On our first morning in Cuenca, Jairo took us on a morning tour of the town - which is Ecuador's 3rd largest city. It is a beautiful town, and a World Heritage Site, with colonial architecture, cobbled streets and public plazas full of greenery. First stop was at a viewpoint on a hill above the town, from which we had a fabulous view, which really accentuated the style of architecture, as what was so striking was the multitude of red roofs below us. We then went to a famous ceramics studio, full of beautiful things, some of which which I couldn't resist the temptation to purchase, then on to the genuine panama hat factory. This is a local cottage industry, with the hats being made in the surrounding areas, then brought to the factory for finishing,
... read more