To break up our month in Cuenca, we booked a few days at Hacienda Chan Chan, a working dairy farm north of the city. With four brothers and no sisters, the lone daughter of the family was excited to show our girls everything about the farm. They collected chicken eggs, corralled pigs, milked cows, petted newborn calves, caught tadpoles, and played on the zip line. I did my best to figure out the wood burning stove, and Chelsey spent some time trying to keep warm.
We were served fresh meals every day, which of course included delicious yogurt, cheese, cream, butter, sour cream, and milk. I’ve never understood the fuss over raw milk, but the farmer there says it makes cheesemaking much easier. I was quite impressed with the cheese cave.
Now we’re back in the center of historic Cuenca, where we scored another great HomeExchange. We’re on the third floor of a building that overlooks the flower market, right next door to the famous blue-domed cathedral. I was surprised at how comfortable it felt coming back to something familiar after a few days on the farm, when that familiarity is born from only a couple weeks spent in this very foreign place.
The 4th of July came and went without any celebration this year, but we did have a fun little reference to the Utah holiday of Pioneer Day (July 24th). To celebrate the Mormon Pioneers, the church congregation here walked across part of the city from one chapel to another, and we were happy to join them.
I also got back out to the Cajas, this time with a fly-fishing guide. We hiked up to several small lakes and fished for trout through some fierce winds. I only landed a couple, but was happy to get another day out in that unique rugged landscape.
