Last Weekend was the celebration of Cuenca's Independence from Spain ..... 190 years. Fascinating.
According to what I could figure out (my info is always suspect) there were between 125,000 and 150,000 visitors (either expected or actually here). It was madness. Chaos. Very cool.
There were things going on everywhere and all the time. Concerts in the parks ..... several. We went to a concert in the Parque de la Madre one night. A Chilean Folklore group called Illapu. They were fantastic. We did not see any other gringos at all. The music was great.
There were parades and go kart races. Donkey and military parades. Art and handicrafts sold all over the place. Fireworks. Celebrating.
It was really something and lasted for 5 days.
We took the opportunity to buy some much needed art work. Most of it still needs framing and we still need more. But we literally have years.
The other expat blogs have done a much better job describing the celebration and posting much better pics than I took.
HOWEVER ........ I DO HAVE SOME PICS TO SHARE:
THIS FIRST LINK is to an album or random pics over the last few months. In some of them, you will see people in blue coveralls. Cuenca has literally brigades of street sweepers, and that is who the blue coverall people are. Sometimes it is orange coveralls, or green. I don't know the difference. But there are always people cleaning the city. And it shows.
THIS SECOND LINK is to a bunch of pics that I took on a walk last July. I just started walking and took random street shots. Truly random: not looking for interesting or beautiful. Just random. When I looked at the pics later I realized that there were almost no people n the streets or sidewalks. SUNDAY! It was a Sunday and the town is DEAD on Sundays. Apparently Sunday is truly family day and tends to be very quiet. The people you do see out on Sundays tend to be in family groups for family activities. For instance, on most Sundays, 12 de Abril (a major street) is usually blocked off to all but bicycle and foot traffic. On Sundays there are lots of family groups there doing family stuff.
Life is Sweet,
Clarke
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