Category: Travel

coastal wanderings: peggy’s cove, polly’s cove & the halifax waterfront

wanderessence1025 December 7, 2022

Sunday, September 25: We were sorely disappointed to find we still had no power in our Airbnb when we woke up. Surprisingly, there was still a bit of hot water, so we were both able to take short showers. The next-door neighbors said that Nova Scotia Power showed on their website about what time they estimated power to be restored, and it showed an estimate of 11 p.m. tonight for our neighborhood. It was frustrating because so many places around us already had power. The worst thing was not being able to have phone access; we had to keep turning off the phone to conserve power. It made me nervous in case Alex or someone in the family had to reach us. Also, we were going to Peggy’s Cove and Polly’s Cove today, and I had so little charge in my phone I might not be able to take pictures. I wished I had brought an extra camera along.

We stopped at Tim Horton’s and found a table with plugs so we ordered hot coffees and sat for about an hour, waiting for our phones to charge.

It was a gorgeous and sunny day, and the forecast was for warmer temps than yesterday. Sadly, it was supposed to rain all day Monday.

Peggy’s Cove

After charging our phones sufficiently, we drove to the beautiful Peggy’s Cove, the home of Canada’s most photographed lighthouse. It sits on Margaret’s Bay on rugged outcroppings deposited by the last glaciers that crawled through. One one side, massive granite boulders stand semi-erect in scrubby fields, on the other, they lie prone, creating the granite shelf on which Peggy’s Cove lighthouse is perched.

Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse

The lighthouse sits on what geologists call “perched boulders” or “erratics.” They are boulders left behind by melting continental glaciers that crept their way across the area some 20,000 years ago. As the glaciers thawed, water filled existing fractures in the granite bedrock. When the water froze, the glaciers plucked up and carried away chunks of rock. The more the glaciers moved, the more rock they gathered. When they melted, they left behind these perched boulders.

Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse

Mike at Peggy’s Cove

Peggy’s Cove

me at Peggy’s Cove

Peggy’s Cove

The hamlet is a fishing village in miniature, sitting on a harbor with a tiny wooden church, a cluster of shingled homes and salt-bleached jetties. The solitary lighthouse towers over a slab of wave-blasted rock.

Tourism began to overtake fishing in economic importance in Peggy’s Cove following the Second World War. Today, Peggy’s Cove is a major tourist attraction, though its inhabitants still fish for lobster and the community retains a rustic undeveloped appearance. It has been declared a preservation area to protect its rugged beauty.

We enjoyed wandering through the village with its colorful lobster pots, old weathered boats, and piles of rusted anchors. We found a yellow fishing boat called “Hunger & Thirst” and a shop selling weathered buoys which people around these parts use as home and yard decor.

Peggy’s Cove

Mike at Peggy’s Cove

anchors at Peggy’s Cove

Peggy’s Cove

buoys for sale at Peggy’s Cove

Peggy’s Cove

Peggy’s Cove got increasingly crowded by the minute. By the time we left, they were swarming all over the place. The sea was quite lively, leaping up as it hit the rocky shoreline. Though it was beautiful, I get impatient and annoyed at crowded places. I was ready to move on.

Polly’s Cove

I had read about this hike in an article: “12 Top-Rated Hiking Trails in Nova Scotia.” We went to the unmarked trailhead about 2km from Peggy’s Cove. Polly’s Cove is full of expansive coastal views. From June to October, the landscape is colored with a carpet of red and green shrubs and wildflowers. From various points we could catch glimpses of the Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse. The landscape is dotted with huge glacial erratics, boulders deposited thousands of years ago by retreating glaciers.

This place is truly a hidden gem, not at all crowded with tourists. It is a coastal barrens landscape full of monolithic granite. All the trails are unmarked, narrow and naturally rugged. Wades through brush are not uncommon.

We stopped at the foundation ruins of a former radar station to scope out the area.

Walking on this trail was one of my favorite experiences in Nova Scotia. The whole scene was breathtaking with expansive views of the sea as well as the rocky coastline and the rocks intermingled with green and red vegetation.

Polly’s Cove

Swissair Flight 111 Memorial

We stopped near Peggy’s Cove to see the Swissair Flight 111 Memorial. This was a scheduled international passenger flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport to Cointrin Airport in Geneva, Switzerland. On September 2, 1998, the McDonnell Douglas MD-ll performing this flight crashed into the Atlantic Ocean southwest of Halifax Stanfield International Airport at the entrance to St. Margarets Bay, Nova Scotia. The crash site was 8km (5 mi) from shore, roughly equidistant from the small fishing and tourist communities of Peggy’s Cove and Bayswater. All 229 passengers and crew onboard were killed, making the crash the deadliest McDonnell Douglas MD-11 accident in history.

The memorial commemorates the 229 casualties and honors the courageous local fisherfolk involved in recovery efforts and in comforting the grieving families.

Swissair Flight 111 Memorial

Halifax Waterfront Boardwalk

After our hikes and visits to the memorial, we returned to our house but the power still wasn’t on. I was so depressed that we could still be days without power. But, after a short while at the house, we were suddenly surprised when the lights popped on. We had seen so many houses and businesses and stoplights all around us, yet our neighborhood had still been dark. I was ready to insist we move to a hotel, but suddenly, there was no need for that. (Yes, I’m spoiled rotten.)

Suddenly the world was brighter. I was able to take a quick shower and then we went to the Halifax Waterfront Boardwalk.

We ate dinner at Bluenose II. I enjoyed mussels and clam chowder and Mike had Digby scallops. As a seafood lover, I was in heaven here. We had an Indian waitress who was very friendly and talkative. She was attending Dalhousie University (she called it “Dal”), which has a 25% international student population. It’s a large public research university in Nova Scotia.

mussels at Bluenose II

Bluenose II

Then we strolled along the lively boardwalk in the blue light. I felt happy that our discomforts were over. I’m really such a wimp for hardships. The 3km (2mi) boardwalk runs from the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 to Casino Nova Scotia. The path offers backdoor access the the Marine Museum of the Atlantic and other historic properties.

We walked up a tiered wharf with a rectangular glass and metal sculpture. We admired the Cable Wharf and a wire sailboat sculpture that glowed golden in the blue light like an apparition. We saw the backsides of the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic with its anchors, skiffs and motors lying scattered about.

We came across the festive and crowded BG Beer Garden that was inviting, but we didn’t really want another drink.

We met a statue that said: “This monument is a universal symbol of a proud, strong and globally united Lebanese community. The statue honors the early Lebanese settlers who, 130 years ago, established a presence in this country, sewing the bonds of loyalty, faith and perseverance. We are thankful to our Nova Scotia community and for the enduring friendships built in our new home, Canada.”

We also might have been tempted by the poutine shop, Smoke’s Poutinerie, if we hadn’t already eaten. “You’ll think you’ve died and gone to Canada!” and “How Do You Like Your Poutine?”

Halifax Waterfront Boardwalk

Maritime Museum of the Atlantic

Halifax Waterfront Boardwalk

BG Beer Garden

Smoke’s Poutinerie

Lebanese statue

We heard on the news that it was quite a mess up in Cape Breton so we wrote to both our Airbnb hosts to find out the situation. They both said we shouldn’t come up to Cape Breton and offered to refund us fully. We were very disappointed but they were without power and would be for some time; there were long lines at gas stations and there was no food on the shelves.

Luckily, we now had power and could finally enjoy our time in Nova Scotia. We settled into the cozy living room and watched an episode of Bitter Daisies (O Sabor das margaridas). Because we’d cancelled our two days in Cape Breton, and our Airbnb had availability for the next two nights after our rental period ended, the 27th and 28th, we opted to extend our stay in Halifax. Also, Lisa, who we planned to visit in Prince Edward Island on September 29, told us she needed more time to get up to her house in PEI from Pennsylvania. PEI had suffered intense damage from the hurricane so we weren’t keen to go up there so soon and possibly encounter shutdowns and lack of power. Thus we rearranged everything, cancelling our Saint John’s Airbnb and booking another one from September 19-October 3. We’d now go to Alma on October 3 and to PEI on October 4.

Here’s a petite video of our time in Peggy’s Cove, Polly’s Cove and the Halifax Waterfront.

an unwelcome welcome from hurricane fiona: arriving in nova scotia

wanderessence1025 November 30, 2022

Virginia to Massachusetts

Wednesday, September 21, 2022: As I got in the car for my 400 mile drive to Sturbridge, Massachusetts on my way to Halifax, Nova Scotia, Mike came out to the driveway to wish me safe travels. “Things don’t look good,” he said. “It looks like Hurricane Fiona may be headed straight for Halifax.”

This was the first I’d heard we might encounter problems. We had packed up the car and I was on the way out. All of our Airbnbs were booked and it was by no means certain that the hurricane wouldn’t veer off in another direction. It would take me 2 1/2 days to drive and I hoped the forecast would change as I drove. But there was no way to know and no way I was going to cancel our trip based on what-ifs.

I drove through Maryland, Delaware (“Endless Discoveries”), New Jersey via the New Jersey Turnpike, New York, Connecticut and, finally, Massachusetts.

The drive wasn’t horrible until I got to New York, where my GPS routed me to various four-lane parkways that were slow and crowded. In Connecticut, the worst part of the drive, I crept along on the Merritt Parkway and the Hutchinson Parkway until I rerouted myself to Norwalk, where I got on I-95N. That was surprisingly even slower. What was supposed to be a 7 hour drive turned into 9 1/2 hours.

Meanwhile, Hurricane Fiona was looming as a Category 4 hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean. It had made landfall in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, passed near Turks & Caicos Islands and was at that time threatening Bermuda and Atlantic Canada. The 6th named storm, 3rd hurricane, and first major hurricane of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season, Fiona developed from a tropical wave that emerged from West Africa, before developing into a tropical depression east of the Leeward Islands on September 14.

When I arrived in Sturbridge to Scottish Inns, Sturbridge, I was exhausted. I went out to grab a McDonald’s cheeseburger and ate it as I hunkered down in my room. I watched The Weather Channel, listening carefully to the news about Fiona and learning about all kinds of weather disasters on “Weather Gone Viral.”

Steps: 4,321; Miles: 1.83. Miles driven: 410.9.

All packed up and ready to go

My drive from Virginia to Sturbridge, Massachusetts

Massachusetts to Saint John, New Brunswick

Thursday, September 22: I left Sturbridge by 8:15 a.m., after meeting a family from Denmark in the breakfast room at the hotel. They had just arrived the day before in Boston and were heading to the White Mountains of New Hampshire, then to Niagara Falls, both the American and the Canadian sides. They didn’t need to concern themselves with the hurricane because they’d be inland. I told them I was in love with Danish TV shows: especially Borgen, Rita, and The Bridge. I always mispronounce Borgen and meet puzzled looks when I mention it.

It was dark and pouring rain for the entire drive today. Visibility was almost nonexistent and I was stressed out to the max, driving in those conditions and worrying about Fiona. I arrived at the Maine State Visitor Information Center and took a break; I have always loved the feel of Maine with its pine trees, lobster culture and rugged coastal terrain. I had another 4+ hours to Canada.

Maine Visitor Center in Kittery

Mileage signpost in the visitor center

Lobster pot in the Visitor Center

I was especially stressed on Route 9 to Calais, Maine, which was about 75 miles through a mountainous, deserted, wooded area. It reminded me of the night I drove over the Sangro de Cristo mountains after visiting Adam in Crestone, Colorado. I don’t like being alone driving in dark deserted areas.

Luckily, crossing the border to Canada was easy. One strange question: “Are you carrying anything that you plan to leave in Canada?” I couldn’t think of a thing and answered “No” as to whether I was carrying cannabis or firearms.

At the Welcome Center to New Brunswick, I picked up various pamphlets. The guy working there seemed to think the hurricane coming was not all that unusual or threatening. I bought some funky socks for Mike’s Christmas stocking and was on my way.

Once I got into Canada, the road to Saint John was smooth sailing. It was a modern 4-lane divided highway that I had almost to myself. It took me an hour and half to get to Quispamsis, east of Saint John, where I checked into Quality Inn & Suites Quispamsis. I went out for a dinner of Yellow Thai Curry with Shrimp at House of Chan and enjoyed a cup of wine when I got back to the room. My fortune cookie promised “Your hard work will soon pay off.” I guessed we would see about that.

House of Chan

My route today from Sturbridge, MA to Saint John, New Brunswick

the hurricane forecast on Thursday night

I watched the Weather Channel about what things people should get in case of power outages. They were expecting prolonged power outages especially in Cape Breton. Rather than watching about Fiona’s approach toward the Maritimes, I thought I’d cheer myself up by reading Anne of Green Gables.

Steps: 3,535; Miles: 1.48. Miles driven: 477.10.

Saint John, New Brunswick to Halifax, Nova Scotia

Friday: September 23: There was a nice breakfast with scrambled eggs and bacon at the hotel, so I was properly fueled to face the day. It was sunny, surprisingly, when I left. I had expected the area to already be cloud-covered with Fiona’s approach.

It seemed that Hurricane Fiona was now predicted to make landfall in the Maritimes around 2-3 a.m. Saturday morning. We had our Airbnb reserved in Halifax and if Mike was able to fly in, he was due to fly to Stanfield International in Halifax at 5:18 p.m. Friday. It got windier and rainier the closer I got to Halifax.

I was nervous because I didn’t know if I should continue on to Halifax since the predictions were that Halifax would be hit by the outer southwest fringes of the storm. I wondered if I should scrap my plans to stay at the Airbnb and stay further inland at a big hotel in Truro. But if Mike’s flight in fact came in, there would be no one to pick him up. We had no idea if the flight would even come in at 5:18.

It was touch and go and I didn’t like having to make these decisions without being able to communicate with Mike.

I decided I’d go ahead to the Airbnb and see what it was like. I first stopped at Sobey’s in Truro and stocked up on groceries, trying not to buy too many perishables or refrigerated goods, knowing it was likely we’d be without power for some time. I picked up a prepared meal for Mike of chicken, stuffing, and mashed potatoes since I figured he wouldn’t get a meal on his flight. I would eat my leftover Yellow Thai Curry with Shrimp from Thursday night.

Halifax, Nova Scotia

The Airbnb, an entire three-story house (including basement with laundry room) was nice enough and certainly too large for the two of us, but the neighborhood was rather slovenly. The steps up the backdoor were broken and rather precarious. Luckily the house sat on high ground and there weren’t many big trees around. I moved all our stuff into the house and got the food situated. After getting settled, I drove a half hour back to the airport, which I’d passed on the way in, hoping Mike’s flight would arrive. It did arrive, probably the last flight of the day, but it took him forever to find me despite the airport’s small size.

It turned out that the pilot had told the passengers on Mike’s flight that if it was too windy in Halifax, they’d have to turn around and return to Toronto, where Mike had connected from Washington.

We drove to the house and got comfortable for the night. Mike ended up eating my leftover Thai food, and he made us his famous whiskey and ginger ale. We watched the Weather Channel, trying to determine when and where Fiona would land. We also watched an episode of Bitter Daisies (O sabor das margaridas) and did our Duolingo. We rarely watch TV when we’re traveling, but this would be one trip where we watched something nearly every night.

We went to sleep in one room but the wind was howling on that side of the house so we moved to the other side of the house.

We didn’t know how much damage the storm would cause, how long we might be without power, how long it would rain or how long we might be trapped by downed trees. Everything was unknown.

I couldn’t help but think of people all over the world affected by crazy climate events that don’t have any choice but to fight for their survival in the face of devastating storms, fires, flooding, earthquakes, or devastating winds.

Steps: 4,132; Miles 1.75. Miles driven: 316.

our Airbnb in Halifax

Watching the Weather Channel in Halifax

Saturday, September 24: The wind and rain of Hurricane Fiona battered the house all night long, but for the most part we slept through it. Of course we woke up to no power. Luckily there was still hot water in the tank, so I was able to take a hot bath and Mike a shower. Of course we couldn’t brew coffee in the multiple coffee / espresso makers that came with the house, and sadly the stove was electric, so there was no way to cook or heat up anything. We luckily had some yogurt to eat for breakfast. The house, however, was getting cold quickly without heat.

One of the places we planned to go during our stay in Nova Scotia was the cute town of Lunenburg, and since it was further southwest and away from the storm’s center, we hoped the town would have power. Mike called a hotel listed in the guidebook and they told us they were on a different power grid than Halifax, so they had power. We drove 55 miles to get a cup of coffee and to visit that area. As we drove out, it seemed all of Halifax was without power. Not even gas stations or McDonalds were open. There were no lights on anywhere for miles around.

Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia

In Mahone Bay, we found a cozy coffee shop, The Barn Coffee and Social House. It was warm and bustling with people trying to dry out from the storm. We sat inhaling the coffee beans and the beeswax candles and chatting with other customers who had come in out of the cold on this Saturday morning. Mahone Bay was further removed from the center of the hurricane which was at that moment moving over Cape Breton and Newfoundland, further north. One woman chatted on and on about her property and the horses she used to have.

me staying warm in The Barn Coffee and Social House

Mike in The Barn Coffee and Social House

The Barn Coffee and Social House

beeswax candles in The Barn Coffee and Social House

Mahone Bay is a pastoral town with three vintage churches strung out along a grass-fringed curved shoreline. The town was once a thriving shipbuilding center. Back in the day, pirates and privateers thrived here. The town was named for the type of low-lying ship they used: a corruption of the French word “mahonne,” a low-lying barge-like boat. Galleries and studios lined Main Street but sadly none were open on this post-storm day. Its population of 1,100 includes many craftspeople.

After our leisurely time in the coffee shop, we drove around, encountering crews working to remove downed trees from porches, driftwood sculptures resembling dinosaurs, a Humpty Dumpty on a red clapboard house porch, Saltbox Brewing, a marina and sailboats bobbing in the bay. Houses and businesses in orchid and turquoise colors lined the street. Bluestone Magik boasted of fresh fudge and a yellow raincoated sailor steered through a storm. On the window of a cute restaurant was “Oh My Cod!”

Mahone Bay – crews removing downed trees

crazy driftwood sculpture in Mahone Bay

Humpty Dumpty in Mahone Bay

Mahone Bay

“Oh My Cod!” in Mahone Bay

Lunenburg, Nova Scotia

We drove to Lunenburg, a town whose colorful buildings and colorful past earned it a UNESCO World Heritage Site designation in 1995. It has many rainbow hued houses, many with the “Lunenburg Bump,” a detailed dormer over the front door.

The British founded the town in 1753, attempting to settle Protestants in Nova Scotia. The Germans, Swiss and French Protestants recruited to settle here also put their stamp on the town.

UNESCO considers the site the best example of planned British colonial settlement in North America, as it retains its original layout and appearance of the 1800s, including wooden vernacular architecture.

By the 1850s, the town was a world-class fishing and shipbuilding center. The town flourished in the late 1800s and much of the historic architecture dates from that period.

By this time, we were hungry for lunch, but the town was still mostly shuttered. We stopped in the only place open in town, J’s Pizza, and enjoyed pizza with spinach and mushrooms, accompanied by a glass of wine for me and a beer for Mike. We had to celebrate our survival through our first hurricane.

Mike in J’s Pizza

me in front of J’s Pizza

We strolled around the colorful town after lunch, popping into one of the town’s only open shops, Seek Gifts and Home Decor, where “troubles melt like lemon drops.” I bought a Chai Candle that we could use upstairs in our room at the Airbnb if the power remained out. The ladies there were super friendly and said they heard that parts of Halifax had power as did some neighborhoods. We felt temporarily hopeful that we’d return home to find our lights on. They told us the Salt Shaker Deli & Inn was planning to open at 4:00, so we could come back to town for dinner at that time.

We stopped into another shop, Down Home Living Furnishings, where I bought a bar of pear soap and some stickers for my journal. That woman was quite chatty and told us we should take a short drive to Blue Rocks, which is “no Peggy’s Cove but is a cute village on the water that is scenic and charming.” She showed us paintings people did of Blue Rocks. We determined we’d go there and see it and then return to Lunenburg for dinner around 4:00.

We walked up and down the steep hills of the charming and colorful town. We also saw the Lunenburg Academy, a rare survivor from Nova Scotia’s 19th-century academy system of education. It was designed in 1894 by Henry H. Mott in the Second Empire style. It was built of wood, the most popular building material of the Maritimes. Academies were regarded as the most prestigious publicly funded secondary institutions in the each county. We also admired the stately churches, Zion Lutheran Church and St. John’s Anglican Church.

Lunenburg

Seek Gifts and Home Decor

Lunenburg

Lunenburg Academy

The Lunenburg Bump

Lunenburg

mural in Lunenburg

Lunenburg

The Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic

Lunenburg

Lunenburg mural

Lunenburg

Blue Rocks

We drove to Blue Rocks, a community that stands seaward of Lunenburg. It is still a working fishing village with blue slate rocks that have made it a muse for painters and photographers since the 1940s. Today the village boasts many artist and there are numerous guest houses to be found among the fishermen’s dwellings. It is advertised as “Lunenburg’s answer to Peggy’s Cove.” The fish shack sitting in the water is the most photographed building in the county.

We wandered all around the rocks covered in kelp and enjoyed the fishing pier and colorful weathered fishing shacks. A funky lighthouse had a sign: Virginia Beach, VA Home Base: 1300 miles. The owners apparently were Canadians who lived in Virginia Beach, VA, our home state.

Lighthouse in Blue Rocks

Sign on the lighthouse

mileage signs

Blue Rocks, Nova Scotia

Mike at Blue Rocks

kelp at Blue Rocks

kelp up close at Blue Rocks

Blue Rocks

me and the famous fishing shack

fishing shack at Blue Rocks

Back to Lunenberg, and “home” to Halifax

We drove back to Lunenburg, where we had a lovely early dinner at Salt Shaker Deli & Inn. We sat at a table overlooking the water. Mike enjoyed a seafood chowder with scallops, mussels, shrimp and smoked haddock. I had Fish Cakes: salt cold, salt pork and potato fish cakes with tomato chow and Caesar salad.

Salt Shaker Deli & Inn

Fish cakes with Caesar salad

After dinner, we drove back to Halifax hoping against all odds that the power would be back on, but we were sorely disappointed to find it wasn’t. However, a number of places in the vicinity had lights on, so we were hopeful that ours would come back during the night. It was dark in the house, so we lit the candles and bundled up under layers of blankets. There was nothing to do because even our phones were running out of power and there was no way to charge them. We went to bed quite early out of sheer boredom. I told Mike if we didn’t get power back by the following day, I’d insist we check into one of the large hotels we’d seen that had power. I basically leeched off of Mike’s body heat all night.

Steps: 8,675; Miles: 3.68. Miles driven: 146.

Here’s a short video of our journey to Nova Scotia and our day in Mahone Bay and Lunenburg.

otavalo: two haciendas & the sprawling saturday market

wanderessence1025 November 23, 2022

The Haciendas

Friday, August 12, 2022: After leaving through the southern entrance of Cotopaxi National Park, we headed north, hoping to bypass Quito and make it to Otavalo. We got stuck in numerous traffic quagmires around Sangolqui. Once we got on the highway to the airport, it was smooth sailing. But 282N was the worst as we crawled along for well over an hour. It was a holiday weekend for 8 de Agosto and the road was a nightmare.

Hacienda Cusín

We finally arrived at 1:17 at Hacienda Cusín. We had made a reservation for a 2:30 lunch but they weren’t at all crowded so we were able to eat right away. The hacienda dining room was gorgeous, so rich and sumptuous, but the food was neither creative nor very tasty.

We had a quail eggs cocktail, a mixed salad and some bland stir-fry vegetables. Mike and I shared traditional green plantain soup with fresh corn and cassava. Mike had a grilled pork chop dressed with wild fruit sauce. We topped off our lunch with avocado ice cream.

Hacienda Cusín

dining room at Hacienda Cusín

lunch at Hacienda Cusín

According to the Hacienda’s website:

Purchased at an auction from Philip III, King of Spain by the prominent Luna family in 1602 (around the same time that Cervantes wrote Don Quixote), the original sheep farm comprised of two valleys and all the land between them and the lake – some 100,000 acres/50,000 hectares.

In the early 19^th century, when Alexander Von Humboldt made his Ecuador explorations and Charles Darwin visited the Galapagos Islands, Hacienda Cusín, named after the mountain at the head of the valley, was the country home of a successful farming family. The often more than two-day horse-ride from Quito encouraged visiting family and friends to extend their visits. Cusín became an informal hotel, a home, just as it is today.

You can read more about the history of the hacienda here: Hacienda Cusín History. Apparently the sheep farm was reduced to a small farm by the 1964 Land Reforms. Cusín then became a 12-room hotel. A distressed property by 1990, Cusín was sold and extensive restorations began. Cusín’s main house today represents a 19th-century successful farming family.

After lunch, we spent quite a while strolling around the grounds and the buildings of the hacienda. The decor was gorgeous: painted wooden religious figures, Christ on the cross, vestments hung on the walls, a fabulous wrought iron staircase, colorful tiles on the walls, Tigua-style folk paintings in the library, lush gardens, a rose-filled fountain in the monastery courtyard, an amazing green multi-tiered fireplace, murals painted on walls inside and out, more religious vestments, and painted window wells. All enchanting.

Hacienda Cusín

me at Hacienda Cusín

We wandered to the stable and met the one white horse in the pasture. He snorted when he came eagerly to the fence and we didn’t offer him any snacks.

stable at Hacienda Cusín

white horse at Hacienda Cusín

Las Palmeras Inn

We finally left after I bought a scarf and we drove into Otavalo where we had a hard time finding Las Palmeras Inn, also a former hacienda. It was way up a hill on a bumpy potholed road tucked away in a rather decrepit neighborhood. We had met Cesar, the owner of both Hacienda Cusín and Las Palmeras, at Cusín, then we ran into him again at Las Palmeras. We introduced ourselves to the three resident llamas and two dogs, one of which, Quiera, was super cute and friendly.

According to the hacienda’s website, Las Palmeras Inn is a 150-year-old hacienda that represents the traditional vintage Andean house with cozy fire logs, adobe walls, wooden beams and tile roofs, along with palm trees in the garden. It is tucked in the Quichinche Valley, surrounded by lush mountains. Nearby are Imbabura Volcano (4,630m/15,190 ft) and Cotacachi (4,944m/16,220 ft).

Las Palmeras Inn

our bedroom at Las Palmeras Inn

resident llamas at Las Palmeras Inn

Las Palmeras Inn

dining room at Las Palmeras Inn

Our room got cold as soon as the sun started sinking, so we went to check out the garden at Cesar’s suggestion. The garden was abundant with herbs and vegetables. We walked all over the property and admired the many homes and cottages. Cesar’s home is on the property.

garden at Las Palmeras

In a courtyard, we found a mural of Saint Isidore, the patron saint of farmers, peasants, day laborers and agriculture in general, as well as bricklayers. The dining rooms were beautifully elegant, but the place was a bit more laid back than Hacienda Cusín. In one dining room was a dome with a flying angel holding a guinea pig. I also fell in love with a painting of three women’s backs and their braided hair facing the viewer. The painting is similar to a Diego Rivera print I have at home.

Saint Isadore

an angel holding a guinea pig

my favorite painting

We didn’t go off the property in the evening but ate in the dining room. We had the typical Ecuadorian meal, but I don’t remember what we had.

The staff came to light the fire in the fireplace, which wasn’t nearly as warm and toasty as the woodstove we had at Hacienda Los Mortiños. It was freezing, so we bundled up under the blankets, along with the hot water bottles we found in our beds, and tried to keep warm all night. Mike tended the fire as best he could but it wasn’t putting out much heat anyway, so we just stayed in bed as much as possible.

Steps: 6,636; Miles: 2.79.

The Otavalo Saturday Market

Saturday, August 13: We woke up to sunshine and hopes of a warmer day. After enjoying a delicious breakfast at Las Palmeras, we strolled around the grounds a bit more and ran into Cesar. He walked around with us for a bit. He pointed out the volcanoes surrounding Otavalo, Cotacachi and Imbabura. He was very proud of his two haciendas and what they preserve of traditional Ecuadorian culture.

Las Palmeras

one of the volcanoes

Quiera at Las Palmeras

our room at Las Palmeras

llama as Las Palmeras

Mike at Las Palmeras

We caught a taxi to the Otavalo market because we figured parking would be difficult. It is one of the most important markets in the Andes. It is apparently the largest market in Ecuador and the largest market of its kind in South America.

The market’s history stretches back to pre-Incan times when traders emerged from the jungle on foot, ready to conduct business. Today, hordes of tourists from around the globe hunt for bargains alongside Ecuadorians.

Otavaleños are known for their exquisite weavings and have been exploited over the ages for their textile-making skills, by the Incas, the Spanish and eventually Ecuadorians. They are still exploited, but they are the wealthiest and most commercially successful indigena people in Ecuador, according to Lonely Planet Ecuador. They are able to live in relative comfort.

The taxi dropped us at Plaza de Ponchos, the nucleus of the crafts market. Saturday is the official market day and we had planned to visit here accordingly.

In the colorful open air marketplace, vendors sell handmade traditional crafts and other imported goods. Artisan crafts include woolen goods such as rugs, tapestries, blankets, ponchos, sweaters, scarves, gloves and hats, embroidered white blouses, hammocks, carvings, beads, Tigua and other paintings, woven mats, and jewelry made from tagua nut (aka vegetable ivory). We found plenty of regular clothing, trinkets and colorful handbags and backpacks.

I bought several more small paintings, a scarf, a painted tray, and believe it or not, another hat. Here again, I experienced a failure to communicate. I told the vendor, “Yo necesito un sombrero grande para mi caballo grande.” (I need a large hat for my big horse). I should have said “para mi cabeza grande” (my big head). Worse yet, I kept repeating the same mistake, even when Mike and the lady were laughing their heads off at me. What an idiot I am with languages!!

Otavalo Market

Mural at Otavalo Market

paintings at Otavalo Market

Otavalo Market

a pretty little entryway to a restaurant

Otavalo Market

a main square in Otavalo

colorful Otavalo

an old church in Otavalo

Mushroom pizza for lunch

We strolled on the outskirts of the market to a square with a bust of Rumiñawi: Pueblo Kichwa Otavalo. He was an Inca warrior born in the late 15th century in present-day Ecuador. He died on June 25, 1535. He was a general during the Inca Civil War. After the death of Emperor Atahualpa, he led the resistance in 1533 against the Spanish in the northern part of the Inca Empire (modern-day Ecuador). According to tradition, he ordered the city’s treasure to be hidden and the city to be burned to prevent looting by the Spanish. Although captured and tortured, he never revealed the treasure. Since 1985, December 1 is celebrated as a day of commemoration of his acts.

Rumiñawi: Pueblo Kichwa Otavalo

After shopping for a long while, we hauled our loot back to Las Palmeras. We enjoyed a drink on the front porch of the restaurant and relaxed a while.

Later, we took a taxi back into town to have dinner at a restaurant we’d seen earlier, Maytushka: Amazonian food. Mike had a strong shot and I ordered Tilapia Asad and yuca. The tilapia was huge and full of large spiky bones and I nearly choked on one. Mike ordered a Purungo sopa: (maytu caldo de galina criolla, yuca, arroz, limón y aji).

When we left the restaurant at 7:30-8:00, we felt on edge because it was dark and we had a hard time finding a taxi. Things seemed rather menacing as the town was shutting up all the market stalls. We hadn’t really gone out after dark much except in Cuenca, where we felt very safe, and in our Quito neighborhood. In Riobamba, we had the experience of being followed in a rather deserted area.

Maytushka: Amazonian food

Mike at Maytushka

soup at Maytushka

Tilapia at Maytushka

Steps: 10,395; Miles: 4.37.

The Journey Home

Sunday, August 14: We left Otavalo directly after breakfast, thinking we’d need to leave early because we’d encountered so much traffic on Friday due to the holiday weekend. However, today we didn’t encounter any traffic at all. The drive from Otavalo was on smooth new highways which were carved dramatically out of the mountains. The highway was modern and well-maintained compared to many other highways in Ecuador.

Because we misjudged the traffic, we got to the airport super early, at 10:30 a.m. We turned in our rental car and entered the airport so early we couldn’t even check our bags, so we were saddled with our luggage for an hour. I went wandering at the nearby gift shop to kill time. I bought Sarah a coffee mug and Alex some coffee.

Quito Airport

Finally, around 11:30, we were able to check our bags and go to the gate.

Our flight was on American Airlines 2162 from Quito (2:58 pm) to Miami (8:17 pm). What a long and boring travel day.

On the plane, Mike spent a long time talking to his seatmates, a 30+ something couple from Quito who were going on a vacation to Orlando. The woman spoke a little English but most of the conversation was in Spanish. I think Mike had fun speaking so much in Spanish since I will rarely engage with him when he wants to practice at home. Even I was able to contribute some to the conversation.

At 8:17 p.m., we arrived in Miami and had to catch a shuttle to Sleep Inn Miami Airport. What a dump. We settled in there right away since we had to wake up early for our morning flight to Washington.

Steps: 6,092; Miles 2.58.

Monday, August 15: Our flight was American Airlines 491 from Miami at 6:24 a.m. to Reagan National in Washington (9:00 a.m.) We woke up at 4 a.m. and rolled out of bed, not bothering to shower or anything. Mike had arranged an Uber to pick us up since it was too early for the hotel shuttle. The driver was a bit late, sending me into panic mode. Finally we got on our flight and made it home safely. We took an Uber to the house, where Alex had cleaned up nicely and was there to welcome us. He was supposed to have moved to a townhouse in Alexandria while we were gone, but he was still waiting for a mattress to be delivered. I went for a walk on the Glade Trail and did laundry all day. Mike had to work as soon as we got home.

leaving Miami in the dark

coming into Washington

Sadly, our trip to Ecuador had come to an end. We loved it, even the challenging parts, which always make a trip interesting and adventurous. 🙂

Steps: 13,648; Miles: 5.77.

Here is a short video of our time in Otavalo and to the airport.

the mighty volcán cotopaxi

wanderessence1025 November 16, 2022

Wednesday, August 10, 2022: After another fabulous breakfast at Hostal Huasicama in Latacunga, we were on our way to Parque Nacional Cotopaxi. In 40 minutes we were at the Main Southern Entrance to the park. It had been warm and sunny in Latacunga, but as soon as we entered the park, it suddenly became cold, windy and rainy.

Cotopaxi is among the highest active volcanoes in the world. Its most recent eruption began on August 14, 2015, and ended on January 24, 2016. It is known to have erupted 87 times.

The park includes three volcanoes, Cotopaxi itself along with two others, the dormant Rumiñahui to its northwest and the historical Sincholagua Volcano, which last erupted in 1877, to the southeast.

We had all the right rain and cold weather gear, so we just bundled up and walked on the only trail people are allowed to walk unless they have access to a 4×4 vehicle. This was the Laguna Limpiopungo Trail, a 2.5 km walk around a lagoon. It is a shallow reedy lake at the base of Volcán Rumiñahui.

We saw much of the same high Andes vegetation we encountered in the páramo at Parque Nacional Cajas, further south near Cuenca. The Limpiopungo Lagoon is the natural habitat for at least eight species of aquatic and migratory birds: the Andean lapwing, Baird’s Sandpiper, Andean Coot, Caracara, Andean Gull, Andean Teal, the Solitary sandpiper and one other.

Sadly, we couldn’t see views of Cotopaxi as the volcano was shrouded in clouds and rain.

It was pretty miserable walking around the lagoon on this cold and blustery day.

Laguna Limpiopungo

Mike all bundled up

me looking like an astronaut

Laguna Limpiopungo

a little glimpse of Cotopaxi from Laguna Limpiopungo

As we left the lagoon, we saw some wild horses grazing.

wild horses at Volcán Cotopaxi

As the road veered north away from the volcano, it got much more gravelly and bumpy and the drive was slow going. We’d been advised by the people at Hacienda Los Mortiños, where we’d spend two nights, that the southern way to the hacienda was doable with a regular sedan, whereas if we had come from Quito to the north, we would have needed a 4×4. I was still afraid we’d get a flat tire in our little Yaris, but luckily we made it there intact.

We stopped at Tambopaxi, a red lodge and restaurant within the park boundaries. We enjoyed some hot coffee and soup to warm up. The place was a certified sustainable tourism project involved in wildlife conservation and watershed protection, and it hired local workers.

Tambopaxi

mural in Tambopaxi

horses all saddled up at Tambopaxi

I’d been excited about the haciendas we’d booked for our last four nights in Ecuador. We exited Nacional Parque Cotopaxi through the north gate of the park to find Hacienda Los Mortiños. It is a modern adobe dwelling with views of the neighboring volcanoes. We in fact got the “King room with Cotopaxi View.” It was too bad we had no view because of the rain and fog.

view as we approached Hacienda Los Mortiños

Entrance to Hacienda Los Mortiños

the property at Hacienda Los Mortiños

driving up to Hacienda Los Mortiños

Hacienda Los Mortiños

The hacienda was cold in the afternoon. We had found most of the places we stayed in Ecuador didn’t have heat, but this was the first time the cold permeated through our bones, even in our room. Our room and the others had wood stoves that the staff said they’d light around 4:00-5:00.

Mike took a walk around the property upon our arrival, but I was so cold after our morning walk, I took a hot shower and cuddled up in bed under fuzzy blankets with the space heater on full blast. I read a bit and posted pictures to Instagram.

We went to the downstairs bar/restaurant and ordered drinks and chatted with the bartender/receptionist “man about the house,” Franklin. At the bar we also chatted with a young Dutch man staying there with a large group from Amsterdam. They were all tall, lean and put together and were on a post-college trip with lots of friends (maybe ~25). The boisterous guys were guzzling down beers and had planned a climb up Cotopaxi for that afternoon.

We went back up the room, where the staff had stocked it with wood and kindling and lit the fireplace. Mike made us drinks in the room and we pulled up chairs around the wood stove.

Later for dinner in the dining room, I enjoyed some excellent Tilapia with Creamy Sauce, zucchini and potatoes. Mike ate a ham and cheese sandwich that was finally the “grilled one” he’d envisioned at an earlier stop.

the view from our room at Hacienda Los Mortiños

our room at Hacienda Los Mortiños

me trying to warm up with a drink, a fire, and a heavy wool Ecuadorian sweater

our room at Hacienda Los Mortiños

bar/dining room at Hacienda Los Mortiños & the “man about the house,” Franklin

Tilapia for dinner

Steps: 8,696; Miles 3.69.

Thursday, August 11: After enjoying a great breakfast at Hacienda Los Mortiños, we saddled up for our three-hour horseback ride around Parque Nacional Cotopaxi. It was slow going, as my horse, Fortunato, was “muy perezoso” (lazy) so I was lagging increasingly behind our guide, Edizon, and Mike.

the view as we started our ride

Me lagging behind on Fortunata

Finally, Edizon switched horses with me. Then I was on the feisty Dorado, who always wanted to be ahead, “un jefe” (a boss) wannabe.

Before we started our ride, Edizon had asked if I had any experience riding horses. I explained that when I was a young girl, I rode horses and even jumped them. I let that exaggeration stand; of course, I meant I had jumped on Maybe, who was a small pony and not a horse. I’d ride him over jumps, and when he landed, at the moment I was most off-balance, maybe he’d buck me and maybe he wouldn’t. When he did start bucking, I held on for dear life on the underside of his belly until I fell off. One time I rode him galloping across the Yorktown Battlefield, and he abruptly stopped and put his head down! I went sailing over his head.

Here at Cotopaxi, when we reached a creek, Dorado jumped across with me hanging on for dear life. The other horses simply waded across. He did this twice. After the second jump, where the horse jumped and then ran quickly up a steep bank, I barely managed to hang on. Edizon told me I needed to hold tighter to the reins and keep better control of him. I felt foolish acting as if I really had experience riding horses!

After that last jump, I was quite shaken and I knew I had to pee. We found a large rock where I hunkered down to go. Though Mike and Edizon couldn’t see me, there was a group not too far off who had stopped to look at something. They might not have been able to see me clearly, but I’m sure they could see enough to figure out what I was doing. There was nowhere to hide on that wide-open plain.

We were lucky it wasn’t raining because rain had been forecast. It was fiercely windy and cold. I even heard a pitter-patter on my raincoat that may have been freezing rain or tiny hailstones.

Still, for three hours, we had the grandest vistas imaginable, only a few of which I was able to capture since I was on horseback. We even rode at one point along the precipice of a deep canyon, which seemed mighty dangerous. I kept hoping the horse wanted to live as much as I did.

The windy landscape reminded me a bit of Iceland in its stark and sweeping beauty.

Near the end of the ride, the clouds finally lifted enough for us to see glimpses of Cotopaxi. It was stunning. Seeing it didn’t stop the bitter wind or the frigid temps, but it made the whole ride magical.

We arrived back at the Hacienda and hitched up our horses. My behind was sore after all that riding and I felt like a stiff 90-year-old walking around after.

Riding at Cotopaxi

We rode along the edge of this canyon

The cold and windy plain

Brrrr…. Frigid temps here.

First view of Cotopaxi

Mike and me and Cotopaxi

Volcán Cotopaxi

Mike and Volcán Cotopaxi

me, Dorado and Volcán Cotopaxi

Volcán Cotopaxi

Dorado all hitched up

After showering and getting changed, we enjoyed lunch in Los Mortiños: I slurped up the traditional Ecuadorian Locro de papa soup; Mike had an empañada. Franklin and his merry band of staffers were scampering about trying to keep all the guests happy.

Then it was a long and boring afternoon as we waited for dinner and tried to keep warm. We walked upstairs for a view of Cotopaxi under blue skies. We even could see the volcano out our window.

View from our room at Hacienda Los Mortiños

Evacuation route from Los Mortiños

me on the balcony of Los Mortiños

Volcán Cotopaxi from Los Mortiños

We went back down to the dining room for a drink and to kill time. There was another large group of young Dutch men, but they looked rather slovenly compared to the first group. They were getting ready to hike up to Cotopaxi with a guide and were loading up with a bunch of beers to take along. They had a horseback ride planned for the following morning.

We ate at around 6:45 in the dining room. Again, I had the delicious Tilapia with Creamy Sauce and Mike ordered spaghetti, a real Ecuadorian dish!

Steps: 19,912 (obviously the horse’s steps!); 8.12 miles. 🙂

Friday, August 12: Another fabulous breakfast and then we were off, backtracking to the southern entrance of the park even though we were heading north of Quito to Otavalo. This time the sky was bright and blue and we enjoyed many fabulous views of Cotopaxi and its vast boulder fields.

Last morning view of Cotopaxi from our window

Volcán Cotopaxi

We then headed north to go around Quito to Otovalo.

Here’s a short video of our time at Cotopaxi.

latacunga, tigua & laguna quilotoa

wanderessence1025 November 9, 2022

Latacunga

Monday, August 8: We arrived in the evening at the adorable Hostal Huasicama with its colorful murals of an indigenous parade, the Mamá Negra Festival. Luckily, we seemed to be the only guests there, and we were able to switch our room for one with a hot tub. It was the El Capitán Room: El Capitán is said to be “Mama Negra’s lover and the only one who is allowed to dance with her; its origin is Spanish. He wears a military suit and he is accompanied by a group of people who are called Engastadores.” All the rooms are named after characters from the Mamá Negra Festival.

The town of Latacunga is dominated by Volcán Cotopaxi. It erupted violently in 1742 and again in 1768, destroying much of the city both times. The survivors were not deterred; they rebuilt only to suffer an immense eruption in 1877. The townspeople dusted themselves off, rebuilt again, and have been spared Cotopaxi’s wrath ever since.

To celebrate their good luck and revel in their rich indigenous and Catholic history, the townspeople threw a party, the Mamá Negra Festival (Black Mother). Usually the celebration is September 23-24 and again on the weekend closest to November 8. At the head is the Virgen de las Mercedes, Latacunga’s protectress from volcanic eruptions. A local man plays the part, dressing as a black woman.

Hostal Huasicama

Hostal Huasicama with mural of Mamá Negra Festival

Hostal Huasicama

our El Capitan room

El Capitán

Hostal Huasicama

We ate a light dinner in the room – leftovers of Mike’s non-grilled cheese sandwich and other snacks. Mike made drinks for us with Sprite and the whiskey he bought at a shop across the street. We soaked for a good while in the hot tub and enjoyed a relaxing evening after our long drive today.

Tuesday, August 9: After an excellent breakfast in the cozy fern-filled common room at Hostal Huasicama, we drove part of the Quilotoa Loop. Many people spend three days hiking this loop; we drove and that seemed to take forever. We took a comfortable paved but winding road through heavy fog around mountainous curves. Our GPS told us that we had a couple more hours to go after we had driven nearly an hour and we considered turning around in frustration.

Tigua

We finally came to a small cluster of art galleries along the road around milepost 50km. A young woman named Cuillar ran a cafe there, along with her art gallery. We enjoyed hot coffees in her cafe and asked how much further it was to Quilotoa; she said not far, maybe a half hour. Our GPS had misled us. We were glad we hadn’t given up and turned around.

One of the things I wanted to buy in Ecuador, besides Panama hats, were paintings by a community of painters in Tigua known for bright paintings of Andean life. We found the Tigua paintings in Cuillar’s art gallery, along with paintings by her father, who has shown them in galleries in Chicago. We took a photo of Martha (the grandmother), Cuillar (the mother) and Vanessa (the granddaughter). I bought two of the small Tigua paintings, one depicting Quilotoa and one Volcán Cotopaxi. They’re painted on sheep hides.

Martha, Vanessa & Cuillar

Tigua

Tigua painting of Laguna Quilotoa

Tigua painting of Cotopaxi

We found a mural painted in the Tigua style in the town Zumbahua on the way to Quilotoa. We were running out of cash and needed to find an ATM, so in Zumbahua, we asked a group of indigenous people who were clustered around what looked like a bank. We were using our pequito español and no one could understand what we were saying. We used hand gestures to mime getting cash out of an ATM. The women started snickering and they were all laughing heartily as we walked away, our tails between our legs; we were chuckling ourselves after another episode of failing miserably to make ourselves understood. Luckily we found a bank on the edge of town.

Zumbahua

Tigua style mural in Zumbahua

Just after Zumbahua, we found a tourist attraction at the Toachi River Gorge (Cañon del Toachi). We did a quick stroll around and Mike posed on a seat set within a heart overlooking the gorge. We also pushed the swing over the gorge, but neither of us had the nerve to actually sit in the swing.

the drive to Quilotoa

Mike at the Toachi River Gorge (Cañon del Toachi)

Toachi River Gorge (Cañon del Toachi)

Laguna Quilotoa

We arrived at the famous volcanic crater-lake of Laguna Quilotoa about 14km north of Zumbahua. The winds were fierce and cold, but that didn’t stop us from tackling the walk down into the crater 280m to the mirror-green lake. According to guide books, the hike down takes a half hour and the hike back up twice that. We were told you could take a donkey back up for $10, which, once we started the steep and slippery downhill slog, we determined we would absolutely do.

Bienvenidos a Quilotoa

Quilotoa

Laguna Quilotoa

I’m extremely cautious on downhill hikes, especially if the surface is slippery gravel atop a hard rock surface, which this was. It was incredibly steep. Even using hiking poles I was very slow and I kept losing my footing. It took us a full hour to get to the bottom. Mike insists that I’m a terrible descender as I tend to lean back instead of forward, not trusting gravity to take me downhill safely.

At the bottom, it seemed donkeys and horses were in short supply and the daunting prospect of climbing back up that slippery slope, especially at the altitude of 12,800 feet, had me in tears. Mike tried to console me and insist we’d find a ride back up, but I had my doubts. It was touch and go as I contemplated a two-hour hike back up.

Finally, at long last, we found a donkey and a horse to take us back up. The donkey took a lot of stubborn rest breaks and the boy was panting away during the donkey’s stops. Though I felt horrible putting the donkey and the boy handler through all of that, I also felt relieved that I didn’t have to make that challenging climb.

Laguna Quilotoa

me with a llama

Mike with his llama friend

the slippery path down Quilotoa

Laguna Quilotoa

taking the donkey up

Laguna Quilotoa

There is also a rim hike around the crater that is estimated to take 4-5 hours. We talked to a young Dutch couple who said they had hiked that trail “in the typical Dutch style – fast!” They said it was a scary narrow path often bordering steep precipices. They wished they had slowed down and enjoyed it more.

We left the cold winds of Quilotoa behind and started our drive back after I bought a huge wool poncho in a sprawling gift shop. I thought I might wear it at Cotopaxi where it is notoriously cold.

All along the highway, spaced at what seemed equal distances, were solitary dogs, either lying on the side or even in the middle of the road. We figured they had staked out their territory and were waiting or hoping for food. We jokingly called it “Señor Perro Highway.”

Señor Perro Highway

leaving Quilotoa

On our drive back from Quilotoa, the sun peeked out and washed the landscape in golden light. We stopped again at the little art gallery/café near Tigua for another cappucino and enjoyed views of the heights. We met Cuillar’s father who was manning the shop but we didn’t buy any of his paintings.

As we continued on another hour, we were able to catch views of the mighty Volcán Cotopaxi.

view of Volcán Cotopaxi

Return to Latacunga

We had another relaxing hot tub soak back in our room then we walked down several sets of steep steps to Terraza Resto Bar. Mike got a fancy rainbow colored shot, Barbados Sunrise (Ron blanco, curazao azul, granaidna, zumode naranja). I enjoyed a delicious meal of Tacos de Pollo (tortilla de maiz, rellena de pollo, fréjol, nachos, pico de gallo, guacamole). Mike enjoyed a Hamburguesa: a Lo Mero Mero (carne, jalapeños, guacamole, nachos, queso cheddar y queso fundido) and French fries.

Terraza Resto Bar

Barbados Sunrise

Tacos de Pollo

Hamburguesa: A Lo Mero Mero

It was a lovely end to a fun but challenging day. Even though the descent down into the crater was super stressful, I was glad we did it instead of simply driving all that way and looking at it from the mirador (overlook). We had a true experience instead of simply checking off √ the want-to-see list. 🙂

Here’s a little video of our time in Latacunga & Quilotoa.

Steps 13,935; Miles: 5.82.

riobamba to volcán chimborazo

wanderessence1025 November 3, 2022

Ingapirca to Riobamba

Saturday, August 6: We spent four hours cruising north at nosebleed heights around curvy mountain bends on the PanAmerican Highway, from Ingapirca to Riobamba. The patchwork farmland and homesteads dotting the majestic Andes were serene yet dramatic.

Driving along the PanAmerican Highway to Riobamba

We got our first glimpse of Volcán Chimborazo as we approached Riobamba.

first glimpses of Chimborazo

Riobamba

We checked into Casa 1881, where we met the friendly Santiago. He gave us the lay of the land on a photocopied map of the town, marking sites to see in purple Xs and circles, and we went out promptly to explore.

Casa 1881

Santiago at Casa 1881

We stopped at an encebollados stand, where we ate the famous soup of fish, potatoes, and corn while chatting in our pequito Spanish with the vendor, her daughter and her granddaughter.

encebollados stand

encebollados

the vendor and her granddaughter at the encebollados stand

The city has a strong indigenous presence displayed in the Saturday market, which we perused. The layout and architecture reflect the colonizing influences of the Spanish. Overall, though, the town had a derelict feel to it that was disappointing after having spent six days in lovely Cuenca.

In the afternoon, we happened upon a city parade with costumed dancers stepping to Latin beats from different areas within the province of Chimborazo. We asked some fellow spectators what it was all about and they said it was a kind of city celebration. Santiago later rolled his eyes and said these celebrations happen all the time. Even as a local, he didn’t know what this one was for.

See the video at the end of this post for live scenes of the city celebration.

Riobamba

Parque and Collegio Maldonada

Riobamba

Much of the city seemed rather ramshackle. It was my least favorite of the trip so far, especially as the reason we came, for the bikeride down Chimborazo, didn’t seem like it was going to happen. Our guide Eddie, of Spirit Mountain Biking, sadly got COVID. At that point, he was still trying to find an alternate guide and we’d told him if he felt okay, we’d go with him and all wear masks.

We were able to spy the white-topped Chimborazo from the streets of the town.

view of Chimborazo from Riobamba streets

We had dinner at a Spanish tapas place called Amona. I enjoyed Gambas al Ajillo (Shrimp Scampi) and Mike had Tablita de Picados (Jamon serrano, chorizo, queso tilsi, aceitunas, y pan). The proprietor in the cozy little restaurant locked the front door after every patron entered. Desperate children pressed their faces to the glass front door and made feeding motions, hands to mouths. On the way home in the dark, beside the deserted train station, a young man approached and started tailing us, but we turned abruptly and crossed the street. We looked back and saw him putting on a mask. It was disturbing and I felt uneasy in that part of town after dark.

Gambas al Ajillo at Amona

Tablita de Picados at Amona

Steps: 11,659; miles 4.93.

Riobamba to Baños

Sunday, August 7: Santiago prepared us a fabulous breakfast at Casa 1881: waffles, scrambled eggs, fruit galore, coffee. Afterwards, we drove a long mountainous road to Baños. Originally our plan was to bikeride down Chimborazo on the Sunday after we arrived in Riobamba (equal to today), but once we cancelled in June because of the protests, we lost our spot with Spirit Biking. We scheduled with Eddie for Monday (tomorrow), but he tested positive for COVID and hadn’t yet been able to find another guide. Thus we had two days in Riobamba with all our plans awry.

Our plan was to bicycle down through tunnels and past waterfalls in Baños. Lonely Planet Ecuador describes Baños as a “mixed bag.” There are steep gorges, waterfalls, dense forests. The town itself has “drab architecture, and an overcrowded backpacker-ghetto feel.”

There were many activities one could do in Baños, according to the guidebook. “Puenting” (crudely translated as “bridging”) is swinging from a rope tethered to two bridges. That was most definitely not appealing. There are thermal baths and massages to be had and all kinds of sports such as mountain biking, hiking, rafting, ziplining and partying. The ziplining places didn’t look appealing due to the ramshackle nature of not only the operations but also the surroundings. We were supposed to do the most popular mountain biking ride, “Rutas de Cascadas” to Rioverde. It is described as a “dramatic descent past a series of waterfalls on the road to Puyo, a jungle town 61km to the east.”

When we arrived in the town, we weren’t at all impressed. We just weren’t feeling the biking here. We drove down the “ruta” through five or six long dripping rudimentary tunnels and we barely saw any waterfalls. We felt relieved once we decided not to bother renting bikes.

Sometimes travel days are simply disappointing and there is nothing to do but take them in stride. Though the drive to Baños was a stunning one, everything about the area and the town itself seemed shabby and derelict. Though I do my best to find the positive in every place, I didn’t see anything enticing in this town.

The strange thing was that numerous people had asked us if we were going to Baños. “It will be so crowded on Sunday!” and “It’s a great place for ziplining!” and “You’ll love Baños, it’s beautiful!” I didn’t understand the enthusiasm.

The only saving grace was the roadside El Rancho Restaurant, where we enjoyed some coffee, fruit juice and tortillas de maíz.

El Rancho Restaurant

A little hut next to El Rancho Restaurant

Back to Riobamba

When we finally got back to Riobamba around 3:00, the town was dead because it was a Sunday. We sought out an ice cream spot Santiago recommended, Helados de Paila, and then wandered aimlessly taking pictures of each other wearing our Panama hats. Mike posed in front of a cool mural where a woman had her breast exposed and a cup of milk (breast milk?) that a hummingbird was drinking from. I posed in front of a mural with a rearing horse and the town of Riobamba with Chimborazo in the background.

Mike at Helados de Paila

Whiling the day away

Riobamba

Mike and the milk mural

Me with Riobamba & Chimborazo

Riobamba

We stopped at Parque la Libertad, built in 1920. It commemorated the 100th anniversary of the city’s independence.

The main church is La Catedral, on Plaza Mayor, built after the earthquake in 1797. The earthquake obliterated the city, which was later rebuilt about 14km from its original location. Parts of the modern cathedral are built using stones from the former city that was destroyed in that earthquake. The exterior mixed indigenous symbols with traditional Catholic elements in an effort to sway the indigenous population toward Catholicism. Inside the church was very modern and preparations for a concert were underway.

La Catedral

We found ourselves at one point under a street with umbrellas hanging overhead and a little pool of water in half a tomato (or apple?). Wandering further, we found a sushi restaurant across from Amona, the tapas place where we ate last night. We got sushi to go and ate it at the dining room table in Casa 1881. Santiago was surprised, “Is that sushi? Where did you get that? I didn’t know we had a sushi place here.” I started to think we had experienced more of the city than he had!

umbrellas in Riobamba

sushi in Riobamba

We cuddled up under blankets for an early night, not knowing until Eddie texted us late that night that we wouldn’t have to get up at the crack of dawn for our bikeride down Chimborazo. He was feeling too sick and couldn’t find an alternate guide. We were both disappointed and relieved. We were told the weather was often frigid and rainy atop the volcano, so we had been nervous about that. In addition, I had trouble breathing at the higher altitudes, and Chimborazo was the highest in Ecuador. Instead, we would drive to the volcano on our way to Latacunga on Monday.

Steps: 8,640; Miles 3.66.

Riobamba to Volcán Chimborazo

Monday, August 8: We left Riobamba at around 9:15 after meeting Eddie from Spirit Mountain Biking. He came by to meet us since he felt bad he’d had to cancel our ride due to COVID. We all stood outside and talked with our masks on and he brought us a Spirit Mountain Biking buff.

We drove to Volcán Chimborazo and were bowled over all the way. The day was sunny and blue, relatively warm and breezy. We stopped numerous times to take pictures of the volcano from every angle.

Volcán Chimborazo

The indigenous people in the area call Volcán Chimborazo “Taita” (Father). It is 6,310m (20,702 feet) tall and is Ecuador’s tallest mountain, a strapping giant topped by a massive glacier. Not only is the extinct Volcán Chimborazo the highest mountain in Ecuador, but its peak, due to the earth’s equatorial bulge, is also the furthest terrestrial point from the center of the earth, according to Lonely Planet Ecuador.

Volcán Chimborazo

The volcano sits near a smaller volcano, Volcán Cariuairazo (5020m), within the Reserva de Producción Faunistica Chimborazo. It is called a ‘fauna-production reserve’ because it is home to hundreds of vicuña, a wild relative of the llama. Once hunted to extinction, they were imported from Chile and Bolivia in the 1950s.

We caught the elegant silhouettes of the vicuña as they grazed in the foreground of the great volcano.

vicuña at Volcán Chimborazo

We were mesmerized watching what seemed like a living breathing being. The clouds were like a thick fleece blanket caressing the peak in a sensual way. It was captivating to watch, this symbiotic relationship between cloud and mountain. We stopped several times, in awe of it all. (You can see the living and breathing volcano in the video at the end of this post).

Volcán Chimborazo

Though we were supposed to bike down the volcano, we wondered if we were better served by driving after all. We were able to stop many times to take pictures, which we may not have been able to do on a bike. It was disappointing to miss the adventure, but it was amazing to see the volcano by car as well.

Entering the park

Visitor Center

We drove up to the access point for the Refugio Hermanos Carrel at 4,800 meters. Mike walked up a bit to the cemetery with gravestones marking people in recent years who have died trying to climb Chimborazo. Many monuments were scattered about in that barren landscape. One climber who died was Santiago Fabian Naveda Gonzalez: B. 6/25/1983 D. 12/22/2021.

Refugio Hermanos Carrel

one of many markers of climbers who were killed

Refugio Hermanos Carrel

We continued around the western side of Chimborazo on our way to Latacunga. This side is called the arenal (arena means ‘sand’) and it is very arid.

parting view of Chimborazo

the arenal

the north side of the volcano

Volcán Chimborazo to Latacunga

Before driving through Ambato, we stopped at a restaurant to grab some lunch. We were hungry because it was almost 2:00. I tried to ask the waitress about the menu in Spanish and she started laughing so hard she scampered away and sent her mother over to take our order. Apparently our Spanish speaking made us a laughingstock! I ordered a shrimp dish (shrimp in a garlic sauce served in a lettuce bowl) with rice and a tomato/red onion garnish. The mother misunderstood our order and brought two of the same dish, one for me and one for Mike, even though Mike had ordered a cheese “sandwich” only to find what he imagined would be grilled cheese was just a slice of cheese stuck inside a bun. We took away Mike’s cheese bun but were stuffed from eating the two large shrimp meals.

local restaurant

our shrimp meal x2

We had a long drive then on a confusing and convoluted route right through the center of Ambato. It took us forever to get out of that maze of heavily trafficked roads. When we finally arrived on the north side of that chaotic city, the drive became calmer again. We made it to Latacunga and settled into our cute hotel, Hostal Huasicama.

Steps: 4,912; Miles 2.07.

Here is a video showing the street celebration in Riobamba and some live views of Chimborazo.

The next day we planned to drive to Quilatoa.

ingapirca: ecuador’s major incan site

wanderessence1025 October 26, 2022

Friday, August 5: We left Cuenca this morning thinking we were on the PanAmerican Highway. Ha! It was slow going until Mike looked to the east and said, “What is that highway over there?” It was the actual PanAmerican Highway and we made our way there pronto. Sadly the highway didn’t last long and we soon found ourselves on a two-lane curvy mountain road. We followed a sign to Ingapirca on another mountain road which ended abruptly in a landslide. We had to backtrack and find another route. It took us a good deal of time to get to Ingapirca.

We arrived and checked in at Posada Ingapirca, lugging our suitcases to a building quite far from the main building. We had the suite with a sitting area, a fireplace and two queen beds. The staff told us there was no water because they’d had a large party of 40 the night before. Our room was rather chilly but a space heater, heavy blankets, and later a fire lit by the staff kept us tolerably warm in the room.

Posada Ingapirca is a 200-year-old hacienda built with some stones taken from the Ingapirca ruins. The posada was charming, but we didn’t linger and walked directly downhill to Ingapirca.

Posada Ingapirca

Leaving Posada Ingapirca for the archeological site

Ingapirca roughly translates to “Inca Wall.” Ecuador’s major Incan archeological site, it is beautifully situated in the windswept hills of the Southern Sierra region of Ecuador.

The area had long been settled by the Cañari indigenous people. As the Incan Empire expanded into southern Ecuador, the Incan Túpac Yupanqui encountered the Cañari “Hatun Cañar” tribe. He was not successful in conquering them, so he used political strategies such as marrying the Cañari princess and improving the Cañari city of Guapondelig, calling it Tumebamba or Pumapungo (now Cuenca). The Inca and Cañari settled their differences and lived peaceably. The Inca renamed the city which they used as a military stronghold as “Ingapirca” and kept most of their distinctive customs separate from the Cañaris. Although the Inca were more numerous, they didn’t demand that the Cañari give up their autonomy.

Sadly, the Spanish absconded with most of the stone at the site to build nearby cities.

Our guide at the archeological complex was Inez. She was bilingual but most of the crowd was Spanish, so our tiny English-speaking group got shortened explanations.

Ingapirca was built in the late 15th century not long before the Spanish conquest. It was likely a ceremonial center, as it is built on top of a much older complex of buildings originally constructed by the local Cañari tribe. The walls are of smooth stones assembled without mortar. The walls surround the central building, the massive and elliptically-shaped Temple of the Sun, the only one of its kind in the Incan Empire, built on top of an ancient Cañari ceremonial rock. As well as a site for rituals, the site was likely used for solar observation and to determine agricultural and religious calendars. Scientists have noted that altars inside the Temple of the Sun are directly illuminated only at certain times of the year, specifically the time of the New Year, or Inti Raymi; this is also known as the important Festival of the Sun and is still celebrated today.

The Sun Temple was used by the Incas, who worshiped the sun. Smaller ruins on the site belonged to the Cañaris, who worshiped the moon.

Next to the temple is the House of the Chosen, where the most beautiful girls from local villages lived as Virgins of the Sun. Matrons called Mama Cunas taught the girls to dance, embroider, weave and cook. The girls entertained Incan dignitaries, prepared ceremonial food, maintained a sacred fire and wove garments for rituals and for the emperor. They married high-ranking men such as Incas, soldiers and priests.

Trapezoidal niches seen in the stone work are identical to those found in other ruins such as Machu Picchu in Peru. Circular structures called Colleas were built to store tubers and Andean grains like corn, quinoa and amaranth. Qhapaq Nan is a segment of paved road, one of many the Incas built to connect religious and administrative centers.

a horse saddled up on the way to Ingapirca

Ingapirca

After our official tour, we walked 45 minutes around the Sendero del Intihuayco o Que’ebradea del Sol (Path of Intihuayco or Sun Valley). We strolled through a eucalyptus forest and past archeological features and grazing cows. On the path we encountered Ingachirigana (The Inca Game), two forms of stylized snakes carved intertwined with each other, which made this a ritual site. We found La Tortuga (The Turtle), an outcrop of carved sandstone which resembles a turtle’s shell at one end of its head. It belongs to pre-colonial times.

Path of Intihuayco or Sun Valley

The Inca Game

Path of Intihuayco or Sun Valley

Eucalyptus forest

La Tortuga

Path of Intihuayco or Sun Valley

Ingachungana Fragment

Intiñahui (Cara del Sol)

Path of Intihuayco or Sun Valley

We came to a small café of sorts where a woman was selling Chicha de Jora, a corn beer prepared by germinating maize, extracting the malt sugars, boiling the wort, and fermenting it in large earthenware jars for several days. It was nice to enjoy a seat and a drink before climbing the steep hill to see Intiñahui, the face of the sun. Also known as Cara del Inca, it is a cliff with a human face, most likely a natural phenomenon.

We chatted a bit with a German-Australian woman who was traveling the world alone, living in her van with her dog. She had encountered problems in Colombia getting her car through customs, so she didn’t start off on a good footing with Colombians. That was one brave soul.

me at the Chicha de Jora stand

me in the garden of the drink stand

Ingañahui – Cara del Inca

Looking back at the drink stand

The Temple of the Sun from the walk back

llama saddled up

Back at Posada Ingapirca, we wandered around the grounds, posing while wearing our Panama hats. We rested in our room, cuddling under heavy blankets. At dinner, the two guys running the posada scurried about and didn’t have time to tend to the sputtering fire in the dining room, so Mike took it upon himself to add wood and stoke the fire with the bellows. Everyone in the chilly dining room appreciated Mike’s fire-tending. I enjoyed trout in delicious sauce, accompanied by rice, salad, French fries and a glass of wine.

Posada Ingapirca

Mike at Posada Ingapirca

me at Posada Ingapirca

Posada Ingapirca

Mike and his fire

the dining room

Mike tries on a Cañari hat

Steps: 10,983. Miles: 4.65

Saturday, August 6: We woke to a freezing room, as the fire had gone out overnight and the space heater was too small to slice through the cold in our spacious room. In addition, there was no hot water in the shower, so we both took cold showers. At least the breakfast in the posada was good: fruits including watermelon, croissants, and scrambled eggs. We met and talked with some Germans and their Ecuadorian guide from Otavalo.

Before we left Ingapirca this morning I wanted to return to try to get some better pictures of the Sun Temple. We didn’t want to take the 45-minute tour again, so Inez, our guide from yesterday who happened to be there, allowed us to go into the complex through the exit gate. Mike got the best photos from outside the gate.

Temple of the Sun

Farewell to Ingapirca

We left Ingapirca and were on our way to Riobamba.

the colonial city of cuenca, ecuador

wanderessence1025 October 19, 2022

Saturday, July 30: We took an early morning flight from Quito to Cuenca on LATAM Airlines, arriving around 10:00. Unfortunately, we hadn’t planned very well, because we couldn’t check into our Airbnb apartment until noon, so we had to sit around waiting at Cuenca’s tiny airport until 11:30, at which time we took a taxi to the Airbnb. The occupants, a family from Washington state, were a bit late checking out so we were standing in the hallway when they finally came out at 12:30. The host had told us we could drop our bags in the apartment while the cleaning people did their thing, so we did that and headed out for a quick lunch at Chill & Grill Express before embarking on a walking tour of the city with Gustavo Jiménez Morales, a wonderful tour guide recommended by our Airbnb host.

Our apartment was modern and well-appointed. It was right across the Río Tomebamba from the Old Town.

Our beautiful Airbnb apartment in Cuenca

After lunch, Gustavo took us to his apartment, situated in a building next door to ours. We met his daughter Camilla and her boyfriend Martín. Camilla graduated recently with a degree in architecture. I loved the colorful and cool decor in Gustavo’s apartment. Gustavo was once a veterinarian specializing in large animals; he had become a tour guide because he loves helping and meeting people and introducing them to his beloved city.

Gustavo, Camilla and Martín

Gustavo’s bookshelf

Gustavo led us on a walking tour of Cuenca’s Old Town (Centro de Cuenca). We crossed the bridge over Río Tomebamba from our temporary home in the New Town and strolled along the river, gurgling peacefully through a shaded park. We climbed an endless number of steps to the historic town where we admired the classic balconied buildings lining the street.

Mural on Gustavo’s apartment building

Río Tomebamba

our path to the Old Town

We walked along a high street from which we could view the New Town of Cuenca below. Gustavo pointed out relief carvings through the town. The first was of a woman who lost her young son and calls for him at night because she hears him crying. The headless monk relief symbolized how the “man of God” frequented whorehouses with a hood over his head so no one would recognize him. We saw the Art Extremo Museum and Cafe, a grim reaper-themed gallery, bar and nightclub. A statue in a small square represented a greased pole that children climb to get trinkets during Corpus Christi. We dropped into the shop of a man who cleans and repairs people’s Panama hats. We strolled through a park with beautiful green and yellow palms. Cuenca is a town filled with artistic flourishes.

balconies with flourishes

view of Cuenca

walking the hilltop streets of Cuenca

a woman calling for her son

headless monk relief

Art Extremo Museum & Cafe

animals on the rooftop

beautiful tiled building

Trompe-l’œil

the greased pole for Corpus Christi

the Panama hat cleaner

mural in Cuenca

more balconies

Colonial-era buildings

more balconies

We wandered through the Hotel Alcazar with its gorgeous courtyard and gardens and then took a leisurely stroll through the flower market. Finally we reached the New Cathedral, which dominates Parque Calderón, the city’s largest plaza. Construction of the cathedral began in 1885. Its giant domes of sky-blue Czech tiles are visible from all over the town. The bell towers are a bit short because of a design error which made the intended height of the belfries impossible for the building to support.

gardens of Hotel Alcazar

the New Cathedral’s domes as seen from a nearby courtyard

more balconies

the flower market

another imposing building

We topped off our first half day in Cuenca by eating a light dinner at El Mercado. I enjoyed Langostinos Asados (grilled prawns). Mike had Berenjenas a la Mediterranea: roasted eggplants, baked tomato sauce, feta cheese, basil and sourdough bread. We shared the ubiquitous locro de papas (potato soup with cheese and avocado). And drinks of course.

me at El Mercado

Langostinos Asados

Mike at El Mercado

Berenjenas a la Mediterranea

Steps: 14,816; miles 6.24

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Sunday, July 31: We went on a tour of three market towns with Gustavo. I wrote about it here: market towns near cuenca: the panama hat trail & the “ruta de las guitarras”.

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Monday, August 1: Today was our first day in Cuenca on our own. Gustavo had gone to the beach with his family, so we wouldn’t see him again.

Cuenca’s historic center dates from the 16th century and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is famous for its skyline of massive rotundas and soaring steeples, cobblestone streets, and geranium-filled balconies as well as its barranco (cliff) along Calle Larga. Many craft traditions are centered here, especially ceramics, metalwork and the famous Panama Hat.

Three cultures have made a mark on the city. When the Spanish arrived in the 1540s, they encountered the ruins of a great but short-lived Incan city called Tomebamba (Valley of the Sun). The Spanish proceeded to tear it apart, using the Incan stones in their own structures. Before the Incas, the indigenous Cañari people had lived in the region for possibly 3,000 years.

We first came upon the Church of San Francisco which towers over Plaza de San Francisco; it features the “cuenca” sign in the midst of a rather shabby street market; it is bordered by old arcaded buildings with wooden balconies. We ventured into the Casa de la Mujer, which houses over 100 craft stalls selling handmade musical instruments, embroidered clothing, baskets, jewelry, ceramics, ironwork, wooden utensils, guinea pig roasters and gaudy religious paraphernalia.

Cuenca’s barranco

Church of San Francisco

“cuenca” sign in Plaza de San Francisco

relief mural in Casa de la Mujer

Inside Casa de la Mujer

Next to the flower market we’d seen Saturday, we found the stark white Church of El Carmen de la Asunción, founded in 1682. Inside its Santuario Mariano we found an over-the-top, rather showy interior. Gustavo had told us that Cuenca has 52 churches, one for every week of the year. The city is rich with colonial-era buildings.

Church of El Carmen de la Asunción

We stumbled into Dos Chorreras Chocolateria with a cool vintage red car inside stacked high with chocolates and a colorful disco ball hanging overhead. A long bark canoe was filled with burlap bags of chocolate beans. We enjoyed churros and chocolate there.

Centro de Cuenca

Dos Chorreras Chocolateria

Centro de Cuenca

We intended to climb the towers of the New Cathedral, but they were closed for lunch. Instead we went shopping nearby at Mercantile Tosi. For once Mike bought more than I did; he found four shirts.

By the time we finished, the towers were open, so we climbed over 150 steps to the terrace for views over Cuenca.

New Cathedral

domes on the New Cathedral

Parque Calderón

domes on the New Cathedral

view of Cuenca from the New Cathedral

domes on the New Cathedral

After walking all over, we relaxed back at the apartment in the afternoon, sitting in the hot tub and drinking Mike’s famous traveling concoction of whiskey and ginger ale.

In the evening, we went to the charming Consuelo; it is housed inside the stunning La Casa del Parque. The beautiful Renaissance-style building was conceived in 1880 for one of the richest and most influential women in Cuencan society at the end of the 19th century: Hortensia Mata. Her family’s wealth was acquired through various activities such as the export of quinine, cocoa husks, and toquilla straw hats.

A later owner of the house, Mrs. Gladys Eljuri, decided to add touristic value to the house by converting it to an upscale gourmet center. It boasts everything culinary from cheese shops to fancy restaurants to a Dunkin’ Donuts.

La Casa del Parque, the building housing the food court, including Consuelo

We enjoyed an unusual meal of Maduro Asado con Queso (lima beans with cheese), Caldo de pollo (chicken soup), and mote sucio (“dirty mote” – the “dirty” comes form pork crackling and mote is a hominy-like grain). We couldn’t translate the menu, even using Google, and couldn’t communicate with the waiter about food items. We figured we’d just go with whatever we got.

We sat on a velvet couch with bunches of roses overhead, Spanish music playing and a painting of a woman nursing her baby with milk dribbling down her dress. It was such a cool atmospheric place and the food was offbeat but delicious.

A couple sitting nearby said they’d just opened a fondue restaurant in Quito and were visiting Cuenca. All of us marveled over the strange concoction the waiter brought to top off our meal: Espumilla, a kind of Ecuadorian dessert of merengue and ice cream cones with various toppings such as flaked coconut, blackberry marmalade and “grajeas” (sprinkles?). We had seen this dessert offered by street vendors all over Cuenca.

Consuelo

Maduro Asado con Queso

Caldo de Pollo

Mote Sucio

Espumilla

Steps: 12,158; Miles 5.15

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Tuesday, August 2: We started our day by going to the Museo del Sombrero de Paja Toquilla. It is a small museum where you can see the various processes used in making the famous hats. We loved the outdoor terrace looking over the Tomebamba, the new town, and beyond to the Mirador del Turi.

Cuenca’s barranco

Museo del Sombrero de Paja Toquilla

me on the balcony of the Museo del Sombrero de Paja Toquilla

Mike on the balcony

view of Cuenca’s New Town from the balcony of the Museo del Sombrero de Paja Toquilla

View of Park Cajas from the balcony

Our next stop was Mercado 10 de Agosto, a colorful buzzing place with lots of activity. In abundance were colorful murals and every kind of fruit, vegetable and meat imaginable. We enjoyed wandering through and eating lunch in the upstairs food court.

Mercado 10 de Agosto

lunch at Mercado 10 de Agosto

Mercado 10 de Agosto

Later in the afternoon, we stopped by the market again to peek under the escalators at the Limpias, sturdy women who clean out bad energy from souls. These women speak mostly Quechua, the ancient language family of the Incan Empire.

We watched this healing ritual for a bit then we sat in plastic chairs to partake. The Limpias whipped our faces, arms, necks and bellies with bundles of herbal plants. The scent was calming but the vigorous whipping was invigorating. The limpias made shushing sounds to scare away the bad energy. The “diagnosis” of what is wrong with your soul comes in the form of an egg that is cracked open into a cup. After breaking the egg, she showed it to us, but I wasn’t sure what it signified or what to look for. They then rubbed an intact egg all around our arms and bellies.

Next came a cleansing with alcohol. They sprayed it all over our bodies and into our palms and instructed us to put our hands over our noses to inhale the strong odor. Then they rubbed charcoal or ash on our foreheads as some kind of blessing or to keep bad spirits away.

It was a wild experience, but I have no idea if it succeeded in driving bad energy away. You can see the Limpias in action in the video at the end of this post.

the Limpias in action at Mercado 10 de Agosto

We stopped at a cooperative where I looked at Ikat shawls and scarves, but I only bought a pair of earrings and a colorful little bowl.

Gustavo had recommended we go the Museo Municipal de Arte Moderno, housed in a former home for the insane. Sadly much of the building was undergoing renovation today; we wandered through the rooms that were open and admired the beautiful paintings by children from ages 8-12.

Inlaid sidewalk with the outline of the Museo Municipal de Arte Moderno

Museo Municipal de Arte Moderno

paintings by children ages 8-12

Museo Municipal de Arte Moderno

a house: pretty in pink

one of Cuenca’s many churches

After our wanderings, we went to the airport to pick up our rental car, which we would keep for the next 12 days, a white Toyota Yaris. We drove directly to the nearby Homero Ortega Hat Museum, recommended by Gustavo, to see the Panama hats being made. We had both read about the process in The Panama Hat Trail by Tom Miller so there were no surprises. The museum was nicer than the one we’d been to earlier and of course I had to buy a vintage style grayish-blue hat. Mike forbid me to buy any more since I don’t wear hats often, but I rarely listen to his admonitions.

Homero Ortega Hat Museum

After the hat museum, we drove to Mirador del Turi to see views of Cuenca. On the way, we almost got broadsided by a huge truck barreling into a traffic circle. It stopped inches away without a sound, no squealing tires or anything. It was surreal, as if time stopped. I almost felt like we were killed and then continued on after a momentary lapse into a parallel universe. It was incredibly bizarre.

We saw the stark white church of Turi but the viewpoint was messy because of construction.

Church of Turi

Mirador del Turi

We stayed in for dinner and cooked up some of the potatoes, tomatoes, eggs and spinach we’d picked up at the market.

Steps: 9,056; Miles 3.84.

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Wednesday, August 3: Today we drove to Park Nacional Cajas, where we hiked around Laguna Toreadora. I wrote about it here: a day trip to parque nacional cajas.

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Thursday, August 4: On our last day in Cuenca, we walked along the Río Tomebamba in sputtering rain, finding some cool murals depicting Panama hats. It was a long walk to Cuenca’s most important museum, the Pumapungo Museum.

Murals along the Río Tomebamba

Murals near the Pumapungo Museum

We walked outdoors through the archeological park, where we saw extensive ruins of buildings believed to be part of the old Incan city of Tomebamba. Spanish conquistadors absconded with much of the stone to build Cuenca, so there wasn’t much left. The Incan city was constructed at the end of the 15th century. The site represents the history of the Cañari or the Inca.

Pumapungo Museum

Mike at the Pumapungo Museum

Pumapungo Museum

Me at the Pumapungo Museum

harvest at the Pumapungo Museum

Pumapungo Museum

Inside the museum, we found colorfully animated dioramas displaying traditional costumes of Ecuador’s diverse indigenous cultures, including Afro-Ecuadorians and their reconstructed houses from Esmeraldas province, the cowboy-like montubios (coastal farmers) of the western lowlands, several rainforest groups and all major highland groups including Cañaris and Cholas. Sadly all the information inside the museum was in Spanish only.

Pumapungo Museum

At the end we encountered five eerie tzantzas (shrunken heads) from the Shuar culture of the southern Oriente. The tzantzas are severed and specially prepared human heads used for trophy, ritual, or trade purposes. The meaning of Shuar is “man” or “human being,” but they are often known as “Jibaro” (savage). The community rejects this term as pejorative. They live in the southern part of the Ecuadorian and the northern part of the Peruvian Amazon region at 2,000m above sea level. There, dense vegetation and numerous waterfalls slowed penetration by outsiders for a long time.

tzantza from the Shuar culture

Shuar culture

After leaving the museum, we stopped at Taita Café for an espresso and chocolate croissant.

We walked quite a long distance to see Church of San Blas on the east end of the historical center. It occupies what was once known as the “low neighborhood.” It is one of the city’s largest and the only one built in the form of a Latin Cross.

Church of San Blas

As a culinary finale, we headed to Guajibamba on Luís Cordero, known for its cuy (guinea pig). The courtyard restaurant with a relaxed atmosphere serves traditional Ecuadorian food, but our focus was the cuy, which Mike mostly ate. I ordered the Locro de Papas. The skin of the cuy was the best part, but overall it was much like eating quail or something like it, with little meat on the bones.

Guajibamba

courtyard at Guajibamba

The cuy meal

Mike eats cuy

We strolled back to Parque Calderón and took an elevator to the terrace of Negroni, where we enjoyed cappuccino, a chocolate mousse torte and wonderful views of the three blue domes of the New Cathedral. In order to use the bathroom, we had to step through a window.

rooftop veiw from Negroni

view of Parque Calderón from Negroni

Mike at Negroni

chocolate mousse torte at Negroni

view of the New Cathedral from Negroni

Finally, after a cloudy and rainy day, the sun came out and the weather was beautiful.

On the other side of Parque Calderón, we found the whitewashed ‘old cathedral,’ El Sagrario. Construction began in 1557, the year Cuenca was founded. In 1739 French explorer, geographer and mathematician Charles Marie de La Condamine’s expedition used its towers as a triangulation point to measure the shape of the earth. It is now deconsecrated and serves as a religious museum and a recital hall.

We wandered again through the flower market and to Calle Larga back to the Museo del Sombrero de Paja Toquilla where I bought a brown and tan striated hat, the third of my Panama hats. 🙂

flower market

my brown & tan hat from Museo del Sombrero de Paja Toquilla

Back at the Mercado 10 de Agosto, we bought more fruit from the same vendor from our first visit. We bought some bread from a bakery then walked back in the sunshine along the Río Tomebamba where we admired, for our last time, the barranco, where the city’s 18th- and 19th-century ‘hanging houses’ seem to float above the river.

view of the barranco along the Río Tomebamba

Back at the apartment, we did laundry, drank wine, fixed sandwiches and relaxed.

Miles: 16,946; Miles: 7.17.

Here is a video of our time in Cuenca.

We would leave Cuenca the next day for Ingapirca.

anticipation & preparation: canada’s maritimes

wanderessence1025 September 21, 2022

Our final road trip for 2022 will be to The Maritimes, also called the Maritime provinces, of Eastern Canada. This region consists of three provinces: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. The biggest draw for me is to see my dear friend, Lisa, who I met in Egypt in 2007. She moved to Prince Edward Island soon after Trump was elected and then invited me to visit her in 2018; at that time, I’d already made plans to walk the Camino de Santiago. I couldn’t make it north in 2019, and then of course COVID hit in 2020 and 2021 (and is still here!). Finally, I determined this year to visit Lisa in PEI, to visit the Halifax area and Cape Breton Highlands in Nova Scotia, and to visit St. John and the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick.

One of my happiest times: Left to Right: Lisa, me, & Shannon at the Grand Cafe in Cairo in July 2007

Somehow an article online came to my attention that further cemented my desire to visit The Maritimes: “12 Top-Rated Hiking Trails in Nova Scotia.” The photos and trail descriptions in this article lured me with promises of wide open views of the sea. I have made a hike-heavy itinerary, with visits to the towns of Halifax, Charlottetown, and Saint John, as well as to Kejimkujik National Park, Cape Breton Highlands National Park, and Fundy National Park. We’ll also spend time exploring smaller villages such as Lunenburg, Cape d’Or, Ingonish (all Nova Scotia); Summerside and Victoria by the Sea (PEI); and finally Alma and St. Andrews by the Sea (New Brunswick).

Mostly, I look forward to spending some time with my hilarious friend, Lisa; walking outdoors near the sea; and eating a lot of seafood.

To prepare, I read Fodor’s Nova Scotia & Atlantic Canada. I have also purchased a book to bring along: Trails of Prince Edward Island by Michael Haynes. I wrote to Prince Edward Island Tourism to get more information, and from these sources and the article I found (mentioned above), I fashioned a road trip which will take, including driving time there and back, nineteen days (including four+ days of driving there and back).

Travel preparation for The Maritimes

Music

Lisa sent me some YouTube videos of Canadian music that she loves, including the following:

Besides these songs, I discovered a Canadian-Mexican musician I love: Lhasa De Sela. She sings in English, French and Spanish. Here is one of her songs: J’arrive à la ville.

And I made up my own playlist on Spotify: Canadian tunes.

Books

Of course, I always love to read books set in my destination, so I read some of the books below (indicated with stars and ratings). I own the books in green and will read them sometime during the year.

New Brunswick
1. The Birthday Lunch by Joan Clark ***
Nova Scotia
1. When the Saints by Sarah Mian ****
2. In the Field by Claire Tacon *****
3. Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald
4. The Museum Guard by Howard Norman
5. My Famous Evening by Howard Norman
6. The Birth House by Ami McKay
7. Nova Scotia & Atlantic Canada Fodor’s Travel ****
Prince Edward Island
1. Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud (L.M.) Montgomery (Kindle) ****
2. Anne of Avonlea (Anne of Green Gables #2) by L.M. Montgomery
3. Anne of the Island (Anne of Green Gables #3) by L.M. Montgomery
4. The Blue Moth Motel by Olivia Robinson

For more international books, see my page: books | international a-z |.

Books I’ve read or am reading

Movies

I found movies and T.V. shows set in Canada, but not all of them are set in The Maritimes. Hopefully, I can find some of these in the coming months.

Johnny Belinda (1948) (Cape Breton Island)
Anne of Green Gables (1985) (TV Mini-series) (Prince Edward Island)
Anne of Avonlea (1987)
Titanic (1997) *****
The Shipping News (2001) (Newfoundland)
Trailer Park Boys (2001-2018)
Monsieur Lazhar (2011) ****
Schitt’s Creek (TV series 2015-2020) *****
Anne of Green Gables (2016) ****
The Sinner (2017-2021)
The Lighthouse (2019)
Firefly Lane (TV series 2021- ) ***
Workin’ Moms (TV series 2017-2023) **** (early seasons are best)

I prepared a journal, but it’s nothing fancy.

My journal for this trip

The Maritimes

Some things to do

a drawing of Peggy’s Cove lighthouse in Nova Scotia

The biggest obstacle we face at this point is my father’s health. He has been bedridden for the last eight months or so, and at any point things could change with him, causing us to have to cancel our plans. We are prepared to do whatever is necessary.

a day trip to parque nacional cajas

wanderessence1025 September 14, 2022

On the Wednesday during our week in Cuenca, we headed west to Parque Nacional Cajas. We drove the rental car we’d picked up at the airport the evening before, a white Toyota Yaris. When we stopped to buy some extra masks at a gas station, one of us did something to set off the car alarm and we couldn’t figure out for the life of us how to turn it off. We turned on the car, we turned off the car, we closed and opened both doors. Nothing worked. Finally we started driving through town, with the car alarm blaring away. We couldn’t figure out how to stop it and we felt like damn fools driving down the road. Finally we pulled into a parking lot, people glaring at us all around. Somehow the infernal noise stopped. We had no idea how we did it, and we resolved we’d have to go back to the airport the next day to have the rental agent check it out.

Gustavo had told us to take a sharp left at a sign for Laguna Llaviucu before we reached the actual park. We headed down the very steep and rough road. We bounced along for what seemed an eternity with no end in sight. Finally we turned around because we didn’t want to risk getting a flat on our car. Back at the top, we saw on the sign that it was 2.3km to the lake, and we’d probably gone 2/3 of the way, but by this time we’d had enough; we headed straight to the National Park.

the bumpy road to Laguna Llaviucu

cows on the road to Laguna Llaviucu

view from near the bottom at Laguna Llaviucu

Parque Nacional Cajas lies 30km west of Cuenca and encompasses 2,854 sq. km. of golden moor-like páramo (high altitude Andean grasslands) dotted with hundreds of cold lakes set in a bleak rough countryside.

a friend we met on the road to Park Cajas

The park, a place of water, sits at altitudes over 3,100m (10,170 ft), resulting in tundra vegetation that blankets the area. A network of 786 lakes, lagoons and ponds are connected by crystal clear streams. A carpet of sponge-like plants absorb water, releasing it slowly over weeks and months. We found spongy mosses, succulents, and the amazing straw grass that is mesmerizing to behold. High altitude scenic drives reach elevations as high as 4,310m (13,550 ft).

It is doubtful that the park’s name comes from cajas (boxes) because the lakes resemble them. It’s more likely it comes from the Quichua word cassa meaning “gateway to the snowy mountains.” It could also come from caxa, the Quichua word for cold.

Cold it was. We had multiple layers on, but we weren’t quite prepared mentally for the frigid temperatures. After checking in with our passports at the park’s information center, we started our hike around Laguna Toreadora. We walked counterclockwise but in retrospect, I wished we’d gone clockwise, as most of the climbing was on the south side of the lake. Because of the elevation, I got winded every time we had to climb.

Laguna Toreadora

vegetation at Laguna Toreadora

Laguna Toreadora

hike around Laguna Toreadora

succulents at Laguna Toreadora

Laguna Toreadora

vegetation at Laguna Toreadora

mosses at Laguna Toreadora

vegetation

hike around Laguna Toreadora

spongy mosses

more mosses

more sponginess

Laguna Toreadora

Mike in the grasses

mosses

me in the grasses

Laguna Toreadora

Forests of “paper trees,” also known as Polylepis trees or Quinuas, are found in sheltered hollows and natural depressions. Polylepis trees have adapted to grow at higher elevations than almost any other tree in the world.

Polylepis trees

After a good three hours of hiking, we were chilled since the weather had been cloudy, blustery and cold. We huddled over steamy hot chocolate at the café and then drove up to Mirador Tres Cruces, which marks the continental divide where the drainage basin on one side flows to the Pacific Ocean and the basin on the other side flows to the Atlantic. The road to Guayaquil goes over this pass.

Mirador Tres Cruces

Llama crossing

We drove back to our Airbnb in Cuenca, where we rested and soaked in our hot tub. I hadn’t been feeling very good, so the nice soak felt delectable.

We were so exhausted that we barely managed to drag ourselves out to dinner at El Jardín in Hotel Victoria. The place was rather deserted and a little too formal for our taste. It overlooks the Río Tomebamba, but it was too dark to see the river by the time we arrived. I enjoyed Langostinos El Jardín and Mike had an empañada and Sopa de Cebolla. We got a great night’s sleep after our rugged and active day.

Mike at El Jardín

me at El Jardín

Langostinos El Jardín

a nighttime view of the Church of San Francisco

Steps: 12,849; Miles: 5.45.

Below is a short video of the live action at Park Cajas. I suggest watching on YouTube for the best result.

We had one more full day in Cuenca, and then we would drive our trusty Toyota Yaris north on the Pan American Highway.

Peggy’s Cove

Polly’s Cove

Swissair Flight 111 Memorial

Halifax Waterfront Boardwalk

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Virginia to Massachusetts

Massachusetts to Saint John, New Brunswick

Saint John, New Brunswick to Halifax, Nova Scotia

Halifax, Nova Scotia

Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia

Lunenburg, Nova Scotia

Blue Rocks

Back to Lunenberg, and “home” to Halifax

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The Haciendas

Hacienda Cusín

Las Palmeras Inn

The Otavalo Saturday Market

The Journey Home

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Latacunga

Tigua

Laguna Quilotoa

Return to Latacunga

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Ingapirca to Riobamba

Riobamba

Riobamba to Baños

Back to Riobamba

Riobamba to Volcán Chimborazo

Volcán Chimborazo to Latacunga

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Music

Books

Movies

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