Htl Rest Mer Cuenca

... then the police pulled them over and started hassling them, and then telling us (condescendingly) that we should be more careful and we should hold on to all our belongings as it was a really dangerous area. Was quite happy to be getting the bus out of there! The night bus we took was comfortable enough, for $12. All the bus compoanies in Peru are independent so you might get a really nice one or you might get a ****** one, usually depends how much you´re preparing to pay!<br><br>

... to the churches in the area, which was great.<br><br>I also discovered that staying in Cuenca for the week had an added benefit &#8211; we could eat all the fruit and vegetables and drink tap water, something that´s not usually advisable in South America. Cuenca is unique because it has four rivers that all source from glacial lagoons and the water is three times cleaner that that of Washington DC.<br><br>After class we went home for lunch which was included in our homestay and then ...

... center and visited some churches and a local market. The rest of the day was a typical Sunday...lazy ;-)<br><br>Tomorrow, we're leaving Ecuador. At mid-day we're taking the bus to Loja (5 hours) to take a nightbus to Piura in Peru (8 hours). It will be a long day... They already warned us, that the Spanish in Peur is much faster, so less understandable than the Spanish in Ecuador. We are curious if we can explain ourselves over there...<br><br>Hasta Luego!<br><br>

... naval base overlooking the beach where the sea lions were. The prices didn&#8217;t seem all that economical but we were so hungry, having skipped lunch, we decided on a large Pizza that was enough to keep the hunger at bay.<br><br>We returned to our apartment walking through the 30 or so Sea Lions lying on the beach. Later in the evening Niamh become quite ill throwing up and with diarrhea. She threw up the entire contents of todays meals. We are hoping that she will be OK tomorrow.

... we{re on the road again. Joy of joys more hours and hours on the bus. So from Baños it was a short hour trip to ambato. Where with no indication from the bus driver, but a another helpful passenger, we establish this is where we need to jump off. Just manage with a hell of a lot of shouting to shout the bus driving off with our bags still in the holdall- would not have been good!!! Then establish it{s a quick sprint across 6 lanes of traffic and then a hop ...

We arrived in Cuenca on Wednesday, August 5th. <br><br>Our last week in Mitad Del Mundo was fun and educational. We packed up for one day and headed to Papallacta hotsprings. The Lonely Planet guide says that it is the best hot springs in Ecuador, like a Roman paradise, that is pretty much describes it. There were several outdoor hot pòols done up with natural stone set against a beautiful lush green mountain, and a raging icy river beside 3 ...

... isn't nearly as impressive as Cartagena, but it definitely offers its own sort of charm. There are lots of squares, lots of beautiful churches and plenty of impressive and large buildings. A channel that runs through town offers a relatively peaceful area to walk, and there was plenty of good food and treats to be found. The main cathedral was constructed by stone, marble and topped by blue domes. The towers would have been even taller if not for the architectural error that meant they ...

... peak hour at this point and we waited for a few full buses to go past until we forced our way on about the fourth. <br><br>Didn&#8217;t get pickpocketed though I was vigilant and I did feel someone brush a little more than normal. Tommy went to work but that left Jennifer and I to figure out where to get off. Naturally we missed our stop and had to get off at the next one and take another bus back. IT was just getting to dusk at this point so I was happy to get back to ...

... was not too difficult to find my connection to Cuenca.<br> Between Guayaquil and Cuenca lies Cajas national park, a beautiful mountainous region dotted with a couple hundred small lakes. As we wound through the mountains, the scene changed from dense green forest to wide open rolling grasslands to sprawling country farms. Rocky streams flowed through the valleys with little houses built alongside.<br> On my trip, I've heard Cuenca described as ...