Cuenca's hidden neighborhoods

This belated post is from Otovalo, during siesta while Mary is resting. More on Otovalo later today in a separate post. I thought I had put a post together for this blog, but nothing appears, so here goes.

Monday (18th) we took an all-day (8 full hours) guided tour of Cuenca -- just Mary, our guide Efrain (of Mio Tours)and I. In the process we covered the entire circle around Cuenca, went in a local mall, did a pretend shopping trip, talked about prices, learned what you can get cheaply and what costs more than in the USA, and what you can't get at all. Learned a lot about Ecuador's politics, economics and tax system as well. Spent time learning about medical care and Cuenca's hospitals, visiting one of them.

We focused on 2 residential neighborhoods, which the guide labeled the "50/50 neighborhood" and the "secret neighborhood" - not the real names but labels for us to use in communicating with Efrain later. Both neighborhoods were just outside the colonial center, but close enough for a short walk, bus or taxi ride. We like both neighborhoods. Detached homes with 3-4 bedrooms and nice landscaping are renting for $300-$350 per month unfurnished. Both neighborhoods are mainly Ecuadorian owners/residents, with a few gringos.