2014 Latin America Adventure: Day 64

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We left on a sunny morning, our truck hugged along the coast, passing what remained of the Peruian coast towards the Ecuadorian border. And there are many villages putting on signs, advertising their location being the Garden of Eden, the Last Paradise etc., but honestly, I don’t think this part of the coast is really that interesting.

The terrain were still very much desert like. The last couple of kilometers before the border suddenly became banana plantations....a huge contrast with the arid terrain all the way after we got onto the coast from Arequipa.

The border posts of both the Peruvian and Ecuadorian are all in one large complex. It was quite a straight forward affair, no fuss, just more stamps on the passport. From the small amount of traffic we’d seen that morning, the complex is certainly too huge, may be there are busier times.

undercarriage inspection channels at the border post

The huge border post complex

Most of us spent their last bit of Peruvian money by splurting on snacks and ice-creams. I had my first chocolate ice-cream for a long time.

Ecuador dollarized their currency in 2001 in order to stablize their economy, so here we are, waving our fistful of greenbacks as we go into the country. The paradox is, this country is quite anti-US.

The fuel price is $0.79 per gallon, yes, that is US 79 cents, which equates to about A$0.23 per litre. This is obscene....we pay $1.60 per litre in Sydney, a near 7 times as much !!!!!!!! Oil exports accounts for a good 40% of their country, no big surprises there. And the ruling regime have to keep the populace onside, somehow!

For the first time, I really felt the humidity and that we are in the tropics. After all, Ecuador means Equator. But this did not last...just a whole 2 hours or so.

Soon we were driving into the mountains again, gaining elevations. Although the greenness continued, rain forests become the norm, however, the temperature dropped back to the coolish low twenties.

It was a long and winding road up Cuenca way. Dairy farming has become dominant across the landscape.

We passed a few street stalls that are selling what seemed to be roast pig meats, from a whole roast pig that lied on the front of the stall. It’s not something I even contemplate having.

Our truck met the late afternoon traffics of Cuenca, Ecuador ( Ecuador - Republic of the Equator) which wasn't too heavy, after some negotiations with tight corners and low hanging cables through the narrow cobblestone streets of the centro area, we were dropped around the corner of our hotel, before Captain Will took the car to the car park. That's when our "Dear Tour Leader" realised it was the wrong hotel. It wasn't funny carrying the backpack and stuff unprepared for a long walk, but we found the right place, a few blocks away....wonder if Will can find us!

Cuena has a quaint little downtown, it really it, with her narrow streets lined with Spanish colonial buildings. No wonder, it is UNESCO World Heritage listed. Our hotel is quite a delightful little place, except its creaky floor, wonder what the night is going to be?

But after 3 nights of Internet deprivation, most of the crew went off into the clouds, leaving only just 4 of us, out for a walk, enjoying the late afternoon glow.

The twin domes of the New Cathedral

A leisurely walk around the narrow cobblestone streets for a couple of hours in the next morning ...

Followed by an open-top bus tour of the city, was equally rewarding....but one has to be very mindful of low hanging cables, and near brushes with windows...!

River Tomebamba

The modern side of Cuenca

But nothing beats the view from the hill top, overlooking the entire city,

Somehow, since entering Peru about 3 weeks ago, the Charlie Chaplin hat wearing ladies seems to have gradually faded away, here, they are replaced by the Panama Hat ladies.

One cannot leave Cuenca without mentioning her famous Panama hat , these famous hats were first made in Montecristi, near the coast, at the foot of the Andes mountains, since at least the mid-1600s. But the extreme heat of mid-day sent business owners to higher elevations, including Cuenca, where hats could be made all day.

No tourist worth his salt would miss seeing one of these made in the local factories, but I did....well, here is a link to see how they are made.

For a good pricey one, it comes with its own box. \But carrying one of these home in any type of luggage is going to be a challenge, let alone in a backpack.

The local market is well stocked with fruits and vegetables, and the not so appetizing but ubiquitous roast pig fare.