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Cajas National Park

Cuy on a spit!

The best hat shop in Cuenca

Wendy, Judy, Cindy, Dale, and Alberto

One of the hundreds of Orchids we saw

More orchids!

The produce market in Gualaceo

On Thursday, we traveled to the Cajas National Park up at 14,000 feet and hiked among the mountain peaks.  There are beautiful flowers at that altitude and amazing lakes.  I would definitely recommend it as a must see spot in Ecuador.  After eating fresh trout at a local restaurant, we went back to Cuenca and stopped by the Panama Hat factory and museum.  Panama hats were the largest source of income for Cuenca starting in the 1940′s.  The business grew through the 1960′s and boomed during the construction of the Panama Canal.  If you haven’t already guessed, Panama hats are originally from Ecuador and have been worn by the people of Cuenca ever since the Spanish invaded.  Women traditionally weave the hats from a grass called paja from the mountains.  The hats are then sent to a factory where the edges are finished and the hats are dyed and put in a mold to give them their final shape.  After visiting the factory, some of the group went to visit the famous shop of Alberto Pulla.  He is a mute man who is very outgoing and friendly, and he knows his hats!  For dinner, we went to a local restaurant that prepared four cuyes for our group…mmmm guinea pig!  Most of us liked it and at least, tasted it.

On Friday, we went to Gualaceo to visit a produce market, a meat market, and a shaman’s market.  We also visited the most amazing greenhouse where they are trying to grow the most species of orchids in the world.  The orchids are first grown in bottles for 4 months to 4 years depending on the species.  They are then planted communally in a soil mixture and then separated into individual pots.  Some orchids take 6 years to get their first bloom.  The greenhouse had an amazing assortment of native orchids, non native orchids, and hybrids.   We also visited Chordaleg where they are famous for silver filigree jewelry.  Our dinner was at a hacienda that was owned by sugar cane farmers and later converted into a hotel.  The empanadas de viento were delicious.  In the evening, we caught a flight back to Quito.

Our last day in Quito has been filled with shopping, packing, and one last meal together as a group.  It has been one amazing trip that I will never forget!

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