When Stephen said he wanted to come visit us here in Cuenca Ecuador, his main request was to do some adventure sports. Lucky for him, our friend Pietro is a rock climber and we have a great climbing mountain not far from Cuenca called Cojitambo.
If you missed our last video showing Stephen playing like a kid at Aventuri Cuenca, you can check that out here: Aventuri Adventure Park in Cuenca.
Terminal Terrestre de Cuenca
We started our day by taking a $2 cab ride to Terminal Terrestre de Cuenca near the airport. From there, we took two buses to get to the base of Cojitambo.
It costs 10 cents to enter the area where the buses are located. Pietro bought the tickets for us at this kiosk, which allowed us to enter through the gate to the bus loading zone.
The bus ride from Cuenca to Azogues was 75 cents and the bus ride up to the base of Cojitambo was 50 cents. In total, counting the cab rides, we spent $4.70 to get to Cojitambo and another $4.50 for both of us to get back home.
Terminal Terrestre “Segundo Serrano” in Azogues
The Terminal Terrestre “Segundo Serrano” in Azogues is much smaller than Cuenca’s bus terminal, but it does have several food vendors and shops, plus a bathroom. Stephen walked into el baño de las mujeres (on the right) and was quickly ushered out by the bathroom attendant. Pietro said that Stephen must have thought he was in Scotland and the ladies bathroom sign must have represented a kilt. 😂
We changed buses to go from Azogues to the base of Cojitambo.
Rock Climbing at Cojitambo Ecuador
The bus dropped us off on the main road and we walked about 1 to 2 kilometers up a dirt road to the base of Cojitambo.
Amelia and I visited this mountain on our exploratory trip just over 2 years ago. On the top of the mountain there are more Inca ruins and beautiful views of the surrounding area. You can even see the Biblián Church from there.
We went to the base of one climbing wall, but right when we arrived there, it started raining really hard.
Pietro said it would be too difficult to climb that wall in the rain so we walked a little further up to a wall that wasn’t as steep.
It was raining very hard but they still climbed anyway. You can see the rain in the video and this picture.
I was really impressed with Stephen’s climbing ability. He scurried up the wall like an expert! And in the rain, no less!
After Stephen repelled back down from his climb to the first pitch, he and Pietro went back up to the second pitch, which was higher and steeper.
If not for the rain, they would have kept climbing, but we were all soaked so after two climbs, we called it a day and headed back to Cuenca. You can see how hard it was raining from the river running down the road.
It was so wet, this cute little bug couldn’t keep his wings dry despite his best efforts to wipe them clean with his leg.
Here are some stills of the flower shots I took.
On the walk back down the road to the catch the bus back to Azogues, we saw lots of chickens with dogs maintaining a watchful eye on them.
Rooftop dogs are a common sight in Ecuador. These guys were so cute!
Just as we reached the end of the dirt road, a bus going back to Azogues stopped to drop some people off and we hopped on to start our journey back to Cuenca. It was sunny for most of our walk down the mountain, but it started to rain again as we approached the main road. You can see the water on my lense.
Hopefully you enjoyed our video, and if you did, please LIKE, COMMENT and SHARE it, and SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel. ¡Muchas Gracias y Hasta Luego!
https://ameliaandjp.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Ep-89-Cojitambo-Rock-Climbing.jpg7201280JPhttps://ameliaandjp.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Amelia-JP-Unconventional-Logo.jpgJP2019-04-06 14:00:582019-06-09 13:27:17Rock Climbing in the Rain at Cojitambo Ecuador (Episode 89)
Hiking Upper Cajas National Park just a short drive from Cuenca Ecuador is an otherworldly experience that makes it hard to believe you’re still in Ecuador. If you’re looking for things to do in Cuenca, this should be near the top of your list.
Edwin picked us up about 9:30AM and the drive took us about 45 minutes to reach the check in station.
Entry into Upper Cajas National Park is free, but we did have to sign in at the building by the parking lot before venturing down the trail toward the lake.
We followed Ruta 1 Rosada, which was an easy/intermediate trail. There was quite a bit of elevation gain and loss with a few spots that were quite difficult to traverse so I would consider it intermediate, not easy.
We saw lots of mushrooms and beautiful flowers, but this lone yellow flower set against a dark backdrop was truly stunning.
These circus flowers were also visually captivating.
Edwin was nice enough to hike up the 1,000 foot incline at the end of the hike to get the van. My legs haven’t fully recovered from the nerve damage so they were very weak by that point. Edwin sent us down the hill to the lower parking lot where he picked us up. If you need a safe and reliable driver who speaks fluent English and really takes care of his clients, Contact Us for an email introduction.
Hiking in Upper Cajas National Park is an unforgettable experience. You can keep it easy by hiking around the lake that’s a short walk from the parking lot, you can do the intermediate hike that we did, or you can climb up a mountain and scramble across boulders. There’s something for everyone, including exotic bird watching.
Hopefully you enjoyed our video, and if you did, please LIKE, COMMENT and SHARE it, and SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel. ¡Muchas Gracias y Hasta Luego!
https://ameliaandjp.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Ep-79-This-Is-Ecuador.jpg7201280JPhttps://ameliaandjp.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Amelia-JP-Unconventional-Logo.jpgJP2019-03-14 13:59:522019-06-10 19:57:26Hiking in Upper Cajas National Park - Cuenca Ecuador (Episode 79)
We went on another hiking adventure just 40 minutes west of Cuenca Ecuador to Lower Cajas National Park. This area of the park is much different than Upper Cajas. It’s much greener with lots more trees. If you’re looking for things to do in Cuenca, this is a great activity that most people can do.
It took about 10 to 15 minutes to drive from highway 582 to the trailhead parking lot. It was free to enter, but we had to show our cedulas (or passports would work). There are no food services so bring your own snacks.
After a short 5 minute walk from the parking lot, the covered jungle trail opens up to Lake Llaviucu (pronounced ya-vē-oo-koo), a picturesque glacial mountain valley lake nestled between two high mountain ridges. Llaviucu is a Quechua name, which is the native language spoken by Ecuador’s first people.
The valley is dotted with boulders left by ancient glaciers.
The mountain views in Lower Cajas are simply amazing. Indescribable. My camera and video skills did NOT do it justice. You really have to see it for yourself, if you’re able.
Sometimes we felt like we were in the movie Avatar with the steep mountains above and clouds below the peak making them look like they were hovering over the earth.
Lower Cajas National Park is an alpine rainforest so it’s wet and humid, but a little chilly. We recommend taking multiple layers that are easy to put on and take off. The temperature varied quite a lot in the span of a few minutes from chilly to warm and from warm to chilly.
It was also quite muddy and slippery so be sure to take an extra pair of shoes and socks for the ride home (and a plastic bag to put the wet ones in), or some waterproof boots would be even better. Amelia stepped on what looked like a nice grassy area and sank up to her shins in mud. She just laughed like she always does when something like that happens. I would NOT have been happy!
We also spotted lots of beautiful flowers, and if you’re an orchid lover, this is the place to find wild ones. They were growing all over the trees!
We also saw this ancient Polylepis Tree. Edwin said it’s probably over 200 years old. They’re normally very small shrub-like trees.
Lower Cajas is home to wild llamas who were slightly curious about us, but mostly indifferent. We were able to get very close to them and they didn’t seem scared of us at all. Is it just me or do they remind you of French aristocrats from the 1800’s? Hopefully that doesn’t offend anyone 😬
The park is incredibly well-maintained. The trails are well travelled so they’re easy see, the docks on the lake and the walking bridges are in great condition, and we saw virtually no litter. I did pick up a button that could choke a llama, as well as some fishing line that could strangle a bird, but other than that, the park was very pristine.
Please, leave no trace fellow hikers.
Edwin has been in several of our videos now and he was elated to share Cajas with us. Ecuadorians are very proud of their country, as they should be.
Edwin is our friend and driver. In fact, he picked us up at the airport in Guayaquil when we first arrived in Ecuador. And he’s been driving us ever since. He’s super safe, extremely nice and very reliable. He also speaks fluent English. If you need a driver here in Cuenca and the surrounding areas, let us know and we’ll connect you with Edwin.
Hopefully you enjoyed our video, and if you did, please LIKE, COMMENT and SHARE it, and SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel. ¡Muchas Gracias y Hasta Luego!
https://ameliaandjp.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Ep-72-Lower-Cajas-National-Park-Cuenca-Ecuador-1.jpg7201280JPhttps://ameliaandjp.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Amelia-JP-Unconventional-Logo.jpgJP2019-02-26 13:59:292019-06-10 19:56:18Hiking in Lower Cajas National Park near Cuenca Ecuador (Episode 72)
On this Day In The Life, Fit Alliance held their open house at JungleGym so we got a firsthand look at Cuenca Ecuador Fitness. What a beautiful and fun way to exercise! We also talked to Paola from Panda Cakes Cuenca, had Thai food for lunch and went to a doggie birthday party!
Cuenca Ecuador Fitness with Fit Alliance
We were lucky enough to get special aerial and pole dance performances from two of the Fit Alliance instructors! Wow! What a fun way to burn calories!
Aerial Dance Cuenca
Of the two, aerial dance looked more difficult than pole dance. However, they cater to all levels so almost anyone can do some basic moves and work up from there.
Pole Dance Cuenca
Amelia did pole fitness for several years back in Denver, Colorado so she was really excited to see it here in Cuenca. She went to several classes and really enjoyed it. However, she prefers her Tribal Fusion belly dancing and there isn’t enough time in the week to do both. It was a tough decision, but she opted to stick with belly dancing for now. She may go back to pole dancing later.
Aerial fitness and pole fitness are growing in popularity here in Cuenca. Fit Alliance offers classes for all levels so even if you’ve never done them before, you can still do this Cuenca Ecuador Fitness.
Panda Cakes Cuenca Ecuador
We also talked to Paola from Panda Cakes Cuenca who was selling delicious desserts and protein bars that she and Pietro make. Be sure to check them out if you’re in Cuenca. You can contact them on their Facebook page.
A Pedir de Boca Cuenca Ecuador
After the Fit Alliance open house, we had a delicious lunch at A Pedir de Boca. We love their Thai Veggie Bowl with More Veggies!
Maxi’s Doggie Birthday Party in Parque Paraíso
We started our day at a doggie birthday party for a tiny Chihuahua named Maxi who just turned 5 years old. Daisy was invited to the birthday party by Maxi’s mom, Jessica. She runs Maxi’s Pet Care and watches our girls when we’re out of town. Daisy had a BLAST at the party and slept the rest of the afternoon!
Hopefully you enjoyed our video, and if you did, please LIKE, COMMENT and SHARE it, and SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel. ¡Muchas Gracias y Hasta Luego!
https://ameliaandjp.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Ep-64-Cuenca-Ecuador-Fitness.jpg7201280JPhttps://ameliaandjp.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Amelia-JP-Unconventional-Logo.jpgJP2019-02-07 14:01:202019-06-10 19:55:46Cuenca Ecuador Fitness: Aerial & Pole Fitness w/ Fit Alliance + Panda Cakes Cuenca & Doggie B-Day! (Episode 64)
We hope you enjoy our Laguna de Busa Girón Ecuador Hiking and Waterfalls as much as we did! This is a SUPER relaxing video from our very enjoyable hike with Edwin.
NOTE: In the beginning of the video, Amelia said we went to visit Girón and asked if I enjoyed the natural beauty. However, we didn’t conjugate the verb “to enjoy” correctly. The past tense conjugation of “enjoy” in Spanish is “disfrutó” not “disfrutió”. Lo siento 🙁
We thoroughly enjoyed our day trip from Cuenca with Edwin driving through the picturesque Ecuadorian countryside, hiking around Laguna de Busa, doing a little scary rock climbing and hiking up to a waterfall outside of Girón, Ecuador.
If you’re near Cuenca Ecuador and need a reliable, safe driver who speaks fluent English, please let us know. We’d be happy to connect you with Edwin!
Laguna de Busa Girón Ecuador
It takes about 1 hour to get to from Cuenca to Girón, and another 3o minutes to drive up to San Fernando and Laguna de Busa.
Normally, the entrance fee to the Laguna de Busa Girón Ecuador park is $5 each, but it was a slow day and the attendant let us in for $1 each since we had our cedulas. She would have charged us $2 if we were foreigners (extranjeros).
The hike around the lake is idyllic with the boardwalk hovering above the marshes and views of the lake dotted with several different species of waterfowl. We even had a complimentary companion dog to escort us on our walk/hike. He was so adorable!
Ecuador is known for its beautiful flowers, which you can see on full display around Laguna de Busa Girón Ecuador.
At the far back corner of the lake, the trail divides and goes in two different directions. One direction heads back around the lake and the other heads up to the top of the mountain behind the lake.
The hike through the jungle behind the lake was beautiful, but very difficult. It was simply too steep for us, with too many rocks to climb. My hiking boots wouldn’t grip anything and I slipped and nearly fell several times. Edwin said it was pretty much like that on the entire hike, so we decided to turn around rather than risk injury. If you’re not very fit or lack hiking experience, stick to the boardwalk around the lake.
Girón Ecuador Waterfall
After we hiked around Laguna de Busa, we drove back down the mountain toward Girón to visit one of the many waterfalls in the area.
You’ll notice in the picture below, there are cows in the foreground with clouds in the background…both above and BELOW the cows! Ecuadorian clouds seem to defy the laws of nature, often appearing below and above us a the same time.
The waterfall outside Girón that we visited was in El Chorro. It was a short hike from the parking lot up well-maintained stairs. The entry fee was $1 each ($2 if you don’t have an Ecuadorian cedula).
Amelia really enjoyed this part of our tour. She found the waterfall and the 5 meter deep pool at the bottom of it very fascinating.
This rope bridge crossed the river, which was about 3 meters below. Amelia joked with me about walking across it “for the amazing video opportunity,” but thankfully the tiny gate had a lock on it. I could have easily stepped over the gate, but let’s not tell her that!
If you’re an orchid connoisseur, you’ll appreciate the abundance of orchids in Ecuador, and on this hike. They really do seem like alien plants, and they grow in the weirdest places.
You might also enjoy our hikes in Cajas National Park:
When we’re with Amelia’s family in Atlanta, hiking in Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park is our favorite cardio activity. The scenery is breathtaking and the Civil War history is interesting, but it’s sad to think how many Americans died on this mountain fighting over the right to own another human being.
Some canons still remain, along with the trenches and embankments dug out by soldiers on both sides. It may be beautiful now and full of wildlife, it must have been hell on earth back in 1865.
Hopefully you enjoyed our video, and if you did, please LIKE, COMMENT and SHARE it, and SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel. We really appreciate it.
https://ameliaandjp.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Ep-37-Kennesaw-Mountain-National-Battlefield-Park.jpg7201280JPhttps://ameliaandjp.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Amelia-JP-Unconventional-Logo.jpgJP2018-12-08 15:37:362019-06-06 19:46:02Hiking in Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park Marietta GA (Episode 37)
Today, we decided to do a Cuenca Ecuador River Walk along the 5 rivers that run through the city: Tarqui, Yanuncay, Tomebamba, Milchichig & Machángara.
The Tarqui meets the Yanuncay not too far from our house so we started there. Then we walked along the Yanuncay to the point where it meets the Tomebamba, which is the main river that runs through the center of Cuenca.
Then we ventured down to the Milchichig where it joins the Tomebamba. The Milchichig river is actually more of a stream and most people don’t refer to it as a river. However, on the day of this walk, we had had a lot of rain so it was unusually full.
After the Milchichig, we wandered down to where the Machangara river joins the Tomebamba, which is where we ate our lunch sitting on a log with the river behind us. It was cloudy for the entire walk and started to rain on our walk back home, but it was pretty warm.
Our Cuenca Ecuador River Walk was a lot longer walk than we expected and we were exhausted by the time we got back home.
Today, we decided to hike up the 439 stairs to the Turi Church again here in Cuenca Ecuador, just for exercise (yes, I also think Amelia is trying to kill me!).
Then we circled around to Mall del Río where we went shopping for a new pair of shoes for me, but we bought Amelia new shoes and shirts, instead. Then we went to Parque El Paraíso for the Feria Mascotas (Pet Fair).
People & Places (and Animals)
Turi Church Steps Cuenca Ecuador
We like to hike up the 439 Turi Church steps mainly for exercise, but the views are also incredible. Check out our other Turi Church Hike in Cuenca Ecuador for more info on Turi and more beautiful scenery.
Recoja el Excremento De Su Mascota
This sign reads “recoja el excremento de su mascota” which literally translates to “pick up your pet’s excrement” but a more accurate translation would be “pick up your dog’s poop.”
These signs instructing people to pick up after their pets are in most parks, but they don’t provide poo bags, so remember to bring your own.
Río Yanuncay – Cuenca Ecuador
There are 5 (yes, I was right) ríos or rivers that run through Cuenca: Tomebamba, Yanuncay, Tarqui, Milchichig and Machangara. The Tarqui runs into the Yanuncay. Then the Yanuncay, Milchichig and Machangara all feed the Tomebamba river. The Tomebamba river joins other rivers in Ecuador, and eventually feeds the Amazon River that leads to the Atlantic Ocean over a course that’s nearly 4,000 miles long.
Río Tarqui – Cuenca Ecuador
The Tarqui River joins the Yanuncay River not far east from where Amelia is standing. Then the Yanuncay River meets the Tomebamba River on the easternmost end of Parque El Paraíso.
Tarqui River Park
I’m not sure what the name of this park is, but it’s right next to the Tarqui River. Cuenca has a lot of these types of beautiful statues/art in their parks.
Shopping & Offices
There are a lot of new developments around Cuenca, despite a tax law passed by the former president, Correa, that nearly killed the construction industry in Ecuador. The new president, Moreno, had a special referendum and the people overwhelmingly voted to remove the tax and now construction is expected to resume.
As a result of the decreased construction over the past few years, there is a major housing shortage in Ecuador, and especially, Cuenca. Due to the shortage of supply and increased demand, the cost of both homes for rent and for sale has increased. This has forced thousands of young people in Cuenca to continue living with their parents, even after they get married and have children. They’re hopeful that more housing construction will increase the supply and decrease the cost.
Gato Raro (Rare Cat)
There are cats in Ecuador, but they’re not nearly as common as dogs. We rarely see cats on the street, most likely because of the abundance of dogs that roam the streets looking for food. It’s reasonable to assume street cats don’t have a long life expectancy here….
Roundabouts Galore in Ecuador
Los redondeles or roundabouts are far more common here than in the states. The majority of major intersections are roundabouts, and they’re also common in the middle of highways, like this one in the Panamerican Highway.
Stop signs also seem to be completely optional here. “Pare” means stop, but very few people stopped at this one. As you can see in the video, the silver truck blew through it at about 50 mph!
Turi Church Steps Cuenca Ecuador
Amelia loves to torture me with exercise, especially the Turi Church steps. There are 439 steps up to the Turi Church and I always spend most of it looking at her backside. Thankfully, it’s a nice view 😁
It’s a tough hike, but the views are amazing!
Turi Church (La Iglesia de Turi) – Cuenca Ecuador
The bells were ringing when we reached the top of the Turi Church steps, as you can hear in the video. The Turi Church can be seen from most places in the city below, but it’s even more spectacular up close.
View from the Turi Church Steps
This is the reward when you reach the top of the Turi Church steps. You can see the New Cathedral off in the distance, and the Cuenca airport is barely visible on the upper right of the photo. The road that runs diagonally up the middle of the photo is Avenida Solano.
Ancient Riverbed Far Above Cuenca Ecuador
Walking along Av Mirador de Turi heading west from the Turi Church, we spotted this ancient riverbed that’s about 400 feet above the main city of Cuenca. It’s fascinating to see this so far up the side of a mountain.
Laundry Day Cuenca Ecuador
Ecuadorians love their dogs and hanging their laundry out to dry. Sunday seems to be a common laundry day here, and everything from towels to bras can be seen waving in the breeze in front, behind or on top of people’s houses.
Wonder Woman Billboard
Av Mirador de Turi meets back up with the Panamerican Highway, which took us to Mall del Río. There are lots of billboards along the highways in Ecuador, and many advertise American brands.
This billboard is an ad for Justice League and reads “La Mujer Maravilla Se Ve Mejor En Una Televisión TCL” which translates to “Wonder Woman looks better on a TCL television.” TCL is an electronics company that sells TVs so this appears to be a cross-promotional ad for the Justice League movie and TCL televisions.
This is our first time living abroad so it’s interesting to see America from outside the states. One thing we have noticed is the abundance of American pop culture here. It seems that entertainment (and fast food) is now America’s biggest export, especially since most manufactured things come from China.
We visited Nectar, one of our favorite tiendas in El Centro, and the owner’s daughter was wearing a tiara on her head and empty toilet paper rings around both wrists. I asked who she was and her dad said she was La Mujer Maravilla or Wonder Woman. I’m not sure why, but it was surprising to see a little girl in the middle of Ecuador dressed up as Wonder Woman.
Mall del Río – Cuenca Ecuador
Mall del Río is one of the major malls in Cuenca. It has everything you’d expect to see in a mall in the states: a food court, electronics stores and lots of upscale clothing stores. Since online shopping isn’t a thing here yet, malls and shopping centers are still very popular.
Eddie Bauer in Mall del Río – Cuenca Ecuador
American brands like Eddie Bauer are common here, although most of the products come from China. We’ve found the prices to be similar on most things: Some prices are higher, some are lower and some are about the same.
If you want higher quality clothing, you’ll need to go to a nicer store and you’ll spend more. But there are lots of nice and affordable products that are made in Ecuador, too.
Mall del Río Food Court
The food court in Mall del Río has all the American fast food joints you’d recognize, including McDonald’s, Burger King and KFC. Ecuador has seen a massive increase in health related illnesses like obesity and diabetes over the past decade, and these are no doubt contributing to it. We haven’t seen anything vegan-friendly in the food court aside from salads at the fast food places.
Coral in Mall del Río
You can barely see the store in this photo, but Coral is located on the far end of the mall. It’s the largest store in the mall, and possibly in Cuenca. It’s like a Super Walmart crossed with a Home Depot. They carry everything from food and clothing, to microwaves and bathtubs. We’ll show you the inside on a future video.
Amelia’s New Shirt from Divad Closet in Mall del Río
We went to mall to find a new pair of walking shoes for me, but we struck out on that. However, Amelia found a pair of shoes (los zapatos) and a couple blouses (las blusas).
Since we’ve been here, both of us have lost so much weight that none of our clothes fit properly…and we didn’t have that much weight to lose! We ate a healthy plant-based diet and walked a lot back in Denver, but the food is different here and we walk even more.
They don’t allow GMO’s so they don’t have RoundUp and a lot of the produce is organic and from ancient seeds that haven’t been modified genetically.
The veggies are ugly as hell, but they taste amazing. They’re full of flavor and juiciness like the fruits and veggies we used to have as a kid back in the 70’s and 80’s before food was ruined in the states by Big Ag and government corruption.
We also walk a lot more here than we did back home, over 10,000 steps on a typical day. Some weekends, we clock over 20 miles walking around town, taking Daisy for a walk and walking up to Turi.
And we go to the gym most weekdays. I mainly go to the gym for physical therapy for my back, which I couldn’t afford in the states. Amelia goes because she loves working out and sweating her ass off.
All of this healthy eating and exercise has trimmed a few inches off our waistlines, which means we need new clothes.
C-3PO Shoes from Divad Closet in Mall del Río
Bright, shiny platform shoes, like Amelia’s new gold C-3PO shoes, are very popular here. Since the average height for a female in Ecuador is 5 feet tall, platform shoes give them a few extra inches.
Some of the platform shoes have high heels (what we call stripper shoes back in the states) adding 5 or 6 inches to their height! It’s common to see women walking down cobblestone sidewalks and streets in 5 inch stiletto platform shoes! I don’t know how they do it without falling!
Divad Closet Faux Fur in Mall del Río
We have found a lot of cruelty-free products here, from cosmetics to clothing. Veganism is growing here, and most people are at least aware of animal cruelty issues in the products they buy.
When it comes up that we are vegan, several Ecuadorians (a cab driver, a tour guide, a business owner, a waiter, etc.) have asked us if we’re healthier now. Not one Ecuadorian has asked us where we get our protein.
In the states, we’ve been programmed through corporate junk science, overt marketing messages, and subtle plugs on the news and in entertainment, that a vegan diet is unhealthy. That you won’t get enough nutrients eating only plants. That you’ll die of an unheard of protein deficiency.
But here, in a developing country in South America, they haven’t been brainwashed and manipulated for corporate greed. And they know more about nutrition than the average American who thinks they know everything.
Our Sales Assistant at Divad Closet in Mall del Río
This delightful young woman helped Amelia with her shopping at Divad Closet. She didn’t speak very much English, so I was able to practice my Spanish with her while Amelia was trying on clothes.
Like so many of the people we meet in Cuenca, she is from Venezuela. Another refugee from a corrupt government and a collapsing society. She has been in Cuenca for over 6 months. Ecuador is now home to thousands of Venezuelan refugees.
There is a difference between the Venezuelan accent and the Cuencano accent, which is different from other parts of Ecuador. The Venezuelan accent is closer to an accent you would hear in Spain. They speak with a bit of a lisp and pronounce some words differently than Ecuadorians.
The Cuencano accent is very melodic. Ecuadorians outside Cuenca say it sounds like they are singing, and it does. The Cuencano accent is very beautiful, and reminds me of a French accent.
People from the coast of Ecuador drop consonants from the end of words, making it very difficult to understand for gringos learning Spanish. Since Cuencanos speak more slowly and melodically than other Ecuadorians and South Americans, this is the perfect place to learn spanish.
Trail to Parque El Paraíso – Cuenca Ecuador
There are LOTS of walking trails in Cuenca. This one runs along Avenida Diez de Agosto and leads to Parque El Paraíso, our favorite park in Cuenca. The Yanuncay river is behind the trees on the right side of this photo.
Feria Mascotas at Parque El Paraíso
It seems like everyone has a dog in Ecuador. Multiple dogs in most cases. When we take Daisy for a walk around our neighborhood, nearly every yard and courtyard has one or more dogs that bark at us.
This pet fair was mainly for dogs, but we saw a couple of cat oriented booths, as well. It was packed with people and dogs, which made Daisy (and me) very nervous. We knew a woman that was running one of the fundraiser booths, but there were so many people we couldn’t get in to see her.
Pet Adoption at Feria Mascotas in Parque Paraíso
Several booths had pets available for adoption. The sign in this photo reads, “La adopción es la mejor opción” which translates to “Adoption is the best option.”
There’s a big push here to adopt pets from the numerous shelters around town, but there are still several puppy mill stores. We cringe every time we walk by one.
It was nice to see so many people supporting responsible pet companionship, but it was just too crowded for us, so we left after 10 or 15 minutes.
We hope you enjoyed our hike up the Turi Church steps, our shopping experience at Mall del Río, and Feria Mascotas in Cuenca, Ecuador today.
Please remember to like, comment and share our video, and also subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you’d like us to make a video about something specific or if you have questions, please let us know in the comments.
Spanish Words & Phrase
Recoja el excremento de su mascota – Pick up your pet’s excrement
el río – the river
el gato – the cat
los redondeles – the roundabouts
pare – stop
Mall del Río – Mall of the River
La Mujer Maravilla Se Ve Mejor En Una Televisión – Wonder Woman looks better on television
..en el mall siempre encuentras moda actual – ..in the mall you always find current fashion
comida rapida – fast food
la blusa – the blouse
los zapatos – the shoes
gordo – fat
la casa – the house
Feria de Mascotas – Pet Fair
la adopción es la mejor opción – adoption is the best option
https://ameliaandjp.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Ep-5-Turi-Stairs-Hike-v2.jpg7201280JPhttps://ameliaandjp.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Amelia-JP-Unconventional-Logo.jpgJP2018-09-24 08:20:182019-06-10 20:00:23A Hike Up the 439 Turi Church Steps + Mall Del Río & Feria Mascotas in Cuenca Ecuador (Episode 5)
