by shivers » Wed Oct 27, 2004 12:07 am
I had originally planned to fly from Guayaquil to Cuenca. For some reason I didn’t fully understand, the afternoon flights were canceled. Rather than wait until the next morning, I hired a car to take me there. Despite the road conditions, it was the better choice. The mountain scenery is spectacular, and I’d have missed it on the plane. The people-watching (another of my favorite activities) along the road is good too. The Chevrolet bounced up the pothole-covered road to Cuenca in about 5 hours. My back is still recovering.
My trip to Ecuador thus far had been great fun. realrescue’s familia is kind and hospitable. The BFCers I met are cool to hang with. I’d spent more time socializing than sight-seeing. As wonderful as my time was in Manta, I looked forward to venturing off on my own.
So, off to Cuenca. I stayed in the old part of town. At $40 per night, the beautiful Hotel Crespo was a bargain. It overlooks Río Tomebamba and parque. The wooden interior is exquisite. There, I met businessman from Guayaquil who informed me that there was a shorter road to Cuenca, which is also in better condition and goes through a national park. Oh well.
It’s a quiet town at night, but I did find places to hang. I ended up at one lively bar the night before my departure, Wunderbar, where I chatted with a handsome local. I wish I had the energy to go dancing with him, but I’d had a long day of shopping, and a morning flight home.
I love to shop when I travel. Even in this huge city I live in, there are things you can’t get (at least not without much searching and enormous amounts of money): local arts and crafts from places like Cuenca. I came home with a large carton full of woolen goods, wood sculptures and other goodies. Cuencano art is worth your while. You’ll find some antique indigenous pieces, pre-Colombian era and later in several shops. Apparently, the Ecuadorian government is ok with some amount of lesser works leaving the country and into private collections. A visit to the indigenous art museum on Calle Larga shows you some of the better stuff, though I’m sure with the right connections, you could get your hands on works just as good for your private collection.
Not exactly adventure travelling, but rewarding for me. With a likely invitation from realrescue to BFCers in the future, I expect I’ll return to Ecuador. I hope to see more of the country then.