Category: Cuenca

Sombrero Museum

The Museo Municipal Casa del Sombrero has been a UNESCO site since 2010.  Located about six blocks from Parque Calderon on Calle Largo this beautifully restored workshop and museum shows the Panama hat which was never made in Panama from straw to the final product.  Some of the hats are the color or their natural straw and others have been bleached the way Al Capone preferred his.  If you are lucky hat makers will be at work training those interested in the art of hat making.  There is a large selection of hats for men and a smaller, but beautiful selection for women.  After making your purchase, there is a free cup of coffee waiting upstairs on the terrace which allows you to take in a beautiful view of the city.  See more about Panama Hats here:  https://www.brentblack.com/

 

El Mercado

A trip to the market is an adventure.  There is a super market near the apartment where we pick up essentials like cereal and milk, but the best shopping is done at El Mercado Principal.  Enter on the ground floor to be astounded by a rainbow of colors in the form of fruits and vegetables.  How do you want your bananas?  Yellow, red, purple? The size of a finger , a hand or a forearm?  Pineapples, citrus of every kind, watermelon, and then the unknown.  You can ask for a taste, bargain for the best strawberries, or be so overcome you walk away with nothing.  If you don’t want to shop hungry go upstairs for delicious pork and potatoes.  Just choose the hog that catches the eye.  Every part is available from the snout to the tail.  We don’t know where they are cooked or what force gets that porcine hulk into the market, but there he is waiting to be sold.  Two dollars will get you a plateful with potatoes on the side.  Want pancakes, soup, empanadas?  Just get in line.  The bottom floor takes a little more courage.  I was lured down there by the elaborate manger scene that was set up for the customers to enjoy.  Children pose in front of Mary and Joseph and all the other Biblical characters along with some that I suspect have a pagan past, like my kiddos posed with Santa.  Past this sweet spot there is a large array of animal parts.  Pig heads, cow legs, tripe, tongue, liver and chickens with or without feet.  Want a guinea pig for supper?  It is available as well as the special oven you will need to cook it. A visit to the bakery is even more fun, however it seems tame in comparison to that whole hog on display.

Museo de Pumapungo

At the east end of Calle Largo the Museo Pumapungo one of Cuenca’s most polished museums awaits the visitor.  The museum is free.  Just enter the building sign a visitors form and prepare to be entertained.  The first floor has a lovely shop with unique jewelry, toys, and tiles.  One area is entirely devoted to coins a reminder that this museum was once known as Banco Central Museum.The rest of the area is made of up displays of woven clothing, hat, musical instruments and household items used by residents of the area.  Seeing the interior of these huts made we realize how opulent our lives are.

The most fascinating and peaceful part of the museum was the outdoor archeological park behind the building.  First there were two large ovens that were used to bake the building materials used in building the Incan city.  There were the usual temple sites and outlines of buildings used for storage or various needs.  Llamas grazed and slept on the terraced hill and there was a huge garden that represented the crops that provided food for the residents of the area.  Corn, the staff of life, watermelons, pumpkins, beans are a part of the Incan diet were grown.  There are fours rivers near by to irrigation was available to water the crops.  Flowers and herbs that were easily recognizable were used as food and medicines.  An beautiful well tended aviary was full of birds.  The Incan people believed there was a direct connection between man and bird and the birds became godlike.  Feathers were used to adorn their clothing and their bodies.  One particular item in the part was particularly beautiful.  A small tower filled with music and nets of feathers featured a video of migrating birds.  We were invited to sit and meditate on the importance of our feathered friends.  We plan to return to the outdoor park for a second visit.

 

Concert in Catedral Vieja

The Catedral Vieja or Old Cathedral was the site of a Christmas concert in Cuenca.  The altar of the Cathedral shows life size representations of Jesus and his disciples at the last supper.  The choral of expats performed in front of this magnificent altar piece.   The program was music representing the choir members  from England, Germany, Spain and North and South America.  The performers were not young but their voices were full of energy and enthusiasm.  The final part of the program was congregational singing of very familiar carols.  First one verse in English and then one in Spanish.  We left the sanctuary one by one carrying a lighted candle into the night.  Symbolic of the light of Christ going out into the world.  Read more about Catedral Vieja here: https://www.ubicacuenca.com/info/catedralvieja

Adios,  Sally

Just call me Forrest Gump

Saturday we picked a street to wander and it was Simon Bolivar.  We walked toward Parque Calderon and turned right and wandered into an upscale neighborhood with beautiful shops and cafes.  Saw some beautiful artisanal objects we plan to go back to, ate delicious bakery goods and wandered into decorator shops that would make any home lovelier.  Sunday we walked down Presidente Borrego and turned left on Simon Boliver and realized something was different.  We walked about two blocks and the streets were blocked for yet another Christmas Parade.  I felt like Forrest Gump after he went back to the White House the third or fourth time.  This parade was definitely different.  The previous one had two star generals, high ranking paratroopers and gorgeous horses.  This was definitely working class.  No military bands and generals.  Three rather sad looking horses and the little angels did not have matching gold sandals.  It did not lack in joy and spirit.  We followed it to San Blas Plaza and Church were the parade began to disperse.  One lady came over to thank us for coming to Ecuador.  Each Parrish will have a parade until the 24th of December when the big one, El Paseo de Ninos begins.  We then did really touristy stuff.  Ate pizza, took a city tour, ate ice cream and called it a day.  We had dinner at Café Austria.  Not a bad dinner, spent almost as much on wine as food.  Sometimes that is what you need to do.  We love our trip and this beautiful country and welcoming people.

Adios, Sally

December 16 in Cuenca

This morning I heard the clip clop of horse’s hooves outside our apartment window and saw uniformed lancers casually riding down the street.  Troy and I had an idea that this foreshadowed an important event but had no idea what was to come.  We leisurely traveled to Parque Calderon for breakfast and noticed a gathering of military officials and followed the crowd to a street beside the New Cathedral.  Obviously, it was the second event in the coming of the Christ Child.  The first part of the parade was the usual South American bow to its military.  The second part was a bow to its love of children.  Little ones dressed in red, white, pink, green and gold sprouting tiny wings paraded around Parque Calderon while anxious mothers followed on the sidewalk with apples, popcorn and potato chips ready in case they should need nutrition.  Mixed in with the angels, native dancers, four beautiful sisters tossing rose petals and more bands and more military people led to the big moment.  A shy Mary about eight years old dressed in pink and blue, riding a donkey led by a bearded Joseph also about eight  made an appearance.  Troy managed to get a small wave from her as they headed down the street.  Several floats, more beautiful horses ridden by beauty queens concluded the parade.  Imagine a Christmas parade with no Santa in sight.

Monasterio del Carmen de la Asuncion

December 15 marks the day Latin Americans truly begin preparation for Christmas.  This does not necessarily mean more shopping, baking or decorating, but it does mean returning to the sweet spirit of Christmas.  Troy and I returned to Iglesia Carmen de la Asuncion for the first service of the Preparation of the Birth.  The church founded in 1682 is beautifully embellished with pink and blue designs, several simple chapels and a glorious gilded altar that today was decorated to honor the Christ Child.  Like a stage, silver drapes were on either side of the main altar more silver across the top was outlined with tiny green lights.  Gold lame was draped between the silver panels and on top of that a rose bedecked crown that was about six feet in height and width was the center piece.  Streaming from the crown were yards and yards of fushia netting festooned with tiny white lights that randomly turned off and on.  On each side of this bouquets of calla lilies to honor the Virgin caught the eye then led the eye down to eight bouquets of pink roses with about 8 dozen roses in each bouquet.  The altar table was covered in white linen with hand embroidered roses bordering the cloth.  Despite the elaborate decorations, the service was simple.  Prayers for those who needed it, reading from the Gospel and the Old Testament, and two guitars playing traditional carols for the audience to sing along.  The offering plate was passed and a rather simple man passed his own paper plate and the congregation seemed to understand him and placed coins on the plate.  It was then time to pass the Peace and we took tiny Ecuadorian hands in our hands and felt a part of the congregation.  We slipped out during communion and felt blessed to have shared this experience.

Living in Cuenca

Cuenca Ecuador is the city of choice for those people who’d dream of living smack in the middle of Paris, Barcelona, or Sienna (or even Manhattan or San Francisco, for that matter) within walking distance of historical, beautiful architecture, culture, and food — at a price that’s affordable for someone needing more living space than a studio apartment.