Cuenca, Vilcabamba, Quito- wrapping up the Ecuador trip

Well it was back on the bus and the final legs of the trip: a few days in Cuenca, Vilcabamba and then Quito.

So little known fact here: the panama hat is actually made in Ecuador- Cuenca to be exact. Although these two were close- we didn't find the "just right" lids to buy.

Cuenca was cool, but it didn't really captivate us. I think the reason for this is that we had such high hopes. Since Matt and Diana Scherr used to live there we just figured it would be off the charts cool- but I guess we were expecting it to be like hanging out with them in Minturn or something- oh well- next time we bring the Scherrs.

spot the Wilder?

smart business plan in Cuenca: sell flowers near the church.

Our next stop was Vilcabamba. A little town that seems to attract a fair number of gringo retirees and younger hippies. Luca asked just what a hippie was and  we basically told him that there were many kinds but basically (like the guy walking by at the time) they wear pajama pants all day long.
Big mistake- Luca is now ready to be hippy solely based on wardrobe.

 

Another town, another hike

spot the luca?

We picked a bit of a cloudy day to go to the cloudforest- but it had the most amazing biodiversity per square meter I have ever seen- so good to science geek out. "hey Wilder have I told you how ferns are different than plants?"
 

best hiking snack ever!

Soon it was time to fly to Quito. (no bus thank you very much). Oh and look out the plane window... that volcano I have never seen... it's still in the clouds.

we took the teleferico up and you guessed it- started hiking. Looking back at the kids Lisa and I slowly reached an understanding that maybe, just maybe, they had hiked enough for one trip.

So we cruised around the city, with it's ornate buildings and churches. Seriously, the churches had the coolest gargoyles ever!

 

Lisa shops for a fashionable sweater.

Luca and Innes shop for some fashionable head gear.

 Wilder looking happy, Apostles looking serious. 

Thanks Ecuador- it was a great trip.