Cuenca

 

Today was a free day in Cuenca, the most European-feeling city of my trip. They call the style here “colonial,” by which they mean it reflects the aesthetic of the country that invaded Ecuador, stole all of its wealth, destroyed its culture and religion and got everyone speaking Spanish, which after all is one of the reasons I’m here. Thanks, Spain!

I’m staying here, in one of the nicest hotels in Cuenca. It’s a beautiful place. I figured since it’s my last stop before heading back to Quito I wouldn’t worry about my budget and splurge a little, so I bit the bullet and committed to shelling out the $50 per night this place costs. Including breakfast.

After the non-stop action of the past week, the Germans and I took a day off from this grueling thing we call a vacation and spent the day drinking coffee in the park, taking a taxi to an obscure restaurant in the next town, having a couple of drinks at a rooftop bar and having dinner at another rooftop bar. And that pretty much sums up our city experience. Even though today was a little anti-climactic, I enjoyed not walking on any dangerous bridges, driving on dangerous roads or slamming my head into the doorframe of a small, indigenous person’s house, which I did two days ago. Tomorrow we’re all off to Cajas National Park. But sadly, not together.

Who knew that you could polish hiking boots and gym shoes? I saw that happen today.

One of Ecuador’s largest exports, behind oil, shrimp and fruit, are flowers. 

Our rooftop view of the Cuenca Basilica made me wonder what exactly a basilica is. Turns out it’s just a church that the pope, at his sole discretion, gives a seal of approval to for whatever reason he likes, and then it’s a basilica. My guess is that he thought the blue lights reminded him of a Led Zeppelin concert he once went to.