Cuenca

After our flight from the Galapagos to Guayaquil, we traveled four hours by car.  The beautiful drive included many sharp curvy mountain roads.  Our driver was excellent but others were not so lucky-we passed several accidents. Santa Ana de los Cuartro Rios de Cuenca or “Cuenca” was founded in 1557 by Spanish explorers. Each day we walked along the Tomebamba River from our hotel, Oro Verde, to the city’s downtown area. We saw men sitting along the river’s edge, people washing clothings, holiday decoration being hung, runners, kayakers, and other walkers.

Weekends in Cuenca are very quiet and most places are closed on Sunday. The streets were empty and we saw very few people. There were a some shops open and we toured the former home of poet Remigio Crespo Torah with a Spanish-speaking guide. 

It was a good thing the restaurant Cristo del Consuela took credit cards because there were no ATMs in the residential area nearby and we had less than three dollars for our cab ride back to the hotel. 

La Ingelsia de la Inmaculada Concepción was impressive outside and beautiful inside. The cathedral is known for its three giant domes covered in blue and white Czechoslovakia tiles, pink Italian marble, and Spanish designed stained glass windows. We learned the towers were truncated because of a calculation error and that 90% of Cuenca’s population fit inside the cathedral when it was constructed in the late nineteenth century.  

Based on the recommendation of the hotel, we went to Piedra de Aqua Fuente Termal y Spa. We moved through a series of thermal water and volcanic mud treatments starting with a sauna and continuing on to a hot/cold bath, red mud pool, green mud pool, stream box and ending in a large pool.  The process took about 3.5 hours. Other than the steam box, it was very relaxing.