EXPATS IN ECUADOR - Cuenca, Ecuador Dec 2016-Jan 2017

EXPATS IN ECUADOR

Cuenca, Ecuador  Dec. 2016 - Jan. 2017

Yet another great view

As an loyal reader of International Living magazine (dubbed "International Lying" by the more cynical) knows, Cuenca has increasingly become an expat haven. 

Bountiful produce

As we soon found out, it earned that reputation for a reason. While the climate may run through all four seasons in one day, it is, for the most part, pleasant and moderate. 

There is an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables in the mercados at amazingly affordable prices, a wide variety of cultural activities (gringo and local), and one of the most welcoming expats cultures you could hope to find.

Guinea pig, anyone?

In fact, one of our first meetings was with Linda Sorrento, a former co-worker of the partner, Alan, of Thora's cousin Cindy. Linda introduced us to some of her favorite people and we enjoyed both a Cuenca Symphony concert and an extremely lively New Year's Eve. 

Ready for the parade

It turned out to be the perfect time of year to visit Cuenca. There was the legendary Pase del Niño parade, which consisted of more than six hours of children in costumes and their families (and even their animals) marching through the streets.

And then there was the New Year's Eve activities which is one of those "you had to be there" experiences. Everyone makes large paper mache dolls, either representing an object of dislike (typically politicians) or just your average Sponge Bob or Minnie Mouse.

Not from Panama

At midnight they light fires all of over the city and toss the dolls in, symbolic of an "out with the old, in with the new" mentality. Wandering through the streets with fires burning seems like an eerie kind of Armageddon, but with a lot more gleeful screams and firecrackers.

Exploring the ruins

While there was not an overabundance of tourist destinations, there were certainly enough to keep up busy. We went to the Panama Hat factory, (and no, they are not made in Panama we learned), Museo Pumapungo and ate in some wonderful restaurants, some of which were gringo-esque, others not so much.

In what we hope will become an annual tradition, our Ecuadorian friends Erica and Roberto drove up from Guayaquil for a weekend. We went to visit the Ingapirca Ruins but, unfortunately, a bad case of food poisoning that cut the visit short so we were not able to hike El Cajas as planned. But, then again, there's always next year and, yes, we will be back.