I took a bus from Puerto Lopez to Guayaquil (4 hours), dragged my 70 lbs worth of bags all over the place, had a tantrum, and finally figured out where to buy a ticket to Cuenca and where to board at the Guayaquil bus station. I timed it just right and got on the next bus within 15 minutes. That busride was another 4 hours. Once we started climbing, we went through Cajas National Park which is absolutely gorgeous! Lakes and tall mountains all around, the bus zigged and zagged up to Cuenca.
My hostel, the Posada Gran Columbia, was easily enough found with the help of a taxi. My first room was adorable, with a skylight. I thought -- cool! Until morning. The bright light woke me up at 6:00 and I still couldn't see outside.
So being a pain in the ass, I asked for a room with a window. I waited around the next morning 20 minute, then another 20 minute, then another 20 minutes and got my windows.
Not bad for $15 a night, right? But there are no curtains that keep light out at night!!! There are a ton of lights right outside the window and it was like daytime at night. And no insulation so it's freezing at night. And the construction at the end of the street starts at 4:00 am.
Being the biggest, most indecisive whiner ever, I asked to change again. (I am such a pain!) I asked for a room without windows in the middle of the building, that's dark and quiet. I'm happy now but it's a little claustrophobic.
So I spent the next day completely lost. I kept thinking I was going to this one park when I was actually going the opposite way to another. I couldn't find a map and was sent on a wild goose chase for an hour to find a place with a map. I spent the whole day confused and frustrated.
Then the next day I tried to find a laundromat. Was sent on a wild goose chase to a dry cleaners. I said no, a lavanderia. Evidently there are no lavenderias in Cuenca. This annoyed me to all hell. Then the internet went out in the hotel so I went all over to find a coffee shop that I could bring my laptop to. Thankfully, that search didn't take long. But after that, I tried to find other shoes that I could work in, like a flat boot.
NOBODY in Ecuador has size 9 shoes, or 40 European. When I can find the rare 40, it's still too small. The ladies in the shop are incredulous at the size of my ginormous feet. They stare with wonder, like I'm a freak of nature or something. No luck after trying on shoes at what must be 20 different shoe stores.
Then I decided to mail some clothes and my down jacket, which I don't really need here, to mom's. Was sent on a wild goose chase to find the post office. Never found it. Found an international courier service which wanted $53.
That same day, I had gotten ahold of Lesa, one of my CELTA comrades via Facebook. She and her boyfriend were in Cuenca. We had decided to meet up for at dinner at a place called Eucalyptus. The restaurant was supposed to be on a corner of two streets. I went to the corner of the two streets, didn't see it anywhere, assumed it had closed down, and left. I'd thought Lesa and her boyfriend didn't find it either and I was hungry so I went to find another restaurant.
I decided to walk down by the river since there seemed to be a lot of restaurants down there. I ate dinner, kind of sad and lonely, then went to the hotel to email Lesa to tell her I was OK, just couldn't find the restaurant. (She worries.) The internet signal only worked if I saw on the bottom of the stairs in the dark outside the door to the lobby, which closes at 9:00. She told me they'd just ordered since they'd waited for me for 2 hours. She told me it's there, past a street called Mala something. So I went back to the same corner and looked 1/2 block further down and there it was. I felt like an idiot.
Lesa and her boyfriend walked me home and showed me where the post office was. It was on an entirely different block than I was told. I decided that would be my plan the next day.
So my next day's job before going to the little Banos nearby Cuenca was to mail my stuff. I thought it'll be $20 but I'll still do it. They made me find a lady with a carton for sale, buy the carton, fill it with my stuff, get back in line, enter the address and weigh it. They wanted $62 for a 1/2 kilo box!!! ForGET it!
But here is the pearl in the oyster: The other Banos.
I took a local bus for 50 cents. It took about 20 minutes. There's a place called Hostel Duarte? Delmas? (starts with a D and has 4 or 5 letters). They have 3 pools with 3 temperatures of hot mineral waters. It was so relaxing. The waters are supposedly healing waters.
Needless to say, until today, Cuenca has been a wild goose chase. Unfortunately, I spent so much time moving rooms and trying to find things, I used up all my time without hardly doing anything. I'd like to come from Loja one of these weekends and really explore Cuenca in the next few months.
My hostel, the Posada Gran Columbia, was easily enough found with the help of a taxi. My first room was adorable, with a skylight. I thought -- cool! Until morning. The bright light woke me up at 6:00 and I still couldn't see outside.
Check out the bottomless drawer in the dresser:
So being a pain in the ass, I asked for a room with a window. I waited around the next morning 20 minute, then another 20 minute, then another 20 minutes and got my windows.
Not bad for $15 a night, right? But there are no curtains that keep light out at night!!! There are a ton of lights right outside the window and it was like daytime at night. And no insulation so it's freezing at night. And the construction at the end of the street starts at 4:00 am.
Being the biggest, most indecisive whiner ever, I asked to change again. (I am such a pain!) I asked for a room without windows in the middle of the building, that's dark and quiet. I'm happy now but it's a little claustrophobic.
So I spent the next day completely lost. I kept thinking I was going to this one park when I was actually going the opposite way to another. I couldn't find a map and was sent on a wild goose chase for an hour to find a place with a map. I spent the whole day confused and frustrated.
Then the next day I tried to find a laundromat. Was sent on a wild goose chase to a dry cleaners. I said no, a lavanderia. Evidently there are no lavenderias in Cuenca. This annoyed me to all hell. Then the internet went out in the hotel so I went all over to find a coffee shop that I could bring my laptop to. Thankfully, that search didn't take long. But after that, I tried to find other shoes that I could work in, like a flat boot.
NOBODY in Ecuador has size 9 shoes, or 40 European. When I can find the rare 40, it's still too small. The ladies in the shop are incredulous at the size of my ginormous feet. They stare with wonder, like I'm a freak of nature or something. No luck after trying on shoes at what must be 20 different shoe stores.
Then I decided to mail some clothes and my down jacket, which I don't really need here, to mom's. Was sent on a wild goose chase to find the post office. Never found it. Found an international courier service which wanted $53.
That same day, I had gotten ahold of Lesa, one of my CELTA comrades via Facebook. She and her boyfriend were in Cuenca. We had decided to meet up for at dinner at a place called Eucalyptus. The restaurant was supposed to be on a corner of two streets. I went to the corner of the two streets, didn't see it anywhere, assumed it had closed down, and left. I'd thought Lesa and her boyfriend didn't find it either and I was hungry so I went to find another restaurant.
I decided to walk down by the river since there seemed to be a lot of restaurants down there. I ate dinner, kind of sad and lonely, then went to the hotel to email Lesa to tell her I was OK, just couldn't find the restaurant. (She worries.) The internet signal only worked if I saw on the bottom of the stairs in the dark outside the door to the lobby, which closes at 9:00. She told me they'd just ordered since they'd waited for me for 2 hours. She told me it's there, past a street called Mala something. So I went back to the same corner and looked 1/2 block further down and there it was. I felt like an idiot.
Lesa and her boyfriend walked me home and showed me where the post office was. It was on an entirely different block than I was told. I decided that would be my plan the next day.
So my next day's job before going to the little Banos nearby Cuenca was to mail my stuff. I thought it'll be $20 but I'll still do it. They made me find a lady with a carton for sale, buy the carton, fill it with my stuff, get back in line, enter the address and weigh it. They wanted $62 for a 1/2 kilo box!!! ForGET it!
But here is the pearl in the oyster: The other Banos.
I took a local bus for 50 cents. It took about 20 minutes. There's a place called Hostel Duarte? Delmas? (starts with a D and has 4 or 5 letters). They have 3 pools with 3 temperatures of hot mineral waters. It was so relaxing. The waters are supposedly healing waters.
Needless to say, until today, Cuenca has been a wild goose chase. Unfortunately, I spent so much time moving rooms and trying to find things, I used up all my time without hardly doing anything. I'd like to come from Loja one of these weekends and really explore Cuenca in the next few months.
Radel,
ReplyDeleteI have tried to post twice now on this blog, but it never takes it. I have written 2 long notes, and it never publishes them. Am I doing something wrong?
OK. that one worked finally, now if I could just type on this keyboard....
ReplyDeleteAnyway, miss you and just wanted to say hello. I'm enjoying your posts and traveling along with you. Let us know your next destination.
Giants are not doing well. Too many Giants have injuries, like almost all of the team! You're not missing much.
Looking forward to your next post.
Take care, Terry
HeyTerry, thanks for commenting! Nobody else can figure it out either. But these last two came through. I miss you and the Giants and the Giants meetup. OK, keep in touch
Delete