In the past two weeks, we have visited the Ecuadorian countryside and several unique and picturesque towns near Cuenca.

San Bartolome

San Bartolome is about 25 miles southeast of Cuenca and like most Latin American towns, it has a colonial square in the center of town anchored by a church.

A guitar sculpture in the square gives visitors notice of the famous hand-made guitars made by some 30 local craftsmen. We visited the “Uyaguari Guitar Workshop” and met Jose Uyaguari, a third-generation craftsman, who showed us his process of creating guitars.

Each guitar is handmade with basic tools such as planes, saws, and various sizes of chisels. Jose’s skill in designing and creating the guitars was amazing.

Jose showed us each step of the process. He uses mostly local woods for the base of the guitar. Inlays inserted into the wood are all handmade by gluing several different colored strips of wood together. They are then cut into tiny pieces using a chisel and glued into grooves of the wood (inlays) also cut using simple tools. After the guitar face is completed, a plane is used to smooth out any high spots.

Depending on the design and type of guitar, it can take Jose from one week to two months to make a guitar and prices range from $300 to $2,000.

After demonstrating his technique, he showed us some of the finished instruments including ukuleles, violins and various types of guitars.

Each instrument is a unique work of art and the instruments are coveted by people from all over the world.

Chordeleg

Thirteen miles down the road we arrived in Chordeleg. Chordeleg has a population of 11,000 people and is well known in Ecuador for the skilled artisans who make beautiful silver jewelry.

The jewelry is unique because the silver is twisted and woven into filigree works of art. First, the silver is melted down and then silver is pulled into fine threads which are twisted into artistic shapes.

All around the central square, there are jewelry shops selling silver filigree and we bought a few pieces of jewelry for family.

Gualaceo

Just down the road from Chordeleg is the town of Gualaceo. It’s one of the larger towns in the area with a population of 40,000 people. This area is known for its leather and artisan-made macanas (shawls).

We visited a workshop called “La Casa De La Macana” where we watched artisans weave beautiful, one-of-a-kind macanas using the ikat technique more commonly found in Asia.

Owners José Jiménez and his wife Ana María Ulloa own the workshop and José learned the weaving process from his parents and grandparents.

Ikat is a complex, traditional style of weaving in which yarn is tie-dyed to create intricate designs. Rocks, nuts, plants, beetles, and worms are all used to create natural dyes.

Anna showed us how she ties and masks the yarn prior to dipping into the dyes which will later form a pattern.

She showed us the time consuming, back-breaking weaving process which reminded me of a stationary rowing machine at the gym. We really appreciated the work that goes into making just one shawl which can take months to complete. Ikat weaving in Gualeceo predates the Spanish conquest; however, this craft is declining because today fewer Ecuadorians wear the traditional shawl.

After the demonstration, we admired the finished product and bought a shawl and a scarf which Kathy wears frequently.

Biblián

The last town we visited was Biblián to see the beautiful gothic-style church perched high above the town on a cliff.

The local lore states that in 1893 a drought killed all the village livestock and crops. The parish priest placed a small statue of the Virgin Mary atop the mountain and prayed for rain. It began to rain immediately and shortly thereafter the townspeople built a wooden sanctuary on that spot. Later the majestic limestone church was built. It is hard to imagine how difficult it was to build this grand church on the side of a cliff because all the building materials were carried up the mountain.

From the church, there is a nice view of the town below and the side of the mountain is visible inside the church as the interior wall.

Today, the Santuario de La Virgen del Rocío overlooking the town below is a destination and is visited by faithful from all over Ecuador.

Craft Guilds

The tradition of craft guilds brought by the Spanish almost 500 years ago is still a powerful force in Ecuador and this tradition supports small towns with unique artisan skills. The artisans in each town perfect their skill and artisans from other towns do not encroach on the others.

In Ecuador, people can still make a living with their art. Indigenous groups have artisan specialties, and villages surrounding Cuenca specialize in gold, silver, ceramics, fine woods, leathers, textiles, and musical instruments. Ecuadorian craft guilds and indigenous marketing co-ops thrive and even the government seems to respect and support artists.