My first full day in Ecuador! Walking around Cuenca's historical center, I am pleased to report that the first impression couldn't have been more favorable. The beautiful and well-kept facades are a sight for sore eyes.
The cost of living in Ecuador seems to be moderate: there are three course lunch deals for 2.50 dollars, haircuts for four dollars, and free entries to several museums.
Dollars? Yes, the US Dollar is the official currency in Ecuador. The funny thing is that next to US coins, there are also Ecuadorian coins in circulation.
One of the free museums is the museum of modern art. It is housed in a former insane asylum, which makes for a peculiar atmosphere. Several of the sculptures exhibited have their own room - tiny chambers that once served to confine people deemed insane. I really liked some of the sculptures. Look at the parts the artists used on this one, for example - the head is part of a bicycle gear shift mechanism :-)
Like so many South American cities, Cuenca is blessed with a multitude of churches. What struck me when I glanced inside the cathedral was the apparent difference to the last one I had seen in Lima. In Lima, the figures on the altars were all dressed up in the typical South American fashion, whereas in Cuenca European-style stone statues dominated.
The cost of living in Ecuador seems to be moderate: there are three course lunch deals for 2.50 dollars, haircuts for four dollars, and free entries to several museums.
Dollars? Yes, the US Dollar is the official currency in Ecuador. The funny thing is that next to US coins, there are also Ecuadorian coins in circulation.
One of the free museums is the museum of modern art. It is housed in a former insane asylum, which makes for a peculiar atmosphere. Several of the sculptures exhibited have their own room - tiny chambers that once served to confine people deemed insane. I really liked some of the sculptures. Look at the parts the artists used on this one, for example - the head is part of a bicycle gear shift mechanism :-)
Like so many South American cities, Cuenca is blessed with a multitude of churches. What struck me when I glanced inside the cathedral was the apparent difference to the last one I had seen in Lima. In Lima, the figures on the altars were all dressed up in the typical South American fashion, whereas in Cuenca European-style stone statues dominated.
