Cuenca

Monday was was effectively a drive day and we were warned it could be a very long day. With about 500km to cover on windy roads, we ended up leaving at 6am with a packed breakfast to eat on the truck. It was a very fresh morning, and shortly after leaving we stopped as there was a fantastic view of the snowcapped Cotopaxi volcano which was very impressive. We couldn't see it when driving in because of the clouds, but we were luckier today. Breakfast was these cheese sandwich based things. The cheese out here is like plastic though so a lot of people have been craving stuff like cheddar for a long time. What I miss is a full English breakfast however. 

We stopped at various points en route for toilet breaks, and had lunch on the outskirts of Alausi where we had spaghetti, chicken, and rice, quite an interesting combination. Once again the scenery outside was stunning, and we passed a lot of snow capped peaks. We also passed a lot of whole pigs being cooked on these poles! We did keep ourselves amused on the truck though playing a few games like cards and this game where you draw and write what you see, a bit like Chinese whispers.

We ended up arriving in Cuenca at about 6pm, so it was a long day. After settling into the hotel we went out for dinner to this pizza restaurant. Instead of ordering a normal pizza a few of us ordered 2 of the jumbo pizzas which were massive and shared them. They split the toppings up so we had lots of different types of pizza and this saved lots of money. After dinner we went to this karaoke bar and it was a funny evening. I managed to destroy quite a few songs, although smashed a high school musical duet like usual. We then went back to the hotel and sat in their secret garden, although it turned into quite a late night.

Cuenca is Ecuador's third-largest city and its small centre is home to some beautiful architecture. The city was founded in 1557 and named after the city of Cuenca in Spain, the birthplace of the Viceroy of Peru at the time. This small university town is a pleasure to explore, and you'll discover impressive churches that date back to the 16th and 17th Centuries, attractive colonial buildings, tranquil plazas and lively markets. The Ecuadorians consider it the finest city in the country, and many of its buildings are constructed from marble and decorated with stunning woodwork and ironwork. Cuenca is also the home of the Panama hat, and you can visit one of the famous hat factories and watch the skills of the craftsman here.

Breakfast in the morning was eggs, fruits, and croissants. It was nice to have some kind of lie in in the morning too. At 10 we had the option of meeting to visit the Panama hat museum. It was really interesting as we got to see the whole process of how they are made, and then try some on at the end. There was even this balcony in the museum where we got a good view of the city. Some people even bought some souvenir hats, although one person bought 250 of them to ship home for their business or something!

After the museum I headed back to the hotel, before heading out to explore the city. I wasn't really sure where to go as everyone was doing different things, so I decided to go on the city bus tour. There was only 3 people of the whole open top bus. With English commentary I saw lots of the churches and rivers that flow through the city. There was also a lot of interesting graffiti and architecture. The tour also took me to the top of this hill where we able to get off and see the skyline. We also got to try this local drink which was like hot water with this sugarcane spirit. I even climbed up to this canopy to get an even better view of the skyline. When getting back on the bus we headed back into the city centre to see some more of the buildings, before arriving back at the square where I started around 2 hours later.

When getting off the bus I headed out for lunch, where I found some British based cafe and had the bacon cheeseburger and chips. I then went and visited the local market which sold many foods and handicrafts. They even had whole pigs including their heads being carved. Another interesting thing were there locals whacking children with these plants and rubbing it all over then. Apparently this is a blessing or something. I headed back to the hotel around 4, where it was nice to relax. Dinner in the evening was up to us so I went with a few others to this local restaurant where I had the sausage and chips. Everyone then had an early night although I stayed up a bit later while the wifi was actually working properly because basically no one was on it.