Cuencanos

We leave Cuenca today for Guayaquil, the largest city in Ecuador, to fly to Peru tomorrow.  We're ready to leave in some ways, and sad to leave in others -- the people of Cuenca are delightful, the city welcoming, beautiful.  Ecuadoreans generally are pretty happy folks; we've heard, seen and felt this.  Big close families, friendly trusting outlook, community oriented, seemingly content with their lives.

It's also lovely to be in a culture almost devoid of obesity and its concomitant problems.  The babies are pleasingly round, and grow through it by about 5, and then normally muscled bodies. Not skinny people -- that's not their ideal -- but not fat, either. Healthy normal.  Some thickness emerges in the women over about 50 (all over the world), accentuated here by their stature, and the clothing they wear -- typically 2-3 pleated skirts at a time -- not flattering.  But folks without obvious problems here move so well -- even the very old -- lots of walking, carrying.  Lots of fruits and veges eaten, good grains, and ice cream.  It looks and feels like a healthy society, inside and out.  Sigh.

These ladies were about 4', and 4.5' tall.  Walking around just fine, thank you.

She's about 75, about 4 feet tall, and barefoot.  About 60 degrees out.

Typical couple in their 70s. 

Dressed for Sunday in the park. 

Hiphop exhibition in the park.  Excellent bodies there. 

Pre-school group just going in from play.  Kids here are happy, so well behaved. 

Typical fashion among the 50+ set -- a wool or velvet pleated skirt, pigtails, comfy shoes.  About 4.5 feet tall, moving faster than I do.

The school kids wear uniforms.  These are collegio (high school) kids. 

Carolina (5) came to our place while her mom cleaned it (part of the apartment contract).  She was adorable, playing her game boy.  When I asked her if she could read, she said, with surprise on her face -- "no, I'm only five." 

Just hanging, watching the world in the big main park. 

Ah, the lovely flowered balconies of  Cuenca, a testament to the gentle nature of its residents.