Cuenca, Ecuador

After many calculations and discussions with tour agencies, we decided it was worth the money to fly our way to Ecuador instead of taking a bus (Peru is a HUGE country!). So, instead of nearly 60 hours by bus, not including any connections or stops, we flew from Cusco to Lima, then from Lima to Tumbes (the northernmost city with an airport in Peru). From Tumbes, we took a bus to Machala, Ecuador that same evening. It was incredible to see the changes in scenery from snow-capped mountains (Cusco) to city (Lima) to jungle-like, banana-plantations (Tumbes/Machala) all in one day.

We slept in the next morning to stave off getting sick from exhaustion and then went on a quest for breakfast at lunch time. That was amazingly difficult. We finally find a place to eat and promptly learned that, in Ecuador, a “tortilla” is an omelet. We also learned that the portions here are gigantic, and it shows in the people. There may have been some big-boned people in Bolivia and Peru, but Ecuador was our first brush with obesity since leaving the States.

Soon after our hearty meal, we found a bus to Cuenca, our second UNESCO world heritage site of the week (the first being Machu Picchu).  

The New Church, built in the 19th Century, during Semana Santa

During our time in Cuenca (and Baños), a couple of things stood out to us that were different than Bolivia and Peru. First, there is a lot of Ford, Chevrolet, and Jesus. We had several men jump on our buses to preach and collect money “for God”. Perhaps because Ecuador has a stronger political relationship with the U.S. (including using the American dollar as currency), American companies are all over the place. The cars are clearly not hand-me-downs like we´ve seen before, but brand new SUVs that we would not be able to afford as attorneys in the U.S. for several years.

Second, eateries serving gelato, ice cream and other sweets are prolific – they far out-number the restaurants serving actual food. And, unfortunately, the sweets are extremely good… Cuenca was a dangerous place for my sweet-tooth. Perhaps this relates to the obesity rate.

Third, just about everyone wears modern style clothing in the cities. Skinny jeans and leggings abound and, unfortunately, the principle “skinny jeans are for skinny people” has not caught on. The wraps and blankets holding babies to women´s backs are no more – instead there are double-wide strollers pushed through the streets by couples that look no more than fifteen years old. Both Michael and I are a bit disappointed so far in the lack traditional culture, but it´s early yet and perhaps things will be different as we travel to other parts of the country.

Fourth, no one knows how to operate car alarms.  The sound of alarms going off is a continuous background noise (both day and night).  The rate of driver error to actual theft is, no joke, at least 10,000 to 1.  It´s grating on the nerves after a while.

Last, staring at people is not uncommon, or rude… I think. It has been a bit awkward at times for us, especially during meals. It´s hard to get used to being stared at.

Cuenca is a beautiful city known for its seven churches, all built before Oregon was even close to statehood. We were there for a few days of Semana Santa, the holy week before Easter, which appears to be a smaller version of Carnival based around the front steps of the churches. After watching a truly-talented, symphonic orchestra perform ¨Sacred Music¨ at The Old Church (on one side of the plaza), Michael and I wandered around The New Church (on the other side) where hundreds of people were lighting candles, listening to street performers, and eating cotton candy, candied apples, steak and potatoes grilled on sticks, popcorn and this odd, flavored, whipped-cream-like substance on ice cream cones topped with jelly and a piece of bubble-gum (random, yet tasty). It was a fun evening of people-watching, although completely contrary to our American experience of Easter. Unlike our white, frilly and conservative dresses symbolizing purity, it seemed more common to wear revealing clothing for the all-night clubbing to come. Nor was there any shyness about using the holiday to make as much money off the masses going to church as possible… not to be too cynical :)

The chaotic scene of church-goers and vendors in Cuenca during Semana Santa

Unfortunately, there wasn´t much else to do in Cuenca but see the churches and watch more people, both of which we had had our fill. So, we decided to leave the next day, April 22, the day the Oregon Bar published test results, for Banos, Ecuador.