The sidewalks in Cuenca are very different from what we have in the Mid-West. While we think of a sidewalk to be four feet wide and made of poured concrete, such is not the case in this city. Depending on how close the buildings are to the street, the sidewalk can be anywhere from 18 inches to eight feet wide. Walking on one of the narrow walks and having one of the big blue city busses come roaring by can be quite disconcerting to say the least. But the differences don’t stop there.
Typical of older cities, people drive their cars right into their homes/businesses. This means that you will be walking along and suddenly they will have cut out a section of the sidewalk so that a car can be driven from the street into a building. This cut out is in the form of a 45-degree ramp, and there are no warnings that it is there. If you aren’t paying attention, it is very easy to step into one and twist an ankle—or worse, you could fall into the street! After walking the streets for a time, what happens is that you develop what I call “sea legs”. You get so that you can step into one of these, you foot lands at an angle instead of flat, your body automatically adjusts and you just go on. I seem to have found my “sea legs” quite quickly this year. “Knock on wood”, but I haven’t stumbled once. I probably just “jinxed” myself.
The surface of the sidewalks is another difference. While you occasionally will find a concrete walk, it is not very often. Usually they are made of cobblestone blocks. This results in a very uneven surface that creates more trip hazards. Newer walks are often made of a ceramic tile that is fit closely together. While these create a very smooth surface, they are a hazard in their own right. It they are the least bit wet, it can be somewhat like walking on a sheet of ice. Considering that it rains regularly and people just pour wash water on the sidewalk to dispose of it, wet walks are not uncommon. Perhaps the worst that I have is Parque Calderon in the center of town. This is a large, beautiful, park that is laced with these ceramic walks. I enjoy visiting Calderon to people watch. However, if these tiles are the least bit wet, simply crossing the park can be an adventure. They are slipperier than greased owl…. (Well, you get the idea).
