Cuenca: Cookies, Cathedrals, and Catastrophe

Flower marker

The next day after Joaquin was so nice to give me a lot of medication, my pain had subsided and I felt somewhat better. Laura and I had escaped the craziness and the awkwardness of our guest’s house and gone to explore the city. We had no idea where we were going but we just started walking toward what looked like the center of the city. We walked and walked and walked… we also stopped at a bakery or two. We have become obsessed with the bakeries here. Most cities are littered with them. There is a bakery literary on almost every street corner. I only picked at a few things because I was still scared to eat too much.

Enjoying our sweet treats in Cuenca

We continued walking and at one point spotted the spires of a church. That is almost a definite sign of a town center. The church or I should say churches, are the main focal point of the city and the center is built around them. So we headed for the spires. We finally found the church and it was in fact the center. I think we walked about 5 or 6 miles to get there. By this point we had worked up an appetite and even I was hungry. So we picked a somewhat more commercialized restaurant that looked safe and ate Italian food. I figured a pasta dish was pretty safe for my stomach. After lunch we walked through the center a little more. The lunch was settling rather well and I was getting a little more confident. We had passed too many bakeries to resist any longer so we picked on with delicious looking cookies and ice creams. Laura got ice cream and I got a plate full of little cookies. They were delicious. I am glad we are walking so much on this trip or we would have easily gained 20 pounds by now.

We wrapped up our center exploration by visiting a few of the markets. We pursued the many stalls, looking at all of the cheesy tourist trinkets. Do people really buy this stuff? Laura did end up buying a llama sweater. Luckily she was able to find one without little llamas all over it. It was one of the few acceptable things to purchase. We’ll see if she ends up wearing it. We then stopped at a flower market and sat on a bench to observe the people. There were so many flower of all shapes, sizes, and colors. The market was positioned between two old churches and between the sound of the church bells and the many church goers, shoppers, and flower vendors it made for an interesting and entertaining atmosphere.

After we had our fill of the center we started on the long walk back. We made it back to the main road, but from there we hopped on a bus to give our poor feet a rest. When we made it back to Joaquin’s house I was nervous to go in for fear of what we might find. At first there was no one in sight and we just walked in and went to our room. We were both reading and relaxing a bit when we heard the door open and voices. It was Joaquin’s parents. They were returning from a trip and were shocked to find the house a bit messy. An hour long argument proceeded. I felt bad for Joaquin. His parents were not happy and were not being shy about expressing it.

After the dust settled a bit, Joaquin shyly pocked his head into our room and asked us if we would like some dinner. At dinner we had a chance to meet his parents and chat a bit. They were all very nice and I was glad to be staying with them. We went to bed feeling better about the situation and were looking forward to another day in Cuenca, this time with a little guidance from our hosts.

In the morning Joaquin was nice enough to make us breakfast. He was happy that I was looking better and that I had an appetite again and a bit of energy. He told us all about the city and gave us a map. He gave us a quick tour and drove us to a lookout over Cuenca. This is by far the prettiest city we have been to in Ecuador. The buildings are actually finished and there is not quit so much garbage thrown everywhere. Joaquin drove us through a bit more of the city then left us in the center again, this time with an agenda.

We visited a couple of museums and ruins and of course a pastry shop or two. By the time we were finished with the museums it was already after 3:00 so we headed to find the lunch spot Joaquin had recommended. After a satisfying lunch we headed out to find an old pharmacy that was on our must see list. When we stepped in it was like something out of a movie. The walls and counters were made of dark stained, old wood, and the walls were covered with old glass bottles. The counters encircled you and had large glass display windows. As Joaquin instructed us we asked for a soda. He said it would be good for my stomach. We watched as the pharmacist mixed water with a red, fruity syrup for flavor then added a white powder that fizzed immediately. It was quite tasty. I don’t know if it did much for my stomach though, since not long after I started feeling bad again and we decided to head home. We started to walk out of the center and where trying to hail a cab but they all seemed to be full. We kept walking but I progressively got worse until I had to run to a nearby shop and ask to use the restroom. I felt bad because I think I made the entire back half of the store smell awful. I won’t elaborate to save myself some embarrassment.

We made it back out to the street and we were finally able to get a cab. I spent the rest of the night lying in bed trying to fight off the nauseous feeling that had developed. Between that and the stomach pain I was in pretty bad shape. When Joaquin’s father got home from work he came in to say hi and asked what was wrong with me. When I told him my symptoms he gave me a concerned look and asked if I had had my hepatitis vaccinations. I told him I had but he was still convinced that there was a possibility that I had contracted hepatitis A. This was definitely not comforting. He insisted that we go to the hospital to have blood work done. I don’t know what I was more scared of, having hepatitis A, or the hospital bill.

We got to the emergency room and they laid me down on a bed and proceeded to take my blood. I was a little nervous when I noticed the man taking my blood wasn’t wearing gloves, but at least the needle came out of a sterile package. They then proceeded to give me a couple of pills to take and then they gave me a bottle of pediasure and told me I had to drink the whole thing in an hour. I don’t know if you have tried this pediasure stuff before but it is awful. They trick you by giving it a wonderful grape smell that reminded me of diamatabe. I used to love that stuff as a kid. I took a big swig expecting the same taste and instead got this weird salty fake grape flavor. I almost gagged then was horrified by the thought of having to drink the whole bottle. I stayed a while longer and drank a bit more pediasure while I waited for the results of my blood work. I luckily did not have hepatitis A, but my blood work did show that my white blood cell count was up and I was fighting an infection. So after all I had eaten something bad and gotten bacteria in my intestines.

I felt a bit better and really wanted to be out of there so I asked to leave. They said it was ok; there was just the matter of the bill. I all the sudden didn’t feel so good again as I waited so see how much it was going to be. They handed me the bill and I was in disbelief to see it was only $31. In the states it would have been in the hundreds. All of the sudden I felt really bad. I ran to the bathroom just in time to vomit the entire contents of my stomach. I have never vomited so much at one time. I think I vomited six times. I did feel better after though.

The next morning I started my antibiotics and spent the day at home. I was really weak and Joaquin’s dad advised me not to eat anything more than water, tea, or bread for the next couple of days. This was fine because I don’t think I could have if I wanted to. We spent all day watching movies and reading. It was good to have the rest anyway. I was hoping that by tomorrow I would have enough energy to be able to see more of the city.

Christina