Dear Southeast Florida TCC Chapter Members:
Have you ever fallen in love with one of your travel cities? For many years my favorite city was London, England, as I have visited 38 times. But now I have a new LOVE city, and I believe that its a hidden travel gem.
As some of you know, I have visited Cuenca, Ecuador, six times in the past three years. I LOVE this city and the spring-like weather year-round, but especially in the summer as I like to escape the South Florida heat. I have visited every country in the world and my TCC count is 301 but my heart loves Cuenca.
I normally stay in Cuenca for seven to 14 days for each visit, but this summer will stay from July 6 to Aug. 25. This meant that there would be no Southeast Florida Chapter meetings this summer, and several members suggested we could meet in Cuenca, so we are.
Cuenca is the third largest city in Ecuador and is considered the safest city in Ecuador. Cuenca is located SOUTH of the equator, and July is the “winter season.” There is a large ex-pat population of over 10,000 due to the weather and low cost of living. Cuenca is a beautiful city and has a UNESCO designation. The city is located in the Andes Mountains at 8,300 feet above sea level. There are many pretty plazas , churches, and four rivers run through the city. Ecuador uses the US dollar and it’s a very affordable travel designation. I believe its a hidden gem of South America. It is a short distance from South Florida and just one time zone difference.
Currently eleven members have already made travel plans to attend this July 25-26 TCC gathering. Several people are flying in early or staying later, and several are also planing to visit the Galapagos Islands and/or Quito.
This is NOT an organized tour. Attendees are making their own plane reservations, and most of us will be staying at a small boutique hotel, The San Juan Hotel located in El Centro, the historical center of Cuenca. I will provide suggestions on interesting things to do while you are in Cuenca. Saturday, July 25, is the one day everyone will be in Cuenca, and so I will organize several specific activities that we will do as a group.
Most people are flying into Guayaquil (GYE) on direct flights from MIA or FLL, but you can also do two separate flights to to Cuenca,
Cuenca, Ecuador, is a special place which I hope you will be able to travel to sometime in your in future travels, if you are unable to attend the chapter gathering in July.
Do you want to join us in Cuenca? Please let me know.
Future Southeast Florida Chapter meetings planned at this time are:
- Sunday, Sept. 20 — Member home
- Sunday, Dec. 13 — Holiday party at a member home
Happy travels,.
Anush Dawidjan
Southeast Florida (Miami) Chapter Coordinator
