Last weekend in Cuenca

Last Sunday we awoke reasonably early and made a plan to visit the central park where a local music group was playing a small concert. We were expecting some new and interesting music; however it was fairly average and we left early. Our plans changed and we headed for the Museum of Modern Art six blocks away. The entrance was free and the displayed exhibit was the work of a group of 5 artists, from 4 different countries in South America (Columbia, Argentina, Ecuador, Venezuela). The museum was in an old monestary and contained various interesting hallways, passages, and atriums. When the museum closed for the day, we left and found ourselves at a very busy market. It was well timed, as we had built up an appetite wandering around the cobblestone streets of Cuenca. The market was divided into meat sections (poultry, beef, fish, pork), fruits, vegetables, spices, fruit juices, and pure cocoa. We were kindly swayed by a lady behind a pork counter to buy lunch from her. She held a piece of pork up with her hands, reaching enthusiastically over her large cooked pig, which ¨hogged¨ the majority of her counter-space, and encouraged us try it. It was delicious, perhaps some of the best tasting meat we have had since arriving in South America. Very tender and full of taste. We ordered almuerzo (lunch special) quickly afterwards. She dug her hands into a pot of rice and filled a plate, then her hands plunged into the pig's body grabbing a handful of meat and dropping it onto the rice. She added potatoes and salad (one handful of each). It was enough food for a family and came to a total of $1.25. We left the market with various fruits and made our way to the park. We ate fruit and watched the locals play futbal and volleyball (a very popular sport here).