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So, the big adventure that was planned last night at Joes' Secret Garden came to fruition. Gustavo picked up Billy and I at 8:30am (and he is always on time) and then we stopped to pick up MaryAnn at her absolutely lovely home just off Avenida Solano. Her home just happens to be 2 doors from an old Hearts Of Gold office where I did a lot of work.
Our first stop was in Paute, a great little town north of Cuenca that has a bustling Sunday market where we enjoyed some local roast pig for brunch. MaryAnn picked up some plants, and the guys bought avocados and fruits for the next stop, MaryAnn's country acreage, with magnificent views of the Paute River valley which stretches all the way to the Amazon.
Because I had mentioned the little town of El Pan that I loved so much, that was designated as our next destination. However, El Pan was on the other side of the valley. And, even though it sounded like a long trip (which it was) to go around the north end of the valley, and return on the other side, we decided the adventure would be worth it.
We had to ask locals along the way to be certain we were going the right roads and continued on, and on, and on. The bright side was the incredible views of the Andes, the valley, and the small towns with churches dotting the way. And we got to see two of the hydroelectric dams on the river. And seeing the locals with their horses, livestock and many dogs was always a treat.
The highlight of the photos below is due to MaryAnn's keen eyes, telling Gustavo to stop in time, for us to see the hilarious sight of these 3 pigs, leaning on the side of their pens like curious onlookers. Those were the shots of the day.
We reached El Pan around 5pm and had a sandwich. Strangely, the town was very subdued which I found very odd, as it is usually sunny and bustling with people.
It was dark as we made our way home and we hit welcome rain again as we approached Cuenca.
So the day was long but so satisfying, traveling with good friends with good humour and fun. The scenery, the greenery, the expanse of the Andes mountains is always such a humbling experience that our memories will treasure forever.
I must thank MaryAnn for sharing her homes with us, Gustavo for being the driver and tour guide, and Billy for being a trooper on such a long day.
I hope you enjoy the pictures. That was the day’s excitement.
Al
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Gorgeous roses in the yard 
Brunch in Paute 
Busy Sunday market 
The Andes with unmoving clouds 
Locals 
Breathtaking mountain scenery is unending 
Cool wall above a cemetery 
Paute River is still low 
On MaryAnn's neighbor's roof 
Figuring out satellite link positioning 
The views from this place are spectacular 
Love eucalyptus leaf colours 
Billy enjoying the view 
Interesting pine? cone 
The white line is the usual river wall height 
Impressive! 
Gustavo needed mucho cafe 
Lovely towns along the way 
Part of Paute Dam 2 
Paute Dam 2 
Gustavo was a great guide 
No more words to describe the beauty 
A local "Chola" lady 
In and above the clouds often 
Paute Dam 2 
Playing leapfrog with this truck 
Paute Dam 2 
My fun companions, MaryAnn, Gustavo, Billy 
Billy spotted these glowing flowers 
Paute Dam 1 
Paute Dam 1 
Shot of the day! 
and this one too! 
Paute Dam 1 
Our group 
Getting closer 
Other tourists too 
Tunnel under the Dam 
My constant companion 
Still waiting for me to keel over 
Gustavo asked for this shot 
LOVE this particular shot 
Our group at El Pan 
Stained glass on the church steeple
