Cuenca, Ecuador - 9/15/10

Meet Al. He is the neighborhood llama where our friends, Tom and Karen, used to live.

Have you ever seen a smiling llama?

Here is what a llama hoof looks like

This is our friend, Karen, with Al

Here is Mike with Al

Here is Susan with Al

Our friends lived in San Joaquin, a little ways outside of Cuenca. They have since moved into town.

Here is Karen at the stream by their old property

This is the house they used to rent

This is a river in San Joaquin

While in Cuenca we stayed at the Kookaburra. Besides having two rooms to rent, they also have a restaurant. The green door on the left is the entrance to the restaurant. The middle section is window; shutters cover them when the restaurant is closed. The door on the right is the one guests staying at the Kookaburra use.

Here is Mike entering the Kookaburra

As you walk in door you go through a courtyard and past the entrance at the back right. There is a room upstairs, which we had and one on the ground floor.

I was fascinated by the beautiful architecture in Cuenca; just some of the buildings in "Old Town".

I was fascinated by the beautiful architecture in Cuenca; just some of the buildings in "Old Town".

I was fascinated by the beautiful architecture in Cuenca; just some of the buildings in "Old Town".

I was fascinated by the beautiful architecture in Cuenca; just some of the buildings in "Old Town".

I was fascinated by the beautiful architecture in Cuenca; just some of the buildings in "Old Town".

I was fascinated by the beautiful architecture in Cuenca; just some of the buildings in "Old Town".

I was fascinated by the beautiful architecture in Cuenca; just some of the buildings in "Old Town".

I was fascinated by the beautiful architecture in Cuenca; just some of the buildings in "Old Town".

I was fascinated by the beautiful architecture in Cuenca; just some of the buildings in "Old Town".

I was fascinated by the beautiful architecture in Cuenca; just some of the buildings in "Old Town".

I was fascinated by the beautiful architecture in Cuenca; just some of the buildings in "Old Town".

I was fascinated by the beautiful architecture in Cuenca; just some of the buildings in "Old Town".

The streets in "Old Town" Cuenca are narrow and cobblestone.

The streets in "Old Town" Cuenca are narrow and cobblestone.

I was fascinated by the beautiful architecture in Cuenca; just some of the buildings in "Old Town".

The streets in "Old Town" Cuenca are narrow and cobblestone. Some of the sidewalks are very narrow as well. Here is Mike on one of those sidewalks.

A half block west, sort of to the side of the Inmaculada Church (also known as Catedral Nueva - in the background), you’ll find the Cuenca flower market, where women sell locally grown flowers from about a dozen stands. The square is directly in front of Santuario Marinano. The entrance to La Carmen de la Asunción convent is there as well: the nuns sell religious items through a special window.

A half block west, sort of to the side of the Inmaculada Church (also known as Catedral Nueva - in the background), you’ll find the Cuenca flower market, where women sell locally grown flowers from about a dozen stands. The square is directly in front of Santuario Marinano. The entrance to La Carmen de la Asunción convent is there as well: the nuns sell religious items through a special window.

The flower market was beautiful with all the colorful flowers. We didn't buy any flowers but we are told you can buy 1 dozen roses in the supermarket $2.25 and even less here at the market.

Flower market

Flower market

Flower market

Iglesia de Santo Domingo

Plaza in front of Iglesia de Santo Domingo

The side street along Iglesia de Santo Domingo

Close-up of the bell towers of Iglesia de Santo Domingo

Iglesia de San Francisco

Iglesia San Alfonso

These are one of the sets of stairs leading from "Old Town" Cuenca down to the Tomebamba River which separates the old and new of Cuenca.

This is a picture taken down at the river looking back up the stairs we had just come down. That day there must have been a high school PE class as there were kids running up and then down these stairs, along the river to another set of stairs then up and down those and back. We saw them several times and it made our old bones tired just watching them.

Rio Tomebamba

Rio Tomebamba. The new section of Cuenca is on the left and the old is on the right.

Rio Tomebamba

Rio Tomebamba. We crossed the river and are in the new section of town looking across the river to the old.

Rio Tomebamba. We crossed the river and are in the new section of town looking across the river to the old.