Cuenca's Livability Rating

It's strange how I now judge cities by how long I could live in them.  In Cusco we were estimating that it would be a perfect place to stay for about three months.  In Máncora, the quiet tourist beach side hangout, a three day stay was enough.  Now, Cuenca, Ecuador just got a long-term livability rating.  I could definitely see myself staying here.  It's the first young, middle class city I've seen in a long time.  Relaxing cafes on the corners, international restaurants (not chains but unique dives with exotic foods), all types of museums and contemporary art galleries give life to the cobble stone streets. (I've also seen signs in the city for urbanization/planning/design firms).  The Corpus Cristi celebrations happening all week include entire families and not just a rowdy Carnival crew -- they shoot of fireworks all night for the festival, have a million street vendors pushing typical pastries, and launch Chinese lanterns off into the night sky.  As a lively and livable young, middle class city, Cuenca earns itself a "settle down" rating on the new system.

Photos don't capture the true eerieness.

And, although it doesn't contribute to the livability rating and just earns a tourist rating, the Ethnographic museum has a collection of shrunken heads that Amazonian tribes used to make of their defeated enemies.  It's really eerie seeing miniature faces still with mustaches, eyebrows, and lifelike facial features.  Killing is not protected in Amazonian religions.  Therefore during wars, by beheading, ritually shrinking, and carrying the doll-sized/fist-sized head with them, the victor would absorb the powers of the dead, keeping the fallen from passing in vein, thus adhering to religious law.

Cuenca's Livability Rating