My clothes were starting to smell and i needed to clean them pronto. For my travels, I brought along with me a small bottle of laundry wash liquid soap (Trek & Travel brand), and when I was in Guayaquil, I could easily wash and dry my clothes because I had access to the rooftop and the sun was hot enough to dry my clothes in a day. In Cuenca, the temperature in the day sat at around 20C, so I wasn't sure if I would have enough time to dry my clothes in time.
As luck would have it, there were two laundry cleaning places in front of the place i was staying at. It cost around $4USD to clean 5 pairs of underwear, one pair of shorts, 2 socks and 4 t-shirts. The lady said it would be ready the next morning, so I went along with the deal, went back to my hostal and delivered my clothes.
For breakfast I went to a cafe called Cafè de Ñucallacta which I found on TripAdvisor. They are known for making some of the best coffee in Cuenca so I decided to try it out. I ordered desayuna sencilla (simple breakfast) which included eggs, a piece of bread, hash browns, and a coffee. During breakfast, I started to plan out my day. Today, I planned to visit the old and new cathedrals and also the Tomebamba River. I also planned on going to a famous Panama hat maker called Homero Ortega and maybe get a hat.
I sat next to table where an American man and a lady were sitting and I overheard their conversation. They talked about how they were both lucky to travel and work. The man was writing a book. They also talked about Baños (my next destination) and about a story where their friend was mugged for his IPhone after stumbling home in a drunken stupor by two local guys. He was able to buy his IPhone back for $100 bucks from the 2 guys the following day. Apparently, these 2 Ecuadorians make a living from this kind of stunt. I took note to remind myself to be vigilant wherever I am in Ecuador. Anyways, breakfast was excellent as expected and I was filled with energy which would propel me throughout the day!
Rio Tomembamba (Tomembamba River)
Tomembamba River runs right through the city of Cuenca so it was only about a 10 minute walk to get there from Café Ñucallacta. There are 4 main rivers with converge in Cuenca but Tomembamba River is very important to Cuenca, because the people get their drinking water from here. These rivers all come from the Amazon rain forests. The river made me feel calm and peaceful as I sat down on the bank of the river to gather my thoughts.
Catedral Viejo/Catedral Antigua (Old Cathedral)
The old cathedral is right in the middle of the city adjacent to the Parque Calderon, a central plaza occupying an entire block. The old cathedral is over 500 years old and has turned into a museum for the most part in favor of the new cathedral. It was the main place of worship during the Spanish colonization.
Catedral Nuevo (New Cathedral)
The new cathedral which also sits across Parque Calderon (and the old cathedral) sits majestically in the city center. It is just unmistakably huge and beautiful with it's blue domes peering from the rooftops and grandiose doors welcoming visitors.
When I arrived at the church, a mass was just finishing. As I entered, I was not prepared to take in the sight of the biggest church I have ever visited. The 100 year old church was welcoming and serene and the sheer size of the place made me feel small and humble. Inside the church there were 11 or so altars and shrines. The shrines were situated on the sides and the main altar was in the front. Many people were walking around taking pictures and admiring the beautiful statues and architecture. Despite the busy atmosphere of the church, the ambience was calming and quiet and many people were still able to pray in peace.
After visiting the new cathedral, I went to Parque Calderon and sat down on a bench to plan the next places I would visit next. I sat in the park next to an elderly man whom I got to practice some Spanish. He said his name was Juan and he has lived in Cuenca for his whole life. We exchanged other facts about ourselves and when he asked me if I was married and I said I was single, he congratulated me LOL.. anyways, it was nice to share some stories with this man and I shared some candy with him which I had bought the previous night.
Before I left, I asked if I could visit the roof to look at the domes. I ended up paying someone $1USD and was able to go. There was amazing views of the Cuenca from the rooftop.
Homero Ortega (Panama Hat Maker)
Despite the rain, I decided to go to Homero Ortega, a famous Panamá hat maker in Ecuador. The place was about a 45 minute walk from my hostal and the historic city center.
On the way I stopped by a market selling household things and some tourist stuff.
As I was getting farther from the city center, the sweet taste that I have savoured of Cuenca started to fade away. The spanish architecture which I had gotten accustomed to was replaced by modern buildings, some run down and the I felt I was in a busy city again like Guayaquil.
Some other sites along the way:
I passed by the main bus station (where I would later take a bus to Baños the next day). I was cautioned to watch our for all forms of danger around the bus terminal.
Panama Hat Myth
One thing I learned about Google maps on this trip is that it is highly inaccurate at times¡ The address for Homero Ortega was off by about 5 blocks and I had to ask for directions to finally get to the right location. There is a false myth about Panama hats that I already knew about before visiting Homero Ortega. Many people believe Panama hats are from Panama. There is nothing farther than the truth. While the Panama Canal was being built in the early 1900's, and when Panama started to become a major trading hub, Ecuador had a market for selling hats in large part in Panama. When people came home and were asked where they bought their hats, they would say they bought it in Panama. So you can see where the confusion led to. Panama hats were and still are originally made in Ecuador. Cuenca is known for hat making and Homero Ortega has a long history in making these hats and are world famous for it. The hats range from quality (and price) and differ from how granular (and perfect) the weaving is. You can tell a good quality straw hat by holding it to the sun or light. Really good hats don't allow light through, which is what you want when you're wearing it in the South American sun.
Panama hats range in price from the really cheap ($15USD) to ultra-expensive ($200USD++). At Homera Ortega, there is no cheap hats as all hats are well-made. The more expensive hats involve a lot of work to make and you can definitely see the difference in quality. I could really feel the pride and quality in each hat that comes out of here as I spoke to the people working there. You can also visit the factory where the hats are made and learn more about them. 
Theresa was more than happy to help me pick out a hat for me. I settled for a $50USD typico hat which suited my needs. I was just really happy to get one.
On the way back I stopped by a farmers market and bought some cherries for my trip to Baños. All organic!! Mmm..
For dinner, I decided to look for a restaurant that had fish. I have been craving it since Guayaquil. For $5USD I got a big plate of beef stew, fish, rice and a cup of tomate de árboles (tomato juice). The meal was quite good and the sauce that came with the meal was spicy, just the way I like it.
Today was a lot of walking around and before I went to my hostal, I stopped by a bar to have a glass of beer. The next day I will travel to Baños and want to be fully rested.
¡Buenas noches Cuenca!
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