Cuenca
Our last stop in Ecuador was the colonial city of Cuenca. All the Ecuadorians we met and talked to bragged about the city, and we also found out that Cuenca is a popular expat relocation site. We quickly learned why; the city has a perfect climate of eternal spring. This is largely due to its picturesque setting in the Andes mountains with four different rivers flowing across the city. And the city is safe—especially compared to Quito. Here are some photos from our visit.
The Tomebamba River that flows right below the historical center
Looking across the bridge into the city
The signature blue domes of the “new” cathedral, built in 1880
Inside the cathedral; we noticed Ecuador loves John Paul II
Inca ruins lie beneath old Spanish buildings – this one at Museo Manuel Agustin Landivar
Like Quito, the Banco Central has a museum here — with a great exhibit on Ecuadorian culture, including a display of panchos and their various uses
Head shrinking was an important part of the indigenous Amazonian cultures—today they can only shrink sloth heads
Museo Banco Central has a large aviary where we got very close & personal with a toucan
And the largest Inca ruins in Cuenca—Pumapungo—are accessed through the Museum
Back in Old Town, the famous flower market a block from the main square
We visited on Mother’s Day weekend and got to see the various vendors & their gifts
Panama hats are actually made in Ecuador, and we visited a shop where they were made
The best view of the city is from a hill, just outside Iglesia de Turi
A view of this UNESCO cultural city
