2nd day in Cuenca on January 30, 2023

After another peaceful night, interrupted only briefly by fireworks for the mayoral election, we started the day with the same ritual as the previous day. Cappuccinos in the courtyard outside our room, breakfast with Pauline. This time, instead of omelettes, we had empanadas. It was another sunny day, with a forecast of around 24 degrees Celsius, just like the previous day. Since it was Monday, the city center was more hectic. We walked from our hotel towards the cathedral. On the way, Pauline spotted a red double-decker tourist bus and waved it down. We got on, each paying 5 dollars, and went to the upper deck. The bus practically toured the entire city, passing by the most famous churches and monuments until it reached the lookout point called 'Turi', where we could see the whole city. We sat on the upper deck and initially 'burned' our behinds on the hot plastic seats. But once we put a jacket underneath, it was better. We enjoyed driving through the streets and admiring the beautiful old houses from the Spanish colonial era, as well as the magnificent murals and well-kept parks and gardens. In general, it must be said that Cuenca is a very clean city. On Avenida Fray Vicente Solano, the entire median for about 4 kilometers was adorned with beautiful flower beds and palm trees, and every 100 meters there was a monument dedicated to personalities of the city, province, and country. There were also explanations about them through loudspeakers, but I didn't understand them. We continued past the 'Pumapungo' museum, where Pauline had worked. It is a very large complex.

Upon arriving at 'Turi', we had 40 minutes to stroll around and enjoy the view. Then we returned to the city center. We continued to stroll until we got hungry and went to a cafe to refresh ourselves and have dessert. It was a slightly more upscale restaurant but with a beautiful view from the panoramic windows. To sweeten the bill, we also had homemade chocolate cubes. Then we returned to the hostel, where we could relax a bit, and around 7:00 p.m., we took a taxi to 'Turi' to admire the nighttime view.

The journey there took about 30 minutes due to a major traffic jam on Avenida Fray Vicente Solano. Upon arriving at 'Turi', we met Pauline's friends, Theresa and Vincent, as well as Theresa's father, Alfred. We enjoyed the nighttime view, which left a completely different impression than during the day. Then we looked for a restaurant at 'Turi', where there were several options. However, it was difficult to find one that had vegetarian dishes on the menu. We were only told that they could put together some side dishes, but that was not suitable for Theresa and Pauline. After what felt like an eternity, we found one with a great view over the city. The menu was extensive, and everyone found something to their liking. However, the quality was not particularly good. It was typical for a tourist spot. The prices, however, were high for Ecuadorian standards. But the beer was very tasty, and we had a fun evening. I was also impressed by the Spanish language skills of the volunteers and how well they could communicate with the locals. Around 12:30 a.m., we got tired and decided to go home. Of course, we took a taxi, which cost about 4 dollars.

We arrived safely at our hostel and had a good night's sleep.