Saturday morning started off with an early breakfast at the hotel and then we boarded two buses around 6:30 for our Aventura en la Cordillera de los Andes (adventure in the Andes Mountains). We were heading to the city of Cuenca, Ecuador which is about 4 hours east of Guayaquil in the Andes Mountains approximately 8,000 feet above sea level. It is the third largest city in Ecuador with approximately 467,000 inhabitants and was named for Cuenca, Spain.
Our trip started out pretty uneventfully with a flat drive through the banana groves and small towns that lay scattered along the main road. Before heading up the Andes Mountains we made a quick pit stop in one of the small towns where we all stocked up on snacks and drinks. Only problem was that most of the drinks were at least 1 year past the expiration date and some of the chocolate we purchased looked like it was 20 years old. I guess they don't sell too many items to the natives but are glad to see us Gringos stop in and buy anything that looks edible!
We started up the Andes Mountains on roads that were in some state of construction almost the whole way to Cuenca. The cars, trucks and buses on the road had no fear of the heights, sharp turns and long drop-offs as they would pass going up hill or down hill, in both the fog and the sunshine. The best way I can describe it is a NASCAR race through the mountains. After about 1 hour of climbing up the mountain roads the bus that Ralph was riding in broke down. They were not going to be denied getting to Cuenca however and were able to hitch a ride on a public bus into the city. The sights during our long drive up and over the Andes Mountains were beautiful as we saw llamas, mountain lakes and beautiful mountain peaks and ranges. Many of the views were postcard material.
Once in the city the bus that Joe and I were on decided to lunch on traditional Cuencan fare. We ate a restaurant called Marabu whose specialty was roasted pig and cuy. In case you were wondering, roasted cuy is another name for roasted guinea pig. All of us tried a little piece of the meat (it tastes like chicken) but ordered the more traditional fare of roasted pig. We shared quite a few good laughs over that meal!
After lunch we went to the local market and spent some time walking through the streets of Cuenca. We then proceeded to the highest point in Cuenca to a look-out over the city. The city was a very beautiful city with most of the buildings made out of a red brick with stucco type roofs.
After lunch we went to the local market and spent some time walking through the streets of Cuenca. We then proceeded to the highest point in Cuenca to a look-out over the city. The city was a very beautiful city with most of the buildings made out of a red brick with stucco type roofs.Around 5 p.m. we headed back up the Andes Mountains to return to Guayaquil. Once again after only going about 1/2 hour up the mountain the bus that Ralph was on broke down again (was Ralph the common thread here?). A replacement bus was called and everyone was able to return to Guayaquil safely although a bit later than expected.
It was a long day but it contained many memories of the sights and sounds of the Andes Mountains and the people of Cuenca and the towns in between.
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