DAY 32 WED. OCT. 31 CUENCA

Hallowe'en in Cuenca ... believe it or not, the place is jumping tonight with festivals, people in costumes, full bars and crowds in the streets. Of course, Independence Day might also have something to do with the revelry. Pablo tells us this Hallowe'en business is a fairly new phenomenon, imported from North America. It is really catching on.

The day was not as early, thank goodness, but it involved a walking tour of Cuenca, yet another UNESCO world heritage site. This is a handsome city with many old looking buildings in the colonial, republican and neo-classical styles. But don't be fooled. Most buildings that look to be half a millennium old actually date from approximately 1900 to the 1920's. Still, there is so much character here. The "new" cathedral, dating from 1880 to 1967, is a Byzantine-styled monster, the largest in South America. But it is also a wonder to behold, magnificent inside and out. We toured the cathedral, plus the convent Santuario Mariano. Both were full of people who were there to worship and I felt like an intruder, spying on their devotions. It always moves me to see people, usually simple people, earnestly expressing their faith and hope in a higher spirit. Perhaps their lives are not easy or full of the material things we in North America seem to value, and they seek something comforting or constant to guide them and offer them a better future. For example, in the convent, people were showing up in order to obtain remedies for their afflictions from the nuns cloistered within. They stopped, prayed, showed complete respect and obedience to the authority of the institution, and humbly asked for help. In keeping with the special occasion of the holiday weekend, the local cardinal was present in the convent, receiving people, listening to what they had to say, and blessing them. People were demonstrating their faith, not before an audience of curious tourists, but to God, or at least their concept of what God is. Pablo told us that Cuenca is the most Catholic city in Ecuador, and it is hard to disagree when presented with the "evidence of things unseen."

The morning pace was long and I was tired and appreciated the early afternoon break. We re-convened to visit a look-out, a ceramic artist's studio, the "Panama" hat factory, all of which were interesting but tiring. Hard to know if it's the long trip coming to an end, or Pablo working us hard to squeeze every last activity out of us. A few long faces showed our fatigue and some fraying tempers, but the day ended well with a fine dinner, a good walk on a lovely night, and dancing salsa to a great band in the main square in front of the cathedral. Lou and Pablo really cut a rug !!!