Back in the UK (or so I thought when I saw the weather)

---

- FOOD: My bad diet was broken by 'ceviche' - a Peruvian/Ecuadorian dish of fish marinated in chilis and lime juice and served with chopped tomatoes and raw onion, served with pop corn! Sadly the desert of tinned peaches and squirty cream let the meal down.

- AREA: Cuenca is classed as Ecuador's most beautiful colonial city with it's narrow, cobbled streets and colourful houses with balconies. Sadly my accommodation did not live up to this pretty picture!

- PEOPLE: Locals that stare. Not many tourists.

- WEATHER: Am I back in the UK?


Thur 30th June: The moment I arrived in Loja at 7am, there was a bus to Cuenca so I caught it. What's another 5 hours when you've already travelled for what seems like 5 years on the bus?
I thought I'd got into a time machine rather than a bus and been whisked to the UK as when I looked out of the window, all I saw were trees, grass with cows, grey sky and on and off rain.

I arrived at possibly the worst place I've stayed in yet - a hostel with a nice courtyard and big, spacious rooms all around it. However, these were all full with a school of kids on a visit and so I was shown to a door that looked like it led to a broom cupboard, up some narrow steps that felt like my foot would go through them and into a room with a bed that looked like an elephant had slept in it, a lock so flimsy a 5 year old could easily break in, fag butts on the floor and grafitti on the wall. But it was a room to myself and the bathroom which was just outside the room might not have had any running water in the sink but the toilet flushed....

For 1.50 pounds, I decided to have it.

I dragged myself away from my luxury accommodation to check out the town which is very quaint, with cobbled streets and slightly run down houses, although they are nice as they're all different colours. The rain was still on and off but when it was off, the sun was boiling.
I've still had enough of churches even after a few days break but did go into the old cathedral off the big, spacious plaza. The cathedral was big and dark but was very calm and had NICE statues!!! Plus lots of stained glass - very peaceful.
I also found a couple of art museums with art work worth checking out and they were FREE.

At long last I could break my diet of Sublime bars and crisps and have decent food and I found a place that did 'ceviche con camaron' - a dish that had been recommended to me. Shrimps marinated in chilis and lime juice and served with chopped tomatoes and raw onion. Really tasty and popcorn was served with it! I splashed out on desert but it wasn't too great - tinned peaches and squirty cream.

I noticed lots of dentists around Cuenca. Not many tourists and I got stared at quite a bit. I am losing patience with it now but at least I didn't get any hassle.

---