It is their winter now, so the days are about 65 degrees F and nights about 50 degrees F. After a couple of days, when I requested an extra alpaca blanket, the hotel gal surprised me with their only electric blanket....I was in heaven.
Cuenca is known for it´s beautiful architecture and for being a quaint, exotic city, where many expatriates live and have bought property for their retirement. This Cathedral is an example of the kind of architecture one might see. It truly was a beautiful city in many ways.
On one day, which I thought was Mothers Day, it seemed everyone had a bouquet of flowers in their hand, whether it be for their Mother or for themselves. I'm told Dia de Madre actually lasts an entire month in Ecuador.One small sized, elderly lady wearing the typical, indigenous clothing walked on the sidewalk towards me, holding a bouquet of flowers and had a wide toothless grin. I smiled also because I thought ¨how beautiful¨ she is. Then a lovely surprise happened. Glowing and looking up to me, she spread open both of her arms for an embrace. I bent down to give her a hug, and then she kissed me on the cheek and said something sweet in Spanish. It was like receiving an Ecuador blessing, something warm and endearing, that I held close in my heart. This was the second time something like this happened in the last week.
Panama Hats are originally from Ecuador, not Panama. They became well known during the building of the Panama Canal, when workers wore thm to protect from the sun. And even now, there is a big market in Ecuador for these fine hats, that take several days in the making.
¨Day of the Dulce¨(Day of Sweets) lasts 7 days and I´m not sure if it just Cuenca. I saw at least 20 such booths of brightly colored assorted candies. This is when everyone, men, women and children, indulge in filling up a basket of candy and chocolates. They love to indulge and here there is no such thing as feeling "guilty".
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