Enjoying our time "waiting for DHL" in Cuenca - Cuenca, Ecuador
Cuenca, Ecuador
Where I stayed
Hostal Alternative
What I did
Pumapungo
Lori:
We left Gustavo Saturday morning. We hailed a taxi in front of his apartment and rode a four hour bus to Cuenca. From the terminal, we walked the 13 or so blocks to the Alternative Hostal where we had booked a room for the next three nights. We were looking forward to exploring this city, known to be beautiful, clean, and interesting for its diversity, with numerous indigenous peoples here, as well as an abundance of expats, all calling Cuenca home.
We settled into the place, packed with travelers from all over the world. We were excited to meet the first family, similar to ours in that they were traveling for an extended period, six months, with only a loose plan off seeing a good part of Latin America. This family, a mom and her two daughters (seven and ten years old) from Denmark, were just getting started on their adventure and we obviously had a lot to talk about! We also met Tina from Vancouver, also staying at Hostal Alternative, but in her case for an open ended period while getting extensive dental work done, which would have apparently been three times the price in Canada. We became fast friends, realizing they we have so much in common its almost ridiculous, including our birthday! She and my family bonded over many meals cooked and eaten together in the community kitchen, swapping limes, wine, all while she read my entire family's astrological charts with uncanny accuracy. The two of us eat the same things, read the same books, enjoy the same hobbies including veggie cooking, guitar, yoga, and travel and Spanish go without saying. Needless too say, saying goodbye after out tight hang this week was sad for us all. As she headed on the hostel's bike to an oral surgery appointment, we were headed for the bus terminal to continue our journey further south, stopping in Vilcabamba, hoping to be in Peru by Friday.
As for our stay in Cuenca, it turned into four nights rather than our anticipated three, as we were stuck waiting for a package to arrive at the local DHL office with Noa's iPad Mini replacement from the States, which finally arrived, after ten days in transit and customs, this morning. Although we were "stuck" in Cuenca waiting, we couldn't have been stuck in a more pleasant city, surrounded by what felt like a little family at our hostel. We spent our days "taking it slow." We did manage to see, from the top of a double decker tour bus, much of the city, particularly its historic center, named by UNESCO a World Heritage Site, for its 16th century architecture. We visited three museums, one of which, Museo del Banco Cenral "Pumapungo," displayed art and history from Ecuador's diverse indigenous cultures, much of which we have seen, aside from the actual shrunken heads on display to show what the Shuar people once did to their enemies. Behind this museum is an archaeological where we could walk through extensive ruins of buildings thought 12yo be a part of the old Incan city of Tomebamba. The second museum we stopped in (for literally four minutes) did not hold anyone's interest in its display of Ecuador's Independence from Spanish rule. The third museum, part of the hospital and medical school of Cuenca did exhibit a fascinating display of the history of medicine.
Otherwise, our time in this lively, clean, laid back town with an international and mildly bohemian vibe, was spent shopping for food, cooking, walking a ton, running, playing at one of the most interesting and fun playgrounds any of us had ever seen (with playground equipment reminiscent of nautilus machines normally found in gyms) and an awesome (high and long) zip line. Leaving this morning was bitter sweet. On a bus now, with Noa's sleeping head on my lap, looking out the windows at the clouds sitting lower than we are in the valleys, headed to a town called Loja, where we will change buses after this four hour ride, to a town called Vilcabamba, known worldwide for the longevity of its citizens (many of whom apparently have lived to be 120 years old). We will get to see what it is about this town that leads to health into these much later years.
Ari:
On Tuesday we went on a bus tour. It was double decker, with the second floor open and we could see a full view of the city of Cuenca. One of the things that interested me most was a broken bridge. It went across the river near our hostel but half of it was washed away in a flood in the 1950's. There were workers not trying to finish the bridge but to preserve it just the way it is. When the bus tour was over, we walked to a museum that my parents thought would be interesting. It was so boring that we had to leave after four minutes. We then walked to the supermarket to get more food for dinner that night. We also bought candy for Chanukah.
Yesterday we walked to Museo de Banco Central, a natural history museum, right across the street from our hostel. It had displays about the lives of the Shuar people, who still are living in Ecuador with their ancient traditions. We saw replicas of their houses, which were small and made of bamboo and leaves. They slept in hammocks, which they wove themselves. We saw really freaky shrunken heads and looms that they weave with.
Behind the museum there is an outside exhibit with ancient Incan ruins called Pumapungo. We walked around it and learned the ways of life of the Incan people. We had the opportunity of seeing the chamber where they put their dead. The Incans, like the ancient Egyptians, believe in the underworld. They mummify the dead to preserve the body parts and take them into their chamber where, according to their beliefs, live in the "underworld." Among the ruins is a water canal that the Incas used for drinking and irrigation. Near the ruins, there is a botanical garden to show off the flora and fauna of Ecuador. There are birds in cages including hawks, macaws, toucans and eagles. There are ducks freely roaming around the garden, eating berries and swimming in a pond.
Today we walked the two kilometers to the bus station. From there we took a four hour bus ride to Loja and another hour bus ride to Vilcabamba. We hailed a pickup truck to our hostel, Izhcayluma. In the Incan language, Izhcayluma means "two hills." The Incans who lived in this area named it that because there are two hills where they lived on the hostel grounds.
Noa:
On Sunday in Cuenca, we woke up and my dad wasn't feeling well so we didn't do much. We walked to the DHL office and saw when my new iPad was going to come. They said it would come on Wednesday. My old one broke of water damage. When we on our way back to the hostel, we played at an awesome playground. It has a zip line and exercise equipment. It is really fun and we played for a while.
On Monday, we went on a double decker bus all around town and up to a look out point called Mirador de Turi. It was fun except it rained and it was cold. We also went into an electronic store and my brothers bought ear buds for me for Chanukah. Later, we went to the grocery store and we bought candy for Chanukah. After, we went back to the hostel and ate a yummy dinner.
On Tuesday we went to a museum called Museo del Banco Centro "Pumapungo" across the street from our hostel. Manikins on display were representing cultures in Ecuador. I saw shrunken heads and I also saw some examples of Ecuadorean houses. The outside part of the museum has extensive ruins of buildings believed to be part of the old Incan city of Tomebamba. The museum also has different types of birds of Ecuador like macaws, parrots, hawks and more. Cuenca is a very pretty,clean city with great weather. If you ever come to Ecuador, Cuenca is the place to go.
Eli:
Sunday my dad wasn't feeling great so we didn't do much except we went to the supermarket to buy food. But Monday was a very busy day. We went into town to see what's Cuenca like. We found a museum. We didn't find it interesting so we only stayed for four minutes. Then, we found a double deckered city tour bus. We went on the bus. After the tour, we also found a medical museum. 'Twas very interesting. Then we walked back to the hostel to eat supper and go to bed.
Yesterday, we went to Museo del Banco Central Pumapungo which included an archaeological park. On display were Incan ruins. Ruins are buildings or houses or even whole cites that have been buried by the forest for a long time and archaeologists rediscover them. We went to the park while my mom and dad went to the DHL. We only played on the exercise equipment. Then we had dinner.