Fireworks

Will and Kevin have been with me here in Cuenca for a little more than a week now.  Since their arrival, we have soaked in thermal pools, caught a professional soccer match, tried on Panama hats and seen a lot of fireworks.

Last week I made it eight kilometers outside of Cuenca to Baños for the first time.  Baños is a small village on the outskirts of Cuenca with a nice church and lots of volcanic thermal hot springs.  Will, Kevin and I spent $5 for the midrange facility, which included access to the sauna, Turkish baths, ball courts and pools.  We looked a little goofy in our required swim caps but the soak was worthwhile.

The soccer season is finishing up down here and we made it to the last Deportivo Cuenca game of the year.  Cuenca's team, Deportivo Cuenca, held a first place ranking about a month ago but lost hold of their top position shortly after.  They won this game 2-0.  For me, the best part was the view with the sunset.

Yesterday, Will and I went to one of the many Panama hat museums and factories here in Cuenca.  Panama hats, known here as sombreros de paja toquilla, are actually from Ecuador and were mistakenly named in English when exported through the Panama Canal in the 1800s.  The straw comes from palms on the coast and is transported all over the country, but mostly to Cuenca, to be intricately woven and shaped into the famous hat.  They sell for $15 to $1,000 and the factory we toured has even exported their hats to Kentucky for the Derby.

All week long, during the excitement of our other activities, we heard fireworks.  We would hear one early in the morning, others during the day, and more at night.  On Thursday when I was walking to catch the bus at 6:30 AM, I saw one in the early morning (already day-lit) sky.  It turns out that the neighborhood church had a week-long celebration, including many, sporadic, single fireworks.

Last night, walking down the sidewalk, we almost stepped on some fireworks right as they started to go off.  We backed away and enjoyed a fabulous show.

One night, we caught a concert in the main square of town with a firework castle as the grand finale.  According to Conchita, these firework castles were invented here in Azuay (Cuenca's province) and are now used in festivals all over the country.  The 20-foot tall structures are loaded with fireworks and when lit, they begin spinning and blowing fireworks into the crowd as people back away.  It was truly magnificent (and maybe a tad hazardous too!)