Your destiny, is a result of your actions.
Live by a code of conduct that will secure supreme hapiness
and worldy joys; which are usually the little things.
Well my epic tale of our three week road trip is at its conclusion, funny how it has taken me almost three months (today is July 22nd) to write what we did in three weeks; not to mention, that we have also travelled to Peru in that time and I haven’t even begun to share that adventure.
I cannot understand why I am having such a struggle writing this last bit especially about the place that we liked best. A place we would consider living in…maybe that’s it! Not quite ready for this adventure to end.
Cuenca was definitely our favorite stop. It was a last minute decision for us to go there and we are very glad we did. We are even planning a trip back before we leave for Chile.
Why did we like it so much? It is a really quaint city. It is spread out with a small diverse population of just under 300,000, consisting of Ecuadorians, university students, and expats. At an elevation of 8500 feet at the equator the climate is perfect. Warm days and cool evenings, the average temperature is 58 F. Four rivers meander throughout the city and large mountain ranges loom in the background. There are modern buildings mingled among well preserved colonial buildings. And as everywhere else in Ecuador, warm friendly people. What more could you ask for?
We were only there three days and unfortunately I was VERY sick for the last two. However, the upside of this was we got to experience firsthand the medical services of Cuenca. Believe it or not, I was in and out of a Gastroenterologist’s office complete with blood work taken, results given, and medications in hand in under four hours and for less than $100 USD.
Because we were only there for a couple of days and I was not 100% we opted for the Gringo Tour aboard the double-decker bus. When you don’t have much time this really is the best way to quickly see a city.
The Tomebamba River divides the city center in two. The historical center is to the north, in the background, and the newer part of the city is to the south.
There are little shops, restaurants, apartments, and homes along the river.
There seemed to be more restoration and preservation of the colonial buildings in Cuenca then we saw in Quito.
In the heart of the old city is Parque Claderón with the Catedral Nueva on one side of the park and the Catedral Antigua on the other.
For those of you who do not hablo, Catedral Nueva is the New Cathedral and Catedral Antigua is the Old Cathedral, very original.
The Old Cathedral is the city’s oldest building dating back to the 1550’s. All of the city’s religious services were held here until the construction of the Catedral Nueva.
Over the years the old Cathedral went through many transformations. It was originally a simple structure with a wood frame. As styles of architecture changed so did the building. The whole interior of the church looks like it is built of stone but it is actually plaster over the original wood beams fauxed to look like stone.
There are several small chapels to the side of the main church. They were built by the wealthiest families of Cuenca each trying to outdo the other. This chapel houses what is claimed to be the largest replica of The Last Supper.
In another chapel there was also a life size interpretation of Jesus’ death.
Very realistic and a tad bit creepy.
The New Cathedral was originally intended to be South America’s largest church with a capacity for 10,000 worshipers. Construction which began in 1880 was halted in 1908 without completing the twin towers. There were some miscalculations and the structure would not withstand the weight of the towers if completed as originally intended.
Not sure that the church would handle 10,000 people but it is certainly massive inside.
In the Old Cathedral there was a beautiful miniature scale replica of the New Cathedral. In the replica the towers were completed.
In addition to beautiful buildings and churches, Cuenca has one of the best museums in all of Ecuador, Museo del Banco Central. Unfortunately, I was too sick to go but Clint thoroughly enjoyed it. No pictures were allowed inside the museum, but outside Clint was able to capture the grounds of the museum. The Pumapungo ruins sit at the back of the museum. Pumpapungo is thought to have been one of the grandest Inca palaces.
As I said, our stay in Cuenca was way too short and we look forward to going back and seeing more. With our road trip at its end we packed up our car and headed out of the mountains and down to the coast. Our ride up from the coast to Quito was breath taking, what we did not anticipate is that the ride back down to the coast from Cuenca would be as equally dramatic. It reminded us of pictures of the Scottish Highlands. All we needed were our clubs!!
The drive took us through El Cajas National Park. The park covers more than 28,000 hectares and has over 200 lakes. The elevation of the park ranges from 9800 feet above sea level to over 14,000 feet (This is higher than Loveland Pass in Colorado). The road straddles the continental divide at its westernmost point in South America.
It was simply beautiful, this country continues to amaze us.
We've been working towards this for almost 10 years. It has been a dream with many challenges, all of which have made it more worth while. We are so grateful and excited to start this next chapter!
Extra:
Twenty years fom now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the things that you did do. So sail away from the safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails,
EXPLORE, DREAM, DISCOVER.
-Mark Twain
Getting ready for the big day! We moved Karma from her home of two years (WPB mooring) to Sunset Bay Marina in Stuart. Packed up the rest of our "crap", the stuff not coming with us & took it to Texas. After a nice visit with Reina's parents it was back to Stuart to get down & dirty & get Karma ready...
Your destiny, is a result of your actions.
Live by a code of conduct that will secure supreme hapiness
and worldy joys; which are usually the little things.