Last 2 Days in Cuenca

Tuesday, February 17th, 2015 Cuenca
Yesterday we walked to the Museo del Banco Central Pumapungo, the main museum in Cuenca. It overlooks the Rio Tomebamba and is adjacent to the archaeological site of the old Incan settlement of Tomebamba.
The first floor of the museum contained art exhibits that weren't really to our tastes. However, the second floor consisted of a series of life-size dioramas demonstrating the homes, clothing and lifestyles of the various and very diverse indigenous cultures. We have seen glimpses of the various traditional clothing worn as we have traveled throughout Ecuador, but these dioramas clarified a lot of what we have seen. As well, there are numerous indigena, as they are called, groups that we haven't seen. The last diorama was of the Shuar culture from the southern Oriente or Amazon headwaters. Hallucinogens are used extensively in Shuar religious rites. They are also one of the groups that prepare and display shrunken heads of their defeated enemies. The Shuar were very fierce in resisting Spanish incursion into their territory and so remained somewhat isolated for much longer than other indigenas. However, they wouldn't make shrunken heads of white or mestizo (mixed race) people because they considered them to be inferior enemies. (There are one or two hunters at home with heads of bear cubs on their walls who could take a lesson from the Shuar). There were 5 or 6 shrunken heads on display in the museum.

Outside, we walked through the archealogical site. The Canari indigenas had a settlement here for at least 3,000 years. Then the Incas took over for a short time. Following them came the Spanish in the 1540s. The Spanish dismantled many of the Incan buildings for the stone so there's only foundations left on the crest of a hill overlooking the river.

Below the hill there is a re-created Inca garden and a little aviary and alpaca pasture. We really enjoyed the museum, the archealogical site, the garden and the aviary. We are constantly amazed at the diversity of flora and fauna in Ecuador.

Today was sunny and warm and we really didn't have any plans. Although it's Fat Tuesday of Carnaval, there's really nothing happing in the old town except a few people driving around spraying foam and throwing water balloons out of cars. We decided we'd walk as far as we could through the park along the Rio Tomebamba to the east. After an hour of walking, we came to a larger park where the 3 rivers of Cuenca meet. There was a festival in the park with a lot of children's activities through the day. Some people were barbecuing while the children played in the river.

We weren't really interested in the little midway sort of thing so we walked back, resting once in a while along the river.
Back at our hotel, we gathered our empties and went out in search of an open store where we could buy beer and water. Pretty well everything is closed and the streets are almost deserted. On our search, we met a couple from Barrie who took our picture in front of one of the banks. They're wandering around Ecuador for 2 months, much like us, but in the opposite direction. We traded travel tips about towns, hotels, buses and restaurants for about 1/2 an hour. This is the best way to figure out travel plans.

Eventually we found a little store to get re-supplied. Tonight we'll probably go back to Don Colon's for the 3rd or 4th time. It's one of the few restaurants open. Tomorrow morning we'll check out and have a long day on one bus for 5 hours to Guayaquil and then another for 3 hours to Montanita. The beach beckons.