Cuenca, Ecuador; First Impressions

A pulsating music beat woke us up this morning…looked out front to see the finish line of a running race, with tents, stage, and loud music. Just another day in Cuenca!

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The city of Cuenca is located in the highlands of Ecuador at about 2500 m above sea level. It is surrounded by mountains on all sides, and has four rivers running through it. It is Ecuador’s 3^rd largest city, with a population of around 350,000.

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The center of the city is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Trust site because of its many historical buildings, dating back to its days as a colonial city of Spain.

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There are said to be 52 churches in the city, one for every Sunday of the year.

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The Incas were here, back in the day. The beautiful Pumapungo archaeological park, located on the edge of the historic city center, contains ruins of the Incan city Tomebamba, which was built in the 15^th century.

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Cuenca may be old, but it is full of youth and energy! There is a university down the road, and several other schools in the neighborhood. Colorful graffiti and artwork brighten many of the walls and walkways.

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We are staying on the Tomebamba River near the Parque de la Madre (Mother’s Park), which at all times of the day is full of mothers with kids, joggers, walkers, and teens making out under the trees. There is a beautiful walkway along the river, and its grassy slopes are another popular hangout spot for locals and visitors alike.

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There’s always something going on. Just the other night the city kicked off an art festival, and lit off a fireworks tower as part of the celebration. We didn’t know what it was until the men standing by the tower rather casually lit it off. No safety cordons like you’d have in the U.S. You could get as close as you wanted to be!

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We’ve been impressed by how clean the city is…sanitation workers are constantly sweeping up the gutters, raking leaves, and picking up trash. It also feels quite safe, with security guards on patrol in the parks and markets. There are gringos (foreigners) everywhere we turn. We haven’t seen this many people from the United States since we left last June. There is a thriving expat community down here; the cost of living attracts a lot of people living on a fixed income. You can live comfortably for a few thousand dollars a month or less.

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We’ve had no complaints about the food here! Fresh produce is available in abundance at the markets. Inexpensive multi-course lunch specials are the norm in the restaurants. We’ve even made several bulk purchases of New York style bagels from an enterprising guy named Richard who makes and sells them out of his home.

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Caroline and I have had a good time shopping for souvenirs. Since this is the last stop of our trip we don’t feel as constrained as we normally have about stocking up on gifts for friends and family back home. Cuenca is known for its baskets, weavings, ceramics, and Panama hats. Despite the name, Panama hats, which are woven from fiber extracted from palm leaves, originated in and are produced in Ecuador.

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In our final two weeks we hope to get out of the city a bit and explore the beautiful countryside and nearby villages. Cuenca will be celebrating the 457^th anniversary of its founding on April 12th, so there should be plenty of festivals and entertainment leading up to the big day!