An evening in Old Town Cuenca

Yesterday, we took a stroll through the Old Town core of Cuenca. The evening was beautifully lit by the setting sun, the temperature went well with a sweater, and the city streets were quiet (due to the day of rest). It was a great time to take some pictures and to wander around. We first visited the Parque Calderon (top left) where a crowd had gathered to watch a handful of young people brake-dancing inside a small gazebo. It was rather impressive. We passed a church with its doors wide open (top right) and then wandered down towards the Rio Tomebamba where there are paths and grassy areas. Some of the houses overlooking the river were quite interesting, with various levels and balconies (bottom left). We crossed the river on a foot bridge and reached a recreational park. People were playing ¨futbol¨, running, swinging, and a group of city workers were setting up a very large nativity scene with lights and glitter. Inside the park, there was a funny statue that we found to be oddly out of proportion. We took a photo from behind the jogging character with the setting sun in the background (bottom right). It was time for dinner and a small fast-food restaurant, that we had eyed all day for some reason, won us over for dinner. Mary had a drink, eggs, beans, and rice for $1 and I had a hamburger, fries, and a drink for $2 (again, we managed to break the bank). We went to bed after a game of crib, and looked forward to our next day in Cuenca.