Yesterday, we went to the Yachana Gourmet Chocolate factory in Quito.  They roast the cacao (chocolate) beans and then crush them into nibs and sweeten them with natural sugar cane syrup.  They then mix the nibs with nuts and fruit in different combinations to make an interesting treat.  It has the crunchy texture of trail mix and the chocolate taste really lingers in your mouth.  They also press the nibs and make an 80% pure baking chocolate.  Yum yum.  In the afternoon, we went to a fair trade cooperative that works with small farms, indigenous people, women, and afro-ecuadorians in the fair trade agricultural and craft markets.  They have a really great philosophy and goal to keep small sustainable farms alive in a very competitive agricultural market. 

Our group had to get up early this morning and be ready at 5:30am to catch a flight to Cuenca.  We arrived before 8:00am, and our guide, Wilson, was there waiting for us.  He took us to our very nice hotel and then around town in a walking tour.  We visited the flower market, cathedral, modern art museum, and the ceramic shop of Eduardo Veda.  Cuenca is a beautiful colonial city that was originally inhabited by the Canari people and then was overtaken by the Incas for a mere 30 years.  The Spanish invaded in 1534 and then ruled until 1822.  Many building still exist from the colonial time.  In 1822, Cuenca gained its independence from the Spanish and joined in the country of Gran Colombia with Colombia, Venezuala and Peru.  This lasted until 1830 when the republic of Ecuador was founded.  We had a delicious three course lunch at a local restaurant and then went to a lookout over the city.  It would be the perfect place if it wasn´t so cold!  Tomorrow, we go to see pre-Incan ruins.