Today was our last activity day before leaving Cuenca. We've made a lot of friends in a short amount of time, and it feels sad to be getting ready to leave.
Over the two months here, we found — via WhatsApp groups, Facebook groups, worldschooling groups, and homeschooling groups — many expats who have chosen to come here with their families and live. Lately we've been getting together a couple of times a week in various size groups. Today was an especially large one.
Over thirty of us went out into the countryside and hiked up a mountain with views overlooking Cuenca.
We met first at the church in Baños, in the town square, and we all piled into colectivos — basically taxi trucks — which brought us up into the mountainside. We went to one of the families' summer homes: a nice big yard where the kids could throw a ball and a frisbee, all of it overlooked by a giant cliff. A very impressive spot.
Not the easiest place to get to, but wow, I could imagine spending a relaxing weekend here. Get some nature recharge.
Then off we went on the hike. You can see we were quite a line of ants climbing up the hillside.
We walked and walked. It was very steep, but the surrounding landscape was truly breathtaking — so green, kind of a "hills are alive with the sound of music" moment.
Somehow it gave the feeling of Swiss villages. We mainly stayed on the road, but I think only one car passed us during the whole three-hour hike. I got eighteen thousand steps in. Pretty big day.
Here you see Sarah and in the background there if you look…That's Cuenca. That's how far away we are.
Here was another overlook. Got all the clowns crowded together and took a group shot. This wasn't everybody, because not everybody came on the hike — some people stayed back at the house and relaxed.
You could hear the sound of a river from inside the house. I could imagine reading a book and sipping coffee there in the morning. Ahh to dream of relaxing while relaxing 😜
We got back from the hike and, of course, the kids were still not tired enough to stop running around, mostly playing with the one football that had been brought. They made up some strange catching game that kept them busy for the better part of an hour.
It's been really wonderful living here in Cuenca. The kids have thoroughly enjoyed it too. Both the local and expat communities feel really welcoming, and it's already in our plan to return — hopefully next summer, maybe for longer.
These two months have gone by really fast, yet seemed so full. Like we've been here for four or six months.
We're going to miss you, Cuenca.
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