Cuenca and El Cajas National Park

Cuenca.

My sister Victoria, has a large house just a few blocks from the heart of Cuenca where the Calderon park and the cathedral are. I am staying with Victoria. The location couldn’t be better.

Cuenca is a beautiful, relatively quiet city of around 500,00 people. In comparison to the Capital Quito, Cuenca is very laid back and nice to walk anywhere. Virtually all of Cuenca’s architecture is no more than two stories high colonial style homes. Shops, restaurants and boutiques are everywhere. It is no wonder that so many foreigners retire to Cuenca.

We visited a restaurant that specializes in Cui. It is a delicious small animal relative to the guiney pig. We had to call a few hours in advance so the cui could be roasted over a coal pit and ready for us. What a treat. Cui tastes a bit like the dark meat of chicken, the crispy skin is to die for and very little fat. I highly recommend Cui for everyone.

                               Norma and Manuel 

The National Park El Cajas:

 This is a spectacular National preserve close to the highlands of Cuenca. It reaches altitudes near 4,300 meters and it is very windy and cold. It’s like driving on the mountain tops of the Grand Canyon, except everything is a beautiful green. There are over 40 lakes formed in craters between mountains. One must see this park in person to appreciate its beauty. The National Park El Cajas is definitely a highlight of the vacation.