Ecuadorian Adventure part 2

October 8

Our last day in Quito we headed for Yanacocha, a cloud forest high above Quito. It was raining when we got out of the car and started on the trail. The vegetation was beautiful and soon we spied colorful humming birds. Ron was able to get lots of photos because the rangers replenish the feeders daily. We were all equipped with rain jackets and ponchos so the rain wasn’t a problem. It felt good to get out of the city and be in natural surroundings with few people.

That night we went to bed early as we had arranged for an early pick up for the airport. Our plane left for Cuenca in the south at 5:55 a.m. so we got up around 2:45. The flight was short, at just an hour.

Fortunately our hostel had a room ready. We loved this little place built around a courtyard within a few blocks of the town center. It was a safe neighborhood and the building was secure.

Oct 9

Our plane left for Cuenca in the south at 5:55 a.m. so we got up around 2:45. The flight was short, an hour. Fortunately our hostel had a room ready. We loved this little place built around a courtyard within a few blocks of the town center. It was a safe neighborhood and the building was secure.

The Adrian, who picked us up at the airport, gave us a quick free tour of downtown on the way to our hostel. We decided to hire him for a half day tour of the Cajas National Park after we got registered in our hotel. He came back and picked us up at 9:30, giving us and him time to grab breakfast.

Adrian spoke perfect English and was an excellent guide. We made fast friends. He told us stories about being raised by his grandfather who was a mechanic and loved cars. Before he died Adrian fully restored his grandfather’s favorite auto and he showed us photos of it. Chevys are made in Ecuador so they are seen often on the streets. Adrian was driving one.

Once we reached the park not far out of Cuenca we walked around a large lake. There are many U shaped valleys made by glaciers in this park and the residual lakes are now a part of the landscape. 

Ron had brought some of Sonia’s (his mom) ashes so he left some by a tree near the lake. Sonia is now spread in several countries we have visited. Adrian pointed out various plants as we walked in the park. 

After the walk we returned to the car and drove to the highest point Tres Cruces (Three Crosses) pass at 14,000 feet. Ron and I climbed up a small hill to see the panoramic view and we shocked as how breathless we were. We looked out over a number of small lakes that had been formed many years ago by glaciers. 

We also visited Lake Toredora  Visitors’ Center further back down the road. Here we learned that 90% of the parks’ mountains are covered with a “tropical alpine wet cushion forest.” That was a first-a tropical alpine …it turns out that there is a think layer of this cushion, maybe 8-12 inches covering most of the rock here. One of the trees here is the polylepis trees that have adapted to the higher elevations making this one of highest forests in the world. The trees grow at 1-5 mm a year. (.03 inches-.19 inches).

We rested when we got back to the hostel. The time honored tradition of siesta is alive and well here. Most shops close for siesta for 90 minutes to two hours. That evening we walked to a traditional restaurant and had arepas, maize pancakes. We walked around town afterwards, peering into shops and becoming more familiar with the town. We are pleased that we could get to where we wanted to go on foot.

 

Oct 10

We started the day with a free guided 2.5 hr walking tour of the town. We started in Park Calderon, a lovely park right in the center of town and the guide spoke in Spanish and English. We started at the church next to the park, the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception. 

The giant domes are covered in sky blue Czech tiles. We spent a while walking around inside the cathedral. The marble columns were beautiful. We visited other churches, a modern art gallery, a fresh market where you can see a complete fried pig laid out for a plate of pork and rice, a hat factory and historic homes. 

If you didn’t know, Panama hats are made in Ecuador. The hats are called sombreros de paja toquilla, meaning straw hat.  In the 1800s Spanish entrepreneurs began exporting these fine hats via Panama. In the 1900s workers on the Panama Canal used these light and extremely durable hats to protect themselves from the sun helping to solidify the association with Panama. They became known as Panama hats when President Theordor Roosevelt was asked "where did you get that hat?  He said Panama, becasue he had gotten it there on a visit to the new canal.

The Paja toquilla hats are made from the fibrous fronds of toquilla palm which grows in the inland arid regions of the central Ecuadorian coast, particularly around the town of Montecristi. Some refer to the hats as a Montecristi. Hats of every quality are available with the matching price tag. Those that are the most finely woven go for 1000’s of dollars. They are said to be able to hold water due to the tight weave..

We got a feel for the Spanish colonial architecture while on the tour. When the Cuencans became wealthy in the 1900s they traveled to Europe and as a result brought back a taste for French architecture in Cuenca where the results can be seen in many of the historic homes here. To celebrate we ate in a large courtyard at a smart little French bistro near where we started the tour and then visited a few shops.

After a siesta we ate in the former home of the first governor of Cuenca who lived here in 1859. It is now a beautifully restored hotel with a great restaurant.

Oct 11
We walked to the far end of town and visited the wonderful Museo Banco Central Pumapungo.  This free museum is one of Ecuador’s most significant museums. This museum has a comprehensive array of Ecuador’s diverse indigenous cultures with colorful dioramas and reconstruction of typical houses. The finale includes shrunken heads from the Shuar culture. We liked this museum because it was relatively small and we didn’t get overwhelmed with information. Not all of the signage was in English. No pictures were allowed.

Behind the museum was an archeological park with extensive ruins of buildings thought to be part of the old Incan city of Tomebamba. The Spanish conquistadors carted off most of the stone to build Cuenca. The Spanish did this in Peru as well. Afterwards we ate lunch at a nearby restaurant then later visited the Museo de las Culturas Aborigines. This indigenous museum has 5,000 archeological pieces representing more than 20 pre-Hispanic  Ecuadorian cultures going back  15,000 years. Back  to our hotel for a break.

Oct 12

We had planned to visit a site today but arrived to discover it was closed for a 2.5 hr. break for lunch. Scrap that idea. So we went shopping for a hat for Ron to have for the sun in the Galapagos. We found some cotton drawstring leisure pants for both of us at the outdoor market. Later found his hat and he looks like an Ecuadorian cowboy. I love it!

A significant number of people here are less than five feet tall; some are around four feet and some I feel sure are less than four feet. Around 800 AD cultures here became integrated. In Cuenca the Canari were the major culture. Mestizo is a person of mixed indigenous and Spanish decent.

When we arrived Ann pointed out that large butts are prized here. They even have undergarments that add padding to the derrière. For a more permanent fix you can have plastic surgery. OY! It is amazing how big some of the butts are and how incredibly tight women wear their pants here to show their butts off. Even mannequins and ads show big butts.

Oct 13

Today was a free day with no specific plans. Ron went to about four shops trying to find shoe laces to make a strap for his new hat to hold it on when the wind comes up. Finally at a leather store he got what he needed. Next we went to a bead shop to get a bead to use for the slide.

Afterwards we walked across the river to new town. We tried to go to the university archeological museum but it was closed so we just poked around looking at shops. I passed a high end hotel and spied a great poncho in the gift shop and tried on several. I was told the material was alpaca but the price was $36…it that really possible? Not sure but it is a lovely chartreuse poncho with a trim of bright Ecuadorian colors so I got it.