Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
popular public spot where students guzzle beer and old women hang linens for drying,
sometimes employing their wrought-iron balconies that overlook the river on Calle Larga.
As a prosperous and charming city, there's plenty to see in Cuenca. Its main attractions re-
main the classical churches that call it home, like the New Cathedral of Cuenca, the Old
Cathedral of Cuenca,
Iglesia de San Blas
and
Iglesia de San Francisco
. The latter's
slender tower overlooks
Plaza San Francisco
where one can buy anything from alpaca
backpacks to plastic Disney ones. Built by Franciscans and finished in 1930, the peach-
colored neoclassical church features mullioned windows, a cedar altarpiece and the best
example of baroque style in Cuenca.
For a glance into life before colonization one need not verge beyond the city center where
the pre-Columbian archaeological site known as Pumapungo is located. The ruins (mean-
ing 'The Puma's Door') were probably used as a military base and are laid out behind El
Museo del Banco Central on Calle Larga and Avenue Huayna Capac.
Though Pumapungo remains an important historical site, it pales in comparison to the
nearby Ingapirca ruins which dominate as Ecuador's best example of Inca architecture.
Unlike Peru, the Incas didn't spend a lot of time in Ecuador and thus didn't leave much in
the way to remember them by, so Ingapirca stands out as one of the sole reminders of the
Inca era in Ecuador. Cuenca is often used as a base to admire the ruins which are settled
on the city's outskirts some 30 minutes from town. Also, anyone looking to explore the
picturesque wilderness of Cajas National Park just 40 minutes from Cuenca usually spend
some leisurely time in the city before venturing out. For shorter stays, both Ingapirca and
Cajas can be experienced on day tours.
The friendly
Cuencanos
themselves are known throughout Ecuador for their 'singing':
they tend to speak in cascading harmonies with some words serenaded in a high pitch that
suddenly plummet to a low baritone before swaying back up. A Cuencano who would ap-
pear to be telling a dramatic story in song could simply be giving someone directions. It's
cute and confusing all at once.
As most locals hail from Cañari lineage indigenous culture still influences everyday life,
but that's not to say that it isn't mixed with its own dash of modernity. One can view this
clash on a simple walk through the park: old men in llama-wool ponchos and fedora hats
walk beside men in business suits smelling of cologne and young punks sporting combat
boots while Gothic churches stand across independent film theaters and bohemian bars.
Such sights are as common as the afternoon rain or flower markets that flood the squares
on a daily basis.
