San Sebastian Archives - Open Road Carsons

In April one of our favorite people in the world, our good friend Anna, came to visit us in Cuenca. We had so much fun hanging out and showing off our town!

We walked around and toured our favorite spots.

Anna and I on the shores of the Tomebamba River

Here’s another scenic view of the Tomebamba River, which separates the area where we live from the historical downtown.

The houses on the Barranco seem to hang on the side of the cliff overlooking the Tomebamba River

Here’s a picturesque patio of a restored colonial convent with the cathedral next door.

We hung out and exercised at the nearby Parque de la Madre.

That’s the observatory in the background.

And of COURSE we went to the markets.

This is the herbs section of the market, where you can find plants to heal all maladies. I was buying some eucalyptus leaves.

Anna sampled some local fruits.

Two of our favorite fruits… granadilla (left) and pitahaya (dragon fruit).

And we enjoyed a treat at Tosta, our favorite bakery located on Solano south of the roundabout with Remigio Crespo.

We sipped cafe con leche with our chocolate croissants (yummmm!!)

Bus tour

We took a double-decker bus tour of Cuenca. We like the overview of town and history of Cuenca shared on the tour bus.

The tour starts here in Cuenca’s main square, Parque Calderón

This is the cathedral with its beautiful blue cupolas on the main square.

Chad and Ali were excited for the bus tour

The view of Cuenca from the Turi mirador (lookout point)

In the distance you can barely see the 3 cathedral cupolas from atop the the tourist bus as we headed back to the downtown.

Plaza de San Sebastian

We took Anna to one our favorite places…. San Sebastian Plaza. In the olden days, this was the site of bull fights, but now it is a quiet picturesque square with a delicious Belgian brewpub and some tasty cafes.

The fountain of San Sebastian plaza. One of our favorite beer places is behind us.

The owner of Jodoco is Belgian and makes some of the best brews around.

Pumampugo

Cuenca has been inhabited for thousands of years. The first evidence of humans in the area dates back to 8060 BC, but archeologists believe Cuenca was settled in 500 AD by the Cañari culture, who called it Guapondeleg (translated meaning is “land as big as heaven.”) The Inca came to the area and defeated the Cañari in 1470s, and the Inca emperor Tupac Yupanqui ordered the construction of a great city named Pumapungo (“Door of the Puma”). Today, you can visit the ruins and gardens of Pumapungo.

Pumapungo is the site of the Incan palace here in Cuenca. The royal gardens have been recreated to showcase local crops.

Once all kinds of animals lived on the royal palace grounds, but now there is a pond, an aviary, and llamas.

Ali and Serena love to come here to see all the birds. These parrots are particularly talkative.

Anna and I enjoying the walk around the gardens of Pumapungo

Extra-Special Times

I love making art with my super-creative friend, Anna. So, when she was in town I found a class making mandalas.

Anna is a talented artist with a fun whimsical style. I keep hoping more of her creativity will rub off on me.

Anna and I had a special friend date to a spa at the local hot springs.

Our skin was refreshed and so smooth after the mud baths, but my favorite was the soak in the hot springs and underground hot and cold contrasting pools.

The underground contrasting hot (104º!) and frigid pools were my favorite part. It left us feeling reinvigorated and also kind of woosy.

We finished off our time at the spa sweating in the box saunas

What a relaxing day!

Anna’s visit was ending just as Holy Week was beginning. We stumbled upon the reenactment of Jesus’s way to the cross. The girls didn’t understand why we weren’t stopping to help this man when people hit him and he fell to ground.

We culminated our visit together with our own special last supper… CUY!

Eating Cuy (guinea pig)

Guinea pig has been eaten in the highlands of the Andes for centuries. Many locals still love to eat cuy, so we got an excellent recommendation for a traditional cuy restaurant.