Just go, C!
I'm Charity, a proud auntie, wine lover, semi-nerd, and dreamer who can't stay in one place for too long.
This past month that I've spent in Cuenca has gone by like a snap of the fingers. I had a sneaking suspicion that I was going to like this place after all that I'd seen and heard about it, but I was still surprised at how quickly I settled in. Cuenca has become something of an expat haven in recent years, due to its not-too-overwhelmingly-large size and modern conveniences, its temperate climate, the friendly locals, and the affordability of the cost of living. It was just voted this year as South America's Leading City Break Destination by the World Travel Awards. Indeed, Cuenca has a lot of attractive features that would inspire anyone considering a trip to South America to put it on their list of must-visits. It didn't take long for me to fall in love with this little city, and I'll tell you some of the reasons why! Reason #1: The Cathedrals Roman Catholicism was introduced during the Spanish colonization period, and remains as Ecuador's most important religion with nearly 80% of the country's population identifying as Roman Catholic. Though one wouldn't necessarily say that Ecuador's economy is one of the world's strongest, one need only look at its cathedrals and churches to understand where the financial priorities seem to lie. The oldest church in Cuenca was built in 1557 and is a museum today. You can take tours of most of the local churches; the more popular ones for tourists like the "Old Cathedral" and the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception (a.k.a. the "New Cathedral") will cost $2-3 to tour. The hours for admission are generally 9am - 5pm during the week. Reason #2: The Architecture I didn't think anything could ever top my enchantment with worn French colonial architecture, but Spanish colonial is definitely giving it a run for its money. I had the fortune of staying right in the historical center of Cuenca, which gave me daily eye candy and caused me to spend much of my walking commutes out and about with my mouth agape. The historic center was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999, for good reason. In addition to the Spanish colonial architecture, you can easily see neo-classical and baroque styles as you stroll throughout the historic center. Reason #3: The Big, Beautiful Doors I first realized my obsession with doors, arches, and other such entryways when I took my first trip abroad to Ireland in 2014. Ever since, I've made a point to note stand-out doors and entryways, and get a little giddy every time one catches my eye. There is an abundant supply of ornate, elaborate, and unique doors in Cuenca and it has made me incredibly happy. It's the equivalent of driving along a country road and seeing a horse; no matter how old or educated you happen to be, you always shout out to no one in particular, "HORSE!!" Yeah, that's me when I see a beautiful door. Reason #4: The Food I'm not going to elaborate on this one right now, because I'm planning an ENTIRE POST dedicated solely to the Ecuadorian foodscape. You must understand, I love food so much that I want to make sure it gets its own special shining moment in my blog. I'm sure you get it. Reason #5: The Rivers It's not commonly known, but the full official name of the city of Cuenca is (take a deep breath): Santa Ana de los Cuatro Ríos de Cuenca Quite the mouthful, hey? Basically, there are four major rivers that join up in and around Cuenca, which add a lot of beauty to an already-beautiful city. One of my favorite things to do in Cuenca is to walk along the sidewalk that runs alongside the Tomebamba River on a nice day. Other fantastic things to see and do in Cuenca: Visit the Pumapungo Museum and the Ruins This has been one of my favorite museums to date, despite the fact that all of the displays are in Spanish (Hey, good practice, right?). They have an amazing collection of Incan and Canari ethnographic artifacts, as well as a large section of modern art devoted to local artists. Just outside the doors of the museum, you can walk through the Pumapungo Ruins which are a nice sample of what life might have been like during the years of Incan civilization. You can see what remains of religious buildings, storage facilities, and aqueducts. It's a fantastic way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Take the Cuenca Hop On/Hop Off Tour OK, I know some people think these things are overly touristy and cheesy, but honestly, I think it's a great way to get a feel for a city and take note of places that you might want to visit later on. You can hop on at the northern side of Parque Calderon (the city's main square), and for $8, take a tour of either the northern or southern route of the city. The southern route will take you to Turi, which has a magnificent viewpoint of the entire city of Cuenca. There is also a swing just up some stairs that will allow you to "swing over Cuenca", adding a little adrenaline rush to your view, if you're better at dealing with heights than I am. Take some Spanish classes Despite the fact that many English-speaking expats live in Cuenca, it is still a city for the locals, and as a result, most people speak Spanish and very little to no English. It wouldn't hurt to brush up on those classes you took many moons ago in high school. I enrolled in a four-week program at a local school called Yanapuma, and it was a great experience. I still have a lot of Spanish to learn, but I learned a little more every day, and what better way to get your practice in than to immerse yourself in a Spanish-speaking culture? Plus, I have no doubts that having a little Spanish under my belt will come in handy in the future, too. Buy a Panama hat Many locals will be quick to correct you if you ever use the term "Panama hat" in front of them. Indeed, it is misleading, because these hats were originally woven in Ecuador beginning in the 16th/17th centuries. They were shipped to Panama to be sold to gold prospectors who weren't used to the heat of the Central American sun. They shot up in popularity when Teddy Roosevelt was photographed wearing one when he visited the construction site of the Panama Canal. There are several family-owned shops in Cuenca that sell the real deal, and a few places will even walk you through the process of making the hats. They are not terribly expensive; you can buy a good quality hat for around $25-30. Visit La Calle de Las Herrerias This neighborhood used to be the boundary between the city and the country, where local farmers and peasants would bring in their goods by horse for selling and trading. Later, this area was settled by blacksmiths and iron workers for many years. Today, there are still family-run shops that sell ornaments and metal décor, but many people seem to go for the food nowadays. There are several small cafes set up in front of the shops that sell several Ecuadorian favorites like tamales, humitas, quimbolitos, coffee, and hot chocolate. There is a small park at the end of the street that showcases a beautiful statue which pays tribute to the neighborhood's heritage. I've thoroughly enjoyed my time in Cuenca, and I can already see myself coming back for another visit in the future. It has so much to offer anyone who is traveling independently or with spouses and families. Please comment or message me if I can help you plan a trip to the beautiful city of Cuenca!
28 Comments
I wanted to share my journey with ayahuasca and San Pedro for a few important reasons. The first big reason is that I very strongly believe that there are answers to our questions that we can't find using what many people would call "traditional" methods. There are also some things that can't be healed with modern Western medicine. These are the opinions of someone who is not a trained medical or psychological professional; however, I still believe them wholeheartedly. I did record a short video and posted it on my Facebook page which some of you have already seen. Really, though, that was just a sliver of what I actually went through, and I wanted to go into more details, especially since a few of you had more questions after watching the video. Another reason I went through this is because I felt that I was meant to. If you ever do research on ayahuasca and listen to or watch people's personal accounts, you'll often hear that people say something to the effect of, "I was called to it." It was no different for me. I'll delve into that a little more shortly. Yet another reason I wanted to go through this process is that there are stigmas out there surrounding mental heath issues and alternative medicine. If I can talk about my issues and the things I'm trying to help overcome those issues, then maybe I can help heal someone or inspire someone else to do the same for themselves. Finally, I signed up for the ayahuasca retreat because I needed help. How did I decide on Ayahuasca/San Pedro? My ayahuasca journey started well before August 11, 2018. A few years ago, I started developing an interest in shamanism and attended a few workshops just to learn more about it. I was fascinated by how long it has existed in human history, and to this day, still continues to heal indigenous people and provide wisdom for those who seek it. While I was traveling in Australia, I woke up one morning and saw one of the most magnificent sunrises I'd ever seen. I stayed awake long enough to watch the sun rise completely, then fell back asleep. During that sleep, I had a dream that I went to South America. That dream was so vivid and I have never forgotten it. I take my dreams fairly seriously, so I interpreted this as a sign of what was to come in the future. Not long after I decided to go to South America, I started reading blogs by a professional travel blogger who goes by The Professional Hobo. Initially, I'd started reading her blogs since she is a very successful digital nomad who has been able to sustain her traveling lifestyle for many years. Then, I found her blog posts on ayahuasca and San Pedro. She mentioned participating in a retreat at a place called Gaia Sagrada, and she even stayed after her retreat to volunteer for a while. I knew immediately in my gut that that was where I was going to go. Since beginning my nomadic lifestyle, I've worked on becoming more transparent about my struggles and I have mentioned these struggles in a few of my blog posts. One thing I want to make clear is that choosing to uproot my life and live out in the world did not cause all my problems to vanish. Certainly, I've been gifted some extraordinary experiences which have given me perspective and heaps of gratitude. Yet, the voices remain. Those little monsters that live inside my head still talk to me every day and still remind me about everything I'm not. They don't give up easily. Thankfully, neither do I. But it gets very exhausting and defeating when you go through the same vicious cycles over and over again. I also struggle with the symptoms of PCOS. For anyone who may not know, PCOS is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. It's an endocrine disorder that may affect between 10-20% of women who are in their childbearing years. Many women are unable to conceive because of it. Sadly, many women go undiagnosed, or are misdiagnosed. I started experiencing symptoms in my late teens and wasn't properly diagnosed until my mid-30s. It was for all of these reasons that I signed up for my first ayahuasca retreat. Why Gaia Sagrada? In addition to reading the blogs by The Professional Hobo, I did a LOT of research on ayahuasca and this particular retreat. Everything I'd read about Gaia Sagrada was positive. I couldn't find a single negative review. Ayahuasca is something one needs to take very, very seriously. It does have a negative reputation on some web sites and in some circles. And yes, there have been deaths that have occurred during ayahuasca retreats. So, it's not something you want to just willy-nilly buy off some random street salesperson in Peru. You really need to make sure it's done the right way by experienced shamans. Gaia Sagrada had exactly that to offer. Now that I've completed the retreat, I can absolutely recommend that anyone who wants to do an ayahuasca/San Pedro retreat seriously consider Gaia Sagrada. Yes, you will find cheaper options out there. But, remember what I said about taking this seriously. You do get what you pay for. I was willing to pay a higher price for the near-guarantee of my health and safety. Not only that, but the staff at the retreat was second to none. They hire work exchangers in addition to their regular staff and experienced shamans. All of the exchangers were polite, friendly, positive, hard-working, supportive - everything you need when you're going through the emotionally and physically challenging process of an ayahuasca or San Pedro ceremony. I was in great hands. What's it like to be on ayahuasca? Do you throw up a lot?! The ayahuasca "brew" is comprised of two plants - one that contains the naturally-occurring chemical DMT, and another plant that contains MAOIs. The MAOIs help prevent the breakdown of DMT in your stomach, and therefore, allow the DMT to be absorbed into your body, which gives people the visual and "trippy" experiences that are often reported with ayahuasca. The brew affects every person differently. Many people do throw up, yes. This is called a "purge" and is actually encouraged during the ceremony since it means that the medicine is working. During my retreat, some people purged within minutes of taking the brew. I didn't purge until the very end of my journey. Some people don't throw up but might have to take a number 2 in the toilet, or maybe cry a lot, or maybe yawn or even laugh. Everyone reacts differently. After taking the brew, the journey can last several hours so it's important to remain in a very safe place, preferably under supervision by experienced shamans. At Gaia Sagrada, the work exchangers help people get up and walk to the toilet if they need to go, or provide them with tissues, extra blankets, etc. so that everyone is as comfortable as possible. What's it like to be on San Pedro? San Pedro is a waaaaay different experience than ayahuasca. It's referred to as a masculine energy, whereas ayahuasca is feminine. My experience with San Pedro was a very calming, reassuring, heart-opening one. I felt like a version of my best self; someone who loves easily and freely without bias, prejudice, fear of rejection, or any obstacles that could prevent someone from loving unconditionally. I was much more forgiving of myself, and more vulnerable in sharing my pain and fears with others at the ceremony. Normally, I'm a very reserved person when it comes to my fears and my pain, but San Pedro allowed me to be open, honest, forgiving, and empathetic with myself and with everyone else who was sharing their own pain and fear. It was a really beautiful experience, in my opinion. Additionally, you don't have the same physical side effects that you have with ayahuasca. In other words, no purging. But, we generally had to start San Pedro in the morning because it keeps you awake for quite a while and can make you jittery and twitchy if you take too much. What was YOUR ayahuasca ceremony like, Charity? I took ayahuasca twice, and San Pedro three times. San Pedro had the same effect on me every time. It was fairly predictable. Ayahuasca was definitely the wild card for me. The first time I took ayahuasca, it felt like nothing was happening. I kept waiting for all the magical visions and profound messages that I'd heard everyone was supposed to get, yet nothing happened. What I *did* get was annoyed, agitated, impatient, and really tired. Not the experience I had signed up for. I just remember thinking how I wish I could just leave the circle, go back to my room, and go to sleep. I was over it! I did purge, though, which was interesting considering it felt like nothing happened. The second ceremony kicked my ass. I definitely got everything "I signed up for" and more. I won't share every single detail, because a) some of it is very personal and not something I want to share on the entire worldwide web, and b) the shaman says that oversharing can actually dilute your experience, so it's best to keep some things to yourself. What I will share is that I did see "Mother Ayahuasca" as she is often called. She took on several different forms, actually, but I always knew it was her. During the beginning the ceremony, when the medicine finally kicked in, I was lying on what felt like an operating table and she was examining me. Examining my brain, really. While she was doing this, in one split second, I made eye contact with her, and it was like a jolt of electricity coursed through my body. While you're under the influence of the medicine, you're still able to communicate with "her" and ask her questions, etc. I asked her why she had not shown up the first night of the ceremony, and she responded, "Oh, I was knocking, but you wouldn't let me in." Fair enough. I was definitely nervous and probably blocked anything from happening because of my own need to control. There was a part of the journey that turned very dark. During that phase, everyone and everything became very distorted. The work exchangers looked like demons. Even the fire looked demonic. I was becoming terrified and I asked Ayahuasca to go easy on me. It was during that phase that some dark things were revealed to me about my past. As disturbing as it was, and still is, it made total and complete sense to me. It was as if I knew the truth was there this whole time but I was refusing to ever acknowledge it. It's very difficult to explain. During that time, Ayahuasca was very comforting to me and didn't let me see more than I could handle. She took it easy on me, I think. She told me that the reason I purged the first time was because she was done trying to work with me; I wasn't allowing it to happen. So, she decided to leave my body. When I purged that 2nd time, she made sure I was ready for her to leave, and she didn't leave until I told her it was okay for her to go. I was only then that I purged. Despite that one negative piece, it was, overall, a really incredible and beautiful experience. I got answers to some of my questions, and others I didn't get answers to, but I feel that there was a good reason for that. And maybe, more will be revealed in time that will make some sense of the messages I received. But I am a Christian/Buddhist/Hindu/Atheist/insert your belief here. How can I also believe all this ayahuasca business?
Let me just say that I completely understand and empathize with this question, because I asked myself exactly the same thing going into the retreat. I don't identify with any particular religion. I do believe in God, and I believe God can take on many different forms. I have had what I would call an on-again, off-again relationship with God that I've struggled to make sense of over the years. It's only been fairly recently that I've felt a shift within my heart and have opened myself up more to have a stronger and healthier relationship with God and to develop the spiritual side of myself. Here is what I believe, and you can make of it anything you wish. I believe that God and Ayahuasca are not mutually exclusive. I believe God's all-encompassing message is one of love. Love each other, love ourselves, love what God has created. Ayahuasca is part of God's creation. Ayahuasca has healed people, not just physically, but emotionally. Spiritually. Mentally. There were people at this retreat, whom I now call my friends, who came from all walks of life and all sorts of traumas and pain and suffering that I still struggle to wrap my head around. Ayahuasca brought all of us together, and healed each of us in ways that were unique to us. During that retreat, we went from being complete strangers to people who LOVE one another as though we were family. We ARE family. We've been talking with each other every day since the retreat, no exaggeration. How is that not an expression of God? How is that not an example of God's love for all of us? If you're struggling to find that bridge between God and something like Ayahuasca, I understand, but I encourage you to find those similarities and find God's message in my experience, or your own experience, or the experiences of others around you. Because I promise, it's there. Please comment with your thoughts, questions, remarks, anything I can do. This post has been a really personal one for me, so I appreciate anyone who has taken the time to read this to the end. I hope all of us finds spiritual fulfillment, regardless of the paths we choose and the methods we employ to find it. Well hey there, everyone! Sheesh, haven't done a very good job of updating my blog, have I? I'll do my best to catch you up and share what I've been up to these past few months. As many of you know, I went home for about a month between late June and early August. I got to spend time with my sister and her family, celebrate my youngest niece's first birthday, and enjoy some quality time with some very special friends of mine. It was really bizarre to be back in the States, at first. I remember getting to my hotel room the evening of my return flight to LAX, collapsing on the bed, and then laughing hysterically because I wasn't expecting the bed to be so soft and it totally caught me off-guard. Sleeping in Southeast Asia for an extended period of time will harden your ass, apparently! I left Omaha on August 6th and flew to Quito. I stayed in Quito for a few days and really enjoyed it. The historical center of the city is really beautiful, and I loved experiencing a brand new culture. The Spanish colonial architecture is charming. I loved seeing the native Ecuadorian women in their traditional clothing, selling fruits, snacks, and other various items along the streets. It was a beautiful introduction to Ecuador. I left Quito to embark on quite another journey - a spiritual one. I participated in an Ayahuasca and San Pedro retreat at a place called Gaia Sagrada, which is about 45 minutes outside of the city of Cuenca, situated in the foothills of the Andes. I recorded a video and posted it to my Facebook page, so I'll spare you all the details in this post, but I do plan to write a separate post at some point in the near future about my experience so be on the lookout for that, if you're interested. After the 12 days at the retreat, I came to Cuenca, where I am currently staying for the next few weeks. I decided to take Spanish classes while I'm here, since I'll be traveling around Spanish-speaking countries for a while, and it's a skill I can certainly use again in the future. The school I chose is called Yanapuma. It's a very short walk from my accommodation. The staff are incredibly friendly and they do a great job of helping the students to feel like part of a family. I underestimated how much Spanish I thought I knew, so it's been a little humbling to say the least, but I'm definitely learning a lot and think I could have a good handle on the language within the next six months or so, as long as I'm consistent with practicing. Nothing like full immersion to help that along! Cuenca is a beautiful little city. It's extremely popular with expats and tourists alike. Lots of retirees are opting to settle here for their golden years. Since it's in the highlands area of the country, the weather is often unpredictable, and it's considerably cooler here than in other parts of the country. Since I've been here, it's been cloudy and chilly nearly every day, and we've gotten a lot of rain. Definitely a stark contrast to the heat and humidity of Southeast Asia! Another thing I completely underestimated was how good the food is here!! Holy cannoli, it's SO good. I had no idea. I'm going to do a whole separate post on the food here, but I'll just say that the almuerzos (lunches) are my absolute favorite meals. And super cheap!! You can get an almuerzo which incudes a soup or salad, main course which is usually served with rice or potato or another hearty side, a drink which is usually some kind of fruit juice (the fresh kind!), and even a dessert, for $2.50-3.50. Insane! And their soups, oh boy. I have enjoyed every single bowl of soup I've had here, and I've yet to eat the same kind of soup twice. The other nice thing about Cuenca is that they have a lot of vegetarian and vegan options. After the Ayahuasca retreat, I was ready to make some healthier eating choices, so that's been really nice. I'll be in Cuenca for about another two and a half weeks, then I'm off to explore a couple of other cities in Ecuador. These places will have MUCH warmer weather and sunnier days, which I'm very much looking forward to, but I can already tell that I'll miss Cuenca a lot when I do leave.
I'll be sure to keep you posted on my upcoming travels, and be sure to be on the lookout for my upcoming posts on Ayahuasca and Ecuadorian food! Thank you, as always, for following along and keeping in touch. xoxo |
Details
AuthorHi! I'm Charity. I'm from Omaha, Nebraska, USA. I quit my job in October 2016 to travel the world. Archives
June 2022
Categories |