3 days and nights in Cuenca

Day 14: bussing to Cuenca

Waiting and hoping for the bus to Cuenca

I headed out of the Hostel D'Mathias in Banos as early as I could in order to figure out how to smoothly get to Cuenca within the daylight hours. As soon as I got out of bed, I packed my things and left without saying bye to my good friends Heather and Ryan. I don't like saying bye to people that I get close to. I think I stepped out of the hostel at around 8:30 am. I immediately got on a local bus for 80 cents to Ambato. I was warned ahead of time that certain busses to Ambato will not go anywhere near the bus terminal that leaves for Cuenca. Unfortunately I caught one of those busses and had to pay $4 for a taxi to drop me off to catch a Cuenca bus. I asked people on the bus how I could get a bus to Cuenca. A helpful local told me to take a taxi because it would be a far ride to the other side of town to catch the right bus. I only understood 30% of his Spanish. To where, I'm wasn't sure. I approached a taxi who's Spanish I could barely understand. Luckily the helpful local communicated to him that I need to get to Cuenca and where to drop me off. I heard him say "cruce," and I understood why after the taxi dropped me off on the side of a random road; not exactly a bus terminal as I expected. The taxi told me to sit on the curb and wait for a bus that had Cuenca displayed on top. One finally arrived after waiting for 30 minutes. Off I was to Cuenca! The ride is about 7 hours and cost $8.

I arrived in Cuenca in the afternoon and took a $2 taxi to Hostal Yakumama. I didn't do much for the rest of the day other than walk around and get a hamburger dinner for $2.

A night stroll in Cuenca

Day 15: day trip to Gualaceo and Chordaleg

Traditional Cuenca gear

According to Lonely Planet's guide to Ecuador, Gualaceo hosts an impressive feria artesania every Sunday. Unfortunately this crafts market is nonexistent. I searched around the river and there was only a shopping house with a few crafts for sell. The place look like it was about to close down due to lack of business. In the same day I took another bus to Chordaleg, a small town known for jewelry and pottery making. I wasn't impressed with the jewelry and was not interested in buying pottery. I did enjoy some amazing helado paila.

Mirador de Turi

Upon returning to Cuenca, I rested a little back at the hostel, then took a taxi to Mirador de Turi as the sun was setting. I didn't want to spend another $2.50 to catch taxi back to el centro. I walked down the stairs, turn left at the main road to a shopping mall to catch a bus for 25 cents.

Day 16: Cajas National Park in the cold rain
This was my last full day in Cuenca, a beautiful but uneventful colonial city (at least during my stay), therefore I headed out the Cajas National Park. It's easy to get there from Cuenca. From the Terminal Terrestre, hop on a bus heading to Cajas/ Guayaquil. Tell the bus driver to drop you off at Toreadora, which is the name of the second entrance to the park. It's a $2 fare to get there. Unfortunately when I got there, it was raining nonstop. I put on my raincoat and hike out on the la ruta rosa for only 40 minutes. The mud and cold was getting to me. To get back to Cuenca, walk across the road to wait for a bus going back, or hitchhike.

Beautiful but too wet to hike

Day 17: bussing out to Vilcambaba
I'm currently waiting for a shuttle that will arrive in front of Hostal La Cigale to pick me up and drop me off directly at Hostel Izhcayluma in Vilcamba.

This moment and some thoughts...
Hostal Yakumama is a hipster kind of place. Not because of the people, but because of the eclectic decor and ambience. The restaurant bar has reliable wifi. I can't say much about the drinks and foods here because I didn't have any, other than the breakfast that is included in the stay. But the price is very reasonable. My bed was $7 a night in a 10 bed dorm. The mattress was super comfy. Bathrooms are acceptable and the social ambience here is mediocre. I met a few travelers who were lovely but didn't have the same kind of connection like I did with Heather and Ryan. It seems like most travelers just come her for a couple of days then move on to the next town.

Cuenca is one of the most beautiful colonial cities of Latin America. However I think 3 days is enough here unless you are planning to take Spanish lessons. After visiting so many colonial cities, I'm not really interested in seeing any more fancy cathedrals and mansions. Nor am I interested in fancy eateries. I think the best thing about Cuenca is the easy day trip to Cajas National Park.

Right now my stomach is feeling uneasy. I hope it goes away while I'm in Vilacamba. I hope that a few pills of Lomotil will shoo it away.

Hostal Yakumama

Tumi, the resident cat of Hostal Yakumama

Bye bye :(