Cuenca, Ecuador 🇪🇨 

I am struggling a little with Cuenca, it is a lovely city but it doesn’t have a heap of tourist attractions, well not ones that make my list. Today is a holiday, remembering the First cry of independence so it is even quieter here. I decide to wander in the opposite direction to yesterday, along Calle Larga to Pumapongo where there is supposed to be a good cultural museum and also Inca ruins. The museum is free and has a couple of rooms with colonial art. The ground floor has an exhibition on the history of Ecuadorian currency and the top floor showcases traditional costumes from each region. These vary greatly and my favourite exhibit has to be of tzantzas (shrunken heads) from the Shuar culture of the southern Oriente!

The archeological ruins are behind the museum and are supposed to represent part the old Incan city of Tomebamba. There are Incan terraces and a extensive garden at the bottom where I manage to find some shade and watch hummingbirds. Walking along to the pond there are some aviaries with local birds. I really enjoyed the area, more than I thought I would. Following the river back there are a few bars overlooking it where I enjoy a massive slice of passion fruit cheesecake whilst watching families enjoy the holiday. 

– Also discovered today that the Panama hat is made in Ecuador.  The Europeans named it as it was exported from the Panama Canal!