Cuenca, Ecuador
March 28 - May 26th [2023]
This is my second time in Cuenca and the first I've revisited a city over the past couple years. My return to Cuenca was driven by a tainted 2021 experience that included Covid lock downs, closed businesses, an unhealthy abundance of stray dogs roaming empty streets and a general feel of paranoia that dominated the world during its pandemic. And in spite of these negatives, I managed to recognize the potential of what the city had to offer. Cuenca was also the city I chose as a candidate for possible relocation so it was important to experience its better half. Clearly, this was the right call because my second round in Ecuador surpassed expectations.
Cuenca is a historic Spanish Colonial city 8500 feet above sea level in a large valley within the Andes. It’s not for everyone given its moody weather, abundance of rainfall and relative isolation in the middle of Ecuador. However, for those of us who celebrate the drama of nature at extremes, Cuenca is magic. Aside from showcasing some of the best-preserved architecture in South America, Ecuador's third largest city is primarily known its four rivers and a finely groomed corridor's that border its banks. I don’t think a single day out of sixty passed without spending thirty minutes to an hour hiking along side these hypnotic flows of water. Rivers embody a unique power to mentally cleanse, especially those with a high degree of kinetic energy that can be experienced at close proximity as is the case in Cuenca. Unlike my first trip to Cuenca in 2021, I decided to highlight its natural attributes in the photos below (the first four represent a short stay in Quito in route to Cuenca. For those interested in viewing its architecture and other man made components, go here.
As an added bonus, I was fortunate to discover and secure a unique apartment built into a hillside over looking the historic center. Its innovative design included brick, bamboo and a generous application of floor to ceiling glass that offered views of the dramatic weather show on a daily basis. And this became an inspiration and motivation to produce more art from the images I had collected over the previous months and years. Overall, my second visit to Cuenca confirmed what I had initially envisioned - a self contained, historic jewel nestled in the Andes with a robust supply of fresh water and organically grown produce within its borders. A semi permanent return is most probable once I've exhausted my desire to continue forward.
One final note. I had to travel down to Guayaquil along the coast to catch a flight to Peru. This route cuts through a dramatic section of the Andes revealing radical topography wrapped in clouds and periodic splashes of sunshine. Spectacular. The trip alone is an event in itself and high recommended if you decide to visit Cuenca.
