Cuenca, Cultural City in Ecuador

Cuenca is Ecuador's third largest city. It is located at an altitude of nearly 2500m and is home to many museums. You can also visit beautiful churches here. The streets of the old town are lined with many well-preserved facades, so it resembles Cusco. There are many restaurants and cafeterias where you can eat very well, reminiscent of Arequipa. Unlike Peruvian cities, Cuenca is extremely clean, and you won't see beggars or working children in the city center. It is considered the safest city in Ecuador. We feel completely comfortable here.

A few words about traffic and taxi rides: The traffic here is adventurous for pedestrians as well. Zebra crossings are just color splatters on the ground, and traffic lights at small intersections are just colorful lights. Oliver almost got hit by a car because he crossed the green light without looking.

Most taxi drivers do not have a navigation system and often have limited local knowledge. They follow the 'Petra Approach': Asking, asking, asking - until they reach the destination. In Cuenca, a woman even got into our taxi to guide the driver. Everything completely normal. I love this South American approach.

After 3 days in Cuenca, we are now going to Puerto Lopez via Guayaquil, our last stop on the Pacific. We will stay here for 14 days and maybe (with luck) be able to observe whales.