As with the same tour we took on 5/29/15, it was a fun day. Mike's brother, Steve, his wife Jojo and son, Carter came for a visit so we decided to spend the day and show them some of the sights around Cuenca. We headed off for a day of adventure to San Bartolome, Sigsig, Chordeleg and Gualaceo.

Sigsig - Located about 40 miles southwest of Cuenca. We visited The Asociación de Toquilleras de María Auxiliadora (ATMA), a women’s Fair Trade cooperative that produces artisan crafts, and in particular, panama hats.

San Batolome - In Southern Ecuador, about 20 miles east of Cuenca, lies a small village where guitar-making is a way of life. The master guitar makers are world famous. No one really knows when the guitar-making tradition began, but it dates back at least 200 years, and many families can trace their own family guitar-making traditions to a 100 years back or more. We went on the Ruta de la Guatarres where we visited the workshop of one such craftsman, San Bartolome Guitarras Uyaguari. Guitarras Uyaguari, where Homero Uyaguari has been hand-crafting guitars of all sizes, shapes and designs for more than 40 years. Uyaguari’s father and grandfather before him were also guitar makers.

Chordeleg - Located about 27 miles east of Cuenca, Chordeleg, is known for its silver jewelry. Like many of the rural towns scattered across Ecuador, Chordeleg still adhere to the “guild system” inherited from Spain, where each community specializes in a particular craft.

Gualaceo - Located about 25 miles east of Cuenca, on the outskirts of Gualaceo, we visited Casa de la Makana, owned by José Jiménez and learned about the beautiful art of weaving

5/31/16 - Sigsig, Bartholome, Chordeleg, Gualaceo

5/31/16 - Sights along the way from Cuenca to Sigsig.
5/31/16 - Sights along the way from Cuenca to Sigsig.
5/31/16 - Sights along the way from Cuenca to Sigsig.
5/31/16 - Sights along the way from Cuenca to Sigsig.
5/31/16 - Sights along the way from Cuenca to Sigsig.
5/31/16 - Sights along the way from Cuenca to Sigsig.
5/31/16 - Sights along the way from Cuenca to Sigsig.
5/31/16 - Sights along the way from Cuenca to Sigsig.
5/31/16 - At the The Asociación de Toquilleras de María Auxiliadora (ATMA)
5/31/16 - At the The Asociación de Toquilleras de María Auxiliadora (ATMA)
5/31/16 - At the The Asociación de Toquilleras de María Auxiliadora (ATMA)
5/31/16 - At the The Asociación de Toquilleras de María Auxiliadora (ATMA)
5/31/16 - At the The Asociación de Toquilleras de María Auxiliadora (ATMA)
Jojo, Carter and Steve trying on "hats in the rough"
5/31/16 - At the The Asociación de Toquilleras de María Auxiliadora (ATMA)
5/31/16 - At the The Asociación de Toquilleras de María Auxiliadora (ATMA)
This is the machine they use to shape the hats. They have different molds for different style hats. That brown thin in her had is one of the molds.
5/31/16 - At the The Asociación de Toquilleras de María Auxiliadora (ATMA)
This is the machine they use to shape the hats. They have different molds for different style hats. That brown thin in her had is one of the molds.
5/31/16 - At the The Asociación de Toquilleras de María Auxiliadora (ATMA)
5/31/16 - At the The Asociación de Toquilleras de María Auxiliadora (ATMA)
5/31/16 - At the The Asociación de Toquilleras de María Auxiliadora (ATMA)
My hat was too big so it was taken bag into the work area where they reduced the band inside.
5/31/16 - At the The Asociación de Toquilleras de María Auxiliadora (ATMA)
Here is the gal who fixed my hat.
5/31/16 - At the The Asociación de Toquilleras de María Auxiliadora (ATMA)
So, what do you think of my new hat?
5/31/16 - Ruta de las guitarras San Bartolomé
5/31/16 - Ruta de las guitarras San Bartolomé
5/31/16 - Ruta de las guitarras San Bartolomé
5/31/16 - Ruta de las guitarras San Bartolomé
5/31/16 - Ruta de las guitarras San Bartolomé
5/31/16 - Ruta de las guitarras San Bartolomé
The intricate designs crafted on the guitars are made by painstakingly dying thin strips of wood, gluing them together into patterns, and then cutting the resulting strips into tiny wooden pellets that are put together to form the design.
5/31/16 - Ruta de las guitarras San Bartolomé
5/31/16 - Ruta de las guitarras San Bartolomé
5/31/16 - Ruta de las guitarras San Bartolomé
5/31/16 - Ruta de las guitarras San Bartolomé
The intricate designs crafted on the guitars are made by painstakingly dying thin strips of wood, gluing them together into patterns, and then cutting the resulting strips into tiny wooden pellets that are put together to form the design.
5/31/16 - Ruta de las guitarras San Bartolomé
5/31/16 - Ruta de las guitarras San Bartolomé
Mike standing by some of the hand crafted guitars.
5/31/16 - Ruta de las guitarras San Bartolomé
Steve looking at some of the hand crafted guitars.
5/31/16 - Ruta de las guitarras San Bartolomé
5/31/16 - Ruta de las guitarras San Bartolomé
Homero Uyaguari has been hand-crafting guitars of all sizes, shapes and designs for more than 40 years. Uyaguari’s father and grandfather before him were also guitar makers, and Uyaguari has 10 sons – all of whom work with him in the art.
5/31/16 - Ruta de las guitarras San Bartolomé
5/31/16 - Chordeleg
Chordeleg still adheres to the guild system established during Spanish colonial times. The guild system required each town to have a certain skill or craft that they specialized in.There are towns in Ecuador that produce pottery, leather goods, weave scarves, as well as make incense, soap and oil. The people of Chordeleg were metalworkers. Today those metalworkers became silversmiths and are the jewelers that produce silver, nickel, and brass jewelry here. Even the street lights are adorned with silver and brass jewelry.
5/31/16 - Chordeleg
Chordeleg still adheres to the guild system established during Spanish colonial times. The guild system required each town to have a certain skill or craft that they specialized in.There are towns in Ecuador that produce pottery, leather goods, weave scarves, as well as make incense, soap and oil. The people of Chordeleg were metalworkers. Today those metalworkers became silversmiths and are the jewelers that produce silver, nickel, and brass jewelry here. Even the street lights are adorned with silver and brass jewelry.
From 5/29/15 - San Bartolome, Sigsig, Chordeleg & Gualaceo
5/31/16 - Chordeleg
Chordeleg still adheres to the guild system established during Spanish colonial times. The guild system required each town to have a certain skill or craft that they specialized in.There are towns in Ecuador that produce pottery, leather goods, weave scarves, as well as make incense, soap and oil. The people of Chordeleg were metalworkers. Today those metalworkers became silversmiths and are the jewelers that produce silver, nickel, and brass jewelry here. Even the street lights are adorned with silver and brass jewelry.
From 5/29/15 - San Bartolome, Sigsig, Chordeleg & Gualaceo
5/31/16 - Chordeleg
Chordeleg still adheres to the guild system established during Spanish colonial times. The guild system required each town to have a certain skill or craft that they specialized in.There are towns in Ecuador that produce pottery, leather goods, weave scarves, as well as make incense, soap and oil. The people of Chordeleg were metalworkers. Today those metalworkers became silversmiths and are the jewelers that produce silver, nickel, and brass jewelry here. Even the street lights are adorned with silver and brass jewelry.
5/31/16 - Chordeleg
Chordeleg still adheres to the guild system established during Spanish colonial times. The guild system required each town to have a certain skill or craft that they specialized in.There are towns in Ecuador that produce pottery, leather goods, weave scarves, as well as make incense, soap and oil. The people of Chordeleg were metalworkers. Today those metalworkers became silversmiths and are the jewelers that produce silver, nickel, and brass jewelry here. Even the street lights are adorned with silver and brass jewelry.
5/31/16 - Chordeleg
Chordeleg still adheres to the guild system established during Spanish colonial times. The guild system required each town to have a certain skill or craft that they specialized in.There are towns in Ecuador that produce pottery, leather goods, weave scarves, as well as make incense, soap and oil. The people of Chordeleg were metalworkers. Today those metalworkers became silversmiths and are the jewelers that produce silver, nickel, and brass jewelry here. Even the street lights are adorned with silver and brass jewelry.
5/31/16 - Chordeleg
Chordeleg still adheres to the guild system established during Spanish colonial times. The guild system required each town to have a certain skill or craft that they specialized in.There are towns in Ecuador that produce pottery, leather goods, weave scarves, as well as make incense, soap and oil. The people of Chordeleg were metalworkers. Today those metalworkers became silversmiths and are the jewelers that produce silver, nickel, and brass jewelry here. Even the street lights are adorned with silver and brass jewelry. Yet, even though a metalworks town, there were beautiful woven fabric throughout the stores.
6EC5 16Chordeleg
5/31/16 - Outside Chordeleg
An interesting stop at the studio of a ceramic master where we were able to see everything from a basic figurine to a clay relief.
5/31/16 - Outside Chordeleg
An interesting stop at the studio of a ceramic master where we were able to see everything from a basic figurine to a clay relief.
5/31/16 - Outside Chordeleg
An interesting stop at the studio of a ceramic master where we were able to see everything from a basic figurine to a clay relief.
5/31/16 - Outside Chordeleg
An interesting stop at the studio of a ceramic master where we were able to see everything from a basic figurine to a clay relief.