City Tour, Part 2

More pics from the yellow bus tour.

We ended up at Turi overlooking the City.  The views of Cuenca are spectacular!

 

 

A stop at Turi is about 20 minutes so you can explore the little community and her Church.

 

 

More pictures on the way back to the Square.  Art at a school yard.

Flags at California Kitchen.

Back to the Old Cathedral.

Another fun day with the Watsons!

 

 

City Tour, Part 1

We finally rode the new yellow tour bus! 

The Watsons joined us on a perfect day to sit on top one morning.  Not  hot, not raining, just-right weather (but we did need those hats).  We loved being tourists!

The double-decker red buses have been around for awhile and we took that tour a few years ago when we were new to the City. This yellow one is the newest addition  to the fleet. We were curious if the route was all that different from the red ones...It is a little different, but still ends up at Turi for the spectacular views.


Always fun to see the City from 2 stories up.  You can really appreciate all the details on the buildings.  We'll do this blog topic in 2 parts, so we can share more pictures with you.

You catch the buses at the Square,  right in front of the Old Cathedral.  Here's the sign with the latest hours.

The yellow bus has table seating on the first level, rows of seats on the top.  The tour is in both Spanish and English.

You can also get your tickets from several tour agencies around town.

Some pictures as we ride along beginning at the Square.

 Calle Larga.

Looking down the stairs to Mother's Park.

Todos Santos Church.

Inca stonework.

 

Av 12 de Abril.

On to Av Solano.

 

 

 

Part 2 is next.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Countryside, Continued

More pictures of the Paute Valley countryside.
The surrounding mountains are gorgeous!

Flora and fauna.  Paute area is about 1000 feet lower than Cuenca, so generally,  warmer temps
(and more bugs).

Some say that 'everything grows' in Paute.  Good black dirt for the gardens.

Berries growing wild.

Some kind of 'seed balls'.

 

 

 

Ants carrying their bounty.  We call these 'Daniel's ants'.  Our friend Daniel pointed them out to us one day as we were walking down a country path.  So interesting!  We were careful not to disturb them as we stepped gingerly over and around.

Gentle breezes through the trees.

 

 

Imagine the birdsong, all day, everyday, in the country.

In Cuenca, you might hear the birds only in the early mornings before the traffic,  construction noise, howling dogs, car alarms and the sounds of the sheer humanity take over.

Nancy's favorite cows.

This pair is going home after a hard day of eating.  Their caretaker 'parks' them on the side of the road or in an open field to graze while he works nearby.  You'll see cows grazing along the roads and rivers in Cuenca, too.

 

A kitty!

More country critters.

Another peaceful shot of the Paute River.

Less than an hour away from crazy-busy Cuenca, you can see vistas like this!

Clean air, peace and quiet. Clears out the cobwebs and the hurts of the City, softens the heart and refreshes the soul.