ Joe is Hard to Come By!

Yes, I am one of those people!  The people that obsess about coffee and get cranky when they don’t have it!  After my marathon a few weeks ago, my patience was wearing thin until my post race coffee stop! 

I NEED a cup of coffee to function each day.  Just one cup gives me that extra perk…and ability to keep up with a room full of 6  year olds haha!  Before coming to Ecuador I had assumed that the coffee would be amazing! (Oh to look back at and my naïve assumptions…)

Starbucks: My trusted companion on road-trips!

Within days I knew that my dreams of wonderful coffee everywhere were in fact very, very far from the truth.  L  BUT, if you know me very well-then you know that I do NOT give up easily.  I asked everyone I met where I could get good coffee, and yes, I walked at least a mile to every coffee place recommended to come to my own conclusions about the coffee.  Here were my results (As any teacher would, I graded my coffee with letters-no standards based rubric here!-If you are a teacher, you will understand this haha!)

School Coffee

Grade: D

The only thing going for this coffee is convenience.

Sweet & Coffee

Grade: C

The flavor was ok, but unable to fulfill my request for iced coffee.  It was basically a few ice cubs were put in a hot cup of coffee. No bueno.

El Español

Grade: C+

This was my first “close to iced coffee” drink I had in Quito.  Plenty of ice to be actually be an iced coffee, but the flavor was not very strong.

As you can see, the coffee situation was looking pretty bleak until I met someone in line at El Español one day from the States and told me that the “Starbucks” here is called “Juan Valdez.”  So, I immediately went to check it out!

Juan Valdez

Grade: B+

Out of all the coffee I have had in Ecuador, this is definitely my favorite.  When I ordered, I got exactly what I wanted EVERY time (it's called a tinto frio)  It is not quite the level of Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts, but it is a good alternative well I’m here. 

 

My Juan Valdez iced coffee!  

Soooooo….. my coffee needs have been met, but I am still very much looking forward to my beloved Starbucks once I return….aaaannndd I have gift cards to use-thanks to my wonderful high schoolers from my last student teaching placement! What’s better than coffee that’s “free??”  Can I get an “amen?!”