Life´s Little Lessons: Wet Cobblestone Is Terribly Slick

Day two of my exploration of the Southern Highlands started off early and hasn´t let up. I woke up this morning, said my goodbyes to the wonderful Hostel Oasis, and promptly worked my way over to the Riobamba Saturday market (And, what´s this? It´s Saturday?! ...Man, my foresight is unmatched!). There are actually two markets, one for all your delicious culinary needs (fruit, veggies, whole boars, intestines -- and, ah yes, raw cuy of all sizes, specially skinned and flayed for your convenience). The food market was impressively large, and I was impressively hungry. I happened to come across an interesting doughy, pancake-esque creation grilling tantalizingly at one of the stands. Upon questioning its creator, I came to discover that it was a tortilla de maiz. Now, I´m sure you´re sitting there, in the comfort of your kitchen or bathroom or wherever you are, thinking -- "comon now Zac, a corn tortilla? Is that really something to rave about?" Well STOPPIT. You couldn´t be more wrong. This thing was heavenly. Not only was it fresh off the grill, making it wonderfully warm and delicious, but the inside was still doughy and gooey -- almost as if it had some heavenly filling (though I´m pretty sure it was all just maiz). It could possibly have had a hint of egg or cheese -- who am I to say? In any case, it was an absolute delight. I´m drooling now just thinking about it.

As for the craft market, it really wasn´t anything special. There were some handmade crafts, but it consisted largely of things you could buy at a store: nike shoes, brand-name tshirts, etc. So far, nothing has really held up to the wonder that is Otavalo (the huge street fair North of Quito that I visited earlier in the trip). I´m currently hoping to find some time to venture back there at the end of my trip for some last minute gift purchases.

As for the rest of my morning in Riobamba, my goal was to try to check out a museum of religious art before catching my bus, but due to scheduling conflicts this ultimately didn´t happen. The main reason I wanted to go was to see the 1 meter tall monument made of solid gold with a silver base, adorned with 1500 jewels of various types and weighing in at an impressive 360 kg. But, alas, I had to leave this golden opportunity behind in order to catch my bus. Oh well.

Next came a 6 hour bus ride to Cuenca. Not much to talk about here -- a little reading and lots of sleeping. And a bit of snacking. I tried these salted nuts, not sure what they were called: quite good. I even shared some with the elderly woman next to me. She seemed appreciative. For lunch I had a croissant and cheese empanada from a panaderia at one of our pit stops; both were rather uninspired.

And now, I have officially arrived in Cuenca. After roaming the city for a bit, I currently find myself typing away at a local internet cafe, conveniently located right next door to my newest habitation, a hostel called Turista del Mundo. This hostel also came with recommendations from Natalie and Chris, and so far it is definitely standing up to the praise they gave it. It is run by a wonderfully amiable woman, named Esperanza, and her son. My room is small but clean, equipped with a private bathroom and shower, pretty much everything I could ask for. Also, above and beyond what I might ask for, there is a balcony atop the building with an impressive view of the city. I have yet to spend much time up there, but anticipate it will make for some wonderful pictures (sunset, perhaps?). There is also a TV with movies upstairs, though I´m considering maybe heading to the actual movie theatre tomorrow for some fun in the afternoon.

As for the city of Cuenca, my guidebook describes it as Ecuador´s second my important and beautiful colonial city (after Quito). Though I was rather uninpressed as I first left the bus terminal and traveled through the downtown area, as I got a bit farther out a started to see its true charm. It really is a gorgeous city. Pretty much all of the streets are made of cobblestone, and the houses are all very quaint and similar in style. I´m looking forward to doing some more substantial exploring tomorrow. My guidebook also describes some so-called "hanging houses" on the cliff down by the river, which certainly sound intriguing. More to come on that front. For the rest of the evening, I´m planning to walk over to one of the restaurants mentioned in my guidebook called Guajibama for some delicious dinner. After that: who knows? The possibilities are endless in a city as wonderful as this. Speaking of which, when I was asking about available rooms, Esperanza asked me how long I would be staying. I told her one night, perhaps two. As she finished checking me in, she said something to the effect of "Oh, and by the way, you´re going to go ahead and want to stay two nights instead of just one. Cuenca is a great and beautiful city". Well Esperanza, my goal for tomorrow is to try desperately to prove you wrong and, with any luck, to fail horribly.