TRAVELING IN SPAIN: CUENCA, ECUADOR

Cuenca, Spain

How could I travel for my first time to Espana, and not visit the city from which my home in Ecuador received its name?

Cuenca, Spain is located via the Euro express train between Madrid and Valencia, so I gave the city a shot for one evening.  It only took about thirty-five minutes to arrive from Madrid, and it would only take an hour to get to Valencia the next day from Cuenca.  The slower metro train also runs through town with many stops, and that ride takes three hours.

The population of Cuenca today is less than 55,000 compared to the city population of Cuenca in Ecuador which is over 300,000.  In Ecuador the historic district also happens to be the El Centro or main business district.  In Spain the historic district is completely separated from the newer part of town.  In fact, the new part of town could have passed for a small town in the United States.  It looked decent, clean, and basically non-descript.  It does sport, I am told, about six parks. 

Cuenca existed in the Middle Ages going back to the 700's when the area was taken control by the Arabs.  (I know, I promised not to write any long history lessons, but hey, it's Cuenca.)  The area went back and forth between various Muslim and Christian groups until in 1177, the Muslim forces were repelled for a final time from Cuenca, and from their castle of which little remains today.  

It appears that Cuenca had a pretty tragic history.  Cuenca's location when not involving conflicts between the Arabs and the various Spanish kingdoms of the day, found itself with a very flourishing textile industry for about a century, which was then destroyed by Spanish monarchs who did not want Cuenca textiles competing with their own self-interested industries.  

Napoleon's army devastated Cuenca and left only 6,000 impoverished inhabitants in the early nineteenth century. 

In 1874 there was a war of monarchs over who rightly was the ruler of Spain, and Cuenca found itself devastated again. 

In the early twentieth century there was a peasants' uprising against the clergy.  The bishop, and a number of the nuns and monks were slaughtered.  Today, when congregants and parishioners don't like what the churches are doing, they just leave.

Finally, came the Spanish Civil War in the late 1930's.  Cuenca was on the wrong side of history again, by being identified with the Republic, or the reds.  Things did not go well for the Cuencanos, when Franco's forces captured the city.

It truly seems that Cuenca, Spain could use some good karma.  It's good karma today seems to be a growing tourist trade.

Like Cuenca, Ecuador, Cuenca in Spain is a basin sitting in a valley in the mountains.  While Ecuador's Cuenca has four rivers flowing through it, Spain's Cuenca has two.  As I arrived to this Medieval city overlooking the gulches, I felt transformed into another time in history.  The streets are narrow, and make some of the narrow El Centro streets in Ecuador's Cuenca feel like boulevards in comparison.  They often meander in different directions and angles from the main road that led from my very attractive Air bnb in the historic district down the main drag in the photo below to the El Mayor Plaza where the cathedral is located.  The walk from the periphery of the historic district to the Cathedral is about one-half mile.  I hate to say it, but the sidewalks are in much better condition in Spanish Cuenca.

On the other hand, both groups of Cuencanos whether in Spain or Ecuador drive like maniacs.  Below is the main and  widest street in the historic district.  

There are a number of side plazas one just happens to stumbled across, which offer great views from different perspectives of the historic district.

                             Below in Plaza Mayor is the facade of the town's cathedral.  It is already early evening, and the cathedral was not open

The lower part of the facade has similarities with its namesake in Ecuador, but lacks the majesty of the towers and the triple domes  of the New Cathedral in El Centro.

The Immaculate Conception in Cuenca, Ecuador has absolutely beautiful doors of great artistry and quality, which is not the case with the church doors here in Cuenca, Spain.

This gargoyle on the cathedral is down right spooky.  I don't recall if the New Cathedral in Ecuador has gargoyles.  If it does, it's probably a cuy after its been grilled and before its head is cut off.

The charm of Cuenca, Spain's historic main street.

For those of you who live in Cuenca or have visited and wandered along the Rio Tomebamba, especially east of Avenida Solano, El Centro is up on a high ridge, with the green belt, walking paths, and whatever road exists on Third de Noviembre all below and generally well defined.  The ridge along Cuenca, Spain is three to four times higher to the top than in Ecuador.  As you can see in the following photos, the limestone and bluffs are much larger, rugged, and wild in Cuenca, Spain.

There are about three churches in the historic area.  There was a seminary, monastery, and convent.  Some of these have been converted to secular uses.

Below are what is referred to as the Hanging Houses for the ridge.

If you like abstract art, you should be able to read a great deal in the photo below:  (I could not find a plague attributing this to Dali, or Picasso, or anyone else for that matter.)

Above and below is the most famous and photographed building in historic Cuenca, Spain.  This is the remaining structure of what once was a common structure along the ridge of Hanging Houses.

Below is either the Rio Jucar or the Rio Huecar.  From high up I had trouble spotting the river.  It doesn't appear to be any wider than the rivers in Ecuador's Cuenca.  For those who have not visited Cuenca in Ecuador, I wish I could show contrasts of the rivers and ridges with Spain's; but sorry folks, I just don't have time to search for appropriate photos from Ecuador.

Those of you familiar with the Ecuadorian Cuenca, will notice how much wider the expanse is in Spain without the well-defined paths to walk along like in Ecuador.  In fact, the walkways that do exist are along the top of the ridge rather than below like in Cuenca's Ecuador.  That streak of white is a two lane road.

Now, one of my main reasons for coming to Cuenca, Spain was to see for myself some splendid photos of the historic buildings along the gulch flooded in lights of various colors, just like I saw on the Internet. I wanted it to be my own personal experience.   It doesn't get dark until 9:30 p.m.  It was also getting cold and windy, and few hearty souls were any longer remaining.  I crossed the long bridge to the other side, so I could get a good view of the facades when the lights came on.  When the lights did come on, I had to wait about ten minutes for it to get darker.

...AND DARKER

Once I took some photos, I return to the other side and shot some photos of the church building on the other side of the bridge.

I endured two disappointments in Cuenca.  One, all the color lights were amber!  What happened to the flood of varying colored lights I saw on the Internet?  The next day, as the taxi driver returned me to the train station, he informed me, "Oh we have colored lights, but only on the weekend.  You came a day late.  We even flood the city hall with colored lights, but only on the weekend."  (For the record, I never even saw the city hall, which isn't even in the historic district.)

The driver had no idea why the lights were limited to the weekends,  It just is, what it is.

The second disappointment was the fact that the historic area has some top-notched restaurants.  It literally had a list of Top Ten Restaurants in the Historic District.  I genuinely was looking forward to some wild boar that evening, which I had seen offered on one menu with other exotic dishes.  Oh, it's Monday, all but one restaurant was closed, and it was basically a bar.  It was too cold and windy to sit outside on the plaza.  I appreciated that the locals made room for me at the bar, as I settled for a cheeseburger with Spanish ham on those wide wedges of Spanish bread, and a favorite with Cuecanos no matter what Cuenca you are from--a side of pappas fritas.

All You Need Is Ecuador

Written for http://expatisland.net/all-you-need-is-ecuador/

 January 14, 2015 by Jim Mola Leave a Comment

Ecuador has been highlighted by “International Living” and other world-wide publications as one of the ten best countries in the world for retirement. The Ecuadorian government recently launched a marketing campaign focused on attracting tourists to Ecuador called, “All You Need is Ecuador”. I think as you read today’s post, you will agree that at least when it comes to the natural beauty and nature’s incredible variation in Ecuador, much substantiation is given to the claim that “All You Need is Ecuador”.

What is it that makes Ecuador an attractive destination for many tourists and for expats looking for a new home away from home? Today’s post will focus on one such feature of allurement; the astounding physical features and bio-diversity of this small South American country, which is only the size of states like New Jersey or Nevada in the United States. Expats and tourists alike are mesmerized by much of the utter beauty of what for many folks seems like the closest thing to a Garden of Eden.

Coastal Region:

Ecuador Coastal Region

The coastal areas of Ecuador are the country’s most fertile areas for cultivation. These lowlands along the Pacific coast are extensively dotted with plantation farms of bananas, papayas, mangoes, pineapples, and chocolates—all of which Ecuador along with being the world’s largest producer and exporter of bananas is also the seventh largest producer of chocolate. A French exhibition in 2013 ranked Ecuadorian chocolate as the world’s best. Rice and cotton production and exports are very high as well. Lumber is another industry where mangroves growing along the coastal banks of the Pacific; and Eucalyptus trees, which are plentiful along the coast and the mountain valleys; are found throughout the country, and provide major sources of timber for exportation.

The Pacific coast of South America is teaming with fresh fish and shellfish. It has been the least exploited coastal area in the world, with some of the least contaminated fish in the world. Fresh seafood in the coastal areas of Ecuador is among the world’s best. Shrimp farms are bountiful, and often compete for coastal space with the mangroves. The area has been relatively free of commercial fishing trawlers, and many of the Ecuadorian fishermen continue to fish with nets the way fishermen did back in the days of Jesus. Ecuadorian fishermen troll the seas in small boats with nets. Once the nets are full, the fishermen pull the nets aboard and dump the contents of the nets into the boats. Other fishermen wade in the Pacific along the shore, and stretch out their nets, as they accumulate their catch, and bring them to shore to be sorted.

Guayaquil is Ecuador’s largest city with a population of approximately 2,387,000 (2015 estimate). Guayaquil is also Ecuador’s largest manufacturing center as well as Ecuador’s largest port city. The city is located on the Guayas River about 30 to 40 miles from the Gulf of Guayas. Interestingly, New Orleans and Guayaquil are both located on rivers located from about the same distance to their respective gulfs. The South American Pacific coast, however, does not endure the hurricane seasons that plague the areas bordering the Gulf of Mexico. Guayaquil is very hot and humid—think Houston, New Orleans, or Miami. The coastal area, however, is the most vulnerable area in Ecuador for earthquakes.

The beaches of the coastal region are munificent, and for the most part undeveloped by man.  About ninety minutes north of Guayaquil is the town of Montanita, where the best surfing can be found in Ecuador. Surfers come to Montanita from all over the world. However, while Ecuador’s coastal area is blessed with warm ocean water and warm air, there are copious amounts of time during the year when the beaches are covered in clouds with minimal sunshine.  Ecuadorians and tourists who want more sunshine head for the beaches south of Guayaquil, like Playas. The coast south of Guayaquil becomes increasingly desertous, and therefore, increasingly drier and sunnier, as one travels southward into Peru.

Galapagos:

Galapagos

The Galapagos are islands off the coast of Ecuador across from the northwest corner of Ecuador about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from the mainland part of the country. The islands are a UNESCO world heritage site. Needless, to say, the islands are a major tourist draw, which along with other man-made factors, are threats to the preservation of the islands despite their protective status with UNESCO. The islands are famous for their huge land tortoises and the blue-footed boobies, and for the birthplace of Darwin’s theory of evolution, as a result of their tremendous variations in fauna and animal life,

LaSierra, “The Highlands” Region:

The Andes Mountains run north and south through the central part of Ecuador, as the flat lands of the coast give way to the increasing elevations of the mountainous region of the country. Snow-capped mountain peaks and volcanoes in the Andes of the northern region of Ecuador include Mount Chimaborazo, which is 6,268 meters high (20,560 feet above sea level). Mount Chimaborazo is the most distant point of the earth surface. The Avenue of the Volcanoes in northern Ecuador is one of Ecuador’s most popular tourist destinations. The northern part of the Andes in Ecuador is also densely covered in cloud forests.

Quito, the nation’s capital and second largest city, is located in the Andes of northern Ecuador, and has a population of 1,271,000 (2014). The city is the officially highest capital city in the world, and sits at an elevation of 2,800 meters or 9,350 feet above sea level. Quito is located in the river basin of Guayllabamba on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano. The Andes in northern Ecuador are the second most prone-area for earthquakes in Ecuador. Quito is also the closest capital city to the Equator, where many tourists are attracted to the spot where they can literally stand with one foot in the Northern Hemisphere and one foot in the Southern Hemisphere. Needless to say, Ecuador derives its name from the fact that the Equator passes through the country.

Ecuador Highlands

The Andes in Southern Ecuador are free of volcanoes, and are also dotted with river valleys of people who live in the basin areas of the mountains. Cuenca, meaning basin in English, is Ecuador’s third largest city with a population of approximately 332,000 city population and 603,000 canton (county) (2014). Cuenca sits at approximately 2,560 meters (8,400 feet) above sea level. Four rivers flow through Cuenca, and the official name of Cuenca is “Santa Anna de Los Cuatro Rios”. The majestic Cajas National Park is the entrance way to the city of Cuenca, and people traveling from Guayaquil to Cuenca will pass through the awesome beauty of the Cajas in their three-and-a-half hour trip. The seven hour motor adventure from Cuenca to Quito is even more breath-taking, as one views the magnificence of the mountains from below, and the panoramic vistas from above at even higher elevations. As one travels further south near the border of Peru, the Andes becomes less green and increasingly marked by jagged cliffs. Of the four zones of which Ecuador is divided for purposes of earthquake vulnerability, Cuenca and the southern Andes in Ecuador rank third.

The valley people of the Andes, farm an incredible number of varieties of potatoes, the most varieties found anywhere in the world; the high quality avocados; the delicious yucca, known as cassavas in other parts of the world; maize grown primarily for human and cattle subsistence; and the nutrient-rich quinoa, as well as other root and garden plants are all grown in the mountain valleys. Coffee is also grown in the Loja valley of the Southern Andes. Most of the coffee is exported. Brazilians and Colombians are the major coffee producers, exporters, and java drinkers in South America. Ecuadorians are generally not coffee drinkers. Tea is the national hot drink beverage of choice.

Snow does not visit the valley people of the Ecuadorian Andes, which may seem surprising to people living in the northern latitudes of the Rockies, Smoky Mountains, or Swiss Alps. However, because of Ecuador’s proximity to the Equator, the Andes valleys have a relatively consistent spring-like climate the year-round, if the definition of “spring-like” is defined with the spring weather associated with the northern United States. The Andes are also the home of the photographic llamas and alpacas, which are primarily found in Ecuador and northern Peru.

The rivers of the Andes are generally narrow and treacherous due to the many rapids and to the steep declination in the eastward flow to the Amazon River on the east side of the Andes. While the rivers on the west side of the Andes flow westerly to the Pacific Ocean. The Andes, therefore, serve as the continental divide for South America.

La Oriente (The East), La Amazonia

La Amazonia

When I first came to Ecuador, I wondered why a part of Ecuador was called, The Orient. I wondered what this region had in common with the Far East. Well, actually not a thing, other than direction. It simply means, “The East”, in other words, the area of Ecuador which lies east of the Andes. This area is part of the mammoth tropical rainforests of the Amazon, which extends into Ecuador. Like all tropical rainforests, the climate is very hot and humid, with dense vegetation. Only three percent of the population lives in El Oriente. Most of the area has been set aside for massive national parks, as well as lands for the indigenous, some of whom still live in remote isolation, and live as their ancestors did in Neolithic times. 

Recently, the Ecuadorian government’s approval to increase mining activities and oil drilling in El Oriente has environmental activists claiming that such government actions are a threat both to the eco-system of the Amazons and to the indigenous ways of life as well. The government retorts that both the environment and the indigenous cultures are being protected. Of the four zones in which Ecuador is divided, the Amazonas are the least vulnerable to earthquakes.

Ecuador: A Virtual Garden of Eden:

As you can see, the incredible number of bio-spheres in one small country is astounding in itself, making Ecuador the 17th mega-diverse country in the world. When one considers that many of the higher-ranked countries like the United States are immensely larger than Ecuador, Ecuador’s bio-diversity is truly amazing. Such ecological variations result in major diversity in animal and in fauna groups as well. Ecuador has 1,600 bird species, of which thirty-eight species are endemic to the Galapagos alone. All together, fifteen percent of the world’s bird population lives in Ecuador. The country also contains over 6,000 species of butterflies. Ecuador is very popular among bird and butterfly fanciers. There are 106 species of reptiles that are native to Ecuador, and 138 species of amphibians. Over 16,000 species of plants are found in Ecuador as well. New species of animals and fauna continue to be discovered on an almost annual basis in Ecuador. The beauty of this small South American country certainly is not the main reason why many expats may settle in Ecuador, although it often-times is the primary reason why many tourists visit the country. Nevertheless, the awe-inspiring landscape of Ecuador certainly figures as one of the reasons why a number of expats are motivated to make Ecuador their home.

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Filed Under: Blog, Jim Mola Tagged With: Ecuador, International Living, Retire Abroad

 

About Jim Mola

 

It was in December of 2009 as I turned to Yahoo during one Christmas vacation morning that I saw the list for the ten best cities in which to retire. Cuenca, Ecuador, unknown to me, was listed as number one. Only Cuenca of the top ten cities did I not find anything negative in terms of my choice as to where I would dream of living. I began my research of Cuenca, and fell in love with it before I even made my exploratory journey of one month to this South Andean city in July/August of 2010. My greatest fear was that there was no way Cuenca could live up to my expectations. However, when the month came to completion, I did not want to leave. I retired in January of 2011, and moved to Cuenca the following March.
Prior to my retirement and my resettlement to Cuenca, my career was in education as a college professor, school administrator, and a teacher of history and the social sciences. I lived most of my life in the Chicago area. I have also traveled and studied extensively throughout Asia; which included the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong when still a British colony, Japan, Thailand, and India.