1/8/18
We woke up in Cuenca ready for whatever today had in store. We ate breakfast in the hotel, which was another delicious meal. The dining room looked out over a hummingbird garden. It was a great place to start the day. Today would be a city tour of Cuenca, starting at a lookout on a hill above the city. From here, Diego was able to point out all the important geographical facts regarding the placement of the city and even its shape, which is said to be a puma. He told us about the overall population of Cuenca. Everyone here is very educated. The people here have at least a Master's degree, many have multiple degrees. Everyone is generally of good health too. The elevation burns calories quicker, so people aren't usually overweight. The food is also very fresh.
Down the hill from the lookout was a small ceramics shop, all handmade and painted here in this studio. Each piece was beautiful and colorful, depicting a place or a feeling or a memory. Some of the plates had scenes of beaches in the Galapagos or llamas by Cotopaxi. Each was special and unique. Outside this shop, there was a small garden with water features and mosaic art on the walls. Mosaics have always been of interest to me, so I really enjoyed spending some time outside here.
On our way to the Panama Hat Factory, we stopped at a small restaurant that was roasting various things out front. Here, we tried some kind of pork and cui (guinea pig). Cui is considered a delicacy in the Andes. It is common for a home to have a guinea pig room, and when there is a celebration, like a wedding, the family will enjoy cui. It is traditional for every person to have their own cui because they're pretty small. Diego said he liked to have two. I didn't think it was that bad- it was pretty greasy and rich. I'm glad to have tried it but I likely won't eat it again.
After we feasted, we returned to the bus and continued on our way across town to the Panama Hat Factory. Upon entering the factory, Diego spoke to the man in charge, who he was friends with. Then we toured the museum and factory to learn the history of these unique hats and how they're made. Panama Hats began during the building of (you guessed it!) the Panama Canal, even though they're made in Ecuador. The workers were outside for long periods of time, so they needed something to protect them from the sun. Straw hats were ideal for this. And so the classic hat was created. We saw the process they go through to become these iconic straw hats. The plant used is native to Ecuador. Those who weave the hats go through a tedious process. They weave them together and bring them to the factory where their hats will hopefully be used to make Panama Hats. The finer the straw used to weave the hat, the more expensive the hat will be. But if the straw is too thick, it may not be used at all. The rejected hats will go to a market and sell at a cheaper price. The individual hats then go through a long process that involves, cutting off any excess straw, washing and dyeing the hat, molding it into the desired shape, and finally decorating it. Then, we spent a while looking through the store and trying on a bunch of hats. I ended up buying myself a blue and tan sun hat.
After we finished our hat photo shoot, Diego brought us downtown. He knew that a lot of us wanted to buy alpaca things. He took us to this store- at first glance, it was small, but the further back you went, the higher the walls were stacked and shelves filled with various alpaca wool products. I helped Greg look for a poncho and some things for his family. I got a sweater and some socks. It was so interesting to see what everyone got because at every turn there was something new to look at. The best part about this store was the fact that you could bargain. There weren't prices on anything. You could bring some items up to a worker and they'd offer you a price. From there, you could try to bundle some items or offer a different price. That was definitely a learning experience. Not only was haggling allowed; it was encouraged.
Next, we visited a market. At two stories high, it had just about any produce you could want, or really any product at all. Each floor was broken into sections: fruits, vegetables, meat, flowers, medicinal plants, and prepared food. There was a whole lot more where that came from. After the market, we visited one of the largest churches in South America. Then we saw an old seminary that was no longer in operation. A few people stopped at a coffee shop to buy some beans after this. Then we ate lunch at a pizzeria nearby.
Cuenca also was home to Pumapungo, a small section of Inca ruins in the center of town. At the base of the ruins, there was a "zoo" for large birds and even a few llamas. Diego showed us how these particular ruins showcased the common theme of having three layers to the structures. Snakes represented the underworld, the puma was the Earth, and the condor represented the sky.
To end our day, we met with Tait's friend, Peter Amos. Peter shared his story with us. He began teaching in Pennsylvania, but after years of disliking his job, Peter realized he could move to this place he'd heard of before called Cuenca and retire. The cost of living is much lower here. Peter said things were very different from the United States, but overall, he enjoyed living here.
It was tough to leave Cuenca the next morning, but I had to remind myself of the other adventures that lay ahead of us. We were all kind of sad to leave Hotel Victoria and its delicious food. I will most definitely see Cuenca again.
Down the hill from the lookout was a small ceramics shop, all handmade and painted here in this studio. Each piece was beautiful and colorful, depicting a place or a feeling or a memory. Some of the plates had scenes of beaches in the Galapagos or llamas by Cotopaxi. Each was special and unique. Outside this shop, there was a small garden with water features and mosaic art on the walls. Mosaics have always been of interest to me, so I really enjoyed spending some time outside here.
On our way to the Panama Hat Factory, we stopped at a small restaurant that was roasting various things out front. Here, we tried some kind of pork and cui (guinea pig). Cui is considered a delicacy in the Andes. It is common for a home to have a guinea pig room, and when there is a celebration, like a wedding, the family will enjoy cui. It is traditional for every person to have their own cui because they're pretty small. Diego said he liked to have two. I didn't think it was that bad- it was pretty greasy and rich. I'm glad to have tried it but I likely won't eat it again.
After we feasted, we returned to the bus and continued on our way across town to the Panama Hat Factory. Upon entering the factory, Diego spoke to the man in charge, who he was friends with. Then we toured the museum and factory to learn the history of these unique hats and how they're made. Panama Hats began during the building of (you guessed it!) the Panama Canal, even though they're made in Ecuador. The workers were outside for long periods of time, so they needed something to protect them from the sun. Straw hats were ideal for this. And so the classic hat was created. We saw the process they go through to become these iconic straw hats. The plant used is native to Ecuador. Those who weave the hats go through a tedious process. They weave them together and bring them to the factory where their hats will hopefully be used to make Panama Hats. The finer the straw used to weave the hat, the more expensive the hat will be. But if the straw is too thick, it may not be used at all. The rejected hats will go to a market and sell at a cheaper price. The individual hats then go through a long process that involves, cutting off any excess straw, washing and dyeing the hat, molding it into the desired shape, and finally decorating it. Then, we spent a while looking through the store and trying on a bunch of hats. I ended up buying myself a blue and tan sun hat.
After we finished our hat photo shoot, Diego brought us downtown. He knew that a lot of us wanted to buy alpaca things. He took us to this store- at first glance, it was small, but the further back you went, the higher the walls were stacked and shelves filled with various alpaca wool products. I helped Greg look for a poncho and some things for his family. I got a sweater and some socks. It was so interesting to see what everyone got because at every turn there was something new to look at. The best part about this store was the fact that you could bargain. There weren't prices on anything. You could bring some items up to a worker and they'd offer you a price. From there, you could try to bundle some items or offer a different price. That was definitely a learning experience. Not only was haggling allowed; it was encouraged.
Next, we visited a market. At two stories high, it had just about any produce you could want, or really any product at all. Each floor was broken into sections: fruits, vegetables, meat, flowers, medicinal plants, and prepared food. There was a whole lot more where that came from. After the market, we visited one of the largest churches in South America. Then we saw an old seminary that was no longer in operation. A few people stopped at a coffee shop to buy some beans after this. Then we ate lunch at a pizzeria nearby.
Cuenca also was home to Pumapungo, a small section of Inca ruins in the center of town. At the base of the ruins, there was a "zoo" for large birds and even a few llamas. Diego showed us how these particular ruins showcased the common theme of having three layers to the structures. Snakes represented the underworld, the puma was the Earth, and the condor represented the sky.
To end our day, we met with Tait's friend, Peter Amos. Peter shared his story with us. He began teaching in Pennsylvania, but after years of disliking his job, Peter realized he could move to this place he'd heard of before called Cuenca and retire. The cost of living is much lower here. Peter said things were very different from the United States, but overall, he enjoyed living here.
It was tough to leave Cuenca the next morning, but I had to remind myself of the other adventures that lay ahead of us. We were all kind of sad to leave Hotel Victoria and its delicious food. I will most definitely see Cuenca again.