Bussing It From Banos

We jumped on the 11:00 bus from Banos and began the 10 hour long ride through the mountains and to the south of Ecuador. All through the mountains and past Aluasi it was incredibly foggy so we couldn’t see much. It looked very mystical, but I was actually hoping to see more of the landscape because it’s supposed to be one of the most dramatic in Ecuador.

Once we came out of the fog we saw hundreds of small farms and women sitting in fields watching their sheep, cows, or vicunas. There are no fences and so the women have to constantly tend to their animals so they don’t wander away. Many of the animals were tied together in pairs by rope of about fifteen feet in length. I kept thinking how annoying it must be for them.

The indigenous outfits changed slightly as we went further south. The women in Quito wear dark colored fedoras, ponchos, magenta colored velvet skirts with stockings and high heels. In the south the women wear white straw hats with ribbon around the bands and dark skirts.

Along the way we also saw the looming peaks of the Andes with fog dancing around the tips and hugging the bottoms of the valleys, people selling crafts and food along the curving roads, plants struggling to survive on almost vertical endless cliffs, starving dogs stealing lunches, starving horses with ribs showing standing in fields with their heads hanging low, healthy kids playing soccer in neighborhood lots, rows of flowers growing in crops and clustered in bunches at flower markets, furniture makers selling one or two beautifully handmade doors and a table or chair in the middle of random intersections or out front of their wooden and mud homes, giant fruits that I don’t know the names of but wanted to try, coconuts on homemade bicycle carts pedaled by toothless grinning old men, dark hair braided and wrapped in ribbons, half completed concrete structures with rebar sticking out akimbo, walls with shattered glass and barbed wire lining the tops, kids wearing skinny jeans, puffy sneakers and neon tube tops, dogs sleeping in the sun, giant pigs sleeping under huge rusted trucks, old Chevy’s with cracked windshields, goats and llamas chewing on grass, donkeys tied to trees halfway up cliffs, the list goes on and on.

Besides the scenery, the bus rides in general are worthy of comment. At every little town people run alongside the bus for an opportunity to sell water, coca cola, chips, fresh fruit, nuts, or ice cream. Occasionally, the luckiest among them are allowed to hop on the bus and walk the aisle selling their wares until we reach the next little town where they hop off and catch another bus back doing the same thing. They usually give free samples to the driver as payment.

Other people jump on the bus periodically to sell other things besides food and they give long speeches about their goods that can last up to forty minutes. One man came on and stood right next to my boyfriend and I and in a booming voice began saying things like: “Ladies and gentleman, how many people among you read the Bible? How many of you care for your fellow man? Who among us here have compassion for the plight of our countrymen?” He went on like this for about 10 minutes before he finally pulled out some little glass crosses that he was selling and continued with his tirade until he managed to sell at least six or seven.

Another man displayed photos of obese people and women with breast implants while lecturing the passengers on nutrition. He passed around the photo of the fattest man in America getting married to gasps and headshakes. Finally he pulled out this beaker of black water which he said represents all the drugs and alcohol and soda and chips we eat (I tried to stuff my Doritos down by my backpack for fear he would single me out) and then he dropped two little pills into the beaker which turned it clear. Gasps of amazement were heard all throughout the bus. These magic pills are…wait for it..ginseng! It seemed like half the bus bought a bottle. I’m thinking of a new career as a gypsy peddler now that I realize most people are suckers.

When we finally arrived in Cuenca, it was dark, we were irritable, and we took a taxi to Posado del Rio which had been recommended to us. Well, we should have made reservations because it was fully booked. We went across the street to El Capitollo and they had one room left for the night and he didn’t think we would want it. We followed a small, mid 40ish nice Ecuadorian man up four flights of stairs up onto the roof and to this little hovel of a cabin like structure with six inch gaps between the door and the floor.

When he opened the door and turned on the light we saw three saggy beds, brown stained carpet, a small beat up nightstand without knobs on the drawers and an old television set sitting on a chair. We took it anyway.

I woke up with my face stinging and itching and turned on the light to find I had been bitten on my forehead and cheek by a mosquito. I couldn’t find it to kill it, but every time I turned off the light and closed my eyes there it was buzzing around my face. Eventually I slept with my head under the sheet.

The next morning, in spite of our host being the exceptionally kind and helpful and losing the budget price of $14 per night, we moved across the street, right next to Posado del Rio, into a very clean, sweet, little hotel with hardwood floors, two comfy beds, a closet and a private bathroom. It’s $2o per night and the woman who runs it is also nice, jolly, and quick to say hello. Unfortunately I never noted the name of it.

Curiosities in Cuenca

Cuenca has a beautiful colonial city like Quito, but it is much smaller and cleaner with less traffic and pollution. The unique skyline is full of spires and massive rotundas and their main plaza, Parque Calderon, features a spectacular church with large blue domes visible throughout much of the city. Most people who visit Ecuador say Cuenca is their favorite city, although I still prefer the craziness of Quito. If you are in Ecuador and find that Quito is just too much for you (too loud, dirty, polluted, crowded, etc) I suggest spending some time in Cuenca. Cuenca feels very safe and is definitely a nice walking city as it seems like around every corner there is another plaza or church filled with uniformed school kids lounging on wooden benches shaded by flowering trees. Although it is a very picturesque city, you can definitely find the unusual too.

On one of my solitary walks through Cuenca I found a museum called Prohibido Museo de Art Extremo, which sounded interesting. I tried the door, but it was locked and so I rang the bell. After a minute a man wearing all black and covered in silver chains answered and motioned for me to follow him and then locked the door behind me. I found myself trapped in what looked like an S&M dungeon. Skeleton chandeliers hung from the ceiling, murals of demons crawling out of vaginas adorned the walls, statues of grotesque, nude, half-creatures leaned against walls, and dismembered mannequins dangled from above.

Those of you who know me well know that I would rather die than admit shock, so I acted half-bored and unimpressed despite temporarily fearing for my life. Luckily the man acted just as indifferent and bored towards me as I did to him and quickly walked away to a desk off in one corner and began typing vigorously. Relieved of any immediate danger I decided to explore the weirdness. The more I walked around the more oddities I discovered such as the toilets are statues of troll-men whose arms you urinate into, etc. I realized it also functions as a bar during the evenings and a café during the day, although at the moment I was the only patron.

After a few minutes I asked the man to let me out and made my way to the Panama Hat Museum called Barranco located on Calle Larga. Cuenca is famous for their Panama Hats and I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that the Panama Hat is a misnomer, and they actually originated from Ecuador. The confusion comes from the fact that they were exported via Panama, hence the name Panama Hat. It’s interesting because the indigenous wear them, but the typical Ecuadorian does not. They indicate wealth and power in the United States, but here in Ecuador they are associated with the poor. However, that doesn’t stop tourists like myself from snatching them up. You can buy a hat here for $15 which would easily cost you $100 in the States. Anyway, Barranco has a great selection of hats including unusual colors, sizes, and designs. I bought a yellow hat and we actually managed to find some that fit Zach’s large head a few days later. There are cheaper places to buy hats that are of equal quality and also of unusual design at Casa de la Mujer in Plaza de San Francisco, although if you have a particularly small or large head you will probably not be able to find your size.

I ended my walk at Museo Centro Inter Americanas de Artes Popular, a free museum at the base of La Escualinta Staircase near the river, which features indigenous outfits from different areas of Ecuador. It’s definitely interesting and worth checking out.

Zach and I went to Museo Del Banco Central, which was a wonderfully laid out and interesting museum. They had a few rooms devoted to Oswaldo Guayasamin’s work, which is amazing. They also had an entire floor devoted to spinning dioramas showing scenes of typical Ecuadorian rural life in the different regions. We saw some shrunken heads and other curiosities as well and then went outside and explored the archeological park out back that features the ruins of the old Incan city of Tomebamba. It’s not spectacular, but very lovely and enclosed by small paths through botanical gardens. There is also a bird sanctuary in the park with parrots, macaws, tucans, hawks, and an eagle.


Tips For Cuenca:

There are two great breakfast places in Cuenca that we found. The first is located conveniently next to our new hostel and called Bananas Café. It caters to tourists, is a little pricier than the usual Ecuadorian breakfast, ($2-$6) but has the greasy spoon options we all know and love like eggs, hash browns, and bacon as well as pancakes and healthier options like fruit plates and oatmeal. It’s run by some young, friendly women and is always packed. The second place is in Hotel Victoria on Calle Larga. The dining room has beautiful views, an upscale atmosphere, and a tasty and well-done expensive Ecuadorian breakfast $6-$8. They also have a really nice bar for evening cocktails.

Our favorite restaurant was Moliendo Café, a delicious Columbian restaurant with yummy pitchers of sugarcane alcohol and lemonade that tasted exactly like bul, and good sized plates full of rice and beans, or meat, or all of the above heaped on top of a heavy corn pancake. This place is ultra casual and cheap. Meals are $3-$6 per person and the pitchers are $6.

There is a red tour bus for $5 with English-speaking, entertaining guides, that will take you all around Cuenca and transport you up to Mirador De Turi, a famous viewpoint. Not to be missed is the studio of Eduardo Varga, one of Ecuador’s most famous artists. His ceramic work is beautiful and affordable, and his studio, just below the viewpoint, is one of the loveliest spots in Cuenca.

I really liked a new café called Kookaburro located on calle larga 9-40 between Padre Aguirre and Benign Malo. It opens at 7:00 AM, has plugs for laptops, and features light café fare. For example: Tamales $1.70, fried tomatoes with pesto .60, toast with avocado 1.50, gluten-free deserts $2.00. It’s owned by a nice Australian couple who can accommodate special dietary needs. They also have a few elegant suites available upstairs for people to rent. Their website is KookaburraCafe.typepad.com.

There is a daily flower market in Plazoleta del Carmen that is a site to see. Bring your camera.

We loved Carolina Bookstore. It’s a great place to stock up on second-hand English books.

Multicines sadly no longer shows movies in English. They are all dubbed.

El Cafeteria Jhuly no longer exists.

Huacachina Peru Vacations

For an excellent weekend getaway from Lima head to Huacachina Oasis for sun and sandboarding amidst spectacular desert scenery.




You can take a two-hour dune buggy tour that includes three or four sandboarding runs for 45 soles per person. Just seeing the patterns on the sand was amazing.





We had a great time messing around in the dunes.




Most people went down head first and on their stomach, which is less scary and more fun than it sounds. You can control your speed by dragging your toes in the sand and keep your balance by spreading your legs wide.





There was one excellent snowboarder in our group who gave it a go on his feet.




You don't go quite as fast on your feet as on your stomach, but it looks pretty awesome.




The oasis itself is striking in contrast to the dunes around it. Lined with leafy palms and hotels built in the 1920s, it has an air of faded glamour and is a great place to grab lunch and a beer at an outdoor table.




We stayed at Huacachinero Hotel, which was a little pricier than many of the other options, but worth it. Sunbathing by the pool during the day is very relaxing and the down comforters on the beds keep you cozy at night.