Riobamba to Cuenca

The Riobamba Municipal Band in concert

The gasping of air brakes as the driver pumps them rhythmically on downhills becomes the tempo of the road. 

 To get to Cuenca we spent hour after hour twisting through hairpin switchbacks, up and down thousands of feet repeatedly with the bus tilting from one side to the other, either throwing me against the chair arm or Ingrid. These Andes dwarf the Coast Mountains, and the big mountain roads are even more exciting when the fog is so thick you can barely see beyond the margin of the road.  

Riobamba Band fan

Riobamba did us the favor of showing us what a typical mid-sized Ecuadoran town looks like:  elaborate antique Spanish colonial buildings towering over narrow streets paved in cobblestones  crowded tightly by half-finished square and utilitarian buildings of concrete block with a strands of rebar protruding from them like cat’s whiskers.  

Cuenca street merchant

Once in Cuenca, we enjoyed dinner in the nicest restaurant we have enjoyed in Ecuador – improved by the entry of all the Miss Ecuador contestants – each giving us a nice open smile, a little wave and “Buenos noches” as they clicked past on 6” heels in the tiniest of skirts and dresses.  You could almost touch the excitement in their smiles.\

It is pretty much impossible to spend time in any Latin country without noticing how proud the women are in their femininity.  The dresses, skirts, heels, décolletage, the rhythm of their hips – all happily celebrate their pride in their female sexuality.  In contrast, our northern culture seems awfully dour and inhibited.

Church opposite our room

It seems a regular occurrence to close a street for an impromptu concert.  Yesterday we enjoyed the Riobamba Municipal Band in red serge dominated by the rhythm section and trombones playing finger-snapping salsa-style tunes.  But as always, police dominated.  Dozens and dozens of uniforms around and throughout the crowd.
 

They like their military here – departing Riobamba we saw two military tanks deployed in the streets, crowded about by soldiers and children.  Reassuringly, Ecuadorans probably like their ice cream more.