A Tale of Two Banos!

On Sunday for my 55th birthday, my hubby had a surprise… Piedra de Agua.

About 10 minutes outside of Cuenca, you can be in the crater of a volcano and enjoy being pampered like a princess. I’m not sure if Mark knew it or not, but while we were basking in the warm waters of the mineral baths, we were in the center of the crater! Not that it should make that much difference, but remember…we just had an earthquake not too long ago and while I was enjoying the soothing mineral waters and the candlelit cavern, I thought, Hmm…I wonder if this is stable ground? Not to worry, nothing happened except a very invigorating experience.

Afterwards we had lunch at the restaurant (al fresco) and enjoyed a steam bath (very, very hot!). I think we should have had the steam bath first and then lunch (oh well, next time). There are a variety of treatments at Piedra de Agua including mud baths (don’t wear a white swimsuit!) and a variety of massages (inside a cave) for ten dollars extra or access to all treatments for $30. The service was impeccable and I felt truly pampered.

Now, I have to tell you, I’m hard pressed to decide which “banos” I like better. You see, just down the street (or up) -- depending on the direction you are coming from -- there is another “banos.” Actually, if you want to get technical about the whole thing, “banos” are everywhere in Banos. We haven’t tried all of them yet, but today just for the fun of it we headed to Osteria Duran to do a little comparison shopping. We arrived by taxi ($3.00) at Osteria Duran and saw several tour buses. Not what you want to see because the pool is not that big. After paying $5.00 for the entrance fee which also includes use of the grounds and steam baths, we found the pool to be packed and no tables available. It looked like a banos convention. I checked out the look on my hubby’s face and thought, Uh-oh, I think we won’t be coming back here again! But as it turned out, in two hours everyone went “home,” and we had the pool to ourselves which was lovely.

If I had to tell you which experience I liked better, it would definitely be “Piedra de Agua.” For $5.00 more, you have personalized service, access to all the mineral pools, the steam room, and a polite and courteous staff that makes sure your experience is exceptional.

There you have it…”a tale of two banos.” Now, I just need to check out the rest of the mineral baths and spas!

Unril next time...hasta luego!

Consuelo y Marco

The Fear Factor

This week I have received over ten e-mails addressing the "crime" in Cuenca. I decided to sleep on it first before I commented on the subject.

Many Americans come to Cuenca with an "American" mentality of what is safe and what is not, which is part of the problem!

Yes, Cuenca has crime and so does inner city Philadelphia. I would not walk the streets of Philly after dark if you paid me (in some areas!). The same rule applies in Cuenca. There are certain sections of Cuenca I would not venture into after dark without my husband; however, there are a lot more places in Philly I would not venture into even in the daytime hours. I think you get my point.

Common sense rules: If in doubt...don't!

That being said, I feel safer here than I did in America. Ecuador is a relatively poor country, so there are a lot more robberies and petty-theft crimes. If you flaunt your diamond rings, gold jewelry or furs...you will be a target. However, if you wear a backpack, designer sunglasses and an Indiana Jones hat, you will also be a target (even if you wear absolutely no jewelry). Why? Because you will look like a gringo!

Our language instructor is Cuencano and he has given us a lot of insight into the culture and what is proper (and what is not). He has told us the areas that are safe and the areas that are not. We have purposely committed ourselves to learning as much about the culture and language as possible, so we have limited our contact with Americans and have stuck to "hanging" out with the Ecuadorians. The first month in any culture is the most important; it is when your senses are the keenest and you absorb the most information. Fear is a terrible emotion and one you don't need to tap into.

Quite frankly, hanging out with Americans has increased my "fear factor." In general, they talk about who got robbed, shot and killed. Do not, I repeat...do not let the fear factor keep you from coming to Cuenca. If you come with an open mind, common sense, and leave your fear factor at home, you will enjoy this lovely place!

Until next time...hasta luego!


Marco y Consuelo


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