So Kim covered Father’s Day in Cuenca, Ecuador already. We need to fill in a few small gaps here, and one HUGE gap.
The drive from Guyaquil to Cuenca was really cool. We started bascially on the coast, and headed north and east, first into vast and wet farmland with Bananas, Cacao, and Sugar Cane plantations. Then, as we continued East, we got into the mountains and coffee. I was in awe at the stark contrast to the mostly dry landscape in Peru. Ecuador is beautiful! They’re also “way” ahead of Peru in terms of investment in infrastructure. It feels like a more grown up place.
My take on Cuenca is, it’s a really nice, colonial town. I’d put it kind of between Cusco and Sucre in terms of polish. It’s more polished than Cusco, and maybe a touch less than Sucre. For some reason, Cuenca has become a very popular destination for retired Expats. We heard there were over 4000 expats living here. As a result, it feels easy to deal in English, but it’s not nearly as touristy as Cusco. It’s kind of nice. Real Estate has started to get out of hand. Due to the fact that they use the US Dollar as their currency, things are more expensive here than Peru as well.
That said, nothing really “leapt out” at us here. It was a nice clean city, and felt safe. The restaurants and plazas were OK. It’s in the mountains, but it’s not quite as dramatic as Cusco, Sucre, or La Paz. The food was OK. The best part about Cuenca was probably the hotel we stayed at, and the family who runs the place. We had the best time talking with “Thor” (yes that is his name) who is a college student in Miami, and his grandmother (who basically wanted to adopt Kat). Also Ecuador was playing in the world cup at the time, and Thor was really into it, which was fun.
Besides cruising around town, and the zip lining on father’s day, our big adventure here was a long cab ride out to Cajas National Park. Kim had heard that this place warranted a guide (due to the cold and quick onset of fog each day), and arranged for a guided fishing trip. We were so excited. Then the guide bailed on us last minute because he needed to buy a car. I was so pissed! We ended up simply hiring a cab to drive us out, we visited the nature center, and did a great little hike around a significant lake. It was soooooo beautiful, and so great to get the kids out into nature again. We all took deep breaths out there. Also strange to be so cold!
Places like this reaffirm our assessment that being in nature is in our “DNA”. These pictures are great, but I just can’t convey the feeling of it. I’m getting a little emotional just recalling the sense of gratitude I felt in this place.
We had agreed for the cabbie to come back for us, and he showed up! 14 minutes late, he has no idea that we were 1 minute away from grabbing another ride back to town! We had agreed to stop at the “dos Chorreras” trout lodge for lunch, which we did (while he waited). The place was amazing, and the food stellar. No doubt the best trout I’ve ever had (I don’t care for it much). We had the place to ourselves, and the kids enjoyed exploring the ponds, fountains, and gift shop.
In summary, if you visit Ecuador, Cuenca is a good place to start your trip. It’s a nice, safe, “gateway” to the country. It feels remarkably like a town in North America in some ways. Then, explore the Mountains… Banos, Chimborazo, Quiolotoa, Cotopaxi!!!! Then, head for the Beach. Skip Quito!
