It's Noisy Here . . . Sometimes

Okay, I can hear what you're thinking:  Of course it's noisy there.  Cuenca is a city that is large in population but small in area.  There are a lot of people and cars and buses and trucks in a relatively restricted space.

True. And US cities are noisy.  But Cuenca is noisier than any US city I'm familiar with.

• The noise on the buses:  During certain times of day, the buses are very crowded and, of course, people talk to one another.  What makes it irritating is that many bus drivers play music very loudly so people have to talk louder to make themselves heard.
• Horns honking.  I often think that drivers honk their horns just to hear them.
• Car stereos and radios:  Owners of cars play their radios and stereos when the cars are not moving.  I know when one of our neighbors is washing his or her car if I hear the radio playing.  The taxi drivers at the taxi stand down the street from us are prone to this, too.
• The stores that sell music and movie DVDs:  In el Centro, you can find at least one of these, and often more, on every block.  To advertise their wares, the owners play music or movies, with the volume very loud.  This makes for some interesting juxtapositions; the other day, sitting in one of the plazas before going to my Spanish class, I heard three kinds of music at once: Andean flute music, a Mozart sonata, and 1980s US rock and roll.  
• Music equipment stores:  The speakers available here are huge.  Those stores that sell speakers and amplifiers have to demonstrate how well they work, right?  
• The vendors on the street:  There are vendors selling fruit, coca oil, lottery tickets, food, sunglasses, remote controls . . . an incredible array of merchandise is available from street vendors.  They all call out to attract attention.
• Animals:  Barking dogs, crowing roosters, cackling hens.  (In fact, I like these noises.)
• Fireworks:  I don't know why this is done -- sheer love of noise, I guess, or scaring away evil spirits, or to announce events -- but a lot of fireworks are shot here.  And we're not talking little fireworks; we're talking big ones, with big noise.  If it is for protection, we live in the safest neighborhood in Cuenca.
• Parties:  There are many parties here, for feast days and national holidays and local holidays and for the sheer love of parties.  Last night, for example, someone near us had a big party, with the music, explosions, and loud singing and talking until . . . well, I don't know when it ended.  I finally went to sleep.  You have to cope with it as best you can, because it is their right to have these parties.  When we first came to Ecuador, I read a posting on an expat forum from an expatriate woman, living in an Ecuadoran city, who complained to the police about a noisy party.  The police were puzzled about her complaint.

Yet it can be incredibly quiet, too.  Right now, at about 7 on Sunday evening, it is very quiet.  This morning, we went into el Centro to have breakfast at the Kookaburra (it was about 9:00), there were few people and cars on the streets.  It was lovely and peaceful.

I like Cuenca.  I am learning to deal with the noise; it doesn't bother me nearly as much as it did two or three months ago.  For those of you who haven't visited here, be forewarned.  But don't stay away -- come visit!

Until next time, be well.