The Adventures of a Barefoot Nomad: Cuenca and beyond....

That is correct, I changed my plans a bit and endended up taking a car ride with some new friends to the beautiful town of Cuenca!! I am enamored with Ecuador and how the towns are so different from each other in comparison. I am actually in Guayaquil now but for the past two days I was in Cuenca. As we drove thru Vilcabamba the vistas were breathtaking, it was a rainy day so the clouds hung low, and when I say low they are so low that we drove straight thru them. It created such a beautiful atmosphere, we listened to some very Zen music and the ambiance was complete. We told stories, sung, danced and laughed in the car. As we zipped by there were horses and cows, native village people in colorful clothes hanging corn and clothes from their homes, roosters,donkies and dogs running wild!!! The air was so very very fresh and crisp. Ahhhhhhhhhh Ecuador!!!!

So, once we arrived in Cuenca, Cynthia (my new sister from Maui) and I took off for some interesting shopping. I bought a beautiful pair of boots and a lavander poncho along with some gifts for my loved ones at home... And she purchased some beautiful hand made crafts for hers. along the way there were many things to choose from to eat, the real thing that I could identify was the grilled rooster feet... I have lost about 7 lbs, lolol. But the food really is amazing as we went to have an Italian dinner that nite with Cynthia, Juan his Tio Maurico and Michael. We had the most delicious wine from Argentina and the yummiest Gnocchi since my visit to Italy. The conversation was as beautiful as the people who surrounded me. Maurico and I walked home and the others went by car. As we strolled the streets of Cuenca we entered a magnificent church and I cried as I was so taken by its beauty and the energy within... What a beautiful nite, indeed!!!

The streets of Cuenca are not like those of Quito or Guayaquil... The streets and buildings remind me of Italy, old and historic. Vibrant colors and vibrant people set the scene. I have many beautiful photos to post and will attempt to do that today.

I should be headed to the Galapagos on Sunday.... Stay tuned!! I am going to the boardwalk in Guayaquil now to take some more photos of this incredible adventure.

Chicken Feet.....