Colonial Cuenca is a gem...Guayaquil bus station is huge – more like a shopping mall – and Christi and I were quite clueless as to how we would gain onward tickets to our next destination, the colonial town of Cuenca set in the southern highlands of Ecuador. Thankfully, a Spanish-speaking friend from the MV Samba secured our passage and the soft start to our journey continues. The scenery … [Read more...]
Exploring Cuenca’s colonial architecture, Day 16
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The colonial architecture in Cuenca is stunning... Despite two weeks of constant activity, there’s no time to rest and we begin our exploration of the narrow cobblestone streets, churches, markets, and colonial architecture of Cuenca with a walking tour (avoiding, as usual, the crazy drivers). We start at the museum of modern art in Plaza de San Sebastian, which features pieces by local and … [Read more...]
Healthy travel and a little photography, Cuenca, Day 17
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A few healthy travel tips... As I mentioned yesterday, drinking the local tap water can be a huge risk. To aid healthy travel and reduce the possibility of catching something nasty we brought a UV sterilizer with us. The sterilizer is actually a probe that when immersed in water glows an eerie blue color. Supposedly one minute is sufficient to kill all the harmful bugs, leaving (we hope) … [Read more...]
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Day 18
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Before we tackle the hard core tourism today, notably an exploration of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, we taxi out to El Mirador de Turi, which offers scenic views over Cuenca. We’re surprised to see a smog-like haze over the town that is very reminiscent of Los Angeles. Apparently, the hills surrounding Cuenca produce an inversion layer that traps the pollution beneath it. We risk … [Read more...]
Cuenca (Ecuador) to Tumbes (Peru), Day 19
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We're off on the road to Tumbes across the border in Peru... We leave Cuenca reluctantly and with a last few lingering glimpses of its beautiful architecture, churches, and markets. We have a long day of traveling ahead of us to reach the coastal town of Tumbes in Peru before nightfall. This involves changing buses in Machala, Ecuador’s fourth largest city. While we wait for our connection … [Read more...]
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