So the flights from Baltimore to Guayaquil were pretty nice. I must say that flying on Xmas day is alot less hectic than other days, however one of the flight attendents was not happy to be working on Xmas.
Toucan Sam and I arrived in Guayaquil at 1:30 am and the flight out to Cuenca didn’t leave until 7:00am. Sam and I just hung out at the airport. Oh – let me fill you in about Toucan Sam a.k.a. “Sam” for the rest of this blog. Sam is part of the Travel Mates program at Brooke Miller’s school. (Brooke is my friend Wendy’s daughter) The student supplies a stuffed animal (Sam), disposable camera, and a small journal. Then the student is to find a relative or friend who is going on a trip and asks them to take the animal with them. So, that’s how Sam and I became travel mates. I think it’s a great idea for the students and it was fun for me too.
I was exhausted and the airport in Guayaquil was pretty deserted. I laid down on a metal mesh bench in front of the Tame service desk, secured every strap from my bags possible to my body and took a few cat-naps.
Sam and I arrived in Cuenca at 7:30. At first I panicked because there were no phones at the airport and I didn’t call Christina from Guayaquil (too early in the a.m.). But somehow I managed to find a very nice gentleman who called Christina for me from his cell phone. She arrived at the airport by bus about 5 minutes later. We took a bus back to the house of the family she’s staying with.
Okay – a little side note - so I thought my son’s driving was a bit shall we say "excitable" for me, but he is NOTHING compared to the bus drivers in Cuenca. They are crazy! And be careful walking in the street (which you can’t help sometimes due to the small width of the walkways) because they will run you over!
The city of Cuenca is quite a Cultural mix, from the indigenous people who come into the city to sell their goods to the suit and tie professionals. I LOVE the diversity. The city is old and small but, very quaint and easy to navigate. “In Cuenca, it's easy to forget you live in the 21st century. The city's cobblestone streets, towering cathedrals, and marble and whitewashed buildings give it a colonial air unequaled in Ecuador. Cuencanos are known for their traditional demeanor and conservative cultural values.” One staple of this city and a must-have is the fresh baked pan (bread). It is Que Rico and easy to find on any street, just follow your nose.
We arrived at Christina’s family’s home, located on calle Miguel Heredia. Christina´s Mama de Ecuador “Piela” is very gracious and kind. She has 3 boys ranging in age from 15 to 20: Paoul, Juan, and Jose. The family instantly made me feel very welcome, they are good people. As part of a surprise and Christmas gift to her mom, Christina led us on a long walk thru the city that ended in front of the “Vida Spa”. Yep, it was a hard decision and took a lot of effort on my part but I forced myself to have a desperately needed pedicure and back massage. And I went back the next day for a facial. LOL!
Although Sam and I were exhausted from the flights (no sleep for 24hrs), you know that didn’t stop me and my Salsa Sista from going out the first night. After a very brief nap, we went to a Salsa club called “La Mesa Salsoteca”. The club was a little tricky to find because there is no sign in the front. But we did find it and arrived at the club around 10 p.m. The place was sooooo empty. But, you find that this is common in Baltimore at this hour also so we stayed. Around 11p.m. the club quickly filled with people and yes – Cuenca does have some excellent Salseros!
The next morning I had my first 4 hour Spanish lesson at the Cuenca Language School -Simon Bolivar. My professor “Chela” was awesome with incredible patience. My classes went well, but boy did it confirm that I have so much to learn. And yes – Chela did give homework, even on vacation......gotta love school! Christina wasn’t feeling well and was losing her voice quickly. (not a good thing for me because she’s the one who is fluent in Spanish) So we stayed in that evening and rested. We were up early for our morning Spanish lessons. Immediately following my Friday morning class, backpacks in tow, Christina and I headed to the airport for a flight to Quito.
Things learned in Cuenca:
•Toilet Paper: important to conserve, carry your own and DO NOT FLUSH!!!!
•The money game: although Ecuador converted to the dollar in 2001, it’s very difficult to get anyone to take anything higher than a $10 bill. So – you learn early on to get rid of the larger denominations when the opportunity arises.
•Spanish: Learned a little bit more about the Spanish Language but not nearly enough to survive without charades and sign language. Necesito practicar, practicar, practicar.....
•Climate: Like the rest of the Ecuadorian Andes, Cuenca enjoys a mild climate year-round. Days are generally warm and nights are cool enough that you should pack a sweater. The average daily temperature is 14.6 C. The rainy season is the same as Quito's and generally lasts from mid-October until early May. During this time, mornings are typically sunny and afternoons cloudy with light, periodic showers. So – layer-up!
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