November 5, 2010

Up early today, submitted laundry for cleaning and went to breakfast.  They, also, served all of us in the restaurant a special pancake with chocolate sauce as a treat, very tasty!  We met our guide Diego and Mara in the lobby on our return and went to the tour van to meet Mario, our driver, and Americo, our French tour companion.  Off through town to the east, up the hillside and around the mountain curves and into nearby valleys of houses, farms and small towns.

Mario, Mara, Gala and Diego

Our first stop was with an Ecuadorian family to see their home and garden.  Chickens, kittens, guinea pigs, fruits and vegetables.  We had tea and homemade bread before we departed.

A tomato tree!

Guinea pigs (boys on left with mom's & baby's at right)

Gala returning from the Banos

Aloe Vera plant above doorway.  If someone with bad spirits enters, a leaf will dry and fall off.

Stopped by to say Buenas dias & Adios

We stopped by the church in the small town our host family lived, then continued to see hand made guitars and smaller string instruments in the next small town along the way.

New construction across from the church



Farming the hill with Oxen and wooden plow





The guitar maker





Made with an Armadillo shell



  We next stopped at a family of silversmiths.  Very interesting - we both bought a ring!




These grasses were being dried for use in making the Panama hats made so famous in Ecuador




We saw this pig on our way to  Chordeleg.  They use a blow torch to burn the outside hide


We then traveled to the market in Gualaceo.  Another amazing place.

Fingerling potatoes



Different varieties of potatoes

  We then went for lunch at Uchupud an amazing place with wonderful food, service and facilities.  We saw several humming birds, all different than we see at home.  After our meal we toured the grounds to find swimming pools, table tennis, waterslides, orchids and cork trees.

Birds have been painted on the ceiling in the lounge.



We then visited a family run weaving operation where beautiful textile items were made from scratch.



Sample of making the red dye used




Changing from red to purple



Rose nursery across from textile operation

 We then headed to airport in Cuenca to drop off Mara who was flying to Quito then on to Panama, LA and home to Brisbane, Adios!

When we arrived at the hotel, Gala was beat and kicked me out of the room for her siesta.  I naturally used this opportunity to sit peacefully on the terrace.  I met Jim from Nebraska and Joe from San Diego and enjoyed a good visit over a couple cerveza.  Gala was not interested in an evening meal so I ventured up the stairs to the Wunderbar and enjoyed a popcorn and cerveza dinner (just like home some days!).