BINGO in Cuenca, Ecuador

Yep, we feel like we’ve won the jackpot here in Cuenca. We’re staying right near the center of town (which is up at around 8400 feet) - with almost daily festivals, hearing music till late outside as well as the bells of the old cathedral next our hotel ring at 6:37 am 72 times in a row. We have seen amazing Incan ruins in town and also experienced a spiritual purification at the local market, with very strong smelling flowers and liquid/oils and a raw egg being rubbed on us. And then both girls won $8 at an expat hangout bingo day! Who says what a “typical” Ecuadorian experience while traveling should be - right?

One of the dilemmas while traveling with kids for this amount of time and moving around so much is that they miss their friends back home and at their age, friends are their whole world. So before coming to Cuenca, I joined a Facebook group for expats (no- we’re not moving - there is just a huge expat community here because it’s awesome and super cheap with good healthcare, and I needed some info). I wrote to some expat families and one American family that lives in Cuenca responded (yay!), telling us about Bingo at a sports bar in town - which has turned into a wonderful new friendship and connection point for all of us. We have played bingo, gone to their house, and hung out at a local park with them. The kids had a blast - and so did us grownups!

We’re more than halfway through our week in Cuenca. Who knew that Ecuador would be so amazing and diverse in its landscape and overall feel! On Sunday, we head to Cajas National Park and then Guayaquil, our jumping off point to the Galapagos! We get to finally see Jenny (Brian’s sis) on Monday and spend a week together in the Galapagos! Yay! Let the adventures continue! Hope you are all happy, healthy, and safe! ❤️Read more