Cuenca

Today was mostly a travel day, so I’ll spare you the details and keep it brief(ish).

Our original plan was to hike to Copal Falls before heading back to Quito Airport. That was until we discovered we wouldn’t have access to our rooms afterwards, and the idea of sitting on a plane for an hour in clammy hiking gear sounded was not appealing. Thus, the Beta Plan was activated: a luxurious sleep in.

Naturally, our internal alarms ignored the memo and had us up by 7:00 a.m. anyway. Breakfast was as pleasant as ever, and it was lovely to linger over coffee while soaking up our final glimpses of the misty Mashpi forest. Packing took far longer than it should have. How the heck did we fit all our stuff in our suitcases previously?!

Our private transfer arrived early, and by 11:30 a.m. we were winding our way back toward Quito. The smaller car meant a faster drive, and a packed lunch plus a strategic nap made the 3.5 hours pass quickly.

LATAM staff at Quito Airport were wonderfully friendly — efficient, helpful, and cheerfully determined to prevent us from touching a single kiosk ourselves. Security was a breeze, and before long we found ourselves ensconced in the SALA VIP Lounge, thanks to Priority Pass via our trusty AMEX Platinum. The lounge was spacious and calm, the food was average but edible, and each boarding pass came with two free alcoholic drinks — a clever way to maintain both order and decorum. Wi-Fi was slow, but luckily we had our own data. The highlight of my lounge experience was raiding the kids’ soft-serve station and topping my ice cream with a slightly crumbled Biscoff cookie I’d found in my bag. Resourceful? Yes. Proud? Also yes.

Goodbye Mashpi

Our packed lunch had a simple but tasty chicken wrap, a juice popper, a bag of chips..

...and this yummy brownie

Our private transfer

Such a great thing to have at an airport!

The very spacious and light filled lounge

Lots of seating for different functions

There were smaller food and drink stations

Ceviche was a must

DIY biscoff sundae

Our 8:35 p.m. flight to Cuenca was smooth, and by the time we touched down, night had fallen over the city’s red-tiled roofs and cobblestone streets. Cuenca immediately felt different - calmer, cultured, and beautifully preserved. Known as the “Athens of Ecuador,” it’s a UNESCO World Heritage city celebrated for its colonial architecture, leafy plazas, and a river or two that always seems to appear just when you think you’re lost.

Our home for the next few nights was Itza Boutique Hotel, a lovingly restored 19th-century building just steps from Parque Calderón. It’s all high ceilings, carved wood, and a central courtyard that looks like it should have its own string quartet. After check-in, we decided to skip the late-night wander and instead redeem our welcome drink vouchers at the rooftop bar. The city twinkled below us, the air was crisp, and the mood was decidedly “we made it.”

Day 6: One forest, one flight, one very fancy scoop of soft serve.

The internal stairs

Just inside the lobby

Whiskey room

You can read here too if you wish

The rooftop bar. Thank goodness it was enclosed because by now it was only 11 degrees outside!

Lots of pretty details

View of the cathedral from the roof top bar

Rooms were small but comfortable. Old spanish style buildings sometimes means no windows to the OUTSIDE

Bathroom. Again small, but clean and modern

And one must not forget to look up!