|
|
| .. |
Nicole's
Travelogues and Budget Travel Tips..
|
|
|
CUENCA, ECUADOR
Cuenca is the third-largest city in Ecuador and many think it is Ecuador's most beautiful city. There are no skyscrapers blocking the mountainous views and from afar the red-tiled roofs give the city a pink glow.
Cuenca is about 11 hours south of Quito by bus - on some of the worst roads in the country. When I was there El Comercio had just published an article about the number of deaths (about 110 in last 13 months) by bus accident on this stretch of roads. I left for Cuenca from Riobamba and luckily made it in one piece. Of course I can't say the same for the dog and small mule the bus ran over or for the girl behind me who was throwing up her lunch. Your other option is to fly from Quito ($50 one way) or Guayaquil. You can see a strong Spanish influence and a more laid-back appearance. Definitely quieter than other cities around the same size. You either hate it or you love it. Those used to Quito will find Cuenca quite different. You have to search for internet access and businesses adhere to closing during almuerzo. Markets are similar to American Flea Markets - as opposed to Quito tourist-friendly crafts markets. Cuencans are more conservative than their Quito counterparts and you do attract lots of stares if you do not conform.
The Catedral Antigua was built the year the city was founded, in 1557. The Cathedral has cool sculptures of Sangurima (the last supper) and numerous religious paintings. Iglesia de Santo Domingo has the statue "La Morenica," a virgin with halo measuring one meter and has sculptures by the Ecuadorian artist Velez. Plaza Rotary it is the main market for folkloric arts and crafts, especially large on Thursdays and Saturdays. You can find otavalino clothing and ponchos, weavings, and embroideries in the Plaza de San Francisco. El Carmen, Mercado De Las Flores is gorgeous with all kinds of regional flowers and plants for sale. At night, visit a local theater such as Cine 9 de Octubre (Lamar y Cueva) or Teatro Cuenca (Aguirre 10-50 y Colombia). The Eclipse Bar (Bolivar y Aguirre) has pool tables and 2 for 1 happy hour between 6 and 8:00 pm - however if you are female, usually, you can get 2 for 1 anytime. Casa de la Cultura is across from the Catedral Nuevo and has an art gallery, bookstore, and museum. Near the river is the Museo de Artes Populares with lots of folk art and a crafts shop, while the Museo del Banco Central has lots of pre-Colombian pottery. You can take a half-day trip to the village of Chordeleg (about 2 hours from Cuenca), which is Ecuador's jewelry capital. Catch a bus from terminal terrestre or from corner of Espana y Benalcazar. It's a nice day trip where you'll find great jewelry to take home to your family and friends.
About 30 minutes from Cuenca, there are 200 lakes called Lagunas del Cajas. The scenery is gorgeous and you can go fishing. There is also a refuge on the Laguna Toreadora. Your hostel or travel agencies in Cuenca can give you directions - you can either take tour or take bus from terminal terrestre. To see a view of the city, go south about 5 miles from the center of Cuenca along Ave. de Solano and you'll come to Mirador Turi. Here you will really see how all of the red-tiled roofs give the city a pink glow. You can catch taxis here along the river front (about $2). If you aren't going to make it to Banos, near Riobamba, there is also another town called Banos located about 15 minutes from Cuenca (on Pan-American Sur). It has hot and cold pools as well. You can take a day trip to the ruins at Ingapirca where you can wander the ruins with llamas. |
I stayed at Hotel Espana (Sangurima 1-17 y Huayna Capac) which was 5 blocks from the bus station ($9). It was very clean, had a sparkling private bath with hot water, TV/phone, and offered a good free breakfast in the inside courtyard. The only drawback was that the walls were paper thin, so your "good night's rest" really depended on your neighbors. Hotel Espana also has a restaurant and room service if you want to stay in for the night. Their arroz con pollo is good (chicken and rice). I've heard Hostal Chordeleg (Colombia y Torres) is very good and comparable to Hotel Espana in amenities. There are 52 churches in Cuenca, many attached to convents.Catedral Nuevo (as seen in picture above) was originally planned to be South America's largest church, however, work was stopped in 1908 due to miscalculations leaving the towers unfinished. Definitely take a look inside to see impressive stained glass or go to a service. Quite a different experience than attending a service in Banos! El Pedegral Azteca (Colombia 10-33) has great Mexican food for $4-5 per plate. The restaurant is pretty sturdy as we experienced the 7.2 earthquake that hit Bahia de Caraquez here. Raymipampa (west side of Parque Calderon) has a great view of the park and yummy crepes for about $3. Funkadelis (Vasquez y Cordero) has vegetarian dishes - great fajitas - for $1-2 daily. Internet services are available at the Abraham Lincoln Cultural Center (Borrero 518) for $1.20 per hour and at Aguirre 1096 on the 2nd floor (8 IBMs). There are probably more - look for "Internet Here" signs. Banco del Pacifico is on Malo 9-75 and the TAME office is at Benigno Malo 508. There are also a few Spanish Schools here including: Centro de Estudios (Colombia 11-02), Nexus Lingua y Culturas (12 de Abril y Paucarbamba), and Centro Cultural Ecuatoriano-Norteamericano (Borrero 5-18 y Casilla).
|
There are also 2 small ruins sites including 