Cuenca, Ecuador

Cuenca is a lovely city in the Andes just outside of Caja National park. Driving there is magical as you literally drive above the clouds. I was lucky to spend Christmas was an Ecuadorian family and see all that Cuenca has to offer. Mateo ( my couchhost ) and his family were incredibly welcoming and really found it hard for me to leave their home.

When I first arrived Mateo told me his father would meet me at the bus terminal because he had an exam at university. I arrived and looked around for the same dad that Mateo had sent a photo of but could not find him. I circled around the terminal until finally a shorter man with a cigarette held out his hand and asked "Taylor?". I was happy to find him. He told me welcome to Cuenca and welcome to his home.

We walked back to their apartment and he told me that it may be a poor mans home but it has a big heart. While I didn't agree with the he being poor I do agree that the whole family had very big hearts. The next days were filled with activities walking around town and swing all the different parts, hiking to Turi a nice view of the city, going to museums and seeing inca settlement remains in the center of the city, going to a small town Girón to hike to the waterfall El Chorro, another small town Baños to bathe in thermal waters and sit in a steam bathe built into the side of a lava tube.

Most importantly it was very fun to see how Christmas was celebrated in Ecuador. In Cuenca especially Christmas Eve day starts off with an all day parade called El Pase Del Niño. It's filled with bright ethnic costumes and many kids on horses.

Christmas Eve was spent with family and a Turkey dinner followed by tamales! Christmas day was spent in the thermal bathes and didn't seem to be as big a deal for Mateos family but I'm sure others got together.

Overall I'm happy to have spent time with Mateo and his family and gain some new friends and home in Ecuador.Read more