[MartinSE]

Here are a few more snapshots from this trip to Cuenca, Ecuador. I will avoid getting diverted on a rant this time; I apologize again for the last thread. On this thread, I will put any trying to do that on my ignore list. I ask you all not to respond to the bait.

I have, on past trips, done architectural montages and tourist galleries promoting beauty and fascinating history.

During this trip, I will focus on the cultural differences between Cuenca and the US. I am in NO WAY saying that Cuenca (Ecuador) is better than the US; I am saying they are different. Many differences. Some better, some worse. In general, Ecuador is a very poor country with a very corrupt government. Outside of the big cities, poverty is crushing.

That said, yes, there is a lot wrong with Ecuador, but there is also a lot to admire.

Here is the street in front of my apartment. A couple of things I notice. One is how old these homes are and how they are packed in close. The yards when they have one are tiny, smaller even than those in the CYV here in The Villages. Another is how clean the street is. Remember, this is an old run-down neighborhood. As I walk around, it is not unusual to see houses that are falling - crumbling.

The apartment I am in has been recently renovated and is a beautiful little complete for 1 bedroom 1 bath with laundry. Clean, modern, and a complete contrast to the road out front.

(more to come - I will try multiple replies instead of stacking photos in one post and see how that works. It will make it easier to comment on any one photo and my commentary on it instead of having them all together - I think)

[Altavia]

Thanks for sharing, that part of the world is on my bucket list.

Best wishes for your dental work.

[MartinSE]

Here, I am sitting at a small cafe in front of a shopping center I went to this morning. I had a ham and chees panini with guacamole, an Orange Mandrian Soda, A Grande Mocha Cappuccino, and a Blueberry muffin. With a generous tip, it came to $4.00. For Cuenca, that is an expensive meal, but it was "fast food" in front of a shopping center. Even though it was the equivalent of fast food, it was handmade, and I waited just a few minutes for me while I took a few photos.

This is the Av. de las Americas, a major road/loop around the city. The main subject is the bus. Two years ago, when I was here, their bus fleet was all diesel. It is a LARGE fleet of buses, a major component of their mass transit. You never have to wait more than a few minutes to catch the next bus, and as a senior, the cost is $0.25 to go anywhere in the city.

You will notice this bus is not spewing a cloud of black pollution. Two years ago, it would have been, but in just two years, they have replaced the entire (I am pretty sure) fleet with new modern natural gas buses. Before, it was not unusual to see many people wearing bandanas to cover their faces from the smog. Now the air is clean and fresh.

[MartinSE]

Here, the subject is taxis. Small yellow cars everywhere. It reminds me of NYNY, where the taxis outnumber the cars often. Here, taxis are a fast, inexpensive (to us) means of transportation; I came on one a little over a mile from my apartment. Yesterday, I walked, and today I was feeling lazy and took a cab - LOL. The cost was $1.35. On the return trip, the cost was $1.25. In general, you can go anywhere in Cuenca for a maximum fair of $2.50 to $3.00.

If you come here and take a taxi, you should be aware not all taxi drivers are honest - shocking, isn't it? But MOST are, and they are licensed and regulated.

There are two scams to be aware of.

First, if you arrive at the airport and take a cab into town, it should never cost you more than $2.50 to $3.00. When I arrived, I hailed a cab and showed him the address of my apartment on my phone in big letters, so it was easy to read; it helps if you speak limited Spanish like me. He looked at my phone, sputtered, and scratched his head like he didn't know exactly where I wanted to go. Eventually, he waved me in, and I asked, "How much" - his answer - he held up 10 fingers, I looked, and he didn't have a meter - LOL!. Seriously, I waved him off and took the next cab. I asked how much, and he pointed at the meter. The fare came to $1.75. So, scam one, taking advantage of "rich Americans" that don't know their way around. Don't fall for it.

The second scam is kind of the same, never ride in a cab that isn't metered. And to add to that, I have google maps installed on my phone, and I always get directions BEFORE I hail a cab. That way, I can see if they are taking me on a "scenic" route. Rarely happens, but sometimes it does. I make it a point to tip the honest drivers and not tip the scenic drivers.

Oh, and a final point here, If you tend to get nervious in "exciting" rides, you may want to take a mild sedative before taking a cab - LOL! Drivers in Cuenca are very aggressive. I enjoy it; you may not.

[MartinSE]

Originally Posted by Altavia

Thanks for sharing, that part of the world is on my bucket list.

Best wishes for your dental work.

Thank you, I hope the next time I come to Ecuador, it will be just for vacation!

[manaboutown]

Cuenca is one of three UNESCO World Heritage Trust sites in Ecuador. Looks like a beautiful area in which to spend some time! Cuenca, Ecuador: Retiring, Cost of Living & Lifestyle [Best Travel Guide]

PS. "Panama hats" are made there. I have had a few and noticed they were labeled "made in Ecuador".

[MartinSE]

This is about a favorite of mine. If you enjoy fresh, rich, full-bodied dark coffee, as I do, you will LOVE Ecuadorian Coffee. It is incredible; I always bring a few pounds back with me. Sadly the Ecuadorian Coffee you buy in the local stores in TV is just not the same - it is probably not as fresh, but whatever, it is not even close. This is almost a reason to come here by itself - LOL!

The photo at my table is to say this coffee has a wonderful bouquet. ( sorry for the pun)

[MartinSE]

In addition to replacing their entire diesel bus fleet, they have built a light rail around the city. It is overhead electric powered. When I was last here a little over a year ago - during the pandemic - they were just breaking ground. It is now operational and goes by my location about every 15 minutes.

I also noticed a few people taking advantage of the Light Rail being empty by riding their bicycles in it - seems a tad scary to me, but they didn't have to dodge cars as much, I guess.

They are making massive infrastructure improvements.

[MartinSE]

Here the subject is the police officer. Something you seldom see anymore in big cities in the US. The officer here mostly rides around on small motorcycles. Not the police cars or armored SUVs most ride here; that is a BIG saving in money, I expect. And there are a lot of them. They ride around, occasionally stopping for 15 or 20 minutes and just chatting with the locals and tourists. Don't get me wrong, they also have armored SUV SWAT teams here and there, but mostly at Banks and places needing higher security. The idea seems to be to spend money where it is needed and save it when possible.

Here is a family of tourists that carried on an animated conversation laughing and pointing. I think they were asking for recommendations or directions. It was a fun, friendly conversation, with everyone laughing and smiling and waving when they left.

The officer was there for about 30 minutes, and locals came up to just say hello, and chat. Eventually, he left and went across the street, and parked for a while.

It reminded me of growing up, and officer friendly was walking a beat where he knew everyone, and everyone knew him; today, most of it seems there is a lot of tension around police officers, and few walk beats anymore.

[MartinSE]

And finally, I mentioned early how clean the street was, and this photo's subject is why.

The city hires the unemployed and/or homeless to clean the streets. They have an "army" of cleaners that get up every morning before dawn and sweep and clean the streets and sidewalks.

It seems to me to be the epidemy of Win-Win.

[manaboutown]

I noticed the recycling bin in front of the modern pharmacy and that the cop has a sidearm, wears a bullet proof vest and has no license plate on his bike. That lightweight bike must be handy to chase bad guys just about anywhere they might run.

[MartinSE]

Originally Posted by manaboutown

I noticed the recycling bin in front of the modern pharmacy and that the cop has a sidearm, wears a bulletproof vest, and has no license plate on his bike. That lightweight bike must be handy to chase bad guys just about anywhere they might run.

Good catch, and yes, recycling is a big deal here; I was going to get a shot on the other side, showing it and talking about that, but CRS (can't remember sh1t) happened. They are very into recycling. On the other side are 8 or 10 "holes" with photos of the type of trash to put into the hole.

And Yes, the officers are all well-armed; this is NOT heaven; this is a poor S. American Country. It lives up to its reputation. There are areas of crime, and there are safe areas. This happens to be a very safe area- maybe because he is there, maybe he was on a break and wanted to be someplace safe - LOL! I don't know. I make it a point to be aware of where I am and to not go into notoriously dangerous places, like a street full of bars at 2 AM.

Not the best idea for an obviously American Tourist. Being tall, white, and wearing good clothes, I stand out, not to mention the $3K camera slung over my shoulder. I said, "No hablo Espanol" to a vendor the other day; he looked up and smiled and said - DUH.

I recall a post (on an expat forum) a couple of years ago by an American expat about how he was leaving Cuenca, It was just too dangerous for him. The story was he went bar hopping with a couple of Latinas. Around 2 am, he walked out of a bar drunk, with a pretty young lady on each arm, and someone relieved him of his wallet and $5K camera... Yup, like that would NEVER happen in Orlando or Jacksonville, or well, you get the idea. I call that "stupid is, as stupid does". We need to each take a little responsibility for our own behaviors.

[Ecuadog]

This thread, I am enjoying.

My most recent travels to Ecuador have been limited to Quito. It has been a few years since I have visited Cuenca, but it was always my favorite. The Cuencanos are very friendly and they genuinely like “gringos,” as do most Ecuadorians. Cuenca has always been an early adopter of ecological practices.

By the way, the US dollar is the official currency of Ecuador. That eliminates currency-exchange concerns for US travelers.

Chordeleg is a town about one hour east of Cuenca that should be visited if you like jewelry. The wholesalers come from North America to buy their stuff here. Brush up on your bargaining skills before going. There are bargains to be had.

My favorite coffee was the Cafe Lojano brand.

Real “Panama“ hats are actually made in Ecuador and they’re not cheap. They got that moniker by being popularly sold in Panama.

[MartinSE]

This is weird I replied to this post and it disappeared...

Originally Posted by Ecuadog

This thread, I am enjoying.


By the way, the US dollar is the official currency of Ecuador. That eliminates currency-exchange concerns for US travelers.

Yup, I meant to mention that.

And a couple of hints, bring lots of quarters - several rolls - and bring nothing bigger than $20's - vendors get a little picky. And unless you plan well, you will go home with a bunch of silver dollars.

OH, and make sure your bank has international debit support and you can get cash here from the plethora of ATMs.

My favorite coffee was the Cafe Lojano brand.

I will definitely find it and get some, thanks,

I told my wife today I was going to have a problem, I need to decide between coming home to her and staying here with the coffee. She said she understood - she came with me once and fell in love with the coffee too.

We found the same brand at home in the states, and it just wasn't the same. The coffee here is amazing,

Real “Panama“ hats are actually made in Ecuador and they’re not cheap. They got that moniker by being popularly sold in Panama.

I heard it was a president (Rosevelt?) that made them popular when he wore one to Panama. Don't know if it is true.

I looked around for one, and when I found it I said to myself, I really don't like wearing a hat that much - LOL!

[Aces4]

Originally Posted by Ecuadog

This thread, I am enjoying.

My most recent travels to Ecuador have been limited to Quito. It has been a few years since I have visited Cuenca, but it was always my favorite. The Cuencanos are very friendly and they genuinely like “gringos,” as do most Ecuadorians. Cuenca has always been an early adopter of ecological practices.

By the way, the US dollar is the official currency of Ecuador. That eliminates currency-exchange concerns for US travelers.

Chordeleg is a town about one hour east of Cuenca that should be visited if you like jewelry. The wholesalers come from North America to buy their stuff here. Brush up on your bargaining skills before going. There are bargains to be had.

My favorite coffee was the Cafe Lojano brand.

Real “Panama“ hats are actually made in Ecuador and they’re not cheap. They got that moniker by being popularly sold in Panama.

I agree, this thread is enjoyable and the photos and supporting dialogue is interesting. (Even though I’m not supposed to comment on Martin’s posts…)