But, we have to finish telling our adventures in Cuenca and our short stay in Quito before we get too ahead of ourselves.
I left off in this post of us celebrating Cuenca's 458th birthday on Monday and on Tuesday, we headed to the famous Parque de la Madre, across the river. It's a huge park, filled with forts, jungle gyms, swing sets, and everything else a little kid (or fun-loving adult!) could ask for! It even has a planetarium! It was Cuenca's normal, 65 degrees, and beautifully sunny and we had a wonderful time, relaxing and watching the boys play. Every once in awhile, a puppy or a beautiful local girl would distract the boys from their play but the curious native Andean ladies would clamor and exclaim over our boys' blonde hair and didn't deter them in the slightest from their play. It's free to the public and a great way to spend a lovely afternoon in Cuenca.
The next day found us at the infamous Amura Zoo...infamous for it's "hiking". Being pretty active and loving the outdoors, we thought a bit of hiking would be fun. And yes, it was fun but definitely not for the faint of heart! Zoos in North America have paved, stroller-friendly streets and a vendor on every corner advertising frozen lemonade. Amura Zoo does not. But, in our opinion, this was what made this zoo the best one we've ever visited! It was amazingly lush with plant-life and the "hiking" was just that: windy trails carved into the sides of the mountain, but done so with minimal disturbance to the natural vegetation. They even had environmental-friendly and informative displays. We loved hiking on the natural rocks in the muddy slopes and walking across the bamboo slats over the trickling streams. We ducked under the eucalyptus branches and dodged massive spider webs criss-crossing the paths. And around every turn was the excitement of a sleeping Andean bear cub (what the Paddington bear is based off of!) or a stalking puma, waiting to be fed. Above our heads were the cat walks of a dozing ocelot or a chattering monkey. We saw Galapagos tortoises, bulging-eyed caimans, colorful tree frogs, Ecuadorian deer, native red foxes, and huge lions. We even happened to be right on time for the feeding of the falcons and the mountain lion! We spent over three hours (and the admission was $4 for adults and 3 for kids 2-12 years old) and enjoyed every minute. But, be warned, the hike is over 2 1/2 kilometers and while the boys were up for it, it is at a pretty high altitude and we were definitely out of breath at times. We brought lunch and took a break halfway through, and with our taxi ride home ($9), we made it just in time for naps!
Through the magic of Facebook, we learned of and were invited to a newcomer's luncheon on Friday for all of Cuenca's newest expats. It was held at La Yunta, a quaint little restaurant about 1/2 an hour out of town. Transportation out there was only $3 (a real bargain) and the lunch for two was $9. This included a drink, an entree, and dessert, not to mention all the fun! They held traditional Ecuadorian games and horseback riding as well as a small arts and crafts fair. Michael had a wonderful time breaking the Ecuadorian pinatas, which were small terra cotta pots, decorated with colorful paper crafts, and of course, filled with tiny toys and sweets. He was a bit nervous about riding a horse by himself but once Mike joined him, he had a grand time. They got to pet the neighbor's donkeys and play all sorts of other games with the other children. Mike mingled with the other expats and found out about some other real estate opportunities at the same time. A great day had by all!
On Monday, we visited a renowned dentist and all got our 6-month checkups and cleanings! Being in another country shouldn't stop you from routine healthcare...just do your research and we were pleasantly surprised at Dr. Vega's excellent English, manner, and skill. And his sister, also Dr. Vega, specializes in pediatrics and the boys checked out perfectly! They even had tvs mounted in the ceilings (something I've never seen in the US) and the price was perfect...half of what it is back home!
The next day, we spent another beautiful day at the river, picnicking and walking along the gorgeous banks, after buying a local treat, chocobananas, from our favorite bakery lady!
On Wednesday, as our time in Cuenca was coming to an end, we knew we had to try cuy, a local specialty. Cuy is roasted guinea pig, rotisserie-style. Now, before you stop reading or make any phone calls to PITA, you should know that cuy is a delicacy here and is. absolutely. fantastic. It tasted like tender pork with very crispy skin and is served with buttery potatoes, mote, and spicy dipping sauces. It was amazing and our restaurant, Tres Estrellas, rivaled any US steakhouse in ambiance and service. It was pricey, $22 for 2 people, but worth every penny.
And afterward, we walked down to the main square to catch a free symphony concert in the park! It was a lovely family date night.
The day before we left, we bused up to Chordeleg, a city known for the silver filigree craftsmanship. It was a charming and quaint city built on the top of a mountain. No honking taxis or loud music here, just the quiet tinkling of native flutes and the sound of the wind in the trees. The town square is filled with massive succulents and colorful sculptures and skirts the church plaza, colorful in it's greens and yellows. Three foot tall earrings hang from the light-posts like Christmas decorations and the tiny shops lining the square are filled with the artisan jewelry. You could browse for days and still not get tired of looking at the intricate silver-work. They specialize in jewelry but you can find almost anything. And when you want to purchase, they bring out tiny scales and actually weigh the piece, because after all, it is solid silver. I won't go into too much more...I bought a few Christmas gifts and don't want to give the game away!
Our last day was spent cleaning and packing but not after a delicious breakfast of pastries from Maria's Alemania German bakery. Maria is a Cuencan-born local with a German father and husband. They brought all their equipment and recipes from Germany and have spent the past few years perfecting their delicious baked goods at this high altitude. They have everything from strudels to cinnamon rolls to whole grain breads, not to mention all the savory pies, pizzas, and calzones. They serve breakfast everyday and the lunch of the day is only $3.50! We highly recommend her bakery and it was a satisfying sweet treat to end our stay in Cuenca.
celebrating two months of our adventure!
We took an excellent overnight bus to Quito (although we did have a flat tire around 1am) and arrived well-rested at 7am. We checked into our guest house (we stayed with Lucia again) and spent the day walking through the streets of Quito. Mike and I have both been here before but we wanted to take the boys to a few major sights like the National Basilica and La Virgen de Quito, on the top of the El Panecillo hill. Considering the boys were up around 6am on the bus, they were champs the whole day! They climbed all the way to the top of the huge cathedral and even out under the rafters to see the clockfaces and again to the top of La Virgen. Not to mention all the steep hills of Quito that rival San Francisco! We had traditional tortillas for lunch, which aren't what they are in the US...they are a pancake-type bread that is stuffed with queso fresca and grilled on a huge cast iron skillet. They are served with fresh hot chocolate, unsweetened, of course, and the locals dunk bits of torn tortilla into the steaming hot chocolate. We even caught a festival de toro (an expedition promoting traditional bull fighting) and a cock fight! A very exciting and exhausting day!
We have had such an amazing and memorable eight weeks in our beloved Ecuador and can't wait to visit again. We will always remember our adventures here and while we can't wait to see what's in store for us in Peru and on, we will miss the hospitality and warm nature of the Ecuadorian people.
Te adoro, Ecuador, and we will be back very soon.
Another lovely post, Katie and a beautiful tribute to your time in Ecuador. Your blog is so wonderful because you can look back on your posts at any time and relive your fantastic adventure in such a beautiful country. Nicely, nicely done :)
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