Day 302 - Cuenca

(Ursula) This morning, Heinz exchanged Dollars for Sucres on the black market. According to the radio, rain was again in the forecast for the afternoon.

We took advantage of the no-rain window to visit the open marketplace. A farmer proudly handed us a 13-inch plátano. We were not surprised about its size. Even the cabbage heads and carrots looked gigantic.

The market also featured woven Agave products like ropes, mats, and baskets. Besides that, it had almost everything else farmers from the region would need or sell, including rabbit, chicken, sheep, and piglets. It was an exciting visit!

Then we visited our contact, Mr. Beguin, at the Omega Watch assembly factory. He welcomed us and gave us a tour of the facility. Unfortunately, he was not interested in buying our camper. But he made a few phone calls and gave us the address of an Optician in town who might be interested.

We liked the city of Cuenca. It had a character with its old Colonial-style buildings. The newer buildings, however, were much less impressive.

Unfortunately, we couldn't agree on a selling price with the Optician. He wasn't pleasant and probably more interested in flipping it and making a profit. I was glad we didn't sell it to him. The camper suddenly grew on me as we were showing it. I was confident there would be more potential buyers in Guayaquil at the German College.

A bit off the beaten track, near Baños, was a lovely spot next to a Thermal Bath where we camped that evening. Tomorrow, we will be heading for the coastal city of Guayaquil.

Stats: Miles 8, Expenses $2.70Read more