Our New Digs

After a week and a half, we've decided to make a change and move from our homestay to an apartment right in the historic center of Cuenca.  We loved the homestay mostly because of Señora Elena, the woman hosting us.  An incredibly warm person, she really made an effort to make us feel at home.   Her extended family was constantly around, and every single person was as welcoming as she.  Sra. Elena also helped out by giving us great advice about things to do around Cuenca.  It was no surprise to learn that she stays in touch with many of her students who have stayed with her over the years.

We also loved the fantastic views of the city, and having three healthy (if not the most imaginative) meals served each day with no effort from us.

The view we gave up

We changed places for a few reasons (and ultimately, over the objections of O&R who loved staying with "Señora"): we wanted to be a bit closer to the center of town; Sra. Elena's house had no real public spaces, so we were mostly confined to our bedrooms, the food got a bit monotonous, and frankly, the whole house could have used a paint job and a bit of a make-over.

But what really clinched it for us was the fantastic apartment we found in the center.  It's part of an old colonial house, with all the rooms arranged around a center courtyard that, like many in Cuenca, has been enclosed by a glass roof.  The dining room is the courtyard itself, which must be about 35' high.  The kitchen and Ruby's room are off the courtyard on the lower level, and then up the enormous stone stairway, our room and Oscar's room are off the courtyard on the upper level.

It's all nicely furnished (we're renting from an American couple who live here, but aren't around at the moment), and simply huge.  So we're looking forward to having a lot more space to spread out in.  And I'm looking forward to sleeping in something other than a small full sized bed for the first time in Ecuador.