Cuenca and Ingapirca

In October we had a holiday weekend, so Livia and I headed to Cuenca. Livia had been there a few times, but I hadn't visited it yet. That was definitely different than most of my colleagues, who make Cuenca the first or second place they visit, as it's very popular with expats. I'm happy I visited other places first. I would go back to Cuenca various times, a few times for work, and also when my buddy Andrew from Peace Corps visited.

 (Livia on top of the cathedral)

I never fell in love with Cuenca the way many expats do. The weather is all too often cool and misty, and the center of town is a bit crowded and dirty, and not in a charming way. It does have some amazing restaurants and some gorgeous churches. My opinion was always-Quito has just as amazing restaurants and more gorgeous churches, and Loja is a big enough city to have amenities, has better weather than Cuenca, but shares the nice, dry, clean mountain air and also boasts creative culture.

(at the lookout in Cajas National Park)

Livia and I had a good trip though, we visited the main cathedral and took the tour up to roof. We had a few good meals and enjoyed walking around the city. Took a day to visit a few spots in Cajas National Park, including the hike around a small lake, and up to the highest lookout along the road.

On the last day of the trip we visited Ingapirca, which is the largest and best preserved Incan ruins in Ecuador. It is well worth a visit, a truly impressive and beautiful place. It was one of the countless (and still being discovered) outposts or holy sites that the Incans constructed (or modified) throughout Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile. There weren't many people there, so our tour was 'private' and the guide was very informative. They have llamas grazing about to keep the grass down, and Livia loves llamas, so she slowed the tour down considerably taking llama pictures. We took the extra hike along the ridge below the site to see a few rock features that they believe the Incas carved along the path leading to the site. The ridge and valley were impressive on their own. My only recommendation would be better signage leading to the site. We had to turn around probably three or four times on the windy mountain roads, and continually ask people how to get there, as the town is fairly remote, and the historical site is on the edge of town.

(above is the view of the main temple)

(up close of remains of main temple)