We always feel a bit hesitant but excited before crossing the border into a new country. You have these pre-conceived ideas of what the country will be like and images in your head from photographs or descriptions from other travellers and blog posts. But now you are here, at the frontera.

Our original plan was to scope out the Colca Canyon before heading to the colonial town of Arequipa.  I’m going to be completely honest with you.  Don’t get me wrong, we enjoy dirt road driving.  But the drive from Cusco towards the Colca Canyon turnoff just felt like it took forever, so instead of making the turn we continued on towards Arequipa.  I think there is something about driving on freshly paved roads that alternate with dirt washboard… it tests your patience.  “All dirt or all paved!”

This is the moment we’ve all been waiting for. One of the highlights of our trip. The most impressive ruins we’ve ever seen. The beauty and grandeur of the Inca people, set high atop a mountain and so remote you can only access it by train or by foot. The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Machu Picchu.

The Sacred Valley of the Incas, formed by the Urubamba River, runs through the central Andes of Peru from Cusco to Machu Picchu.  It is comprised of numerous villages, colonial towns, markets, and archeological sites.  Many sets of Inca ruins (large and small) line the Valley, keeping tourists busy for days.

We started the road to Cusco, Peru by finally leaving the big city of Lima and heading to the Paracas National Reserve for some epic cliff-side ocean views and blue skies and wispy white clouds. Little Red never looked so good as far as we’re concerned!

After two weeks in the Cordillera Blanca we regretfully headed towards Lima. Regretfully, because we did quite a bit of hiking and exploring in the area, but it felt like we hadn’t even scratched the surface.

We decided to spend a couple of days in Huaraz stocking up on food and fast wifi, and attempting to decide whether or not to do the Santa Cruz Trek unguided.

Unfortunately Richard succumbed to the evils of altitude sickness on our first night at elevation. Poor guy spent several hours in the fetal position in our rooftop tent suffering from a cranium-splitting headache caused by the lack of oxygen at 12,500 feet.

We started our drive along the northern coast of Peru by descending from the mountains. The scenery changed dramatically.  Everything dried up.  Sand dunes appeared.  Our water jug deflated.  You know how it is with a drop in elevation and all that.  #science

Eventually the day had come for us to step into the unknown: Peru.

It was time to explore the art, food, museums, hats, parks and churches in Cuenca, Ecuador. Cuenca (pronounced “kwenka”) was the only location in Ecuador that we parked the truck and loaded our suitcases and toiletry belongings into a hostel room

It was time to explore the art, food, museums, hats, parks and churches in Cuenca, Ecuador. Cuenca (pronounced “kwenka”) was the only location in Ecuador that we parked the truck and loaded our suitcases and toiletry belongings into a hostel room.  We kept busy for about a week soaking up the sights, of which there were many.  It was a bit of a shock to be back in a modern city with cinemas and malls, and we definitely wandered around wide-eyed at all there was to offer.

We enjoyed the parks and tree-lined river running through the city, saw ex-pats pretty much everywhere we went (Cuenca is a popular ex-pat spot), and didn’t mind being in the centre of a busy city for once.  The only drawback was the terrible air pollution that burned our eyes as we sauntered down the sidewalked streets every day.

Cuenca is definitely an artisanal city.  We spent several days visiting woven hat factories and museums, ceramic workshops, and art and history museums.  Our first stop was the flower market, which bursted with bright red, pink, yellow, purple, and green flowers of all kinds.

As we passed the flower market we came upon our first of the churches in Cuenca, Ecuador. The huge Cathedral de la Inmaculada.  We toured the inside, including the rooftop and the crypt.  Sure  the crypt was painted white and brightly lit (not what we imagined for a crypt) but it was awesome to see the inner workings of one of Latin Americas largest churches.

The bustling Mercado 9 de Octobre.  This is where you go if you want roast pig and fresh coconut and raspberry juice for lunch and a large array of fresh fruits and veggies.

We stopped in at the Museo del Sombrero del Paja Toquilla (say that ten times fast!!) aka the Panama Hat museum and shop.  It was really interesting to check out the metal presses used to create the shape of the hats.  We learned about what differentiates a superfino hat from the more loosely woven noggin-toppers.  This article from NPR does a good job of explaining the time and effort that go into making an extremely high quality superfino hat (thanks to George and Rachel for sending it along!).

You may feel somewhat confused about the fact that Panama Hats are sold in Ecuador.  In actuality the Panama Hat originated on the Ecuadorian Coast.  Eventually shipments of hats (along with many other South American goods) were sent to Panama, which was the point of international sale.  They were called Panama Hats not because of their place of origin, but their point of export.  In Ecuador they are more accurately referred to as sombreros del paja toquilla (hats of toquilla straw).

The large Modern Art Museum housed a variety of interesting pieces, many with a focus on local societal issues.

The series of photographs (along with a video) below followed the story of a man whose tienda (small store) was reduced to rubble in order to be replaced by modern housing.

Richard gave this guy a thumbs-up and was rewarded with a big grin.

This is the new contender for best ice cream.  The fresa/coco (strawberry/coconut) combo from Tutto Freddo on the main square was delicious.  Ash’s face says it all.

The $0.15 pan de yuca from Deleyt.  What you’re looking at here is warm, melt in your mouth, bread made from yucca flour and cheese.

Thai noodle salad?  Where are we?  What’s happening?  We took advantage of our time in a small city and ate food that we didn’t find elsewhere in the country.  GringosAbroad and the Gringo Post were great resources for places to eat.  We found this spicy salad at A Pedir de Boca.  The chef spent time abroad and returned to Cuenca, creating a menu filled with international food.  The apple pie was the best we’ve ever had.  We returned two nights in a row for it as well as the noodle bowl below.

The Pumpapumgo (El Banco) Museum was just across the street from our hostel, so we popped in for a quick tour.  The highlight for us was definitely the first floor which contained a variety of vintage black and white photography and paintings.

Our daily dose of coffee.  Tutto Freddo is good, but we couldn’t help but keep returning to the Nucallacta Cafe.  The coffee (made with either a french press, espresso machine, or by classic drip) was amazing and we spent plenty of time chatting with the friendly owner.

Alberto Pulla’s legacy lives on at Casa del Sombrero.  These famous Panama hats have been made and sold out of this small workshop at Tarqui 6-91 in Cuenca since 1943.

After an hour’s walk from downtown, we trudged up these steep steps for a great view of the city.

What we were really here for, though, was Eduardo Vega’s house/workshop/studio.  Eduardo Vega is a local potter who studied in Europe and returned to Cuenca.  His work is inspired by the Ecuadorian landscapes, culture, and animals.

Vega’s themes centre around the flora and fauna of the Galapagos Islands as well as traditional and rural occupations.  Basically we just tried not to smash anything while we walked around checking out the breakables, his workshop, and the great view.

When not touring the city we kept busy by making raspberry chia jam and drinking boxed Crespi wine while watching The Last Ice Merchant at the AlterNative Hostel.

On our way out of town we decided to stop at El Cajas National Park.  This beautiful park would have been perfect… if it wasn’t so cold, wet, and windy.  We stepped out of the truck after a muddy drive up the mountain and immediately jumped back in, turned around, and drove back to the city for just one more night in Cuenca.

I have to admit that for the first time on the road we actually started to feel homesick. What is this sorcery!?

Apparently Cotopaxi Volcano is not dormant…

After leaving Otavalo our next stop was Quito, Ecuador, but we couldn’t get there before stopping at The Equator!

Our overland adventure took us next to Chimborazo National Park, Ecuador. We actually first drove by Volcano Chimborazo while making our way from the Ecuadorian coast to Banos and just couldn’t believe the sheer size of it. I mean, this thing was MASSIVE.

After 10 days, we reluctantly left Finca Sommerwind and headed for our next destination: the market town of Otavalo.

We have been using our simple plywood platform and Rubbermaid totes for the last 10 months on the road.  This worked fine (for the $60 it costs us) most of the time, but sometimes it got totally out of control organization-wise and nothing was ever easy to access.

Our first South American border crossing experience was incredibly un-stressful. In fact, we weren’t 100% sure if we had completed all of the paper work after we obtained our Vehicle Import Permit and drove off into Ecuador. It felt like the Ikea television commercial where the woman has a cart full of cheap furniture and shouts, “Start the car!!! Start the car!!”

We rolled into Manizales hoping to set up camp at a popular coffee finca called La Hacienda Venecia.  The property was lovely.  A big hacienda with a wrap around deck, rolling grass fields, perfectly clean bathrooms complete with liquid soap and towels, library-themed rooms, and the most amazing kitchen complete with granite countertops.  Yes!  Unfortunately they did not want our sweaty, dust-covered, unkempt persons camping on their property.  Fair enough.