Cuenca

I am not really a museum person but Mueseo Pumapungo was highly rated, so off I went, more to tick it off the list. But I was not expecting a large, expanse of very well maintained Inca ruins and a random exotic bird collection. A nice surprise. Inside the museum, which was adjacent to the Central Bank of Ecuador, was a whole floor dedicated to the history of money. There were also 3D model displays of indigenous people and their tribal practices. Good for people like myself who don't want to just look at old pottery or read too much!

On the way back, I bumped into a Gay Pride procession, which was colourful, lively and well supported. I had a little cry thinking about how far we (the world) have come in terms of acceptance and respect of LGBTQ+ rights....(not everywhere, obvs).

Another day, I donned my Lycra went in search of free bikes to rent, along the River Tomebamba cycle path. As I couldn't find the free bikes (out-of-date information, thank you Google)....I went for a walk and discovered Paradise Park with boating lake, pedalos, go-karting (pedal power) and outdoor gym equipment. Now, I could have been in the UK. Cuenca had a lot of retired Americans and expat remote workers which is partly why it is so expensive, well maintained and modern.

Kimberly and I went to a famous chocolate makers cafe, to write our blogs. Three hours later, not a word was written as we talked so much. I was a bit jealous that she has no return ticket so can stay as long as she likes, without having to fit things into a time framework.

We had another nightly city stroll for more Nutella ice cream....I have eaten more ice cream in the last few weeks than I have in the last 10 years. It would be rude not to.

My last night in Cuenca was chilling with a group of randoms (watching Japanese reality TV!!!) - we all enjoyed each others' company for a few days but likely will never see each other again.

I packed up for Guayaquil, my last stop to get the flight to Galapagos. Guayaquil has a dangerous reputation, for general crime and hang crime. I decided to go to a hostel close to the airport and stay indoors. I got nervous because recently a cab driver robbed his own tourist passenger from the same place I was going. My extra anxiety is that I am carrying a lot of cash as in Galapagos there are only a few ATMs which charge a lot and sometimes don't even work. Most places don't accept card payment, and those that do, have extortionate fees. Luckily, my taxi driver didn't rob me so I tipped him generously by way of a thank you (for not robbing me).Meer informatie