Cuenca, Ecuador

I like Cuenca, Ecuador, and I'm not alone. There are all kinds of expats here. It's a popular place, with a price tag to match. Rather than rely on our Lonely Planet Guide for lodging, we asked our taxi driver for an economic recommendation. He brought us to the backpacker mecca section of the city, on a cliff overlooking the riverwalk; there were half a dozen options within one block- it was perfect. The friendly owner, Wilson, gave us a tour. We dumped our bags and set off to explore the city. We enjoyed what we found:

Historic section, off the Calle Larga (large street)

Riverwalk

Orange climbing flowers, as seen from the popular riverwalk

Ladies here love their hats (even the babies are fashionistas)

Historic section

Flower market

Judicial building- love the stone work!

Streets of Cuenca

Saturday art market

Wish I could fit this in my backpack. I'd store my eggs on the counter for display, and convenience.

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This town knows how to party! Wish I had room in my pack for some wild heels. Then again, I'd probably pull a Bridget Jones/SJP on the cobblestone.

Most of the stores here are mom and pop shops, but if you need a little bit of everything, there are markets of assembled mom and pop shops with everything at one stop. Belts, shoes, socks, underwear, hair accessories, fruits and veggies, meat, eggs, baskets, flowers, etc, etc, etc all under one roof.

This town knows how to party! Wish I had room in my pack for some wild heels. Then again, I'd probably pull a Bridget Jones/SJP on the cobblestone.

While you're at it, don't forget to pick up a scoop of lard...

We loved everything except for the pet shop. Naturally, I wanted to take all of these lil' fellas home with me, but I was sad to discover that they were from a puppy mill :-( Now I double want to take them home with me.

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