C & C globetrotting around the world…

Cuenca, named after the founder’s home town in Spain, is a small jewel in the Southern highlands at an altitude of 2,500m above sea level. The centre of the city is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Trust site because of its many historical buildings. Many people like to compare the architectural beauty of Quito and Cuenca. To us Quito was prettier, but Cuenca definitely has its charm and we spent 4 days there taking it in.

Cuenca was originally a Cañari settlement called Guapondeleg. It is believed to have been founded around 500 AD. Guapondeleg translates into “land as big as heaven.” Less than half a century before the conquistadors landed, the Incas, after a bitter struggle, conquered the Cañari and occupied Guapondeleg and the surrounding area. Though the Incas replaced the Cañari architecture with their own, they did not suppress the Cañari or their impressive achievements in astronomy and agriculture. As was customary for the Incas, they absorbed useful achievements into their culture. They renamed the city Tomebamba. The city became known as the second Cusco, a regional capital. After the defeat of the Cañari, the Inca commander, Tupac Yupanqui, ordered the construction of a grand city to be called Pumapungo, “the door of the Puma”. Its magnificence was to challenge that of the Inca capital of Cuzco. Indians told stories to the Spanish chroniclers of golden temples and other such wonders, but by the time the Spaniards found the legendary city, all that remained were ruins. We visited the ruins of Pumapungo which lie on a small hill between Calle Larga and the Tomebamba river. Today, the city’s full name is Santa Ana de los cuatro ríos de Cuenca.

In the city we visited the Old and the New Cathedrals, and admired the nice colonial houses. The Old Cathedral, built in the 16^th century has been converted into a museum. We got a guide who explained lots of interesting things about the building and the crypt. Eventually the cathedral was though to be too small for the congregation, so the New Cathedral (“Catedral Metropolitana de la Inmaculada Concepción”) was built to accommodate 9,000 of the city’s 10,000 inhabitants at the time. Unfortunately the bell towers were never built because the architect miscalculated something and cracks started to appear in the foundation. So construction was stopped and the 2 bells were donated to the cathedral in Guayaquil, leaving this one with truncated towers. The 2 cathedrals are separated by Parque Calderon, a nice park with benches where lots of locals hang out.

One day we went to Ingapirca, an archeological site about 2 hours outside Cuenca. We took a guide to visit the sight and it was really interesting. Without the guide, just looking at a few old stones would have been boring, but the tour was great. The region was home to the Canari people from about 900BC and the Canari had a temple here. The matriarch society of the Canari worshipped the Moon as their God. When the Inca came, there were fierce fights between the two, but eventually they lived together in Ingapirca. This is why Ingapirca has 2 sections, one dedicated to the Moon (God of the Canari) and one dedicated to the Sun (God of the Inca). Slowly the Inca gained more power. The site is designed in such a way to portray this: Ingapirca is shaped like a puma with the Canari part at the feet since they were strong workers and warriors and the Inca at the head since they were the thinkers. Ingapirca, meaning “Inca Wall” sits at an altitude of 3,100m above sea level. Actually, all Inca temples are above 3,000m in order to be closer to the sun and hence God. The patriarch Inca worshipped the Sun as the supreme god with the Moon being a second God. On the site there are both sun and moon calenders with which they calculated harvests and other important dates. The coexistence of the 2 cultures with their 2 beliefs is also symbolized in the fact that the shape of the moon and the sun are both present in Ingapirca. Overall it was a really insightful tour where we learnt a lot about these old cultures.

While in Cuenca, Christoph took a quick Spanish course. Although his Spanish is very good, he wanted to freshen it up a little and took 3 times 2 hours. He had fun and we even went to a cooking class (in Spanish!) organized by the school. We made chicken empanadas and they were really delicious. It was a fun afternoon and we hope to get the recipe so we can make them at home as well. We also went to a free concert given by the Cuenca Symphonic Orchestra. The beginning was kind of slow, but it finished with some nice pieces and made for a nice evening out. One day we went to Plaza Rotary where a form of witchcraft is being done. People with bodily ailments, bad luck or those wishing for good luck go see old ladies for a cure. The old ladies use a bundle of herbs and magic spells to get rid of the bad spirits and cure the patient. It was fascinating to watch pregnant women, children and people of all sorts being treated. We also went to a market which was very rich and colourful. It was a pleasure to look at all the exotic fruit stands. At markets they always have a section where you can buy some food to eat there, so we had a choclo corn pancake and freshly squeezed fruit juices. Both were really yummy and a perfect snack.

Talking about food, Cuenca is a great place to eat. Next to our hostel we discovered 2 great places: “Broadway Grill” for lunch and “Le Cigale” for dinner. “Broadway Grill” was a small Ecuadorian place serving one set $2 menu per day. It changed every day, but it was always really good. Often we didn’t even know what was on the menu, but it was a pleasant surprise every time. Some of the menus included:

• potato soup, beef stew with rice & salad, juice & ice cream
• crab, fish & shrimp soup, tortilla omelet w/ guacamole and mixed rice (carrots, green beans, minced meat, peas, lentils, tamarindo juice and apple marinated in red wine as dessert
• soup, pork Stroganoff with veggies, baked potato with butter, salad, juice and fruit

Everything was really nicely presented and delicious, so we think the cook is a chef at some fancy restaurant in the evenings.

In the evenings, we went to different restaurants, but the one that we liked the most was “Le Cigale”, also a few doors down from our hostel. This place served more international food, but the prices were also accordingly. One dinner we had tilapia filet with garlic sauce and chicken with honey-mustard sauce everything served with potato gratin and salad. Their cordon bleu and grilled veggie sandwich were also delicious. The cheesecake and chocolate mousse also attracted us a few times. Our last evening in Cuenca we went for dinner with John to eat a South American speciality: guinea pig! It is roasted whole and served with potatoes and choclo, a sort of white corn. There is not much meat on it, mainly bones and crispy skin. It wasn’t bad and we were happy to have tried it, but we don’t necessarily need to eat it again.

Overall Cuenca was a great place to spend a few days and take in the atmosphere of this cute Ecuadorian town before continuing on to Peru.

We arrived in Guayaquil and it was really hot. Gustavo, a friend from Amsterdam picked us up at the bus terminal and we were really happy to see him again after more than 6 years. After picking up his girlfriend Sophia, we drove down-town and walked around on “Malecon 2000”, a nice river promenade. We also went to “La Rotunda” with the statue of the encounter of Pizzaro and Bolivar, where Gustavo showed us the funny sound travel. After a quick dinner we walked around the “Las Penas” historic neighbourhood of Guayaquil. With about 4 million inhabitants, Guayaquil is the largest city in Ecuador and its economic centre.

The next day, Gustavo brought us to have breakfast at a “classical” place and we had “Tigrillo”, a dish of mashed plantain mixed with cheese and bacon bits. It’s good, but really stuffing and heavy. We then went to “Parque Historico:” It’s a park with many native plants and animals, as well as some typical buildings of the area, so it was interesting to see. Afterwards we got a car tour of down-town Guayaquil, but there is not so much to see. We stopped at the Cathedral and also went to the park across the street. There are lots and lots of iguanas wondering around, it’s kind of weird. From there we went to “Mirador de Bellavista”, a look-out point, to get a view over the city. The city is very dispersed and not too pretty. The vast majority of buildings are one or two stories high. There are no regulations controlling the territory, so the city keeps expanding. Gustavo also pointed out many neighbourhoods that have invaded the land. Families establish themselves there and build a wooden hut on land that doesn’t belong to them. In time, they make a house out of it. Since it’s not an official neighbourhood, the government doesn’t build roads and facilities there (electricity, water, sewage). Some of these neighbourhoods have eventually been recognized and were given an official status, helping the people have a better life. The dilemma is that by doing so, more “invasions” might be encouraging more people to move here. A very tough decision.

Besides showing us Guayaquil, Gustavo also wanted to show us the coast of Ecuador, so we headed that way for 3 days. After reaching the coast, we drove North on “Ruta del Sol” and watched the beautiful sunset from a cliff. We checked in at a hotel in Montanita. It was $40, more than double of what we’re used to paying, but unfortunately it wasn’t better at all (not even as good). Montanita is a very touristy beach town with lots of rich people from Guayaquil coming here on week-ends, so the prices are accordingly. The entire place is made up of restaurants, bars and discos. Unfortunately it was impossible to sleep due to the loud music from the bars and discos. To top it all off, we had flying crickets in our room!!! They were the size of a large thumb and would fly against the wall, then fall down. It was really scary as they could land on us while we were in bed. Christoph killed about 10, but every time we turned the lights off and went back to bed, there would be more. We checked all the orifices and didn’t find any, but somehow these stupid insects kept coming in. As the night progressed, Christoph felt worse and worse. He had a high fever, was throwing up, having diarrhoea and was generally very weak. We decided to go to the hospital to get him checked out as we were very scared that he might have Dengue fever, something common in this area.

In the morning Christoph got a blood test done and it turned out that it wasn’t dengue fever! Fiuf! It was just a severe gastro, but he needed a transfusion since he was very dehydrated. He also got some medicine through the IV (antibiotics & fever reducer). Around 3pm when the transfusion was finished and he was feeling better, so we left after 6 hours of free treatment. The only thing we had to pay was the blood test (done in a separate clinic) and the drugs that got prescribed. Now that Christoph has also tested how the health system works on this continent, we hope we won’t have any more health issues. Luckily it wasn’t anything severe. From there we drove to Ayampe, a small fisher village and found a nice guesthouse. From the balcony it had a nice view over the treetops and the ocean. We were both exhausted after the sleepless night, so we went straight to bed. What a day!

The next day we slept in and had breakfast on the terrace with the nice view. We then continued North on “Ruta del Sol” until “Los Frailes Beach”, which is part of the Machalilla National Park. It is said to be one of the nicest beaches in Ecuador. It was nice and wide and the water had a good temperature, so we swam a bit too. If not in the water, you had to stay under the umbrella though, as the sun was scorching hot. We left the beach and continued on Ruta del Sol, stopping at a look-out point over Puerto Lopez as well as in Puerto Lopez itself. There were some fishermen who just got back with big fish – 12kg they told us – while others were repairing their nets. It was a nice sights with the colourful boats and the fishermen. We checked in at a hotel in Puerto Cayo right on the ocean front. We went to town to have dinner, but now Cecilia’s stomach was acting up, so she only had white rice. Unfortunately she kept on having fever and diarrhoa all night. She drank a lot of water and Pedialyte and took Paracetamol. She wasn’t feeling bad anymore and was even laughing the entire time. Christoph made her “Wadenwinkeln” (cold water compresses on her legs) all night and eventually the fever subsided. It was nice to hear the sound of the waves outside since we couldn’t sleep anyway. The following day, we had breakfast and relaxed in the hammocks to the sound of waves before hitting the road again. We arrived in Guayaquil and watched “Men in Black 3” to finish the week-end.

The coast is very long and almost entirely lined by sand beaches. There aren’t many palm trees, but the area is still very green. There are some fisher villages like the ones we passed, but it remains mainly undeveloped, especially by tourism. Had we both not been sick, it would have been a more enjoyable week-end, but you can’t plan for these things. Thanks Gustavo for your hospitality though.

From Otavalo we headed South, passing through Quito until Banos. The area was beautiful and we saw many mountains and volcanoes shrouded in mist. This small town is a famous tourist destination because there are lots of activities to be done. The green peaks around town are perfect for hiking and there are also lots of adventure sports such as mountain biking and rafting on offer. The town has its name from the thermal baths caused by the nearby Tungurahua volcano. Unfortunately during our stay the weather didn’t cooperate, so we couldn’t do any of the fun activities. The rain kept us in, but we used the time to catch up on our Blog and emails. The sun came out every 2 hours for 10 minutes, just enough to allow us to go for lunch or to go for a small walk around town. One evening we met up with some friends we had met in Otavalo and went to a microbrewery (“Stray Dog”) together, so that was fun.

The next day was just as rainy as the first one, so we stayed in again. In the evening the rain stopped and we took the “Chiva Bus” tour. It’s a party bus that goes up to Mirador de Bellavista (2,800m, compared to Banos at 1,800m). Unfortunately there was no view because it was extremely foggy, but eventually it cleared up a bit and we could see the town. Up there we got a free cinnamon tea and there was a “magic show”. The show was a total joke, but it was funny to see how the guys made a show out of nothing. It was all in Spanish and the locals enjoyed it, but to us it was just hilarious to see. We then took the bus back down and it stopped in front of a bar. We sat down with some people we had met on the tour and all got a free shot of “volcan”, which was very strong. Overall it was a fun evening chatting with everyone.

The next day the weather was perfect: sunshine and warm. Too bad we had to leave Banos already, but our friend was waiting for us in the next town. The drive to Guayaquil was really pretty, passing through beautiful landscape. Looking back to Banos, we saw smoke coming out of Tungurahua volcano. We also think we passed Volcan Chimborazo. Not only is it the highest mountain in Ecuador (6,310m), but its peak is also the furthest away from the centre of the Earth (due to the Earth’s equatorial bulge). Eventually the grasslands gave way to more lush green forests and deep valleys. As we came down from the mountains into the lowlands and approached the coast, the climate got increasingly hotter and agriculture increased. We passed by plantations of bananas, cocoa, sugar cane, tomatoes and corn. It’s really impressive how big the difference is in just a few hours.

We took a 3-hour bus ride from Quito to Otavalo on the Panamericana Highway. There was not one kilometre where the road was straight, always winding and going up and down, but it was in perfect condition and they even working on widening it. The hillsides were mainly covered in shrubs, but as we approached Otavalo we also saw lots of rose plantations. Otavalo is a prosperous town North of Quito at an elevation of 2,550m famous for its Saturday market. After checking into our hostel and having lunch, we followed the old train tracks until the indigenous village of Peguche. There we hiked to the “Cascada de Peguche” and came back the same way, following the train tracks. On the way back, we visited a weaving factory and even bought 2 shawls. We had dinner in our hostel’s rooftop kitchen and chatted with other travellers, so it was a very pleasant evening.

The next day was the big market day. The Otavalo market dates back to pre-Inca times and is said to be the largest handicrafts market in South America. First we went to the animal market where indigenous men and women buy and sell their pigs, sheep, cattle, chicken and guinea pigs. It’s fun to see all that activity and especially the indigenous people in their traditional costumes. Men wear white pants to the calves, string sandals, a poncho with a pony tail and a dark felt hat. Women wear beautifully embroidered blouses, long skirts and a folded cloth on their head. There are hardly any tourists here – the market is for the locals. Lots of village people descend into town on Saturday to do their shopping. From there we went to the handicrafts market, where there are lots of traditional clothes, hammocks, blankets, ponchos and some souvenirs. Compared to other markets we’ve visited, this one is not geared towards tourists. Everything was so nice and colourful. On the way back, Christoph almost got mugged, but luckily he outsmarted them and they didn’t get anything. It’s really interesting how they operate in groups though and you really cannot tell who was the thief. We spent the rest of the day in our nice room with a beautiful 360 degree view of the surroundings.

After a very long journey (Luxembourg-Amsterdam-Atlanta-Quito), we finally landed in Ecuador late at night. Quito, Ecuador’s capital, lies at an elevation of 2850m in the Andes and is surrounded by mist-covered peaks. We had a hearty breakfast in our hostel of eggs, bread roll, fruit salad and coffee. We then set out to explore the jewel of Quito: its historic centre (Centro Historico), a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Old Town itself is very hilly, has narrow streets sprinkled with beautiful colonial buildings and churches everywhere. We first climbed up one hill to Basilica del Voto Nacional, an imposing building from the 20^th century. We then had lunch at a small restaurant. We read that if you have the “almuerzo del dia” (lunch of the day) it’s really cheap, so we tried it. For $2 per person we got a soup, a big piece of grilled chicken, rice, salad and a juice. Not bad! From there we went to “Palacio del Gobierno” (Government Palace) on the Plaza Grande. We took a free English tour with 2 other Canadians. President Correo is the first president to open up the palace for tourists. Since he actually conducts business here, we were only able to see some rooms, but it was interesting. Not only was the tour for free, but we even got a free picture at the end. “Plaza Grande”, also known as “Plaza de la Independencia”, is a nicely restored plaza flanked by important buildings: “Palacio del Gobierno”, the municipal counsel, “Palacio Arzobispal” (Archbishop’s Palace) and the Cathedral. The plaza is full of life and there are dozens of shoe-shiners offering their services. From there we walked to “Iglesia de la Compania de Jesus”, a marvellously gilded Jesuit church from the 17^th century. The entrance price included a guide, but they didn’t have an English-speaking one available. We took a Spanish guide, as that’s better than no guide. We were surprised by how well we understood the guide, but she probably also spoke more clearly for us. She pointed out the church’s unique features, including its Moorish elements, its perfect symmetry, as well as symbolic elements such as the bright red walls symbolizing Christ’s blood. Quitenos (inhabitants of Quito) call it the most beautiful church in the country and it’s easy to see why. We were told not to go out after dark, so for dinner we went to a local restaurant around the corner from our hostel. By 8pm we were in bed. The jet lag, fatigue and the high altitude got to us, we guess.

The next day we woke up very early and took the bus to “Mitad del Mundo”, the “Middle of the Earth”, 22km North of Quito. This is where Charles-Marie de la Condamine made the measurements in 1736 proving that this was the equatorial line. We took funky pictures of us jumping over the Equator and then took the bus back. After lunch at the central market we headed to Monasterio de San Francisco on the Plaza of the same name. It is the city’s largest colonial building and its oldest church (built in 1534). We took a guide through the Museo Francisco, which has some of the church’s finest artwork. The guide was really good and explained to us the distinguishing features of the “Escuela Quitena” (Quito school of art). This style developed when the Aboriginals were trained by the Spanish conquistadors. The artists portrayed Spanish religious concepts, but incorporated some of their indigenous beliefs, creating very unique art. This style can be seen throughout Ecuador, but most specifically in Quito itself, but it died out with Ecuador’s independence in 1822. For dinner we went again to a local little restaurant that was full of people. We had the “dinner of the day” (“merienda”), which also costs $2 per person for soup and stew with rice, salad and juice. By 9pm we were both sleeping again.

The next day, we woke up at 7am, like every day. Maybe it’s the air, but most probably the fact that we go to bed so early. After a typical Ecuadorian breakfast we visited the Cathedral of Quito. The guide pointed out some interesting things, as well as the tomb of Mariscal Sucre, the leading figure of Quito’s independence from Spain. What’s also funny to see is that there is a painting of the Last Supper where Jesus and the Apostles are having an Ecuadorian feast: roasted guinea pig (“cuy”) with “humitas” and drinking “chicha” (a corn drink). From there we went to “Museo de la Ciudad” (City Museum) located in an old hospital and depicting life in Quito through the centuries. After lunch at Cafe Modelo where we tried a bunch of different Ecuadorian snacks, we took a cab to the Teleferiqo, a sky train that takes you up to 4100m and from where you can enjoy beautiful views of Quito’s mountainous surroundings, but unfortunately it was under repair. Instead, we visited “Museo del Banco Central” where we learnt about many different pre-Columbian cultures. To finish off our stay in Quito, we watched a small military parade on Plaza Grande before taking the bus to Otavalo.