From Maya to Inca: Cuenca

Thursday, 13 June 2013

Cuenca

I got off the bus in Cuenca, went straight to the hostel and bumped into Ayngelina who I met in Puerto Ayora. We went out for a drink. And were promptly told that, in Ecuador, on a Sunday, they don't serve alcohol after 4 o'clock. This was news to me, and not welcome news! I'm sure it's not the case on the Galápagos Islands. Maybe it's the island vibe.

So I had to wait a bit longer for my, by this time, very well-earned drink. And it hasn't stopped raining. On Monday, I had a breakfast of fried fish and rice at the market and went to three museums, yes three. The Panama hat museum, the museum of medicine (in the hospital), and the museum of aboriginal cultures. Out of the three, the Panama hat museum was by far my favourite. It's much more vibrant than the other two, they give you a guided tour, and you can see the old machines used to shape the hats, which are still in use. And also it's the only one thats's free. Although it's the only one that shouldn't be. I watched Ecuador draw with Argentina in the World Cup qualifiers. I want to a Columbian restaurant and drank the best coffee of my life. And I ate guinea pig (cuy). Which I won't be doing again any time in the near future.

I have to say that, in spite of everyone raving about Cuenca, Ecuadorians and foreigners alike, I'm not that keen on this city. Maybe it's the weather. Or the fact that they wouldn't serve me a beer on Sunday. But I have had a relaxing few days here. Cuenca is Ecuador's third largest city and the capital of the Azuay province, and its centre is listed as a UNESCO world heritage trust site because of its many historical and colonial buildings. I would highly recommend the hostel I stayed in: "La Casa Cuencana". It's close to the centre, everything you could possibly need is close by, it's cheap and has hot water and a kitchen.

On Friday I'm heading down to Vilcabamba for a day or so before crossing the border into Peru.

the food market

my breakfast

Panama hat museum

Made in Ecuador!

museum of medicine

birthing chair - no comment

tooth out anyone?

old models of a bain-marie

Ecuadorian Olympic champion

Cuy - also known as guinea pig

watch out for the claws

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Interesting facts

Another slightly subjective fact. Peruvian mountain roads are among the most dangerous in the world.
Kuelap is a Chachapoya fortress in Northern Peru built before Machu Picchu.
Peruvian men are the most persistent men on the planet.
Blue zones are called blue zones simply because Dan Buettner and his research team (who first identified the blue zones) used blue ink to circle the areas on a map with the highest life expectancy. Nothing more, nothing less.
The Inca civilisation arose from the highlands of Peru sometime during the early 13th century.
Contrary to popular belief, Panama hats are not made in Panama but in Ecuador.
Ten of the volcanoes along the Avenue of Volcanoes are higher than 5000 metres.
Rafael Correa has introduced the "pico y placa" system in Quito, following the Colombian example, "pico" meaning "peak" and "placa" meaning "plate". Cars are restricted from circulating in Quito on certain days during morning and evening rush hours according to the last number of their registration plate, in order to ease traffic congestion.
Quito is 72 kms long and 10 kms wide.
Quito is the oldest capital in South America and lies 2800 metres above sea level.
The sex of the tortoises bred in the breeding centre in Puerto Ayora on the Galapagos islands depends on the temperature of the incubators. The eggs kept in incubators at 29.5 degrees celsius become females and those kept in incubators at 28 degrees celsius become males.
The giant cacti of the Galapagos islands are the only species of opuntia cactus in the world that grows like a tree.
Legend has it that the Incas discovered the Galapagos islands in the fifteenth century but no solid evidence has been found to prove this.
Slightly subjective. Playa del Carmen sells the most expensive ice cream in the world. But it tastes pretty good.
The piece of lime in the top of a bottle of beer was originally not for the taste. It was used to wipe the rust off the rim.
Mayan mothers used to wrap planks of wood around their children's foreheads to flatten them.
The dazzling blue ocean along the Mayan riviera is due to the fact that there are no rivers feeding into it. And because of the lack of nutrients flowing into the sea, there is also less animal life along this part of the ocean.