Cuenca Day 3- Mi ultimo dia y Parque Nacional Cajas

Being on vacation was great, not only in the fact that I was with a cool family in another city, because I got to sleep in two days in a row! After the usual breakfast routine and the 10 o'clock departure time actually meaning 11 o'clock, we headed to Parque Nacional Cajas which is about 30 minutes outside the city of Cuenca. It is a very peaceful and beautiful place as well as the source of fresh water for the city. Cuenca is know for having some of the cleanest water in all of South America and it is safe to drink right from the faucet. Also, the river Tomebamba which runs directly through the city originates up in the mountains of the park.

At the park there is also a shire (a giant cross, outdoor church and statues) in honor of the Virgin Mary. It is an extremely tranquil place and the mountain sides and cool air are very calming. We spent about 45 minutes walking around the area at the park entrance but didn't venture back further because it is dangerous to wander through the park without a guide (every year people get lost in the forest because it is easy to become disoriented).

After our walk we all went up the road for some lunch before I had to head out to the airport. I had some very delicious trout. A word to the wise when traveling in South America, your fish is cooked exactly the way is comes out of the water. No gutting or skinning it. I personally love fish this way but it definitely freaks some people out. Oh, and be careful because there are a lot of little bones you don't want to swallow!

After lunch we headed back to the house and I packed all of my stuff up. In Ecuadorian tradition, the whole family went to the airport with me and saw me off. It was definitely the perfect ending to a great weekend and I now have more reason than ever to go back to Cuenca!

Sorry these took so long to put up but I also just spent 4 days in Cartagena, Colombia and I will start writing about that trip tomorrow!